Ed Tech Mindshift

Category: TIEgrad (Page 1 of 3)

Decolonizing Curriculum in British Columbia

July 25, 2020 / / 0 Comments

Photo by Yeshi Kangrang on Unsplash

“We need to move beyond the idea that an education is something provided for us, and towards the idea that an education is something that we create for ourselves.”- Stephen Downes

Indigenization is best described as “the transformation of the academy”. (Pete, 2016). When we explore the notion of decolonizing curriculum, we promote the notion of indigenizing curriculum. I feel that both decolonization and indigenization go hand in hand. The notion that we challenge the replication of dominant ways of knowing. Historically, our colonial education system has always been one in which we follow, do not question, as we “check boxes” to meet the status quo. If we say our plan is to decolonize BC Curriculum, we need to acknowledge the importance of not just simply adding indigenous content, but rather challenge the colonial dominance we have come to recognize as “normalized” education.

While I agree that it is important that we move forward, focusing on decolonizing educational spaces, we need to be cognizant that we are not over indigenizing curricula. As we recognize the importance of the cultural tapestry that makes up British Columbia, we run the risk of implementing a disingenuous curriculum that borders on tokenism which is not what decolonization and indigenization is about.

In our classrooms we explore curriculum as a well- known concept. This curriculum that we use, dictates what we teach and what our students learn. What has been labelled as the “new curriculum” for many classroom teachers is reinvented curriculum and implementation ideas that have been used for many years. While I don’t think all of the “old” curriculum is invalid or no longer useful, I do think that we need to include a curriculum that recognizes the strengths of all peoples and that creates space for conversations. It is so important that every student we teach, see themselves reflected in the diversity in which we live.

Shauneen Pete explores in her article, Decolonizing Our Practice- Indigenizing Our Teaching, that in order to decolonize education we need to indigenize it, in a way that re-centers and asserts indigenous knowledge within the subjects we teach. (Pete, 2013). She speaks to the importance of decolonizing ourselves, our classrooms and curricular content. She does this by drawing upon the use of indigenous scholars, by recognizing and confronting privilege as well as confronting racism. I think she brings up a really valid point, in that much or what we have seen in mainstream curriculum is evidence of institutional racism. The misguiding’s of our curriculum with what we teach about Canadian history, as well as the lack of representation of indigenous content leads to the colonial oppression. When we decolonize the curriculum by indigenizing our teachings, we need to be purposeful with how we confront racism and stereotypes.

To explore this further I would encourage you to look at the following resources:

Battiste, M. (2013). Decolonizing Education: Nourishing the Learning Spirit. Saskatoon: Purich
Publishing Limited.

King, T. (2013). The inconvient Indian: A curious account of Native people in North America:
Toronto: Anchor Canada.

King, T. (2003). The truth about stories: A Native narrative. Toronto: House of Anansi Press.

Pete, S. (2016). 100 Ways: Indigenizing & Decolonizing Academic Programs. Aboriginal Policy
Studies, 6(1), 81–89. https://doi.org/10.5663/aps.v6i1.27455

Pete, S., Schneider, B. & O’Reilly, K. (2013). Decolonizing Our Practice- Indigenizing Our Teaching. First Nations Perspectives 5, (1), 99-115.

I would also encourage you to look at the contributions of Jo Chrona, who has been instrumental in the transformation of the BC Curriculum, especially where indigenous education is concerned.  A sample of Continuing our Learning Journey: Indigenous Education in British Columbia- Module 1 can be found here in this YouTube video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-pQ_UqBwkI&feature=youtu.be

https://firstpeoplesprinciplesoflearning.wordpress.com/about-the-author/

 

 

 

 

 

 

Expectations for Communication

July 25, 2020 / / 0 Comments

Making communication clear, concise and explicit means that everyone understands  your intentions. When we make our communication explicit,  we create a process that is less likely to result in problems that stem from communication failures. While we may still need to navigate through language barriers, we need to be thoughtful in our consideration of how we provide expectations for communication and connectivity between students/ teachers/ parents. Parents/ guardians then understand our intentions and the direction in which we are going.

Providing parents with support about what “at home” learning looks like is important as we pivot to the “new normal” of online learning. Parents may have unrealistic expectations for their students so it is paramount that educators provide them with a clear understanding of what communication between home and school will look like.

