Technology in Education: Digital Portfolio
Tech Tool Eval #1: Google Classroom
I am a reluctant adopter to technology in education. There, I said it. I believe that our addiction to screens will be detrimental to us as a human race. I believe that the epidemic of loneliness in our society is because of this phenomenon of smartphones and bombardment of screens. I'm not sure they have the meta-cognition to understand this. I like to have conversations with my students, to have them draw designs with paper and markers. I want them off their screens.
However, I will always do what is best for my students.
Ms. Keuter and I were assigned in a group and she chose an article called "Leadership Styles and Technology: Leadership Competency Level of Educational Leaders" by Mehmet and Yavuz. I chose to read the Edutopia.org article “Reluctant Adopters and Technology Initiatives” by Cullen. Although I did not specifically choose one technology, I wanted to explore technology integration as a whole, as I fall into the category of “reluctant adopter.” I will refer to a Paragraph Revision exercise that I implemented on Google Classroom, very basic and my first foray into using technology in my classroom (besides videos). I found that the Mehmet & Yavuz article spoke to different leadership styles and being a leader in education. It concluded that use of technology does not automatically make an educator a technology leader. The Cullen article spoke about the different levels of technology adopters in the classroom. There was no conclusion to the article, but that leaders need to understand that "reluctant technology user can be a valuable member of the team and their changes can positively impact student lives."
I chose to evaluate Google Classroom, but more importantly technology in general, as both these articles relate to my reluctance to technology. I used Google Classroom to implement a Paragraph Revision exercise in my 11th and 12th grade classroom; each student had access to the technology. I found an advantage of this tech was that students were intrigued into the technology. My stronger readers were able to breeze through the exercise. My strugglers were able to implement the exercise as well. However, many tech innovators assume that technology is available to all students across the board. That may not be the case with students living in poverty.
I believe a program like Google Classroom can help students to become an empowered learner. They can use technology to look up the answers that they may not know. My students are disadvantaged, socio-economically and (for most of their lives) educationally. They need all the resources they can get. Using a search engine may help them overcome a grammatical obstacle. I hope this helps them become a Creative Communicator in the world, someone who is literate and able to read, write, and speak well.
Works Cited:
Cullen, Theresa. "Reluctant Adopters and Technology Initiatives." Retrieved from: https://www.edutopia.org/article/reluctant-adopters-and-technology-initiatives
Mehmet, Salih Gençera & Yavuz, Samur. "Leadership Styles and Technology: Leadership Competency Level of Educational Leaders." Retrieved from: https://www-sciencedirect-com.fortlewis.idm.oclc.org/science/article/pii/S1877042816310679
Tech Evaluation #2: Newsela
I have had many discussions and arguments about the boundaries of generations in the past few years while working with youth. I know that I am a Millennial, but I wanted to know what came after that. According to my group's article by Roehl, Reddy, and Shannon (2013), us high school teachers are teaching Millennials right now. These are people born between 1982 and 2002. I consider myself an "older Millennial," because a Smartphone did not exist for me until after I graduated high school. Even then, I refused to adopt the technology, until my IPod broke. Now, we have students who have had an iPad in their hands since they were toddlers. I am trying to adopt a flipped classroom, because these students won't down their phones; their phone is a part of their personality. This generation of students who grew up with technology in their hands are labeled Generation Z. They are a collaborative group, they care about global issues, and they communicate through their phones and devices almost as much (or more than) face-to-face interactions.
As an advocate of Project-Based Learning (PBL), I know the importance of learner-based classrooms. The teacher can no longer be the pilot of the classroom, in full control, only a guide. Flipped classrooms are a way of the future. Technology is already a major part of these secondary students' lives. They are also highly social on those technology platforms. Isabel Lagando, 14, of New York says "For Gen Z, this tech is all we ever knew about and has been in our lives since we were babies" (Premack). In the same article, students claim that they communicate through social media and texting. The teachers that hold back of these changing platforms of communication are not doing these students any favors by holding back (of course, I struggle with this, I believe my students should communicate verbally).
These medias can easily turn students into globally aware citizens in the 21st century. In his article on bringing global perspectives into the classroom, Alan November observes that teachers are lacking in turning students into globally aware citizens. I appreciated his actions steps into having students become connected with other students across the globe, at any age. I could easily weave this into my PBL curriculum at school.
