WEEK SIX DISCUSSION BOARD - SUMMER I 2014

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Permalink Reply by Mary Grace Flowers on June 19, 2014 at 8:16am

http://www.teachthought.com/teaching/46-students-explain-assignment...

Kids will absolutely learn through play was my take away from this article.  

Students were asked to make a list of the class assignments throughout the year that really stood out to them, the list was compiled in a random order and the more outlandish the activity, the more memorable it was for this kids.  One activity that was repetitive and made the list several times was the Barbie drop. The list was comprised of 47 activities that the kids chose as fun and engaging activities.   As I read the list, I could picture the activity and see these kids laughing and enjoying the activity that they were completing.  About 95% of the activities were not "book" type activities, they were activities that were creatively planned by the teacher and implemented and made an impact on student learning.

In the past couple of years, we recently were introduced to the term "activating strategies."  Sitting in a professional development, it was explained that this was the new strategy that we would be using when introducing a topic of study.  An example of an activating strategy would be the "hook" that you would deliver to the kids that would peak their interest on the topic that you were about to begin to study.  In math, when teaching angles to 2nd graders, we would first make little people on skateboards and we would make the different skateboard jumps and describe the jump based on the degree.   The kids loved this and understood the concept of angles instead of me just standing in front of them explaining what an angle was.  Creating those real life "hooks" for kids is what makes learning fun.  Activating strategies was nothing new to the seasoned teachers that were present the day of the professional development, it's just something that we always did to make learning fun…..it just had a new name.   

Permalink Reply by Brenda Tomeo on June 19, 2014 at 7:29pm

I too was interested in the article and in the end had chosen a different one.  I love the "activating strategy" you propose to capture 2nd graders attention regarding angles.  It is interesting to bring new ways to instruct and allow the students to learn material while having fun.  They are then more likely to remember the angles and how those skateboards looked when they think about acute and obtuse angles and the difference between the two.  I tend to remember things when I have something to relate it to, some mental picture I form and you are providing that for your students - nice! 

Permalink Reply by Erika Smith on June 24, 2014 at 10:12am

I too read this article and the same things stood out to me! I couldn't believe how easy it was to see that hands on activities and technology based activities were the ones that stood out most to this selection of students. It really makes you think about what you are planning for you classes and how it will "stick" with the students. The more you do or the one who does the construction of the assignment truly is the one who does the learning! Thanks for sharing!!

Permalink Reply by Patty Horney on June 20, 2014 at 3:30am

The article I read was "Growing up Google: 40 Things That Have Credibility with Google Natives," by Terry Heick.

The author notes that in order to better teach our students, we need to understand what has credibility with them. This understanding will assist educators in teaching strategies and drawing them in. Google has been around since 1998, that's 16 years. The majority of students, K-12, have grown up using Google. How many times have you said, "Google it!"?

Heick lists 40 things that he feels are important to students. While many of the items on the list include technology (Snapchat, Tagging, Kik, apps, Snark, Vine, to name a few), many items did NOT focus on technology (close friends, anything funny, peer pressure, nerds, and more). There were many items, technology based, that I had never heard of. As a teacher, I think that it is important to be up-to-date on what makes our students tick. At least having a general idea of what they are using outside of school.

Technology is here to stay and educators need to embrace it. You hear the older generation saying read a map or look it up in the phone book. Seriously? Those days are gone. We need to look at what our students are growing up with and Google is one of the most utilized word out there. While I believe technology gets the job done quickly and efficiently, we also need to caution our students on using reliable websites and not getting taken advantage of in the social media world. I can't believe how much information you can get off of the internet when you're "creeping" on someone!

Keeping up with the emerging trends is tough, pertaining to teaching and to what students are interested in. New apps and websites are created daily. Teachers should continue to listen to students about what they are doing outside of school. Also, visiting websites like Classroom 2.0 would benefit educators.

http://www.teachthought.com/technology/40-things-that-have-credibil...

Permalink Reply by Gail Scharmberg on June 22, 2014 at 1:56pm

Hi Patty! This looks like a great article that I want to check out, as educators it is important to "stay in the game" in regards to technology. I agree with you when you said, "technology is here to stay and educators need to embrace it", my co-workers are slowly starting to accept using technology during instruction. I find it funny that they are slightly "techno-fobic" since the technology in our field is constantly changing. To keep our students engaged, we need to incorporate technology that they are comfortable using. Besides, we might learn a thing or two from them. :) G

Permalink Reply by Kelly Winchell on June 24, 2014 at 9:36pm

Hi Patty,

It is interesting to think of what is out there now that will be considered "credible" in the future.  As you mentioned new apps and programs are being created daily.  I recently attended the Innovations in Online Learning Conference and the closing keynote speaker was Dr. Robbie Melton.  She was AMAZING!!!  She speaks about the Globilization of Learning through Mobile Learning and how we as educators NEED to stay on top of this stuff!  Part of her job is to critique new tools and apps that are out.  It's an hour long, but really interesting if you have time to watch...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QR8lkYPAUs4

Permalink Reply by David Miller on June 25, 2014 at 6:47am

Hey Patty. You're 100% right that keeping up with current trends is difficult. I listen to tech podcasts, subscribe to a lot of YouTube channels, and practically live on Wired.com and I still have to deal with younger people surprising me with new and interesting things they've found. You hit the nail on the head, though. Part of successfully staying in the know is communicating with the students and letting them keep you informed about what's new and what's popular.

