Technology and Assessment Reflection

What technologies do you see yourself using?

 



Picture from pixabay.com

    I think the most obvious technology I plan on continuing to use is this educational blog.  I appreciate the transparency that is allowed to show the community that learning doesn't stop after you leave school, but it can be a life-long endeavor. 
   Just as there are scientists always researching many different aspects of life, research is occurring on better ways to educate our children.  Technology is one tool that can be used in this pursuit of a higher-quality education that may change with time based on the latest research.  That's what make education (and life) so exciting!  There can always be change, as long as we're willing to embrace it.
  One methodology I intend to use are project-based learning.  Students can use different programs, like MindMeister and Dipity, to collaborate on solutions for real-world problems.  More information about different project-based learning tools can be found here.   

 

What limitations come along with using technology in the classroom?

 
    While having gadgets and the latest "gee-whiz" technological equipment in the classroom, all that "stuff" can't be effective without training the teachers and educators who are expected to use those tools in the classroom.  If teachers and educators do not have a good grasp, and good support from technical experts, those new gadgets may end up collecting dust because no one can get them to work right.  I heard it said, "Technology is Great!  ...until it doesn't work". 
    Another limitation is that educators may become too reliant on technology to do the teaching, and not continue to garner tools outside the laptop.  Another important understanding is that technology is a tool, and not the end-all-be-all of the classroom.  Teachers still need to develop relationships with their students, not only to facilitate their learning, but to provide meaningful adult connections to help students grow into the young men and women they are becoming. 
    One more thing that educators, parents and students also must know is that many universities and higher level institutions will not cater to the needs of students in the same way middle and high schools strive to.  There needs to be a balance between having "fun" ways to learn, and glimpses of what higher level institutions may require (lecture, note-taking, assessment).
 

How can you effectively use technology in your classroom?

 
  I understanding the different ways students learn, I think technology can extend the reach of classes by using the students' different learning styles.  Some people are great at reading and understanding information, some may like it spoken, others may need to interact with some activity to really provide a better understanding of the material. 


Image from flickr.com

 Having students make more connections to materials in different ways will help them not only commit that material to memory, but also increase their ability to access that material. 
 
Technology can also be used to "hook" a class's interest, like having an interesting video play at the beginning of class.  Some informal assessments include programs like the very fun and competitive Kahoot!  Students get engaged in this upbeat way that could serve as a review of information. 
    Many schools now have online systems that help students and parents have more access to what is happening in the classroom from home (grades, deadlines, etc.).  Teachers can post pictures of students (minus any identifying information) to boost pride and morale.
    Something I enjoyed was creating animated videos, which are way more fun to watch and listen to instead of a lecture.      
 

How will you continue your professional development as a teacher, in regard to using technology?



Picture from pixabay.com

    One assignment for the CSU class EDUC 331 was to participate in a Twitter chat.  I had never had a Twitter account and the idea of Twitter was quite foreign to me.  I participated in a chat called #bfc530.  I was amazed by how open everyone was in discussing what their schools were doing to connect to community. 
    I appreciated how I had "Tweeted" that it was my first Twitter chat, and immediately I had about two veteran teacher taking me under their wing encouraging me to follow those in the chat.  Taking a class like 331 has helped open my eyes to the different types of technology there is, and how to use some of that in the classroom.  Having a Twitter account, and following and asking questions of seasoned teachers, helps me to grow even before getting in front of the classroom, and when I start in my first year of teaching.
    Besides using Twitter, many professional organizations and associations have an online presence, building networks and connections through these organizations will be important to my continued development as a teacher, and connecting with technology specialists can help me stay up-to-date with some of the latest tools I can use when teaching my class.
 

What are your thoughts regarding the grading and assessment system?

 
After watching Rick Wormeli's take on standards-based grading, I find that the traditional percent-based grading system (the one I grew up with), to be skewed to make failure a larger consequence than success.  While I agree with what standards-based grading attempts to do by actually giving accurate progress reports of growth in subject areas.  It will be difficult to embrace this new way of grading because of the  wide acceptance of the traditional system by universities and colleges, but even some parents, staff, legislators, administrators and teachers.
It's not right to blame them though, it's simply the law of primacy taking place.  I hope that everyone may be willing to grow in this area to better serve students who are both excelling and struggling, that they're needs may be identified accurately and instruction can be better suited to students no matter their level of understanding.
 
