Babysitting versus Deep Learning

In travelling around and talking to people I see a variety of technology use.  There is some great stuff being done around the traps, and some wonderful ways people are starting to describe the categories of 'great stuff' and then I hear about the stuff

Apple have been promoting  Ruben R. Puentedura's SAMR model for technology integration, aiming for transformation with Modification and Redefinition of the task after integrating technology.  see http://rde.nsw.edu.au/tpack-samr for a fuller explanation and links to Puentedura's weblog.

Kathy Schrock has used Bloom's Taxonomy to sort and classify technology tools....ipad apps and google apps are two worthy of looking at.  See : http://www.schrockguide.net/bloomin-apps.html

I came across this article in THE Journal today...it combines the higher order with the tech integration with some simple yet very tranposable activities.

5 Tech-Friendly Lessons to Encourage Higher-Order Thinking

In reading it, I found I could transfer nearly every lesson to at least one KLA - regardless of the developmental stage of students.  What it requires though is Teachers being aware of what can be considered, getting away from TEXT based assessments and laying some groundwork beforehand - ie you wouldn't want to do the 5 photos activity the first time you gave the devices to students.  So PLANNING is the key.  

Why Wikipedia does belong in the classroom

It's amazing how many times I've heard teachers talk of Wikipedia in negative terms.  Common complaints surround the student plagiarism and direct 'lifts' from Wikipedia sources.  These days it's fairly easy to spot...type a key phrase into Google and see what happens...:-)  I also wonder in these cases if the assessment/assignment is appropriate.  If a student can answer with straight plagiarism - what HOTS are being used?

Another criticism commonly leveled is the reliability of information on Wikipedia.  Well....I think the statistics start to kill that one fairly quickly.  

The link below takes you too an article that supports the use of Wikipedia in the classroom.  It answers these types of criticism well and focuses educators on a question - do you ban it, or do you teach how?  It really comes back to that.  If we don't use it, how do students learn the skills of assessing reliability and validity?   If we really embrace Wikipedia by incorporating it into teaching learning practices, we assist students to see the power of public intellectualism, broaden their audience and contribute to the public good...all worthy aspirations from my point of view.

Read the blog that started this in full
http://readwrite.com/2012/09/20/why-wikipedia-does-belong-in-the-classroom

Social Media Policies and using Social Media

With the increasing use of social media in all age groups, it is necessary for school leaders to keep on top of current resources and practices for policy in their fields.  Google and FaceBook have recognised some of their responsibility in assisting educators in creating ethical and responsible digital citizens and have created resources for School Leaders to assist them in this process.  Unfortunately unless you yourself are cued into social media and contemporary forms of communication (blogs, twitter etc) you can miss some of the links to these resources.

In order to understand, you need to look, see and feel contemporary forms of communication.   I joined FaceBook to watch what my children were doing.  I joined Twitter to understand how it might be used.  I have a LinkedIn account for the same reason.  I don't post on these every 5 minutes as some avid users do, but I do have accounts, I have 'friended' and 'followed' and 'connected' through these means.  I do see the messages, settings, updates and changes.  I'm not as adept as my teenage digital natives, but I have some understanding of how it works, what it can be used for and some dangers of misuse.  As a forward looking educator, can I recommend you do the same - my word I do...to do, is to understand to some level - far better than hiding your head in the sand and saying 'I don't have time'.  Obviously...be careful who you 'friend'; explore the settings and tabs and don't say anything on them that you wouldn't stand up and say at a school assembly to staff, students and parents in any other public setting.  I'm not suggesting you connect with students, staff or parents, nor am I suggesting you should teach with it/them.  Having a look around though is very beneficial.

Can I recommend this blog...for those that are looking at social media policies in schools....follow the links to the resources written about.

http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2012/08/facebook-and-youtube-offer-guidelines-to-help-schools-and-parents/#more-23078

2011 ICT Literacy Report - National Assessment Program

It has been a while since my last post....a conflict of Google accounts has finally been resolved and I can again post, but now in my new account.  A word of warning....if you have a personal Google account, make sure it does not use your corporate email account...if so, change the email connected to the account - this way you preserve things far more easily than I have.

