What Great Resources ED 5670 Has Given Me!

I browsed through more of the on-line resources that Dr. Smirnova made available to our class for this final week of the course. I particularly liked the link to a site that helps educators create webquests for their students. This is a technology tool that I have seen examples of in other classes and it is something I would love to offer to my future students. I appreciate having this resource to look further into in the future. The other resource I really liked is the site that offers four sites for on-line stories. This could be a particularly helpful tool with children who are reticent to write to help them gain confidence through an engaging learning medium.

Thank you, Dr. Smirnova, and my fellow classmates in ED 5670-T1, for the useful resources regarding the use of technology tools in a classroom!

Self-Assessment of My WOW Project Presentation

• Organization of the presentation (flow, length, practiced). Presentation parts: Intro, Body, and Conclusion + References and Appendices.
• I rehearsed my presentation numerous times and I believe that paid off during my presentation. I am pleased with the flow of my presentation and the fact that I gave an effective introduction, discussion of major content areas of the topic, and an effective conclusion. 
• Topic stimulation (active engagement).
• I believe I kept classmates engaged by periodically checking for understanding. I think my introduction helped get people thinking about the topic and the  links within the wiki page kept the discussion and materials moving, which helps keep people engaged. Also, the design of the wiki site is interactive by nature.
• Usefulness of materials (clear, practical, handy, relevant, informative, handout(s), resources provided).
• I believe my materials were very effective and useful. 
• Knowledge of the topic (expertise, good ideas, insights).
• I thought I did an effective job providing background information and summaries for the major concepts within my topic. I kept my speech conversational and avoided reading from my slides when I could. 
• Scope of teaching ideas and curriculum impact (goals clear, important, appropriate, significant, doable).
• I believe all of the technology tools I included are geared towards clear, important, appropriate, significant and doable classroom applications. 
• Effort (digging deep, extensive depth displayed in the research and provided presentation, work-work-work-work, persistence).
• This project reflects significant amounts of research and work. Hopefully that shined through during the presentation.
• Audience involvement (Grabbers, Check for Understanding stops, activities, summative assessment tools, etc.) 
• I started with an interactive introduction, checked for understanding multiple times, and provided an interactive summative assessment. 
• References (APA style is followed).
• All references were provided in the APA format. 

Final Reflections on ED 5670-T1 Literacy and Technology Course (MSMC)

I foresee my job as a teacher as giving children the experiences, information and skills they need at their developmental age so that they may fully experience what they are capable of doing in the world. Part of that endeavor will involve making school a meaningful place. Children deserve to spend their days doing things they are interested in and having fun as they learn. My goal is to make my classroom a place that students look forward to coming to each morning because they perceive it as a place that is fun, rewarding, positive and interesting.  I want to make my students believe in themselves as learners and discover their innate passion for learning about the world and what they are capable of doing and discovering in it. My personal goal is to learn the technical and theoretical aspects of my job well enough to think and operate at a mastery level so that I can most aptly provide appropriate, student-centered activities that match students’ developmental levels. Eventually, my hope is to spend a majority of my energy and focus on providing high-quality, research-based instruction that is highly tailored to the interests and needs of all of my students.

I hope to use technology as one of the key tools for bringing my classroom to life for my students and having it embody authentic aspects of kids’ own lives.  As such, technology should help make my classroom a place that students enjoy spending time in and look forward to coming to each morning.  One exciting realization I have had with regards to using technology in my classroom is the fact that it can serve as a means for students to collaborate with me to collectively learn about new advances in technology tools. That is one way that students can feel like they are part of a community where everyone respects what each person has to offer so far as experiences, know-how and skills.  This will communicate that I as the teacher respect them as individuals and am willing to learn from them.

One piece of information that I greatly value from taking ED 5670-T1 is the LoTi paradigm for technology implementation in classrooms. This will be a helpful tool for me as I seek to create a technology-based classroom and curriculum for my students.  It provides descriptive details about what the highest levels of technology implementation look like. I can use this as a model for when I plan my future classroom instruction.  I will also take with me the new paradigm of a 21^st century learner so that I will better understand how my students like to learn and what technology tools they find relevant in their lives.  I found the video “Learning to Change-Changing to Learn” inspiring and insightful and will likely keep referencing that video to keep the vision of the 21^st century learner alive and front-and-center in my mind as a future educator.  I will also continue to think about the theory of constructivism and how it can inform my instructional planning so that I can provide the kinds of student-centered and meaningful learning experiences I want to provide for my students.  I believe this course was a constructivist model of teaching in that as students we were able to seek out materials and engage in learning activities independently.  The professor served as our guide with providing requisite information and assignments that she knew would enable us to achieve the course’s learning outcomes. In this regard, this was my favorite class to take in my entire master’s program. I genuinely enjoyed being responsible for my own learning and be able to independently engage in activities and complete course readings and assignments. I LOVED the freedom to construct my own understanding of course principles and concepts and to create my own meanings.  One of my chief struggles with previous graduate school classes was the requirement to sit in a classroom and be lectured on course information.  In nearly every case, I would have preferred being able to independently complete course assignments and reading and meet with the professor solely for him/her to share personal anecdotes that could supplement and enrich my understanding and insight into effective teaching.  When teachers instead talked about what I had read in the book it seemed like it was wasteful redundancy as far as my time investment.  In this regard, our professor gave us all the opportunity to experience firsthand what a constructivist model of teaching and learning is. And boy am I hooked!

