Final Reflections on EDUC 6710 - The Impact of Technology on Education, Work, and Society

Dr. David Thornburg (2004) focuses the discussion of technology integration by distinguishing between doing things differently and doing different things. This distinction defines the change in my approach to integrating technology in the classroom. With a focus on preparing students for a 21^st century workplace, a new skill set will be incorporated into the curriculum with a grassroots effort from the bottom up.  This change in approaches will require a change in teaching to engage students in meaningful activities that reflect their interests and abilities (Prensky, 2008). This student centered focus with the use of tools that many teachers may not be comfortable with, may be a challenge for some teachers and an inspiration to others. I have enjoyed the exploration of new tools and the potential for meaningful and effective instruction that they may bring to my classroom.

Reflections on EDUC 6710 – The Impact of Technology on Education, Work, and Society

The required elements of this course for creating a weblog, working on a wiki, and publishing a podcast were intimidating. However, the discussion of using these tools is meaningless without the application. Weblogs are tools that eliminate the limits of the classroom and class period while storing and sharing the learning of a student or class (Richardson, 2010). After posting to a blog as part of an assignment, I developed buy-in minutes later when I received a response from the blog host. The dialogue that was created was meaningful and asynchronous, allowing me to share ideas with a teacher in another state with a very different skill set. This globalization is what Friedman (2005) refers to in his article “It’s a Flat World After All”. By completing a group project on a wiki for the course, the pros and cons of collaborative task completion on wikis became very clear and allowed me to evaluate specific guidelines that would be needed to prevent some of the cons from interfering with students’ success on wiki projects in my classroom. Most surprisingly, I found the podcast easy and fun to create. Podcasts offer the ability to listen to or watch a brief presentation at your convenience. This is a tool I would have likely avoided out of fear of the unknown and will now be certain to incorporate into my classroom immediately.

The 21^st century skills that students will need for success in the 21^st century workplace include collaboration, the use of technology, and problem solving (Partnership for 21^st Century Skills, no date). This shift from content information to applicable skills requires a shift in approaches within the classroom. Teachers are no longer the great provider of information as students have access to all the information we have, and more, through the internet; therefore, this shift should be naturally occurring and driven by the needs of the student. Teachers will need to learn more about the background knowledge, experiences, and interests of their students in order to develop and deliver effective instruction (Richardson, 2010; Prensky, 2006). In order to develop the skills of problem solving and collaboration, classroom instruction needs to be student centered instead of teacher centered. Students need the opportunity to develop these skills through experimentation, guided instruction, and collaborative learning. Teachers need to step away from the front of the classroom and create a learning environment that focuses on the student, the learning process, and “constructionism”, Papert’s theory defined by Dr. Chris Dede and Dr. David Thornburg as students learning through the process of creating artifacts (Laureate Education, Inc, 2010). This is an important step in maintaining the engagement of students while developing skills they will need for the modern workplace.

Life-long learning and education has always been an important part of being a teacher. It has never been more necessary than now. With the fast rate at which technology is currently changing, teachers need to continue learning about new technologies and more effective ways to incorporate technology in the classroom (Keengwe, Onchwari, and Wachira, 2008). Additionally, continuing education will allow teachers to model for students the importance and interest in life-long learning, which is otherwise a difficult skill to teach (ISTE, 2008). Just as I am continuing my education now in order to keep up with the changes in students today, I will need to continue this process in order to be effective throughout my career.

Armed with the knowledge, research, and experience of using technology to increase the effectiveness of instruction and preparing my students for the modern workplace, I also need to promote change. Many of the articles I have read are five to ten years old, and still the changes they support are not incorporated in current school policies. Many of the 21^st century skills, especially those related to collaboration and problem solving are incorporated in the Common Core Curriculum that is being implemented in my state starting this year (National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, Council of Chief State School Officers, 2010). The implementation of this change provides me with a platform for advocating for and implementing change. I will be able to use the new standards and my new knowledge in order to design and implement new lessons and activities with students. As these are directly related to our new curriculum, I will be able to share these ideas with my administrators and colleagues in order to make change in my school. Student achievement data is always being collected and I will monitor it closely for improvements as the instruction becomes focused on 21^st century skills. Additionally, the behavior data (measured by the number of office referrals) will likely reflect an increase in student engagement. If the data shows changes in these areas, I will be more likely to gain support from administrators and other teachers for the continued and increased implementation of technology and student-centered activities. We may also be able to use this data to acquire funding for more technology and access to technology that is currently blocked. This is a time for change in education and I am now prepared to be an agent of that change.

