This report presents findings from a two-year investigation of the ways in which Web 2.0 tools and social networking technologies are being used to support teaching and learning in classrooms across the United States.
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Integrating Web 2.0 Tools into the Classroom: Changing the Culture of Learning | CCT - 25 views
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Teachers and schools we visited are using different Web 2.0 tools or programs to create virtual spaces or networks that support and enrich their pedagogical goals, both at the classroom and the district level, and increase educational capacity by extending learning beyond the physical walls of the classroom
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Lucretia, thank you for your posted article- as it was very informative. When I first heard of the term Web 2.0, I too found it to be quite abstract. Through the educational technology courses I have taken, I have become much more informed about the categories of technology that fall into Web 2.0 tools. I've steadily learned about the great magnitude of change that Web 2.0 tools have done within the educational realm. It has definitely made me more excited to see what the future of social networking and communication holds for us as educators. Educational delivery and the upkeep of it, is being done differently now and this is a good thing. As technology is being pushed at a fierce force by the academic community, we are becoming smarter as communication is being delivered at a phenomenally faster rate. I remember a time when I thought online classes and discussion forums were a waste of my valuable time. But as the years progressed, I definitely feel more knowledge having read and communicated with my course peers through these Web 2.0 programs. We are definitely living in a great time. I'd like to share a link that speaks further of your current topic: https://sites.google.com/site/adms647summer12/tutorials/collaboration/benefits. If you scroll down to the bottom of the website, you will find a very informative video that speaks about how Web 2.0 tools compliment and engage students in discussions-that just "aren't happening in the classroom." The first night that the English teacher (in the video) launched her first discussion question, she noticed that the quietest students were the ones that responded to her posted questions. They gave quality responses, of which is what we will find most beneficial when banging our heads thinking- "how will we ever target those quiet ones?" Hope you enjoy.
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Yes, the video of the English teacher was very informative. I think there are several hidden jewels that can surface when incorporating Web 2.0 tools. Learning Styles can play a key role in how students interact within the learning environment. Providing more avenues for students to engage does take more time up front, but the opportunities gained for students to learn seem well worth it.
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Maricela, When you said, "The first night that the English teacher (in the video) launched her first discussion question, she noticed that the quietest students were the ones that responded to her posted questions. They gave quality responses..." We see that even in our graduate program. I have had classmates that never said a word on Collaborate or any other live chat and then you read their posts and go, "Wow, what a insightful response." I love that about these kinds of tools. We get to experience students at their best.
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Felipe, I agree that Learning Styles play a key role in how students interact within a learning environment. I do believe students have some very insightful things to say but depending on the personality they may or may not say it out loud. Thinking outside the box as a teacher provides students with other ways to express themselves and this is very important in the learning process.
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Maricela, I like the video of the English teacher. Some student don't like to participated in class because they are shy in public speaking. I am one of this student I have fear of public speaking but, with help of Web2.0 and forums like this one. I feel confident and when I want to shared my opinions or open a discussion in class.
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We examine the following four lines of communication in the report: (1) communication among students, (2) communication between students and teachers, (3) communication with parents, and (4) communication among educators.
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This article is really very important for showing those who are less enthusiastic that the research is in - and these tools have increased learning - and learning at a higher level. Great article and great information.
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Laura, communication is always vital in any situation. Of course, it is a must in an educational environment and it must be a shared dialog amongst different groups. It is critical that the channels of communication be established early on. Teachers and students must be able to communicate to create the learning community needed to foster knowledge. Students need that communication amongst each other to share ideas and experiences. Parents must also have access to the communication channel to be able to express any concerns or offer suggestions to teachers and administrators. Of course, we must also have a wide open channel of communication among educators allowing for the sharing of knowledge and new ideas.
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Laura, I believe Web 2.0 tools have had such an impact on the expansion of learning beyond the walls of the classroom in terms of accessibility to materials and communication. Many teachers have created class websites with PBworks or other types of wikis. This occurrence has allowed students to download missed assignments or other activities conducted in class. They can also watch video postings on these websites and keep updated with reminders about deadlines through social media such as Twitter. This extension has also enabled students to receive assistance from their peers or teachers outside of the classroom on any ongoing assignments and projects.
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Amanda, you have touched on a very important topic and that is accessibility. In working with our client one of her request was that she wanted for her students to access her class material without having to depend solely on Blackboard. She wants us to use a tool that students could access through different devices, including their smart phones.
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Laura, Never before has education had such a great opportunity, an opportunity to bring the world into the classroom and do it so easily. What we would have given growing up to actually visit with students in other countries, just by clicking a button instead of waiting and waiting for the penpal letter. This research pointed out that their report did a summary of some of the most frequent Web2.0 applications they encountered. I was wondering if there was a pattern to the what Web2.0 tools were used and where they were used? It would be interesting to see that information to find out about what other school districts are using and the outcome of their programs.
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Martin, I think that it is interesting that our client didn't just stop at wanting students to be able to communicate among themselves and the professor, but wanted experts from the outside their classroom to be able to communicate with them as well. It is like having a "World Wide Web Dear Abby." (if that phrase catchs on, remember I coined it) The more students are exposed to expert advise and communication the more they begin to critically think.
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Lu, It really is amazing when you consider the opportunities that exist in education at this time due to technology. I completed a massive open online course last year, and part of the course called for the students to interact through social media including Twitter and Facebook. The fact that I could easily message someone in another part of the world still amazes me when this was not possible not too long ago. It would have been great to have these opportunities when I attended school as a child. I remember we did exchange pen pal letters with an elementary school in another part of the country but that was the extent of our interaction outside our area. Nowadays, a school could easily collaborate on projects with other schools through the use of wikis and blogs.
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Amanda, I'm glad you mentioned this example of writing to a pen pal. Teachers were doing this back in the day. It was easy to write a letter, send it out, and perhaps get some type of response back- if lucky. I think it's important to note, that now for a lot of veteran teachers- Web 2.0 tools is a major departure from their comfort zone. Gone are the days of the ole' pen and paper communication system that we so relied on. You are correct, education has changed for the better. But it has been a bumpy road for some educators. However, through staff developments, and regional conferences teachers are learning to effectively use programs such as wikis and social networking systems. I believe that the more practice and familiarity teachers get with these technological resources, the more they will be used in the classroom. It is worth it in the end, as these students will end up learning their lessons at a faster rate. It is important to note that the educational system has had a major facelift, when it comes to how students are learning in the classroom today. Web 2.0 tools are enhancing the way that "business is done as usual." Students are becoming excited to learn and create educational deliverables, as teachers are beginning to speak "their language." Today's generation of students were brought up with technology, and so it is only fitting that as educators we change and adapt to the times.
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Martin, I agree with you about the communication. Parents do need to have access to that channel of communication. We need to know what is being written. I think that starting these kiddos at early age will prepare them better for the future.
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Lu, Yes these children now a days have great opportunities with Web 2.0 tools. My 9 yr. old is already blogging at school! Friday she had to post about QR codes! I think she knew more than me in regards to those codes. They are doing so much at schools with technology that they even have digital day. No paper or pencil just technology tools.
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I have created a website for my class where I post assignments so that both parents and students have access to what we will be learning or what they have missed if they are absent. I try to make my class at technology friendly and accessible as possible . Students need these skills in this day and age. I do run into the parents who say they and their children prefer pen and paper assignments but I look at it as I am preparing these children for the future. I continue on updating the website, giving out blogging assignments and hope that one day they will see the value of learning this skill. Some of my students do shy away from technology because of their economic situations and it is important that we remember that not all students have been introduced to technology as we may believe.
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It is unbelievable what kids can do with Web 2.0 tools. I notice in my nephews how good the are with computers they can blog, navigated the internet and do a lot things using the computers. They are learning so much in school about technology just like Laura said no paper or pencil just technology how about that.
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It is important to introducing students to the Web 2.0 tools, but like you have stated, we cannot assume they have access. I think I would at this point provide choice on how to meet assignment requirements. Access to technology is becoming a larger concern as stakeholders realize its effect on student success.
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Web 2.0 tools are being used to increase communication (not just dissemination of information) in ways that strengthen the educational community and help to center classroom-and out-‐of-‐classroom-conversation on issues and topics that support and deepen learning.
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I think the more we as teachers model the use of Web 2.0 tools in the classroom and students see the value of these communication tools, the easier it will be for students to transition these skills into their everyday lives, whether it post-secondary or in the workplace. Students sometimes do not realize that the tools they use daily for social interaction have many other applications. We just need to help them open their eyes to the possibilities.
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Felipe, I agree. We need to help students see the big picture of why accessing and learning how to use these communication tool are necessary and what other applications are available.
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Integrating Web 2.0 Tools into the Classroom: Changing the Culture of Learning
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I agree integrating Web 2.0 Tools in the classroom will change the culture of learning not only for the students but the teacher as Well. Flipped classroom comes to mind. The transition can become a lot smoother with use of Web 2.0 tools as many educators want and are willing to change the learning environment for their students. Web 2.0 tools can foster the learning culture in the classroom without issues.
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Jamie, In agreement of this article, the use of Web 2.0 tools in the classroom become the extension of the instructors' lecture through online social media where artifacts of learning are stored on learning management systems. Hybrid classrooms, not necessarily a Flipped classroom, allow for the online atmosphere and F2F atmosphere to complement themselves for student learning to be more effective and efficient.
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Jaime, Integrating web 2.0 tools in the classroom is a great thing. I see it everyday with my kids and I am just mesmerized with the technology things that they now. It is awesome! It took me awhile to know how to use all this new technology. If the educator is willing to learn and not afraid to use it their classroom the transition is a smooth one. It really does help the child learn!
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The biggest thing that I observe about Web. 2.0 tools is not the students having the confidence to use the tools, it the teacher confidency--self efficacy
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Therefore, the goal of this research was simply to interview and observe educators and students who are experimenting with these tools in the classroom to see what uses are emerging and to explore the learning affordances of blogs, wikis, and other Web 2.0 tools.
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This article is on a research of how teachers began to use Web 2.0 tools in their classrooms.
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Laura, This article provides great information about the uses of Web2.0 tools in the classroom. I especially enjoyed reading about users creating products in virtual spaces right after I finished accessing the Zondle site which provides an easy platform for individuals to create a quiz in the form of a game. This type of tool engages both students and teachers and puts a twist on the traditional quiz which, in my opinion, reduces the quiz taking pressure. The other Web 2.0 tool that really caught my attention is ActiveExpression which allows students to text in responses to instructor questions. The use of this application integrates both a Web 2.0 technology as well as the technology the student brings to the class giving them an opportunity to use their phones in a constructive way and reducing the temptation to sneak it out or misuse. Overall a great article, thanks for sharing!
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Abel, I think the ActiveExpression tool would be a great way for an instructor to quickly check for overall understanding from their students. Based on the responses, the instructor can gain a better insight of any items for which they need to provide more clarification. I also view it as a useful tool for those students who may be initially shy about responding to a question for fear of being wrong. This type of tool allows for students to respond somewhat anonymously but at the same time remain engaged with the class.
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This article is on a research of how teachers began to use Web 2.0 tools in their classrooms.
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I have research the meaning of Web 2.0 some have described it as a term that described the "second generation" of the internet. Basically what that definition means is that the online learners are actively participating in websites rather than passively reading of content. The term Web 2.0 is most likely built upon user-generated content. An example of user-generated content is the use of Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and other social media platforms developing videos, writing and pictures which is focus of a web-page or a website. The term Web 2.0 tools are those tools that help end users become active participants, allowing creating, collaborating, editing and sharing of content. These tools include social networks, blogs, wikis, forums, video tools, photo-sharing tools and more. Another thing to remember about Web 2.0 Tools is that they are free. The reality is when school budgets are being cut and teachers have to do more with less Web 2.0 tools sounds like a good investment for teacher to utilize in the classroom.
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This article is on a research of how teachers began to use Web 2.0 tools in their classrooms.
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Excellent article on how technology may be used as a tool to engage the learner. I still feel that the tools are just as effective as the educator who decides to use them. Unfortunately, very few educators are using these tools. I am in the business of educating future educators. A good number of our faculty use these, or similar, resources. However, there is still a number who refuse to use anything that they are not familiar with. They feel that their methods are just as effective as technlogy tools. I tend to disagree. I also think that this is a deservice to our future educators. Today's students are immersed in this technology. Those of us who are blessed with helping future educators should take the initiative to integrate these tools in our own classroom. We should be in the forefront of modeling these tools and setting an example for future educators. As a matter of fact, at our next faculty development, I will mention this article and encourage all faculty to become more knowledgable about Web 2.0 tools.
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Justin, Great article. I also read what Rene had to say and agree with him and with your article on how we need to use these type of tools to engage the learner. The only problem is that we as educators are not using these tools as much as possible. I do disagree with Rene on how a good number of the faculty tend to use these resources. When I did my student teaching two years ago, I do not recall all these resources and the school district providing such resources as Web 2.0. The only resources the teachers had were an issued labtop for email use and to build their lesson plans. I would have love to have these resources and have been able to attempt to use them with my classes.
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Every conference and every technology article you find new Web 2.0 tools that are new, just to keep us is an experience. Great article
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My new teacher have a good grasp on some of the new technology tools that are used as part of 21st century learning.What they are struggling in is on merging technology and pedagogical concepts into the classroom. The art of teaching and mastering technology.
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The article is great because it talks about how using 2.0 tools and its emerging technologies are helping both sides of the classroom. The tools help the teacher present better lessons and the students are engaged more in the class. Like stated with Maricela's article, the idea of keeping the students engaged is very important to the teacher and the student. They tend to retain better when engaged in the lesson. It's is also very good to keep up with all the 2.0 tools available.
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4 Ways To Bring Gamification of Education To Your Classroom | Top Hat - 12 views
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The idea is to encourage brand loyalty, so how will gamification impact the education sector?
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Do you currently use any gamification techniques in your classroom? If so, do they seem to be helpful in better engaging your students? If not, what ways can you see that might be helpful to add to your classroom?
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Sean, It really is amazing what gamification can do for a struggling student. My 5 five year old started Pre-K this year and she was really struggling with her ABC's. She could not link the letter with the pronunciation or how to use letters to create word. We tried the tradition ABC's songs, the drill and kill but it was not working. Coming from and Ed Tech background I should have gone in that route from the get go. I down loaded a few ABC's apps on her mini iPad and what do you know, it took her a few days to learn her alphabet and now she spells every word in sight.
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Gamification can be defined as the use of game thinking and game mechanics to engage audiences to solve problems. I am sorry for the definition but I thought it was important to define gamification. The first question I had about gamification is how does it fit in education? Although there are no simple answers if done correctly, I can safely say it will foster peer to peer collaboration and social learning to a higher level in the classroom. Terms like scaffolding, blended, social are all types of learning used by academia today! Gamification can be the new kid in the block when it comes to learning in the classroom. Additionally, instructional designers are at an advantage to explore and develop gamification techniques when developing instructional modules for their clients. Why? Because the approval of implementation is only a few levels up not like academia that is saturated with bureaucracy. After more research is done with gamification one of the many advantages of this model is that it can be adjusted to the needs of the learners.
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Sean, I currently do not use gamification in my classroom. I teach higher education and have not explored that platform for my students. However, I can really see the benefits to adding it. In the article it stated that, "the use of games allows students to fail, overcome, and persevere." That sounds like problem-based learning. It has been long said that students need practical skills like those described in "How Games Support 21st Century Skills" http://www.onlineuniversities.com/blog/2012/09/how-games-support-21st-century-skills/ These skills described are more likely to be developed though problem-based learning, where students can pursue real world objectives and see the benefits of their accomplishments. I believe gamification could really help students in developing these practical skills. Introducing games can also help students realize that the real world isn't always as it seems. We sometimes go through early childhood not realizing that the world is not fair. Games that provide some players more resources than others can help students learn problem-solving skills using what they have, as long as they know the rules before trying to accomplish the objective. I like the badges/awards aspect of gamification. When I taught high school I would always rewared my students with stickers or stamps on their papers. You would think that high schoolers would not real think that that was "cool" (my hippie word) but if i failed to put one on their paper they quickly and loudly let me know about it. They really wanted to have that sticker and would work pretty hard to get it! Everyone wants a sense of accomplishment and for others to recognize it.
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Martin, Congratulations on helping your daughter learn her alphabet! That is amazing how fast she picked it up. I remember a Mac game in the 80's called Reading Rabbit. He wore an orange t-shirt and had lots of friends that would go on all sorts of adventures. My son was struggling with numbers and math concepts at an early age. We bought the Reader Rabbit Math Adventures and he loved it. All of a sudden math was fun and his scores increased daily. It seemed the more he played the better he got. Here is a later version of the same program. They have upgraded quite a bit since the 80's, but the principle is still there. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFB8rA_7D4Y Enjoy!
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I have used the concept of gamification in math classes. Not too many people like math but they do enjoye playing math games.
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Martin, That's fantastic! Your daughter is thriving thanks to your belief in technological innovation. I had a similar experience trying to potty train my son. I tried everything, from pediatrician input to online parenting blogs, but nothing seemed to work. It wasn't until my wife downloaded an iPad application that actually helped teach my son due to it being from a child's perspective. I think we just need to understand and accept the fact that as technology changes, the methods we use to educate will also change. Gamification is just the latest in a series of innovations that can help us better reach our learning audience.