I now have a broad understanding of many of the Web 2.0 tools that would be integral in a technology-based classroom.  I can create websites, wikis, blog pages, twitter accounts, digital posters and newsletters and visual art all using various Web 2.0 tools and websites.  This understanding is something I can transfer to my students and use as a tool to better understand what is relevant in the lives of my future learners. 

I will also bring to my future classroom my experiences working collaboratively with classmates using various Web 2.0 tools during this course.  In the group I worked in, we served as excellent assets to each other as we helped to clarify logistics of the course, course concepts and assignments for each other. We also pooled together our individual strengths and talents to complete group assignments. From these assignments we learned from what each of us brought to the table and used each other as resources to compliment our own areas of confusion and/or weaknesses.  We also forged strong bonds with each other and got to know each other better. All of these experiences were worthwhile, constructive and beneficial. I look forward to providing these kinds of experiences for my students.

The final presentations by my classmates were very informative and provided me with a WEALTH of information about technology tools that I can use with my future students. I have already bookmarked a number of them so that I have access to them on my computer. I plan to add many more as I look at additional projects on the Moodle discussion forum. I think it would be neat to have my future students do similar kinds of research about technology tools and share it with classmates. This could be a nice beginning of the year activity to familiarize students with the technology tools that are available for them to use in their learning. 

All in all, this course has provided me with information that will help me to create the kind of classroom experience I wish to create for my students.  I have benefited from new information that will help me reach my goal. I have also been enriched and inspired by much of what was provided during the class. It is an exciting time to be an educator with so many student-centered theories helping you to create meaningful and authentic learning experiences that help children see the possibilities for enjoying being alive in this world.  


Here is the link to my website and wiki page where you will find more information from this technology course.

Colorful Uniqueness of Classmates' Blogs

Throughout the course I have been visiting classmates' blogs and making comments on their various blog postings. This experience has been valuable for witnessing the sheer abundance of diversity in self-expression that was shown through my classmates' blogs. I loved how the postings nudged us all to be reflective and share personal insights and confusion. I found myself relating to many entries on both of these fronts.

From my experience reading others' blogs I have a sense that most graduate students in the course are open to using technology in their future classrooms. They also seem to value the various Web 2.0 tools that we learned about during the course. It is interesting to see a progression of openness to using technology in classrooms reflected in the sequence of blog responses. Most peoples' postings started out with a hesitant and cautious attitude towards technology and progressed to an open, more confident attitude.

Lastly, I share in the pride that most classmates seem to be feeling around having successfully used various Web 2.0 tools. Congratulations everyone for working hard and learning to become 21st-century-learning savvy!!!

My New Wiki Page: Combining Technology with the 6 C's of Motivation

I really enjoyed making my wiki page for my final class project.  The topic I covered is: Combining Technology with the 6 C's of Motivation.

The most salient part of my experience with making this wiki is how fulfilled I feel in having created a site like this. I was able to connect my pages so a reader can flow through them in a logical manner. I also figured out how to create a professional design and layout for the various site pages. All in all, this felt like a gratifying accomplishment both in learning the process for creating a wiki site and in the final product I produced.

How could I use this technology in my future classroom?
Just as my professor used it in this class. I could ask students to research topics of interest related to a unit theme or topic and provide wiki sites as an option for demonstrating what they've learned. Students can also use wiki sites as means for self-expression and reflection during the school-year.

How else could I use a wiki site as an educator?
I could build various kinds of wiki sites to share information with colleagues. They can be collaborative sites whereby colleagues can edit and contribute to site topics.

I am very excited about now being able to build wiki sites. Thank you, Dr. Smirnova!

