Embedding Digital Texts

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Technology has expanded the walls of our classrooms. We now have instant access to many digital tools. Digital texts, e-learning, and open course software have a valuable place in education.

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Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) were developed to give students affordable opportunities for higher education. While many top universities, such as MIT, offer MOOCs, there is still some question about the overall effectiveness of this learning platform. However, it has been gaining ground in the education field, with educators heavily participating and creating a much needed educational "renaissance" (Newton, 2015). This approach to professional development has gained so much interest, that Arthur Levine, a former president of Columbia University’s Teachers College, started a joint Woodrow Wilson/MIT teaching lab to further advance this movement (Newton, 2015). By changing the way teachers learn, we might change the way teachers teach.

In the classroom, digital texts have a powerful presence. Though the technology may be cost prohibitive, ultimately they may reduce costs to schools because of projects like Flat World, CK-12, and Project Gutenberg, that seek to provide access to textbooks and literature for students. Furthermore, digital texts and ebooks offer advantages that print books do not. Digital textbooks and sources are constantly being revised, as opposed to textbooks which may have outdated information. Furthermore, digital books are more interactive with the ability to highlight, annotate, and may even have hyperlinks to related sources. Digital texts are also often adaptive and lend themselves to assistive technologies. There are great resources, such as Bookshare, an online library for students with print disabilities. Finally, there is an initiative known as Beyond Textbooks, that enables educators to collaborate and share digital resources that go beyond traditional texts (Lewin, 2009).

Digital texts, e-learning, and open course software are breaking down the walls of the classroom and paving the way for 21st century learning, in school and beyond.

References:

Blow, M. (2012). Using Digital Books in the Classroom. Retrieved from http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/top-teaching/2012/04/using-digital-books-classroom

Lewin, T. (2009). In a Digital Classroom, Textbooks are History. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/09/education/09textbook.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

MIT Open Courseware. (n.d.) Retrieved from http://ocw.mit.edu/index.htm

MOOC List. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.mooc-list.com/

Newton, D. (2015). The (Accidental) Power of MOOCs. Retrieved from http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/06/the-secret-power-of-moocs/396608/

Building Media Literacy

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The definition of literacy is evolving. Throughout the ages, the meaning of literacy has shifted from being able to simply sign one’s name to reciting information to handwriting literacy and analytical literacy (Beers, 2015). Now, in the 21st century, literacy has evolved once more to include being able to "access, analyze, evaluate, and create" different types of media (What is Media Literacy, n.d.). Educators must prepare students to be successful in the 21st century; we must teach media literacy.

Teaching media literacy begins with teaching students digital citizenship. They must learn to navigate the Internet safely and responsibly. Resources like NetSmartzKids and Common Sense Media can support teachers as they take this first step in teaching media literacy.

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Furthermore, because anyone can post anything online, students need to be able to evaluate the sources of information for quality and integrity. Wikipedia and blogs are often considered reliable sources for research by students; however, students should be aware that anyone can publish anything on the Internet (What’s Wrong with Wikipedia, 2015). Therefore, students should be guided so they are able to distinguish scholarly articles and published sources from potentially inaccurate sources. 

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Teaching media literacy helps students develop critical thinking skills and global awareness; students understand the global impact of media and how biases and misconceptions are perpetuated through media. By teaching students media literacy, students can then begin to create media and contribute positively to the 21st century global community. 

Here is a video that summarizes media literacy:

References:

Beers, Kylene. “It’s Not the Rigor Conference Presentation.” NERA. Springfield, MA. 30 May 2015. Keynote Address. 

CyberWise. (2011). "What Is Media Literacy" [Video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKlJOxwyMWU

What is Media Literacy? (n.d.). Retrieved from http://medialiteracyproject.org/learn/media-literacy

What’s Wrong with Wikipedia? (2015). Harvard Guide to Using Sources. Retrieved from http://isites.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k70847&pageid=icb.page346376

Blair, N. (2012) Technology Integration for the New 21st Century Learner. Retrieved from http://www.naesp.org/

Web 2.0 Tools

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Web 2.0 tools are continuously developed and ever-evolving and can make a tremendous difference in student learning.  Technology, as we know, has the potential to enhance and enrich education.  Assignments incorporating technology should have strong ties to the curriculum, and more and more available Web 2.0 tools allow more authentic and appropriate integration.

Xtramath.Org

Math fact fluency is a major curriculum goal for my students.  I utilize xtramath.org to personalize student practice.  Parents, students, and teachers can view progress and tailor future instruction.  Students are engaged and strive to perform well using this web program.  The website also tracks performance and focuses practice on the facts that students haven’t mastered.  It advances students once they’ve mastered a math operation. While not as flashy as some other math games on the Internet, it is a free, quality site that competes with paid math sites, such as IXL. 

Socrative

Another web 2.0 tool that I use in my classroom is Socrative, a smart student response system that allows teachers to engage students with a series of educational exercises and games. It’s free, works on any device with Internet access, and can be completely tailored to teacher’s and student’s needs. Teachers can create quizzes or download and customize pre-written quizzes. Teachers can also spontaneously ask questions and get student responses or have students record exit tickets after a lesson. It is a very powerful formative assessment tool.

Wordle

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Wordle is a word cloud generator that can be used to highlight key words and phrases or summarize the main ideas of a topic or concept. We have used it for vocabulary lessons frequently in my classroom and are currently using it as a collaborative effort to focus on similarities and differences between our Spanish pen pals and us. There is a slideshow that lists 45 Interesting Ways to Use Wordle in the Classroom. Since Wordle was developed, there have been additional word cloud generators have been created to compete with this application. Tagxedo and ImageChef, for example, allow the user to customize the shape and orientation of the word clouds. Here are some more word cloud generator options for your classroom!