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Lu, I agree with you. One good thing about games is that they have an opportunity to show or teach the audience about the real world, and help develop problem-solving skills that could prove helpful throughout kid's lives. Likewise, I think the badges/awards aspect really helps draw me in. As an avid gamer,I find myself looking for ways to earn as many badges or achievements in a game. It actually kept me focused and playing far longer than I would have expected. Now that I am aware of the concept of gamification, I think it's an amazing opportunity to blend the popularity of video games with education. I even started testing this out a bit with my son. We were using a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse application, where you would have to complete a series of tasks and interactive activities. If done successfully, he would gain a variety of badges, and have the opportunity to progress to the next stage. Then we tried another educational application where there was no recognition of correct answers or completion of tasks. I rarely saw him use it after that initial try. He still uses the Mickey app consistently. While gamification has both negative and positive aspects, it is yet another option to add to our educational repetoire to better reach our learning audience.
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Jaime, when I first started my degree I began doing research on James Paul Gee, now Mr. Gee is a firm believer that students can learn through games. He has published some very interesting articles that clearly show how this learning occurs. Unfortunately for me, I did not continue in this direction due to the fact that I did not have access to the type of students Mr. Gee has been working with but his findings are extraordinary. It is just incredible what young children can learn by playing a "game," in Mr. Gee case these games were steered toward education.
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Lu, I will definitely look into Reader Rabbit, who knows, it might come in handy down the road for my daughter.
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Lu, I also like badges/awards aspect of gamification and believe that it is something that can appeal to learners of all ages. It makes me think back to some of my earliest memories in school regarding badges/awards such as the "Book it" badge with Pizza Hut. I was learning and reading interesting books while working towards that award. I think badges/awards can help increase a learner's intrinsic motivation when it comes to various activities and assignments. This aspect of gamification encourages the learners to work towards a goal or accomplishment while increasing their knowledge and skills. Plus, in my opinion, I think that most people enjoy a form of recognition.
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Martin, I think your daughter's ABC experience with the iPad app is a perfect example of how gamification can benefit a student's learning experience. If we can connect the material with something the student enjoys or something else that they are familiar with, I think this will definitely improve their ability to learn the material. From my own observations, I think many students do not look forward to math or science, but gamification could be a possible remedy for this issue. For one of my previous courses, I was involved in a group project where we created a very simple flash game concerning mean, median, and mode. The gamification involved basketball activities such as ordering numbered basketballs and placing them into hoops.
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Amanda, I had forgotten about "Book It." My oldest son loved that program and the Pizza Hut pizza that he never got unless it was through "Book It." He said that that little certificate meant not only pizza, which he loved but a feeling of accomplishment after reading all those books! Thanks for the memory!
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We can all assume that technology is a very positive things for our learners not only in the classroom but with our own kids.However, we need to be vigilant that our kids also understand the concept of verbal communication. I just witness a family at a restaurant all utilizing their Ipads and Iphones and no one was conversing with each other.This is why, I have a rule with my family that no one is allowed to use their phone when we are together.
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Jaime, I do confess, we are that family, my oldest daughter is on her iPhone, my younger one on her mini iPad, I'm keeping up with classes I'm taking and teaching on my iPad and my wife is texting away. I will take a page from your book and will prohibit electronic devices when we are together as a family.
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Jaime, You are absolutely correct ! Technology has taken over society as a whole. I have witnessed the exact same thing when dining out with my family. However, I am guilty because I keep my 4 year old daughter entertain with her IPAD during dinner. I will definitely take your advice on how we should all put our electronic devices away during family time. I think back with my parents and they never had this problem.
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Martin, My daughter is in pre-k and just turned 4 years old. She is also struggling with her letters and numbers. Her problem is the visual in recognizing letters and numbers. I will definitely take your advice and download an educational game with letters and numbers that she will enjoy but help her as well. I was amazed how fast your daughter learned with the game. Congrats! We need to explore different sights that will be able to help our kids learn.
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Great article posting Sean! I definitely agree that games are a great way to help raise student motivation, and I use games in the classroom all of time. When I use games in my classroom, the students seem more engaged and willing to participate. From your posted article, I like the badge idea, and do equate it to token economy, as we know it works well with young children. But it makes sense that it would also work well conversely. I reward my students if they win a classroom game with something out of the classroom treasure chest. Gamification is a great idea to use in education, because games come across as informal to students, and so they can relate to it, and in fact prefer it. Through game learning students have so much fun, that they tend to forget 'the fun' is educational in nature. In fact, students continue to learn for the sheer completive thrill of it, and as educators we couldn't ask for anything better than that right? Here is an excellent article that I found: https://sites.google.com/site/gameonlearning/games-in-education. It speaks on how games in learning promotes "student centered learning." In this way, educators are better able to "speak the studen'ts own language," since we live in the technology age. Therefore, games will definitely help raise a student's motivational level to learn, and thus get them to participate in the instruction with more fervor. In addition, everyone likes receiving something for their efforts and badges are the way of the future.
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Jaime, I too have seen families that go out to eat, and are not even talking to each other, because their noses are stuck to a phone or some type of electronic device. But I guess that's the way of the world now a days, and if we don't adapt we are swallowed up by society- so I'm forgiving. Having said that- I don't feel guilty that I downloaded many learning apps from my own Android, so that I could trick my daughter into learning. I feel that games are a great way to acquire knowledge, because as humans we have a competitive side to us that yearns to be exploited- for a lack of a better word. From Sean's article I could see why people are glued to games that reward, and why we tend to want to learn in these formats. Just like the badge system, we all want something for our efforts. Even though as the article points out "games can't be used to replace pedagogy," I think they have a real benefit in the way that students take information in. So I'm all for it.
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Lucretia, I like what you said about "Introducing games can also help students realize that the real world isn't always as it seems." Games seem less formal, and as I've learned people learn better in a more conversational way. Therefore, this format will definitely help enhance student's problem solving skills. In addition, everyone likes receiving something for their efforts, and so badges seem to be the way of the future. I'm glad you're considering implementing games into your curriculum with your older students, because it worked for me. For example, two semesters ago I took an online class through Coursera, and was granted a badge for my efforts. The class was on philosophy, but had a real game feel to it. Each week, the course's student leaders would be announced, of which made me excited to see who was leading the pack. Of course, Coursera has too many students enrolled…but it was still fun to see if the leader would be knocked down. It reminded me of what we are currently working on with Zondle. People want to make sure that their first place, or at least close to it, and in the process of that one tends to get smarter. It's very true that games can "enhance the overall learning experience," as the article points out. I didn't stop playing Zondle until I was first place. There is much to be said about that.
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Sean, I don't use gamificaton in my class but I use it a lot at home. My 5 yr old was having trouble with his alphabet during the summer time. I researched and found a great tool online. Of course you have to pay a little to use it but It is worth it! The tool I found was ABC Mouse .com. He loves playing it! He thinks it is game but in my mind I am saying nope you are learning. He has learned so much and doesn't hesitate to log on. I am so thankful for it. They are others as pbskids.org, starfall and many more. My daughter does use gamification in her class. She enjoys it! I think it is great if us parents know how to utilize it the right way. Children love to earn their rewards at the end whether it be badges or tickets. My daughter grew up using reader rabbit a lot before introducing her to the internet.
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Martin and Jose, It must be something about alphabet struggle. My 5 yr old had the same trouble. Thank goodness for educational online learning activities. This has helped them and Martin it helped your daughter as well. Jose introduce it to your daughter you will see a big difference. I know that I did!
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Sean, I don't use gamification in my classroom (a math classroom), however I could use it to provide students to achieve certain tasks for extra credit purposes. For example, I could have students develop a poster for an upcoming lesson, providing tutoring services to other students, attend saturday study sessions, etc. Thank you for providing me the opportunity of including a different means of engaging my students. Justin
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Very good article. As was suggested, many of the gaming practices can be incorporated into the classroom environment to help motivate students to succeed in this education game. Grading for example in our EdTech classes are points driven. I remember having my engineering students participate in an international digital bridge building competition which spurred a massive following once our students starting showing up on the top ten teams leading in the three week contest. Making it to the leader board and seeing realtime changes was very motivational. I even started to get concerned parents when student would stay up late at night trying to make the top ten. It really was not a game and students learned the design and material characteristics which determined whether the bridge could sustain the given load. The contest by design took many of the gaming aspects into account to achieve the learning objective.
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As a society, we need to find a balance between too much technology and the human touch. Many of you have mentioned the educational benefits of gamification and other technologies. As educators and leaders we need to encourage technology but must not forget the human touch.
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This is a very relevant article in relation to what should really be going on in classrooms. Let's face it, "gaming" and technology is not the future- it's the present. I tried thinking back to my days in school and realized that my first experience with gaming was "Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego". This game introduced me to geography, critical thinking skills based on the questions it asked and was a fun way to learn given the technology available then. I recently purchased a Leapfrog Pad for my 2 year old daughter and she uses it all the time. While me and my wife are on our phones reading articles or checking our various pages she is playing games that award her with badges. Even at such a young age she is learning while playing. Granted, the games she plays are very simple like taking care of her pet dog, cat, monkey, etc she is learning how to take care of something and keep it alive. There is another game that teaches her emotions and she now understands the concepts of happy, sad and how to comfort someone.
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I agree with you Daniel gaming and technology is not the future its the present. The University of Texas at Brownsville offer a gaming class for Physics majors.
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Does anyone know the outcomes for this gaming class that is offered for Physics majors?
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Daniel, This class is only offer during summer here is the website: http://www.phys.utb.edu/people/mohanty.shtml.
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Sean, Great article! Gamification is a way of life for our learners now in days. Everything has to have a goal and a reward. I take my own daughter who is four years old. As she sits in the car she will began by asking me for my cell phone so that she can play. I allow her to play games that contain numbers and the alphabet. Then, after a solid two minutes she becomes bored and switches to the tablet which allows her to play a different game with a larger screen. That games comes and goes and then before you know it I ran out of games. Yet, if they aren't purposeful and creative my four year old will drop it after two minutes. Gamification is now a way of life and a way of learning.
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It’s been proven that gamifying other services has resulted in retention and incentive.
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I found my learning audience in the corporate world to pay more attention to trainings that incorporate gamification techniques, especially the "badges" or "achievement" system. Have you ever used gamification techniques in your classroom? If so, did you students seem to buy into it or not?
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Sean, I completely agree with this. It does engage the child more. Them knowing that are going to earn that step up makes them excited. My son's teacher uses gamification and my son is always talking about it at home. He looks forward to earning that trip to the computer in his class.
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I have been through two Disney Business seminars and they use prizes (little Disney figurines) to get people to answer questions. Everyone answered questions because they wanted more free figurines. This is the same concept as earning points or badges towards a prize or having the most in the class. If adults at the university level buy into this technique then students will definitely appreciate this technique as well.
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Sean My Father works in a private school here in Brownsville where they uses gamification. My dad was telling me that the students get all excited when they are playing with the educational games. This will help the student to focus more in learning.
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How can I gamify education in my classroom?
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Do you currently use any of these techniques? If so, which seem to work best for you? Here is a video that I think you might find helpful: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuDLw1zIc94
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Rene, In your 30 years of experience, I'm sure you've seen quite a few innovations come and go. Coming from a family of teachers, I ended up experiencing most of them at some point throughout my life. I think gamification really resonates with me since I grew up as computers and video games really started to thrive. While I enjoyed them, I hadn't really seen any educators really put forth the effort to integrate education and gaming concepts. Thankfully, that's starting to change. Heck, I think one of the best web-based trainings I have ever experienced was an annual training that offered "badges" or "achievements" for completing specific aspects of the training if you got a perfect score. Couple that with more interactive opportunities, such as matching vocabulary or concepts or the trusty "drag and drop", and you have a solid recipe for learner interest (assuming the overall training is well-produced, of course).
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Sean, I do not currently use gamification in my classes, but I remember in one of the other EDTC courses doing some research on it. There was an article that caught my eye. It was "Video games becoming required coursework in schools"by Emily Chung, CBC News Posted: Sep 02, 2013. A college in Alberta, Canada is requiring that all their students in order to graduate, use an iPad to set up a lemonade stand and build it into an empire. "The Farmville-esque game Lemonade Stand is a central part of the new mandatory Discover Entrepreneurship course." The college opted for a game like environment to help students gain real world experience. What are your thoughts on the mandatory aspect of gamification? Check out the article it is pretty interesting. http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/video-games-becoming-required-coursework-in-schools-1.1321035
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Sean, I agree with you, the concept of gamification is used in the classroom but soon I am sure it will be used by the corporate audience. It definitely has potential to increase more and more student involvement. I have also seen it used with students at home for homework purposes and its a great idea to encourage informal learning. Technology is changing rapidly and we need to learn from it and embrace it.
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Jose, how right you are. I'm currently working in a corporate environment where I have the opportunity to introduce gamification to our training material. Although it is still very much a work in progress, it adds a new dimension for our learning audience (and hopefully only increases their engagement with the material).
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Amanda, You bring up a great point. Learning, and in particular, online learning is driven by a variety of student types. Much like yourself, I had to force myself out of my introverted norm in order to achieve my personal and professional goals. Were it not for the use of a variety of technologies, I might have found the journey a little more difficult. Likewise, shy or introverted students now have even more options than ever to help them overcome their own walls. Hopefully, gamification is yet another option for students of all types to reach their learning goals (and help teachers to better reach and engage their learning audience).
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I currently do not use gamification in my classroom. I tried using zondle.com to see how the students reacted and used it. It worked well however, it seemed more like a tool for memorization than actual game play and learning. I think mandatory gamification in schools is an interesting concept but it will take a lot of learning and preparation on the part of the teacher and support from the administration. I do believe it would engage students more in the classroom and give them a sense of "agency." I do think corporate agency's and businesses will have more resources to be able to use gamification budget wise.
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I currently do not see gaming in the classroom as well in my school district. A strict curriculum is followed and more tracking than gaming goes on in the classroom. Tracking data provides the learner with feedback on how they are doing and where they stand. Yet, tracking as I have observed impacts motivation in the most minimal fashion. Gaming is a type of learning or intervention that I believe can help with motivation and with learning a difficult task, skill or knowledge. I believe gaming can allow the learner who is already successful at gaming to utilize it as a mean to attempt new skills and attempt failures or fears. It can also be used as an incentive, motivator and stress reliever.
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I currently do not see gaming in the classroom as well in my school district. A strict curriculum is followed and more tracking than gaming goes on in the classroom. Tracking data provides the learner with feedback on how they are doing and where they stand. Yet, tracking as I have observed impacts motivation in the most minimal fashion. Gaming is a type of learning or intervention that I believe can help with motivation and with learning a difficult task, skill or knowledge. I believe gaming can allow the learner who is already successful at gaming to utilize it as a mean to attempt new skills and attempt failures or fears. It can also be used as an incentive, motivator and stress reliever.
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I found myself fascinated by the concept of gamification. The more I read about it, the more I can see it being applied to not only the classroom, but also to the corporate audience. By increasing engagement and retention of learning material, I see it as a win-win situation. Do you see it as a viable solution to your classroom? Why or why not? What ways do you currently use aspects of gamification in your professional life?
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For those of us who have been in education for a long time (30 years for me), we know the value of different techniques that promote engagement. I have been using this concept in different ways since I started teaching in 1984. Based on that, I feel that gamification has an enormous potential to increase student engagement. Using gamification, students feel that they are not really learning but playing. However, even by "playing" we learn. I like the idea of using this concept as "homework to encourage informal learning. Indeed, the corporate world may also gain by using gamification.
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Sean, I'm currently not an educator but I absolutely feel that gamification can be be beneficial in many ways in education. The part of the article that resonated with me was how it could be used to help introverts participate. As an introvert myself, I've found myself participating more in classes with the use of technology, than I probably would in a face-to-face format. I think gamification can encourage introverts and the shyer students to participate in activities as it can allow them to "let loose" so to speak and engage themselves in the learning process.
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I do not have a current classroom but do have some ideas of how to include technology and gaming to serve some of the various instructional goals for previous courses. One game I would include is a variant of the "murder mystery" presented by Dr. Morgan but tailor the clues and overall game to online instruction with a sort of scavenger hunt online to find all the various resources of a learning management system in various free products with the assistance of clues. I agree with many of my classmates that the available tools should be used to help students learn and be involved in the process making the learning experience much more meaningful.
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I love the idea of teaching class or using gamification for work. I think in one of the simplest forms of gamification is just turning on the computer and using a computer. For some its a game or effort just to show up. Since im history with the social studies composite major, IT would be fun to gamify history lessons. That way students will stop saying the history is boring. No future in history.
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I found myself fascinated by the concept of gamification. The more I read about it, the more I can see it being applied to not only the classroom, but also to the corporate audience. By increasing engagement and retention of learning material, I see it as a win-win situation. Do you see it as a viable solution to your classroom? Why or why not? What ways do you currently use aspects of gamification in your professional life?
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There is no doubt that gamification and other technologies can enhance education and the learning process. Discussion should also be aligned to the negative behaviors afforded by too much technology. Some of the games can provide undesired distractions. Too much time spent playing games may take away from actual classroom engaging activities. We need to be concious about finding a balance between technology and its benefits but also its negative impact on a young child's mind.
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I found myself fascinated by the concept of gamification. The more I read about it, the more I can see it being applied to not only the classroom, but also to the corporate audience. By increasing engagement and retention of learning material, I see it as a win-win situation. Do you see it as a viable solution to your classroom? Why or why not? What ways do you currently use aspects of gamification in your professional life?
