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

Image Source: http://dailygenius.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/twitter-in-education.png

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.

Image Source: http://www.passyworld.com/passyImagesFive/diigoIcons520x322JPG.jpg

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

Image Source: http://dailygenius.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/google-apps-education-wallpaper.jpg

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

Image Source: http://images.ischoolguide.com/data/images/full/2086/everyday-mathematics.jpg?w=600

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

Moral and Legal Issues

 image sourced from Ollie Bray free internet safety and responsible use cartoons

Each day, students are faced with a number of moral and ethical dilemmas. Should I let her sit at lunch with me? Should I stop the kids from teasing him? I forgot to do my homework, should I just copy my friend's? These situations are compounded with student exposure and use of technology. Teachers who once understood clear boundaries for student intervention with ethical and moral dilemmas in school are now finding the lines for intervention blurred because of technology. (Johnson, 2007).

What this means for educators is that we need to add a new dimension to our teaching and include issues that students might encounter with technology when guiding students to be ethical and moral. Students need to know right from wrong, period. The choices they make online have consequences everywhere. We need to emphasize to our students that there is no distinction between the "digital world" and the "real world."

While that seems simple enough, technology actually makes our jobs more difficult because it is easier for students to make the wrong choices. There is a certain level of anonymity that students experience on the Internet. They believe they can hide behind fake screen names or fabricated social media accounts when they choose to bully someone on the Internet. Students may also feel removed from situations because they are not interacting face-to-face with someone. Furthermore, downloading music and videos illegally doesn't feel like stealing and copying and pasting information from a digital source doesn't seem like plagiarism. With all of these scenarios, students believe there is much less of a risk of being caught.

Therefore, teaching digital citizenship has become a major responsibility for educators. We need to guide children to value technology and the Internet to communicate, collaborate, create and think critically (Blair, 2012). Students need to learn to navigate online safely, ethically, legally, and ultimately, independently. Though we can monitor them while they are at school, students spend many hours on technology outside of school. They need to internalize and transfer those codes of conduct from one environment to another, realizing that everything is connected.

References

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

Gabriel, T. (2010). Plagiarism Lines Blur for Students in Digital Age. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/02/education/02cheat.html?_r=0

Johnson, D. (2007). Does Technology Change How Schools Teach Ethical Behaviors? Retrieved from http://www.doug-johnson.com/dougwri/does-technology-change-how-schools-teach-ethical-behaviors.html

SNHU (2015). Module Four: Ethical Legal and Moral Practices in Technology. Retrieved from https://bb.snhu.edu/bbcswebdav/

Using Blended Learning to Promote Global Education

The purpose of education is to give students the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in life. Well, these days we live in a blended society. We experience a combination of face-to-face (F2F) and digital interactions daily. For example, at school I make many face-to-face interactions by connecting with my students in the classroom, attending meetings, and planning lessons with my colleagues. Digitally, I attend webinars and collaborate with my PLN on Twitter. And that is just a small percentage of my daily interactions! I go to the gym and work out with my trainer or take a class (F2F interaction), I have dinner with my family (more F2F interactions), and then I might check Facebook or email (digital interactions). People today live a blended life, and therefore, it is our responsibility to prepare students to participate in this blended world.

Many people confuse technology integration and blended learning, but there is a difference. We are not just replacing a lecture with a Prezi, or using Plickers or Socrative to respond to teacher-directed questions. Blended learning is a major shift in pedagogy; it moves from the traditional lecture model, to a student-centered model, with students actively involved in seeking out information. Students are empowered to take ownership of their learning.

Blended learning helps educators and students break down the walls of the classroom and interact on a global scale. Students can learn at any time and from anywhere because information is always at their fingertips. They also learn that there is no single source of information (the teacher) and can therefore dig deeper into the content, beyond what is covered in class. Students can watch videos featuring, read articles by, or even Skype directly with experts on the content area they are studying! Resources like Ted Ed and EduCanon allow teachers to take content-rich video clips and add questions to deepen their thinking and content articles for further exploration in order to encourage students to truly master their learning.

Blended learning also involves communication and collaboration. As the video points out, this is key! There are many project-based platforms like ePals, iEarn, and TakingITGlobal that help students communicate and collaborate globally. Google Apps for Education has also become increasingly prevalent in classrooms because of its power to connect students and classrooms. For example, classrooms can connect and have meaningful discussions in Google Hangouts. These are authentic opportunities for communication and collaboration and have helped to transform the classroom in this digital world.

