Posts Tagged ‘mobile technology’

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Predictions for 2012

January 31st, 2012 by Butch Owens

Yogi Berra once said, “It’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future.”

That’s especially true in the world of technology today, but I think we can, at least, predict what the hot topics will be as we head into 2012.  Most important is how we respond to these issues.  Let’s take a look at some of my top picks which should be on every administrator’s radar.

BYOD – Bring your own device:  We have been talking about  1:1 computing for a number of years with very little progress other than a few pilot projects.  With the current budget situation I don’t foresee any changes in funding coming forward to make this a reality.  If we truly embrace getting devices into student’s hands we must look past the restraints of budget.  By embracing a “Bring Your Own Device” (BYOD) model we will succeed in getting devices into a lot more student hands in the classroom this year rather than have the devices sitting at home because of current school policy that forbids their use on campus.  I spoke of this earlier this year in a TBLOGICAL post called Digital Deprivation.  All students having access to digital devices capable of enhancing their educational experience is becoming even more realistic when you consider cheaper and cheaper devices such as the Kindle Fire, inexpensive netbooks, tablets, and Smart Phones on the market today.

Key topics to address:  BYOD Policies, Wireless Access, Bandwidth, Devices supported

24/7 Access to Information: Just a couple of years ago sites like Khan Academy were seen as a novelty.  A few tech savvy teachers might download a video to help explain a topic or give students a link to follow if they needed extra help with a concept.  Today it is no longer a novelty to see a short video clip on a subject.  Just go to YouTube and type in a topic you would like to know from replacing a valve cover gasket on your car to DNA replication.   These sites and videos are growing at a phenomenal rate, both proprietary and open source.

Key Topics to Address:  Teaching students to discriminate the good from the bad,  Providing Open Access at School,

24/7 Delivery of Course Content:  Yes, this does relate to 24/7 access, but takes it a step further.  Not only can students find information anytime and from any place, they can also elect to take all of their courses this way.  What that says to me is that if we don’t have it, they will go somewhere else to get it.

I recently had an opportunity to hear Dr. David Hagland, Director of Educational Options with the Riverside Unified School District, speak.  He has found that students don’t necessarily want to take a course completely online, but rather like to expand the classroom and teacher’s influence to an online blended format that includes lectures, class notes, videos, et cetera posted for student access before and after the traditional classroom lesson, and to have 21st Century technology tools available in the classroom.  For example, as I sit here typing this post in Google Docs, I know that I can access it on my computer at home, my iPad on the road or even share it with colleagues to get input and advice.  I’ve also clipped a few articles from the web into my Evernote account to reference as I write.  All of these tools and resources need to be incorporated into the teaching and learning environments of our students.

Key topics to address:  Learning platforms/management systems, online storage capabilities, teacher training for blended instruction, access to information.

School Libraries:  I know this prediction will not be a popular one, but the changing purpose and function of the school library needs to be addressed.  Schools are no longer getting the best bang for their buck when it comes to building and sustaining the traditional school library.  In a recent conversation with Dr. Devin Vodicka, Assistant Superintendent of Business for the Carlsbad Unified School District, we were discussing the new high school they were in the process of building. He stated that after much discussion on whether or not to build a traditional library it came down to the following question, “If we are really having such a difficult time deciding whether or not to build and stock a new library with books in the traditional way, we already know the answer, which is no. It’s just that it’s uncomfortable for our generation to picture a library without rows and rows of books.”

Are we still making decisions on what is comfortable for us or best for today and tomorrow’s students.  I’m not saying we need to do away with the library, just look at its role and function in our schools.  It will always be needed as a place to meet for that first date using the excuse as getting together to work on a school project.

Key Topics to address:  Digital books/textbooks and a system to checkout them out, installation of access points for students to connect at school, mobile devices,  workstations

 

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Posted in Integration, Leadership | 12 Comments »

eTextbooks: Blunder or Bonanza?

January 18th, 2012 by George Lieux

Providing students with eTextbooks could positively impact teaching and learning in ways we may have never thought possible.  However, broad-scale initiatives to do so could backfire and setback the use of technology in our schools for years to come.