I believe that to synthesize these articles, one must look at the changing nature of technology in young people's lives and ask "what can I do to assist them in becoming globally connected adults?" We have been using the website, Newsela, which is a network of news articles and social studies/history articles written for various reading levels (700-1200 + SRI score). These articles are good for students because they are in control of what level they read at and how they comprehend the world around them. This is a good way to let students be the master of their learning, instead of the teacher.
According to Rohel, Reddy, and Shannon, "Due to the structural differences of the flipped classroom model, students become more aware of their own learning process than do students in more traditional settings." This means that students who are combining a technology like Newsela and a social media friend from across the globe could discuss international issues on a level that is much more immediate and informal than email. When these medias are combined, it allows students to reflect on their learning in a way that is much more engaging than a written or class discussion. Students can do what they know best: communicate through a social media platform.
Works Cited:
Premack, R. "Millennials love their brands, Gen Zs are terrified of college debt, and 6 other ways Gen Zs and millennials are totally different." Business Insider. July 12th 2018. Retreived from https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-zs-habits-different-from-millennials-2018-6.November, A. (2017) "Inviting Global Perspectives into the Classroom." Retreived from https://novemberlearning.com/educational-resources-for-educators/teaching-and-learning-articles/inviting-global-perspectives-classroom/Roehl, A., Reddy, S. L., & Shannon, G. J. (2013). The Flipped Classroom: An Opportunity To Engage Millennial Students Through Active Learning Strategies. Journal of Family & Consumer Sciences, 105(2), 44–49.
Tech Tool Eval #3: Zee Maps
"Empathy is the cornerstone of design." - Ilse Crawford, Interior Design Expert
This module was for the idea of students being a Designer. But this module also had the idea of accessibility, not just for students with IEPs and 504s, but for all students across the board. I had never thought of equity in technology being a problem until now. I know that many schools are underfunded in that area, but with equity on the micro-level of every student needing access. I read an article where students are able to take home laptops and other technologies, but Latino families see this more as a financial burden (lest something happen to it) to them than something that is welcome in the home to increase student learning (Katz, Gonzales, & Raynel, n.d.). This leads me to believe that the use of technology in the classroom might need to be confined to the classroom.
Indeed, in my classroom, if we expected students to have the technology we use at home, we would be quickly finding out that my student population does not have the privilege of time (many work late into the night to support their families). So we need to make sure that the technology being used is simple enough for them to finish an assignment in the classroom, but challenging to their brain, because these students have grown up with technology.
I really wanted to explore Glogster.com, a poster building website, but they were about to charge $5 and I'm thinking "nope!" Perhaps later. I decided to explore ZeeMaps.com. It is a map-building website, which is perfect for our combined Humanities class. Though literacy is important, and I have them read a book right now, we are fairly heavy on the Social Studies aspect, because these students have only grown up with Denver, not knowing what else is out there. They have learned about other people's struggles around the globe. I have found that Geography is not something that they really understand though. They do not know where many countries are, or the difference between Europe being a continent and a country.
I found that ZeeMaps allows them to become map builders for anything they want. We are thinking of starting a program where we talk about the connectedness of food across the world, and this map builder would be ideal for this sort of assignment. It is perfect for the secondary to college classroom, as students begin to understand the world around them. My only discontent with this is that the icons are tiny and undescriptive, and that the really good parts of the program are only available through an upgrade, which is not equitable for poorly funded schools.
Please see picture below for immigration/emigration map of Syrian refugees.
In the Pollack (2016) article, it asks if the students are able to be heard, and I believe that even for my quietest student they would be able to use this technology. My students with SLDs would need one-on-one help with this, just to stay focused, but I'm certain that it is accessible to them. According to Smith (2018) the point of technology is to create digital learners who can collaborate and think critically in the new era of technology. I believe this can be accomplished through these sorts of design websites, because the student can print and share their work, and they become global learners at the same time, thus creating empathy through design.
References:
Katz, V., Gonzales, C., & Raynel A. (no date) Leveraging technology for learning in Latino families. Rutgers University School of Communication & Information. p. 27-29
Pollack, M. (2016) Smart tech use for equity. Teaching Tolerance. Issue 52.
Smith, T. (2018). DIGITAL EQUITY: It’s more than just student access. Tech & Learning, 39(3), 22.
I am a reluctant adopter to technology in education. There, I said it. I believe that our addiction to screens will be detrimental to us as a human race. I believe that the epidemic of loneliness in our society is because of this phenomenon of smartphones and bombardment of screens. I'm not sure they have the meta-cognition to understand this. I like to have conversations with my students, to have them draw designs with paper and markers. I want them off their screens.
However, I will always do what is best for my students.
