EDTC6343

At our school district, students log onto the network using their own account on any terminal within the district, in which they can keep individual files. Although they can't permanently personalize any computer I do always see them changing wallpapers every now and then. Integrating technology into the classroom will have to be more than a method or means. It must go beyond access and utilization. I believe students will have achieved true integration whey they have created something or honed a skill using technology as a tool.

In the article Shaping Tech For the Classroom, it lays out a visual representation of what is happening in our classrooms throughout our district. While we are trying to keep up with the latest technology, it seems that most teachers are still at a loss as to what should be happening in the classroom with the technology available to us. At the moment, many teachers at our campus have a smart board, student computers with internet access, class response clickers, projectors, EKI machines, digital cameras and new gadget called KINEO that our district Migrant department has provided to our Migrant students. This apparatus is supposed to help our migrant students in leveling their knowledge of math, reading and science skills throught the program WEBACHIEVER. We have had this gadges in our library for about two months and have been used only once because no on has been trained as how to use them. I can say that Donna ISD has done a very good job at providing opportunities for us teachers to get technology savvy but unfortunate, not many have taken that opportunity. We have even had the opportunity to complete technology staff development in our pajamas. As a result of these initiatives by our district, it is safe to say that our district is in the right direction as far as providing us the technology and advancing software that is available to students and teachers. Through MTT Donna right Technology Grant, more teachers will become masters at providing the right tools so that teachers can change their attitudes towards technology. However more training and accountability needs to be in place in order to assure that the technology is being used correctly so our students can compete in the real world.

Really interesting site for current information on scientific discoveries. Good resource for students - source for latest research news

In today's economic climate, paying for technology isn't prudent, and for some students, it isn't even an option. Fortunately, there are plenty of freebies on the web that can help with document creation, research, writing, storage, collaboration, studying and more. Here are 25 free web apps and software programs that may be useful to students. I've used several of these web apps with varying degrees of success with students. Have you used any or have plans to use them in your classroom? How have they worked for you?

Thanks, Kate! Yes, I am still at awe at the number of results I get when I look up for tools, it's incredible! Thanks once again for this great resource.

I wouldn't be surprised if some students already knew about this. I have not used any in class yet, but I will definately look into it.

A new study shows that students who use iPads in the classroom score better in literacy tests than those who don't. Educators in Auburn, Maine began instructing 266 kindergarteners using the iPad 2 this fall, and those who used the tablet scored higher on literacy tests and were more enthused about learning.

I would love to incorporate iPad's into the classroom because of the number of possibilities it has. I also, however, agree, with Adriana when it comes to the main source of the classroom. The teacher needs to know the tool, know how to incorporate to make successful lessons in order for it to be successful. If you think about it, the number of teachers in the district... then the number of teachers who are willing to incorporate it. It is a big difference! It would be great if all teachers would incorporate it, even begin training to incorporate it.

It would be extremely interesting to see how the Ipad can boost test grades. It's also important to note that the teacher would have to familiarize herself with this technology. I think they would be an amazing tool for the classroom because they will keep students engaged and interested in doing their work. Also, it's interesting because new apps are always coming on the market and they can also be used in the classroom.

Very interesting! I agree with the writer of the article. There needs to be a balance between teaching the 21st century skills and the content. There also needs to be a balance with how much time is spent on learning content and how much time should be spent on learning how to find the information. Back in the day, there was less history to learn, less scientific facts, etc. Since the Internet era began, we have way more facts than we can possibly remember. I think that teachers can do this, so that it's not a fad. As a librarian, I'm trying to focus on communication. I have a wiki and a library web page that helps me communicate with students the different resources that are available to them. I am always sharing with them what is available so that they can use their creativity.

Thank you for sharing this article Elva. It really resonated for me. The author's final statement , "If they want to genuinely transform teaching and learning, proponents of 21st-century skills must be as deliberate about how their idea is approached and implemented as they want schools to be about teaching these skills", especially resonated with my feelings regarding our rush to implement 21st Century skills. I firmly believe in backwards planning, but often what I observe is a rush to buy new "toys" and then there's no plan for their use. School districts must take the time to make the end goal and then create the steps needed to arrive at that goal. This will require time, effort, and yes some money. However, if you take the time to plan ahead for implementation you will save money in the long run by avoiding costly missteps. Additionally, these 21st Century Skills are simply skills to apply to knowledge. We must take the time to teach them but it cannot be in determent to the content areas. If students learn a concept better using scissors and paper over a Prezi, then it should be the method of instruction in my opinion. Ultimately, teachers and school districts need to embrace the new technology but view it as a tool for instruction and not the solution to all of our educational struggles.