Provided below are a selection of resources that I found particularly interesting to assist educators in supporting families with expectations of communication.

http://www.kathleenamorris.com/2019/01/15/communicate-parents-2019/

Blogs

Kathleen Morris talks about the 8 ways parents are teachers can communication in 2020. She outlines lots of great examples of ways to connect with lots of links and resources to explore. Such communication tools include: radio or podcasting, videos, email, social media, voice tools, communication apps and in person. This blog was particularly helpful and she provides a wealth of examples for educators to draw from.

https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/the-role-of-parents

This site would be a helpful tool for teachers to share with parents so they have a better understanding of the role that they play in their child’s development and learning (while both at home and at school). This site provides lots of suggestions and ideas for parents to support at home learning as well as provides a break down for milestones by topic including: social skills, emotions and self-awareness, literacy and math, just to name a few.  The site focuses on the important role that parents play in their child’s learning and development.

https://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/7-ways-to-improve-parental-involvement-in-the-classroom/

7 Ways to Improve Parental Involvement

I found this helpful as a tool to guide teachers in improving parental involvement in the classroom, but also thought it could be used to guide home/ school communication. In order to establish meaningful communication, relationships need to be built. Getting parents involved in student learning is more crucial then ever as we continue to embark on online learning. These 7 ideas to improve parental involvement can be found here:

https://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/7-ways-to-improve-parental-involvement-in-the-classroom/

Charts, Tracking Sheets, Contracts:

This website provides numerous samples of charts, tracking forms and contracts designed primarily for parents, however there were a few good examples of parent contracts that could be used to facilitate conversations between teachers and parents about what the expectations are for their involvement with at home learning. Teachers may find the section on goal descriptions useful as new goals may need to be established to work on from home.

https://www.parentcoachplan.com/parenting_contract.php

A few additional sites to explore that focus on effective communication strategies and supports to guide meaningful conversations between educators and parents can be found below:

https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/teaching-content/five-keys-successful-parent-teacher-communication

https://www.readingrockets.org/article/building-parent-teacher-relationships

http://sarahteachingportfolio.weebly.com/effective-communication.html

 

 

Curation of Online Resources during Covid-19

July 25, 2020 / / 0 Comments

During our school’s Covid-19 experience and return to a blend of both in class and online learning we engaged in lots of opportunities to share resources. We would often share out at staff meetings, which we conducted over zoom. With lots of resources coming in at every angle, one staff member suggested that we collate our resources in a google doc. that everyone could add their contributions to. A great idea, which has allowed the sharing of materials in a much easier and more accessible way. The home learning online resources are organized in sections:

  • General
  • Literacy
  • Math
  • Science
  • STEM
  • Fine Arts
  • PE/ Health Education
  • S’malgyax
  • French

The google forms can be located here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NkYl8y4LFUy_sVnf4VHmMuLRmY_kOOXigXhB14nh8e4/edit?usp=sharing

Please feel free to take a browse, perhaps your schools have done this as well. If not it was a great way to collect resources and share everyone’s contributions.

Considerations for Home/ School Communication for ELLs

July 21, 2020 / / 0 Comments

Photo by Melinda Gimpel on Unsplash

English Language Learners (ELLs) often have unique needs when it comes to language acquisition, which can make home / school communication a challenge. It can be difficult for these students to participate in whole group activities, especially now when so much of what we are doing is online (through Zoom or Blue jeans for example). Whole group conversations can be challenging to navigate in person, and adding the layer of online learning only complicates things for students who are not yet English speakers.

While there were lots of great resources out there that I could find that support language in general or add in communication between students, teachers and parents, I was surprised that it was actually a little more challenging to find resources specifically for ELLs.

There are a few considerations to think about before selecting which tech you will choose to use in your classroom to support your ELLs.

  1. Consider whether the technology you want to use for your ELLs is something your already using.

Some examples of great examples which provide differentiated instruction for a variety of learners, and additionally support ELLs include:

These resources provide leveled texts, scaffolded tools and include audio versions of the texts provided.

  1. Consider building your technology use into your everyday teaching practice.

Both translation tools and note-taking tools with recording features will be helpful in adding with both online course work as well as home/ school communication between educators and parents. A translation tool might seem like an obvious choice, and there are a few to choose from, however it get proficient with many of these applications it is important that they become apart of your ELLs everyday practice.

Examples of these types of applications include:

  1. Consider how alternate modes to demonstrate learning can be creative tools to assist ELLs of all ages.

Storytelling for example is a great digital, interactive option to build on language development while supporting learners of all ages. Digital storytelling and social stories provide options for learners to express their understanding and build on their language knowledge. They provide options for creative projects and also offer opportunities for creativity when explaining difficult or abstract concepts to parents and students. I think the applications listed below provide lots of opportunities for parent and student learning together in a way that is fun and interactive.

“Explain Everything for iPad Screen” by Wesley Fryer is licensed under CC BY 2.0

  1. Consider finding tools that are specific to ELLs needs.

There are some tools that are specifically designed to support ELLs and offer a more comprehensive approach, which aim to improve language development (and focus on both receptive and expressive language) starting at beginner levels that build up to advance levels. The resources that I have selected I have previously used with ELLs and have found that they support students well using an in class instructional model as well as for independent practice.

