Sunday, August 21, 2016

Getting the Most Out of IT



What skills and competencies do our students need to be successful in college and their careers?
  • learn to learn
  • grit
  • be self-aware
  • problem solving
  • creativity
  • communication
  • attention to detail
  • community awareness

What are the characteristics of learning activities that will help students develop these skills?
  • open-ended
  • realistic situations / authentic
  • connect with peers 
  • collaborative
  • authentic speakers 
  • feedback

 ISTE's Ed Tech Coaches Network (Links to an external site.)


Chapter 6 of this volume proposes a framework to help guide the design and evaluation of environments that can optimize learning. Drawing heavily on the three principles discussed above, it posits four interrelated attributes of learning environments that need cultivation.

1. Schools and classrooms must be learner centered. 

Teachers must pay close attention to the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that learners bring into the classroom. This incorporates the preconceptions regarding subject matter already discussed, but it also includes a broader understanding of the learner. For example:
  • Cultural differences can affect students’ comfort level in working collaboratively versus individually, and they are reflected in the background knowledge students bring to a new learning situation (Moll et al., 1993).
  • Students’ theories of what it means to be intelligent can affect their performance. Research shows that students who think that intelligence is a fixed entity are more likely to be performance oriented than learning oriented—they want to look good rather than risk making mistakes while learning. These students are especially likely to bail out when tasks become difficult. In contrast, students who think that intelligence is malleable are more willing to struggle with challenging tasks; they are more comfortable with risk (Dweck, 1989; Dweck and Legget, 1988).
Teachers in learner-centered classrooms also pay close attention to the individual progress of each student and devise tasks that are appropriate.
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Suggested Citation"1 Learning: From Speculation to Science." National Research Council. How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School: Expanded Edition. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2000. doi:10.17226/9853.
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Learner-centered teachers present students with “just manageable difficulties” —that is, challenging enough to maintain engagement, but not so difficult as to lead to discouragement. They must, therefore, have an understanding of their students’ knowledge, skill levels, and interests (Duckworth, 1987).

2. To provide a knowledge-centered classroom environment, attention must be given to what is taught (information, subject matter), why it is taught (understanding), and what competence or mastery looks like. 

As mentioned above, research discussed in the following chapters shows clearly that expertise involves well-organized knowledge that supports understanding, and that learning with understanding is important for the development of expertise because it makes new learning easier (i.e., supports transfer). Is this right? Didn't I read that unorganized information helps students learn?
Learning with understanding is often harder to accomplish than simply memorizing, and it takes more time. Many curricula fail to support learning with understanding because they present too many disconnected facts in too short a time—the “mile wide, inch deep” problem. Tests often reinforce memorizing rather than understanding. The knowledge-centered environment provides the necessary depth of study, assessing student understanding rather than factual memory. It incorporates the teaching of meta-cognitive strategies that further facilitate future learning.
Knowledge-centered environments also look beyond engagement as the primary index of successful teaching (Prawaf et al., 1992). Students’ interest or engagement in a task is clearly important. Nevertheless, it does not guarantee that students will acquire the kinds of knowledge that will support new learning. There are important differences between tasks and projects that encourage hands-on doing and those that encourage doing with understanding; the knowledge-centered environment emphasizes the latter (Greeno, 1991).

3. Formative assessments—ongoing assessments designed to make students’ thinking visible to both teachers and students—are essential. They permit the teacher to grasp the students’ preconceptions, understand where the students are in the “developmental corridor” from informal to formal thinking, and design instruction accordingly. In the assessment-centered classroom environment, formative assessments help both teachers and students monitor progress.

