Back to Blogging...taking a closer look at Google Apps

Apparently unless I am forced to blog to obtain a grade for a graduate class, I don't really find the time to post!  I've decided that with some upcoming changes to my professional life, it was time to get back to the blogging side of educational technology coaching.  

I've been using the Google Apps (and also the Google Apps for Education) for a few years now and quite frankly, I think I've taken much of what it can "do" for me for granted.  While the obvious uses for Google Apps include the Gmail App and the Google Docs (or Drive) App, there are many other uses that I feel like we've just scratched the surface of.  

The real time collaboration available in the Drive App means that teachers can share and comment on student work whenever they want.  The ability for students to share work with teachers, students, or even their parents, means that whatever is being worked on can be seen by a greater audience with the click of the keyboard.  

Google Forms is a nicely designed tool that can be used in many different ways in the classroom.  Teachers can create forms that they send to groups of students.  Forms can also be created to be shared with colleagues.  Tracking student behavior or creating a form that can help intervention specialists work with students are just some of the ideas that can be used with Google Forms.

Finally, Google Classroom is a newer feature of the Google family.  Teachers can set up online groups for any variety of classes.  Homework can be assigned through the Classroom (coming in as an attachment or linked to the Drive), student work can be assessed and evaluated (again through the Drive), and students can post comments and/or questions to teachers or classmates.  Teachers can grade work and then return assignments to students.  

There are many other uses of the Google Apps...we're just getting started.  Stay tuned, I'll be looking at the three things I've talked about in this post in more detail and I'll include examples of how these apps can be used at different grade levels.  

As always, if you are interested in learning more about educational technology and have some specific topics that you'd like to explore, please contact me at stansley18@hotmail.com.

Happy Technology!!

Teacher Professional Development and Technology

Teacher professional development is a key component of any educator’s success in the classroom.  For many teachers, participating in professional development is a requirement for maintaining a teaching license.  There are many different methods that teachers can use to obtain professional development in a variety of curricular areas.  One of the methods that is gaining popularity is using online sources.  Teachers can use online resources to participate in professional development.  This can be a good choice as it offers teachers the flexibility of getting what they need when it is needed.  Many teachers use online sources because it saves both time and money.  Because teacher professional development is such an important part of the educational system, it is only natural that the methodology that is used to obtain professional development be studied and reported upon.

                As teachers look for professional development opportunities that will help them meet their curricular goals, they may also consider the method used to obtain the instruction as important.  Utilizing online sources may then offer the teachers the added benefit of seeing how they can incorporate educational technology into their classes as well.  In the first article read, “Professional Development 2.0:  Transforming Teacher Education Pedagogy with 21^st Century Tools”, the authors undertook a study which they hoped would expand their knowledge of using collaborative approaches in the classrooms.  Too often, teachers are constrained by old teaching paradigms and need to see the benefit in how new emerging technologies can be used in both teaching and learning.  Many faculty members are considered “digital immigrants”, those who are not native to using educational technology in their daily teaching lives.  Unfortunately, they are teaching digital natives and must alter their teaching paradigms enough to make use of technology and provide effective instruction to their students (Archambault et al, 2010). Technology offers many ways to reach students’ today.  The use of Web 2.0, or online resources that offer students and teachers the chance to not only read what is on the web, but to write and modify or create as well.  For this study, the researchers found that of the teachers surveyed, most felt like they could not only effectively participate in online environments, but could become facilitators so that their students could use the online resources more appropriately.  The teachers felt that the biggest difference was that learning about technology is very different than learning what to do with the technology in an instructional setting.

                While the use of Web 2.0 applications can be very powerful in a classroom setting, there are still many reasons why teachers don’t feel comfortable using them in the curriculum with students.  In the second article read, the issues of digital natives vs. digital immigrants is the underlying thought process as to why teachers do not feel like they are able to use technology, specifically Web 2.0 in the classrooms.  Convincing teachers that there are better ways to teach to reach more learners requires a carefully designed professional development experience and teachers need to know that there is a positive end result.  Helping them feel comfortable in an online environment and determining if there was a specific subject or grade level in which teachers felt more at ease teaching and learning in an online environment seems to hold great impact in their future technology experiences.  Teachers need a clear idea on not only what to do with technology, but more specifics in how to use the technology (Holmes, et al, 2010).  For many this is too challenging and they do not use technology to the fullest potential in the classroom.  There are many tools at a teacher’s disposal everyday and only those which can be seamlessly integrated into the everyday lessons are going to hold the most promise. 

