As the year progresses, I am constantly reminded of the difficulty in making headway in the technology use department. We talk about a lot of potential applications, and consider how useful they may be, but change is slow.
Organizational change is embedded with pressure to preserve the status quo. Of course, the status quo often proves to be the righter course, so this resistance is healthy in formulating more complete initiatives. There are financial pressures working against change and established practices that do the same.
One of the most exciting technologies that may be changing the power of technology in the classroom is Web 2.0 technologies such as blogs, wikis, podcasts, digital archiving, etc. Essentially, we can be using those technologies that students are using (IM messaging, text messaging, iPods, MySpace, Facebook, etc.) to meet them in their world of communication. Moreso than anything, technology has changed the way young people are communicating. I think technology can help bridge the "gap" between the digitial natives and the digital immigrants.
Recently, we debuted a new site for teachers labeled, Classroom 2.0 that can be used to learn about the various technologies that can be used for classroom use, as well as helplines on how to implement them. These type of things are springing up all over. I'm excited about their potential to change the way we communicate and teach in the 21st century.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Thursday, September 06, 2007
iPods, Cell Phones, etc.
All schools are struggling with the wide use of cell phones, iPods and other electronic devices in schools. We are certainly in for challenges as the prices of these devices continue to plummet. Certain sage observers even predict that laptops are in their final chapter of widespread use, at least at the prices they are today. More simple, smaller and cheaper devices are appearing as we speak.
Today, I noticed that Apple came out with an iPad Touch today that is essentially a handheld Internet Browser/iPod. The price I saw was $244 for a simple machine that gives the user web capabilities and 20,000 songs worth of storage space. Man, it would take me the rest of my life to listen to that many songs. Roughly 1000 hours of music.
I am convinced that we are going to have to embrace this electronic upheaval in our society, including education. Doug Johnson, Tech Director at Mankato (MN) public schools pens the Blue Skunk blog. He feels that educators should embrace all new forms of technology, including iPods and cellphones and whatever new generations of faddish technology emerges.
The real question is how we implement these unnerving devices into our relatively stable teaching situations. How do we train teachers to keep up with the changes when they are already deeply behind their students? How do we engage learners when our technology skills may do more to embarrass than enlighten? I'm not convinced that massive changes will occur, if history is our guide. Traditional teaching methods seem to have alot more traction than they're ever given credit for.
This is not to say that there will not be people that will employ useful methods. The question is how long, and to what degree, it will take for us to change methodologies that have been in place for hundreds of years. There must be something behind this delivery mode that has made it so dominant and relatively impermeable.
Today, I noticed that Apple came out with an iPad Touch today that is essentially a handheld Internet Browser/iPod. The price I saw was $244 for a simple machine that gives the user web capabilities and 20,000 songs worth of storage space. Man, it would take me the rest of my life to listen to that many songs. Roughly 1000 hours of music.
I am convinced that we are going to have to embrace this electronic upheaval in our society, including education. Doug Johnson, Tech Director at Mankato (MN) public schools pens the Blue Skunk blog. He feels that educators should embrace all new forms of technology, including iPods and cellphones and whatever new generations of faddish technology emerges.
The real question is how we implement these unnerving devices into our relatively stable teaching situations. How do we train teachers to keep up with the changes when they are already deeply behind their students? How do we engage learners when our technology skills may do more to embarrass than enlighten? I'm not convinced that massive changes will occur, if history is our guide. Traditional teaching methods seem to have alot more traction than they're ever given credit for.
This is not to say that there will not be people that will employ useful methods. The question is how long, and to what degree, it will take for us to change methodologies that have been in place for hundreds of years. There must be something behind this delivery mode that has made it so dominant and relatively impermeable.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Computer Labs--Peering Into Our Past
Over the past twenty years, schools have grown quite accustomed to rooms full of computers. These are places where: teachers can take their classes to access technology; students can go to gain access to the Internet; and perhaps where Principals can put on semi-high tech presentations for their staff. In summary, schools have set up their technology use patterns by creating a place for people to go when they wanted to access technology.
I'm sure you can see where I'm going here. Technology only becomes useful when it can be accessed anytime, anywhere, quickly, during the point of need. Useful technology only becomes pervasive when it crosses the line from being something to play around with unto something you utilize freely. Once the technology becomes very accessible through time, place and also, financially, the innovation spills over into pervasive use and utilization in our society.
We are at the point in schools now where we will have to have thoughtful consideration of how we employ the new generation of technologies. We can't simply allocate and schedule computer labs as the place for students to go to use technology. It has to be at their fingertips at all times, just as it is for those of us who have become proficient users in our workplace (voicemail, email, cameras, recorders, projectors, PDA's, Intercoms, etc.). The greater majority of our students will only see the relevance of school once we learn to mimic the accessibility enjoyed by the rest of our society, including students at any time other than when they are at school.