Long Term Goal Setting

Goal #1: Incorporate the meaningful use of blogs, wikis, and podcasts in my classroom on a regular basis so that my students can independently work with these tools.

Developing these skills in my students will provide them with distinct advantages as they complete their education and enter the work force. By incorporating collaborative learning, technology, and problem solving, my students will develop key skills identified for success in the 21^st century workplace (Partnership for 21^st Century Skills, no date). This will require direct instruction, modeling, and scaffolding so that students can become proficient and productive in the use of these tools. Accomplishing this goal will require extensive planning so that all content goals are incorporated effectively, technology is available and working, and students are effectively prepared for learning. The biggest challenge in achieving this goal will be access to the appropriate websites on the school computer network. Prensky (2008) describes my school when he explains that many have restricted access because they believe that it will have a negative effect on education. I will need to work with my technology coordinator and students to identify blog and wiki sites that may work in school, as well as sites that students may be able to access from home or the community. I plan to use my students’ knowledge and expertise in the area of technology to identify the best ways to work around this road block.

Goal #2: Provide my students with opportunities to collaborate with others in another city, state, or country

Globalization is a major area of need for my students, many of whom have never traveled to the city they live 10 miles away from. In order to develop their skills in collaborating with people they do not know or meet with face to face, I may begin by designing a collaborative activity with another school in our district. From there, I will need to identify connections with people in other states or countries who would like to participate in a similar activity. Access to collaborative websites sites such as wikis and blogs are blocked at my school which will present a challenge in their use for these activities. As we develop collaborative activities within the school district and state, I will appeal to the school district in regard the use of wikis and blogs in school with evidence collected through student work and progress. I hope that the engagement of my students will be reflected in their learning and evident to policy makers and school leaders.

Self-Assessment Checklist for Technology Integration Practices

At this time, my responses to most of the checklist statements have not changed. However, I will need to review the checklist at the end of the first semester to determine if my implementation of practice and use of technology have changed as a result of this course. I specifically hope to see a change in my ability to promote the use of technology and the instruction in 21^st century skills with other teachers in my department. Through collaborative planning and team teaching, I hope to not only increase my own use of these skills, but create big picture change by impacting multiple classrooms.

Sources:

Friedman, T. (2005, April 3). It's a flat world, after all. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com

International Society of Technology in Education (ISTE): NETS for Teachers 2008. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards /NETS_for_Teachers_2008.htm

Keengwe, J., Onchwari, G., & Wachira, P. (2008). The use of computer tools to support meaningful learning. AACE Journal, 16(1), 77–92

Laureate Education, Inc (2010). Transforming the Classroom with Technology, Parts 1 and 2 [Video]. (Available from Walden University).

National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, Council of Chief State School Officers (2010). Common Core State Standards. National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, Council of Chief State School Officers, Washington D.C.

Partnership for 21st Century Skills. (n.d.). A report and mile guide for 21st century skills. Washington DC: Author. Retrieved from http://www.p21.org/images/stories/otherdocs/p21up_Report.pdf

Prensky, M. (2006). Listen to the natives. Educational Leadership, 63(4), 8–13.

Prensky, M. (2008, March). Turning on the lights. Educational Leadership, 65(6), 40–45.

Richardson, W. (2010). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Thornburg, D. (2004). Technology and education: Expectations, not options. (Executive Briefing No. 401). Retrieved from http://www.tcpdpodcast.org/briefings/expectations.pdf

The Tale of Two Digital Natives - Podcast

Marc Prensky (2001) coined the term “digital native” to describe the children who have been raised immersed in digital media. These children have been exposed to multimedia and technology tools their entire lives (Prensky, 2001; McHale, 2005). Prensky (2001) describes how digital natives are fundamentally different learners as a result of changes in the brain based on this life-long exposure to digital media. In this podcast, I will introduce you to two young ladies who are both digital natives. Despite this similarity, they present very different learning profiles that serve as a reminder to educators that the digital age is only increasing the demand for variety in the classroom. 
Podcast - The Tale of Two Digital Natives

Sources:

McHale, T. (2005). Portrait of a digital native. Technology & Learning. Retrieved from http://www.techlearning.com/article/portrait-of-a-digital-native/42941

Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants. On the Horizon, 9(5).

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills - A Review

The Partnership for 21^st Century Skills has a well-developed website that clearly promotes the mission “to serve as a catalyst to position 21st century readiness at the center of US K12 education by building collaborative partnerships among education, business, community and government leaders.” It provides a wealth of resources for educators ranging from research to practice that explain the need for and demonstrate the best practice of 21^st Century skills in the classroom. Beginning with the interactive graphic explaining the P21 Framework, the website is user-friendly and easy to navigate.

