My Education Reading List Podcast

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Week 3 Reflection

1.        Admittedly, when I began this technology journey I was thinking, “I need to learn how to use this stuff so that I can teach my students how to use it too.”  I think that fits right in with the early definitions described in this chapter.  More focus was placed on the use of technology to support instruction.  I was so focused on what I didn’t know “how” to do, I didn’t think beyond to the greater benefits.  I didn’t think about technology in terms of student learning and performance, just instruction.  I think the definition of IDT has evolved naturally as the field has grown. My thoughts have certainly started changing. When I get back in the classroom, I hope to work towards putting “the use of media for instructional purposes” together with “the use of systematic instructional design procedures.”  These two practices make sense together.   

2.       a. I think that the project discussed in the book had little effect because the technology was just used as a tool.  It seemed that the school passed out the laptops and hooked up the internet with little to no deeper thought.  Are there any plans involved, or were the computers just handed out?  Also, the teachers weren’t given any instruction as to how to use the laptops in their classroom and maximize the software they were loaded with.  What were they supposed to do with them?  And, what are the standards the teachers are supposed to work towards?  Are these students just meeting a goal of using technology?  It almost seems as if the district feels good about getting big, bulky textbooks out of the way and using the laptop almost like an e-reader.  It is as if they want the laptops to do some sort of magic on their own.

3.       b. I think the school could have employed some sort of technology introduction to get teachers, students, and parents excited and involved.  Maybe in-class instruction could have been given to the students who then had to go home and share with their parents.  Teachers could have been given more training to begin with and could have set some things in place to foster a student/parent lesson like that.   Teachers should have been given more information about the standards the district hoped the laptops would address and ways in which they could meet them.  I think it is beneficial for teachers to receive training.  In the case of technology, there could be trainings for the teachers so that they could see the benefits of technology in their own life and teaching practices.  If they had a greater understanding and a better appreciation, they may see how to really use it for student learning.  

Blogs! Readers! Wikis!

Blogs

I think blogs are a terrific tool for communicating information in a relaxed, casual way.  I have some favorite blogs that I frequently check and I always enjoy seeing what’s new.  I have found them to be fairly easy to set-up and work with, though I do get frustrated sometimes when I can’t seem to get one post to look like another in terms of font, font size, etc.  I think, with more practice, that it would only get easier.  I can see myself as a teacher using a blog to communicate with parents.  I could update as often as I wanted, could include pictures and link to a classroom newsletter. 

When thinking of a blog within Dale’s Cone of Experience, I had a hard time narrowing it down.  I think blogs definitely fall into the category of “direct purposeful experiences” because we have direct responsibility for our blogs, we are learning by doing.  I think a blog could also be considered in the category of “exhibits” because of what we can do with a blog.  For example, we can fill them with pictures of our students working in the classroom for others to view.

After reading Siegel’s article on “computer imagination” I immediately thought of a blog as an instant publisher of sorts.  Once you write on your blog and click “publish,” your information is out there for anyone to see.  When teaching writing, I think it would be fun to get student’s writing out there as soon as possible.  You could have them publish before traditionally reaching that step.  I think it would be beneficial in that students could get instant feedback along the way.  You could hook your elementary students up with a class of older kids who have an interested in the subject or being a tutor of sorts. 

RSS Reader

When I first read the week’s assignment, I was very curious about RSS.  I had never heard that term before.  Now, after making and playing around with one, I am a fan!  I love being able to put my favorite blogs and websites all in one place.  I think just bookmarking can get tedious and bog down a tool bar.  It is frustrating to have to go to a site and scroll through, looking for new information.  Now, with my reader, I can see what is new immediately and decide if I want to continue on and read it or come back to it later.  I like the different sorting options and am motivated to organize my list better and create some folders.  What a great way to organize all sorts of information.  I feel like you can keep personal interests and professional interests easily in one place.  This is definitely a tool that I will tell others about!

As far as Dale’s Cone of Experience, I think a RSS Reader would be in the categories of “visual symbols, exhibits, and contrived experiences.”  A Reader helps you store information in an organized way that allows you to see what is available on an ongoing basis.   

I think it would be beneficial to get your students started with a reader when they are doing some research.  If they are researching a current event, for example the upcoming elections, they could manage news feeds from numerous sites with a reader.  I am not sure how “imaginative” this is, but I do think it would solve the problem of managing so much information at once.  Especially information that might be continuously updated or even changed.

Wiki

Using my wiki page was a little harder for me than my blog and my reader.  The more I worked with it, the better it felt, but I definitely think there is a little bit more of a learning curve.  I am sure I will get more comfortable with practice.  In a classroom, I can see a wiki page being very beneficial for student groups.  If I were teaching Language Arts, I would set up literature circles and give each group a different novel to read.  Each group would have certain pages to read weekly and each student would have a different job involving those pages.  Each group could set up a wiki page and they could report their work on there.  For example, the person in charge of writing discussion questions could post them on a wiki, and then the others could add their responses.  I could view the page as well and keep up with what they are doing, how they are interacting, etc.  

Web 2.0

What do you know about Web 2.0 compared to Web 1.0?  Check out my summary on part of an article titled "What Is Web 2.0" by Tim O'Reilly.

A Means-To-An-End?

After reading the article by Reigeluth and Joseph and the other by Postman, I find myself somewhat in the middle.  I find that interesting given my experience in a classroom that lacked in technology compared to my current excitement about teaching again in a technology-rich environment.

I think it is all in how technology is used in the classroom and in our schools.  Are we using technology as simply a means-to-an-end?  Or, are we committed to teaching 21^st-century skills and integrating technology at a deeper level?  As Reigeluth and Joseph say, “…perhaps there would be greater leverage if we invest in finding ways that technology can transform the way we teach, ways technology can allow us to teach that weren’t feasible before.” We need to extend our teaching beyond having our students simply type their stories when we visit the computer lab, or completing an AR test on the classroom PC.  We need to study the capabilities of the technology available to us and work toward a more “learning-focused paradigm of education” that can be supported by technology.  We can’t simply hand a teacher a tablet, or assign them the task of creating a classroom blog, without helping them see the bigger picture and look into ways these tools can truly help them improve in meeting their student’s needs. 

I thought Postman’s point in raising the question “what is the problem to which _____ is the answer?” was a great one.  I never thought about approaching classroom technology in that way before.  I know of a teacher who was very excited to incorporate the use of i-clickers in her classroom and wrote a grant asking for a class set.  She was awarded the grant and the items were purchased.  Unfortunately, she has yet to put the clickers to much use in her classroom.  There may be many reasons for this, but I would venture to guess that she didn’t think at length about the problem to which the clickers were the answer.  We should not get caught up in all the rage surrounding technology, but look more closely at how our teaching and how our students can/will benefit.

I do think that technology has a very important place in education today.  I wish all classrooms were equipped with the best on the market and were able to stay up with the current trends.  As a teacher myself, I am willing to learn and see where I can benefit from technology-use which is why I am in this class.  I hope, however, that I can keep a balance and not just ride the technology wave looking for the next best thing.  I want my students to be exposed to different tools, but I want them to see the tools as much more than the means-to-an-end.  I want to remember that technology can’t fill in all the gaps, or solve the problems a school has, but that it can provide “a quantum improvement in our ability to meet new educational needs.”  I believe it is all about balance and our willingness to dig deeper.