An important feature of assessments in these classrooms is that they be learner-friendly: they are not the Friday quiz for which information is memorized the night before, and for which the student is given a grade that ranks him or her with respect to classmates. Rather, these assessments should
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Suggested Citation"1 Learning: From Speculation to Science." National Research Council. How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School: Expanded Edition. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2000. doi:10.17226/9853.
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provide students with opportunities to revise and improve their thinking (Vye et al., 1998b), help students see their own progress over the course of weeks or months, and help teachers identify problems that need to be remedied (problems that may not be visible without the assessments). For example, a high school class studying the principles of democracy might be given a scenario in which a colony of people have just settled on the moon and must establish a government. Proposals from students of the defining features of such a government, as well as discussion of the problems they foresee in its establishment, can reveal to both teachers and students areas in which student thinking is more and less advanced. The exercise is less a test than an indicator of where inquiry and instruction should focus.

4. Learning is influenced in fundamental ways by the context in which it takes place. A community-centered approach requires the development of norms for the classroom and school, as well as connections to the outside world, that support core learning values.

The norms established in the classroom have strong effects on students’ achievement. In some schools, the norms could be expressed as “don’t get caught not knowing something.” Others encourage academic risk-taking and opportunities to make mistakes, obtain feedback, and revise. Clearly, if students are to reveal their preconceptions about a subject matter, their questions, and their progress toward understanding, the norms of the school must support their doing so.
Teachers must attend to designing classroom activities and help students organize their work in ways that promote the kind of intellectual camaraderie and the attitudes toward learning that build a sense of community. In such a community, students might help one another solve problems by building on each other’s knowledge, asking questions to clarify explanations, and suggesting avenues that would move the group toward its goal (Brown and Campione, 1994). Both cooperation in problem solving (Evans, 1989; Newstead and Evans, 1995) and argumentation (Goldman, 1994; Habermas, 1990; Kuhn, 1991; Moshman, 1995a, 1995b; Salmon and Zeitz, 1995; Youniss and Damon, 1992) among students in such an intellectual community enhance cognitive development.
Teachers must be enabled and encouraged to establish a community of learners among themselves (Lave and Wegner, 1991). These [teacher] communities can build a sense of comfort with questioning rather than knowing the answer and can develop a model of creating new ideas that build on the contributions of individual members. They can engender a sense of the excitement of learning that is then transferred to the classroom, conferring a sense of ownership of new ideas as they apply to theory and practice.
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Suggested Citation"1 Learning: From Speculation to Science." National Research Council. How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School: Expanded Edition. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2000. doi:10.17226/9853.
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FIGURE 1.2 Students spend only 14 percent of their time in school.
Not least, schools need to develop ways to link classroom learning to other aspects of students’ lives. Engendering parent support for the core learning principles and parent involvement in the learning process is of utmost importance (Moll, 1990; 1986a, 1986b). Figure 1.2 shows the percentage of time, during a calendar year, that students in a large school district spent in school. If one-third of their time outside school (not counting sleeping) is spent watching television, then students apparently spend more hours per year watching television than attending school. A focus only on the hours that students currently spend in school overlooks the many opportunities for guided learning in other settings.

Technology to Support Learning

Attempts to use computer technologies to enhance learning began with the efforts of pioneers such as Atkinson and Suppes (e.g., Atkinson, 1968; Suppes and Morningstar, 1968). The presence of computer technology in schools has increased dramatically since that time, and predictions are that this trend will continue to accelerate (U.S. Department of Education, 1994). The romanticized view of technology is that its mere presence in schools will enhance student learning and achievement. In contrast is the view that money spent on technology, and time spent by students using technology, are money and time wasted (see Education Policy Network, 1997). Several groups have reviewed the literature on technology and learning and concluded that it has great potential to enhance student achievement and teacher learning, but only if it is used appropriately (e.g., Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt, 1996; President’s Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology, 1997; Dede, 1998).
What is now known about learning provides important guidelines for uses of technology that can help students and teachers develop the competencies needed for the twenty-first century. The new technologies provide opportunities for creating learning environments that extend the possibilities of “old” —but still useful—technologies—books; blackboards; and linear, one-way communication media, such as radio and television shows—as well as offering new possibilities. Technologies do not guarantee effective learning, however. Inappropriate uses of technology can hinder learning— for example, if students spend most of their time picking fonts and colors for multimedia reports instead of planning, writing, and revising their ideas. And everyone knows how much time students can waste surfing the Internet. Yet many aspects of technology make it easier to create environments that fit the principles of learning discussed throughout this volume.
Because many new technologies are interactive (Greenfield and Cocking, 1996), it is now easier to create environments in which students can learn by doing, receive feedback, and continually refine their understanding and build new knowledge (Barron et al., 1998; Bereiter and Scardamalia,