References

Eden, W. (2013). Blended Learning and the Common Core State Standards. Retrieved from http://www.edelements.com/blended-learning-and-the-common-core-state-standards

Jonson, J. (2014). Blended Learning and Technology Integration [Video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KD8AUfGsCKg&index=7&list=PLvzOwE5lWqhTv1uCzuAZZZbBJseZP_HwY

University of Florida. (n.d.) What is Blended Learning? Retrieved from https://blended.online.ucf.edu/about/what-is-blended-learning/

Tools for Global Communication

Technology is at our fingertips; we have access to the entire world. Technology should be viewed as a tool that should be utilized to increase globalization. It is our job as educators to break down the walls of our classroom and to prepare our students to positively impact the global community. To be a global digital citizen, an individual needs to contribute positively and collaborate in order to build a global community (Israel, 2012). Therefore, students need to have opportunities for positive online interactions. We need to guide children to value technology and the Internet to communicate, collaborate, create and think critically (Blair, 2012). 

With this in mind, teachers need to help students interact and develop connections with others around the globe. Technology has provided limitless opportunities to connect students, educators, and leaders without leaving their home. Tools like Skype, ePals, and even Twitter, offer ways to communicate on a global scale. 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).  

Other Tech Tools for Global Communication:

• Mystery Skype - Mystery Skype suggests you play a game of 20 questions to guess where the other classroom is located.

• Google Hangouts - Students can chat with foreign pen pals or it can also host multiple classrooms for bigger meetings. Sessions can be archived on YouTube through Hangouts On Air, so absent students and parents can catch up on the day’s action.

• Appear.in - This is an application that allows eight users to video chat at once.

• Tumblr - Students can use this blogging site to complete research projects with people from various parts of the world. This site allows users to easily compile and post photos, videos, gifs, text, and other multimedia that would be relevant to the research project.

• Skitch - This is an application from Evernote that allows users to edit photos and snapshots with shapes, arrows, and text. Students can caption pictures, circle important items, or annotate PDF documents posted by others within their group.

• Padlet - This is literally a virtual piece of paper on which users post and organize images, videos, documents, and text. This is useful for collaboration projects.

References

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

Isreal, R. (2012). What Does it Mean to be a Global Citizen. Retrieved from Kosmos Journal: http://www.kosmosjournal.org/article/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-global-citizen/

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

Ronan, A. (2015). 5 Tech Tool Combos for Taking Your Class Global. Retrieved from http://www.edudemic.com/5-tool-combinations-for-globalizing-class/

Educational Uses of Web 2.0

Technology is a tool that, if used correctly, can enhance and enrich student learning. We live in a society where technology is at our fingertips. Children are growing up immersed in technology; computers, smart phones, tablets, and gaming devices are basically extensions of their hands!  We owe it to these children to continue to develop their technological skills alongside their content knowledge. Students should be using technology to think critically, communicate, collaborate, and create (Blair, 2012). In my mind, this means purposefully, authentically and effectively integrating digital tools and resources into the classroom.

Web 2.0 tools and social media can have a positive impact on student learning.  Projects incorporating technology should have strong ties to the curriculum, and more and more available Web 2.0 tools allow more authentic and appropriate integration.  Wordle, for example, can be used to highlight key words and phrases or summarize the main ideas of a topic or concept.  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. Teachers can even create lessons and quizzes around a pre-existing youtube video - no need to reinvent the wheel! Tools like TED Ed, Blendspaces, eduCanon, Movenote, and Tackk are some examples of ways to blend content with technology, putting the learning into the hands of the students.

Blogs and other social media outlets, such as Wikispaces, expand the classroom walls and give students the opportunity to communicate and collaborate digitally, in a safe, monitored digital environment.  In my class, the students do a unit on the oceans and continents.  Rather than spending time in class studying all of them, students could work in groups to become experts on one continent and develop a wiki for each.  The students would then present their new knowledge to the class.

Lastly, I think that blogs are valuable learning Web 2.0 tools.  Blogs can include text, images, and links (Shrum & Levin, 2009, p. 50).  Blogs give parents and community members a window into the classroom.  Teachers can share lessons, materials, and ideas for activities with each other and support the development of a Professional Learning Network.  Blogs also have a strong educational value and can be used in a number of creative ways (Shrum, 2009, p. 53). I currently have a classroom blog that I maintain to communicate with both students and parents.  What I decided to try with my students is to have a student maintained blog.  Each week or so, one student creates a blog post in response to a question I pose.  The rest of the class then responds to the one student’s initial post.  I think that this can be a valuable communication and collaboration tool, as well as allow me to assess student understanding of my classroom lessons and activities.

