Emerging Technologies

This week we were presented the following information and asked to reflect upon it...

In the article, Ravitch: The toll of school reform on public education, Diane Ravitch states:

"Teaching will become a job, not a profession. Young people will typically spend a year or two as teachers, then move on to other, more rewarding careers. Federal and state policy will promote online learning, and computers will replace teaches. Online class sizes will reach 1:100, even 1:200; the job of monitoring the screens will be outsourced, creating large economies for state budgets."

The idea of this makes me so sad.  I am all for incorporating technology into education.  In fact, I think it is a necessity.  But computers are tools.  They are tools that will help our children learn the 21st century skills necessary to function in the future world.  But, they are just that...tools.  There are many lessons that children learn at school which cannot be taught by a computer:  cutting with scissors, creating works of art with hands on materials, making friends and learning how to deal with the hardships of having friends, learning about emotions and how to interact with people, experiencing writing and drawing, etc.  I can not imagine a world without teachers.  Good teachers do so much to guide, nourish and facilitate the holistic learning of young people.  A classroom where children can be at the center of their own education is a good one to be in, I think.  I understand and believe in the idea  of teachers as facilitators.  It is important for teachers to facilitate in a multimodal way, not simply with the use of computers.  Not all children learn best via technology.  Many children learn, very specifically, through the use of hands on materials.  Computers do not provide this. They simply provide one tool, one very effective tool, for children to utilize to enhance and elaborate their learning.

I believe and hope that there will always be an intense need for quality teachers.  I enjoyed reading about the emerging technologies this week.  Cloud computing, mobile devices, game based learning, open content, personal learning environments and learning analytics are all very interesting technologies and I do believe that through the upcoming years, these emerging technologies will become more and more advanced and will ultimately change the way an education is received.  Hopefully, teachers will be able to progress with the technologies and will continually adapt to the educational need in the 21st century.  I believe that need will continue to include quality teachers. 

I simply cannot imagine computers replacing teachers.  In my mind, it simply cannot happen.  People need and will always need social interaction and hands on experience with 3D materials.

Game Based Learning

I created a playlist about video gaming for preschool children.  I began with a few articles discussing the pros and cons of encouraging video gaming in young children, then I presented a few lists of quality, free games for preschool children and some links to specific, well-recommended preschool games.  Enjoy!

Create your own Playlist on MentorMob!

 

I was challenged this week to play a video game for an hour.  I chose to play JumpStart because I thought it was a good opportunity to investigate a game for my children.  I was a character that ran around on screen with a small half-hatched egg following me.  I had that opportunity to play with my egg by decorating it, tickling it and making it dance.  I am certain that in future levels I would have been able to see the egg hatch, but I played for an hour and didn't see it up to that point.  This game is certainly an endogenous game, meaning that it is a complex game that allows players to experiment with prior knowledge and to utilize skills that are used to solve problems.  Throughout this process, I quickly learned that I am not a video-gamer.  I simply feel like I am wasting my time.  The entire time that I am playing I am thinking about the laundry that needs to be folded, the dinner that needs to be prepared and the children that want to play with me.  I love games, but I love board games.  Game night is one of my favorite family evenings.  I love playing and chatting with my family.  I do think, though, that this unit allowed me to consider the benefits that video gaming presents to children.  I am the mom that is constantly asking her kids to stop playing video games and to go do something else.  I limit their "screen" play to an hour a day simply because I would prefer them to be up, active and communicating with each other.  This module has introduced me to various benefits of video gaming including thinking through experimentation, gathering data from multiple sources and making decisions on what to do quickly, multitasking, taking risks and making dangerous moves without any risk to themselves and the feeling of improvement and success.  I definitely will be more lenient with their screen play and will try to remember that they are learning valuable skills while playing.  But, I do think that balance is key.  It is very important for them to be outside playing and communicating with their family and friends.

Here is a picture of me playing JumpStart...

