Social networking, Cloud-based computing, mobile devices, and Internet access offer myriad opportunities for my classroom teachers to explore curriculum on a whole new level. Excitement builds as I evaluate web sites, develop the LMS, and plan the online activities for my back to school welcome session.
Unexpectedly, I hit a policy barricade, beyond that a Family Rights and Privacy Act and Childs Internet Protection Act (FERPA/CIPA funding compliance barrier, and then headlong into firewalls and filter walls. Anticipation turns into frustration. How I will cross these obstacles becomes part of my planning and preparation.
Knowing I will have to have administrative and Board approval, I consider what solutions I will offer to provide relevant standards-based learning opportunities for student success. I have learned from Dawley(2007) that “Organization of information is critical to creating an online class where students are successful.”
I work in reverse order, determining what content is relevant to my course. The Cisco ASA firewall, ESET Anti-virus, and WebSense internet filter work in tandem to protect our network and our users from the obvious risks of offensive subject matter, malware threats, privacy and financial compromise, or illegal activities, but sometimes they also prevent access to desirable or allowable sites. In response, I create a WebPortal which features the sites I have planned to use in my instruction sorted by content area. To avoid syntax errors, I carefully check the URLs one at a time to ensure they are functional. Using the URLs featured in the portal, I submit a whitelist to the filter.
With such a small district, we have 18 certified staff and paraprofessionals joining together for the training. Meeting the diverse needs of these adult learners is going to be challenging. Eric Lawson’s article in the March 28, 2011 Technology & Learning prompted a grant to purchase iPads for a pilot program. The grant was funded. Eager to implement the recently purchased devices, I now have to consider what I must do to add the 3G access to our network. I call our consultants and they walk me through a process that allows our filter to work remotely so students can take the devices home, but remain accountable with publicly funded devices. I work with our administration to develop a new responsible use agreement for staff and students, confident that both parties will “love to use these handheld devices to learn about core curriculum standards within the classroom”(2011).
I’m getting closer to my objectives, but my most important task lies ahead of me. I must address the human element of this course. Even though most of my staff and students immerse themselves in social media at home, their ability to use digital tools as a classroom resource is limited to their activities within the school network. Responding to the findings of a Cengage Learning/Eduventures survey (2010) entitled “Instructors and Students: Technology Use, Engagement and Learning Outcomes, William Reiders, executive vice president for Global New Media (Cengage Learning) states that, “Clearly, students are asking for better guidance, support, and training in using digital tools in the classroom and we, as an industry, need to pay attention and effectively respond to those needs in order to improve engagement and learning outcomes.”
In my opinion, my biggest responsibility is to provide training, model appropriate use, and enforce rules of netiquette, safe browsing, and responsible use of technology so that together we can soar into the 21st Century as learners and leaders in the digital age.
References
Brown, L. (2010, April 7). Debunking the Digital Native Myth: Higher Education Students Ask for More Support in Using Classroom Technology. Retrieved July 25, 2011, from CENGAGE Learning: http://www.cengage.com/trends/pdf/Survey Release and Results.pdf
Dawley, L. (2007). The Tools for Successful Online Teaching. Hershey: Information Science Publishing.
Lawson, E. (2011). iPads, iPod Touches, and iPhones as Assistive Technology in Education. Technology and Learning .
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Monday, July 25, 2011
Extraordinary Times for Extraordinary Needs
At any given moment, lives change.
I serve as a volunteer advanced EMT on a rural ambulance. During my eight years of service, I have experienced exhilarating triumph and painful tragedy. With each call I become more acutely aware of both the fragility and the resilience of human life. I have learned that it takes only one act (intentional or unintentional), or one bodily systems failure to change lives. A stroke may leave an individual unable to use his right arm. In most activities, this impairment may be minimal - but in other activities which require the use of both arms, this loss puts our friend at a disadvantage with others - it becomes a disability. If the impairment or disability inhibits the individual from fulfilling a role, it becomes a handicap (Robleyer & Aaron, 2010).