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Rise of the Super-Digital Native | Marcus T. Wright - 12 views
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If we can set them up for success, that will bring us one step closer to those super-digital natives who will flip this world upside-down with what they will have to offer.
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The great thing is that the digital natives of today will teach the next generation. That generation will learn from today's digital natives and practice better ways to critically engage in technology for teaching and learning.
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I think we must teach our current generation to sift through the multitude of Apps and critically assess there value added. What do you think?
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I agree but the process obviously needs to have some sort of structure. Aside from that when are we to teach them this material? How are we to teach them? I think it is a great idea that a shift needs to take place but is it really needed for some? Some of the younger learners have adapted well and could possibly not need a shift because they make those modifications on their own. What do you all think?
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I do not think we need to teach this technology application skill in an isolated teaching moment. All teachers need to understand the technological environment these students will face and help them develop skills that will help them sort though the multitude of applications that are out there and apply them to solve real world issues.
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I think we need to walk a fine line between the old and new, when it comes to technological advances. We have those that are completely opposed to technology, then we have those that are 100% using all technology available. From what I have been seeing more and more, these super-digital natives might sift through all technologies with ease, but they are lacking in basic life skills (face-to-face communication, effective writing skills other than abbreviated text garbage, and other similar issues). A prime example is my coworker's college son is an absolutely brilliant computer programmer, but the young man can't construct a sentence in front of people to save his life. I'm concerned that we might be shifting too far too fast into technology, yet letting other necessary skills (that might not be tech-driven) fall by the wayside. Hopefully, teachers can help them walk that fine line before it's too late to learn these skills. Okay, my old man "back in my day" rant is over...
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If you were to ask any digital immigrant perspective about growing up with no computers, cell phones and no high speed internet connection. I do not think they would feel disadvantaged teaching the super digital natives. Grant you the digital natives of today will probably teach the super digital natives of tomorrow. Somehow, I think the instruction would have evolved because of the progress made by the digital immigrants and not the digital natives of today. I can still recall the calculators that were huge, noisy and clunky in my computer class categorized as state of the art at that time. What is state of the art of today will be paper weights of tomorrow.
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Technology is certainly becoming more and more a part of our society and something that we use daily. It has advanced so much in so little time. The explosion of Twitter and Facebook has allowed us to receive information and spread information so quickly. I do feel we need to prepare our students for the future and the advances in technology. However, I don't know if we should put all of our eggs in that basket per se. I still feel there are other critical skills unrelated to technology that will always be a necessity no matter how advanced technology becomes.
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The students of today sure have taught me a lot about the use of technology for recreation, but little about the use of technology for education. They have great ways to avoid education using technology, but not necessarily how to incorporate it into their educational processes. I believe that they can guide us through the rapidly changing technological educational traverse and we can instill in them proven pedagogues and methods. My college students were asked several months ago to present an ethical dilemma to the class. I told them they could use any platform, but Powerpoint. They whined!!! They know all these cool Web tools but can't incorporate any of them into their presentation. That's where I come in. This is not a technology class, however a teaching moment is a teaching moment. As soon as I begin talking about different platforms and ways of presenting, they jumped at the prospect of using the tools they knew. In the end the presentations were superb and I learned some really great tools to put in my own arsenal. My point being I think that each of us learns from modeled behavior. I can learn from their expertise and they can learn from mine. It is all in the approach and willingness to learn.
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Sean, I agree about the super-technology natives do lack some of the social skills needed in our society. Here is a great interview with a millennial who begs to differ. I thought it was a great debate over the subject. Watch the latest video at video.foxbusiness.com
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Sorry the video did not embed. Here is the link http://video.foxbusiness.com/v/2849237531001/millennials-lacking-interpersonal-skills-street-smarts-to-get-a-job/
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Amanda, Yes I agree with you. Its amazing how Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to name a few have taken over society as a rapid form of communication. It never seems to amaze me how fast people get updates or how involved they are with what is going on in todays society and its all because of the new form of communication out there. It has certainly change from how it was in the past. It never seems to amaze me how kids know so much about it and how much they know about these networks. However, I see this is just the beginning as time progresses there are more networks and more options out there to choose from. I personally like how technology has evolved through the years and can not wait for the future to see what else is new. I have learned you just adapt and roll with the punches. Technology is here to stay! Jose Davila
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Technology is evolving at an enormous pace and I believe those who choose to be educators must somehow get it front of it and at lease help guide student learning with the aide of technology. I would hope the digital natives would have an easier time with it, than us old immigrants.
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Technology has indeed become and everyday occurrence and Amanda is right, we should not put all our eggs in one basket. I don't think we should go all out and use just technology. I think that we should integrate technology into the curriculum as much as possible but not fully convert everything into digital format.
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I think that this is just the way of the world. The super digital native transcended from the digital native, who came from the novice digital native...if you follow me. Every generation is different and lives with the environmental limitations that exist within that time frame. The millanials of today are of a different mindset. I think of some of the more difficult sudents in my class, and how it's like pulling teeth to get them to want to learn in the classroom. However, just mention of going down to the technology lab to learn gets them all riled up. As educators we must allow our students to use the mediums that they are most comfortable with. I grew up loving taking exams with paper and pencil; they would rather take their exams on a computer. I guess if I would have been born during the technologoical boom, paper and pencil exams would seem repulsive to me. As the article mentions, "we need to know what makes them tick." I totally agree with that statement. Not all students learn in the same way, but research has shown that technology/ computers and the internet can make intrinsic learners out of students.
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Additionally, the folllowing website showcases an article that speaks on the topic of digital natives. These technology savy workman are taking over the workspace. We live in a society where communication is wanted at a fast rate. Hope you enjoy the article: http:www.dqindia.com/dataquest/analysis/175608/digital-natives-taking-over-the-workplace Hope you enjoy reading the article.
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If we can set them up for success, that will bring us one step closer to those super-digital natives who will flip this world upside-down with what they will have to offer.
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It is okay to take baby steps, but you must keep on pushing the envelope to move forward. What are some of things can we do to help our natives move forward?
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I have always believed in team work but with great quality. I feel investing quality time with each other in a work environment, organization and even as a town can lead to great movements. Project based learning and Problem based learning is a way to collaborate and start an environment with quality team work. Like the Marines you must start from the ground up but everyone that is part of your surroundings needs to possess the same or similar skills as you. Cross training, project development, extensive training and mentoring and similar interventions.
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I understand the concept of tearing them down and building them back up, but I'm not sure the public school system is suited for that approach. The issue is their is no filtering in our system (entrance criteria, both physical or mental). You have to teach whoever walks through your doors, no matter what baggage they bring (socioeconomic status, learning or physical disability ...), They all have a different frame of reference on which we need to build their knowledge on. It is a hard job and I believe it will only get harder as technology skill "have and have nots" creates a greater gap.
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Chris, Team work is a great way to allow everyone to progress. Although individual learning has its benefits, I think working in teams gives us all different perspectives and enables us to learn from each other. For example, I think the EdTech program does a great job of incorporating project based learning in an online environment. As a team, we work towards solving real world problems or addressing any real world challenge.
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Chris, The possabilites are there, and it's only a matter of time when virtually everything will be dependant on digital natives. Working as a team definitely helps spread knowledge of the technology out there, and I noticed that team members that were more tech savy had more responsabilites. It's not fair, but those with more technology skillls will be the ones always in demand. I think that in order to set up our students to be successful we must use Web 2.0 technology in our classroom to make sure that computers and the internet are always available and not an option.
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Felipe, You bring up a good point. The haves and the have nots has always been an issue in this world. But through public programs and school funding it seems like more and more students regardless of their social economic status are having more access to technology. Ofcourse, it does not match up to the students that have computers in their homes or computers set within their own classroom environment. However, I feel that we have made a lot of progress by supporting even low socio-economic students. However, I do agree with you. But I feel that communities should really focus on trying to find alternate ways to fund more money into technology programs and maybe even purchasing computers for students if they meet grade expectations.
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Lucretia, I definitly see your point. The students in my class seem to try to avoid technology, if it has to do with edcuational topics. It feels like you almost have to trick them at times to make them engage the lesson. They are great at using technology and want everything fast, because computers are fast. As educators we need to find ways to motivate our students and yes- trick them if need be into learning. Yes, we definitly need to model our behavior for our students and get them intrested in other technological platforms.
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If you can imagine this, if you agree that it will take a couple of generations before we really figure out the best ways to use technology for teaching and learning, there is still something you can do.
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I can't completely agree with this statement. I must say that a lot of us feel that we must catch up to technology but I don't agree. I don't feel it needs to be us that upgrade to technology but technology upgrades to our needs. Yes, we must learn how to use them in and out of the classroom but we tend to learn quickly whether you are in the baby boomer generation or the x,y,z generation. I feel we all learn at different rates but I don't think it matters what generation you are in. I do agree that we will always have more and more technology that we must learn but with evolution comes success. Teaching is one zone and learning is a different zone. Teaching is always going to evolve and we are always going to utilize the "new" tool in order to make it work. I don't think it will ever just be technology or one simple tool. I believe that history will always play a role. Plain textbooks and the chalkboard are still in effect today. I believe that as technology changes we should focus on what the learner needs and not the change of technology. Yet, I must say that teaching and learning in regards to technology is different. I feel that teaching will utilize technology a lot less than learning. I feel that learning will become more dependent on technology as it is easier, faster and comfortable for the learner. Teaching and learning will be impacted and dealt with in different forms by different people in regards to technology.
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I agree Felipe! the problem I foresee is the fact that the current generation (millennial' s) are so saturated with technology that I do see pockets of what I call Evaders of technology on the raise. One example I can give is during our department's job fair event last month I was surprised to discover there were a few students that did not have a Facebook account nor felt an attraction for digital technologies. Unlike, most of the peers that have immersed themselves in technology and probably use on a daily bases technology to communicate with others if this becomes a trend who will then train the super-digital natives?
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While I agree with you Felipe, I do see Jaime's point. Some people are just not as attracted to technology as others. Maybe it is to daunting to them or they just can't afford to keep up with the trends or maybe some people just don't want to be found on the internet (for example: in a Google search). In the end, our society is a technological one and like it or not that is the shift that is in the process. Eventually, everyone will have to jump on the bandwagon and learning how to use technology.
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Fabulous article Felipe. I especially like this: "The digital natives of today are the ones who will be pressured to take all of the present technological wildness and make it make sense for the next generation. They are the… super-digital natives who will flip this world upside-down with what they will have to offer." I still remember when I used to type research papers using a typewriter (oh, boy, I must be really old and outdated!). Well, not really. Today, I am reaping the benefits of the generation before me. Today's generation is reaping the benefits and pitfalls of my generation, and so it goes. My generation was also very creative with the resources we had at the time. What I am trying to say is that every generation will have challenges and opportunities. We must learn to proliferate with the changes. There will always be technological gaps between generations. It is the responsibility of each generation to find the potentials for the technology available at that time. Furthermore, those in educating the next generation must use the technology to support educational endeavors and integrate it in the classroom.
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Jaime, I think you are right about the overwhelming amount of technology applications out there. The acceptance and reluctance to those technologies seem to be as much personality driven, as generational. I believe what we can do as educators is to help guide students through the process of evaluating a need and selecting an appropriate technology solution. I think the biggest motivator encouraging the use of one App or another is satisfying their initial need to socialize. We need to lead them to the productivity Apps that will help them academically and as they enter the workforce. I think technology use picks up exponentially when you can demonstrate to students that the technology skills they acquire through daily life application is transferable to meeting their career goals.
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Daniel, I believe that those we are unable to reach in time to help them onto the fast moving train of technology evolution will be at a huge disadvantage. The reality is it is only going to go faster. One of the things I advocate is for leveling the playing field by making technology available in schools and providing teachers the support for implementing the technology, whether it be training or time to participate in Personal Learning Communities (PLC). Without our help, students may wake up some day and figure out they missed the train.
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Rene, I understand where you are coming from and it seems like just yesterday. I was one of those that was ill prepared for college and when the requirement for a typed research paper emerged, I quickly found alternate means of accomplishing the task. In my mind, I never expected to have to do much typing or research once I entered the Army. Well that did not play out as expected and as I work on my third graduate degree, I still struggle. I almost missed the education train, had there not been a teacher that said it was never to late and worked with me to get me onboard. We do have the wisdom on our years that that our students do not. We have to find a way to motivate the next generation to embrace technology, look ahead critically and seize every opportunity the future may bring.
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Daniel, It is true that whether people like it or not, technology is becoming a huge part of our society and will be here to stay. I know there are still people out there that are not comfortable using technology, have fears in using it, or just don't like it. One of my friends refuses to switch to a smartphone and has stuck with her basic cell phone for years. I've heard that pretty soon only smartphones will be available. I think this will likely happen with other avenues where you will need to have a Facebook account or access to a certain app in order to accomplish some basic tasks.
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Rene, While I am in the same generation as you and your typewriter, sometimes i feel like we give this generation a little too much credit for being tech-savvy. "It is clear from recent research that there is significant variation in the ways in which young people use technology, suggesting that rather than being a homogenous generation, there is a diversity of interests, motivations and needs. So while some young people might be regarded as 'digital natives', these are by no means characteristics shared by all young people simply because of their exposure to digital technologies." This study done in 2010 suggests that, "The idea that technology changes our lives profoundly is so ubiquitous in public discourse that it has become almost cliché. Both within and without the academy claims abound that technology is changing more rapidly than at any other time in human history. Often such claims convey a sense of urgency, pressing us to keep up with changes and raising concerns that some in our societies are being left behind." Beyond the Digital Natives' Debate http://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2330&context=edupapers
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Daniel, Hello! Technology is evolving quickly and is constantly changing. However, people who do not get in the band wagon might miss it. I know there is still several people who refuse to learn about technology but the truth is, it's here to stay. They need to adapt and evolve with technology if not they are going to stay behind regretting that they did. In schools its important for teachers to get the necessary trainings so they can teach their students as well as learn themselves. It is very important for out children to learn about what technology has to offer and keep up with all the changes because it is the Future! Jose Davila
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It is always fun to show my college students some of the technology they used a few years ago and now have become something of the past--ex: floppy disk. The constant change of technology makes it a necessity for educators to continue to grow in the field of Educational technology. Although it is difficult to keep up it is a necessity.
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A scary and exciting article and, honestly, something I had never even considered. What would the super-digital native look like? Wow, that's truly something to ponder and have deep thoughts about. However, I believe that we should focus on how the upcoming generation is being prepared with technology in the classroom or for educational purposes. We have seen many issues with tablet integration in schools (http://www.edudemic.com/5-critical-mistakes-schools-ipads-and-correct-them/) and we may be learning from these mistakes but where is the supporting literature and research on these issues? We need to be more proactive in the documentation and reporting of solutions to these problems and not be so critical and simply pointing out the problems but instead working towards solving the greater issues. We are on the precipice of change and should choose if we want to be agents of change or of purpose. Which will you be.
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Jose, What types of things do you do in your classroom to show the progression of technology? I think this sort of lesson is a necessity to show them how fast our world is changing.
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Daniel,. I am not a teacher, but I know that in todays world it is very important to introduce technology to our kids. I agree with with you Daniel the world is changing and technology is the future in education.
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It is not the students that have issues with technology, it the teachers that struggle the most with learning new applications. Technology is constant and therefore the learning process for both students and teacher should also be constant.
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I saw some data on the phases teachers go through when entering the profession and what caught my eye was the amount of improvement that occurred after the third year. From year 4-20 it should very little, if any, improvement in teacher proficiency. Apparently it is "survival of the fittest" in action until then. It showed that those who were prepared were resilient enough to "lick their wounds" after year 1 and develop survival skills by year 3 and after that, they basically repeat what has gotten them to that point. I know we must all know some teachers that fall into that category, but the data showed that was more of a trend than an exception. The economy slowed some teachers from retiring (to avoid have to restock their tool kit), but it does seem to be picking up. I think with the social media now available that facilitates teachers helping each other to perfect their craft, this statistic has to be changing. We can only hope that it does as the needs of students preparing for 21st Century jobs and the required skills involved will demand it.
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Every generation tends to learn from the mistakes and successes of the previouse generations. The digital gap between generations is getting smaller. Many "digital immigrants" have made a concentrated effort to keep up with technology. These digital immigrants more and more are becoming the "digital natives" and will soon be "super digital native"; it's just a matter of time. All of us are learning from each other. It is clear that as we all learn and catch up, technology will become an integral part of the educational environment for generations to come.
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NEA - Social Media Made Simple - 18 views
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Social Media Made Simple
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This article provides a prime example of how social media can be integrated into a physics classroom, yet may be easily applied to other types of science fields.
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Justin, The millennial generation has transition from other social media sites to instant sites like Twitter,Vines SnapChat, etc.I believe this is happening because of the instant feedback they receive from these platforms.Why not use these sources for learning in the classroom. For example,a teacher could develop a instant game that incorporate Twitter as platform of learning. The teacher ask a question and the first student that answer it correctly wins.The teacher could have a computer displayed on a screen and showcase the interaction to the class.