Ms. Keuter and I were assigned in a group and she chose an article called "Leadership Styles and Technology: Leadership Competency Level of Educational Leaders" by Mehmet and Yavuz. I chose to read the Edutopia.org article “Reluctant Adopters and Technology Initiatives” by Cullen. Although I did not specifically choose one technology, I wanted to explore technology integration as a whole, as I fall into the category of “reluctant adopter.” I will refer to a Paragraph Revision exercise that I implemented on Google Classroom, very basic and my first foray into using technology in my classroom (besides videos). I found that the Mehmet & Yavuz article spoke to different leadership styles and being a leader in education. It concluded that use of technology does not automatically make an educator a technology leader. The Cullen article spoke about the different levels of technology adopters in the classroom. There was no conclusion to the article, but that leaders need to understand that "reluctant technology user can be a valuable member of the team and their changes can positively impact student lives."
I chose to evaluate Google Classroom, but more importantly technology in general, as both these articles relate to my reluctance to technology. I used Google Classroom to implement a Paragraph Revision exercise in my 11th and 12th grade classroom; each student had access to the technology. I found an advantage of this tech was that students were intrigued into the technology. My stronger readers were able to breeze through the exercise. My strugglers were able to implement the exercise as well. However, many tech innovators assume that technology is available to all students across the board. That may not be the case with students living in poverty.
I believe a program like Google Classroom can help students to become an empowered learner. They can use technology to look up the answers that they may not know. My students are disadvantaged, socio-economically and (for most of their lives) educationally. They need all the resources they can get. Using a search engine may help them overcome a grammatical obstacle. I hope this helps them become a Creative Communicator in the world, someone who is literate and able to read, write, and speak well.
Works Cited:
Cullen, Theresa. "Reluctant Adopters and Technology Initiatives." Retrieved from: https://www.edutopia.org/article/reluctant-adopters-and-technology-initiatives
Mehmet, Salih Gençera & Yavuz, Samur. "Leadership Styles and Technology: Leadership Competency Level of Educational Leaders." Retrieved from: https://www-sciencedirect-com.fortlewis.idm.oclc.org/science/article/pii/S1877042816310679
Tech Evaluation #2: Newsela
I have had many discussions and arguments about the boundaries of generations in the past few years while working with youth. I know that I am a Millennial, but I wanted to know what came after that. According to my group's article by Roehl, Reddy, and Shannon (2013), us high school teachers are teaching Millennials right now. These are people born between 1982 and 2002. I consider myself an "older Millennial," because a Smartphone did not exist for me until after I graduated high school. Even then, I refused to adopt the technology, until my IPod broke. Now, we have students who have had an iPad in their hands since they were toddlers. I am trying to adopt a flipped classroom, because these students won't down their phones; their phone is a part of their personality. This generation of students who grew up with technology in their hands are labeled Generation Z. They are a collaborative group, they care about global issues, and they communicate through their phones and devices almost as much (or more than) face-to-face interactions.
As an advocate of Project-Based Learning (PBL), I know the importance of learner-based classrooms. The teacher can no longer be the pilot of the classroom, in full control, only a guide. Flipped classrooms are a way of the future. Technology is already a major part of these secondary students' lives. They are also highly social on those technology platforms. Isabel Lagando, 14, of New York says "For Gen Z, this tech is all we ever knew about and has been in our lives since we were babies" (Premack). In the same article, students claim that they communicate through social media and texting. The teachers that hold back of these changing platforms of communication are not doing these students any favors by holding back (of course, I struggle with this, I believe my students should communicate verbally).
These medias can easily turn students into globally aware citizens in the 21st century. In his article on bringing global perspectives into the classroom, Alan November observes that teachers are lacking in turning students into globally aware citizens. I appreciated his actions steps into having students become connected with other students across the globe, at any age. I could easily weave this into my PBL curriculum at school.
I believe that to synthesize these articles, one must look at the changing nature of technology in young people's lives and ask "what can I do to assist them in becoming globally connected adults?" We have been using the website, Newsela, which is a network of news articles and social studies/history articles written for various reading levels (700-1200 + SRI score). These articles are good for students because they are in control of what level they read at and how they comprehend the world around them. This is a good way to let students be the master of their learning, instead of the teacher.
According to Rohel, Reddy, and Shannon, "Due to the structural differences of the flipped classroom model, students become more aware of their own learning process than do students in more traditional settings." This means that students who are combining a technology like Newsela and a social media friend from across the globe could discuss international issues on a level that is much more immediate and informal than email. When these medias are combined, it allows students to reflect on their learning in a way that is much more engaging than a written or class discussion. Students can do what they know best: communicate through a social media platform.