This change impacts the individual, his loved ones, and his environment. The impact can be temporary or permanent.
A few months back I watched an interview with Roger Ebert, a high-profile movie critic who spent a lifetime providing movie goers details about the latest box office releases without giving away the plot. His account of his experience with jaw cancer was touching and inspirational. His face, surgically shaped into a comical expression of happiness, fit well with his positive outlook on life. His voice had vanished and in its place was a technological wonder—a text-to-voice application that allowed this man his vocal contributions, and he was making every word count.
Anyone who performs a comprehensive search of emerging technologies will find that no matter the disability, technology can facilitate a better living experience than one would have had just a decade ago. Astounding!
For whatever reason, human nature causes most people discomfort around those who experience physical or mental disfigurement. In all but rare situations their voices go unheard. It’s about time we listen because in the next moment, the lives that change might be ours.
References:
Robleyer, M., & Aaron, D. (2010). Educational Technology Into Teaching (Fifth ed.). Allyn and Bacon, Pearson.
I serve as a volunteer advanced EMT on a rural ambulance. During my eight years of service, I have experienced exhilarating triumph and painful tragedy. With each call I become more acutely aware of both the fragility and the resilience of human life. I have learned that it takes only one act (intentional or unintentional), or one bodily systems failure to change lives. A stroke may leave an individual unable to use his right arm. In most activities, this impairment may be minimal - but in other activities which require the use of both arms, this loss puts our friend at a disadvantage with others - it becomes a disability. If the impairment or disability inhibits the individual from fulfilling a role, it becomes a handicap (Robleyer & Aaron, 2010).
This change impacts the individual, his loved ones, and his environment. The impact can be temporary or permanent.
A few months back I watched an interview with Roger Ebert, a high-profile movie critic who spent a lifetime providing movie goers details about the latest box office releases without giving away the plot. His account of his experience with jaw cancer was touching and inspirational. His face, surgically shaped into a comical expression of happiness, fit well with his positive outlook on life. His voice had vanished and in its place was a technological wonder—a text-to-voice application that allowed this man his vocal contributions, and he was making every word count.
Anyone who performs a comprehensive search of emerging technologies will find that no matter the disability, technology can facilitate a better living experience than one would have had just a decade ago. Astounding!
For whatever reason, human nature causes most people discomfort around those who experience physical or mental disfigurement. In all but rare situations their voices go unheard. It’s about time we listen because in the next moment, the lives that change might be ours.
References:
Robleyer, M., & Aaron, D. (2010). Educational Technology Into Teaching (Fifth ed.). Allyn and Bacon, Pearson.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Bring it On(line)!
Prezi, Moodle, Twitter, and Tweet. If you think I have my head in the cloud, you are right. These apps and more hang out in the cloud and are all a part of 21C, or 21st Century Learning and education has embraced the new technologies as more and more schools adopt hybrid or "blending learning" courses.
In a report titled "The Rise of K-12 Blended Learning: Profiles of Emerging Models," Michael B. Horn (co-author of Disrupting Class: How Disruptive Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns, 2008) and Heather Clayton-Staker (senior research fellow at Innosight Institute) provide 40 examples of what blended learning looks like in today's K-12 classrooms. From course content and policies to infrastructure and delivery, the report analyzes benefits and drawbacks of hybrid courses to help education decision-makers understand the complexities associated with blended learning. (2011)
It is an exciting and troublesome time in education. From brick-and-mortar to virtual schools, online activity has not only expanded our vocabulary, but changed the way we think, we share, and we learn.
References:
Horn, M. B., & Clayton-Staker, H. (2011). The Rise of K-12 Blended Learning: Profiles of Emerging Models. Innosight Institute.
In a report titled "The Rise of K-12 Blended Learning: Profiles of Emerging Models," Michael B. Horn (co-author of Disrupting Class: How Disruptive Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns, 2008) and Heather Clayton-Staker (senior research fellow at Innosight Institute) provide 40 examples of what blended learning looks like in today's K-12 classrooms. From course content and policies to infrastructure and delivery, the report analyzes benefits and drawbacks of hybrid courses to help education decision-makers understand the complexities associated with blended learning. (2011)
It is an exciting and troublesome time in education. From brick-and-mortar to virtual schools, online activity has not only expanded our vocabulary, but changed the way we think, we share, and we learn.