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Justin, I really like how the social media applications are finally moving beyond just "Facebook" or "Twitter". Savvy teachers are now using these tools to be more proactive in their learning styles, and promoting greater engagement in their own students. I don't know about you, but it's teachers like Michelle Burgess that will help teach students far beyond a single class. Great usage of podcats, by the way. Being that most teachers seem to have more students than they can realistically keep up with, by having a lesson plan that students can continually reference as needed is a great idea.
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Justin, Thank you for sharing this article. I am currently not a teacher but I am very interested in the flipped classroom and how social media can be used to facilitate this strategy. As the article states, the flipped classroom allows for students to complete their lower-level thinking for homework and engage in higher-level thinking in the classroom. I think it's much more effective to stray away from the regurgitation of facts in the classroom and have the students become actively involved in real life applications. One of several benefits of the flipped classroom is that students will have access to watch videos or read blogs as many times as needed. I think this is very beneficial for the students since not all students learn at the same pace. This can allow for the instructor to provide additional guidance to those students who may need more one on one interaction. Additionally, students themselves will also have the opportunity to provide assistance to their peers. One of the possibilities I see with the flipped classroom are students collaboratively working on projects through wikis or conducting self reflections on blogs.
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Justin, The use of Edmodo in classrooms has really encouraged student to engage in technology. I did a project in one of my earlier EDTC classes and found that Edmodo was so very easy to use. Since the project was completed, Edmodo has come out with some new features that make it even more fun and easy to navigate. Edmodo added badges, much like what Dr. Butler is letting us experience during this class. There are so many different ways you can incorporate badges into your curriculum. One of the ways I have seen teachers use these is not only with their students, but with other teachers. The Tech department host mini seminars on using a variety of technology and if the teachers attend and try the new technology..Bingo earn badges. The teacher actually compete to see how many they can earn. If teachers do that what do you think your students will do?
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Justin, Thanks for using that article. Edmodo I think encourages students to get engaged a lot. I used Edmodo for a project I did for my under grad. I saw that it has a lot of features that students and parents can use. It lets students blog, view grades and do assignments. As time changes I think that we will be seeing more and more of technology being used in schools. I think that is a great tool to use because look how we use online discussions a lot. The kids will be ready for the next step in life.
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Justin, I enjoyed reading your hosted article. I too try to incorporate social media in my lesson plans by keeping a YouTube channel that the students in my classroom can access at any time. My YouTube channel exists to help assist my students in everything from English Language Arts and Reading (ELAR) Meta-cognition strategies to 'How to write a STAAR Expository Essay." These are all modules that I have uploaded, and created within my graduate course, as I tried to align them to the needs of my 7th grade classroom. I only have a few followers, as the students seem a bit shy to add my channel for whatever reason. But my students have told me that they have viewed my lesson modules, and that it's helped them learn how to begin to like ELAR. Students, or really anyone that views my channel can leave a message or inquiry. In addition, social Media and the use of technology is the way to go, and in particular why I picked the Educational Technology degree for graduate studies. Furthermore, the article you hosted mentioned what flip classrooms do. They teach the upper level in the classroom setting, but then provide lower level content to bridge any educational gaps from the day's instruction. They do this by way of supplemental online lessons and social media access. I definitely feel that students need to be able to communicate through social media outlets, because learning is an ongoing process and instant communication mediums (such as the one we are currently using to post) are critical to today's learning society. It's just the way things are done now a days- the way of the world. Here is an additional website that has an interactive slide share that discusses the benefits and disadvantages of social media in education- http://www.slideshare.net/ErnestoLuna1/social-media-in-education-advantages-disadvantages-13575997
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Sean, You make a good point here with your response to Justin's posting. Education has moved into another realm, and social media is where it's at. I recall back in the day my aunt used to have a huge collection of Encyclopedia Britannica's. They were so expensive, and oh so bulky. Even though they were a wealth of information, they were oh so time consuming to go through. They didn't provide feedback to any questions, and they definitely weren't high tech. When the internet revolution exploded, we began to gather and share our information differently. We not only relied on text, but started to get feedback and communicate with others over our findings through social media outlets. We look up relevant topics to our questions, and ask others online for their experiences and expertise. This is now how we learn in today's internet age. Social media communication is so fast paced, that the way we gather information and formulate our ideas is now influenced by the smaller world the internet has created. Your absolutely right- smart teachers are jumping on the social media bandwagon, and those that aren't- are being forced to anyway by their administration. Social media is the way we communicate our educational needs in our communities, and beyond.
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The article brings out the fact that many of these Web 2.0 tools can be incorporated into classrooms of any subject. I believe teachers need to feel comfortable regarding the tool being safe for student use. Edmodo is a good example of an education friendly tool which replicates other, more popular tools which provide less opportunity for sheltering students from exposure to social networking risks. This provides teachers a safe environment to introduce safe and responsible practices to students.
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And easy to use. I was looking at stats, and there are currently more Edmodo users than there are BlackBoard users. I would have to say that is a pretty good deal. I know that teachers who have used it tend to move their classes to that format. It also prepares the K-12 student to be proficient in using an LMS - so we are preparing them for their future.
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Instead of constantly trying to get students to put their phones away, educators can use the devices to their advantage.
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I allow for students to use the calculator abilities of their cell phones if the lesson doesn't call for tasks beyond a scientific calculator; however engaging applications, such as Poll Daddy, are great ways to integrate the cell phone in the classroom.
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I allow for students to use the calculator abilities of their cell phones if the lesson doesn't call for tasks beyond a scientific calculator; however engaging applications, such as Poll Daddy, are great ways to integrate the cell phone in the classroom.
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How about students using a blog to write as a writing assignment about a specific topic or as a daily diary outside the classroom! Blogger and WordPress are two biggest blog sites that students could use for free.
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Jaime, I currently work with both Blogger and Wordpress and they are both excellent tools for writing assignments. I use Blogger in a class that I'm taking where each week the professor will post an article about some technological dilemma and upon reading the article we answer his question and we also reply to our classmates. I use Wordpess in both of the classes that I'm teaching and it works in a similar manner, students read their assigned chapter, they answer the question that I posted and they are required to comment on three of their classmates' comments.
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Jaime, I've used Blogger and Wordpress for self-reflection in a couple of my previous courses in the EdTech program. I have to admit that the very first time I was asked to self-reflect in one my courses, I completely viewed it as "busy work". For me, it was just another task amongst the many that would need to be completed that week. However, I've found self-reflection to be such an important part of the learning process as it has enabled me to gain more insight as to how I learn. The added bonus is that both Blogger and Wordpress are extremely easy to use and can keep a great record of your journey throughout the semester.
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Amanda, I agree with your statement about the "very first time I was asked to self-reflect in one my courses, I completely viewed it as "busy work." I do wish now I had a copy of all the many post I have made over the course of this program, whether in a blogger, someone else's blog, discussion board or Wordpress. I think maybe in the future UTB could find a way to keep all the post by students in one central location or just encourage students to preserve the ones they have written. All of those compiled would be a excellent way to view the growth of every student.
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Justin, One of my favorite tools for cell phone use in the classroom is Poll Everywhere. Here is a website that explains how it works www.polleverywhere.com/how-it-works It is fun, easy and my students like it. You can poll the class to see if the majority have read the material, pre-quiz questions, feedback about the class, feedback about the mood of the class or simply to introduce a new topic. Try it, your students will love it.
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Justin, The use of cell phones in classroom is a good tool. Almost every teenager has a cell phone to use. This would get them to participate in different activities. I am sure that are different apps that they could download on their phones to use in class like blogs, or a planner to keep track of all assignments. The calculator is a great tool that cell phones have. I find myself using it frequently!
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Laura, Smart phones in the classroom can be so great to use as a teaching tool. Students can access the internet in the palm of their hands, and then communicate through social media websites. It makes a big difference when the students are using technology to get their ideas across. We are teaching them with social mediums that will strike their interests and keep them engaged. As educators we need to change with the times, and social media is definitely the way to do it.
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Los Fresnos is moving into the BYOD model - I know it is getting mixed reviews.The important thing is to make sure that the teachers have received appropriate training. Of course, that is always important but too frequently, the last thing they think of!
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I'm a believer of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) with incentives for acting responsibly and monitoring to ensure those not willing to adhere to standards loose their privilege. Unfortunately, most IT departments are unwilling to risk opening up networks, but security solutions are becoming affordable and the possibility of BYOD could soon be a way of leveraging technology at school..
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Dr. Butler, As a teacher in Los Fresnos CISD, I'd love to give my two cents on their BYOD program. I encourage the use of BYOD in all my classes. Most of the devices that are brought are cell phones. At this point though, less than half of the students actually bring a device. This can create a sort of segregation as it seems that most students with devices aren't from low-income families. In my class, I try not to make too many resources strictly online-only. Because most students only have cell phones, it is difficult for them to type on word or google doc type of software. In our teacher support training for BYOD, we learned about different apps that could make students successful. However, if I publish flash cards for review on a app, for example, then I might as well print them out too for students who don't have access. Since I'm limited in time (prep period is very short), it would be a waste to create that digital resource when I could be using that time to grade papers, call/email parents, and doing many other things I don't have time to do during the day. In addition, I do have many students who don't have internet access at home. So, that's a challenge I didn't see coming when I started this year. I think BYOD is a good start but will really be effective when equality ensures that everyone has at least one device. I also didn't mention the time I spend telling students to put the 'Flappy Bird' game away or their Snapchat app.
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Daniel, I agree with your comments. BYOD is a great idea but it is also limiting. Even if students and parents have the funds to provide a device, there will be some parents and students who will not abide by the guidelines. I would still encourage all teachers to attempt to use mobile devices in the classroom. Some students may be encouraged to use them for educational purposes once they see how much more fun the subject matter can be. Managing the classroom may be more challenging but it is worth it.
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I like the idea of BYOD. However, I think this it will be hard for the students because not all the student have devices. It will be great if the school district will have tablets or ipads for students to uses them during school time. This will be so good for the student to get them familiar with technology and get them ready fro the future.
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I believe that with time BYOD is going to be supported and widely available. I have to say it is a powerful tool and way of learning when you have technology at your fingertips. The options increase, the way of learning increase and overall learning enhances at a higher level. I really think that BYOD can help out individual learning and decrease performance gap in the classroom. Yet, for some and at times many it is difficult to afford even a tablet or computer. At this point more and more students have access to the internet and devices that can access the internet. More and more consumers are buying smartphones and are allowing there students to have one at a very early age. It is going to take time for equality to quick in but I ask myself how do we overcome this issue at hand at this moment? Any thoughts? What works? What doesn't work at this moment in regards to utilizing BYOD with all students in the classroom?
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Skitch—Skitch is a quick and easy photo-editing app. Language teachers might find it particularly useful. Load up a photo and have the student label everything in it with correct the vocabulary.
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To learn more about Skitch, here is a link that shows how you may use it to provide instructions for your clients: http://evernote.com/skitch/
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To learn more about Skitch, here is a link that shows how you may use it to provide instructions for your clients: http://evernote.com/skitch/
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Nice - I downloaded Skitch but have only looked at it briefly to see what it can do.
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Social Media Made Simple
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This article provides a prime example of how social media can be integrated into a physics classroom, yet may be easily applied to other types of science fields.
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For the most part every teacher would like to incorporate technology in the classroom. The perception by most educators is who has time to learn another technology application. Teachers are so busy all day prepping students for tests and trying to meet district standards that one more thing on my plate is not an option. Incorporating technology in the classroom can be implemented in small increment steps. Downloading district approved applications is one of the quickest ways to incorporate technology in the classroom. I can safely say that the majority of the educators probably have IPads in the classroom already. For those teachers that are not very comfortable with technology can pair up with another teacher or mentor in their campus. Another option is to use Microsoft PowerPoint application and create game based learning modules.
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In response to Rene, the cost of tablets is going down and more districts are looking at implementing 1:1 solutions. Loosing a textbook and damage or lose of a device are quickly becoming about the same. McAllen ISD took a big "leap of faith" when they decided to go district-wide on their initiative. I think a lot of the negatives are being overstated, and it seems the positives are still outweighing the negatives. Districts still need to see what will work for them, but letting others find the potholes makes it easier to move forward down a new road.
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Children are using social media as method of communicating, most kids do not talk on the phone they text or use social media.
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I have a great story in regards to the text above. I entered a science class where I had to provide inclusion to a six graded who was not able to write his name correctly. I struggled for about six months trying to figure out a way to help this student. One day I took my personal iPad mini to class to take notes for my student. I didn't have much room so the mini was perfect for note taking. Plus I really dislike using paper and pencil. I left the mini with my student and asked him to take care of it while I left to the restroom. When I came back I saw my student using the mini to take down notes. At this point I allowed him to write down the notes because he was having trouble keeping up with the notes. After two months of using the mini he was able to keep up with the class notes and then made the jump to writing his name and some annotation in paper and pencil. I saw the evolution and transformation that this student was part of thanks to a simple device like the iPad mini. I was pleased that at the end of the year he was able to write down notes and his full name. The iPad mini allowed my student to take down notes and keep up in class. It allowed him to recognize words, phrases, sentence structure, note taking skills and much more. My student didn't utilize social media but was able to use technology as a method of communication.
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Gould Burgess’ students subscribe to her blog, which is run through Wordpress, so that all their homework materials are emailed to them when she posts them online.
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Such powerful tools and great use of them but I have to share my experience with the lack of resources that students have. I have recently asked all of my students during each class about the access of internet at home or a close location. About 50 percent of the student population does not have internet access or a computer at home. About 25 percent of those students and usually they are the ones that struggle do not have access to a close location that provides a computer or internet access. The power behind accessing a blog with all the students homework and exercising learning principles that enhance learning is amazing and effective. How much paper and money is saved by having students turn in homework through google docs? How easy and effective is it for the student and the teacher? No more lost papers? No more papers ripped half way or cheating involved? How about the use of collaboration and team work instead of cheating? How about the motivation behind learning in a way that the student is already comfortable with? Powerful tools and powerful ways of learning is what this teacher is providing. Working smarter and not harder!!!!
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Teachers post free print outs, pictures of beautiful classrooms, and links to resources. Don’t forget to follow NEA Today!
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I am surprised that a lot of the students are familiar with this tool. Arts and crafts are an important part of life and a huge amount of learners incorporate it in their life. If it is part of the learners life then they must utilize it to learn. If they can use it to learn then why not allow them to use it academically. Today's learner is like any other learner from our past history. Engaged is the learner in music, art, dance, personal expression, painting, and related topics. Allowing the learner to utilize tools that express such interest can only lead to positive learning, motivation and higher order thinking when you connect one subject to another with the use of the tool. I like Pinterest myself and see the importance and effectiveness that it can cause in the classroom and why the learner in the K-12 system knows how to utilize it.
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Here are some great ways to simplify the integration of social media web 2.0 tools in the classroom.
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I find it very interesting as she states that with her system of teaching students have no excuse not to do their homework. Burgess is quoted saying "They know that I know that they have everything they need [to do their work]." I see this at home with my 10 year old, she has a laptop, desktop, iPad, iPhone and a father that knows it all. She has all the tools needed to conduct research, communicate, calculate, and so forth. Thus, as Burgess says, she has not excuse not to do her work.
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Great article about educators using technology in the classroom. These technologies are impacting how educators teach and learners learn. There should be much more resources (funding) allotted to public schools for initiatives that promise to change the way we teach. There is no doubt that these tools have impacted and will continue to impact schools and the learners. The new media is making the subject matter more exciting and engaging. However, there are some challenges. First, not enough funding is allocated for technology. Second, we still have educators who are apathetic about using any kind of technology in the classroom. Third, there still is a digital divide in some of our public schools. On one side we have parents who can and will provide any tool for their children to succeed. On the other hand, we still have many parents that by no choice of their own, lack the resources to provide their children the most up to date tools to make learning a positive experience.
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Rene, you touch on a point that I experienced when my daughter stared school this year. We went to her school on meet the teacher day. The teacher went over the rules and what was expected of every child, she then told us that the school was starting a program in which student would be allowed to bring a device and use in class. She indicated that it could be an iPhone, iPad, laptop and so forth. One parent asked what if their child did not have any of those devices, what they were going to do during that time. It was a very award moment but that parent had a legitimate concern. For some reason we assume that every child owns one of these devices but that is not the case, we need to take these type of issues into consideration when trying to implement a program such as bring your own device.
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Martin, Your earlier post regarding how your daughter has all the tools to do her homework made me think back to some of the criticisms from others that do not believe in incorporating technology in the learning environment. I remember reading one comment on an article where someone said that "googling something is not learning". In certain aspects, that statement is true, but I definitely think technology can be used to promote critical thinking and higher level thinking. For example, students could use google to conduct research but could then collaborate with their peers by interpreting and analyzing the research on wikis or Google Drive. They could also use tools such as Glogster or VoiceThread in an effort to foster their creative skills.
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Jaime I have used Wordpress in two of my previous classes. I found it to be a very good and educational tool to use. I enjoyed learning about Wordpress and using it in both of my classes. I found out it easy and effective to use. The communication with my professors using Wordpress was great. I like the fact that its convenient and free.
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Justin, I agree with Laura Esquivel. The use of a cell phone in the classroom is very helpful for students to utilize and obtain information or do any kind of research. However, another educational tool that is now being used a lot is the IPAD or the Android tablet. The children in school enjoy using these tools because they are very helpful to them. The students are able to download educational applications that can help them in what they are studying and etc... My daughter and I use our IPADs frequently for school and have found it to be very helpful.
