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

Week 3: Michael Wesch's Great Video

I was very taken with many points of Michael Wesch's video.

One in particular rang quite true to me. In the video, Wesch states "we have to discuss, challenge, critique, share, create meaningful connections, and create significance."

Isn't this what learning is all about? Brain-based learning supports many of these qualities of learners. Finding relevance, attaching new information to old information, and creating connections are all attributes of effective learning.

This can be done in any classroom with any subject. In my art room, I go by the mantra "Look, think, make, learn." This is naturally parallel to what Wesch is saying.

Wesch, though, is relating this learning procedure to the use of technology and to using information.

Because information is all around us (the internet) We need to move from an information acquisition education to a information use education. Wesch's idea of discussing (what is the information), challenging (why is it important), critiquing (what is the value), sharing (let others look at it), creating meaningful connections (oh, I see why this is important), and creating significance (this is important to me because) is a great model of learning in the technology and information age.

Teachers should use this model as an effective learning tool in their classrooms whether they use technology or not! (We hope they are using it!).

Yours,
Aaron

Week 3: Scott McLeod's 10 Things...Dissected and Developed

Wow, I was amazed when I read Scott McLeod's article from the Huffington Post poste d on November 26, 2010.

It is like reading a manuscript of what is wrong with my and many other schools and their use of technology. Lets take a more dissected look at his 10 points.

If we were really serious about educational technology, we would... [Here are 10 to get you started.]

• Show students how to edit their privacy settings and use groups in Facebook instead of banning online social networks because they're "dangerous" and/or "frivolous";

This is a great idea! Our students spend hours on Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites. Shouldn't we as educators treat this technology as a teachable moment? Do we even know if parents are educating their kids on the possible problems with privacy settings? How about schools poll parents (survey monkey would be a great resource) on what they know and if and how they educate their children on internet safety? Even further, ask them about web caming, sexting, skyping and chat roulette. Shouldn't we, as 'educators' in the know treat the internet as a teachable tool?

• Teach students to understand and contribute to the online information commons rather than just saying noto Wikipedia;

Another great point! At home, students use wikipedia all the time. I have heard students say "I will just do the project at home because nothing is blocked from my access." Wikipedia should be taught as a valuable tool for Web 2.0. Many schools (mine included) completely block access for all (including teachers). What student would not beam with pride at contributing (other than Youtube of course) to the digital landscape.

• Put a robust digital learning device into every student's hands (or let them bring and use their own) instead of pretending that we live in a pencil, notebook paper, and ring binder world;

Our school of 400 kids has two computer labs of 24 computers, 1 with 6, and the library has 22 (total of 76, I am excluding teacher computers). That means that 19% of students have access to a computer at once. If I could poll the students, I would estimate that well over 70% have access to the internet through their smart phones, ipods, or another device. Furthermore, I would estimate that nearly 100% have a computer (or gaming system) at home that has internet access. Why do we limit the technology that the students use everywhere but at school. Does learning at school  require us to drop everything at the door and learn with paper and pencil? Universities and private schools are already using these technologies, why can't we use them?

• Integrate digital learning and teaching tools into subject-specific pre-service methods courses rather than marginalizing instructional technology as a separate course;

No-brainer! As an art teacher, I have been using integration since my first day teaching. The technology teacher of today should be training faculty as well as children. They should have access to up-to-date web 2.0 technology and help guide teachers, admin, parents, students, and the community on how to use Web 2.0 to advance learning at school and at home.

• Understand the true risk of students encountering online predators and make policy accordinglyinstead of succumbing to scare tactics by the media, politicians, law enforcement, computer security vendors, and others;

Agreed! Have students learn what really can happen through the use of the local police, state police, and possible even federal resources. 

• Find out the exact percentage of our schools' families that don't have broadband Internet access at home rather than treating the amorphous 'digital divide' as a reason not to assign any homework that involves use of the Internet;

As above, this could happen through a survey of students and parents. At our school, there is a homework club after school where students have access to the internet, as well as free internet access at the Gilford Public Library.

• Treat seriously and own personallythe task of becoming proficient with the digital tools that are transforming everything instead of nonchalantly chuckling about how little we as educators know about computers;

What we do not teach the kids or allow them access to at school they will learn on their own. A day could soon arrive where students start to feel that school is irrelevant because the school does not allow or educate them of the full possibility of the Web 2.0. It is already happening as students who are home schooled or in college take a number of online courses (such as this one!).

• Recognize the power and potential (and limitations) of online learning rather than blithely assuming that it can't be as good as face-to-face instruction;

It is recognized, but not by enough forward thinking educators and administrators. I hope as our new Superintendent starts next year, he will see the value of allowing greater access to educators and students, and stop ignoring the educational technology elephant in the room. Face to face still has its place in education and always will. But couldn't this face to face happen over the internet? Blogging and skyping can easily become tools to educators and students.

• Tap into and utilize the technological interest and knowledge of students instead of pretending that they have nothing to contribute;

Yes, allow them access and teach them to contribute and they will not only learn, but could then start to teach each other and others all over the world through the internet.

• Better educate and train school administrators rather than continuing to turn out new leaders that know virtually nothing about creating, facilitating, and/or sustaining 21st century learning environments;

Bravo! Teach the administrators how to allow teachers to do their jobs by teaching using the internet! What a brilliant idea!

Yours,

Aaron

Excerpted from:
Scott McLeod
Associate Professor & Director, 

CASTLE, Iowa State University

Posted: November 26, 2010 02:17 PM

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/scott-mcleod/if-we-were-really-serious_b_788540.html