                Teachers know that one of the biggest draws to getting students involved is to make sure they are active participants in their own learning.  A good constructivist learning environment allows for students to collaborate with others and create content that demonstrates they are growing their knowledge base.  The last article that was read entitled, “Editorial:  Examining Social Software in Teacher Education”, once again points out that software, specifically social software like Facebook or MySpace, can play an important role in both teacher education and ongoing professional development.  The author does not dismiss the potential negatives with using this software in a classroom setting and perhaps it is important to realize that not all technology tools and applications should have a prominent role in a classroom.  It still comes down to teachers knowing their learners and understanding how to use technology to reach those learners.  Finally, this article gives an important rationale for allowing students (and teachers) to “publish artifacts of their learning” and that these artifacts can then “promote feedback and reflection” (Ferdig, 2007).

                As with any example of how technology might be used in a classroom, the important distinction is that teachers are prepared, been properly trained, and have the correct support on a regular basis.  In the future, we will definitely see more professional development take place online and that can only further enhance the experiences that teachers can provide for students.  There are many ways that technology can be used to have students collaborate with each other and then create content to share with a greater audience.  Having the support and guidance of a teacher who has been properly trained in using these tools can make the difference in student learning success.

Resources:

Archambault, L., Wetzel, K., Foulger, T. S., & Williams, M. (2010). Professional Development 2.0: Transforming Teacher Education Pedagogy with 21st Century Tools. Journal Of Digital Learning In Teacher Education, 27(1), 4-11.

Ferdig, R. E. (2007, February). Editorial: Examining Social Software in Teacher Education. Journal of Technology & Teacher Education. pp. 5-10.

Holmes, A., Signer, B., & MacLeod, A. (2010). Professional Development at a Distance: A Mixed-Method Study Exploring Inservice Teachers' Views on Presence Online. Journal Of Digital Learning In Teacher Education, 27(2), 76-85.

Multiple Intelligence Theory

Howard Gardner set his sights on changing the way that intelligence is looked at.  He considered the view of a single general intelligence (“g”) as outdated and unable to account for some of the issues he was encountering as he studied individuals who had suffered from some sort of brain injury.  While his perspective was mainly that from a psychological standpoint, his theory of Multiple Intelligences soon became a “beacon of light” for educators around the world. 

                Gardner has designated at least 8 different intelligences that he believes (and in his opinion, empirical research has proven) exist in each individual.  Those intelligences include:  linguistic, musical, logical-mathematical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and natural intelligence.  He continues to question the existence of a ninth intelligence, existential intelligence.  In order for an intelligence to “qualify” it must meet a series of criteria.  These criteria include:  the potential for brain isolation by brain damage, its place in evolutionary history, the presence of core operations, susceptibility to encoding, a distinct developmental progression, the existence of idiot-savants, prodigies and other exceptional people, support from experimental psychology, and support from psychometric findings. (Gardner, 1983)

                Because educators grasped so quickly onto Gardner’s theory and looked for ways that it might impact what was going on in the classroom, it seems natural that we should look to see how Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences might apply to educational technology use in schools.  Gardner believes that technology is “a tool, not positive or negative” (Weiss, 2000) and believes that the use of technology in the classroom can allow for different intelligences to be “showcased” in a variety of ways.  For example, someone who exhibits a strong musical intelligence, might be highly engaged when they’re using a computer program to compose music.  Likewise, someone who is strongly intelligence in logical-mathematical intelligence, might enjoy creating a new computer program or modifying existing programming through the use of Open Source Software.  Just using the Internet might expand upon interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligences due to the very collaborative nature of online resources now available.  There are numerous other ways in which multiple intelligences may be strengthened by using educational technology resources.