“Screenshot: Home” by brainpop_uk is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

  1. Encourage students and their families to explore language- learning tools.

Again, this can be something that will aid in your communication between home and school. There are so many great language learning tools available, and many are as simple as downloading an app on your phone. These tools often are used to bridge gaps in communication for travellers, however can be very helpful with classroom instructions as well as home/ school communication. While you have to really spend some time finding language- learning tools that will appeal to your students (depending on the age), there are a few that you may find helpful to use when communicating with families who are not English speaking.

“Easy to learn Duolingo” by apkmart000 is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Whichever online tools you choose, keep in mind that the technology should reflect student and parent communication needs, also taking into consideration accessibility, usability and cost (if there is one).

Digital Storytelling

March 19, 2020 / / 0 Comments

I like the concept of digital storytelling and can see how beneficial it could be to increase overall student engagement in both learning and demonstrating an understanding of a topic. I have not yet had any experience with digital storytelling in my teaching practice but look forward to exploring it.

I think digital storytelling could really support the needs of a diverse and wide range of students, especially those who may be very uncomfortable with formal presentations in class or speaking in front of a group of peers. Especially for those students who experience anxiety or lower self-confidence. Using digital storytelling to create a video to share and demonstrate one’s learning could be a powerful tool for those students with social anxieties.

In addition, I see digital storytelling used as a tool to advocate for change, get students inspired to seek change and increase overall investment and participation. When students can make meaningful connections and take ownership in their learning journey they are far more successful in learning and applying the learning outcomes into everyday practice and the “real world”.

It’s further interesting to consider if we could reach more people and be more effective with spreading messages through digital storytelling. I wonder if this format is in fact more convincing than traditional teaching methodologies? With the ever-evolving use of technology being used both in and out of the classrooms and the overwhelming number of social media platforms that people are vested in, my guess is “yes”.

I thought I would check out a few apps being used for digital storytelling seeing that I am clearly behind with the use of this technology. I looked at ShowMe Interactive Whiteboard, Toontastic and Adobe Spark Page. Here are a few notes on each with what I found.

ShowMe Interactive Whiteboard– this was easy to use as you can turn your iPad into your personal interactive whiteboard. You can easily record your voice over whiteboard tutorials that you type, draw or upload pictures to. Very easy to use and easy to upload online. I found a free version, while you can upgrade for additional features for an added cost. As I played with this app I thought of how useful this could be working with a class that I co-teach in, exploring this as a means of presenting for Heritage Fair.

Toontastic– this is a very easy storytelling learning tool which enables you to use drawings to animate and share your ideas through cartoons. I could see this being a great way to get students to demonstrate their learning or create narratives through oral storytelling. I liked that you could select the images provided or draw your own. In addition, you can select from several backgrounds or upload your own picture. Again, this was free although options are limited, you can upgrade for an added fee. The only limitation I found with the narration is that it didn’t seem to give you very much time to narrate each section, however once finished you can easily upload to several other platforms, email yourself etc. I could see this being used as a fun way for students to share a few points of what they have learned or to use for a story writing unit, where students could practice their oral storytelling skills. There are several templates to choose from ranging from very easy (beginning-middle-end) to more complex. I was impressed with how easy this was to use.

Adobe Spark Page– this is a great app that is designed to make creating videos really easy. You can upload additional videos, add music and captions as well. There are easy to follow tutorials that make mastering these video productions. This is the app that I am using for our group project to explore student inquiry. I think it lends itself to lots of options for usage and again was free. Of course, you can upgrade for a fee, but it is surprisingly easy to use, although for the age of my students (Grades 3-4). I think initially I would start with the ShowMe Interactive Smartboard.

“My Iceland Spark Page Featured” by Terry White is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 

Here is a quick tutorial that explains how easily and quickly you can use Adobe Spark to create a project.

https://youtu.be/gx0CrC8bqTo

I feel that opportunities for students and teachers to engage in digital storytelling, provides them with ways to make learning and teaching more engaging and allows the audience to connect and identify with the message of the story.

I recently watched a video through TEDx on digital storytelling. Ashley Fell, discusses how in our current climate, with the overuse of screens and social media, how the power of storytelling is able to inform, instruct and inspire audiences alike. Here is the link to watch the TEDx talk on YouTube, it is well worth a watch.

https://youtu.be/mSi0kmqOBu4

Open Education- What does the future of ed- tech hold?

January 19, 2020 / / 0 Comments

This week I am going to highlight a few things from each article that really stood out and resonated with me as well as some questions for further considerations. Having spent most of my time in Special Education, both teaching in the classroom as well as working as a Learning Service Teacher and not having had as much experience with using technology to its fullest potential I often find it more challenging to connect with the material. However, I felt like I could really connect with the material this week.

Neil Selwyn, Thomas Hillman, Rebecca Eynon, Giselle Ferreira, Jeremy Knox, Felicitas Macgilchrist & Juana M. Sancho- Gil (2019): What’s next for Ed-Tech? Critical hopes and concerns for the 2020’s, Learning, Media and Technology. https:// doi.org/10.1080/17439884.2020.1694945

“Schools around the world continue to face deficiencies in resourcing, significant inequalities of educational opportunity, alongside poor-quality teaching, curriculum and school organization.”