Final Reflections on ED 5670-T1 Literacy and Technology Course (MSMC)

I foresee my job as a teacher as giving children the experiences, information and skills they need at their developmental age so that they may fully experience what they are capable of doing in the world. Part of that endeavor will involve making school a meaningful place. Children deserve to spend their days doing things they are interested in and having fun as they learn. My goal is to make my classroom a place that students look forward to coming to each morning because they perceive it as a place that is fun, rewarding, positive and interesting.  I want to make my students believe in themselves as learners and discover their innate passion for learning about the world and what they are capable of doing and discovering in it. My personal goal is to learn the technical and theoretical aspects of my job well enough to think and operate at a mastery level so that I can most aptly provide appropriate, student-centered activities that match students’ developmental levels. Eventually, my hope is to spend a majority of my energy and focus on providing high-quality, research-based instruction that is highly tailored to the interests and needs of all of my students.

I hope to use technology as one of the key tools for bringing my classroom to life for my students and having it embody authentic aspects of kids’ own lives.  As such, technology should help make my classroom a place that students enjoy spending time in and look forward to coming to each morning.  One exciting realization I have had with regards to using technology in my classroom is the fact that it can serve as a means for students to collaborate with me to collectively learn about new advances in technology tools. That is one way that students can feel like they are part of a community where everyone respects what each person has to offer so far as experiences, know-how and skills.  This will communicate that I as the teacher respect them as individuals and am willing to learn from them.

One piece of information that I greatly value from taking ED 5670-T1 is the LoTi paradigm for technology implementation in classrooms. This will be a helpful tool for me as I seek to create a technology-based classroom and curriculum for my students.  It provides descriptive details about what the highest levels of technology implementation look like. I can use this as a model for when I plan my future classroom instruction.  I will also take with me the new paradigm of a 21^st century learner so that I will better understand how my students like to learn and what technology tools they find relevant in their lives.  I found the video “Learning to Change-Changing to Learn” inspiring and insightful and will likely keep referencing that video to keep the vision of the 21^st century learner alive and front-and-center in my mind as a future educator.  I will also continue to think about the theory of constructivism and how it can inform my instructional planning so that I can provide the kinds of student-centered and meaningful learning experiences I want to provide for my students.  I believe this course was a constructivist model of teaching in that as students we were able to seek out materials and engage in learning activities independently.  The professor served as our guide with providing requisite information and assignments that she knew would enable us to achieve the course’s learning outcomes. In this regard, this was my favorite class to take in my entire master’s program. I genuinely enjoyed being responsible for my own learning and be able to independently engage in activities and complete course readings and assignments. I LOVED the freedom to construct my own understanding of course principles and concepts and to create my own meanings.  One of my chief struggles with previous graduate school classes was the requirement to sit in a classroom and be lectured on course information.  In nearly every case, I would have preferred being able to independently complete course assignments and reading and meet with the professor solely for him/her to share personal anecdotes that could supplement and enrich my understanding and insight into effective teaching.  When teachers instead talked about what I had read in the book it seemed like it was wasteful redundancy as far as my time investment.  In this regard, our professor gave us all the opportunity to experience firsthand what a constructivist model of teaching and learning is. And boy am I hooked!

I now have a broad understanding of many of the Web 2.0 tools that would be integral in a technology-based classroom.  I can create websites, wikis, blog pages, twitter accounts, digital posters and newsletters and visual art all using various Web 2.0 tools and websites.  This understanding is something I can transfer to my students and use as a tool to better understand what is relevant in the lives of my future learners. 

I will also bring to my future classroom my experiences working collaboratively with classmates using various Web 2.0 tools during this course.  In the group I worked in, we served as excellent assets to each other as we helped to clarify logistics of the course, course concepts and assignments for each other. We also pooled together our individual strengths and talents to complete group assignments. From these assignments we learned from what each of us brought to the table and used each other as resources to compliment our own areas of confusion and/or weaknesses.  We also forged strong bonds with each other and got to know each other better. All of these experiences were worthwhile, constructive and beneficial. I look forward to providing these kinds of experiences for my students.

All in all, this course has provided me with information that will help me to create the kind of classroom experience I wish to create for my students.  I have benefited from new information that will help me reach my goal. I have also been enriched and inspired by much of what was provided during the class. It is an exciting time to be an educator with so many student-centered theories helping you to create meaningful and authentic learning experiences that help children see the possibilities for enjoying being alive in this world.  


Here is the link to my website and wiki page where you will find more information from this technology course.

Ignorance is Not Bliss When It Comes to Judging the Quality of Websites.

Microsoft

Cornell University's library has a very helpful list of five criteria for evaluating web pages. I found this to be a helpful guide for learning how to be a discriminating consumer of information on the Internet. This understanding is something I hope to provide to my students in my Web 2.0 classroom.

Authentic Assessments...Clear As Day.

Microsoft

Throughout my graduate program I have heard many different kinds of references to the concept of authentic assessments. I never really heard one that was clear and simple. One that stuck with me and made me feel like I really understood what it was about.  Until I read through Jon Mueller's "Authentic Assessment Toolbox". 