One tool available on the website that is particularly relevant is the P21 Common Core Toolkit: AGuide to Aligning the Common Core State Standards with the Framework for 21stCentury Skills.  Through the use of clear charts and side-by-side comparison, it was clearly demonstrated how the Common Core Standards are already clearly aligned with 21^st Century Skills. However, this resource also includes a discussion of the 21^st century skills that are not directly included in the Common Core Standards and ways to ensure that they are still incorporated into classroom instruction. Creativity and innovation are the areas identified by the tool as lacking in the Common Core Standards, but easily integrated with the suggestions provided.

The Partnership for 21^st Century Skills as has a State Leadership Initiative. States that have developed standards, assessments and professional development that align with 21^st Century skills can apply for this status. The website provides links to the initiatives and resources of the sixteen states that are currently involved. It is unclear if these states benefit from this status, besides having highly effective education programs. It appears that all of the resources are available to all users. Unfortunately, further investigation was impossible as several of the links on the 21st Century States page were broken.

In the P21 FAQs, they identify the effectiveness and reach of their influence under “Is P21’s model making a difference?”They list states that have incorporated the skills they promote, assessments that include critical thinking, and membership. However, there is very little support for direct impact. For example, the website does not indicate what results the state initiative participants are seeing in their schools. They provide examples of 21^st Century skills being incorporated into curriculum, but do not explain how or if they had any impact on that happening. Was the developer a member of p21? Did the state make those changes as a result of the State Leadership Initiative? There are many institutions, researchers, politicians, and educators that value these skills and work to have them implemented in classrooms. It would be more effective if there was a more direct correlation between The Partnership for 21^st Century Skills and their impact.

The Partnership for 21^st Century Skills is providing a valuable resource for educators and policymakers. As an educator, the resources provided can support the daily integration of these skills into content area classrooms through useful classroom examples and tools. It can also justify the need to do so when questioned by others, whether they be administrators, teachers, students, or parents. The information provided makes it clear that students and teachers need to prepare for changes in approach, process, and thinking in order to be effective, employable, and educated.

Utilizing Blogs in the Classroom

In my 10^th grade English class, I would like to create a blog for discussion topics for students and building community. I would use the community building aspect to build the basic blog skills and familiarity with accessing the blog. Then, I will add discussion topics that allow students to respond to a content related topic and respond to each other’s ideas.

I would like to begin by establishing a blog that shares the course syllabus, classroom expectations, and class work and homework assignments. This would allow for increased communication with parents and students and provide a resource for students who need an alternative method for keeping track of and turning in assignments. I would set up a separate blog for each of the 3 sections I teach in order to keep the assignments and due dates clear for each class. It will also help keep me organized. This part of the blog will allow for some training with access and communication. We will use some class time to access the blog and make sure that all students are familiar with accessing and navigating the blog independently.  

A few weeks into the semester, I will add a discussion component to the blog. I will post discussion questions/topics/prompts on the blog and ask students to respond to the prompts as well as to each other. I will provide students with a rubric so that they have a clear understanding of the expectations. We will also complete a practice activity using the rubric to score anonymous blog postings. The discussion prompts I will use will relate directly to the content we are covering. I would like to use application, analysis, and extension questions as prompts so that students are extending their knowledge to develop new understanding about content. This may include literature, grammar, or the writing process.

Using the blog to discuss extension, application, and analysis questions will enhance the students’ learning through increased access to higher level thinking questions with the support of additional responses from classmates. I hope that it will develop a sense of community within the classes as students extend their interactive learning outside the classroom. This extends our class time beyond the 83 minutes in the school schedule and eliminates some of the time pressures that the school schedule creates. It also creates rich, meaningful “homework” assignments that would replace worksheets and rote practice activities. The blog would also be a great opportunity to work on communication and writing skills. I find that my students do very little writing and therefore struggle with communicating effectively in writing. If they become engaged in the use of the blog, the significant increase in the amount of writing they do will likely have a positive impact on their writing skills.

Practicing what I preach

As an instructional leader in my school, I am often promoting the use of technology in instruction. This is especially true for teachers with students with disabilities. I share ideas about technology helping provide equal access to the curriculum and increasing the effectiveness of students' accommodations. However, I am not strong with the use of technology myself and have a small bag of "tech-savvy" tricks that I pull from. Today I will begin the journey of practicing what I preach.