                Gardner cautions against seeing the multiple intelligence theory as a “educational prescription” that will cure what is wrong with students in the educational system (Gardner, 2006).  Rather, he envisions his theory as a platform for understanding about how education is to be designed for student understanding.  If teachers are using the theory correctly in the classroom, students will be given the opportunity to demonstrate or show their learning in a fashion that best suits their strengths.  Similarly, he believes that the assessment practices currently in place in the United States need to be looked at closely for their connection to multiple intelligences. 

                One of Gardner’s fundamental assumptions about his theory is that there is a relationship between genetics and culture.  Without the culture valuing a particular intelligence(s), it will not be important to the child.  Our educational systems are products of the cultures in which we live.  The role of technology in the educational system is also a by-product of our cultural value.  As we move forward, it seems apparent that technology is not going away and as educators, it is our responsibility to ensure that students are given opportunity and experiences to best use their intelligences in their learning.  It is through this design that Gardner believes that his multiple intelligence theory can make the greatest impact.  He reminds his readers that it is especially important that we not allow technology to not dictate the uses, but rather, the educator and the student. (Gardner, 1999)

 

Resources:

 

Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of Mind. Basic Books:  New York.

Gardner, H. (1999). The disciplined mind. Penguin Books: New York.

Gardner, H. (2006). Multiple intelligences. Basic Books: New York.

Weiss, R. (2000). Howard Gardner Talks About Technology. Training & Development, 54(9), 52.

Social Networking

Social networking seems to have become the glue that keeps everyone closely tied even though they may be far away geographically!  I have been using Facebook for several years and use it for both personal and professional connections.  Professionally, it has become an important part of my Personal Learning Network (PLN).  I've connected with professional organizations, other teachers, and other technology coordinators and use Facebook to share resources and suggestions.  It is a good way to keep these resources in one handy location, one that I visit daily as I connect personally with those on my "friend list".

I've not used Linkedin before.  I have looked at it, but haven't invested the time in really exploring it too much.  I guess for me it was just the "one site too many" that I really didn't have the time to commit to!  Students today are using Facebook less and Twitter more.  I do use Twitter, much in the same way that I use Facebook, but I don't comment as much on Twitter, but instead, use the resources shared by those I follow.  I can see why students, especially high school age and beyond, are using Twitter.  They can quickly type or tweet from their smart phones and those tweets pop up like texts.  In using the 140 character limit of Twitter, they've started to develop their own shortcuts for language and find acronyms for many things.

Sites like Ning are interesting to me as well.  I've had several teachers create Ning environments in which their students became someone and carried on interactions as this persona throughout the unit.  Our junior high history teacher has students join a Ning about the Constitutional Convention and they each become founding fathers of the country.  They participate as if they are the person and react as that person in history would have reacted.  Our science teacher had students participate in a Ning environment as well.  Students worked as a particular scientist and created an online museum displaying their findings.  It was a huge hit with the kids as they got to create their own Ning page.  The downside is that the Ning site is no longer free and the teachers have to pay to continue their projects.

Social networking does just what the title implies, it allows a place (or places) where people can share words, videos, photos, etc. with whom they choose!  David Warlick compares social networking to an ecosystem of sorts.  He says "we are working an information ecosystem in which we cultivate the information, we become information gardeners" (2 Cents Blog).  I think I can really identify with that comparison.  Those who cultivate their social network will see it grow and those who let it go or ignore it, will see that their personal learning network "withers" and doesn't thrive.

These are important tools that teachers can use to their advantage.  As with all social networking, responsible use is important to maintain credibility as a professional.  There are certainly negative drawbacks to using social media and I'm not sure at the elementary level, sites like Facebook are appropriate for students.  Students at the elementary level still need much guidance on what is acceptable and how something typed can sound differently then when you say it in person.  The ISTE standards of digital citizenship can be explored if you are interested in using social media with your students. 

For Diigo, the group that I chose to join is "Classroom 2.0".  I chose this particular group because I am very interested in how Web 2.0 applications are and can be used in the classroom.   I still haven't become used to going to Diigo to check in on a regular basis as many of the sites that I follow I have in my Google Reader and get new RSS feeds through that application.

The biggest drawback to any use of social networking to me is the time involved.  Sites that I can use on my phone are of the most interest to me.  I can check my Facebook, send tweets, and check emails to stay connected to my personal learning network!

