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The Frontier of Classroom Technology
INTRODUCTION
Liz Meyer
Lately educators are bringing social networks, interactive whiteboards, mobile devices and
other technology into the classroom, with mixed results. Do these technologies benefit
students? What are the downsides?
We Live in a Mobile World
Will Richardson, the co-founder of "Powerful Learning Practice," is the author of several books,
including, "Personal Learning Networks: Using the Power of Connections to Transform
Education." He is on Twitter as @willrich45.
UPDATED JANUARY 4, 2012, 4:37 PM
Let’s face it: For my children and for millions like them, life will be an open phone test.
They are among the first generation who will carry access to the sum of human
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knowledge and literally billions of potential teachers in their pockets. They will use that
access on a daily basis to connect, create and, most important, to learn in ways that most
of us can scarcely imagine. Given that reality, shouldn’t we be teaching our students how
to use mobile devices well?
The analog, 20th century curriculum that most classrooms deliver
doesn’t fit well with the realities of the exploding mobile, digital
world.
Right now, schools are resistant, fearing the disruption that mobile access might cause
and the dangers that might lurk online. However, the analog, 20th century curriculum
that most classrooms deliver doesn’t fit well with the realities of the exploding mobile,
digital world. Our kids are stuck in a paper-based, local-learning system that doesn’t
acknowledge the global, networked, always-on opportunities that mobile access affords.
There's no doubt that the current slate of mobile devices have their limitations. There
are still better technology options for constructivist, meaningful learning (i.e., laptops)
that provide power and flexibility that phones and tablets cannot. That, of course, may
change. But regardless, for many kids right now, especially at the lower end of the
income scale, these devices are their only connections to the content and people who can
help them learn great things. We need to leverage that.
Access in our kids’ pockets will force us to rethink much of what we do in schools. For
one thing, we have to stop asking questions in classrooms that students can now answer
with their phones (state capitals anyone?) and instead ask questions that require more
than just a connection to answer -- questions that call upon them to employ synthesis
and critical thinking and creativity, not just memorization. Anything less is not
preparing them for the information rich world that we live in.
A Misguided Use of Money
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Paul Thomas, a public high school English teacher for 18 years, is an associate professor of education at
Furman University in Greenville, S.C. You can follow his work at Radical Scholarship and on Twitter
at @plthomasEdD.
JANUARY 3, 2012
Reforming education in the U.S. often includes seeking new technology to improve teaching and
learning. Instead of buying the latest gadgets, however, our schools would do better to provide
students with critical technological awareness, achievable at little cost.
Chalk board, marker board and now 'smart' board have not
improved teaching or learning, but have created increased costs for
schools.
We rarely consider the negative implications for acquiring the newest “smart” board or providing
tablets for every student. We tend to chase the next new technology without evaluating learning
needs or how gadgets uniquely address those needs. Ironically, we buy into the consumerism
inherent in technology (Gadget 2.0 pales against Gadget 3.0) without taking full account of the
tremendous financial investments diverted to technology.
Technology is a tool to assist learning. School closets and storage facilities across the U.S.,
though, are filled with cables, monitors and hardware costing millions of dollars that are now
useless. Notably, consider one artifact that's covered in dust -- the Laserdisc video player (soon
to be joined by interactive “smart” boards).
Chalk board, marker board and now “smart” board have not improved teaching or learning, but
have created increased costs for schools and profits for manufacturers. There is little existing
research that shows positive outcomes from technology. Onestudy found that "most of the
schools that have integrated laptops and other digital tools into learning are not maximizing the
use of those devices in ways that best make use of their potential.”
Reading a young adult novel on a Kindle or an iPad, or in paperback form, proves irrelevant if
children do not want to read or struggle to comprehend the text. Good teachers, however, can
make the text come alive for the children whether it's on a glowing screen or a piece of paper.
Schools should not be blinded by the latest trends and the inflated costs of new technologies.
Rather, we should empower teachers and divert resources into their classrooms in more
meaningful ways.