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Suggested Citation"9 Technology to Support Learning." National Research Council. How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School: Expanded Edition. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2000. doi:10.17226/9853.
×
1993; Hmelo and Williams, 1998; Kafai, 1995; Schwartz et al., 1999). The new technologies can also help people visualize difficult-to-understand concepts, such as differentiating heat from temperature (Linn et al., 1996). Students can work with visualization and modeling software that is similar to the tools used in nonschool environments, increasing their understanding and the likelihood of transfer from school to nonschool settings (see Chapter 3). These technologies also provide access to a vast array of information, including digital libraries, data for analysis, and other people who provide information, feedback, and inspiration. They can enhance the learning of teachers and administrators, as well as that of students, and increase connections between schools and the communities, including homes.
In this chapter we explore how new technologies can be used in five ways:
  • bringing exciting curricula based on real-world problems into the classroom;
  • providing scaffolds and tools to enhance learning;
  • giving students and teachers more opportunities for feedback, reflection, and revision;
  • building local and global communities that include teachers, administrators, students, parents, practicing scientists, and other interested people; and
  • expanding opportunities for teacher learning.

Based on the key ideas in the research, and the Museum learning activity in the video, how will you coach other teachers to use technology to enhance learning?

I will try to look for ways to connect learning to students lives. If students have an interest, why not let them go for it? If an activity is meaningful to them, students will more likely be engaged in it. Along the same lines, look for ways in which the students can be more active in how they show their learning or use a specific process to achieve a task. (Evaluate the process or the product.)

I want to ask more questions in general, but one in particular; How can we build a better community of learners where students are not afraid to fail or ask peers for help? If students are able to get over the fear of being wrong, 

Students should be able to take action in their learning. We will look for authentic learning activities where students can see the results of their efforts. Hopefully, students will be able to demonstrate understanding and competence.

How can we incorporate other subjects?

Saturday, August 13, 2016

I Don't Have Time To Integrate Technology

Last year I felt like I was moving at warp speed for most of the year. Last week we finished the New Year Orientation and fortunately I didn't have that feeling quite as much. Still, it was a week where I wish there was more time. 


One day of orientation we broke the faculty into groups and had conversations about how we integrate technology into our classrooms. 

I first joined the PE teachers (since that is a subject I would like to work with more this year) and was able to listen to their reflections. I also heard some strong opinions as to why it doesn't work.

I was then pulled into the math teachers group where I heard some opinions that sounded similar.

There is no time to integrate technology
I have things that need to be covered
Students are not interested in staying inside for that sort of thing
The big creative projects are great, but I have to prepare my students for their IB exams

I put these comments in the back of my mind. I see them as challenges; not only to the teachers, but these are challenges I will have this year.

Then I was talking with a different teacher [on a different day] about her ideas. She got an idea from another teacher to teach tools along the way, and then give the students the freedom to choose how they want to show their learning.

I want to have a conversation with those teachers in math and PE to get them started. Maybe then we can figure out a solution to their needs together.

My Daily Breakdown

I just realized the title could be interpreted in other ways. I'll leave it.

I've had this a form template that +Geoffrey Derry shared with back in the autumn. I didn't do much with it, in fact, I did nothing with it until last week.

Then I started playing with it.

This is his creation, so it suits his needs. I still need to tweak it. But I like this. I like being able to quickly visualize what I have done on a particular day. I like the idea of being able to quickly show what



Sunday, August 7, 2016

Putting Your Learning into Practice

In this activity, we are asked to work with another teacher. Since it is summer, I am going to pull a lesson from our Atlas Rubicon and go this one alone to get practice coming up with suggestions.