Works Cited:
Premack, R. "Millennials love their brands, Gen Zs are terrified of college debt, and 6 other ways Gen Zs and millennials are totally different." Business Insider. July 12th 2018. Retreived from https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-zs-habits-different-from-millennials-2018-6.November, A. (2017) "Inviting Global Perspectives into the Classroom." Retreived from https://novemberlearning.com/educational-resources-for-educators/teaching-and-learning-articles/inviting-global-perspectives-classroom/Roehl, A., Reddy, S. L., & Shannon, G. J. (2013). The Flipped Classroom: An Opportunity To Engage Millennial Students Through Active Learning Strategies. Journal of Family & Consumer Sciences, 105(2), 44–49.
Tech Tool Eval #3: Zee Maps
"Empathy is the cornerstone of design." - Ilse Crawford, Interior Design Expert
This module was for the idea of students being a Designer. But this module also had the idea of accessibility, not just for students with IEPs and 504s, but for all students across the board. I had never thought of equity in technology being a problem until now. I know that many schools are underfunded in that area, but with equity on the micro-level of every student needing access. I read an article where students are able to take home laptops and other technologies, but Latino families see this more as a financial burden (lest something happen to it) to them than something that is welcome in the home to increase student learning (Katz, Gonzales, & Raynel, n.d.). This leads me to believe that the use of technology in the classroom might need to be confined to the classroom.
Indeed, in my classroom, if we expected students to have the technology we use at home, we would be quickly finding out that my student population does not have the privilege of time (many work late into the night to support their families). So we need to make sure that the technology being used is simple enough for them to finish an assignment in the classroom, but challenging to their brain, because these students have grown up with technology.
I really wanted to explore Glogster.com, a poster building website, but they were about to charge $5 and I'm thinking "nope!" Perhaps later. I decided to explore ZeeMaps.com. It is a map-building website, which is perfect for our combined Humanities class. Though literacy is important, and I have them read a book right now, we are fairly heavy on the Social Studies aspect, because these students have only grown up with Denver, not knowing what else is out there. They have learned about other people's struggles around the globe. I have found that Geography is not something that they really understand though. They do not know where many countries are, or the difference between Europe being a continent and a country.
I found that ZeeMaps allows them to become map builders for anything they want. We are thinking of starting a program where we talk about the connectedness of food across the world, and this map builder would be ideal for this sort of assignment. It is perfect for the secondary to college classroom, as students begin to understand the world around them. My only discontent with this is that the icons are tiny and undescriptive, and that the really good parts of the program are only available through an upgrade, which is not equitable for poorly funded schools.
Please see picture below for immigration/emigration map of Syrian refugees.
In the Pollack (2016) article, it asks if the students are able to be heard, and I believe that even for my quietest student they would be able to use this technology. My students with SLDs would need one-on-one help with this, just to stay focused, but I'm certain that it is accessible to them. According to Smith (2018) the point of technology is to create digital learners who can collaborate and think critically in the new era of technology. I believe this can be accomplished through these sorts of design websites, because the student can print and share their work, and they become global learners at the same time, thus creating empathy through design.
References:
Katz, V., Gonzales, C., & Raynel A. (no date) Leveraging technology for learning in Latino families. Rutgers University School of Communication & Information. p. 27-29
Pollack, M. (2016) Smart tech use for equity. Teaching Tolerance. Issue 52.
Smith, T. (2018). DIGITAL EQUITY: It’s more than just student access. Tech & Learning, 39(3), 22.
Tech Tool Eval 4: Edublogs for Blogging
I've already used Wix.com for student blogs, however it was difficult to implement due to the sheer amount of bells and whistles that come with the program. Students were overwhelmed by the amount of deleting you had to do once you picked a template (it's best to start a blank template next time). The thing I learned is that with these sorts of websites you have to be an expert in implementing them. If a student has a question and you don't know the answer, yes Google can help, but they look to you for answers because they trust you. I tried Edublog for a more straightforward approach.
Upon opening my Edublog account, I realized what is cool is you can share the workspace with students. The other side to that is you have to add students. In many cases with tech in education, there's the option of the student finding it themselves, but not with Edublog. So getting the students signed up and logged in could take an entire class period. But what is neat about it is once that inconvenience is through, you are able to allow students to work in groups on these various blog posts. It allows for group and individual collaboration. It gives students the chance to show off their skills as digital experts. See a screenshot of Edublog below, compared to Wix.