Below is Rick Wormeli's video on Standard-Based Grading, I really think he sums up what standards-based grading is all about, as well as percentage-based grading.
 

 
 Wormeli, Rick. "Standards Based Grading." retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-QF9Q4gxVM

What will you do between now and your first job to grow as a teacher who uses technology in the classroom?

As far as technology in the classroom, and possibly using it in the future, I plan on being adventurous and experimenting with different programs.  Something EDUC 331 has taught me has been this adventurous spirit, and it's OK if something doesn't work out, just plan on getting back up and try it again.  Experimenting with different types of technology simply increases awareness of what tools are available, and even if you're not an expert, networking with those who do know more can greatly increase your own skill.  

 

What is your philosophy of technology use in the classroom?



Image from flickr.com

Technology use can be applied in the classroom, but it is important to understand that technology is a tool, and not a goal.

    It is important to still develop students in their learning, critical thinking, and development, and that can be done using technology, but it can also be done without it.  It will be important to balance when to use technology, and when to use more traditional means, so that students know how to work without computers. 

    When evaluating a project that uses technology, I will not focus as much on how "cool" the project may look, but on what the student is actually trying to convey while using technology.  As educators we need to make sure the students are learning the material and content, and not just learning how to use technology.  We need to make sure that technology is a tool and not a final goal. 
 

Reflecting on Technology in the Classroom

            On Tuesday, November 3, 2015, Adam McBride came into the university classroom to discuss 3D printing and technology use in the classroom.  His instruction was insightful and really connected the future teachers to applications of technological use in the classroom.

A laptop and 3D printer.

Image from: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons

/a/a9/Felix_3D_Printer_-_Printing_Set-up_With_Examples.JPG

3D Printing

I have seen 3D printing in the university library, as well as the local middle school where I do some of my teacher licensure classes; and finally had the chance to see the programing behind the magic of 3D printing.

            I had recently discovered Blender, a free opensource 3D rendering program (available at blender.org), and was fascinated with how CGI movies were made, not just the “big name” movies, but short films available on YouTube created by smaller creative teams.  Adam explained how 3D rendering programs, like Blender, have files that can be used to print those renderings in the real world using 3D printers.  Wow!  I can print models I make in programs like Blender (did I mention free?) on 3D printers in a variety of materials based on the capabilities of the printer! 

            Considering I already knew a little bit about building items in Blender, seeing a 3D printer print a model helped to connect how helpful 3D printing can be in manufacturing.  Discussions in the classroom also included how this technology can greatly reduce waste in manufacturing because only the required raw material is used instead of having unused portions that are cut away from a mold thrown away.  I hadn’t thought about 3D printing and sustainability, but it makes sense that factories would want to create primarily plastic parts a pieces with as little waste as possible.

A SparkFun Inventor's Kit with Circuit Diagram
Image from: http://www.flicker.com

SparkFun

            Another great item Adam shared was SparkFun’s Inventor’s Kit (found here) that combines electronics, circuitry and coding all in one laboratory experience.  I took electronics long ago in high school, and even became an Aviation Electrician in the Navy, but I had never been exposed to coding (C++) until that day.  I was drawn in to the lab placing resistors and polarized LEDs in the circuit board (no soldering required), connecting wires and plugging the board into the laptop.  I understood some coding based on HTML (which is a different language entirely), so understood that there would be very specific commands that would have to be followed to make the program work. 

            With some help from Adam, the LED came on, and with specific instructions my lab partner and I made the light flicker on and off at regular intervals.  After this intial task, we were given the opportunity to create our own flicker pattern and wrote the code so the light would transmit S.O.S. in morse code.

            He went on to explain other products that can turn handrails on a stair case into a piano, or create a lighting design on a poster or even for apparel.  There is so much out there that can be used, it’s really incredible. 