Pencil Me In: A Journey in the Fight for Graphite by John T. Spencer

The book Pencil Me In:  A Journey in the Fight for Graphite by John T. Spencer is about a nineteenth century man, Tom Johnson who struggles with the journey to include pencils in his classroom.  He believes in the benefit that pencils can have in a child's education and encourages his colleagues, administrators and community to accept pencils as a progressive technological tool that will enhance the education of the students.  The story is a metaphor for what is current in education today.  Educators struggle with the incorporation of computers in the classroom.  They fear them because they present change.  The use of computers in the classroom in a quality way encourages teachers to be critical of their own educational pedagogy.  The educational curriculum needs to be very child centered with the teacher acting as facilitator which is a new way of thinking for many educators.  Anytime a fairly drastic change is occurring in the field of education, there will be supporters, those who are unsure but willing and those who simply don't want to accept change or the possibilities that come with it.  Spencer showcases Tom Johnson's experiences with all of these types of people who are hesitant to make the change from a piece of chalk and slate to pencil and paper work.  He addresses many current issues but instead relates them to a change that occurred in the nineteenth century.  While discussing these issues in this manner, he makes it clear that in the future he believes that computers will be used just as commonly and thoughtlessly as pencils and paper are used today.  Although the change to a computer integrated curriculum can be scary, challenging and overwhelming for many, in years to come it will become as commonplace as pencils and paper are in classrooms in the 21st century.

Throughout the book, Spencer presents many 21st century issues in the context of a story taking place in the 19th century.    For example, he discusses the issue of safety.  Pencils are sharp which makes them inherently a dangerous tool but more importantly they are a tool which enables someone to write damaging or unkind words.  By writing something down on paper one child could bully another in a more hurtful way than with words.  This issue is obviously very prevalent in todays society but with the use of computers instead of pencils.  Cyber-bullying is a very real and frightening issue.  Children are able to hurt others in a way that is in a more broad, more expansive and also more anonymous way.  Words can be posted online and with the click of a button, a huge amount of people can have access to those words.  Also, the individual posting the comment does not see the victims reaction and the pain caused.  That individual can disassociated him/herself with the true implications caused by the words posted.  Spencer then questions whether or not that means we then stop using the technological tools or  act proactively and teach students to use the tools in an ethical and productive way.  Do educators dismiss all of the wonderful capabilities that technology can provide students in order to stay away from limited negative outcomes, or do they embrace the tools for what they are and educate students how to use them responsibly?  

Spencer discusses the importance of social media many times throughout the book.  Tom Johnson truly wants his students to be contributing, thoughtful members of their classroom community.  He wants his students to feel free to discuss what is on their minds, to convey messages through pencil/paper writing and to give and gain feedback on the messages they contribute.  Students are encouraged to keep a plog (a nineteenth century blog)  which can be read and commented on by those who subscribe.  Tom Johnson's classroom is also struggling with the use of a pen-pal network (19th century social media network).  The administration hesitates to approve use of it, but Johnson fights for its use discussing many benefits and life experiences that students will gain.

I finished reading the book...finally.    Although I appreciate his story about the nineteenth century man, Tom Johnson who struggles with the journey to include pencils in his classroom.  I found the book to be very boring and difficult to get through.  I absolutely love to read, but this book was a tough one for me to complete, honestly.  I just felt like the metaphor was too drawn out.  I understand the point that eventually the use of computers will be as normal and accepted as the use of pencils in our classrooms today.  Technology offers tools that need to be utilized in the educational world to enhance and elaborate a child's education.  And, I enjoyed the way he discussed these issues and made it clear that it really doesn't matter what change is presented in education, people will have difficulty accepting it.  That fact is timeless.  Change is hard and there will always be those who are ready to jump on board and those that hesitate.  I guess I would have preferred it be a little more true to reality.  Reading about iparchment and plogs just bothered me for some reason.  I am certain there was a pencil revolution in this time era and many of the issues that are current today were difficult issues then too.  I guess I would have just preferred it be not quite such a literal metaphor.  It seems it could have had the same effect but been a little more believable in story.

6 Great Apps for a PreK Classroom

I chose my favorite apps based on ones that I find to be very effective with my 4 year old son and ones that I feel would work very well in a PreK classroom.  Although I haven't taught in a classroom in 8 years, my last teaching experience was in a PreK Special Needs classroom.  This technology was not available then, but I know that my students would have greatly benefitted from these tools and from the apps listed below.

1.  See.Touch.Learn.  http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/see.touch.learn./id406826506?mt=8  This is a really neat app that encourages vocabulary development in young children.  Individualized lessons can be created at various learning levels for students.

2.  LetterSchool  http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/letterschool-lite/id481067676?mt=8  When it comes to learning letters and numerals and how to write them, this app is a fantastic tool.  It allows children to trace the letters and numerals in a fun and interactive way.  Then students can show mastery by creating the letter or numeral without guidelines.  My son loves this app!

3.  Abby - Preschool Shape Puzzle  http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/abby-preschool-shape-puzzle/id447995718?mt=8  What a fun app for creating and completing images. Children can drag puzzle pieces to the correct spot in order to complete a fun and motivating image.  Then, a silly monkey awards them when the puzzle is finished correctly.