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Martin, In regards to the point that Rene made...my daughter's school is doing the same. They can bring their own device as well but if they don't the can borrow one from the school. I was hesitant at first as well. Then I started seeing the things that they do with all this technology I was amazed. I so grateful that they are showing them at a young age. Sometimes my daughter helps me with certain applications.
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Justin, This is a great article showing how the use of web 2.0 technologies are both easy to use and integrate in the classroom. I especially liked the way the authors referenced the use of Edmodo for project submissions in electronic format. I believe that all paper projects and assignments should be submitted in electronic format to allow for faster submission to professors, reduction in costly utilization of paper, and to be current with the way technology is used in the "real world". I really like Edmodo as I have previously interviewed a high school instructor that has implemented after hours use of Edmodo as a bonus help/tutoring service to students with astonishing results. Of the total number of students, more than 80% were participating with at least one question or response to another student once a week while 75% were participating at least two times per week. Additionally, students would help answer other student questions freeing up the instructor to answer more difficult questions or help lead discourse in the subject area. Again, really good article and a great way to kick us off on the Diigo discussion boards!
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Here are some great ways to simplify the integration of social media web 2.0 tools in the classroom.
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Having students borrow the technology is a great idea, until the device is lost, stolen, or damaged. I have heard complaints from the McAllen ISD that they have to pay large amounts of money of else the district doesn't let the student graduate or enroll in school.
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Justin, great article. I like the flipped room concept. I agree with the teacher that lower level thinking skills should be used at home. Why? because I want the students to use their higher level thinking skills in the classroom. If they have questions and start to steer the wrong way with their higher level thinking skills. I can redirect and get them on the correct path again. Students need to be able to go home and rest. They should not have to be brain dead after a home work assignment and that is why some students hate school
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Jamie, I have used word press and it works ok. I do not think there is anything exciting about using word press. I think word press is ok. I am also liking this new discussion type forum DIIGO. I have never used it before and now that I have been made part of the group and can comment on the article and what other students think it works pretty good.
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No doubt that these tools are creating more opportunities for teaching and learning. With the onset of so many tools there is a major transformation on the way subject matter is presented. The learner is no longer a passive individual sitting on a desk. These technologies have allowed educators to present the material more vividly and engaging. As educators, however, we must also take in consideration that not all students have the resources that will allow them to use these tools at home. A post by Daniel that some students don't have cell phones is appalling. Nonetheless, the probabilty that some students may not have certain resources is very real. So, before you flip your classroom, please consider the marginal students. I used to be one of them.
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Technology in the Classroom - Mobile Learning - 16 views
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This video is an example of hosting an app night to bring parents, teacher, administrators and students together to learn how the use of technology can change the way we learn.
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Lu, I think this is a good way to bring the parents on board and help them understand just how technology can be beneficial for students if used correctly. Many people see technology as just a tool that can be used to play games or socialize with others. There are so many ways that technology can be used by teachers to enhance their lessons.
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Great way to emphasize that parents are also responsible for their child's education. It should be, "What did WE learn in school", and not just "What did YOU learn in school?".
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Lu, I think this is a wonderful event that schools can host in order to promote a better understanding of technology and its application within curriculum amongst students, parents, and school members. I honestly had never thought about a school hosting such an event but it makes perfect sense. It's as if they are hosting their own type of mini technology conference with a variety of sessions. It's great to see them taking this type of initiative. I'm sure many parents feel in the dark about technology and also about what's occurring in the classroom so this event is a great way to get them in the loop and more involved. I wouldn't doubt that there is also a significant amount of parents who don't view technology as providing learning opportunities so this type of event can help show them otherwise.
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Lucretia I think this is a great way for parents to get involved in their child's education. Technology is very important as for parents as well as for the children. It is the way of the future. It is very important for parents to learn as much as they can about technology so they can help their children with their education and have a better understanding about technology.
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José, I definitely see the greater point within your comment. Parents will have longer lasting access to their child's work through Web 2.0 technology mediums. Through communication sites such as wikis, or discussion forums students are able to save their work online, and get immediate feedback from their peers, and or their parents as well. Students are able to edit their work, by adding or removing ideas as they see fit, and then responding to others. This helps enhance the learning process and moves information from the short-term memory to the long-term memory. This is because information is being delivered in a continually conversational format. Research has shown that conversational learning styles are more powerful for cognitive processing. Overall, Web 2.0 technology tools are highly beneficial, and a quicker line of communication to use in education.
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I always hear that parents need to get involved more in their children's education and this is an interesting idea to facilitate that. Rene, I love the idea of what did "we" learn in school as some parents do not take ownership of educating their children also. Many of the parents of my student cannot afford technology. There is a misconception about districts being wealthier than others and this is something we need to keep in mind as kids are bused from everywhere. This would be a good thing for Los Fresnos though as they are implementing "Bring your own device." In a perfect setting both the child and parent would be on the same page technology wise. This may be a good start for districts to implement that.
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How many parents of the students you teach understand, know how to use or have the time and opportunity to learn about all the new educational apps that their students are introduced to every school year? I would venture to say not many. The opportunity to bring teachers, students and parents together to view what their student will be educated with is a step in the right direction for total support of technology integration. When my sons asked for help in a subject and I couldn't help them, I felt defeated as a parent. So I usually taught myself and then taught them---by the thrid child I was good! imagine putting the power of knowledge in helping their child learn in every hand of every parent. Very powerful!!
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Rene, I'm not sure if you recall from some of the previous classes that we have had together but this is something I have been saying for years. We cannot and should not expect for teachers to do our jobs, we as parents need to be the first teachers to our children. I am a firm believer that education begins at home and it's enhanced and molded at school by our teachers. Our teachers are our front line of defense when it comes to education; they are the ones in the trenches fighting the battles so that our children become good productive citizens.
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Rene, Excellent point. I'm sure students, particularly the younger students, enjoy having their parents help them with their homework should they become stuck at a certain point. It might be discouraging for both the student and the parent, knowing that they can't go to their parent for help due to any technological gaps. I think it's vital for parents to be involved in their child's education and take the necessary steps to learn more about technology. For example, parents can begin to take these steps by attending technology workshops as shown in the video.
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Amanda, As parents we need to be abreast to what is going on with our children in an out of school. My daughter (10 year old) and I both have an iPhone and you'd be surprise just how much I have learned from her. It the typical, "no Dad, not like that, you need to do this, let me show you." It's amazing how much they can learn with hand-on, she has that phone 24/7 and she really knows how to use it to its potential.
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Martin, I agree with you, our first teachers are our parents. We learn from them values and morals and other important skills in life. However, our teachers are like second parents because they help us to become better individuals as well as to prepare us for a better education, job and our future.
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Martin, I can definitely relate even though I'm not a parent at the moment. I see first hand the use of technology and children when I spend time with my nieces. The 2 year-old is already a whiz at navigating the iPad. It makes me wonder what advancements in technology there will be by the time she starts to attend school. I do think it is vital for parents to keep up as well so that they they can be involved with their children's education.
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Parents (Digital Immigrants) do have a steep learning curve when in comes to trying to keep up with their children (Digital Natives). Schools can only hope to provide enough of an orientation so that parents can feel comfortable with their children having technology put in their hands. Students have been placed in the role as teacher to their parents to overcome language barriers in the past and now to overcome technology gaps. All is good!
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Yes, us that are parents are our child's first teachers. We teach them everything from learning how to walk and how to behave. We can not depend on teachers or anyone else to raise them. Their teachers are there to help them move foward but it up to us to do the rest. We cannot expect them to do it all. Us as parents need to step up and get engaged with our children.
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Martin, we need more parents like you. You should be very proud that you care about your girls' education. Children grow in the image of their parents. Keep it up buddy; it's a life-long commitment.
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Parents expect that their students learn using technology, but fail to see how that technology is integrated into the curriculum. When parents learn how this is happening they are much more likely to encourage their students in using technology and also learning themselves. "Although most parents do not know how to help their children with their education, with guidance and support, they may become increasingly involved in home learning activities and find themselves with opportunities to teach, to be models for and to guide their children." Roberts, 1992. In Online Resources for Parent/Family Involvement. ERIC Digest by Ngeow, Karen Yeok-Hwa, 1999
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This is really an awesome idea - especially with the principal being front and center. That is really spectacular. What a way to get parental buy-in!
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Lu, I think this is a great post. Too often, I find myself taking technology for granted, and more importantly, that both children and their parents use it as much as I do. All too often, I see children that can use all of the major social media forums, but it's rarely focused with an educational hue. I'm glad to see that more parents, teachers, and students are taking a more active interest in using technology and its potential.
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Martin, I have to agree with your post. Although my children aren't quite as old as yours, my two-year old son can use both an iPhone and an iPad like a champion (so much so that we need to disable any network connectivity whatsoever). Children growing up in this age are light years beyond knowledge-wise and this gap between generational knowledge will only increase. I only hope that parents and teachers are both ready to help guide their children and students to use technology in more positive and focused ways.
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In order for this to work all teachers, parents and students need to be on board. My classroom is very technology driven however, I do have parents who prefer the pen an paper and would prefer their child to be in another classroom (since that is how it was done in their day). In order to move to this model the school and administration need to be ready with training's and making sure ALL teachers are willing to do it.
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The issue I have with young preschoolers having a cell phone comes to play because I have to ask, when is it age appropriate for kids to have a cell phone.With the average preschooler probably better at playing a video game than riding a bike or tie a shoe. Today's parents have difficult decisions to make whether it is to provide up to date technology to their kids or teach them soft skills like riding a bike. I think we need to ask ourselves, what we are doing to prepare or kids for life in a digital world? It seems we only look at what is gained in the digital world but what is lost during the process is also as important. With cyber bulling, cyber crime and internet safety a concern for most parents.The question then is as parents are we ready to tackle these issues or not?
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Now days technology is taking over everybody uses technology for everything. I remember 10 years ago when I was coming to school for my undergraduates classes everybody was using paper and pencils and now nobody uses them anymore now they ipads, tablets and laptops. However, we need to accept that technology is the future and we need to get used to it.
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You have an excellent point Daniel. Administration has to buy into the idea of using technology in the classroom. Maybe then ALL teachers will be more willing to get trained. Educator's apathy sometimes can be the greatest barrier.
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parents learned how mobile technology is integrated into the school day and how they can support their children within the mobile world
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To stay current on the newest apps and mobile tools, the school runs a Technology Advisory Committee to get input and information directly from students. Teachers, on the other hand, get a 10-minute mini tech training every Thursday morning on a new app or tool that they can use in the classroom.
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The school’s first ever App Night delved into the use of technology in the classroom to help with organization and productivity; world languages; social media; and basic skills and enrichment. Recommended apps for learning covered everything from global literacy apps to curriculum review tools and collaboration tools.
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I think one of the hardest things to do as a teacher is sit through a long, complicated and boring instructional seminar. I think that 10 minutes every Thursday would be something that I would look forward to, not dread. The tech department would also enjoy seeing smiling faces for a change. The opportunity to immediate try new technology every week is quite exciting! My question is dealing with the first part of the highlighted material. I realize that most all school districts have Technology Advisory Committees, but not every individual school. How would that work in terms of compliance with what the distrct would, or did recommend? Is it something worthwhile to invest in?
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In today's evolving technological world teachers need to figure out how to integrate technology in the classroom successfully. I can honestly say the local ISD's are losing relevancy as students turn to technology outside of the classroom. Some may argue that ISD's are committed in developing a learning path to technology but the timeline has not been defined nor the urgency to implement. For many students the classroom, teachers and their learning is longer done exclusively but the local ISD's. Access to information via web is free and without restrictions. The students have access to online videos, blogs, and social media platforms, outside experts learning resources without the need or help from academia. If academia is really serious about impacting student learning they need to develop a reasonable timeline, increase commitment and implement technology in the classroom as soon as possible. The key is finding the right technology and equipment that will make the biggest impact to student learning.
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That 10 minute thing is absolutely correct - which is why I really hammer EASY-TO-USE Web 2.0. You can change a tech naysayer to a YES person by showing them something that can transform their classroom in 10 minutes. And - can you say - high marks on the PDAS? Those 10 minute spots are an awesome idea. As a matter of fact, I think I will suggest that for my department meetings !
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Lu, I think the 10-minute rule is a great idea. Although not currently in a classroom, my company spends every other Thursday afternoon showcasing new and upcoming technologies that we plan to integrate (or have already integrated) into our software. It never ceases to amaze me at how far human ingenuity can take a mere idea through actual implementation. Although it can get tedious when we aren't able to be as productive as we might like on that day, being able to share ideas, see our innovations, and see how far we can push the technological boundaries (and how to use this technology) are time well-spent, in my opinion.
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How many of you as teachers can honestly say that the parents of your students really know how technology is being integrated in the classroom? I will venture to say not many and even if they do how, many know how to use the technology to apply it to the help their student? When my sons asked me to help them with a subject and I couldn't, I felt powerless. Most of the time, I would teach myself the subject (mostly upper level Math) and then teach my sons. By the third child, I was cooking! When parents can help their child they feel empowered and want to do more. App night is a way to empower parents to be an active participant in the education of their child.
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I like the idea of App night. As it stands, my wife and I started reading to our kids each night, but with a twist. We use e-books using either an iPad or a tablet, so it gives our children an opportunity to "turn" the pages themselves, as well as take advantage of any of the additional interactive content that bound books are unable to offer. It's a pleasant mixture of old and new, but still providing a great method of learning for everyone involved.
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Sean, this is a great idea! My wife and I read to our 2 year old and our 6 month old every night from the traditional book but I will start incorporating some technology into this as well. No time like the present to start introducing e-books!
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Sean, It is a good idea my 4 year old daughter loves e-books. She likes the fact that she can touch the characters and they make noises or move depend of the book she is reading. It is amazing how technology helps kids to learn.
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This video and the article to follow show how a school can involve parents in getting involved in technology integration.
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This video and the article to follow show how a school can involve parents in getting involved in technology integration.
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Excellent resources for educators, parents, students and the community who want to be on top of technology innovations. I really liked the idea of a Technology Advisory Committee. Every school should make an attempt to run with this idea. I especially liked the idea of the mini tech training. Too many times students know more about the latest technology than the educators. Thanks for sharing.
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This video and the article to follow show how a school can involve parents in getting involved in technology integration.
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Lu, you picked a great article and a great example of getting parents involved. I think that we need to get parents involved when it comes to their children and school. By having such an event like this one where parents get to learn about technology and its uses it makes them feel like they are keeping with their children and the "times". Parents do not want to be left out and sometimes their involvement or lack of involvement is because they think they are out dated or obsolete compared to their children. Parents also need to be encouraged to be involved with their child's academics. They need to understand that their involvement and support is huge for the student and the teacher.
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Lu, this is a great article showing exactly how to diversify the classroom environment by integrating available online resources to meet the needs and demands of our students. "We know that 75 percent of students are visual learners, and technology is something they use every day so we wanted to tap into what they are already doing and use that as a springboard to enhance learning," This figure seems very high but when really thinking about the amount of video games and online access the younger generations are exposed to it makes it easier to accept. I would be very interested in finding more literature and articles of this same topic that will help make my understanding better.
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Technology is moving fast and at times difficult to keep up with the trends. App night is a great way to keep the students and parents up with the resources that are available in the classrooms. The Thursday morning training for new apps also allows teacher to come up with ideas for lessons and way to engage students--this can become part of their PLCs- professional learning communities
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Students, say goodbye to snow days -- and say hello to school at home - CNN.com - 15 views
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A day later, when students logged in on school-provided laptops, they were able to ask teachers questions, work through assignments or jump into class discussions, even if they sometimes took breaks to shovel the walkways.
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With the use of "virtual school days", it seems students can have the opportunity to continue learning and not fall behind. Throughout the day, they can complete assignments at their own pace and at any given time as long as it meets any established deadline by the teacher. Overall, it provides opportunities for teachers and students to remain in contact despite not being in their normal physical classroom.
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I think virtual school days are a great idea, especially in those areas of the country that have six or more months of winter a year. However, I think it would require a great deal of discipline on behalf of the teachers, parents, and students. However, as long as each are committed to their respective roles, I see nothing but positives coming out of it.
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Any means that enhances learning is a great way to continue the learning process. This concept of learning at home requires a huge committment that parents must take on. We are assumming that every has the technical skills and internet resources at home.
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Jose- Yes, I totally agree. Virtual schools are the way to keep education going when the weather is not best to be out. But I think that you bring up a good point. I work at a school with many low income students, of which many do not have computers nor internet access. Therefore, the schools may want to brain storm a way to help faciliate virtual school opportunites to students that can't afford it. I hate making up inclement weather days, perhaps this is the solution. Great article.
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Sean, I'd hate to be living in Chicago where the weather is fierce. Making up inclement weather days in my school is bad enough...I wonder how it is for them up there? I think that the teachers will indeed need to have a great degree of discipline when it comes to coordinating their instruction. They will need to be able to coordinate times and assignment deadlines with their students. However, in the end it will all be worth it- as this is the way that education is headed in the long term.
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Great article! Jose and Maricela, I agree with you on taking into account the schools we work at and low income students who do not have access. Our schools may also not have the resources to provide a laptop to take home for each student. Our hurricane days usually fall within summer break but in case we get a late storm it is important to start thinking outside of the box. Teachers will also have to be very in tune with different types of technology and programs but a few training's on that should help. I think this is a great idea and just taking the technology that we all want to implement in our classes to the next step. On the plus side the students in the article seemed to really enjoy managing their own time and surprisingly enough the attendance to "school" on the virtual class days was higher than a regular day.