One would hope that Ed-Tech will be able to support and extinguish some of these disparities, making education more attainable for those who lack opportunities to engage with it, but even still we face many challenges when looking at education and technology in the future.

This article looks at the inequalities in the ways that people use and access technology both informally and formally.

“While the technologies are fast changing and these explanatory models are increasingly sophisticated, the basic message remains the same. Those individuals who are well-resourced and have strong educational backgrounds are likely to benefit the most from digital education.”

This is a challenge for me having spent most of my teaching career in Special Education. This idea that technology should make things inherently “easier” is not the case when the access to technology is not equitable. The increased use of technology I have seen in the schools in my district, however increasing the amount of technology used in school has little or no effect on the access of technology available in marginalized homes.

“To date, policy makers have tried to ‘fix’ these problems by focusing on improving technology access in schools and homes and/ or supporting the development of digital skills.”

Our district has thought about installing kiosks in each school so that technology such as (I pads, laptops and computer stations) are accessible to all. This idea was thought of to encourage families that do not have access to technology at home to come in and use the kiosk to look at student work on fresh grade (as an example). This does not address the socioeconomic, systemic and historical disparities which has kept much of the marginalized population out of the education system in the first place. I don’t currently see this solving anything.

“Initiatives that focus on access and skills are likely to remain an ‘easy’ way for policy makers to signal that they are ‘dealing with’ inequality. Instead, the 2020’s need to be a decade when researchers spearhead a change of approach.”

Questions for further consideration:

When does inclusion exclude?

Who is responsible for making technology in education accessible for all students?

How do we address the inequalities in these wider social structures?

How should we be preparing ourselves for the ed- tech that is still to come?

 

In addition, the article also speaks to the responsibility of establishing a digital society that is sustainable. In the past, digital technologies have been used in excess. The level of consumption and discard is overwhelming, and this is all so true in schools. We see education come and go, like fads and trends. We often get excited about the “next best thing” and educators are often pressured to keep up with the new and ever evolving technologies, however due to budget restraints, schools often find themselves without technology or worse
 teachers start to feel proficient in using new technology and before you know it, it is replaced with something else.

“Digital technologies have been excessively consumed and discarded over the past 20 years in the name of education ‘innovation’.

The environmental and ethical impact of digital technology is completely overwhelming. Where do all the old technologies in districts go to die? I am sure there are rooms in every district littered with debris that once was “the next best thing” in school technology. I can appreciate the authors thoughts on these considerations. As part of the planning process, thinking about what ed-tech could look like in the next 10-20 years we really do need to consider how we might adopt more mindful approaches in how we and what we select for digital technology, looking more at the big picture and considering the long-term effects of unnecessary over consumption.

Stephen Downes, Digital Technologies Research Centre National Research Council, Canada.

The article from the International Journal of Open Educational Resources, written by Stephen Downes addresses the consequences when looking at the future of open educational resources. He discusses how the flow or process of information transmission will change through open ed. The previous format of information transmission was from the producer to the consumer. When we now look at open ed, the model will work more as a tool for consumers to use as a means of creating their own content, which they can then consume or use/ share with other consumers.

Through the ever-changing format of open ed, the development can focus on what is required or necessary in that moment in time.

“Developers are now able to use live data for real-world applications, or local or downloaded data for training or for simulations.”

The learning becomes more relevant because it connects learners to real-world applications and experiences. Learning though open-ed therefore becomes less about information transmission and more about learning process and the practical application. I appreciate this shift when we think about learners and meta cognition. We know that students learn best when they can explore and connect with ideas and materials and create their own meaning.

Other questions for further consideration:

I am curious to see what impact open education and the assisted learning design systems that Stephen Downes talks about will have on teachers and their practice?

I wonder if assisted learning design will lead to students having more options to demonstrate their learning through greater means of expression (varied learning styles)?

I am curious about this, because while I am not as comfortable with technology, I do look to differentiate as much of my teaching as possible to allow students to engage and connect with the material I am presenting but also allow for multiple means to explore and demonstrate their learning through varied learning styles. I would hope that AL will lend itself to more flexibility.

Reflections from Module 3

January 9, 2020 / / 0 Comments

 

Summaries of Module 3: Open Educational Practices and Learning Design

What I found useful from the readings:

Dabbagh, N. (2005). Pedagogical Models for E- Learning: A Theory-Based Design Framework. International Journal of Technology in Teaching and Learning, 1(1), 25-44.