4.  Things That Go Together  http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/things-that-go-together/id490647359?mt=8  I really enjoy this app that focuses on the important skills of language development and problem solving.  Children are presented with pairs of pictures that they need to correctly match as to which go together.  I particularly like that I can add my own voice to the app so that my son can hear me reading the items aloud.  It is definitely a multi-sensory tool that engages the senses of sight, touch and hearing.  I also love it that it is totally customizable and can be made to fit the student.

5.  The Cat in the Hat  http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cat-in-hat-dr.-seuss-lite/id409977857?mt=8&v0=WWW-NAUS-ITSTOP100&ign-mpt=uo%3D2  I love this book!  On this app, children can simply read the story and view the interesting Dr. Seuss images or they can listen to the story being read aloud to them.  Words are highlighted as they are read aloud when touched.  What a fantastic way to engage in a classical story like The Cat in the Hat.

6.  Motion Math - Hungry Fish  http://motionmathgames.com/motion-math-hungry-fish/  This is a fun app that focuses on addition and subtration fluency.  My son thinks it is so much fun and he particularly likes how he can change the fish's fins and colors.

Technology Tools as Related to Bloom's Digital Taxonomy

I really enjoyed experiencing many technology tools over the past two weeks.  After looking through the recommended sites (Top 100 Tools for 2011 from Centre for Learning and Performance Technologies, The 35 Best Web 2.0 Classroom Tools from Edudemic,  Top 100 Sites of 2011 from Tech&Learning), I investigated many of the tools listed.  I picked tools that I really enjoyed and could see myself using in a classroom.  In order to be included on my map, I needed to be able to actually think of a particular project or use for the tool in my classroom.  I also picked tools that were simple to use and simple to integrate into an educational setting.  Next, I reviewed the tool and thought about where it would fit into Bloom's Digital Taxonomy and the skills necessary to teach our students.  From there I created a map that was easy to read and easy to gain benefit.   A teacher can think about the outcome that is necessary from the upcoming lesson and chose appropriate technology to utilize.  If, for example, a teacher wants students to create a story map about their assigned topic in preparation for writing a report, the teacher can simply look at the skill "analyzing" and see a few options of tools that could be integrated into the lesson.  Bubbl.us and Popplet are two tools that would satisfy this educational outcome quite remarkably.  

Infusing technology on a regular basis into the classroom education is a necessary task for teachers.  In this day in age, students need to be able to complete projects that are interesting to them and that are preparing them for the world in which we live.  We live in a digital world. Educators really need to embrace this fact and align the education they are providing students with current human culture.

Technology has Redefined Learning

 W 531 from Katie Beik on Vimeo.

This video was composed to show how technology is infused into my family's life.  My children utilize technology (on a limited basis) daily.  They enjoy and benefit from it.    They are perfect examples of children that are beginning their careers as 21st century learners.

Has Technology Redefined Learning?

Has technology redefined learning? 
Yes!  I believe that technology has redefined learning.  Technology is a part of our daily lives and an integral part of our future.  The way we teach our children needs to reflect this.  Watch Alan November's video about 21st century learning,  The Myths and Opportunities of Technology in the Classroom [Alan November].  In this video, it is stated that there needs to be a shift of control from the teacher to the students.  Rather than the teacher feeding information to students, students need to be finding and discovering information, collaborating together to be creative and innovative and the teacher needs to facilitate this learning.  Technology has opened doors that truly cannot and should not be closed.  Instead, people should embrace technology.  Utilize it as the tool that it is.  There are so many fascinating paths that technology can lead us down.  I particularly love how global technology is.  The fact that students can communicate instantly with other students from all over the world and learn from them and collaborate with them on educational projects is truly exciting.  These are opportunities that simply were not possible in years past.  Teachers, like Josh Stumpenhorst  (Josh Stumpenhorst, 2012 Teacher of the Year), are embracing technology and have successfully integrated it into their classroom.  I do believe this is the way of the future.
  
On the other hand, I find great value in hands on learning that does not involve technology.  I think it is important to know how to have a polite verbal conversation with someone.  It is important to go out and play, to grow a garden, to read paperback books, to listen to music and then to create more music and to engage with toys and manipulatives without the use of technology.  There needs to be a balance.  Teaching chidren purely through the means of technology would be just as big a disservice to our children as ignoring technology all together.  Technology is an amazing tool that can enhance learning.  It most certainly has altered the definition of learning and how teachers should facilitate learning. 

Check out out collaborative notes that we took during our class readings this week.  It was fun to read everyone's opinions as we progressed through the assignments.