References:
Horn, M. B., & Clayton-Staker, H. (2011). The Rise of K-12 Blended Learning: Profiles of Emerging Models. Innosight Institute.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
It's a Small World After All
What's not to love about free connectivity and multi-way calling when you live in a remote Idaho canyon and want to talk to your group members in Mililani, Hawaii, and Beaverton, Oregon? Collaboration is a key element in any learning environment, but especially so in the virtual classroom.
Unlike traditional classrooms where I take an active role in class discussions, I tend to isolate myself in my online learning courses - focusing on tasks rather than reflection. David Ellis (2006) points out group members can make learning more effective by teaching one another, comparing notes to make sure everyone understood important information, use open-ended discussions to produce understanding and insight, and take advantage of the group support in personal areas.
My group partners,Damon and Cary, provided all those elements and more! Skype compacted my world and enlarged my insight. I became part of a learning community.
Ellis, D. B. (2006). Becoming a Master Student. Boston: Houghten Mifflin.
Unlike traditional classrooms where I take an active role in class discussions, I tend to isolate myself in my online learning courses - focusing on tasks rather than reflection. David Ellis (2006) points out group members can make learning more effective by teaching one another, comparing notes to make sure everyone understood important information, use open-ended discussions to produce understanding and insight, and take advantage of the group support in personal areas.
My group partners,Damon and Cary, provided all those elements and more! Skype compacted my world and enlarged my insight. I became part of a learning community.
Ellis, D. B. (2006). Becoming a Master Student. Boston: Houghten Mifflin.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Blogging through the Wikis
Technology advances create a dynamic landscape in corporate and educational practices. To remain competitive in the board room or in the classroom requires stakeholders to embrace an attitude of life-long learning. Excess information bombards our senses, creating a need to filter that which is relevant and important to our individual needs and interests. Even what Ko and Rossen (2010) refer to as mid-level technology can have big impacts on student performance.
To blog or to “wik” is a decision to be made based on the desired product. Blogs are permanent in nature, so can reflect growth and change over time. Wikis are more flexible because commentaries are less permanent, they are constantly being edited to reflect current thought.
According to Dawley (2007) well thought-out Blog and Wiki assignments are useful ways that instructors help learners focus on a given set of criteria and demonstrate reflective thinking, application, and synthesis of the information (pg. 213-215). Because their work is public, students are motivated to produce a quality product, but can also bring on fear of criticism. Providing rubrics offset that anxiety and offer students a way to express themselves.
The popularity of expressing oneself through a social platform is on the rise, and as Washington State University (Pullman) assistant professor Guy Westoff notes, "It takes about five minutes to create a blog and to start using the technology. No advanced tech skills are needed and the return on your investment is almost immediate. Blogs allow faculty to extend the discussion outside the classroom and allows students who normally do not participate in large group conversations to have a voice and provide their viewpoints and feedback."
References
Dawley, L. (2007). The tools for successful online teaching (1 ed.). Hershey: Information Science Publishing.
Ortega, M. (2011). Future Teachers Learn to Integrate Technology in the Classroom. Pullman: Washington State University.
Susan Ko, S. R. (2010). Teaching online; a practical guide. New York: Routledge.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Vision Statement
I stopped at a roadside fruit stand last summer. The air was heavy and warm and the aroma of nectarines and strawberries embraced me as I walked into the darkened building. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness from behind sunglasses that I forgot to exchange for my “other” glasses, I made out piles and piles of fresh produce. Southern gospel music played at a too-high volume on an old cassette player while green bottle flies landed on first one piece and then another of cut “sample” fruit, gleefully rubbing their tiny forelegs in anticipation of the juicy nectar. The price was well discounted if I could afford the time and energy to go and pick my own fruit. I had time, and couldn’t resist the unexpected opportunity to traipse out into the orchard in anticipation of biting into a sun-warmed nectarine.