Technology and the Classroom: Investigating Short-Term, Mid-Term and Long-Term trends in the Classroom.

NMC Horizon Report: 2015 Higher Education Edition

From: http://www.nmc.org/publication/nmc-

horizon-report-2015-higher-education-edition/

The NMC Horizon Report is a collaborative work of experts who select and address the top six trends, technologies and challenges of emerging technology in the classroom.  The report discusses these items as it relates to policy, leadership and practice implications.  Below are questions that pertain to the 2015 Higher Education Report.

  

1) Which of the key technologies catalogued in the NMC Horizon Project Listing will be most important to teaching, learning, or creative inquiry within the next five years?

           The key technologies listed and described in the report include (with brief descriptions of each):

1. Bring Your Own Device-students bring their own technology to the learning environment. (36)
2. Flipped Classroom-like in the post before, the lecture happens as “homework” and the classroom is made for collaboration and completing assignments. (38)
3. Makerspaces-a physical location where people collaborate on projects, share resources and information, network and build. (40)
4. Wearable Technology-essentially it connects the physical person to technology (think about things like smart watches). (42)
5. Adaptive Learning Technology-using technology in the classroom to teach to a students’ level while using the teacher to help facilititate the learning. (44)
6. The Internet of Things-where even the “small things” are connected to the internet and work together to make life easier. (46)

The report is predicated on increasing digital literacy in universities and colleges.   What does this mean as far as selecting the most important technology from the list?  For me, the most important technology is Adaptive Learning Technology.  Not everyone has access, outside the classroom, to a device, the internet, or makerspace events, and wearable technology may be too expensive.  

            So the classroom can be an equalizer  where everyone can learn at their own pace, and teachers aren’t “lost in the sauce” but can still develop personal relationships with students to help guide their learning and encourage them through this process. 

2) What key technologies are missing from our list?  Consider these related questions:

•             What would you list amont the established technologies that some higher education institutions are using today that arugably all institutions should be using broadly to support or enhance teaching, learning, or creative inquiry?
•             What technologies that have a solid user base in consumer, entertainment, or other industries should higher education institutions be actively looking for ways to apply?
•             What are the key emerging technologies you see developing to the point that higher education institutions should begin to take notice during the next four to five years?

            I’ve been blessed to have friends and collegues who have children, so I get the opportunity to hear their concerns about their childrens’ education.  I don’t see that there are technologies that are necessarily “missing” but technological training for teachers and parents certainly falls short.  Developing tools to help “train the trainer” would be something that would be most beneficial so teachers can have more tools in their belts to use when students need a little extra help or different way to learn material. 

These tools need to not only be provided, but administrators and legislators but also allow for such tools to be used.  A common gripe from parents and even para-instructors is that there are only so many different ways teachers are allowed to teach their students that they are limited in what they can use to teach students.

            There are still Baby Boomers and Gen-Xers in the ranks of teacher, teachers who have much experience that should not be lost!  As educators, we are aware that there are different learning styles, and different levels of learning.  So continued education of educators will be the most important advancement that can occur for teachers to understand how to use technology to advocate to the needs of their students. 

            The solution (in my limited understanding of a teacher’s time): summer seminars to introduce and allow teachers to practice using different technology by building lessons around them.  Have technology labs open throughout the summer (with technological support) so teachers can have access to them instead of just trying to “fire-hose” train them.  From my own limited experiences in teaching have included using SMART board presentations and a flight simulator program. 

These programs are amazing and can really ignite passion in students, so it’s great that we use them.  My access to the programs was limited, installing programs on a personal computer either costs money or I ran into “glitches” and I couldn’t access the programs to plan outside the university education lab or the local middle school where I taught a lesson. 

3) What trends do you expect to have a significant impact on the ways in which higher education institutions approach our core missions of teaching, learning, and creative inquiry?