Animoto

Animoto is an easy to use, video-editing web tool. It provides many educational opportunities for students. Teachers can create short, free videos to introduce a new topic and hook students into it or students could produce video presentations to demonstrate learning towards the end of a unit. 

Here is a sample video I made with Animoto to introduce a unit on immigration:

There are lots of Web 2.0 tools out there with even more each day. The best way to stay on top of the current trends is to actively explore and develop a strong professional learning network, which I discussed in my previous post. Get out on the web and then bring it back to the classroom!

References:

Dunn, J. (2010). 45 Interesting Ways to Use Wordle in the Classroom. Retrieved from http://www.edudemic.com/45-interesting-ways-to-use-wordle-in-the-classroom/

Education Corner. (2015). XtraMath.org Review. Retrieved from http://www.educationcorner.com/xtramath.html

Rudey, D. (2013). Socrative - A 21st Century Way to Assess. Retrieved from http://www.emergingedtech.com/2013/08/socrative-a-21st-century-way-to-assess-as-easy-as-raising-your-hand/

Smitty, K. (2013). 9 Word Cloud Generators that Aren't Wordle. Retrieved from http://www.edudemic.com/9-word-cloud-generators-that-arent-wordle/

Evaluating Technological Tools

Social media is important for schools that are committed to professional development. Staying connected with other educators, administrators, and experts allows teachers to transform their approach in the classroom (Burt, 2014). Building a personal learning network through Twitter, blogs, and other sites allows educators to collaborate and share resources and ideas easily. While professional networks for educators are important, there are some valuable technological tools that help to create learning networks for both teachers and students.

Twitter

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Twitter is a valuable networking tool for teachers and students. Use of these tools can support children as they build research skills. Students are constantly connected and have instant access to real-time news and information (Osborne, 2012). For example, posting a simple tweet can spark a conversation with a real audience with different perspectives (Davison, 2015). On a global scale, students are able to "share information...and contribute their own thoughts" in an authentic way (Pandolfo, 2012).

Teachers is a platform for educators to share out information about resources, classroom ideas, and current research in education. Building my personal learning network through the blogs, wikis, and social media, primarily Twitter, has really helped me develop technical competencies with these tools as well as transform my approach to technology in the classroom (Burt, 2014). Twitter has become extremely valuable as I have discovered new learning tools to utilize in my classroom and have read articles that have challenged my thinking. 

Below is a video outlining ways to incorporate Twitter in education:

Diigo

Diigo is a powerful tool that helps students and teachers create digital learning networks. With an account, users can bookmark and tag web pages. It also allows users to highlight and annotate parts of a webpage. In addition to being a useful individual research tool because these can be accessed from any computer, these bookmarks and notes can be shared in specific groups or with the entire Diigo community.

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This can support student learning in a number of ways. Students can perform research on a topic and save annotated resources to a social group. Students working on similar projects can collaborate through Diigo as well.

Diigo also provides professional development opportunities. Teachers can share articles about current trends and best practices in education.

6 Best Diigo Groups for Teachers:

1- Educators

2- Literacy with ICT

3- Ed Tech Talk

4- Classroom 2.0

5- Discovery Educator Network

6- Cool Tools and Ed Tech

Google for Education

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The use of Google Apps is exploding in schools districts across the country. Even entire states are adopting it into their schools. The benefits are widespread both within and beyond the school walls. Upon first glance, a primary benefit is convenience; teachers and students have the ability to keep all of their documents and resources in a centralized location (Bright Hub, 2012). The fact that it is free is also appealing, but most importantly, it is engaging for students, as well as "interactive and...encourages collaboration" (Bright Hub, 2012). For example, students from around the world can work together to communicate and develop word documents and presentations.

While the Google Apps Suite is impressive, Google has also shown its dedication to promoting collaboration among educators through Google for Education. It has a Google+ page for a global network, as well as an option to search for a local Google+ page for educators. They even have created global digital conferences, launching Education on Air this past May. This was a wide-scale meeting of the minds for teachers across the world.

Virtual Learning Community

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The Virtual Learning Community is a resource for educators using Everyday Mathematics. It is a space created and maintained by the Center for Elementary Mathematics and Science Education at the University of Chicago. Teachers post videos of model lessons and printable resources. There are discussion posts as well. It is a community dedicated to improving mathematical teaching practices.

Click here to watch a video and to learn more about Everyday Mathematics Virtual Learning Community.

References

The Best 6 Diigo Groups for Teachers to Join. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2012/06/best-6-diigo-groups-for-teachers-to.html

Bright Hub Education Writer. (2012). A Guide to Google Apps for Education. Retrieved from http://www.brighthubeducation.com/teaching-methods-tips/96575-a-guide-to-google-apps-for-education/

Burt, R. (2014). What is a PLN? Edublogs Teacher Challenges. Retrieved from http://teacherchallenge.edublogs.org/pln-challenge-1-what-the-heck-is-a-pln/

Davison, S. (2015, March 4). Social media inside, outside of the classroom. Retrieved from http://smartblogs.com/education/2015/03/04/social-media-inside-outside-of-the- classroom/?utm_source=brief

Pandolfo, N. (2012). Social Media and Video Games in Classrooms Can Yield Valuable Data for Teachers. The Hechinger Report. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/30/social-media-and-video-ga_n_1465082.html

Using Diigo in the Classroom (n.d.). Retrieved from https://sites.google.com/site/team8project9440/using-diigo-in-the-classroom-2