MIT has launched a major initiative delivering oodles and oodles of laptop computers to third-world and impoverished nations. It is called the $100 Laptop Initiative. If you click on this link, you will see a short demonstration of how easy this is to handle and how conceivable it is for every child to soon have the technology they need at their fingertips at all times.
If this can happen on this large a scale, we are surely not far behind that time when laptops are carried by all of our students. We have to construct our schools in classrooms in a manner that these tools may be put to best use. Our teachers will have to improve their skills in teaching with technology, surely, and the rules that we have made for our schools will surely be affected.
I'm sure you can see where I'm going here. Technology only becomes useful when it can be accessed anytime, anywhere, quickly, during the point of need. Useful technology only becomes pervasive when it crosses the line from being something to play around with unto something you utilize freely. Once the technology becomes very accessible through time, place and also, financially, the innovation spills over into pervasive use and utilization in our society.
We are at the point in schools now where we will have to have thoughtful consideration of how we employ the new generation of technologies. We can't simply allocate and schedule computer labs as the place for students to go to use technology. It has to be at their fingertips at all times, just as it is for those of us who have become proficient users in our workplace (voicemail, email, cameras, recorders, projectors, PDA's, Intercoms, etc.). The greater majority of our students will only see the relevance of school once we learn to mimic the accessibility enjoyed by the rest of our society, including students at any time other than when they are at school.
MIT has launched a major initiative delivering oodles and oodles of laptop computers to third-world and impoverished nations. It is called the $100 Laptop Initiative. If you click on this link, you will see a short demonstration of how easy this is to handle and how conceivable it is for every child to soon have the technology they need at their fingertips at all times.
If this can happen on this large a scale, we are surely not far behind that time when laptops are carried by all of our students. We have to construct our schools in classrooms in a manner that these tools may be put to best use. Our teachers will have to improve their skills in teaching with technology, surely, and the rules that we have made for our schools will surely be affected.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Hours and Hours of Time
Today, our MCA results will arrive in schools. More than likely, we will find little "gaps" in our curriculum that are leading to inadequate scores in many of our subgroups. There will be successes and failures, many times right within your district, if not, a few miles down the road. These "gaps" will lead to a narrowed curriculum as the pressure on academic time in core subjects is ever-increasing. Given this narrowed time, school curricula is inching further and further away from the very things that may increase their students' interest. This narrowing of the curriculum prevents students from gaining those skills that are not only interesting to them, but also beneficial to them in a digital age that they are so accustomed to, particularly when they are NOT IN SCHOOL.
Marc Prensky opens his 2001 article, Digitial Natives, Digital Immigrants stating that "today’s average college grads have spent less than 5,000 hours of their lives reading, but over 10,000 hours playing video games (not to mention 20,000 hours watching TV)." Not to mention, 20,000 hours of TV?
There are so many things we have to do with our time in schools that we didn't have in the past. Where do we find the time?
Jamie Vollmer is a former business-man who now works to help strengthen community pride in schools. He is a powerful ally to create schools that give all students the opportunity to unfold their full potential. The first part of his presentation explains two phenomena--the media attack on schools and schools' inability to promote their success.
He also has made a list of all the things schools are burdened with now that they weren't then. He also discusses the term, "nostesia" (the incorrect belief that things were better then than they are now). Simply, as you get older, the better you think your education was.
The sum of my point is this--to increase our student time in academic areas that they need, we need to capture a greater market share of that 30,000 hours that will be spent on TV, video games, or on computers surfing or researching. To do so, our teachers are going to need the skills (which is exceedingly difficult for Digital Immigrants) to speak the language of their Digital Native students. With the time demand also on teachers, we need to explore our mechanisms for training teachers, and not while school is in session.
Sir Ken Robinson has an entertaining video that you can access below. The message of the video (a very funny one, by the way) points out the many ways our schools fail to recognize -- much less cultivate -- the talents of many brilliant people. "We are educating people out of their creativity," Robinson says.
Sir Ken Robinson's Creativity Video
I'd have to agree with him! We are simply not professionally equipped with the skills needed to communicate with the Digital Native population. We need to quickly embrace new systems of professional development for our teachers!
Marc Prensky opens his 2001 article, Digitial Natives, Digital Immigrants stating that "today’s average college grads have spent less than 5,000 hours of their lives reading, but over 10,000 hours playing video games (not to mention 20,000 hours watching TV)." Not to mention, 20,000 hours of TV?
There are so many things we have to do with our time in schools that we didn't have in the past. Where do we find the time?
Jamie Vollmer is a former business-man who now works to help strengthen community pride in schools. He is a powerful ally to create schools that give all students the opportunity to unfold their full potential. The first part of his presentation explains two phenomena--the media attack on schools and schools' inability to promote their success.
He also has made a list of all the things schools are burdened with now that they weren't then. He also discusses the term, "nostesia" (the incorrect belief that things were better then than they are now). Simply, as you get older, the better you think your education was.