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Maricela and Daniel, I do not have any teaching experience but from what I understood in the article and maybe either of you can correct on me on this, a school has a certain number of days allotted for these types of closures but when they use them up, they must tap into vacation periods like Spring Break? I'm sure it is frustrating for teachers to have their lesson planning thrown off and also trying to keep their students on track with the curriculum as a result of school cancellation. I know the a virtual school day may not be possible for all but I think it can definitely exist as a possibility for some schools and having them avoid having to tap into extra make up days. I think it can help keep the learning paths on track without major interruptions. I know some students may not be enthusiastic about a virtual school day but I think in the long run it will benefit them.
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Daniel, you make an excellent point "Teachers will also have to be very in tune." We all know that some teachers, even with training, will not be in tune with the technology. Let's face it, there are educators who feel that teaching will not be improved with technology. Some educators strongly feel that technology is just a fad, short-lived, and will not transform teaching and learning. This way of thinking does not help students who literally are born with technology. Also, this way of thinking will never improve learning in any siginificant way.
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This is an alternative method that the district is using to keep the learning process moving. It is an excellent example of how technology can become a powerful educational tool when used properly. Think back at when most of us were in school, this was nowhere near being an option for us or for our teachers. This is really thinking outside the box; wish more of this was being done.
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Daniel, I could not agree more, teachers need to really be on top of their game in order to keep up with the ever growing technological trend. A lot of the research that I have done on teacher absentee has shown that it's not so much that teacher do not want to participate it's just that they do not know how.
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Martin, My kids think when I was in school dinosaurs roamed the earth. Yes, we have come a long way, when it was a snow day (in my case a hurricane day) it really was a snow day. However like Joseph Cirasuolo, executive director of the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents said, "If we are going to personalize education for children, we need to take advantage of what technology offers us and online programs are one of the things that technology makes possible." I like the interactive online programs that the schools in the article came up with for good use of the down time away form school. I think it would also be beneficial if the teachers used the snow itself to create lessons and then the students could post findings and observations so that classmates could review and comment on them. In the article below one school did just that. The students were learning how snowflakes were made and building 3 snowmen in different parts of the yard and determining which one melted faster. The school said that every snow day, the lesson plans were revised to include other activities to continually engage their students. I do like hands-on learning. http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/Could-technology-make-snow-days-a-thing-of-the-5286160.php
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I agree with all of you. Teachers need to get more educated on Technology and be able to utilize it more in the classroom. However, I know several teachers that feel that technology is just a fad and there is no need to learn and integrate it in the classroom. Moreover, we all know it is a very important tool that needs to be utilized because its the way of Education and life. Technology is here to stay whether teachers accept it or not. I just feel they need to embrace it and learn more about it for the children's well being along with themselves.
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Maricela: Yes, there are a few days set aside for inclement weather however, when there are unplanned inclement weather days they start taping into breaks and sometimes even extend the year. In my class everything is posted online (since I am really trying to push technology and help the students become comfortable with it). If every teacher could move to this model then everything would be uniform and teachers would not have to rush to post things. If all districts could move to training teachers to do this then it wouldn't be extra work for teachers. When I was getting my bachelors degree in Education I can't remember there being many technology classes for teachers.. it was mostly hands on learning. Has that changed for recent graduates? That may be where teaching teachers about applicable classroom technology needs to begin.
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Having technology as a back up for days like this is awesome! the students and teachers don't stay behind. They are still able to access their assignments and also able to get in touch with their teachers. Technology has grown so much the past years. I remember when we had to missed school due to weather related issue I dreaded going back because of all the work that we had to do. In order for this to be effective all the teachers need to be on top of the technology tools that they can utilize for this certain issues. If the teacher is not willing to stay in tuned with technology then it will not be effective.
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I see this as a great way to continue education through the use of technology. I do have to agree that a great deal of discipline and culture is needed in order for it to be effective with all the learners. Yes, it is always difficult even in the classroom to reach out to all of them but I believe this can work with proper planning.
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I see this as a great way to continue education through the use of technology. I do have to agree that a great deal of discipline and culture is needed in order for it to be effective with all the learners. Yes, it is always difficult even in the classroom to reach out to all of them but I believe this can work with proper planning.
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Laura, Great points. I'm not a teacher but I imagine having to miss school for several days can place teachers in a bind. They will need to rework lesson plans and still have to make sure they get their students back on track once classes resume. Its great that this could be potentially be an option for some schools rather than having to use up other days or run their risk that their students might fall behind.
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Tougher yet is the technology. Most schools don't have one-to-one programs that supply students and staff with computers, and home Internet connections can still be spotty. Teachers polled for a 2013 survey by Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project said more than half of students had sufficient access to digital tools at school, but only a fifth could access digital tools at home.
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The access to an internet connection as well as actual devices is something a school district definitely needs to consider prior to implementing virtual school days. While many students probably have access to some type of device whether it be a laptop, tablet, or phone, how many of these have sufficient internet connection at home? Plus, if a school is having to cancel due to bad weather, it is possible that this weather might impact a family's access to internet or other power sources.
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A very good point. I have had to stop myself on several occasions because I made assumptions about other people's access to technology and at-home internet. I now have to internally stop myself and ask my clients about any potential shortcomings as far as access to a certain level of technology or a certain internet speed. I then look at local elementary schools and how they currently lack enough computers to support a program like this. It will be an interesting balancing act to watch as technology requirements continue to grow proportional to the available budgetary constraints.
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The digital divide keeps growing with students that do not have the means of resources. The argument of public access points also is invalide since that would require a committment to go to the point of access. Schools and teachers should clearly plan when using technology tools.
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How do you keep an entire class moving forward with a virtual school? Monitoring students who are not directly in front of you can prove challenging. Maybe video chats, or live confrences when the students are on the clock will prove helpful. I think that when teachers are planning their instruction to zone in on these inevitables, they will be able to make the virtual school a more successful experience for all. I think that the concept behind virtual schools will definitely be very feasible in a mass scale soon enough. As educators we have to think to the future and technology technological mediums such as Web 2.0 is it.
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Sean, I too am guilty of those same technological assumptions as well. Its very easy to assume others have the same access as you especially if most of the people you interact with have sufficient internet access as well. The school district will need to consider this aspect when working on the development plan for virtual school days. I'm not sure how they would go about handling students that do not have access at home since I'm sure in every school there will be at least one family that falls in this case.
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Amanda and Sean, I think most of us have that same assumption. However, there is an organization working toward providing 30 million Americans with reduced Internet access within the next 3 years. Families with K-12 students that qualify for reduced or free lunch are the focus. "The consensus is that a big piece of how we are going to work in classrooms is with digital tools, both in class and at home," said Zach Leverenz, CEO of Connect2Compete. "Kids living in homes without the Internet are increasingly at a disadvantage as coursework and workplace skills become more dependent on technology." http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2013/03/internet-access-for-everyone-a-new-program-targets-low-income-students/ Look at the website Everyoneon.org to find out how this is happening and how you might could help. http://www.everyoneon.org/
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Thanks for sharing this article Lu. I had no idea that there was initiative like this in process. I think its great. Technology is used so much today, it makes me think just how much it will be used in our classrooms over the next few years. It would be unjust for students to be left behind as the article mentions. I also like how they will be providing training as to how the Internet can be beneficial. I use the Internet frequently and still discover new things I can use so I think this type of training is necessary for individuals that have rarely used it due to a lack of access.
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Technology in schools is a great tool to use. At schools all the students have opportunity to utilize it, but whats happens when they get home. The majority of the students might not have internet access and don't have the advantage to learn those tools more. I think there should be some type of program to help those without internet. It could be provided only during the school year for a low cost. This will give those students the chance to practice what they are being taught.
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Lu, you are on top of up-to-date information. Thanks for sharing with us what you read. It brings the point that today's education should be "just-in-time" education and not "just-in-case" education. We are actually using what we are learning. Technology, by the way, plays a vital role in the "just-in-time" education. Employers expect employees to know the most up-to-date information. Just as well, teachers should expect student to have the most current information. Without the Internet or mobile technology the "just-in-time" education is a bit more challenging. I applaud all of you who are making comments and keep me on the cutting edge of information.
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Money here is the issue and it always will be. Every time that the conversation about technology comes into the classroom finances are always touched. I still believe that plenty tools our in our reach but we need to educate the students and our teacher's of the tools and how to utilize them. Financial support is huge but starting with what we have is important.
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Chris, I agree. I think we can at least begin to take small steps with what we have. Proper training for both teachers and students will help them reap the benefits of technology. Not all students have access to technology at home but at least we can do what we can to help them utilize technology to the fullest in the classroom.
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Online, he finally heard some quieter classmates speak up. "Having it all out on Twitter, people have that little barrier," he said. "It was kind of open to a lot more opinions."
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I've mentioned this in other posts, but I consider myself quite the introvert and appreciate the opportunities that technology provides as far as "giving a voice". I don't know if I would speak out as much in a traditional environment and find myself more at ease in sharing opinions through this virtual medium. I think this would be one of the benefits of virtual school days which could provide somewhat of a change for the quieter students. They may view it as an opportunity to become more involved with discussions.
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I have to agree with you, Amanda. As a closet introvert (had to force myself out of my shell for professional pursuits), I completely empathize with anyone that might have difficulty in sharing their thoughts and voice with an audience of any size. With technology, you no longer have to feel like you're standing up in front of the masses and they are staring at you like a three-headed cow. Now, we have the opportunity to share our voice in a variety of forums, probably provided in a more clear and concise manner, and meet new people with much less societal pressure. Technology continues to advance education and our society in new and inventive ways!
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Great thinking Amanda and Sean. Technology allows introverts to come out of their shell and extroverts to learn to listen. This plan allows introverts to voice their opinion and fosters learning for the extrovert. The thinking of those giving feedback and receiving feedback is improved. We need to be sure, however, that introverts do not become fascist.
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Amanda, Sean and Rene, Coming from a very extroverted opinion, I know first hand about learning to listen to those introverts when they use technology. I really am glad to have had the chance to learn so much through many of the introverts that have been in my classes throughout this program. The old quotes about listening really should ring true in all ears of extroverts, " We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak." Epictetus http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/listen.html#VD4tAUXyaoYVTDs0.99 I am thankful that I have had the opportunity to listen to those that are not as outspoken as myself. They have taught me so much about subject matter, about when to be quiet and when to speak (still working on that one) and to remember to do the same for my own students.
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Amanda, I agree with you. I consider myself an introvert as well, because I like how technology gives us a voice. I am one of those students that is a bit shy and can not engage easily in a conversation like others. They would definitely view it much more easy to engage in discussions.
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Lu, Thanks for sharing that quote. I love it. Jose, I agree. It's great that technology can help give a voice to others. I actually was a bit hesitant about pursuing this master's program in the beginning since I had never taken an online course. Looking back, I think this was the best option for me.
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I am the type of learner that will sit in class quiet and shy the entire time. Yet, if you sit me in front of the computer in an online class I am the complete opposite. I interact, collaborate and stay engaged most of the time. I have the opportunity to voice my opinion and thoughts without having anyone looking straight at me. I also get to express myself while working with a team fluently. It is so much easier to just engage and collaborate online since there are minimal distractions. It is a great way of communicating because it forces all team members to listen and then actively provide feedback.
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In my Edmodo classroom, students who never ask questions, timid, and quiet in class among other classmates are those students who ask more questions through Edmodo than the other students. I have found that online classrooms have given the shy students confindence in communicating with me, their instructor, to progress through the course.
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I agree that online discussions give those who find it difficult to join F2F conversations an easier in. I think some of us process information differently and may benefit from reading a post, having time to formulate a response, re-wright if needed, and then let it fly for all to see. Hopefully with a supported ability to edit or delete. F2F just does not lend itself to that level of control.
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This article discusses how some schools are using technology to hold "virtual school days" and continue the learning process during periods of school cancellation because of inclement weather.
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Do you feel more schools should use technology to hold "virtual school days" during periods of school cancellation or should they just let a "snow day" be a "snow day"?
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This article discusses how some schools are using technology to hold "virtual school days" and continue the learning process during periods of school cancellation because of inclement weather.
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I can see how school districts heavily investing in 1:1 device solutions could go to a virtual school day for some grade levels (once a month or once a week) to immerse students in the digital environment and possibly recoup some of the cost. Thought is that students need to function at a distance whether it be for regular school, higher education or ultimately at work.
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I like the idea of using virtual school days. It is the best of both worlds: stay home and learn. Students are able to spend more time with the material and allows students to think for themselves and explore new ways of learning. Nonetheless, there are several assumptions in virtual school days: Everyone has access to the information. We all know that is not the case. While all technology produces engagement not all engagement is positive. Another very important aspect is attendance. Funding is based on attendance. How will schools count one day attendance. Just giving much work does not necessarily means that students were "in class" a full day. In spite of these issues, I feel that virtual school days will work. This concept allows students to look at learning in different ways and to stimulate creative thinking.
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Rene, You bring up some good points. There are still many potential issues with "virtual school days" that a district would need to consider. It won't be perfect in many aspects. However, I think the pros outweigh the cons and this strategy could definitely be beneficial for a school suffering from many cancellations. As you mentioned, it would be a change for some of the students, enable them to learn in different ways, and help maintain the learning process without any major standstills.
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I like the idea of "virtual days" for those "snow days." The students are able to stay in focus with school. This will help them stay in check with their school work and not make of it as a day off. Schools can do practice drills on virtual days with their students to see how it will work. This gives the student the chance to learn the virtual world. This way the students learn how to log on and attend class through their computer devices.
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This article opens the possibilities for school anytime anywhere and I applaud the efforts made and taken by this school district. With all of the advances in technology the current student generation will wish they were their parents or siblings who got to stay home due to weather closing schools and instead groan when they receive notifications and emails about assignments on a snow day. Additionally, this should be used to expand include sick days to keep the student informed and actively participating in school activities and turning in their school work. UTB has a similar plan when a hurricane is barreling towards the south Texas coast to switch many face to face courses to online and blackboard modality to minimize the downtime and not have to make up or extend the term. I believe this is a great use of technology and happy that it was added here for our review. Great article!!
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This article discusses how some schools are using technology to hold "virtual school days" and continue the learning process during periods of school cancellation because of inclement weather.
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This article discusses how some schools are using technology to hold "virtual school days" and continue the learning process during periods of school cancellation because of inclement weather.
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Using Social Media to Teach Visual Literacy in the 21st Century Classroom - 9 views
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This article reminds educators that 21st century technology needs to include both textual communication and visual literacy. What does visual literacy look like in your classroom? Are you using any special method to what and how you are trying to teach? If you do not have your own classroom how can you apply this idea of textual communication and visual literacy to your own job?
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I am going to teach a child to ride a bike. Should I lecture for an hour about how to ride a bike? Or, should I bring a bike and have the child get on it and start riding it? Then, post on Facebook the child's successes! Finally, text his friends and relatives of his/her progress. Hello, there is no competition! A child will learn much better visually, kinesthetically, and using social media. Therefore, should we stick to lecture or should we include some social media, visuals and activities in our classrooms. Our students are more in tune with the latter. As educators, we must also be in tune with today's technology. Here are some examples of visual literacy in my classroom: My students get a text message reminder (Remind 101) of due dates. We use Poll everywhere for surveys and instant feedback; students create avatars to introduce themselves; and we all use texting for constant communication about assignments and/or projects. Our students demand that educators re-think the way they teach by incorporating social media. We need to listen to our students' needs and teach to meet their social media thirst.
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Daniel, Interesting article! I like one of the the easiest ways to teach visual literacy is to introduce a photo about something that students are studying and place hyperlinks on different parts of the photo. The information on the hyperlink tells about that part of the photo. For example my students are introduced to a new patient managing system during the last part of their first year in our program. They have not had any prior knowledge of the program. The home page of the program is just a picture of a typical dental operatory, however when you click on certain areas of the home page it takes you to specific areas within the program. I start off by just having the students observe the home page and then hover over any area and information about the area pops up to inform them where this leads and what to expect in that particular area of the program. It really them to learn without actually going to that particular area of the program and trying to navigate back to where they started. After they understand where all the specific areas of the program are, they can easily and confidently begin learning each new areas in greater detail. Another way I have utilized visual literacy is when I thought high school, I would have students in my homeroom create a travel brochure of their lives. It could not contain any words just pictures such as favorite hobbies, greatest dream, greatest weakness, greatest strength, family, etc... Then their classmates would look at their brochures and see what they could find out about each other. It was always eye opening! Friends that thought they know each other probably found out the most. It was a way to break the ice for a new school year and make lasting bonds. Here is the best site to get free photos that you can use for any subject that you teach. http://www.freefoto.com/index.jsp
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Rene, I really like the idea of having students create an avatar to introduce themselves. When creating an avatar you can create who you want to be, who you think you are or who others see you as. Students would be free to express their inner selves and not just post a actual picture of themselves. My avatars are always young, very thin and of course very pretty!
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Thanks for sharing the freefoto website. I am already using it for my online class! By the way, I am also guilty of dressing my avatar "pretty". Hey, at least I can be handsome sometimes!