References

Blair, N. (2012) Technology Integration for the New 21st Century Learner. Retrieved 

September 8, 2014, from http://www.naesp.org/

Shrum, L. and Levin, B.B. (2009). Leading 21st Century Schools. California: Corwin.

Google Apps

The use of Google Apps is exploding in schools districts across the country. Even entire states are adopting it into their schools (Ferenstein, 2010). 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).

There are so many apps in the Google suite that can be used in a variety of ways. The office documents are useful for creating traditional word documents, spreadsheets, and slideshows. However, unlike traditional office applications, "they can be worked on collaboratively in real time" (Bright Hub, 2012). This can promote communication and collaboration between students and between students and teachers. Google Talk, a video chat application, could be used in conjunction with email to develop global relationships with students in other towns, states, even other countries. The possibilities seem limitless.

Though my school has not adopted Google (yet), I have been able to take advantage of some of the tools it has to offer. My class website is currently on Weebly, but I am considering transitioning to Google in order to consolidate my resources. I create many worksheets and presentations using Google so that I always have access to my work. Furthermore, I have used Google Books to present stories to my class and used Google Sites to create an immigration Web Quest for my third graders. I hope that as my school district moves forward with 1:1 computing efforts and the adoption of Chrome Books, that I will better be able to integrate Google into my classroom.

I was interested in understanding the barriers to implementing technology in the classroom and created a survey using Google Forms. Not only did I invite my classmates from SNHU to participate, I emailed it to my colleagues at the school in which I work. I was very pleased with the results and I plan to share them with the administration in order to better target professional development in this area. While access to technology resources is a major obstacle, professional development is as well. Teachers need to be supported as new resources are introduced, and with the plethora of Google Apps and the many ways to use them, this is especially relevant. Teachers need to be guided by the tech leaders and have lessons modeled for them, but they also need the freedom to experiment with Google Apps in order to get better at using them effectively (Lahar, 2014). 

View Survey Results

References

Lahar, S. (2014). 15 Effective Tips for Schools Using Google Apps for Education. Retrieved from http://blog.backupify.com/2014/04/28/15-effective-tips-for-schools-using-google-apps-for-education-slideshare/

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/

Ferenstein, G. (2010). Why Schools are Turning to Google Apps. Retrieved from http://mashable.com/2010/04/28/schools-google-apps/

Social Networking

Social media is an inevitable part of students' lives. How can we embrace social networking in schools to make sure it is used effectively?

As a third grade teacher, I was hesitant to implement social media in the classroom. I felt that parents would be opposed to the use of social media with their children. It can be a distraction and "some worry that incorporating [it]...is leading to too much computer time" and preventing students from developing "face-to-face social skills" (Pandolfo, 2012). In addition, there are risks associated with it, such as exposure to inappropriate content for children. It is our responsibility to plan properly to ensure students are protected from "inappropriate communication, images or video" (Osborne, 2012). We can also take the opportunity to guide children to use social media responsibly to communicate, collaborate, and think critically (Blair, 2012). We can monitor students while they are at school and teach them about digital citizenship (Osborne, 2012). Through lessons about social media and online safety, we can teach them to navigate online safely and independently so that they are prepared for the many hours they are immersed in social media outside of school.

The risks are manageable and the pros of effective use of social media outweigh them. I have come to see that social media can be a very powerful learning tool if used correctly. It can increase student engagement. "Social media platforms...are becoming more integrated within a variety of apps targeted at learning" (Osborne, 2012). Student interaction with games is authentic. Many games on these platforms can serve as a new type of formative assessment as educators can collect reliable data about student performance (Pandolfo, 2012). Educators can then personalize instruction for students' needs (Pandolfo, 2012).

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). Wikis and blogs provide an ideal environment for students, teachers, and even parents, to communicate and collaborate as they carry out research projects.

I also think that 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 and blogs allows educators to collaborate and share resources and ideas easily. On a personal level, Twitter has become extremely valuable for me as I have discovered new learning tools to utilize in my classroom and have read articles that have challenged my thinking. Twitter has allowed me to improve my teaching significantly in the short time that I have used it.

Overall, as long as the use of social media is purposeful and meaningful, it can play an important role in education.

References

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

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

Osborne, C. (2012). The pros and cons of social media classrooms. Retrieved from http://www.zdnet.com/article/the-pros-and-cons-of-social-media-classrooms/

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