The trends that are listed and described in the report include:

1. Increasing use of blended learning-hybrid classes that utilize both online instruction and in-person instruction (16)
2. Redesigning Learning Space-not just the physical environment, but more flexible scheduling for learning (18)
3. Growing Focus on Measuring Learning-using analytics to profile the needs and capabilities of the learner (12)
4. Proliferation of Open Educational Resources-“free” in the economic sense of education, but also free in terms of ownership and usage rights (14)
5. Advancing Cultures of Change and Innovation-institutions adjust what services are provided to grow with the technological changes occurring in society (8)
6. Increasing Cross-Institution Collaboration-combining the efforts of various institutions towards common goals through technology (10)

The most important trend?  Goodness, they’re all important!  Though, I think that maybe the Proliferation of Open Educational Resources will have the most impact, as well as the awareness of those open educational resources.

            Having these open resources means that students can learn just about anything they want!  An important thing to remember is that teachers can provide guidance and possible information on possible career paths for the different areas where students may have an interest.  It isn’t enough to just “learn” how to do something, but it is important how to apply it to future endeavors.

4) What do you see as the key challenges related to teaching, learning, or creative inquiry that higher education institutions will face during the next five years?

People can learn just about anything on the internet, and an important consideration is the future of higher education institutions as it relates to continuing educating as they have for years, and whether or not employers will still require expensive degrees from universities when someone has learned a needed skill (on their own) using open educational resources. 

If everything is an open educational resource, how will educators continue to research and teach without things like income (which pays for the educator’s time), which is often paid for through tuition and fees of university students?

Will the learning experiences of open educational resources offer credit for work done in open source learning? Will universities (say state universitites) credit previous learning experiences through places like MIT and Harvard? Are there summative assessments available to test the knowledge of students who elect to learn from open sources?

Will employers continue to require degrees, or will a “I learned it open source” suffice in an interview? 

Questions like these are specific  to the proliferation of open educational resources, but how quickly schools grow with technology will be a key challenge.  And if schools are also meant to prepare students for adult life, then the workplace will also need to grow with technology as well. 

           

NMC Horizon Report is developed by New Media Consortium and EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative. The report can be found here.  Information on EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative can be found here, and New Media Consortium here.

DUMB Goals, Fixed Mindset, SMART Planning

Most of my adult life I've grown accustomed to "SMART" goals.  You may know of them as goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound.  Other things I've learned: share your goals so you can be kept accountable to keep your goals.  There is a lot of research out there being done on what motivates, what inspires, and how people get the drive to do something with their lives.

As part of my training to be a Family and Consumer Sciences Teacher, I have to develop a unit plan with lessons for each day I spend on the unit with my imaginary students.  The unit I selected falls under Nutrition and Wellness, and includes a section on setting goals, and with all the research that is happening, I decided to incorporate some of this new information into my lesson.

What is a flipped lesson?
In a traditional setting, students attend school to hear a lecture from the teacher.  They go home and complete homework based on what the teacher said.  In a flipped class, this plan is reversed, so students watch a lecture at home, and then practice, discuss and complete projects in the classroom alongside their classmates.

Why is this lesson flipped?
In this flipped class, student discover works from the various people mentioned in the summary below to help them start discovering their "DUMB" goals as well as developing the right mindset to embrace their goals.   Derek Sivers gives a great talk about keeping your goals to yourself, weird, right?  Students actually watch the short TED talk given by Sivers beforehand to help them understand why they're to keep their goals and plans a secret. (You can view his talk here: Derek Sivers's TED Talk)

Summary of the video:
Students are reminded to keep goals and plans private.  They will be exposed to Patti Dobrowolski's Drawing Solutions to help create a more concrete visualization of where students "are" and where they want to be in the future.  Brendan Burchard gives a talk about setting DUMB goals, or goals that are Dream-driven, Uplifting, Method-friendly and Behavior-triggered.  Setting DUMB goals may put a student out of their comfort-zone, so student begin to look at Carol Dweck's concept of developing a Growth Mindset. Students are using Dobrowloski's method during the video, drawing their goals, as well as reflecting on a couple parts of the lesson that will be discussed in class the following day.

In the second part of the class they will explore steps, or SMART planning to get to where they want to be in life.

Here is the lesson.  Please leave any comments or suggestions to make it (and other future lessons) better!  Thank you!