This article was interesting and incredibly insightful. Dabbagh explains the pedagogical models, instructional strategies and learning technologies. The strategies presented are focused around their application to E-Learning, however they are applicable to many learning experiences.  Many of the pedagogical models presented: open learning, distributed learning, learning communities, communities of practice, knowledge building communities — Other instructional strategies discussed: authentic learning activities (problem-solving, exploration, hypothesis generation), role play, articulation and reflection, collaboration and social negotiation, multiple perspectives, modeling and explaining and scaffolding.  Dabbagh looks at how transformational learning can be achieved by looking at how technology can be used to support pedagogical models and instructional strategies. I especially like the section of the article focusing on promoting authentic learning activities. When I think about my own teaching methodologies and values I pride myself on developing engaging activities which are realistic, relatable and create meaning. I believe that when students make connections, their engagement increases therefore making for more of an authentic learning experience. Meaningful learning that occurs through relevant learning activities, lend themselves to using skills taught to make real world connections.

Conole, G. (2018). Learning Design and Open Education. International Journal of Open Educational Resources. Retrieved from https://www.ijoer.org/learning-design-and-open-education doi-10-18278-ijoer-1-1-6/

What I found not so useful from the readings:

I found it really difficult to stay focussed on the article by Conole, Dyke, Oliver and Seale (2004). While the summaries of learning theories are helpful when looking at what informs my teaching practice, I think a lot of information presented was not relevant to the context of my current teaching practices. It is difficult to consider and compare learning theories when practical examples of the models are not presented. It makes it more difficult to look at the values (stretches and strengths) of each theory presented.  Having said this, I do like the way table 1 summarizes the learning theories and models, their characteristics and how they might be used or seen in the context of e-learning. I also like how there are other pieces of literature recommended for each of the learning theories for further exploration and consideration. I did overall have a hard time connecting with this reading though, while linking pedagogy with activities and associated tools and resources is helpful for further exploration, I don’t see myself mapping out learning theories to the models presented. It doesn’t feel to me like a realistic practice I would do.

This article looks at the efficacy of teachers and students’ perceptions of OER in its practical application. I especially connected to the section on the challenges facing educators, education and the government today.  Some of the key take a ways from this section included:

  • Approaches to education have changed in such a way that students have become less patient with teacher-centric styles of education. (This makes me think about whether we should question the changes in educational practices, or think about other factors such as over use of technology at home, family life, diet etc.)
  • Education is becoming more expensive while at the same time information is more ubiquitous.
  • Learning pathways are changing as people look to increase their learning in bite-sized chunks, rather than committing to years of university. (This is interesting as we find we have greater access to information of all types. We can look on YouTube or Google something to explore answers to questions we were once curious about. Rather than having to access other professional services, I can now google or look on YouTube for a video that will “show me how”.)
  • These pathways also lend themselves to shifting from acquiring a specific one-time experience to providing lifelong opportunities to enable learners to acquire skills useful across multiple careers.
  • Expectations are high with adopting innovative teaching approaches, alignment of teaching standards, growing requirements and demands on professional development. (I think about the support and training that is available to educators, also the pressures that we often feel with keeping up with the next great thing to enhance our teaching practices).
  • The rise of knowledge economy, the impact of technology, especially with the open sharing of educational resources.

Blog #3 SAMR and TPACK

September 24, 2019 / / 0 Comments

Blogging in Week 3: Looking at SAMR and TPACK
EDCI 571
September 24th, 2019

These readings were helpful and allowed me to have some good reflections when it comes to evaluating two new models that can support the development and evaluation of using new technologies in my everyday teaching.

The readings lent themselves well to considering how teachers are using and incorporating technology into their instructional practice, this idea of looking at collaborative practices to further enhance and influence student engagement and motivation for learning.

I had not previously heard of the SAMR model before so it was interesting to read about this approach in looking at how technology can be used to go from simply enhancing learning to transforming learning. I definitely see as we shift to using the new curriculum in our province that the use of promoting technology in the classroom, further supports many of the core competencies and “big ideas”. Specifically looking at how the use of technology can be used to transform learning that leads to higher level thinking skills.

I am particularly interested in exploring how the use of technology can be used facilitate and improve literacy. Improving our literacy rates is always something our district strives to work towards and is something we have had embedded in our school improvement plans the last number of years. I think that technology can certainly support and improve the learning needs and perhaps lend itself to make the learning more interesting and meaningful. We do a lot of work around supporting our students to read for pleasure and interest, and I think about the potential use of technology and how this might aid students in their efforts to improve phonological awareness, increase fluency and accuracy and support with comprehension skills. I think after reading about both the SAMR and TPACK models, they will help to support me to further determine how I will choose to use technology better in my everyday teaching.

Both tools can be used to support and inform the use of technology in the classroom setting.

In looking at the SAMR model, the acronym can be broken down in the following way. The examples provided came from the online video: https://youtu.be/9b5yvgKQdqE

The example provided with the writing assignment made it clear to see how technology can be used to transform the learning process rather than simply enhancing the learning process.

Substitution: Tech acts as a direct tool substitute, with no functional change to the task. An example of this might include writing a story using a laptop to type the story rather than print the story.