The National assessment Program ICT Literacy Years 6 & 10 Report for 2011 has been release.  This assessment program was conducted last year.  Not all schools or all Year 6 and Year 10 students in 
each school participated in the ICT Literacy Sample Assessment —only about 6400 students of the total 
national cohort for each year level will took part. This figure is the outcome of a rigorous random sampling 
process undertaken in consultation with state and territory authorities.



Students were presented with ICT tasks on screen and responded using only computers. These tasks consisted of items in the following formats: 
• Multiple choice
• Drag and drop (matching information)
• Simple software commands (such as saving a file to a
location)
• Short constructed text responses
• Construction of artefacts.

The full report can be found at : http://www.nap.edu.au/_Documents/PDF/NAP%20ICTL%202011%20Public%20Report%20Final.pdf

Some interesting points to note - that while we might conclude anecdotally, the research firmly supports:
- There is a substantial difference in ICT Literacy between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students.
- There is evidence of differences in ICT Literacy among geographic locations - higher scores in both Year 6 and Year 10 were recorded for metropolitan students than for provincial areas, who in turn were higher than remote areas.
- Females recorded higher levels of ICT Literacy than males.
-Students used computers more frequently at home than at school
-Student indicated a high level of interest and enjoyment in using computers.

How does this relate to the current state of affairs in your school?

Are you doing all you can to make sure that these future decision making citizens will be ICT Literate so they have access to appropriate information, skills and opportunities in the future?

School Policies on the 'openness' of devices

I've been a participant in quite a few discussions surrounding this topic recently.  Sometimes it refers to staff and their rights install and update software on a provided device or devices in their classrooms.  Other times it surrounds devices given to students.  Chris Betcher posted a pertinent blog piece this morning that articulates the core issue - trust!

If we lock down things for students and staff to such a level that they don't have any ownership - what message does that send?  With the increasing need for updates to be installed - software, plug-ins etc - not allowing the using to have this privelege dictates that some administrator needs to touch the device or control it in some way....is this really what we want? 

Read Chris' blog post here:
http://chrisbetcher.com/2012/05/in-none-we-trust/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+betchablog+%28Betchablog%29

Digital Classrooms and Computer Coding

I found myself listening to this broadcast on ABC Radio National recently.  It details some of the issues many of us are grappling with in the classrooms - one to one; management etc. 

The second half of the broadcast explores whether we are disempowering students when we don't teach them the computer coding we once did.  With all the pull-downs, icons, wysiwyg editors that hide the programing - do users understand how things work? 

Another interesting piece was Sydney University's program for introducing/energising/mentoring female high school students into the world of computer science and the breadth that such study can give you.

Well worth a listen if you have 20 minutes or so.

http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/futuretense/digital-classrooms-and-computer-coding/3969160

Do we think of Teachers as we think of Students?

Now before you switch off.....think about it.  When we introduce something new to students, we introduce, scaffold, jointly construct before we lead them to independently use new knowledge.  Do we, as educational leaders involved in promoting technology do the same for our colleagues? 

We need to start from where our colleagues are at...not matter what level of expertise.  We need to adapt our introduction, the amount of scaffolding, the amount of joint construction before we can expect them to take independent construction using new technologies.  One quick 5 minute run through on a piece of equipment or software doesn't do the trick.  While I've tried to formulate my strategies as an education officer along these lines, it is a pertinent reminder. 

Read the full article that prompted me and tell me what you think.

http://www.fluency21.com/blogpost.cfm?blogID=2608&utm_source=Committed+Sardine+Blog+Update&utm_campaign=b63f256269-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email

I love lists...and this was quite succinct!