My affinity for authentic teaching comes from my belief in using real-world contexts within a classroom so that instruction is meaningful and engaging for students.  Lessons are taught that are based on what happens in real-life and students are given opportunities to work on solving real problems and creating products that can serve a purpose in reality.  That has been my understanding of authentic teaching and those things are what make me believe in it and gravitate towards it.  


Now I will add authentic assessment to my framework of teaching.  Although in theory the elements of this approach have been ones that I've believed in the entire time.  Now I have another name for them.  It feels good to know more precisely what educators consider to be authentic assessment- which is assessments that are based on real-life contexts that either involve or emulate conditions that exist in the real-world.  Furthermore, students create evidence and demonstrations of their learning, which is a far more descriptive and sophisticated means of expression.  Their means for demonstrating what they can do and understand is not limited to traditional assessment methods that rely on having students fill in information to indicate a response. Rather, they produce something that directly shows what they are capable of. 


Technology, and Web 2.0 tools in particular, is fabulous for providing tools and resources for students to express what they can do and know. Here is a context wherein technology is a very useful tool for enabling student expression and assessment. One tool in particular that seems helpful for this use is an e-portfolio. Many Web 2.0 tools can be used to create and maintain this kind of electronic, or digital, portfolio. 


One question I am left pondering is: What is at the cutting-edge of authentic assessment research and theory?

Differentiated Instruction + Technology = Better Learning

Veer Images

I recently read through a wiki called Differentiate-with-Technology.  There I found useful information about the nature of differentiated instruction and what technology can do to further this approach when teaching students. The whole notion of differentiated instruction is what grabbed me the most.  From reading about it in this wiki I realized that differentiated instruction is very similar to the concept of Universal Design for Learning (UDL).  The idea is that you design instruction to meet the needs of diverse learners in your classroom rather than those of average students. Different learning styles and preferences for self-expression are seriously considered while planning instruction.  This sounds very similar to what I have seen discussed about UDL and how teachers following this approach need to incorporate various ways of delivering information and provide many different options for students to demonstrate what they have learned. It was an interesting connection to make.


Regarding both concepts, I say "Yes!" It rings true to me that different students learn in different ways and need a teacher to understand them well enough to make instruction meaningful and relevant to them. The teacher also needs to provide means for assessment that are well-matched to the learning preferences of students. Now, how can technology help with this?


There are a plethora of technological tools out there that students can use to demonstrate what they have learned to be able to do.  Plus, there are a variety of tools that can suit many different learning styles and student interests.  Their are graphics programs for visual learners, digital story-telling for auditory learners, movie-makers for tactile students, etc. The Internet and various Web 2.0 tools can bring leranign alive for a very diverse student population.  It is only then up to the teacher to learn about her/his students and be able to fluently match assessment activities and tools to their individual needs. 


One question I am left pondering is: How can technology be a component of culturally-responsive teaching and assessment?

The Complex World of Internet Safety, Copyright Law and Fair Use Policy

Photo by Sheila Mannese

I recently read some articles on the topics of internet safety, copyright, and fair use and was surprised by the extent of technical details that pertain to these topics. The extent of these details made me ponder about the use of materials and technology in schools and the lack of simplicity that is involved when looking to use engaging materials that are copyrighted and/or on the Internet.  It gave me the kind of headache that I have gotten from other cumbersome topics like NCLB.  The saying, "Keep it simple, stupid!" seems to characterize the way I feel about such complexity in this case.

However, it is useful to have the information I need to understand internet safety and copyright law. I have wondered quite a bit about the nature of copyright law and have wanted more information so that I can make informed decisions when using materials in my classroom that may be copyrighted.  I just think it is going to take patience and time to fully absorb and comprehend all that is involved in the fair use policy that pertains to educators.  But absorb and comprehend I must. And I will.

Wouldn't it be helpful if some kind of web tool could provide all the necessary interactive guides that will allow you to judge whether a resource you would like to use falls within the domain of the fair use policy? And also help you to create the requisite citations and/or credits that would ensure you follow the law when using copyrighted information?  Perhaps such a tool exists.  I should probably search the Web for it.  Otherwise, for all of those tech-savvy educators out there, what do you say to creating one?

There is no "I" in "Team": Collaboration with Parents

I believe that my job is to further the development of each of my students. In order to do this I need support from parents and their collaboration. There is no "I" against them, as if parents were ancillary to the teaching process during a school-year.  I will use every resource I can to serve my students and one important resource are the students' parents.  I see them as as both resources and team-mates.  I value their understanding of their children and the power of their role as parents.  I will treat them with respect and dignity and seek to understand who they are as much as I will try to understand their children.  I will forge a relationship of respect and trust by communicating with them whenever I feel that doing so is in the best interest of their child. This means constant and continuous communication.  This will communicate to parents that I respect their ideas and opinions and value their input into their child's educational experience in my classroom.  This may make parents feel comfortable participating in their student's educational experience and also make them realize (if they haven't already) that they have much support to offer their children.