My principal has often said to the teachers "we have money, but what is the purpose of what you're ordering?" I have wanted to ask for certain items in the classroom, but especially for programs that need to be downloaded (with a fee). I have found ways around this, simply by looking for things that are free and will help the students learn. However, one drawback at my school is students don't make wise decisions of who they work with, which could be detrimental to the process. According to Martinez & McGrath collaborative work is successful because of wise group choices from the students (Martinez & McGrath, 2014). With Edublogger, you are still the teacher, and it could be used as Dr. Choate has us do discussions, which is that students make a blog, and other students respond to that blog. This could create an interesting dialogue online. Martinez and McGrath suggest that the teacher be a "stream of questions from teachers, all designed to get students to reflect on their work and consider the choices they’ve made (Martinez & McGrath, 2014, p. 4)." However, I believe if we want higher level questioning, the student must be the facilitator, and roles must be reversed. The Department of Education article suggests that technology can be used to go beyond the walls of the classroom ("Section 2: Teaching with Technology," n.d.). It is impressive to think of the possibilities that Edublogger gives. This could be an all school assignment, but they also have a Community made up of other blogs.
If I were to use Edublogger, I would have to sit down for an hour and become an expert with the technology, just like I did with Wix.com. For a more straightforward, collaborative approach to blogging, this is it.
References:
Section 2: Teaching with Technology (n.d.) In Department of Education Office of Educational Technology. Retrieved from https://tech.ed.gov/netp/teaching/
Monica Martinez, & Dennis McGrath. (2014). Technology alone won’t transform teacher to facilitator. The Phi Delta Kappan, (1), 41. Retrieved from https://fortlewis.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsjsr&AN=edsjsr.24375918&site=eds-live&scope=site
I've already used Wix.com for student blogs, however it was difficult to implement due to the sheer amount of bells and whistles that come with the program. Students were overwhelmed by the amount of deleting you had to do once you picked a template (it's best to start a blank template next time). The thing I learned is that with these sorts of websites you have to be an expert in implementing them. If a student has a question and you don't know the answer, yes Google can help, but they look to you for answers because they trust you. I tried Edublog for a more straightforward approach.
Upon opening my Edublog account, I realized what is cool is you can share the workspace with students. The other side to that is you have to add students. In many cases with tech in education, there's the option of the student finding it themselves, but not with Edublog. So getting the students signed up and logged in could take an entire class period. But what is neat about it is once that inconvenience is through, you are able to allow students to work in groups on these various blog posts. It allows for group and individual collaboration. It gives students the chance to show off their skills as digital experts. See a screenshot of Edublog below, compared to Wix.
My principal has often said to the teachers "we have money, but what is the purpose of what you're ordering?" I have wanted to ask for certain items in the classroom, but especially for programs that need to be downloaded (with a fee). I have found ways around this, simply by looking for things that are free and will help the students learn. However, one drawback at my school is students don't make wise decisions of who they work with, which could be detrimental to the process. According to Martinez & McGrath collaborative work is successful because of wise group choices from the students (Martinez & McGrath, 2014). With Edublogger, you are still the teacher, and it could be used as Dr. Choate has us do discussions, which is that students make a blog, and other students respond to that blog. This could create an interesting dialogue online. Martinez and McGrath suggest that the teacher be a "stream of questions from teachers, all designed to get students to reflect on their work and consider the choices they’ve made (Martinez & McGrath, 2014, p. 4)." However, I believe if we want higher level questioning, the student must be the facilitator, and roles must be reversed. The Department of Education article suggests that technology can be used to go beyond the walls of the classroom ("Section 2: Teaching with Technology," n.d.). It is impressive to think of the possibilities that Edublogger gives. This could be an all school assignment, but they also have a Community made up of other blogs.
If I were to use Edublogger, I would have to sit down for an hour and become an expert with the technology, just like I did with Wix.com. For a more straightforward, collaborative approach to blogging, this is it.
References:
Section 2: Teaching with Technology (n.d.) In Department of Education Office of Educational Technology. Retrieved from https://tech.ed.gov/netp/teaching/
Monica Martinez, & Dennis McGrath. (2014). Technology alone won’t transform teacher to facilitator. The Phi Delta Kappan, (1), 41. Retrieved from https://fortlewis.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsjsr&AN=edsjsr.24375918&site=eds-live&scope=site
Wix.com: A lot going on
Edublogger: Very straightforward