I try to incorporate 21st century skills by having my kids use more technology with their projects. many of them are so use to having the pen and paper assignment that they are surprised when they get to use technology to create a project. While there may be some issues that make it hard to use technology most of the time because of lack of computers of items, having some group work for using these technology can help. I know I can be doing more so when I plan I need to make sure to keep in mind that it is our jobs as teachers to teach these students into becoming 21st century learners.

In the edutopia blog article, Shaping Tech for the Classroom, linked above, Marc Prensky - the "creator" of the digital immigrant/digital native labels, describes the typical process of technology adoption. How accurately do those steps define what is happening on your campus with regard to technology adoption? On average, where in the process is your campus? Have you seen any "movement" through the process in the last 2-3 years? If yes, to what do you attribute these changes? If no, what can you do to move the campus forward? Click on "Comment" above to respond to the article and to your peers. Please post at least one link in this group that is relevant to your discussion. Be sure to tag your link and your discussion.

In my campus I have noticed that veteran teachers tend to stay away from technology. Veteran teachers didn't grow up with technology in their classrooms and have been teaching for years with out technology that they see no need to implement it now. I really see that as shameful! Now, as a MTT in training, I really want to change these teachers minds about technology and show them how easy it is to use. "With the infusion of technology into all aspects of daily life, students are becoming more and more adept at using technology as an educational resource. Many faculty, however, are not keeping pace with their students. Additionally, faculty feel increasingly unprepared to integrate technology into the classroom." Efau, J. (2005, May 4). No Teacher Left Behind: How to Teach with Technology. Retrieved from http://www.educause.edu/EDUCAUSE+Quarterly/EDUCAUSEQuarterlyMagazineVolum/NoTeacherLeftBehindHowtoTeachw/157372

I seem a bit doubtful that well working laptops can be found for almost 100 dollars for schools as this article suggest, but after looking at Project Inkwell's Web site, it seems like something that we might see in the future. Although I do not foresee my campus being able to complete the "one on one" process any time soon, I feel that it is improving with technology integration. New equipment that I have seen to promote technology integration has already been coming in to our library, which helps us get one step closer to meeting integration goals. We still face a few dilemmas with technology integration, such as lack of working computers in a classroom, or no student Ethernet hookups in the portables, but our administrators do what they can to help us with problems we face with this. There is of course however only so much that they can do, but little by little, I can see the process of technology integration in to the classrooms moving along as each year passes. An example of this movement that has been done can be seen when looking back at the year when our school's portables were first put up. It was at this time that there wasn't any internet provide to those in the portables at all. There as well were not enough SMART boards for every classroom, or any computer classes for 6 grade students. Completing a project using technology with 6 graders was really hard before they opened up computer classes for them. Now, internet, although a bit limited in the portables still, can at least be reached to them, Smart board are given to each teacher, knowledge of technology use is much better than the past 6th graders, and workshops for the use of technology are also provide from time to time. This makes it much more less time consuming for many teachers who wish to integrate technology into their classrooms, and keeps our campus moving in the right track for proper technology integration in our schools. A link, by Project Inkwell, to the prototype dev

The cost of higher education has grown exponentially in just the six years since my undergraduate days. However, the options that are available are incredible! I was amazed to find out that you can take classes online through MIT for FREE. What an amazing way to use our time on the internet? Are we preparing our students to be self-guided learners who are ready to work their way through an online course? I know that it's been a difficult transition for me, will our students be able to make it? Are they better equipped than the older generation to make the transition because of their technology infused lives or will it be more difficult for them to focus?

Wow, this was very scary. I have three children and I have instilled in them the importance of furthering their education. Seeing this makes me wonder, if Im gona have to rob a bank to help them on thier educational journey. The price of college has risen significally now, but I will try my best to stay afloat and continue and hopefully succeed without a ton of debt.