The sum of my point is this--to increase our student time in academic areas that they need, we need to capture a greater market share of that 30,000 hours that will be spent on TV, video games, or on computers surfing or researching. To do so, our teachers are going to need the skills (which is exceedingly difficult for Digital Immigrants) to speak the language of their Digital Native students. With the time demand also on teachers, we need to explore our mechanisms for training teachers, and not while school is in session.
Sir Ken Robinson has an entertaining video that you can access below. The message of the video (a very funny one, by the way) points out the many ways our schools fail to recognize -- much less cultivate -- the talents of many brilliant people. "We are educating people out of their creativity," Robinson says.
Sir Ken Robinson's Creativity Video
I'd have to agree with him! We are simply not professionally equipped with the skills needed to communicate with the Digital Native population. We need to quickly embrace new systems of professional development for our teachers!
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Summer Drift
The purpose of this blog is to advance technology in the KW school district. Many teachers in last week's inservice were exposed to the 'bloggin technology. We're not sure of the value at this time of these musings online, but anything that generates attention to education has to be good for our students and district. I'd recommend, like I would for our staff, that if you think you have something important to say, you entertain the idea of blogging. I think it has reasonable applications for our teachers and students, for sure.
http://connectwithkids.com/products/internetgeneration.shtml
This past week, we suffered the deaths of one student, as well as a former student. Each of these former students has a rich memoir etched in the history of KW.
I’ve come to dread what summer brings, despite the opportunity to “change gears”. More than ever, students drifting into a summer mode—outdoors, indoors, no reading, high activity, low activity, low relationships—suffer from this time period. I truly believe that in my career we will see yearlong schools for this reason. For the most part, students simply do not have the “things to do” as they did yesteryear. Fewer chores, less work to do, less people to share with and more money available are all contributing reasons to a pandemic for students of today. For multiple reasons, summer vacation simply does not provide students of today a similar experience to what we did.
Monday, July 16, 2007
1st Annual Technology Institute
For my first post of this new weblog, I'd like to begin with a topic I feel was influential to our staff and myself. On 7/16 and 7/17, our staff at KW were involved with their 1st Annual Technology Institute. For them, the Institute created an opportunity to improve their skills in a wanton area. For me, I enjoyed the opportunity to prepare something that put me in a teaching mode.
To me, this is the purpose of technology in education--to utilize those resources that are reaffirming to the teacher and supportive for the learning of the student.
The video I've posted is titled, "Did You Know 2.0". It was the product of Karl Fisch, Colorado, and Scott McLeod, Minnesota. It has amazing traction in nearly any setting. It highlights the immensity of change we are experiencing in schools, and as a society.
It was amazing to witness the engagement our staff had in this summer workshop, simply titled the First Annual KW Technology Institute. It was different from the frenetic workshops we put together during the school year. Everyone was more relaxed and open to listen to new ideas. They weren't thinking of all the deadlines they would have to meet, even by the end of the day.
Given that we had over 60% of our district staff for this workshop was a testament to getting there. As we evaluate the effectiveness of our Institute, I'm hoping we can continue this momentum through the second day of technology and the two days of curriculum training. Teachers will need significant training throughout the summer months simply to avoid technological obsolescence.
Last year, I was consistently reminded of how little time our teachers have to be the great teachers society expects. We have to be masters at psychology, assessment, brain biology, interpersonal communication, technology, planning, public speaking, etc. However, we have little available time outside of the school calendar to get this done. The energy at today's workshop reinforces the idea that professionalism in schools is only a month away--20 extra, thoughtful days to ensure that our staff members re-load for the immense challenge of keeping up with the breakneck pace of a society of exponential growth and innovation.
To me, this is the purpose of technology in education--to utilize those resources that are reaffirming to the teacher and supportive for the learning of the student.
The video I've posted is titled, "Did You Know 2.0". It was the product of Karl Fisch, Colorado, and Scott McLeod, Minnesota. It has amazing traction in nearly any setting. It highlights the immensity of change we are experiencing in schools, and as a society.
It was amazing to witness the engagement our staff had in this summer workshop, simply titled the First Annual KW Technology Institute. It was different from the frenetic workshops we put together during the school year. Everyone was more relaxed and open to listen to new ideas. They weren't thinking of all the deadlines they would have to meet, even by the end of the day.
Given that we had over 60% of our district staff for this workshop was a testament to getting there. As we evaluate the effectiveness of our Institute, I'm hoping we can continue this momentum through the second day of technology and the two days of curriculum training. Teachers will need significant training throughout the summer months simply to avoid technological obsolescence.
Last year, I was consistently reminded of how little time our teachers have to be the great teachers society expects. We have to be masters at psychology, assessment, brain biology, interpersonal communication, technology, planning, public speaking, etc. However, we have little available time outside of the school calendar to get this done. The energy at today's workshop reinforces the idea that professionalism in schools is only a month away--20 extra, thoughtful days to ensure that our staff members re-load for the immense challenge of keeping up with the breakneck pace of a society of exponential growth and innovation.
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