Gaming

I was really excited about this topic as I thought I didn't really know as much about this topic as other technological tools for the classroom.  What I was surprised to find out is that even at the elementary level, we are already using some great gaming sites for educational purposes! Many schools are already using these tools.  Although, as stated in the Horizon Report from 2011, "the scarcity of quality educational games is impeding more rapid adoption", there could certainly be more educationally rich games available at the grade school level.  Software developers need to remain focused on developing good quality software for elementary students.

According to Katie Salen (2005), "games work as rule-based learning systems, creating a world in which players actively participate, use strategic thinking to make choices, solve complex problems, seek content knowledge, and receive constant feedback, and consider the point of view of others".  Salen, a game desiginer and professor, started the Institute of Play in 2007 to help students learn by playing games.

Gaming has the potential to reach students who don't respond to traditional teaching methods.  For students who have learning disabilities, the chance to learn by playing a game may make the school day and their learning of content more relevant and fun.  

I've had experience with Second Life, but found that it was just too time consuming for me at that point in my life.  I can see the benefit of such an environment and depending on the field that you are in, the potential to use these technologies as teaching tools is amazing. 

Augmented reality (AR) was also a relatively new topic for me, although I have an understanding of what it means and entails.  I can certainly see the benefit in using something like the ARSights, in which students can take a virtual field trip to a 3-dimensional object, like the Coliseum in Rome and not only study where it is at (by using Google Earth) but also get to manipulate around the object to see it from different perspectives.

Students again, potentially have so much experience already with using something like the Xbox 360 Live with Kinect, a gaming system that uses augmented reality in the camera system.  Bringing these tools into the classroom can only continue to enhance the environment for students.  That doesn't mean that these tools are necessary for all students all the time.  As educators, it is our responsibility to determine when using these types of technology is appropriate in the curriculum.  As I mentioned before, these tools might have great benefit for only a small portion of the student population (like special needs students), but teachers need to be aware of their availability and their implications for the classroom. 





Gaming sites explored:

Our students regularly use Starfall Reading to listen to and interact with stories of many different types.  This is used primarily with our Kindergarten and first grade students.  Students are able to navigate this site easily and they have little difficulty with figuring out what to do.

Our junior high science students have used the NDSU Virtual Cell Learning Environment as they studied the cells in physical science.  Students after using the Virtual Cell then created their own cell model based on some of what they had seen during their experience.

Lastly, I explored Whyville.  This site has been around for quite a while (in technology years), launching in 1999.  Whyville is an online presence in which children can become a citizen and actively participate in different activities.  They can create an avatar and interact with other members in a safe setting.  It seems very similar to Club Penguin, an online presence sponsored by the Disney company.  In Club Penguin, a monthly membership can be purchased and children can create their own "igloo" for their penguin, travel around the area and interact with other penguins.  My own children have played Club Penguin in the past and really seemed to like it.

Open Content and Ethical Issues

Educators have throughout history been "sharers" by nature!  If a teacher finds a good resource, it is often shared with others. It is this sharing that makes an educational community a great one!  The issue of "open content" takes sharing to another level.  According to the Horizon Report (2011), open content "allows and even encourages the re-purposing and reusing of scholarly works".  As we enter even more technological pervasiveness in the educational community from early education to higher education, it is clear that the digital resources that come to the forefront in any discussion of open content are even more relevant.  On the OER Commons website, teachers can find numerous resources that are meant to be shared, modified, and reused.  One of particular importance is the Common Core Aligned Resources.  As we move toward more integration of the Common Core, teachers are going to be looking for and finding more resources. The searchable nature of this particular website (and I know there are others, but I really like the ease of this one), allows teachers to search depending on both the resource they are looking for and the grade level.