Augmentation: Tech acts as a direct tool substitute, with functional improvement. The same example could be used, only students would use the same technology (laptops) to type their stories, while also being able to use additional features such as changing formatting, fonts and using spell check just as an example.

Modification: Tech allows for significant task redesign. The same story could be written using Google docs, where students can also use collaboration through feedback.

Redefinition: Tech allows for the creation of new tasks, previously inconceivable. In this example students could create the stories and then bring them to life using video to create multimedia story boards, create animation and include voice over. In this example students are able to employ the use of technology to enhance their skills in creativity, collaboration, critical thinking and communication.

The SAMR model allows for educators to think about how the use of technology can be used to transform the learning design.  “Transformational learning activities that are truly personalized, situated, and connected through the use of a mobile device will go beyond merely using a mobile device as a substitute for more traditional tools. The SAMR model provides a framework that can be used to classify and evaluate mLearning activities. (Romrell et al. (2004).

They encourage educators to think about the following types of questions to inform their decisions around implementation of technology.

Q: What will I gain by replacing the older technology with newer technology?

Q: Have I added an improvement to the task process?

Q: Does this modification depend on the new technology?

Q: How is the new task made possible by the new technology?

If I have to make a criticism of this model, it is that classroom teachers may find this somewhat frustrating as they work to try to incorporate technology despite level of comfort, access to adequate training as well as access to adequate technology. Teachers are often skeptical and resistant to using technology in the classroom, and in my experience a lot of the resistance comes from a lack of training and exposure with technology. Teachers often do not feel they have the appropriate training or opportunity to utilize the available technologies. The technology changes so quickly, we often don’t feel that we get to use the technology enough before it is changing yet again.

 

TPACK: Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge

Koehler and Mishra (2009) outline the TPACK model allowing teachers to evaluate and analyze their everyday teaching practices through three particular areas or lenses: content knowledge, technology and pedagogy. This model allows for teachers to recognize the value of each skill-set, while looking at how each of the areas compliment one another. This model is student centered and promotes more informed planning from educators and speaks to the intentionality of each area (content knowledge, technology and pedagogy). This model will require ongoing analysis and adjustments as teaching practices change and technologies evolve. In addition, this model allows educators to identify and focus on their strengths and also evaluate their “stretches” or areas to further explore and work on. Educators are able to explore, much like our students explore their learning, reflecting on learning needs and styles when exploring how they will best employ the use of technology in their classroom. However, if I have to make one criticism of this model, it is that the TPACK appears to be teacher centered rather than student centered.

I have worked to evaluate my own intentionality of incorporating the use of technology in my everyday teaching practice. I feel that the SAMR model works well with evaluating how I can use technology to better my practice and think about how it will contribute to improving students learning.

 

 

Clark/ Kozma Debate

September 17, 2019 / / 0 Comments

Blog # 2
September 17th, 2019
EDCI 571
Discussion around the Clark/ Kozma Debate

This was a challenging read, and what was even harder was reading the position Clark took on the media having little or no influence on education and learning. It didn’t speak to the fact that technology is evolving, or that education changes and develops over time. It felt narrow in scope if I am being both honest and critical. Clark suggests that it really doesn’t matter what you use to get the material across, which makes me question how anyone could feel inspired, motivated or challenged in their own teaching practice. If it really doesn’t matter how curriculum is delivered, it would suggest that both learning and teaching is somewhat static. If all we had were textbooks and basic word processors, and learning consisted of regurgitating information and rote memorization, Clark to me is suggesting the outcomes of the learning should be consistent over time. Clark does not account for students needing differentiated instruction and unique learning styles, he does not account for teachers autonomy to choose how they teach and deliver curriculum or whether they choose to use technology. Furthermore the author of this debate suggests that we should not use media in education primarily because it is too expensive. While I do appreciate that finances are always a concern in the public education sector, I have to wonder how long he thought teaching students with textbooks or worksheets would last? It costs a lot less than many of the technologies available today, however it works for a minority of student learning styles and would bore me to tears.

Kozma on the other hand did a great job providing us with examples of how technology is and can influence education and student learning. I had not previously explored the Thinker Tool Program, however this example provided, definitely had me thinking about other tech options used in education to make learning more engaging and meaningful. He suggests that we can use the capabilities of media and technology to our advantage to influence learning in a positive way. This I can completely agree with. The key is ensuring that the scaffolding or pre-teaching of why the technology is being used is important and not a missed learning opportunity.

In reflecting on my own teaching practice, I think there are lots of great things that we as teachers can use that make learning inviting and engaging that does not require media or technology. Having said this when talking to students, most have access to Ipads, computers and cell phones at home. I can use this technology that in many ways is already in place for most if not all children that I teach to augment what I am doing in the classroom. It is important to provide instructional strategies however, so that students understand the skill set they are learning, not to confuse this with just playing with technology. There are many examples that demonstrate how media influences my own students learning. For example, student video projects can be a powerful learning experience and can support varied learning styles.