Yes, post-secondary education is becoming more expensive to prepare our sons and daughters at the actual schools of learning for their future. More the reason(s) that we must prepare students K-12th to be 21st century learners that can collaborate, communicate, use critical thinking skills and problem-solving skills that will enable them to be independent and self-motivated for online learning. By taking on-line college courses, the students will be able to save money in tuition fees, textbooks, housing, transportation, and other types of expenses. In spite of the high expense it will cost me to educate my daughter as a biology major and to attend medical school, I want her to be prepared to become a medical doctor--thank goodness I only have one!!

In just a few short years, Salman Khan has built a free online educational institution from scratch that has nudged major universities to offer free self-guided courses and inspired many professors to change their teaching methods. His creation is called Khan Academy, and its core is a library of thousands of 10-minute educational videos, most of them created by Mr. Khan himself.

This may be a little bit controversial, but I see a clear link to how we run our educational systems and the ideas presented on this website. I recently went to a training about connecting the content areas to have students create an end of marking period product that required they use skills and knowledge attained in all content areas. There have been several schools going in this direction and so far they've had great success, especially with ESL students. I'm very interested in pursuing something similar on my own campus.

I really enjoyed the article and I will say that I agree that testing is not making our students smarter. I have been in the teaching field for 22 years and year after year I see the students so disconnected with learning. Students have been taught how to pass a test, rather than how to think creatively. I have students that can't answer an open ended question in a complete thought, but can pass a state exam. I have always refused to teach to a test, and have gotten very good results at the end. Since I teach Science my class is very hands-on, so the students love the class, but they don't have the background ability to apply it on a test. These students have been trained not to think only to answer multiple choice questions. It takes me a whole semester to get them to make the connection from the experiment and how to apply it to the test. My first year at my school the teacher who was teaching Science before me gave me boxes full of TAKS materials that she used in her class and she told me that I wouldn't have time for hands-on activities. As soon as she left my room I threw everything in the trash and my principal was surprised that I didn't want her materials. Needless to say my students became thinkers by the end of the year and grew a new appreciation for Science. Being in the MTT program I have begun integrating technology in my Social Studies class and I have never seen students so interested in learning about the American Revolution. We are getting ready to create newsletters about different topics they learned about the American Revolution. They are even getting ready to create a voki to present a part of their newsletter. I have seen technology even motivate the most reluctant learner in my class. I have students that will come in the morning and begin working on their project that they need to complete. I even have students going to the public library to use the computers. I am a true believer in integrating technology. I

Loved this fable!! It reminded me about a book I read a few years ago titled Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell . It was a whole bunch of stories about real-life success stories such as The Beatles and Bill Gates. The one thing that all of these people had in common was that they all spent tens of thousands of hours honing in on their craft. Some of them just got lucky and had the opportunity to practice. Others had parents that knew that they had cultivate their child's passion and not force them to do things that they were just not capable of doing or that they were not interested in. This fable reminds me of what we are doing in education today. We want all of the students to be "good" at everything and never give them enough time to become great at something. If students were allowed to follow their passion, the benefits would overflow into other subjects.

I often use this analogy to encourage my students who feel that they are unintelligent because of their struggles to pass tests. Our school system tries to make all of our students fit a specific mold-- some fit, some adapt, and some give up. We've give up the ability to provide our students with the freedom to explore and be creative for a sense of security in "accountability." Sure, we need to hold schools and educators accountable for providing a quality education and yes, there have been schools in the past who have misused the freedoms allowed to them. However, I cannot and will not believe that an annual multiple choice test will sum up all of the knowledge that my students have gained. I strive to teach my students to think critically and be a part of the world around them. In my opinion, being able to think your way through a problem is going to be much more valuable to my students in the future than knowing the difference between rotation and revolution. (Unless they plan on being aerospace engineers that is). We need to focus on inspiring students to learn through their own drive and interest. Let's not kill their natural curiosity with our adult need for accountability.

Not free but this is really cool looking!!!!

Some really great ideas for different Web 2.0 tools in a variety of subject areas.