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Something that we do in our undergraduate EDTC classes is ask student to create an avatar so that we all know what everyone looks like as we post comments on the blog. Because of the online concept of the class, these avatars are the windows that represent who we are.
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A very interesting article that brings some practical ideas of including available social media technology as part of literacy. Not teaching a course this semester I can only reflect on what I have done, which is limited, by including these examples in my class. The one course I used this concept was in a University Experience course in which the curriculum is to tell students how to be successful in college as well as what resources are on campus. To get students to explore the campus I created a scavenger hunt, placed the students in random teams of 4, and had them post pictures to my Twitter feed upon finding specific items/locations on campus. This was an activity performed during one class period and afterwards the students could more easily identify buildings, routes, and office locations by referring to the pictures or the other Twitter posts. To me it was a success and would use this again in an online course having certain activities requiring the student to take a picture and add it to a blog or an Instagram account to help show their progress or implementation of a technique in a classroom. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this article Daniel and I have some new ideas for more integration in the classroom environment, great job!
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Abel, I really like your idea about using photos of campus resources and using social media. I teach a similar course and I am going to steal your idea. Thanks!
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Great article. In my opinion, I think our society is very visual so why not incorporate this type of learning. I've used the web 2.0 tool Glogster to create a collage with photos and other images. I think this would be a great way for students to learn about each other whether it concern their interests, hobbies, goals, or anything else they wish to share about their background. I also think this would be a nice alternative to the traditional white poster board. Pictures can also be great discussion pieces. Sharing photos about certain topics through social media like Twitter can generate many responses and opinions. Students could be asked to research photos regarding a certain topic such as something native to a particular country.
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Abel, I think your scavenger hunt activity is excellent. It's a very creative and fun way for students to become familiar with the campus. Additionally, it seems like a good activity to help the students interact with each other in their teams and with the other students through Twitter. Ultimately, they are all working together to help build a great campus resource for themselves.
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Amanda, I have never used Glogster but I did some research and it looks like it would be a good platform for another project I am working on. I know you can sign up for a free version but is there any limits to the free version? Does it let you create as much as you want or are there restrictions? I am eager to find out and see what I can do with it. Thanks for the information.
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Abel, The old saying a picture is worth a thousand words is actually very true. I really like your scavenger hunt using the pictures.If i can incorporate it somewhere I will. For my niece I did something similar in the mall. We set up "unique scenarios" that they had to take a picture of and then send them to us. Of course the first team to complete the whole thing won. We got some of the most hilarious photos. We printed them all and made a quick scrapbook for each individual and my niece for a memento of the event. I still have some of her friends tell me it was the one of the best times they ever had at a birthday party.
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Lu, I used the free version but with the premium you do have access to more resources and class management options. However, there is still so many capabilities with the free version. You can add photos, embed YouTube videos, rich graphics, and you also have access to some creative templates. I think it's a great tool to use for information sharing amongst students on a very creative platform.
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Rene, I think the idea of creating avatars is a great idea particularly in the online world. I've incorporated the use of Voki for some of the asynchronous trainings I've created. I like the idea that they can provide a little bit of personalization to a training and possibly contribute to more of an instructor presence.
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I believe social media has its advantages and disadvantages. If used responsibly, there is no telling how much a teacher (or anyone) can accomplish using the wealth of tools at our disposal. I once had a teacher that had us respond to her Twitter feed in order to get our assignments. An interesting idea that forced us to get acquainted with a new techology (at the time). Now that being said, if used irresponsibly, they can be equally powerful, but usually not in the positive ways we initially intended. Unfortunately, that same teacher must have mistakenly used her Twitter feed for personal use by mistake, as the entire class was privvy to an online argument with an ex-boyfriend. Overall, I think the use of social media can be a valuable additional tool in our professional toolbox. However, as with most things, we simply need to be sure that we use them responsibly to maximize their benefits.
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Lu, I think it's a great and wonderful idea of how you have your students do a travel brochure. I agree how pictures say more than simple words. The students get to express themselves and its interesting of students to learn from each other. I will definitely incorporate this great idea with my daughter when she grows up with all her friends. I am sure they will be fascinated with the idea just like I was. Yes, I am sure it was an ice breaker to start of the year. Thanks for sharing !
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Daniel, The article was very interesting ! I agree with Abel in creating a scavenger hunt and find that idea to be awesome to incorporate with the students and how in doing this they were able to find departments, classes, routes and etc... I myself have created an online training for my employees, to where they can understand and guide themselves through each of the departments in central receiving. This helps them have a better understanding of each department and allows them to know each department thoroughly for inventory purposes. I have attached a map of all the departments in the university as well so it can guide them upon inventory. My employees have found it very helpful and continue to utilize it to guide them.
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Daniel- Nice article. I think that social media is a great way of meeting the needs of our technology savvy students. By using social media within the classroom and beyond, we are basically speaking our student's languages. Millennials grew up with these modern technologies, and so they know technology and social media is the way that they communicate. Virtual literacy appeals to their senses, because they are keen to that type of educational medium as it is. Many of my students get impatient if our internet is running low, so I see how their can be some disadvantages to social media because we become a society of "we want it now." Impatience as we know is not a virtue. Therefore, I think as Sean pointed out there can be some disadvantages to this as well. However, I also think there is a fine line between social media being used. I currently use YouTube to display some of my educational videos, and some of my students have subscribed to my channel- before I even knew they could. What I didn't like about that is that they got to see the comments I typed on videos I had seen...that's before I even knew they could do that. So yes, technology is a great things- but it must also be used with a lot of mindfulness. Here is an additional link to the topic you have posed: http://laureljs.wordpress.com/2014/03/19/social-media-as-an-effective-teaching-and-learning-tool/ It's a simple word press blog from an educator giving their two cents on virtual literacy and social media in a social media type of way enjoy.
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Rene- Great point. I agree with your comment, that a child will learn much better "visually, kinesthetically and using social media." The 21st Century child is a child of technology. Social media is second nature to them- it's the way they learn. I think that lecturing is still very important, but as educators we need to incorporate technology within the classroom environment or we are bound to loose these student's attention. At our school we are judges on our PDAS by whether we use technology in the classroom to relay our knowledge to our students. Gone are the days of complacency. We must change and adapt to accommodate the tech savvy students that we now serve.
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Amanda- Glogster sound like an awesome web 2.0 tool to use, as I use collages all the time in my classroom. However, it would be a great idea to make a virtual collage that all students can access and modify outside of the classroom environment. Students really get into technology. Most recently at our school we started using avatars in learning to really personalize our student's instructional experience. Students got to decorate their own personal avatar that represented themselves, and would reap the benefits of their online academic successes. The school noted great success from that venture. Web 2.0 technologies are a great way for student's to become active and willing participants to their own learning experiences.
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This article is a great reminder of all of the visual ways we can enhance our classrooms and our jobs. Rene, I started using the text message option (thanks) in my class this week. We will see how it goes. Some of my students are really good with technology and others need more practice. It's a constant dance with them but in the end I know that helping them along and introducing new things will only make them more successful in the future. Lucretia, your travel brochure is a great idea and one I will have to use. I agree that we can say very little with pictures and have the students come up with the ideas and ask the questions! Your avatar and scavenger hunt ideas are also very good and out of the box. I agree that we need to visually engage students in order to allow them to critically think. Long gone are the days of lecture and textbook pictures!
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Week 12: What You Need To Know About Babies, Toddlers And Screen Time : All Tech Consid... - 5 views
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I found this article amazing as most of us have children. I have realized that my four year old daughter uses the iPad more than her dolls. I also thought to myself how much screen time is too much? As I was reading the article I realized that it focused more on 2 years old toddlers and the amount of screen time they need. The article didn't come up with a number but did talk about the difference between a toddler staring at the screen while working on applications and interacting socially with the use of the screen. I personally don't have an issue with my daughter playing with the iPad and attempting to navigate it and learn how to use it. My daughter has attempted to learn different things on the iPad but it was ineffective so we used a grease board or an outdoor activity that allows her to understand the skill or knowledge. So my question is how much technology does a young child need? Is society forcing them to learn this way as a priority? Are we as parents or teachers replacing our creativity with technology?
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I think technology should be dictated by the parent because every child is different. I also believe that while some parents could be a little more flexible with technology keeping a close eye with their child's development in cognition skills is always concern. It far too easy to use technologies as a bitter sitter in the long run it could have dire consequences for the child.
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I agree with you Chris my four year old daughter play more with her Ipad than with her toys she is so addicted to her Ipad that sometimes i don't know what to do. She loves playing games and practice her acb and the numbers but, most of the time are the games. Sometimes I think is are fault for our kids to be so addicted to technology because we use technology as a bitter sitter.
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I think it's up to the parents to find a good balance between technology and other non-technology activities. I don't have children but my 3 year old niece loves playing with the iPad. However, she still has just as much fun with some of the more traditional activities, working on a puzzle, writing in a notebook, working with flashcards etc... I think there can be some great benefits from having children use technology but I think they can potentially become overdosed with it. They should still be involved in physical activities and the more traditional social/communication activities.
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Amanda, I agree that a balance is important to establish early on to create good habits in a child. I also believe that children mimic their parents, so the child sees mom and dad on the phone, laptop, iPad etc...they think this must be what I should be doing. The behavior of child can often times is determined by the actions of the parent. Parents need to demonstrate the behavior they want their children to have. My father always said" Do as I say, not as I do." The sad truth Dad is we watched and did exactly what you did, right or wrong, good or bad!
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Jose, I agree that parents and teachers do use technology as baby sitters. The amount of screen time definitely interferes with the development of some very important interpersonal skills needed in life. Skills that studies show that they would be deficit in are oral communications, collaboration and creativity. These skills require practice and screen time decreases the chances that children will have the opportunity to practice. Steven Baskins talks about his experiences in getting children to put the device down and start acquiring the above skills. http://youtu.be/4rI3olRHxP4
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Jaime, I too have witnessed and been part of the baby sitter "tablet monster". I have now an entire year training my four year old table manners. I sit her down and teach her about the important basic table etiquette. Yet, in regards to the use of the tablet I must approve the application and I generally go through it with her at least once so that I approve and guide her to actual learning. The issue I have is the actual applications that are designed. I have a handful that I allow my daughter to utilize and in reality they are poor in quality. I do agree with you Jaime that each child is different and some can have more flexibility than others.
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Jose, Yes! Technology and technological appliances are like "popcorn" at the movies. The movies has not even started and we are entertained by eating popcorn. I sit down and eat the entire bowl of popcorn even before the movie even starts. My daughter's table use to be like the popcorn. I failed too as a parent. I would sit her down and do the entire process. I believe that the more tools we have the more responsibility we have as parents and teachers to properly execute the learning.
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Amanda, Physical activity is so important to children but I ask how much time is just enough? A balance is correct but what numbers do we work with? I am curious I allow my daughter about 30 min straight on the tablet. Then, I switch up the activity but in reality how much is she learning in those 30 min? What do you think Amanda?
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Lucretia, It is so true! My daughter's mother informs me that it is difficult for her to get our daughter from asking for the tablet. Yet, the times I have eaten lunch or dinner as a family I observe my daughter's mother texting away on facebook, twitter or one of the many social media. Toddlers do what you do because it is easier for them to pick up what they see with their eyes. Great Comment Lucreti! Yet, I have to ask what if our behavior is not followed? What if you have a toddler or child who conducts himself/herself in a different manner than what you display as a parent? How do you guide? How do you establish good habits?
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Lucretia, Great video clip! In regards to your comment I worry about creativity and problem solving skills. Creativity is drained if you plug a child in front of a tablet for hours because everything is given to them. All they have to do is observe, swipe, click and continue the same pattern. I occasionally have my daughter paint, sketch, cut, paste and work on general art skills and at the beginning she struggled to even follow the lines with a crayon. I have observed that technology must be used with a very specific purpose, plan and goal. Lucretia I really enjoyed the video clip!
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Chris, You pose some really good questions! I have done some research and there really is not any clear cut guidelines established yet. The only thing I found was no more than 2 hours of screen time total a day for toddlers. I guess as parents we are going to have to set limits just as we do for other things that we know can potentially harm our children, despite the tears and the wailing!
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I think that young children that are exposed to technology at an early age really do find it fascinating. I think about my brother who last year purchased all four of his children ipads. He stated he did it for educational reasons, but there is something unsettling about that. Like, shouldn't they start off by reading books first. I mean to each there own. I believe that technology is a great thing for children to use, but moderalty as there are books, magazines and other forms of communication to explore. True technology is a tool that we can now use to make our lives much easier, but we should not escape from our basic foundations either. My 7 month old grabs my smart phone becuase of the lights...but I can't help but wonder if there is something else that intreges her about my smart phone rather than it's color and bright lights. Does she find the moving screen entertaining? Does she like that when she clicks on the phone's face different applications pop out? At just 7 months of age, she seems very enthralled by technology, so I can't help but think that maybe there is a shift in the dynamic of this new generation. Almost like it's enfussed within them to connect with it. I know this maybe too far reaching...but just some food for thought. Still, some may argue it's the lights, but I still feel that it's more than that. My daughter really enjoys the fast movements of the phone, and after all technology is all about being fast. This is the cutlure that we live in now. When I was a baby I wonder what enthralled me, since technology was but an aspiration at that time.
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I think you do become a product of your environment. I think back to when I was a child and things did run a bit slower. The little things grabbed your attention. Today the world does move a lot faster and their are countless electronic devices to capture a young child's attention. We do not want them to become numb to the beauty of the stars twinkling in the night sky, but how many of us still find opportunities to go see a fireworks display and do not even realize the stars are up there. Now as I get older, I reflect on those little things, but I have to admit that the environment I worked in for most of my life was fast-paced and you either adjusted to it or held on to the simple life and quickly go left behind. I think technology evolution impacts us whether we want it to or not!
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This is a very important topic for me right now as I try to find a school for my son who is transitioning from a daycare to kindergarten. One of the things I am looking for in a school is how much technology he will be using in the classroom as I feel that he has enough time and resources at home to learn and work with technologies like the iPad. If the school has a large amount of technology integration then I will be making changes to the home use accordingly. Additionally, my wife and I are technology oriented individuals and with my preparation in the EdTech programs I know how to use and integrate technology for learning activities so I am looking for a school with lower utilization of technology. It's a great topic, thanks for sharing Chris!
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Great article! My wife and I are constantly using technology and notice that our 2 year old likes using her Leap Pad however, she is not addicted to it... she will put it down and play with her other toys. We are not against our kids watching tv. They are both in daycare and spend most of their day interacting and playing with other children. In the evening we allow them to watch the Disney channel and to our surprise they are playing while they are watching... not glued to the screen. I think finding a nice balance with the use of technology is important.
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I believe that the question posted this week should be based on the child's development. Piaget has some guidelines (albeit, outdated) that may be consulted. Every child, based on nurture and nature, develops differently. The one-size-fits all mentality of how much technology a child needs (as posted in another class' post) cannot be part of the way we handle the use of technology. As a society, we have done very well in promoting the benefits of technology for children and youth. We should not take a step backwards by limiting some activities on the future generation. Information is expanding tremendously. We need to continuously update and expand our knowledge base. Technology is an excellent way to develop that knowledge base and to meet the expectations of today's complex society. Limiting the use of technology in the early years will limit a person's ability to function effectively in the later years. Nonetheless, parents (as Daniel mentions) and teachers must manage the use of technology for our children and find a balance for that unique child.
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Much like Abel and Daniel I have two young children and I sometimes do question myself about how much time I let them spend on their mini iPads and iPhones. I will admit I am guilty of asking them to use their devices while on long trips but then again I do not travel too often. We have a similar topic in my other class and I indicated that we need to keep a balance between the amount of time spent using any device and the amount of time doing so sort of physical activity. My daughters recently joined a kick ball team, this type of activity allows them to spend more time exercising and socializing with other children other than through a device or in school. Again, we must maintain a fine line and make sure that we are keeping a close eye on what our children are learning and experiencing with electronic devices.
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Chris, My question is are we really raising tech-savvy kids or does the developer just make the device so user-friendly that appears our kids really are tech-savvy? We assume that they are tech-savvy when possibly they are device-savvy. Does it make a difference in the outcome of their development? Just questions I thought of when reading the article. As for the screen time, there really are not a lot of studies that have been conducted about this. All the studies have been done on TV and video games. But it stands to reason that if adults spends too much in front of a screen a variety of physical ailments occur, then a toddler would have the same and possibly a great deal more due to their developing brain. The article below addresses some of the problems with too much screen time for young ones. http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2014-01-22/health/bs-hs-ask-the-expert-screens-20140122_1_screen-time-ipad-app-toddlers
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Daniel, I experience the same thing with my nieces and the television. Sometimes, they just want to have it on the channel but aren't glued to the screen. They're busy doing their own activities or playing with each other. I guess they are already learning to multi-task. I think there needs to be a good balance between technology and other activities. They each have their own benefits.
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Chris, In response to your question about how much time is needed for true balance, I don't know if there is one definite answer. I think this could vary with child to child. However, I do think it is so important for children to be exposed to different activities outside of the tablet or other technology related activities. I think the parents will be the ultimate judge about how much time to dedicate to each activity. I think it will certainly be a learning experience on both ends.
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Martin, I think it may be hard to define an exact amount of time but I think as a parent you're taking good initiative in exposing your daughters to other activities. I think there are so many benefits of physical activities that they won't be able to gain from technology no matter how far advanced it becomes. Although I think technology is here to stay and we need to prepare our children to use it effectively, I think we definitely need to expose them to other non-technology related activities.