The owner, dressed in long sleeved plaid shirt worn under faded denim overalls connected on only one side by some sort of “work around” where the original fastener had given way, led me out to a section of maybe a dozen nectarine trees. Peering out from the brim of a sweat-stained ball cap, he began “These here are Red Havens—they’re a bit early, but you’ll find a few that are ripe.” Turning, he pointed to another section, “Those over there are ripe, but they aren’t as sweet and juicy as these…but they will keep longer.”
Smiling, he handed me the cardboard box that had previously held bottles of Jack Daniels whiskey. Cardboard dividers made compartments perfect for keeping fresh nectarines from bruising. “Over here’s a ladder if you want to get up higher; I think that tree has quite a few ripe ones on the south side.” Realizing I wasn’t in a big rush, he warmed up as he pointed here and there to the ripening fruit explaining how I would be able to see crimson freckles and smell the ripeness before I touched the fruit. If it was ripe, it would be sure to detach itself from the tree into my willing hand. I picked as he talked.
That day lingers in my mind as I contemplate another set of choices. The digital future stretches before me with limitless opportunities. Each day I behold another use for technology - another venue for distributing information to myriad learners. Asynchronous versus synchronous, Apple versus PC, face-to-face versus self-direction, apps versus text books. Choices flood the digital orchard. My vision is to be a teacher to those who would learn. My vision is that my course design will lead learners to a set of specific objectives. The owner of the orchard did not lead me to apples, cherries, or peaches. He knew I was seeking nectarines, so he took me to the fruit and allowed me to pick while he provided guidelines, visual references, and learning.
Online learners need objectives – needless energy is spent trying to sift through the maze of information that is available when objectives are unclear. Well developed courses provide direction and clarification as well as satisfying the need to know that we learners are seeking. I have found that standards help me in providing clear objectives and relevant assessments. For my secondary education students I follow the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) (National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), 2011)and the International Society for Technical Education (ISTE) National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) (International Society for Technology in Education, 2011).
If my vision becomes reality, my students can anticipate the best there is to be had...would you like a nectarine?
Works Cited
International Society for Technology in Education. (2011). Standards. Retrieved June 13, 2011, from ISTE: http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-students.aspx
National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). (2011). Common Core State Standards for Mathematics. Retrieved June 13, 2011, from Core Standards: http://www.corestandards.org/assets/CCSSI_Math%20Standards.pdf
The owner, dressed in long sleeved plaid shirt worn under faded denim overalls connected on only one side by some sort of “work around” where the original fastener had given way, led me out to a section of maybe a dozen nectarine trees. Peering out from the brim of a sweat-stained ball cap, he began “These here are Red Havens—they’re a bit early, but you’ll find a few that are ripe.” Turning, he pointed to another section, “Those over there are ripe, but they aren’t as sweet and juicy as these…but they will keep longer.”
Smiling, he handed me the cardboard box that had previously held bottles of Jack Daniels whiskey. Cardboard dividers made compartments perfect for keeping fresh nectarines from bruising. “Over here’s a ladder if you want to get up higher; I think that tree has quite a few ripe ones on the south side.” Realizing I wasn’t in a big rush, he warmed up as he pointed here and there to the ripening fruit explaining how I would be able to see crimson freckles and smell the ripeness before I touched the fruit. If it was ripe, it would be sure to detach itself from the tree into my willing hand. I picked as he talked.
That day lingers in my mind as I contemplate another set of choices. The digital future stretches before me with limitless opportunities. Each day I behold another use for technology - another venue for distributing information to myriad learners. Asynchronous versus synchronous, Apple versus PC, face-to-face versus self-direction, apps versus text books. Choices flood the digital orchard. My vision is to be a teacher to those who would learn. My vision is that my course design will lead learners to a set of specific objectives. The owner of the orchard did not lead me to apples, cherries, or peaches. He knew I was seeking nectarines, so he took me to the fruit and allowed me to pick while he provided guidelines, visual references, and learning.