I'm not sure if it's because of the summer, but lately, I have been trying to brainstorm ideas for interesting lesson ideas but have been coming up flat.




Ask if they have an activity that the two of you might improve through collaboration.

Character stories - Realism/Fantasy/Plays


Review the information about ways that technology might enhance learning from the last activity with your learning partner.  

Questions to ask ...

How could we add a real-world problem to this unit?
Are there any tools that might scaffold learning?
How can we provide more opportunities for feedback, revising, and reflection?
How can we give students access to quality information, primary documents, or points of view not available otherwise?
How can we allow students to engage in learning activities that would otherwise be infeasible (examples: human/animal anatomy, or online scientific investigations)?
How can we differentiate learning for students with different needs?
How can we help students understand abstract concepts?
How can we help student gather information, organize, synthesize, analyze information and draw conclusions?.
How can we foster student discovery of a concept or construction of their own understanding of a concept?
How can we enable students to share ideas and collaborate with remote groups?
How can we help students receive feedback on their work from outside the classroom?
How can we enable students to participate in the democratic process?


Now review the common learning tasks- communication, collaboration, gather and analyze information and creatively share their learning- with you peer.

communication
Students will read and write during this unit. They will also




collaboration




gather and analyze information






creatively share their learning



STANDARDS

Writing a Play
Write a play with Characters, Setting, including a problem and solution.

Language Arts (HM Theme 3)
·           Compound words
·           Synonyms
·           Action verbs
·           Suffix –able
·           Main verbs & helping verbs
·           Word endings ­–edand –ing
·           Syllables
·           Past/present/future tenses

Performing in a play
This is an oral and visual assessment. Must include props and work on voice.



Identify ways that some or all of those are present in the learning activity your peer wants to improve.
This unit has been


Discuss ways to improve the lesson, and incorporate the changes the two of you agree on.


Once you are through revising the activity, take some time to debrief the process.
    • Be sure to ask you peer what was helpful about the process you followed and
    • What they might suggest you do differently next time.



Idea - Sway


Saturday, August 6, 2016

Technology Integration Example

Lesson being examined:




Your goal is to identify some of the educational tasks like communication and collaboration the teachers who created this project wanted their students to complete. In addition, draw on what you learned about how technology enhances learning from the last activity to identify ways technology is being used to enhance learning in the River Yamuna example.

When I read "educational goals", I think of skills. When integrating technology, I think teachers should first look to learning outcomes/standards, and then think of what skills they want students to learn, so that is how I am approaching this assignment. 


Standards:
Class 11th NCERT:-
Environmental Education Unit III, Environment Pollution and Global Issues, (Project and activity )

Collect samples of water from different sources and study their physical characteristics like turbidity, colour, odor; the measure of pH, the nature of suspended and dissolved impurities and pollutants, the presence of toxic materials like mercury, lead, arsenic, fluorine and the presence of living organisms. For testing the presence of toxic materials and living organisms the help of a local laboratory or institution may be taken, if available. 

Identify the most polluted sample of water and locate the sources of its pollution. 

Devise an action plan for mobilizing public opinion for checking the pollution. 



Skills from the lesson: (Based on above)

  • Research - Information Literacy
  • Self-management - Organization
  • Thinking - Critical Thinking
  • Communication - Communication
  • Collaboration - Collaboration 

Identify ways technology is being used to enhance learning in the River Yamuna example:
  • Computers are being used to read websites
  • Digital camera to photograph the scene (this could be substituted with the student's own cell phones)
  • Science lab tools to analyze the water samples
  • Multimedia in the presentation (I guess the presentation itself)



I'm going to take this activity one step further and try to identify an additional three ways in which technology could be used.

Making a chronology of state of Yamuna in different years post discussions with senior citizens of the area.
Create the chronology using a site such as hstry.com or timeline from Knightlab.

The notes used should be created using Google Docs, or another collaborative tool.

Instead of posters, how about the students create commercials that include some footage of the interviews they did?