Textbooks are also another important piece of the open content puzzle.  As the standards change, teachers need to be able to find resources that may not be available in the textbooks they are given.  Textbooks are expensive and become quickly outdated by the changing standards. The ability of a teacher to use an "open" textbook means that when a specific topic is needed, there may be a text online that meets the needs.  As we try to differentiate instruction, this again, is a helpful way to make sure that teachers are able to reach all of their learners. E-Readers are making a splash in the textbook arena.  Both e-readers and tablet computing offer users the opportunity to read books, downloaded or stored in the cloud, on their own time.  I can see that schools are going to start looking seriously at the practicality of using online textbooks with student e-readers or tablets.  Imagine the possible savings. Over time, it could be a money saver for districts who want (and need) for their students and teachers to have access to current material that can be tailored to meet their specific curricular needs.  As a teacher, I've used Google Books to preview books that I may want to use with my students and as a student, I've previewed books that I may consider purchasing for my own use.  My own children use their e-readers daily for the personal reading.  We've had so many students start to bring their own devices (BYOD) to school that we are constructing a new policy to cover the use of the e-readers or tablets in school.

Just because the technology makes it very easy for us to find and use what we are in need of, teachers need to be respectful of the rules that govern the copyright of the online resources.  Creative Commons provides guidelines for those wanting to use/contribute to the multitude of resources (including images, video, music, documents, etc) now readily available on the Internet. Creative Commons offers creators of content a "bridge from content to community" in which anyone can enter. There are differing levels of use, mostly dependent on giving the creator the control over how their content is used and ultimately shared.  The attempt of the Creative Commons is to make copyright easier and more "user-friendly".  These are important topics that educators who use technology should be aware of.  ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) includes this "digital citizenship" category in the student standards revised in 2007 (ISTE, 2012).

It is clear that these are important topics that are going to continue to come to the forefront in education.  As our access to technology continues to improve and our students come better equipped, teachers and administrators will need to understand the implications (both positive and negative) for these issues.  Open Content can provide schools with a viable alternative to spending thousands of dollars, assuming they are practicing the ethical, digital citizenship we expect from our students!

Resources

Adams, S., Haywood, K., & Johnson, L. (2011) The NMC Horizon Report: 2011 K-12 Edition.  Austin, Texas:  The New Media Consortium.

Creative Commons. (n.d.). Licensing. Retrieved February 3, 2012, from http://creativecommons.org/licenses.

International Society for Technology in Education. (n.d.). ISTE: NETS for Students. Retrieved February 4, 2012, from http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-students.aspx.

OER Commons. (n.d.). Retrieved February 5, 2012, from http://www.oercommons.org. 

In The Clouds

Educational Technology Wordle from David Warlicks 2 cents Worth blog.  

Cloud computing has become an important aspect of the educational community.  Economic times have forced schools to look for services that can be provided which bear little cost for the school.  Cloud computing allows for collaboration and sharing of ideas, projects, etc. between users without having to "store" the file on a specific computer.  Storage on "the cloud" means that anyone can have access to the file without having to open an email attachment.  Many everyday tasks can be completed "on the cloud" and many smart phones provide capability of using cloud computing. 

In my particular setting we use Google Docs for many of our teacher collaborations.  We jointly collaborate on a weekly newsletter and use Google Docs for our jr. high team discipline and missing assignments.  Our students use Google Docs for presentations and to share word processing documents.  

Another site that we've used before that is consider "cloud computing" is Kerpoof Studio!  My younger students use it to create pictures, story scenes and even movies.  They love the interactivity and if they create a login, they can use it at home or at school. Kerpoof offers teachers the chance to create a class login and assign students to different classes.  We've been using this for awhile and it has continued to add more features every year! 

Also, we use Museum Box.  Our 5th graders who study the American Revolution can create boxes about different faces of the revolution.  They can then share their box with the rest of the class.  Along with this project, they are also reading novels about the American Revolution. Use of an online tool like Museum Box allows us again to focus on collaboration and cross-curricular technology projects!

Overall, these cloud computing websites have allowed us to continue to encourage our students and staff to collaborate with each other and share their work!  

I don't regularly use bookmarking sites like Diigo or Delicious.  Mostly because I don't have the time to maintain.  I can generally share sites with my students by linking to our school website, which is easier for me and I don't have any filtering issues.  I can certainly see the value in tagging different bookmarks or blog topics and I do use tagging that is done by others.  It saves time when I'm looking for a specific topic, like "web 2.0" or "elementary".  

Many of our students have created word clouds in different classes.  There are teachers who have had their students create class word clouds about what they hope to learn that year.  Our junior high students created word clouds about the school that were used for an Open House and given to prospective students.  Personally, I use word clouds when giving presentations about technology to other teachers.