Does media really have an influence on learning?

Media, in my opinion can provide a positive influence on active learning strategies. Examples of media used for meaningful education include film clips, songs you hear on the radio, a podcast of a lecture or an online newspaper article. Furthermore, opportunities to use social media in the classroom to increase engagement can be helpful, however I feel that I would approach these options with caution, consider for what purpose I am intending them to be used, and at what grade level they are appropriate. Specifically when I am speaking about social media I am referring to the use of networking sites such as MySpace, LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter as well as students personal blogs.

Media does in my opinion have a great influence on meaningful learning and can be used to enhance teaching, support or compliment many traditional teaching practices. Some of the positive aspects of using media to improve or influence education in today’s classrooms include:

  • Bridging the gap between students’ knowledge and the learning objectives
  • Increasing student engagement
  • Supporting retention of skills taught
  • Motivating students through interest areas
  • Creates greater sense of meaning and relevance of concepts

I feel that the best learning happens when students are able to establish meaning. When the learning is made meaningful the learning is richer and more likely to resonate with students. With the increase and accessibility of technology, it seems obvious that such use would be hugely impactful on the learning experience and not likely to go away anytime soon.

Overall I found the debate a bit confusing and somewhat frustrating with the fact that it felt really outdated. It is difficult to choose sides in this debate, although I think I would tend to side more with Kozma. Learning is not one dimensional and there are so many ways of learning now that it seems that the use of media and technology would positively influence education today. I feel like the Clark/ Kozma debate is looking for its readers to arrive at a definitive answer or opinion, and how do we get there when what we know and love about both education and technology is constantly evolving, nothing is static.

Student Engagement & Technology

September 10, 2019 / / 0 Comments

EDCI 571
Assignment 1A
September 10th, 2019

“Technology will not replace great teachers but technology in the hands of great teachers can be transformational.” -George Couros

Well it’s been quite the start to the school year already. Excited to embark on a new school year teaching grade 3 & 4, I prepared myself over the summer both my curriculum and also how I would take some of what we explored in our previous two courses and apply them to my own teaching practice. I found myself quite interested in exploring e-portfolios and the fresh grade system focusing on digital demonstrations of learning as a primary form of assessment.

I was informed late last week that due to the district shortage of LST’s, I will now be working as a Learning Service Teacher for my current school for this year, in addition to my administrative duties. Although I have worked in this capacity many times before, I am sad to say good bye to my class.

Having said this, I always try to focus on the positive. I have tried to shift my focus and thinking on how I can support the students on my case load using technology, furthermore re-imagining what role technology can play in my current practice working in Special Education.

“One of the most important aspects of technology in education is its ability to level the field of opportunity for students.”- John King

The use of technology in the classroom can be a powerful tool for transforming learning. Technology can help to affirm and advance relationships (both student and teacher), reinvent our approaches to learning and collaboration and minimize longstanding equity and accessibility gaps and adapt learning experiences to meet the needs of all learners.

In reflecting on the technologies available, looking at how technology can be incorporated into everyday teaching practices and how these technologies can enhance the overall learning experiences, makes me think about how I will incorporate these ideas in my own teaching practices. My comfort level is definitely a limitation as well as what we have available. Having said this as I mentioned in our previous course I feel that the school district I work in (School District 52- Prince Rupert) is relatively rich with accessible technology for its size.

In looking through the blogs and articles provided to us for this week reading I feel that the integration of such technologies mentioned in our reading lead us to think about how technology is able to:

  • Increase student engagement
  • Meet the needs of diverse learners
  • Increase accessibility, mobility and creativity
  • Create more equitable learning opportunities by having a variety of access points
  • Enable students to demonstrate their learning through diversified learning styles
  • Support students with communicative difficulties
  • Develop transferable skills

I feel like in one way or another all of the reading samples spoke to address one or more of the previously mentioned benefits of increasing the usage of educational technology in the classroom.

Using Technology in my classroom

I think I try to use technology as much as I can, despite being shy around it. I try to find ways to incorporate the use of technology into my everyday teaching practice and if nothing else and explore, play and introduce new technologies to my students, hopefully providing them with enough exposure to decide whether or not they will find these systems useful in their overall learning experience.

The use of technology has increased accessibility but also alleviated a lot of other concerns that previously existed, including the financial costs for parents. One example of this I have found, is the use of the scientific calculator. There are so many apps available now on cell phones that there is less of need for parents to purchase the traditional scientific calculators.

I can appreciate technology designed to bridge the difficulties with communication. Having had a few students in my class with communicative challenges,  programs  that can support as communicative devices such as Proloquo 2 go can be incredibly useful providing students with a voice.

