Week 8: Connectivism and Constructivism Part 2

Our Essential Question this week is:


How can we influence the educational system in the United States or even our own school district to embrace connectivism? Should we?


"Nurturing and maintaining connections is needed to facilitate continual learning". Siemens quote here really grabbed me. I agree with this notion and wanted to reflect upon it.


The traditional (non-networked) classroom has a few devices for connectivity learning. 


1. The teacher. 
The teacher gives information, asks questions, has the student reflect, and then assesses the information that was the objective of the lesson. This puts all the pressure of learning on the teacher. They are responsible for all of the lesson, all of the teaching, and all of the assessment.


2. The students.
Even traditional schools use the students as connective devices. Group work, team sharing, partner work, etc. all contribute to connected learning. A great teacher an effectively use this for valuable learning. A lot of group work is also wasted and not as effective (we all have seen this right?). As many of use work with each other in the real world, students working together is the 'real world' use of connectivity in the classroom.


3. Other resources.
Books, papers, magazines, tv, etc. are all devices that further create connections to learning. These have varied success rates for students. These also take time to search through or experience to heighten their effectiveness.


In addition to the above mentioned devices, a networked classroom also provides an enormous amount of connectivity learning tools.


4. The internet.
The ability to research and provide connectivity is the inherent purpose of the internet.

• Blogs - students can not only read, but contribute their own ideas
• Facebook - connecting to other learners and people around the world
• Youtube - videos that not only entertain, but provide valuable information and connectivity
• Podcasts - students listen to and can create their own
• Social Media
• and many many more!

The main difference between the traditional and networked classes is that not only are kids excited and interested in technology as a way to learn, but they are DOING something when they are using the technology.

According to the Learning Pyramid below, learners retain at a higher rate when they participate in the learning. When using connectivity learning, you spend the majority of your time in groups, practicing, and (hopefully) teaching others. This is where the learning really occurs. This can also happen far outside of the classroom walls. 

Learning Pyramid


Yours,
Aaron

Week 8: Connectivism and Constructivism

After watching Alex and Wendy Drexler's video on 21st century student network, a few thoughts arose in my head.

This model relies on two things, internet access and student motivation.

These two things are often the hardest things to find in a lower socio-economic area.

Even though many students in these circumstances have a traditional cell phone, they are not as useful for learning as smartphones, laptops, or iPad/iPods. It is also not widely acceptable to pull out your phone during class to do research or connect with other learners or learning devices. There is free access for these students in a variety of areas; schools, public libraries, before and after school programs, etc.

The next issue is of motivation. These students are typically the most unmotivated learners in your average American school system. Their situations reflect heavily on their motivation for learning. Would the use of technology alone motivate them to be independent learners? Do we as teachers still need to coax out of these kids the thrill and value of learning? Does technology do this innately just because of the 'wow' factor of using the internet for learning? Do students see the value of learning through the internet, or do they just want to watch 'epic fail' videos on Youtube?

While I certainly agree with the video that the 21st Century student network is real tool for learning, how do we use it for lower socio-economic or unmotivated students?

Week 6, Topic 1: A light at the end of the Virtual Tunnel...Web 2.0

As a PLC (Professional Learning Community) school, we are encouraged to bring forth ideas and form groups to act upon those ideas. A number of teachers have banded together to voice their frustration with the state of technology in our schools.

Well, good news this week!

After years of struggling to attempt to control our own technology destinies within our school, our Principal brought forth the idea of a technology committee. She just received an iPad as part of a workshop, yet is not able to use it because we are do not have a wireless network.

Previously we have felt powerless in our struggle to control how we use technology in our classroom. Years before it was a struggle to get the equipment we needed to get onto the internet. Now, the equipment is in the classroom (computers, access to the internet, and Smart boards and projectors) and Web 2.0 is here, all we need is the access.