I plan to communicate with parents via the most convenient methods for each parent.  Some parents may prefer phone-calls, others emails, a classroom website, an electronic newsletter or a written note home. Prior to the school-year starting I will offer many different options for communication and ask each parent to tell me what their preference is.  I will include both Web 2.0 technologies in this list as well as more traditional mediums.  

It would be fun to try using a software program like Glogster.com, which is very interactive and has multi-media capability, or a class website (via webs.com) to communicate with parents. During our group project this week we chose to use Glogster.com to make a newsletter for parents. We chose this program because it has multi-media capability.  The product ended up being quite impressive and engaging.  However, this ended up not being the most effective program in regards to collaborating with four other people to create our newsletter. This is the case because Glogster does not allow real-time collaboration. Only one person can edit the newletter (or "glog") at a time.  If one group member didn't volunteer to take the lead on the design of the newsletter than we would not have been able to easily create it remotely and would have needed to meet at a physical location. 

If the group were to create a newsletter again I would do some more research to find a more conducive tool for producing a multi-media product that group members can collaborate on creating in real-time. 

Create a Rubric with Rubistar.4teachers.org

Visit Rubistar.4teachers.org to easily create your own rubric to use for authentic assessments.

Please visit this link to see an example of a rubric that I'v made using Rubistar.

Student Self-Expression Through the Use of Polls in a Classroom

I recently created my first on-line poll at Polldaddy.com.  It was very simple and easy to create the poll. Plus, there were many options for how to design the poll and what to include in it.

So how could the use of an on-line poll create authentic experiences that enrich students' lives and learning? Polls can be used as a means for self-expression. Teachers can use the polls to encourage students to reflect on certain aspects of a lesson or unit and share their ideas.  Not only does a poll enable students to reflect and express themselves but it allows them to learn about other students and their ideas. For example, in my future classroom I may use this on-line poll to ask students to reflect on characters in a book we read and to identify which characters they related to the most.  Students can look at the aggregated class data and share their ideas with other classmates.  This will enable them to learn not only from their experience taking the poll but also through the rich discussions that could result from discussing it.

One question I am left pondering is: What are some high-quality authentic applications for polls inside classrooms?

Link to My Mind-Map for 1st Grade Lesson on The Four Seasons

Please view my mind-map at this link on the website Webspiration.com.

Why did I choose this topic?

I chose the topic for my mind-map based on the unit I will be teaching in my first student-teaching placement this fall. The unit is the four seasons.

What was my expected goal?

The expected goal of my mind-mapping was to organize my ideas about what topics within the four seasons unit I will cover and how I will breakdown my approach.  As a result of the mind-mapping, I concluded that my approach will be broken down by season with each season having its own sub-topics.

What assessments can be used with this tool?

Following the use of this mind-map, and hence the implementation of my unit plan, I will use a summative assessment to ensure that students have learned the various topics represented in the map. I will use formative evaluations as well as each concept and sub-topic area is taught.  

How will this tool help students learn?

This mind-map tool will help students learn about the topic of the four seasons because it helps me to organize how my unit plan will be structured and what conceptual areas I will focus on throughout the unit.  Furthermore, I can distribute the mind-map to students so that they can write notes about the sub-topic areas and use these notes to enhance and solidify their learning.

What was the most important lesson I learned from this activity?

I learned that there is a free web-based program that can help me create visual organizers and mind-maps.  There are numerous uses for these kinds of tools for helping students learn and grow.  

What did I like and dislike about Webspiration?

I really liked that it was quite intuitive to figure out how to use the various tools that Webspiration offers. I do desire that the program offer more abundant reserves of pictures for which to use as icons and visual representations in the maps. However, I assume this is available in a pay version of the program.

What would I do differently the next time I create a mind-map?

I will overcome my natural preference to use a hands-on, trial-and-error approach to exploring the various capacities the site has to offer. Instead, I will look through any tutorials and helpful information that describes the various functions I may use to create my mind-map.  I would also follow this approach when asking students to use the program. I would likely ask them to explore the various help topics within the site and to make a list of the most important functions they learned about that will help them make spectacular mind-maps. 