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Daniel, I agree with you. Balancing activities out is wonderful. My kids do the same thing. They watch TV and play at the same time. My kids as well have many technology gadgets but they don't play with them all the time. They still prefer their toys.
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When it comes to technology us as parents need to keep track. My daughter has a NABI and it has a time control feature. When she has reached the limit of using her tablet it shuts off. It has a password she cannot access any more until the next day. Technology is something that I think all our children need to learn at a young age. My kids are pretty advanced on how to use technology and I thank their school for that. My daughter is only 9 yrs old and already knows how to do a QR codes and videos. Her school is having a TECH night in a few weeks to show all the technology projects they have been working on all year long. I am excited to see this! If you see an advancement in your child then why not keep letting them use tablets or other technology gadgets. My son that is pre-k already knows how to read, add, subtract, count by 2's and 5's. He uses a lot of ABC mouse, star fall and PBS kids.
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Could the College Campus Go the Way of the Bookstore? - Anthony Flint - The Atlantic Ci... - 1 views
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Class, As I was reading this article I began to think about my experience as a student and a teacher. As a teacher I have utilized a couple of web 2.0 tools that have enabled the learner to think outside of the box. I have also created an atmosphere for creativity and engagement. As a student I have the online experience has led me to endless environments and tools. For college, as a student, I hardly utilize the library for learning. Most of my learning is done in my house, the car, outside patio at the campus (waiting for a study room), but most of it is away from the campus. I ask myself whether we really need all that infrastructure with classrooms? I can see class being conducted outside in a patch of grass. Most students have smart phones and a laptop/tablet where they can produce collaboration and work. Simply, I think the college campus will remain the same for most part but change should come. A majority of the students are still not very comfortable with taking classes online so I don't see a major shift. I do believe that some college's will move faster and make drastic changes.
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Chris, I can't remember the amount of hours I spent in the library studying, cramming, or just finding a good book in my younger years. It really is a shame that so many of the current generation won't be exposed to the joy of cracking open a good book, or even putting together a research paper at the last moment by using physical books and encyclopedias (remember those?). Now it seems that we can do almost anything from the comfort of our own homes (conduct research, buy almost anything, and complete a graduate degree). However, I would caution all those saying that MOOC's are the wave of the future, and colleges will disappear as we know it. I do agree that classes can be conducted almost anywhere; however, I know I learned so much in my undergraduate and first graduate degrees on the college campus. Now that I'm older and have too many distractions, the online option is ideal. However, I know I would hope that my own children would have an opportunity to shape their young minds on a university campus. Then they could progress to a fully online environment. Or even a happy median where they could both attend physically for some courses, yet then get the opportunity to take fully online courses, too. I just know that online course require a great deal of discipline, so if you are unaccustomed to setting your own schedule, keeping deadlines, and making sure your assignments are done, it can be a pretty unforgiving experience. Thus, my suggestion for the campus introduction first. Regardless, I do see the need for infrastructure with classrooms. While having the online option available is great, I think students having the ability to have a physical classroom will be helpful in the formative years.
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Problems with Education - Very Funny Video - YouTube - 7 views
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I ran into this video a few semesters ago and began thinking about my educational experience at the university I attended. After careful examination of the video two questions emerged. Do we really need 4-6 years of additional education to be fully prepared for a career? Did the college/university you attended prepare you for the career you currently have? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRnHlQo6Sx0
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Martin, That's an interesting point. I was actually talking about this with my boss the other day. I have learned the majority about my job and job field by working. The degrees didn't necessarily provide the knowledge I needed, but my English M.A. was an expensive piece of paper that opened up a wide variety of professional opportunities. In some cases, I have to admit that the additional schooling can be helpful. In the case of this particular graduate degree (M.Ed in Educational Technology), I needed the additional framework so I could have a mental foundation to build my professional toolbox. I am not in a classroom outside of corporate training, so it was crucial that I developed a basic understanding of the concepts and theory necessary to be successful. Overall, though, I have to say that professional experience typically far outweighs additional schooling.
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Nice video post Martin. Regurgitation of information and things like rote learning is what the video is stating is what education tend to be about. I think the example that he gives about two years of college Spanish, will only leave you with very limited Spanish basics- is pretty accurate. The comedian stated that the vocabulary that is taught in the classroom will be forgotten by students so why learn it in the first place. Although I don't necessarily agree with that statement, I can see how not all terms will be remembered. I feel that I did a lot of rote learning back in my days, but have since advanced in that department of learning- ha, ha. I still believe that rote learning is really good for some things such as multiplication facts- where either you know it or you don't and no abstract thinking need apply. But I feel that within certain contents actual reading is way better than simply just teaching vocabulary terms. It's funny because he's basically saying let's cut out the middle man…he'll provide a diploma almost like a drive by experience…if only it were that easy. I feel that this video would definitely be a better way to get the message across to the audience better than just stating the objective of the message. Web 2.0 technologies are critical to make the thinker think outside of the box. I thoroughly enjoyed your web post for the week- thanks. Here is another cool video link on a fun way to tackle teaching by introducing gaming: http://youtu.be/4vZhWUHPjbw My two responses to the messages by my peers- Rene, I agree that we are better able to learn from a more personalized instruction. That is why it is fascinating to me to understand the logic behind instructionall design and how we are supposed to make our modules conversational in nature. How we should use avatars to bring out that personal feel. Even though it's not the same thing, it still is a step i
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Great video Martin. Thanks for sharing. Most of us "highly educated" individuals, know that no years of schooling will make you smarter than another individual. In my short life I have met countless of people who are SO intelligent but have never had many years of formal education. My mother is a prime example. She is much more smarter than me, yet, in the eyes of society, she is illiterate. I, on the other hand, am "highly educated". As a society, we need to recognize that education is not just a degree. We need to value individuals who make contributions in different ways. Nonetheless, we also need to understand that we are facing an education crisis. More people need to be formally educated. If we fail to get educated, our society will grow weaker and our standard of living will go down the drain. Education may not provide all the answers, but that "little paper" is a great investment.
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Maricela, there were some things I did not agree with as well in the video but what I wanted to point out is that many times we get so focus on education and forget to pay attention to the actual career. I have heard students say they are getting a particular degree because that is what their parents want them to do. Yet, they are not doing what they want to do, many times that could be earning a certificate or an associates that does not require a 4-6 year degree.
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Sean, my bachelor degree is in History yet I have worked at the University from a work-study position to now a director and adjunct instructor. Much like you I have learned most of what I know on the job, the M.Ed in Educational Technology was intended to help me move up the latter and it has helped since the job I currently hold requires a masters degree. I do agree professional experience and on the job training sometimes outweighs additional schooling.
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Martin, First of all I really enjoyed Father Guido Sarducci back in the late 70's and early 80's on Saturday Night Live. He pretty much always had good insight then and it still applies today. My most memorable classes in college were the ones that the were hands on and the ones that applied directly to my degree. In other classes rote learning was fine for the test. I can regurgitate with the best. However, I remember very few of the items that I memorized with the exception of anatomy and physiology, which I incorporated mnemonics to help me learn. To answer your questions: Do we really need 4-6 years of additional education to be fully prepared for a career? Did the college/university you attended prepare you for the career you currently have? I don't think you could ever be fully prepared for any career after 4-6 years in college. I think experience prepares you fully, with experience comes wisdom and insight. That is way many college degrees are adding internships and work experience in order to graduate. For these millennial students rote learning is never going to work. They are hands on, tech savvy and ready to conquer the world one Smartphone at a time. In order for us as educators to engage all 4-6 years in learning we must incorporate ways to educate our students so that in 5 years after graduation they can remember more than supply and demand, Como esta usted? and Where is God?
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Rene, I agree with you about some of the most intelligent people I know never got an formal education, but learned from their experiences and the world and people around them. In the 1960's 10% of the population had college degrees, today 30% of the population has college degrees. There have been so many advancements in every discipline across the board, yet only 10%-30% of the population are "formally educated." Does not seems possible, right? Just like you said, "As a society, we need to recognize that education is not just a degree. We need to value individuals who make contributions in different ways." I do not agree that every student is college bound. I do believe they all should have an opportunity if they choose to go to college, but some are just not ready. As a society, we need to recognize this and create alternate paths for these students to travel on without them being made to feel like their contributions to society don't count.
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Great video, Martin! My wife and I have this "more schooling" conversation often as we are both pursuing our doctorates hoping that it will open more doors for us in the future. We have found this to be both true and not true. Some jobs want you to have more schooling and others think that having to pay you more because of all of the schooling you have is not worth it. We have been on both sides of the hiring spectrum. The degrees provided me to an extent with the tools I needed for my job but, the piece of paper and the tests I took made me eligible for the job I have. It is my opinion that teacher education programs just cannot prepare you for being in a classroom. There is a huge difference between learning about something and actually doing it. The classes that were hands on seemed to be the only things that prepared me for being a teacher... for example lesson planning, etc. All the lecture in the world couldn't prepare you for the personalities that you encounter when teaching and the socioeconomic factors as well. No two students are alike. In the end, I don't think we need all of these years of education (for many of us it's 10 years of higher education) but we do need to networking with professionals in our field and the ability to say that we have the piece of paper that makes us an "expert" in our field.
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Daniel, If we don't need all those years of education do you have an alternate plan for being successful at whatever degree you have choosen? I think on the job training would be so much more interesting, helpful and educational. What are your thoughts?
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Lu, something that the military does and it does it very well in train its soldiers and they do this mainly with hands-on and on the job training. I went to school to be a helicopter mechanic, as a matter of fact I was just telling my wife last night that I failed my first test and was given one more chance or I would be kicked out. The reason I failed it was because it was an open book test and I had never tested in that manner so I was lost. I had always studied or memorize the material and that is how I was successful in school, never had I had an open book test. Once I got the hang of open book test I was an expert at taking test but not an expert mechanic. It took several months of actually working on the helicopters next to people that were already experts that made it possible for me to learn all the ins and outs of my job as a mechanic. To be honest with you, I could have done just as well without the school part.
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Daniel, I do agree that we need the education to follow certain careers but I don't think we need all the content that is required to earn a degree. For example, why do I need to take kinesiology to be a history major? Why do I need to take two more histories and two more governments when I have been studying this same subject throughout my k-12 education. It just seems that some of these degrees are made longer just to keep a student in college where they'll be spending more money on tuition and fees.
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Lucretia, I agree with you. On the job training is more interesting, helpful and educational. As a teacher, I think that I could have learned what I needed in two years and then spent the rest of my years doing hands on learning in the classroom. I still have to attend training's that are relevant to my job anyway which are sometimes helpful. Martin, I agree we don't need all of the content that is required to earn the degree. I must say that it has been helpful to take a few classes outside of the realm of my degree. But, I'd rather send my child to a doctor that has a broad knowledge of biology, medicine, genetics, etc., instead of only a understanding of just common child illnesses like the cold and flu. In K-12, we are not simply teachers of one subject. I may have been hired to teach history, but, I'm also a friend, coach, mentor, occasional health consultant (when they come to me before going to the nurse), mediator (there are plenty of disagreements in middle school students), math teacher (History involves some occasional mathematical work), etc. You took a history or government course from about 1st or 2nd grade all the way through your senior year in HS, right? If you were going to be my College or High School teacher, I think having 4+ college history courses would make you more of a subject matter expert, no?
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Daniel, I agree, the more you read, research and practice a field the better you will become, well at least in theory that is the way it's supposed to work. But as you mention to Lu, that you could have learned what you needed to learn in two years and the rest could have been hands-on. Maybe that should be something higher education should be looking at, more of the real world setting instead of so much classroom time.
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Martin, Nice video. I've seen it before after one of our instructors posted it in another class a few semesters ago. Although funny, it is also kind of unfortunate in a way. I have to admit that after 4 years at a university I too probably did forget many of the things I learned. It does get you to thinking if it all was entirely necessary. I have a business degree and I am currently working in the higher education area so I don't think my specific degree has helped me in that sense. Obviously, you still need to have good communication and writing skills but I don't know if you necessarily need to attend 4 years of a university to obtain these skills. I think much of what I've learned in my current profession have been things I have learned on the job. I think in general I find that I learn better that way in actually practicing something and making mistakes and learning from mistakes rather than reading a manual, textbook etc.. Although at times I know reading and grasping information in that sense can still be crucial.
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Lu, You bring up a good point in how many college degrees are adding internships as part of degree requirements. I have noticed this as well and I think this is a great effort on the part of the academic institutions. It provides the students with the real life experience and the ability to actually apply what they have learned in classes and also gain knowledge from the actual practice. I think it also provides them with an opportunity to begin to network with individuals and have those connections upon graduation. These internships could also be great to allow for students to take early on in school which could give them a better idea about the profession and if it may be the right fit for them.
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Rene, I definitely agree. We need to value contributions that others make to our society who may not have doctoral degrees or any other types of degree. Our society needs to have a diversity in the contributions made in order to function. Your post makes me think back to the video I believe Jaime posted a few weeks ago by Sir Ken Robinson. We are not all fit to attend a university and there is nothing wrong with that. People can still gain much needed knowledge through other avenues and still make critical contributions to our society.
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Amanda, The interships do provide some great advantages to students. My son is majoring in Agricultural Economics and he has an internship with the USDA this summer. He needs "practical" experience in just agriculture. They have him working in the fields, inspecting crops. The point is to give he knowledge not only in just his own small part of agriculture but a total picture of the world of agriculture. He seems very excited and knows like you said will provide him "with an opportunity to begin to network with individuals and have those connections upon graduation."
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The joys and woes of being an educated person! As you may notice, most of the comments in this blog are "educated". I think one of the reasons for requiring a four-year degree is to become a well-rounded person not just to learn how to be teacher, engineer, or an agricultural individual. As Daniel pointed out, most of the training to become an effective educator is done out in the trenches. Lu, also makes a good point: networking. We all know that many times is not what you know, but rather who you know. At any rate, I would highly recommend any individual to become "formally educated". The advantages of being an "educated" person far outweigh the disadvantages.
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Rene, don't get me wrong, I'm a huge advocate of higher education I just think that we might be over doing it. I'm also a firm believer that not everyone is college material, I heard someone this week say that "not everyone is college material, besides we need good bar tenders." We need to stop trying to send everyone to higher education and focus on technical options; at least that is my take on this.
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Amanda, this has been my biggest beef with dual enrollment for the last 10 years, getting these very young, extremely educated graduates who have no experience what so ever. Who in their right mind will hire a 21 year old with a master degree and no experience in the field? The dual enrollment programs need to incorporate internships into the program, allowing for these young students to acquire some sort of hands on experience before graduating.
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Martin, I wholeheartedly agree that not everyone is college material. But we need to give the opportunity to anyone who wants it. Sometimes the "non-college material" individual may realize that they like college and may actually do very good.
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Internships do provide an excellent opportunity to see the area of study for what it really is in real life. The worst thing I think someone can do is to focus academically and find out at the end that this is really not what you thought it would be. In Texas there has been an increase in developing courses in each Program of Study that provide exposure to the field, but the focus on going to Higher Ed has made many students shy away from the two-hour courses that are not receiving Dual Credit or a higher weight on their GPA. Local Districts seem fixated on this. The State just introduced the concept of graduating with Endorsements to help force a higher value on career focus in hopes that these Practicum type courses find there way into graduation plans. Sometimes old school parent influence is hard to shake as well. Time will tell!
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Martin, Great video! Sometimes we need something entertaining in education to clear our minds. To answer your question Do we really need 4-6 years of additional education to be fully prepared for a career? Did the college/university you attended prepare you for the career you currently have? Sometimes the 4 or 10 yrs of education that we get sometimes does not cover it all. I think that we learn a lot of it from experience and actual hands on training. When we finish college and go out and look for a job what is the first thing they ask " How much experience do you have?" Your university may have prepared you right if you had the opportunity to have a internship. Internships are great! They help you prepare for the outside world of college. You also get to see the real life work experience in your career. That is when you know if you picked the right career. No one will ever be prepared for anything right off the top. You learn as you go and one day at a time.
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Rene, I don't think that everyone is illiterate...you make yourself become that way. Everyone is intelligent in their own unique ways and I think that we as a society should see that. Sometimes the ones that don't have the fancy degrees are the ones who can help us the most in some cases. Every one is college material. They just need to find the when is the right time.
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Martin, I really enjoyed the video. However, in reference to your question do we really need 4-6 years of additional education to be fully prepared for a career and did the college/university you attended prepare you for the career you currently have. I really have to agree with Laura. It does help to have a degree because it definitely opens doors plus in several jobs they require a degree. However, what I have noticed that counts a great deal is having experience. It all really depends on the real life work experience in your career. Moreover, employers want to know what your work experience is and how many years experience do you have. This is what they really want to know. I have several friends who major in Criminal Justice and end up going back to school to complete the ACP program in Education because they can not find a job and end up teaching. I am sure it varies for everyone. Great job Martin !
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Martin, I do believe that having a 4-6 year degree fully prepares you, if you can work in area similar to what your degree is intended for. I can't speak for everyone, but I spent 5 years to receive my bachelors and masters (both of which have helped me teach all levels of secondary math). This video is funny, but it generalizes the college student to one that doesn't specialize in any specific field. I wouldn't degrade the college degree from years of study to 5 minutes worth of learning. Justin