As teachers, we have the same level of access to the internet and websites as the students. We need to 'ask permission' to access website that are deemed dangerous. Examples of this are; Youtube, any website with a blog, any website that has games as a tag. A special education paraprofessional told me yesterday that she was denied access to a math website with games. She was planning on using this as incentive for student for whom motivation is difficult. What a great use of technology for a student who cannot learn in a mainstream classroom!

As one of the many teachers that requested that we ourselves control our destinies, I am anxious to become part of the Technology PLC.

Web 2.0 is our chance to have students not only use the internet as a tool, but be able to contribute to this vast world of knowledge as well.

Our biggest challenge will remain how we navigate the tricky waters of our schools and who makes the decisions and how they are justified.

Yours,
Aaron

Week 5: Google Docs

Upon reading about social bookmarking, many thoughts came to mind. I then tried to figure out where this is being used in my environment and teaching.

My wife teaches art and digital arts at a local high school. First semester she taught digital photography. She was introduced to google docs before school started. She immediately recognized this as a valuable tool for teaching.

Conveniently, she was teaching in a computer lab. She set up folders where she would post the worksheets and assignment sheet in view only formats for the students. The students would log on and have access to the folders that were shared. When absent, she would put the assignment for the day in the folder from our computer at home.

When finished with an assignment, students would post them on the shared folder, where she would grade and add comments. Students would also have access to the folders from any computer they were on. They also worked from home, adding images that they shot and downloaded during off school hours.

Alison also wrote the curriculum for the class and posted for other teachers so that they could see what she was teaching. They also added their projects. Our school used to use an outside service for our curriculum and it was the biggest pain to use. Google docs would be a great (and free) way to do this.

More school should consider switching to google docs (or equivalent). Check out the following link for more information http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7035.pdf.

This article gives the many positive aspects of using web based word processors and other programs. They would be centrally located on a students google ig webpage (our class has prescribed to this and I love it!). They would then have access to this anywhere they have access to a computer.

No more 'I lost my thumb drive', 'I left it at home', or 'cat threw up on it' excuses. Students could log on and print out their reports from their laptops, smart phones, ipods, or a desktop computer in the school.

This could have larger implications as more computer would be needed, and that would be a great subject for another blog...

Week 5: My Wish...

I guess this is my wish list blog. I have been working in my district for 8 years teaching middle school art. I have a long term love affair with technology dating back to my BFA in Industrial Design from Rochester Institute of Technology (1992).  We worked on old Apples to create logos and packaging design for the products we created. I am now versed on both sides of the Mac/PC aisle. It really seems like a none issue at this point considering where the markets shares now lie!

Back to business. What do I wish for?

Vision!
I am hoping that our new leadership is one who sees far (actually nearer please)  into the future. This future is one where technology integration is the norm, not the exception. A future where students learn ALL subjects through the use of technology. Teachers send emails to students (yes, even in middle school) with comments, links to homework, wikis, and moodles. All teachers have a Smartboard (or future equivalent) and teach with direct access to the internet. Live searches, streaming video, and WEB 2.0 are the norm. Students post, edit, and create on the internet.

Support!
A leader leads by example. They have a vision, and are willing to back it up. They provide support to and allow teacher to  be creative in all schools. They create statements that push the use of technology as the most effective learning tool in the schools arsenal.

Persuasion!
This leader takes the school board, admin, teachers, community, and students on a carnival ride. This ride shows them that the future is now and that in order to educate our students to their potential, we need to use technology. The students know the potential of smart phones, iPods, iPads, Twitter, Facebook, and blogger. Why would we want to be behind the students? We need to be ahead of them, forming the practices of learning through technology. They sway the public that we are the norm of modern education and need to keep ahead of the students. Because, as everyone knows, if we don't teach them, someone else will.

Confirmation!
This leader gives valuable and timely feedback. They form there opinions online with blogs and chats. They get back to you via webcams and email. They stay ahead of the pack. They form policy and allow feedback from administration, teachers, students, parents, and the community. They stand for what they believe and support those who do the same.

Thank