I can see how as Steven Lahuillier’s blog on the Top 10 K-12 Educational Technology Trends speaks to the idea of using wearable technology would be helpful for students with exceptionalities, especially those who have communicative difficulties. Wearable devices such as watches, allows for increased student engagement and participation and supports student motivation by providing encouragement and praise. It also speaks to the idea of making demonstrations of learning more accessible to students who otherwise may be too shy to share their knowledge. I have used Ipads to allow students to create videos using their peers and other school props to demonstrate their understanding of certain concepts. This alleviates any concerns with students feeling shy about getting up and presenting, as they can simply play their video for their peers without worrying about standing up in front of their entire class.

What is trending now?

When I think about increasing student engagement, the notion of game-based learning comes to mind. Steven Lahullier speaks to this.  “From the days of playing PowerPoint Jeopardy for test reviews to app-based game creation applications, integrating games, technology, and education will continue to be a popular approach.”

Our school has explored the concept of teaching coding skills through fun app-based games and has participated in Hour of Code activities which teach students basic computational skills. Scratch is also something that has been hugely popular in our district, which teachers’ students how to piece together basic computer coding to create their own customized games.

I personally don’t use social media platforms in my class, however I can see how this technology can support teachers to provide instant feedback and improve relations with students as well as keep parents informed.

“In education, technology can be a life changer, a game changer, for kids who are both in school and out of school. Technology can bring textbooks to life. The internet can connect students to their peers in other parts of the world. It can bridge the quality gaps.”- Queen Raina of Jordan

In addition, something that resonated with me when looking at providing students with accessible technology to support their educational journey, was the concept of institutional limitations, or the fear of being stigmatized for disclosing a disability. While universities are often technology rich, and technological resources are put in place to best meet the needs of students with exceptionalities, many of these technologies are not made available and accessible to all learners, but rather those who disclose their learning disabilities. This creates unnecessary vulnerability, but also creates lower rates of awareness of educational technology available to make curriculum accessible for all.

As with UDL, so should educational technology. We might assume that certain technologies will make learning more accessible for a select few students, but we would be wrong to assume this. Technology used to support education today can make learning more engaging, accessible and equitable for everyone involved.

I am a bit skeptical about the concepts of AI, where machines are designed to evaluate students’ competencies through the use of learning machines, which design algorithms to create study guides to direct student learning.  While I can appreciate that these services are designed to be cost-effective and personalized, I question the level of personalization. In my opinion you cannot beat the interaction and personal connection you get from conferencing with a student and engaging in meaningful conversations that guide and direct your teaching path, as well as inform your understanding of how to best help your students with their unique and specific learning needs.

In addition, the other trend I don’t agree with is the concept of students having their own personal technology within their school. An example of this was a netbook program that our district used while I taught at the local middle school. The concept in theory was great, where each student is assigned a netbook, which travels with them from grade to grade and then eventually was meant to go with them as they transitioned to high school. This idea sounded really great, however the updating and general maintenance of these netbooks did not appear to be taken into consideration, and therefore this initiative was not successful. Students ended up with netbooks that were glitchy with inadequate technological support to keep the apps and programs up to date. By the time most students completed middle school, these netbooks were ready for the recycling bins.

Technology now
. Technology in the future


Reading the Holland article was surprisingly like looking into a glass ball and predicting the future. The predictions were incredibly accurate with where technology is moving and at what pace. It is true with the speed of technology, it is moving so incredibly quickly we often don’t see the shortfalls before it is too late. I often find this with my own learning and usage of technology at school. Just as I am getting familiar and comfortable with using a particular platform or piece of technology, something new has come out and replaced it.

I especially liked the section on motivation. Using technology to provide insight and motivate instructional learning environments, increases engagement, promotes a sense of ownership to learning and makes learning more meaningful and relevant. As the research from Wlodkowsky states, “motivated learners include the desire to, learn, work, meet a need, personal value, reach a goal, complete task, engaging, curiosity, successful effort or ability, achievement, and personal responsibility.” (Jarman, B. pg. 19.)

Conclusion

When we incorporate technology into our everyday teaching practices it allows teachers to support students in meaningful ways which enhance their learning experience and allow them to meet their unique learning needs. Technology has opened the doors further to enable students to demonstrate their learning in a multitude of ways based on specific learning styles.  By increasing student exposure to technology as a way to supplement everyday learning, students gain new opportunities, which increase creativity and overall production, while introducing students to various technologies. This allows students to gain new skills which they can use throughout their school career and beyond.

Technology is not something that should take the place of paper and pen tasks or traditional teaching methods involving reading and writing, but rather supplement everyday teaching practices. Although we are often met with financial limitations or the fear or trying something unfamiliar, incorporating technology into our teaching practice is vital and something that we should not deprive our students of. My personal comfort level with technology is not where I would like it to be, however it is important to gain exposure to various technologies in hopes of enhancing the overall experience. I am finding that exploring the use of new technology in the classroom setting is something that we can do where we are all learning together.

« Older posts

© 2024 Ed Tech Mindshift

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