Creating Your Own Grading Tool Using Engrade.com

I found the Engrade.com tool to be very user friendly and a useful platform for teacher-student communication.  There are many different interactive tools that can maintain communication between teachers and students.  Students can log on to view their grades, they can message with the teacher, and they can view the online calendar to see when assignments are due, as well as any other relevant upcoming events that the teacher posts.  I like that these tools promote student independence and responsibility by providing the necessary resources for students to behave in these ways.  In addition, the tools, with the addition of the comments section and the attendance tool, provide teachers a very convenient and straightforward means for organizing and keeping track of student learning. The only downside that comes to mind for using this program is the dependency a teacher has on having access to the Internet. Teachers likely have to export their data into a computer-based program like Excel and do so consistently so that in the case of an Internet shut-down they will have access to the data they need (e.g. for holding a parent-teacher conference). 

I think it would be helpful for Engrade.com to include an area for creating and/or posting rubrics and other kinds of assessment tools that underlie the grades in the grade book.  It would then enable students to relate their grades to the criteria for their performance and bridge those two areas, which enhances students’ goal-setting and problem-solving abilities. 

For all of the reasons I have already stated, I think Engrade.com is an excellent tool for teachers to use in their classrooms. In addition, I think students would enjoy using this tool because it is technology-based, and therefore inherently more engaging to them, and it provides instant access to both feedback and to resources they need to function more independently as learners.  Parents as well may enjoy this tool for many of the same reasons.  Another benefit for parents is that they can stay apprised of their student’s progress and have the resources necessary to collaborate and communicate with the teacher when concerns or ideas arise for them. 

Below is a screenshot of the grading tool I created using Engrade.com:

Article on Meaningful, Engaged Learning

Please check out this article on meaningful, engaged learning.

Four Instructional Models And A Confused Student

I recently studied a graphic done by Dr. Ludmila Smirnova that outlined four "families" of instructional models.  I recognized some of the concepts in the models but many seemed new and/or confusing to me.  Perhaps you can shed some light on my following questions. 

1. What is project-based learning?
2. What is synectics?
3. What would an information-processing family entail? Is this based on the information-processing theory of learning?
4. What is nondirective teaching?
5. Why the name "behavioral systems family"?
6. Why the name "personal family"?
7. What are the ways these models overlap and/or correspond to each other? 
8. Are there other credible instructional models that are not mentioned?
9. What do these instructional model families look like when applied to authentic teaching and learning? 

A Helpful Tool for Integrating Technology Into Instruction

The ASSURE model, developed by Heinich, Molenda, Russel, and Smaldina, seems to be a helpful guide for the planning process when teachers seek to integrate technology into their lessons.  The meaning of the acronym is:


A: Analyze learners
S: State objectives
S: Select methods
U: Utilize media and materials
R: Require learner participation
E: Evaluate and Revise


Please see Dr. Smirnova's graphic of the ASSURE model for more elaboration of the model components. 


This certainly is a model that can assist a teacher with creating authentic learning experiences for his/her students. Until reading this article, I had a feeling of incomplete understanding when it came to actually integrating technology into lesson planning.  I had a good sense of the "why" for technology integration but a lesser grasp on the "how".  This model is a good start. 


One question I am left pondering is: Is there a systemic method for applying the ASSURE model? If so, would this have any benefits for student learning?

9 Rules for Good Technology- How Insightful

Recently, I read an article by Stephen Downes called, "Nine Rules for Good Technology".  Downes posited that technology that is appropriate for use in schools should be of a "widespread and easy to use variety." Furthermore, he writes that technology in schools should be "technology which works mostly by itself, which does not require a Master's degree to operate, and which does not distract from teaching and learning." He goes on to provide nine descriptions of what differentiates good technology from "stupid" technology.  Here are the distinguishing characteristics of good technology according to Downes:

1. Good technology is always available.
2. Good technology is always on.
3. Good technology is always connected.
4. Good technology is standardized.
5. Good technology is simple. (Yes!)
6. Good technology doesn't require parts.
7. Good technology is personalized.
8. Good technology is modular.
9. Good technology does what you want it to do. (Yes again!)

Funny enough, I actually thought of this list and of the concept of "good" vs. "stupid" technology as I worked with various technological tools this week for my Technology and Literacy class. I thought about the qualities of "stupid" technology, specifically that this technology is not simple and does not do what you want it to do, when I was trying to create a podcast using podomatic.  The process of creating the podcast wasn't without some hurdles but ultimately it was pretty doable.  However, when it came time to try to view the podcast I made, it took about a half an hour of searching around the site to figure out how to do this. I remember feeling a feeling of helplessness that arises for me when I feel like no matter how hard I try nothing seems to work.  It was a very distant and palpable feeling that has been felt during other attempts to work with various technology tools.  I'm sure you know what that feeling is like.  It is certainly not a feeling I like or welcome. 

On the other hand, I found myself thinking about "good" technology when I used webs.com to create a personal website.  This site is quite straightforward and user friendly, which are two traits of what Downes calls "good" technology. What a different feeling I felt while using this tool! It felt fun and gratifying and it made me want to spend more and more time working on my page.