Permalink Reply by Kelley on June 20, 2014 at 9:14am

1. The article I chose was "Why Some Teachers Are Against Technology in Education". The link is below... 
   http://www.teachthought.com/technology/why-some-teachers-are-agains...
   

The article discussed the reasons why some educators are hesitant or against the incorporation of technology in education and it went over some of the possible reasons why they feel that way. It was a very interesting read because we (as evolving educators) have been trained to almost link the words "education" and "technology" together when creating lessons or designing curriculum. Most of the educators I know try to incorporate some type of technology into at least 1 of their lessons per day to engage learners and because the options are really limitless when it comes to what is available in the Web2.0 realm.

The article states that many of the educators who are opposed to technology in education have said that they felt this way because it is costly and the money could be spent on more concrete items or to raise the teacher-student ration in schools. Another reason they stated as to why they were against technology in education is for the same reason that some educators love incorporating technology into education - because it is always changing! Some educators who aren't familiar with the educational or Web 2.0 resources that are out there feel that they can't keep up with the growing trend. As soon as they learn something, it all changes again and is constantly disrupting routines. Other teachers believe that learning should happen face-to-face on a more personal level and because technology is flashy and loud, it takes away from that.

The article quotes "And this is where things get stressful. Technology doesn’t make teaching better or worse, simpler or more complex–it changes it all entirely. The frameworks. The models. The training. The instructional design. Curriculum. Lesson design. Assessment. Learning feedback. Classroom management. School design. All of it."

I completely agree with the statement above pertaining to technology in education. Incorporating technology into what you do with your students in your classroom doesn't necessarily make you a better teacher and won't necessarily make your students grasp the concepts you are trying to teach. It simply is another tool or method that can be used to open up a students higher-order thinking skills and encourage collaboration and creativity. It has been proven that students can learn effectively through the use of educational technology so as educators, it is our job to at least try to implement new methods and techniques.

 

Taking EDT courses has definitely been one way that I am staying current with the tools and resources that are available on the web to encourage using technology in education. I also plan to watch webinars and ask other educators what works for them!

Permalink Reply by Patty Horney on June 21, 2014 at 8:13am

Hi Kelley,

I do agree that we can go too far with technology. Students need have the skills necessary to communicate to peers and authority figures face to face, not just with technology. I think it's horrible when young workers send texts to their bosses telling them they won't be at work that day. We need to be able to speak to each other.

However, we also are aware that we need the skills to be able to utilize technology as it is rampant in the workplace. Now we have technology every time we turn around. I good mix of traditional teaching with a douse of technology would  be effective.

Patty

Permalink Reply by Mary Grace Flowers on June 21, 2014 at 10:31am

Teaching technology is newer in some districts than others and can be intimidating to some. There are so many new educational initiatives that teachers are overwhelmed. It's interesting to read the different opinions on technology though, some feel like they couldn't teach without it and then there are some that wish it would just go away. Time will tell.

Permalink Reply by Erika Smith on June 23, 2014 at 7:53pm

This is a great article to see the other side of the pendulum. So many people are all about technology (myself included) that I sometimes forget there are still naysayers out there to this amazing educational trend. I like that you quoted the part about technology not making things better or worse, but changing it completely. I think this is important for people like me who love technology to really look at. It is a lot of work to implement technology, but worth the work if your willing to stick with it. Thanks for sharing!!

Permalink Reply by Kevin Majewski on June 20, 2014 at 3:06pm

The topic I chose to read more about what "Why Some Teachers are Against Technology in Education". The link below will take you directly to this article....

Why Some Teachers Are Against Technology In Education

 

The article discusses how many teachers in education are against educational technology. The article states that many educators dismiss integrating technology and "do so with enough sarcasm and bitterness and choice language to embarrass their mothers.". While other educators have embraced this change and have taken steps to further their skill and knowledge with different forms of technology for their classrooms.

 

Educational technology is something that needs to be incorporated not just because of new laws and policies but in order to turn students into the 21st century learners they need to be in order to be successful throughout school and the business world. Technology is here to stay and while its understandable that many teachers are having difficulty incorporating new technology into their classroom because of lack of training or understanding however, according to this article, many teachers are refusing to include technology in their curriculum because they simply to not feel like it. Are students are constantly evolving and changing with the times and our curriculum should as well.

 

A negative of having to include newer technology is the lack of availability and funds for each school and classroom. Many schools do not have the resources needed to bring their schools up to date. Also, even though many students have experience with different forms of technology many students are living in situations where a computer or smart phone isn't a priority due to financial issues. The article makes an excellent point on why it’s not necessary for instructors to be "for" or "against" technology. The author states, "The scuffle around #edtech has distracted us from other far more crucial conversations, including the new learning models like blended learning, self-directed learning, flipped classrooms, mobile learning, and sync teaching that technology enables.".

 

These new instructional strategies are extremely important and are proven to be effective however, many teachers are still refusing to alter or include these new strategies into their classroom. I feel as a teacher and someone who believes in the improvement of instruction through the use of technology, that teachers should be as open with these new ideas/instructional practices as our students are. I'm sure in two years their will have been many articles disproving many of the ideas we are learning about this year but either way we must continue to learn, grow and improve.

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