Friday, August 5, 2016

Ideas on how technology can improve or enhance learning at my school ...

The following is from ISTE
The authors of How People Learn (2000) believe technology enhances learning by:
  • Bringing exciting curricula based on real-world problems into the classroom
  • Providing scaffolds and tools.
  • Giving students and teachers more opportunities for feedback, reflection, and revision
  • Building local and global communities that include teachers, administrators, students, parents, practicing scientists and others. (Bransford, et al., 2000).

Technology enhances learning when it is used to:
  • Give students access to quality information, primary documents, or points of view not available otherwise.
  • Allow students to engage in learning activities that would otherwise be infeasible (examples: human/animal anatomy, or online scientific investigations).
  • Differentiate learning for students with different needs.
  • Help students understand abstract concepts.
  • Gather information, organize, synthesize, analyze information and draw conclusions.
  • Foster student discovery of a concept or construction of their own understanding of a concept.
  • Share ideas and collaborate with remote groups.
  • Help students receive feedback on their work from outside the classroom.
  • Enable students to participate in the democratic process.




This is the next part of the assignment. I am not sure in what direction I should take this question. Maybe it is tricky because I think it is such a fundamental question that everyone should know it is the right path to take.


Ideas on how technology can improve or enhance learning at my school ...

Assessments can become more authentic. I have seen assessments that contained straight "remembering" questions and teachers have to watch over students to make sure the students are not Googling the answer.

What if assessments were made to be Googlable?

I think it sounds exciting to have an assessment where knowledge needs to be synthesized into something new instead of a question that resides at DOK 1 [Depth of Knowledge]. (Alice Keeler writes a lot about this topic.)

I think that is the basic way in which technology can help student learning. Teachers have the ability to use technology to push student thinking forward as well as scaffold their progress.


And leaving myself with some unanswered questions from Silvia Tolisano:

Ask yourself what happens to student learning when: 

  • a teacher does not have a (teaching) plan that they are able/required to follow? 
  • the “plan” is outdated/has been used for the last 5 years? 
  • teachers (across grade levels and subject areas) teach in isolation of each other? 
  • teachers have forgotten, are not interested in, don’t have time for, or are not supported in their own learning? 
  • collaboration and communication among administrators and teachers in order to pursuit of the common goal called student learning is out of sync or non existent? 
  • teaching means covering lessons, units, objectives and standards and does not involve teaching for understanding?



Monday, August 1, 2016

Making the Linkage

After reviewing both the teacher standards and the student standards, think about a learning activity you, or one of the teachers you might coach, are currently offering to students.

  • How can you use the ideas found in the NETS-S to integrate technology effectively?
One way I am using the ISTE Standards is by giving examples of what the standards look like in the form of a Scope and Sequence. We adopted our technology standards around the 2007 ISTE Student Standards, and we are building upon the Scope and Sequence developed by Singapore American School. The examples in Slide 4 will eventually be linked to a blog post/video explaining/showing the lesson.

I hope to complete a linked document showing the development from standard to lesson in a hyperdoc format. Below is a sample.




For me, a large part of the coaching role is to help teachers help themselves. (Give someone a fish ...)


As a teacher, reviewing the Student Standards can help me see the larger path for students to take. The Student Standards show many ways in which students should be taught.


  • How could the ideas found in the NETS-T guide you, or your peer, to develop the skills you need to integrate technology into this learning activity effectively?
Like any standard, the NETS-T are goals to reach. I should be reviewing the standards when lesson planning to see if there is anything in there that might help me advance my lesson. Often I forget which skills I want the students to learn, so reviewing the standards could help me remember a skill that could be easily integrated or discover one I hadn't thought of before.  




Reflection


  1. How are these ideas in Part B and Part C above consistent with your thoughts about how technology enhances student learning?  
  2. How do these ideas align with the ideas your colleagues outlined when they talked about how and why these use technology?
  3. What are some ideas you have on how to coach your peers to incorporate some of these ways to integrate technology to enhance learning?