I think the implications of these experiences come down to keeping this list of what constitutes "good" technology in mind when designing activities for students to engage with technological tools. This means trying to minimize having them feel helpless and maximize their opportunities to feel excited and engaged. 

How can this list be used to create authentic learning experiences for elementary school students? The list could serve as a basis of reflection as students work with technology that helps them to accomplish a meaningful activity or task. 

One question I am left pondering is: Is there a substantive list out there that describes the qualities of technology that can be used for authentic teaching and learning? 

Making a Website Is Easier Than You May Think

I recently used webs.com to create a personal website.  The process for creating it was far easier than I expected.  Prior to creating this website I perceived the process to be full of technical operations and know-how. Because of this, I had never considered making a website of my own.  I thought it was out of my league, skill-wise.  What a nice experience to have when you are able to do something you previously thought you could not do. 

Once I created an account I was able to play around with various means of designing for the webpage.  I picked a template that appealed to me and filled in some of the pages with information (such as the “about me” page).  Although I didn’t finish the site in one sitting, it felt very gratifying to have created the beginnings of such a personally expressive medium and creation.  Plus there was the feeling of accomplishment for having figured something out that felt difficult and removed from my realm of possibilities.

If you have had similar thoughts and assumptions about the possibility of creating your own website, I would suggest that you go to webs.com and give it a try.  If you get stuck, I’ve found it helps to use the “help” link on the site to troubleshoot any difficulties you have.

What about using personal websites in elementary school classrooms? How could websites help to create authentic learning experiences?  I think that at a minimum personal websites can serve as a strong outlet for personal expression for elementary students.  It is a means of artistic expression as well as linguistic.  It is also motivation to reflect on school activities and to publish your thoughts with the intention to communicate them to others.  It also encourages students to interact with each other by viewing each other’s websites and leaving comments for others to read. 

One question I am left pondering is: How can a personal website help elementary students become more connected with their local communities?

Google SideWiki Remains a Mystery

My recent experience with trying to download and use Google SideWiki was an example of what I have found to be a downside of implementing technology.  I made numerous unsuccessful attempts to download the software for Google Sidewiki.  After I exhausted my troubleshooting options I was left feeling helpless and frustrated.  I had a similar experience working in a group for my Literacy and Technology class when we needed to use software to enable us to work together live.  After several attempts to troubleshoot our issues to no avail, I felt helpless and frustrated. 

Overall it seems that a person without much technological training has sub-par amounts of options for troubleshooting when technology goes wrong.  This is troubling to think about since so much of our world is increasingly relying upon technology to make systems work.  My hunch is that when you can’t rely upon intuition and background knowledge to solve technology problems, due to a lack of expertise in a technological application or program, you need to start getting a lot better at being resourceful and finding the experts who can help you when you need them to.

The ability to act resourcefully will seemingly become an increasingly important skill-set for teachers to have as they implement technology in their classrooms. 

Google: What a World!

Prior to taking the technology class I am currently enrolled in I did not know much about Google beyond using it as my main search engine for the Internet.  As I discovered more and more applications Google offers, I was amazed by the practicality and accessibility of them.  I also am excited about the possibilities for students using these applications to make their school experience more meaningful and engaging.

I’ve looked at many Google applications such as: Google Docs., Google Notebook, Google Wave, iGoogle, and Google Sidewiki.  The application I particularly like is iGoogle.  iGoogle allows you to use and manage a number of useful and practical applications all on one page.  

What is amazing is that these applications are free while being so useful.

Please see my newsletter to read more about how iGoogle can be used by students to help them learn.

One downside to the Google Sidewiki that I’ve experienced more broadly across technological tools is the difficulty I had with accessing it.  I tried downloading it several times before I finally gave up and decided that I would need to seek expert counsel to get the application to function on my computer.  I am finding that a downside to technological tools it the lack of intuitive logic and background knowledge that one can apply to troubleshoot. It is as if these tools are written and designed in a foreign language.  This makes troubleshooting quite frustrating. 

Ultimately I am grateful to Google for providing such useful tools and I am confident that I will find a way to use these tools in my classroom.  I think I will find that students’ engagement will benefit from using such tools. 

