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Check out Waterloo's helpful guide on how to plan with technology. I wonder if this fits with our home page? Or might fit with someone's project topic?

Tech's Role in Learning is a 33 minute video produced by Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach that focuses on the implementation and use of technology in Project Based Learning.  Nussbaum-Beach begins by looking at the TPAC model and the revised Bloom's Taxonomy (http://www.apa.org/ed/new_blooms.html) with an emphasis on students becoming creators (or producers) of knowledge.  She argues that the current model of classroom instruction (desks in rows, learning independently) will not work in the 21st century, and that we need to help our students construct their knowledge in a way that will prepare them for their future in an online world. The main point that Nussbaum-Beach makes in this video is that when our students get out into the real world, they will be connected to a global learning network.  Whatever they do in life, they will be able to connect and collaborate with others around the world.  It therefore becomes our job as educators to not only become connected learners ourselves, but to teach our students how to be connected learners as well.  Our students need to be constructing their knowledge and sharing/publishing their learning with the world.  She presents new "digital literacies" as tools that all students need to know to become members of this new global society and to make a difference in the world.

This article tries to answer the questions "What kinds of products should we consider having our students construct as a result of PBL and what factors should we consider as we design project tasks. " Some examples of artifacts would be: physical model, theory, multimedia project, Web site, video or radio program, lesson for younger learners, computer program, robot, or hypermedia. Whatever the end product, it is in the process of construction that their knowledge is forming and it is in the design phase that "learners construct their initial understandings." The product should come about through these 4 things: * an extended time frame (a few weeks to an entire year), the goal is deeper understanding and this takes time * collaboration, this will enhance the learning process * inquiry/investigation/research, this an active search for explanations * and a consequential task. The end task is considered by the article as just a ploy to trap students into thinking deeply. The article also gives examples of successful artefacts. One was a geometry project where students had to design a case to carry 18 cans. They needed to use their school mascot in the design (cowboys) and consider marketing, geometric factors, as well as write a persuasive letter to sell the product. They also talked about a web page where women were interviewed about their experiences during the second world war. They learned not only about that time in history, but about interviewing and listening skills.

The Horizon Report is a 46 page document produced by 3 organizations: the New Media Consortium (NMC), the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE).  The report is part of a larger project that examines technologies that are emerging or are predicted to emerge within the next five years in education.  Three reports are created each year: Higher Education, Primary and Secondary Education (K-12), and Museum Education.   In the Primary and Secondary Education (K-12) edition, there are six key technologies mapped out in three categories.  The first category, "Near-term Horizon," includes devices, apps, and tablet computing.  These technologies were indicated to be implemented in education within a 12 month period when this report was published last year.  The second category, "Mid-term Horizon," is indicated to be two to three years away, and includes Game-based learning, and Personal Learning Environments (PLEs).  Finally, the report includes two sets of technology in the "Far-term Horizon," which are plotted as four to five years out.  These technologies are Augmented Reality (AR), and Natural User Interfaces.   This comprehensive report outlines not only these emerging technologies, but also addresses the trends and challenges in educational technology at the time of publication.  It will be very interesting to see what technologies are reported on when the 2013 edition is published this June.

This article focuses on the importance of using technology in schools. The author, Seymour Papert, compares how the introduction of computers into a school setting is very similar to providing pencils to people in a community who communicate entirely using oral language. How will the computers and pencils get used by the people in their communities? Papert expresses the realization that educators are often hesitant to change their practices and sometimes when implementing new concepts or tools, teachers find trivial ways to use them rather than seeing their full potential. Papert goes on to explain how technology can "intellectually engage" those not interested in the traditional learning that schools often offer to students. He gives an example of how a disengaged student can use technology to intellectually challenge himself, develop the ability to persist, and collaborate with people that have common learning interests. In addition, Papert says that the use of project based learning and technology allows students to "acquire knowledge for use" and not to just pass a test. The concept of being able to access learning regardless of the time of day and the learner's location is also discussed. Technology offers greater learning as it allows students to learn from a wide community of people and not just those the same age and grade. Even with the objective reasons provided by educators, to limit the amount of changes in schools, Papert believes that the students' knowledge and expertise that they acquire while using computers at home will drive schools to embrace technology. He knows that institutions believe change cannot happen due to the lack of funding available, limited teacher understanding and assumption of what "school" should look like. However, Papert believes that change will occur because children will require schools to keep up with the learning they are doing outside the school setting when it comes to the area of technology.

This is one of the best sources ever for examples and teacher resources for PBL

"digital technology makes it easier than ever before for students to conduct serious research, produce high-quality work, keep a record of the entire process, and share their creations with the world. "

GAFE sessions 2014

Using VoiceThread to Promote Learning Engagement and Success for All Students VoiceThread is one of many Web 2.0 tools created to help users communicate and collaborate around a varity of topics.   To create an individual VoiceThread, users can upload any combination of images, documents (e.g., from Word, Acrobat [PDF], Excel, or PowerPoint), and video clips to arrange these elements into a slide show. Teachers can then add comments to each slide in the VoiceThread by several different methods including typed text or recorded voice or video. Teachers can make a VoiceThread public, allowing other people to add their own comments to the slides, or set the VoiceThread to private, restricting comments to only invited users. Through this process, teachers can facilitate conversations around a series of images, videos, or an entire PowerPoint presentation with their students and provide them an opportunity to share their voice, literally, in the discussion in multiple ways. Individual account is free but you can only create 3 voicethreads.  A classroom account is encouraged for $60 a year. Benefits of Class Account 1. can register up to 100 students with no need for individual emails 2. teachers can access students usernames and passwords. 3. each student can create their own voicethread and it is private, only the class can see it. 4. all comments can be viewed and approved by the teacher before they are posted for the class to see. General Benefits of Voicethread 1. all types of learners can benefit from this tool 2. it can be used in whole class, small groups, or independently 3. it can be used in the classroom, computer lab, at home or anywhere there is access to internet 4. can be used in all subject areas.

The Smart Way to Use iPads in the Classroom