Online learners need objectives – needless energy is spent trying to sift through the maze of information that is available when objectives are unclear. Well developed courses provide direction and clarification as well as satisfying the need to know that we learners are seeking. I have found that standards help me in providing clear objectives and relevant assessments. For my secondary education students I follow the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) (National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), 2011)and the International Society for Technical Education (ISTE) National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) (International Society for Technology in Education, 2011).
If my vision becomes reality, my students can anticipate the best there is to be had...would you like a nectarine?
Works Cited
International Society for Technology in Education. (2011). Standards. Retrieved June 13, 2011, from ISTE: http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-students.aspx
National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). (2011). Common Core State Standards for Mathematics. Retrieved June 13, 2011, from Core Standards: http://www.corestandards.org/assets/CCSSI_Math%20Standards.pdf
Friday, June 10, 2011
Looking for That Which is Not Lost
I'm always looking for something - and I don't mean my keys (although those who know me best would argue). I have a vision of being better—of finding the treasure found in mastering a new skill or expanding my understanding of a subject.
I grew up the middle girl-child of a family of six children. We were, and are, loud and rambunctious and competitive. I have been challenged and stretched to be better and go farther by my middle boy-child (one year older than I) sibling, and it hasn't always been friendly. If he knew something, I would look for more information so I could know it better. If he did something, I would look for do-it-yourself books at the public library so I would know how he did it.
This competitive drive morphed over the years into a personal competition where my brother and I would be more like team players in challenging one another along the timeline of our lives. He, brilliant in mathematics, is by primary profession a bio-robotics engineer who specialized in the design of above the knee prosthesis but now teaches varying levels of math to students who are just as deserving but far less appreciative of his intellect. I was successful in the business industry where I worked retail management and banking trust services while using my passion for learning to volunteer in local classrooms and tutoring ESL migrants, for as Idaho State University’s Department of Education frames it (circa 1998), “By Teaching We Learn.” I found myself looking for new ideas and methodologies to get a concept across and ended up with a Master’s degree in education.
As my world expanded, I found that my appreciation of diverse individuality was replenished by the love of God and I explored the possibilities of love-based Christianity and found deep personal insight and growth in a meaningful study of the Bible (which I believe to be true, by the way). I am still in the progress of that search…
Today I have changed careers multiple times and am looking for ways to expand this career that I love. I have long been a student and teacher in the virtual environment and have found that the possibilities of this new frontier are limited only by one’s lack of vision. So I keep looking…..
I grew up the middle girl-child of a family of six children. We were, and are, loud and rambunctious and competitive. I have been challenged and stretched to be better and go farther by my middle boy-child (one year older than I) sibling, and it hasn't always been friendly. If he knew something, I would look for more information so I could know it better. If he did something, I would look for do-it-yourself books at the public library so I would know how he did it.
This competitive drive morphed over the years into a personal competition where my brother and I would be more like team players in challenging one another along the timeline of our lives. He, brilliant in mathematics, is by primary profession a bio-robotics engineer who specialized in the design of above the knee prosthesis but now teaches varying levels of math to students who are just as deserving but far less appreciative of his intellect. I was successful in the business industry where I worked retail management and banking trust services while using my passion for learning to volunteer in local classrooms and tutoring ESL migrants, for as Idaho State University’s Department of Education frames it (circa 1998), “By Teaching We Learn.” I found myself looking for new ideas and methodologies to get a concept across and ended up with a Master’s degree in education.
As my world expanded, I found that my appreciation of diverse individuality was replenished by the love of God and I explored the possibilities of love-based Christianity and found deep personal insight and growth in a meaningful study of the Bible (which I believe to be true, by the way). I am still in the progress of that search…
Today I have changed careers multiple times and am looking for ways to expand this career that I love. I have long been a student and teacher in the virtual environment and have found that the possibilities of this new frontier are limited only by one’s lack of vision. So I keep looking…..
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