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We’d do well to heed Henry David Thoreau: “We are in great haste to construct a magnetic
telegraph from Maine to Texas; but Maine and Texas, it may be, have nothing important to
communicate.”
The Reach of Distance Learning
Shekema Silveri is the chair of the English Department and AP Literature/AP Language teacher
at Mt. Zion High School in Jonesboro, Ga. She is also the founder of Silveri Service Learning
Academy, a charter high school scheduled to open in 2013.
JANUARY 3, 2012
Opponents of distance learning cite several problems with it, like a lack of face-to-face
student-teacher relationships, inconsistent access to technology resources (i.e.,
equipment and broadband Internet) for low-income and rural students, and even lack of
sufficient teacher training.
In my experience, however, these obstacles can be overcome by better teacher
preparation and by taking the time to understand the essential technology skills prior to
delving into the actual coursework. I have found distance learning to be invaluable to
the AP classes that I teach. In fact, I’m proud to say that my classroom is almost entirely
paperless.
We use Skype for our writer’s conferences and Global Speakers
Series, which brings guest speakers from around the world into our
classroom space.
My students use lectures from the OER Commons to supplement our curriculum. For
example, by using Dr. Paul Fry’s introduction to theory of literature course, we can
bring the knowledge of Yale University to Jonesboro, Ga. Best of all, it’s absolutely free.
We use Skype for our writer’s conferences and Global Speakers Series, which brings
guest speakers from around the world into our classroom space. The other day, through
Skype, my students talked with Zakia Mouloaui and Deb Ball, representatives of
the Homeless World Cup from Edinburgh.
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Even our literature study groups are done online now by using Collaborize
Classroom and Google Docs for group projects. Our course blog, “In Session:
Sentiments from Silveri’s Class,” is the primary space for writing and researching,
allowing me to embed documents, videos, presentations and even entire Google books
directly inside the blog.
My students can complete the majority of their course requirements outside of class,
eliminating down time for sickness or vacations. When I update the blog, I simply tweet
the post so that my students can access the information without waiting until we meet in
person again. The classroom time is then reserved for further writing, discussion and
debate. Our blog also has a ClustrMap that shows us that students from all over the
world are visiting our course blog and accessing our classroom from the comfort of their
own homes. We are not the only beneficiaries -- those around the world can learn along
with us.
Now, imagine if distance learning is used in every classroom. The knowledge and growth
potential are vast.
Leverage Social Media
Eric Sheninger is the principal of New Milford High School in New Jersey.
JANUARY 3, 2012
Social media is bad and has no place in education. It is a distraction to the teaching and
learning process. If students are allowed to use social media in school they will stay off
tasks or exhibit inappropriate behavior. Worse, teachers will spend countless hours
“socializing” instead of educating.
Oh, wait. That's the conventional wisdom -- and it turns out to be not very wise. There is
a misguided stigma about social media and, as a result, it is often banned in schools.
However, there are a growing number of passionate educators who have embraced
social media as a powerful tool for learning.
One must get past the stigma and truly experience what this free
resource can do for our schools and students.
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One must get past the stigma and truly experience what this free resource can do for our
schools and students to appreciate its inherent value. Social media is all about
conversations that center around user-created content. When structured in a
pedagogically sound fashion, learning activities that incorporate social media allow
students to apply what they have learned through creation. This fosters higher order
thinking skills and caters to a wide range of learning styles. Social media tools allow
educators to authentically engage students as they encourage involvement, discussion,
communication, collaboration and creativity. These include utilizing mainstream tools
such as Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, as well as specialized ones such as Voicethread,
Glogster, Animoto and Prezi.
And then there are blogs, which are an incredible social media tool that can be utilized
in a variety of ways. Teachers can set up a class blog to foster creative writing and
reflection or as an alternative to a school newspaper. Blogs are not isolated to just
writing -- students can add rich media to posts such as pictures, videos, widgets and
gadgets. School administrators can use blogs as a powerful public relations tool in lieu of
traditional newsletters and e-mail blasts. The ability to comment on any blog increases
both student and community engagement.