The Shift from Teacher-Centered Education to Student-Centered Education

There are theories and descriptions that make evident the shift that is happening in the way students prefer to learn and the way that teachers need to teach.  As David Warlick states in his presentation on “Learning Literacies for the 21^st Century”, the learner of today has been molded by the environment that has changed with the era of technology.  Today’s learner needs to be given empowerment to function in an increasingly connected, creative and collaborative world.  Authentic teaching means that teachers need to learn about the technology that is meaningful in students’ lives and apply those tools inside the classroom.  With this change in environmental context has come a change in how educators can serve the needs of learners.  The creators of the video “Learning to Change, Changing to Learn” state that in the 21^st century schools must be built to produce “genius, collaborative, gregarious, brave children who care about stuff.” The model of a learner has shifted to being that of an independent, resourceful, collaborative, community-minded, globally sensitive, agent of change.  This shift seems to herald a positive and more human-based (i.e. student-based) philosophy of education.  In this way this new paradigm excites me.

As a future educator I have envisioned the possibility of making school an enjoyable place to be.  I have questioned why it is that so much of instruction in schools is disconnected from students’ interests and passions and inevitably ends up being “work” in terms of being something students feel compelled to do out of obedience or responsibility rather than innate motivation and interest.  I think this new paradigm shift in education will help students to become innately interested in learning and that internal motivation will be what releases so much of students’ untapped potential.  It will also be what can explode students’ faulty assumptions about their abilities that may have resulted from talent going unrealized because there was a lack of a meaningful reason for purposefully pursuing possibilities for expression and understanding.  This paradigm seems to herald a fresh start for making school a more meaningful part of students’ lives. 

Are there parts of the old paradigm that are worth preserving?  I think education is just like any other area of intellectual pursuit and development.  It is ever evolving.  Today’s grandest ideas and possibilities are replaced by new and more sophisticated ideas and possibilities in the near future.  There are certain aspects of the traditional paradigm that will likely still operate that serve meaningful purposes for bettering the lives of students.  Among these will likely be research-based instructional methods like direct instruction and various learning strategies.  Ultimately the productive line of thought is not whether we need to preserve the old but to remain focused on pursuing what is great now.  Anything that takes us towards more effective and beneficial educational methods and outcomes, new or old, is worth valuing and incorporating into an ever evolving paradigm of learning and teaching. 

Many Teachers Still Swimming in the Shallow End of the Pool When it Comes to Integrating Technology

Upon my analysis of the International Society for Technology in Education’s (ISTE) standards for students, it was evident to me that there is a major shift needed in the vision of curriculum planning when it comes to technology.  I found that some of the differences between the traditional school curriculum (i.e. little technology and teacher-centered) and the new school curriculum (i.e. technology-infused and student-centered) is a matter of evolution. 

One area that will need to evolve is the part of the new paradigm that makes students the center of their educational experience.  Now teachers need to empower their learners to engage in learning as a self-directed experience and guide them to develop skills and knowledge to enable them to be active and discerning learners.  The other area that will need to evolve is implementing technology in order to expand the degree of collaboration, connectivity, information seeking, evaluative skills, and ingenuity that was present in traditional school curriculum.  Technology makes for greater possibilities and greater skill sets and knowledge banks that students need to access and use. 

Presently, it is interesting to see where the shift may be happening.  A video called “3 Phases of Technology Integration” provides a useful framework for understanding what the process may be like for integrating technology in schools and therefore shifting towards a new learning paradigm.  The author of the video posits that most often teachers begin using technology by enacting tools to help them present their information in more interesting ways.  They then gradually have students use technology to access content knowledge. Along those lines, in reference to ISTE standards for students, I think that currently teachers are doing the best job with implementing the first standard, which is “Creativity and Innovation”.  This standard reflects students using technology to access and work with content knowledge. Many of the other standards involve more sophisticated forms of educational goals that have been included in traditional curriculum (such as collaboration, cultural understanding, information seeking, evaluation, problem solving, etc.).  They also involve novel skills and knowledge that involve using digital and technological tools. 

I feel like I am still learning about the new learning paradigm.  I am excited about what I have learned so far about the paradigm because it holds as principles the importance of students being engaged in learning, being empowered to engage in self-directed learning, being informed consumers of information, excellent problem solvers, collaborators, and responsible global citizens.  I also feel a need to continue to educate myself about this paradigm so that I can implement it fluently inside my classroom.  I believe that many teachers feel the same way.

I think one of the steepest learning curves in this process of a paradigm shift is learning the tools that exist in a technological learning environment.  This is the area that contains many novel parts that I have little to no background for.  Therefore, this will be an area that I will have to take responsibility for ensuring that I gain the skills and knowledge I need.  I’m sure many other educators would agree with me.

In order to become more fluent with applying this paradigm and integrating technology into my classroom, I will need to use as many resources as I can to continue to educate myself in these areas. I will need to subscribe to scholarly journals, choose some books on the topics and keep using and practicing the tools I have learned so far.  I think schools can foster this process by holding teachers accountable for a certain level of technology integration in their classrooms.  This will create an impetus for teachers to continue to educate themselves on what is available for their learners.