The eTextbook blunder could occur if digital copies of traditional textbooks are purchased along with traditional ancillaries that are part of the textbook package.  With the same textbook in digital format and the same worksheets with the same approach to teaching, no improvements in learning are likely.  The cost for providing textbooks would increase because students would need some kind of a device to access the digital textbook content.  In this scenario, maintaining the status quo simply comes with a higher price tag. It would not take school board members long to notice that more money is being spent and nothing has improved.

On the other hand, if the personal learning device purchased to access eTextbooks also provides Internet access, students and their teachers could access a variety of free online learning tools.  With Internet access, a teacher could learn from an innovative educator like Naomi Harm, who has several excellent online publications that provide easy access to hundreds of tools and proven ideas. One of Naomi’s online publications that stands out for me is her Web 2.0 NETS Aligned Tools 2010. Here a teacher can easily connect content standards to ISTE’s technology standards with appropriate tools for achieving both content and technology standards.

Textbooks created by teachers

For those who are embracing standards-based approaches to learning, content standards could be the outline for a course’s content. The textbook could then be a digital document created by teachers.  A Moodle, or other learning management system, could become the “home” of the teacher-created textbooks.

While content standards provide an outline for a course’s content, the real lessons, activities, projects and assessments remain for the teacher to develop in lieu of a textbook.

Another educator who provides the best tech resources is Tony Vincent.  His Learning in Hand website consistently provides educators with the latest and greatest in the mobile education world. His detailed explanations about completing a specific project provides an excellent how-to book for any teacher focused on project-based learning.

Numerous online resources like Thinkfinity , teAchnology, TeachersFirst.com and Curriki provide thousands of  free  lesson plans, student interactives, games and tools.

Technology and the Internet have made it possible for teachers to create online textbooks that challenge students and provide learning possibilities that develop 21st Century Skills. Textbook money could be used to purchase personal learning devices for students to access their eTextbooks.  Everything is in place for dedicated teachers who are willing to embrace the challenge of creating textbooks collaboratively to positively impact teaching.  Students could come to love learning during their entire thirteen years in our classrooms!

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Posted in Integration, Models | 1 Comment »

Beware! Avoid Carmen Sandiego Syndrome

November 16th, 2011 by Susan Brooks-Young

Educators all over the country are exploring ways they can use iPads and other tablet technologies as tools for teaching and learning. Apps—free and low cost programs designed to be used on these devices—are a primary attraction. What better way to provide quick and easy access to instructional activities than by downloading and using some of the thousands of education apps? But I’m noticing a troubling trend.

Many of the apps labeled “educational” are developed by programmers with little or no background in education; use of these apps does not support student learning in any fashion. In addition, there are teachers who are spending a lot of time and energy figuring out ways to use apps that make no claim to be educational and do not support the curriculum in any obvious way, but that are fun to play. It reminds me of the days when desktop computers were initially introduced to classrooms.

The year was 1985. Good educational software was still difficult to come by. Once a teacher had run through the offerings from the Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium, (think Oregon Trail and Lemonade Stand), there wasn’t much else available. Then Brøderbund Software released Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? The goal of this fast-paced game was for players to travel the world solving geography-based clues, track multiple villains, and finally arrest Carmen Sandiego herself. The software was a hit, becoming a staple in many computer labs, despite its limited applicability to the curriculum for a narrow range of grade levels.

This is what I call Carmen Sandiego Syndrome, the willingness to use a software program for instruction even when there is little or no educational value. For school leaders this becomes a problem because first use of a new technology often becomes entrenched use. It is critical that we help teachers avoid this pitfall.

One strategy for avoiding Carmen Sandiego Syndrome is to insist that teachers take time to carefully review new apps using tools that measure how well the objectives of an app align with the curriculum. There are three free tools I recommend that can be used for this purpose. The first is a rubric called Evaluation Rubric for iPod/iPad Apps created by Harry Walker (Johns Hopkins University) and modified by Kathy Schrock. The second is the Critical Evaluation of an iPad/iPod App checklist developed by Kathy Schrock. And finally, eSkills Learning’s Mobile App Selection Rubric. These resources and more are available in the iPod Touch & iPad Resources LiveBinder which Chris O’Neal and I developed and maintain.

This is not a time when more is necessarily better. Take the time now to insure that teachers are making well-grounded decisions about the apps they introduce into the classroom. Students will reap the benefits for the long term.