This is one of my favorite websites. All you have do is click on one any of the icons and it will direct you to the page. Also, The Bloom's Digital Taxonomy provides the types of technologies for the appropriate learning domains. Bloom's Digital Taxonomy Created by Samantha Penney http://www.usi.edu/distance/bdt.htm

I had heard about this website zooburst and I just signed up it is great. I can't wait to share it with my students. I want them to create a book on a favorite science topic they learned this year. http://www.zooburst.com/index.php?state=login&invaliduser=1

21st century literacy

Internet technologies may be a good way to teach computer literacy and content, but it may be easy for students to skim through information. In a traditional classroom lecture, the listener may only retain twenty percent of the lecture. When we have our students using online resources, can we be sure that they are thoroughly learning the content. Even in class our instructors reiterate thoroughly reading the materials, because they know we tend to skim the material and miss important information. More on the way we are learning now. We have a new category of learner rather than traditional, according to Dr. Michael Herbert, whom conducted a study of of content retention and course satisfaction at the college level. It is useful to note the five reasons why adult learners drop out of online learning programs: "poor design, failure to understand the new medium, lack of consideration for a variety of learning styles, lack of support systems and ignoring the self-selecting content need of learners." All of these reasons are the same reasons our students may struggle with internet technologies and online learning. Herbert, M. (2006, Winter). Staying the Course: A Study in Online Student Satisfaction and Retention. Retrieved April 1, 2012, from http://www.westga.edu: http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/winter94/herbert94.htm

What really caught y attention in this article was the part where it says: Make it personal - Passion-driven learning. Teaching mathematics in the seconday level is no easy task. Having to teach probably the least favorite subject of high schoolers is such a big challenge that most teachers prefer to teach the subject in a traditional way. Quiet classroom, teacher in the front, books on the table and students quietly listen to to the teachers dicussion. This method is widely opossed nowadays and classroom collaboration many believe is the most effective way of learning. Technology helps this goal to be achieved. Passion driven learning is one of the ways that I truly believe could work in a math class. Online resources such as the Gallup Poll's web page http://www.gallup.com/home.aspx - offers information on how they use data and other information to predict outcomes and verify results. The site is loaded with graphs, data and other information relevant to mathematics in the real world setting. If we could spark that passion in our kids, they themselves, on their own will search for other resources and learn along the way. Dyck, B. (2005, winter). Meridian: A Middle School Computer Technologies Journal; When Technology Integration Goes to Math Class, from http://www.ncsu.edu/meridian/sum2003/math/index.html

What do you think?  Will PC sales begin to grow?  Do you think the iPad will replace the need for laptops?

I dont' know if PC sales will go up! At the current moment the demand is for ipads and tablets! I don't think that the ipad will replace the need for laptops. Believe me I love the ipad but its just like a larger version of the iphone!! I have a macbook which I love!! I think that Mac is better but that is just my opinion, it just seems easier to us. But maybe this is because I have been using Mac for about three years now and a PC is difficult for me to use. Only certain functions like excel! Its just that mac and PC are different but both are still great!!!

As you can see from this video, people have always been resistant to new technology innovations. If we can all learn to laugh our way through and be patient when others are trying to figure out a new technology, then change seems to happen more quickly.

I know that this video was a comedy bit, but I never stopped to realize that many people struggled, or wished not to learn about new items that were coming about with time. What I liked about the video was that the "help desk" did not get frustrated with the person who was asking what many of us would think as silly questions. Many of us have trouble with wanting to teach technology, or integrate it into our lesson because we feel it would be a pain having to teacher a class of 20+ students how to use it. I know that at times, I find my self getting a bit stressed out when my mom asks me how to do a function that I think to be easy on the computer. I have to stop my self and remind myself that what I might think is easy, is new to others, such I am sure is the same when I don't know something and some one has to teach me.

Lol, the video was very funny. Had me laughing the whole way through. I can't believe how far we have come. I remember going through my blocks in UTPA, when I returned back to the classroom after finishing my 12 in school my self and seeing the NEW projectors, the elmo, and smartboard in the classroom and thinking, "Wow, look where technology has taken us to from chalkboard, to overhead projectors, to smartboards. A board that you touch the screen on and it moves, changes, and recollects information. I was amazed and engaged myself. I laugh every time my co-workers think I am so young because this year is my 10 year reunion and yet the classroom has changed so much!

Lots of Apple stuff here - but other stuff is available for us Non-MACS.

Wow! That is a ton of information! I feel like I need to slowly go through each one. I am a Mac enthusiast, and I wish that our district would convert. I feel like we would be able to accomplish a lot more with the different interface. It's much more user friendly--- hence all of the copycats. THank you for sharing such a wonderful list of options!