1. PLTs dedicated to Technology integration into our teaching practices
2. A constant focus on Technology throughout lesson and unit planning
3. A restructuring of the role of ICT Leaders/teachers in schools
4. A greater focus on Technology in Teacher Training programs
5. A commitment to Technology Professional Development courses on an equal footing with Literacy and Numeracy Projects

Gender and Literacy and Digital Literacy

This is from the DERN List that I subscribe to...it is very interesting reading and provides support to introduce digital texts in for boys with the conclusion :
"The bottom line: Boys’ interest and abilities in digital reading could be exploited to start a “virtuous cycle” through which more frequent reading of digital texts would result in better digital reading proficiency, which in turn, would lead to greater enjoyment of reading and better proficiency in print reading, as well."

http://dern.org.au/index.php/comment/gender
Research Reviews

Gender

Posted by Gerry White on 15 Mar 2012 at 04:17 PM

Gender differences in the use of digital devices and the development of digital proficiencies have not been often reported in the literature or educational research. Gender differences have not been significant in many of the studies where gender has been a factor for analysis. However, in a recently released report in which evidence was extracted from the 2009 PISA results, gender would appear to account for some differences in reading proficiency.
The PISA 2009 Results: Students On Line: Digital Technologies and Performance (Volume VI), referenced on DERN, did assess student proficiency of print reading and digital reading, among 15 year olds in the 16 OECD countries involved in the PISA 2009 assessments. The recently released analysis of gender differences raises some very pertinent issues relating to reading proficiency.
The OECD PISA in Focus report, Are boys and girls ready for the digital age found that students in Australia, Korea and New Zealand ‘scored significantly higher in digital reading than in print reading’ (p. 1). In fact, Korea has developed a policy to digitise textbooks and assessments by 2015 and the United States also aims to move to digital textbooks within five years. These recent trends signify the importance of close analysis of digital reading.
Are boys and girls ready for the digital age reported that girls outperformed boys in reading in both formats and that the proficiency gap was narrower with digital reading than with print reading. They stated, ‘girls outperformed boys by 38 points – the equivalent of one year of formal schooling – in print reading, by 24 points in digital reading’ (p. 2). These differences can be ‘seen most clearly at the extremes of the proficiency scale, that is, poor performers and top performers’ (p. 2).
Another interesting finding is that in these countries, ‘fewer girls performed poorly in digital reading than in print reading’ (p. 2) and so more girls performed at the higher end of the scale in digital reading than for print reading. Correspondingly, the increased percentage of boys in digital reading proficiency was much greater than for girls and there was a reduction in the percentage of poor performers, especially of boys.
Boys on the other hand outperformed girls in digital navigation which influenced their proficiency in digital reading but boys were less proficient in print reading. Where both boys and girls achieved the same proficiency in print reading, the boys were more proficient in digital reading. That is, boys perform better in digital reading than they do in print reading because of their digital navigation skills.
The report Are boys and girls ready for the digital age report finishes with a valuable conclusion for all educators. ‘The bottom line: Boys’ interest and abilities in digital reading could be exploited to start a “virtuous cycle” through which more frequent reading of digital texts would result in better digital reading proficiency, which in turn, would lead to greater enjoyment of reading and better proficiency in print reading, as well. Parents, educators and policy makers should also take note of girls’ weaker skills in digital navigation. Without those skills, students will find it difficult to make their way in the digital age’ (p. 4).
This short (4 pages) report is very pertinent to the teaching of reading and reading achievement by students using digital devices.
Categories: Digital LiteracyEquity
Comments: 0

Authentic Project Using Best Practice Tools For Infants

I came across this Blog Post this morning and thought it a superb example of early years technology intergration. 

Two classes communicated and made/are making videos that detail their country.  The students learn fantastic skills for a real audience, the community were made aware of their product and it has really motivated both staff and students. 