 

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Posted in Integration, Models | 9 Comments »

Alternatives to Google Docs

August 24th, 2011 by Michael Simkins

Just as we think Kleenex when we need a tissue and Scotch when we want tape, many of us think Google Docs when we create, share, and collaborate on documents on line. But believe it or not, Google Docs is not the only game in the cloud.

Windows Live

One alternative is Windows Live. In fact, it’s one of the world’s best kept secrets that Microsoft actually has an on-line option for working with your Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote files. If you typically use these Microsoft programs and value their many features, you should take some time to explore Windows Live. For example, you can upload files you’ve already created and then access them from any Internet-connected computer. You can choose to share a file with selected people or make it public for all to see.

For writing, one of the nicest things about using Windows Live is using the Word Web App. It lets you edit your Word document on line from any computer, even if that computer does not have Word installed on it. While the web app does not have every feature of full-fledged Word, it has a lot, including the ability to apply all sorts of formatting, insert tables and create multi-level outlines. You’ll feel like you are working in Word because, essentially, you are! Once back at your own computer, open the document in “regular” Word and take it from there.

You can also use Windows Live to collaborate on documents. Two or more people can simultaneously open an Excel or One Note file that is stored in SkyDrive and enter data in it. Two or more people can co-edit Word documents in real time as well if they each work from Word.

Zoho

Not a Windows fan? Zoho is another Google alternative. Like Windows Live, Zoho offers a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation tool and note-taker. Like Google, Zoho also offers a considerable set of other tools. Zoho’s collection includes collaboration tools such as chat, discussion, and web conferencing as well as business applications such as project planning, invoicing, bookkeeping, and database.

If you decide to take a look at either of these Google alternatives, keep in mind that there is always a trade off—in this case between simplicity and advanced features. For instance, it’s hard to beat Google Docs for simplicity and ease of use. On the other hand, features are limited. Both Windows Live and Zoho will present you with a steeper learning curve, but you may find it worth the trouble if you want access to a richer set of features.

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What Technology Do Students Want?

May 2nd, 2011 by Sandra Miller

Boy with smart phoneResults from the latest Project Tomorrow Speak Up Survey suggest today’s  students are looking at a different paradigm in their learning experiences.

Students today are inseparable from their mobile technologies; instant messaging and texting is a way of life.  And they want to use their technology at school.

It’s tempting to dismiss that idea out of hand, but actually,  I’m impressed with the answers kids give when asked, “How would you use your mobile technologies for help with your school work?”  Older students—those in 9th–12th grades— would use them in ways we would describe as traditional.

  • 74% would check grades.
  • 59% would take notes in class.
  • 50% would use the calendar.
  • 44% would access online textbooks.

Younger students—those in 6th–8th grades—want to leverage emerging technologies in different ways to help with their schoolwork.

  • 68% would do Internet research, anytime, anywhere.
  • 53% would collaborate with peers and teachers.
  • 37% would create and share documents.
  • 35% would record lectures/labs to review again later.

While their teachers may cite lack of preparation, antiquated equipment or slow networks as impeding the use of technology in the classroom, 53%t of middle and high school students say the largest obstacle they face in using technology in their school today is their inability to use their own devices!

While many teachers and administrators have begun to approach new ways of using technology in classrooms, this latest Speak Up research says there is more than a gap between what many schools offer and students want—there’s a chasm!  When administrators were asked, “How likely are you to let students use their cell phones?” only 22% said likely; 63% said NOT likely.

By contrast, 67% of parents said they would buy a cell phone for their student to use at school, and 54% would also buy a data plan to support their student’s work.  And we’re not talking only affluent parents.  The Speak Up Survey results did not find significant differences among parents responses for any of the demographics that were tracked.

In fact, parents’ pressure on schools may just be the next trend in moving technology forward in our schools.  Today’s parents use technology daily in their work as well as in their social lives.  The Speak Up survey showed 57% of parents today consider instructional technology to be “extremely important” for their child’s success.  Only 37% of teachers see technology as that important.  Indeed, for leaders wanting to integrate technology in their schools, this is a challenge!

Students definitely have a clear vision of the potential of mobile learning to enable, engage, and empower them as 21st century learners.  Their parents see technology’s value.  As educational leaders we must spread this vision to our teachers and help them acquire the skills and technology needed to teach in more meaningful ways that match the tech-intensive lives of today’s students.

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