For the new generation that is growing up in the digital age, learning needs to be
relevant, meaningful and fun. Allowing them to use social media tools to achieve
learning goals and objectives, of which they already are familiar with outside of school,
makes sense in the globally connected, digital world we are all a part of.
A shift toward incorporating social media into education provides a golden opportunity
to teach digital responsibility and citizenship to our learners, an area where many
schools are failing. When doing so, we must ensure that policies are in line with this
change, teachers are supported through professional development on how to effectively
use social media in the classroom, and parents are educated on its value.
Embrace Adaptive Testing
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Vicki Davis is a teacher at Westwood Schools in Camilla, Ga. She is the co-founder of "Flat Classroom
Projects" and author of the blog, Cool Cat Teacher.
JANUARY 3, 2012
My fourth grade child plays adaptive games on my iPad as part of his weekly routine. I am
convinced that games like “Stack the States” and “Math Rocket” have helped him learn. These
adaptive programs are great but fall short for one reason: there is no feedback loop. I need to
know if my child consistently forgets the capital of Rhode Island or where Wyoming is on the
map. To personalize learning, adaptive technology needs to be better.
Perhaps one of the most useful things we could do with adaptive
technology is to create adaptive testing.
Adaptive learning's greatest potential may be adaptive testing, which we barely have at all. How
many questions does it take to determine that a child doesn't know decimals? Probably just two
or three. At that point, a computer could start going "down" to see if a child knows fractions. If a
child is reading below grade level, then test him on grade level. If he can't read it, he can't answer
the questions at all and the entire reading section is pointless.
If a child is reading below grade level, and his test is on grade level, then if he can't read the test,
he won't be able to answer the questions and the entire reading section is pointless.
Paper and pencil can't adapt. Adaptive testing is really about personalizing the knowledge of the
student. It is about understanding the individual student. If we can understand enough individual
students and aggregate the data, then a school can create a plan to help those students progress
and move ahead. But we shun electronics of all kinds when administering most tests. The SAT,
for example, won’t allow students to use computers to take the essay portion of the test.
It is time to personalize learning. The potential is there but in practice most schools have a
hodgepodge of online and offline tools and little valid research to back up local decision-making.
While some expensive adaptive learning programs are being implemented in schools, most
learners are receiving piecemeal access to adaptive programs that provide few (if any) learning
analytics to educators.
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Adaptive learning is a powerful new tool in the learning toolbox, but until it can better connect
with teachers and parents, it will continue to be a hit and miss novelty.
Interactive Whiteboards Allow More
Sharing
Ann Leaness is an English teacher at the Franklin Learning Center in Center City, Philadelphia, and an
adjunct professor at Neumann University. She is also a board member of the Edcamp Foundation.
JANUARY 3, 2012
Be prepared to stand back when you mention interactive whiteboards, because they will provoke
strong reactions from those in the education community. There are real concerns about the high
cost of whiteboards. Many educators would prefer to see investment go into other technologies,
like laptops or tablet devices. Educators are also concerned that whiteboards emphasize teachercentered lessons over student-centered lessons.
There are real concerns about the high cost and the loss of emphasis
on teacher-centered lessons, but there are also benefits.
I have been using an interactive whiteboard for several years, and honestly, I like having the
board available. The software that comes with the board offers me a nice way to organize and
save the work we do each day. If we mark up a document during a lesson, I can save it and refer
back to it the next day. Often, I use the board to share information for mini-lectures, to
demonstrate activities, or to show video clips or images to enhance my lessons.
Does that mean that none of my teaching is student-centered? No way. I am often at the board
for a total of five or ten minutes and then my students are working together in small groups, or
we are engaged in class discussions about the literature we are reading. I sometimes return to the
board to troubleshoot when a majority of my students are stuck, and that makes life easier for all
of us.
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Over the course of the past few years, my students have used the interactive whiteboard to
showcase their learning through presentations. And when we are editing and writing as a class,
we can share documents in real time. In other words, the students get to direct the learning.
The interactive whiteboard is a tool that lends itself to direct instruction, but it does not dictate
that all the instruction needs to be teacher-directed.