Take a look at the post - this is as relevant for our younger students as it is for our older students, BUT relies on a level of hardware and software to support it - further proof that schools should have a strategic plan in place to purchase, maintain and update their technology resources to allow access to the curriculum through this medium.  It also requires the teachers to have skills to guide and manage and therefore requires PD to be included in a plan also.

See the post (and sample video) at the following address.
http://chrisbetcher.com/2012/03/philly-to-sydney-with-year-2/

7 Things needed for successful online learning

I have been a 'student' of online learning now for about 12 years.  Over the years the 'audience' has broadened to encompass primary to tertiary students.  Part of this is the availability of platforms to facilitate asynchronous communication.  The tools are there, the connections are building BUT are we leading our students into being successful.  This article talks about the seven things needed to be successful....are we encouraging this in face-to-face classrooms in the younger years so they will be successful as the students grows and the availability grows?

See the article at:
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/digital-learning-seven-tips-heather-wolpert-gawron

A summary of the attributes is below

1. You have to have a sense of self.
2. You need to be able to manage your time wisely.    
3. You have GOT to know how to collaborate.    
4. You need to be able to set goals for yourself.    
5. You need to communicate well in writing.    
6. You must follow the community norms.    
7. You must be your own advocate.  

Social media more addictive than tobacco

Now here is an article that is not in my normal keeping of promoting technology use!  BUT it is in keeping with the ethical and responsible use of technology and our role as teachers to assist students (?and their families?) to manage things....

"Results of a new study published in the journal Psychological Science confirm what you've claimed for years: checking email and social media is more addictive than cigarettes and alcohol."

Questions arise....how do we assist students to manage this? 
What implications are there when we blur the boundaries between home/school  personal/business?
Personally I try and quarantine the two quite strictly, but I still find times when I break my own rules!

Read more and the full article at:
http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2012/02/07/3424150.htm

Five K-12 Elearning Trends

This article from the THE Journal has surveyed a variety of academics to compile a list of trends around digital learning in K-12 education.  Interestingly....we have wireless facilities in our schools and are moving to seamless movement between schools and offices; a Learning Mangement System is on the horizon and we are using our first online delivery methods for teacher PD.  Three of the five trends listed....
They list the following 5 trends as
Cutting the Wires: More Mobile LearningLearning from a Distance: An Upswing in Online Instruction
Social Awareness: More Facebooking and Twittering
Getting a Grip: More Learning Management Systems
Leading the Charge: Teacher-Led 1:1 Implementations

Read more at:
http://thejournal.com/Articles/2012/02/02/5-K12-E-Learning-Trends.aspx?Page=1

iBooks Textbooks for the iPad...the dream is being realised

I try hard not to post advertising on this blog, but rather professional articles that I find interesting and hopefully readers do too.  While this page is Apple info/tising, it is concrete proof of the vision that was shared at the 2011 ICT Roadshow....where books and teaching are heading in the future. 
Having just spent a week contacting new text books for two of my kids (with the swearing and cursing that goes with all the bubbles and creases - not to mention wondering if they will ever be opened) this is a a useful and encouraging move towards a different conept of 'textbook'

Read more at:
http://www.apple.com/education/ibooks-textbooks/

Introducing an entirely new kind of textbook that’s dynamic, current, engrossing, and truly interactive. A textbook created by publishers using a new authoring tool from Apple. A textbook brought to life by iPad.

Teaching with Ipads - a Bootcamp model

I came across this series of blog posts in looking over the myriad of newsletters and feeds that I scan regularly (great when you stay on top of it, a pain when you've been on holidays for a few weeks!).

Anyway,  this is a short series of posts about how one fellow in the states decided to use iPads in his classroom.  Note the emphasis is on the TEACHING not the apps for the ipad.  He is using Blooms Digital Taxonomy and the ipad is merely the tool....lots of open ended problem solving which still involves explicit teaching!

http://www.schooltechnology.org/2012/01/04/teaching-kids-with-ipads-part-1-of-5/

Move to the second part of the series to see a movie of an iPad band...the options are exponentially growing by the day!