NCLB And Poor Econony Are A Bad Mix For Technology

No Child Left Behind: sounds good but is it really working?

I know there is a lot of controversary regarding NCLB. I have come to believe that the intention of NCLB is positive but the reality just is inadequate. With such a focus on test scores many important things in curriculum are falling to the waist side. "Unfortunately, the No Child Left Behind legislation and the economic situation of the past few years have been slowing, and in some places reversing, progress in these types of uses of educational technology. The focus on standardized testing as the sole measure of success by students, teachers, and schools has caused many educators to focus on how technology can be used to increase test scores, rather than how they can best prepare children for their lives in the 21st century." (2004. p.249. Kleiman) It is unfortunate that such focus on test scores is required to ensure that all students are meeting requirements. Classes are large and money is at stake so what alternative does the administration have? They need to have high test scores, but does it have to be at the cost of infusing technology into the curriculum? I do not see it as necessarily a bad thing when test scores are improved by using technology but I believe that only teaching for tests is not a good idea for a comprehensive education. If teachers are only using technology to increase test scores there is definitley a problem.

In addition, this testing wave has occurred during a difficult economic period that has resulted in a significant drop in the funding available for technology resources and innovations. (2004. p.249. Kleiman) We are seeing less money being allocated to technology in schools so what the schools have must be used to its fullest capacity. Funding is needed to ensure resources are being used properly. We have heard this time and time again, there is not enough money. Is that the only problem? I am not so sure.

I really feel like poor funding and the problems inherent in NCLB are highlighted as Geroge W. Bush stated in his educational platform there exists a “soft bigotry of low expectations,” Bush replaced this with the hard bigotries of inadequate funding, a poor understanding of the nature of educational and social inequality," (2005. p.165. Karen) There is more to our educational problems than just NLCB, poor funding and exploitation of technology. I think it come down to the basic notion of, what is important? Is it important to us that all students graduate can read, if so we must act to make it happen. I know this is a huge undertaking  and looking at it in the face is daunting but what other choice do we have?


Citations

Karen, D. (2005). No Child Left Behind? Sociology Ignored!. Sociology of Education, 78(2), 165. Retrieved from ERIC database.
Persistent link to this record (Permalink): http://navigator-clarion.passhe.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ697172&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Kleiman, G.M. (2004). Myths and realities about technology in k-12 schools: Five years later.
Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 4(2), 248-253.

The Technological Savy Will Succede

There are trends happening in the world of education and technology. One important trend is that those who know, understand, and use technology will advance further than those who do not know do not use, and do not understand technology. This trend is a factor of education rather than economics. (Johnson p.6) When you think about this is makes sense. The more you know about technology the more doors will open for you. For example in our distance learning experiences if you know about facebook, blogs, and twitter chances are that you will be exposed to much more information than compared with someone unfamiliar with these technology tools.

The contributors to this trend are changing occupations, people who have multiple careers, and an increasingly mobile workforce.(Johnson p.6) Our jobs are changing with the changes in technology. When we apply for a job we are expected to know how do use the basics technology had to offer. For example most jobs require the use of the company website or network as well as the use of email. For those of us who have changed careers over the years we have seen a need to become updated and informed on the latest technology to have a step up on the competition. Since technology is so important in our jobs today we need to be well versed to even get the job. Many workers are working from their homes. Working from the home will most certainly require knowledge of the latest technologies involved in communication. Someone working from home may need to use Skype to communicate with coworkers or participate in a blog or google docs to complete a group project.

If we are not knowledgeable about technology we will have a much more difficult if not impossible time succeeding in our rapidly changing environment. Since this trend is a factor of education some of us may need to be more proactive about learning about new technologies in the future to stay ahead of the game.

Based on a study at the University of Oklahoma which used a  model to utilize technology integration which involve a school’s individuals and teams in a collaborative learning model. The collaboration and technology integration improved students’ standardized test results, class performance, discipline, attendance, and dropout rates. (Williams p.294) This study is interesting because it has provided us with tangible results that prove the more we know about and use technology the more successful we will be.


Citations

Williams, L., Atkinson, L., Cate, J., & O'Hair, M. (2008). Mutual Support Between Learning Community Development and Technology Integration: Impact on School Practices and Student Achievement. Theory into Practice, 47(4), 294-302. Retrieved from E-Journals database.Persistent link to this record (Permalink): http://navigator-clarion.passhe.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eoah&AN=16967422&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Johnson, L., Levine, A., Smith, R., and Smythe, T. (2009). The 2009 Horizon Report: K-12 Edition. Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium.

The Condiments Keep Changing but the Baloney Stays the Same

When I read an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer with the title, “Hire teachers that actually know things,” I kept thinking of our readings on professional development. The article begins, “ When I first started teaching in Philadelphia public high schools 40 years , there was a ubiquitous joke: If you can’t do, then teach. Over the years, the joke has been insightfully amended; if you can’t teach, then teach teachers. “(2009. p. A18) Now I know this isn’t the nicest thing to say to a group of teachers but it is very interesting. The experience of the author was that young teachers coming into his school with degrees in “something real” such as history, English, math or science were garnering respect and success with their students as compared to the teachers coming into his school with degrees in education. Beauchemin goes on to explain that we can’t expect to magically create good teachers by “hugely wasteful and overfunded staff development that seems to obsess our present school administrators.” (2009. pA18) Good teachers must have the knowledge to back up their position as a teacher. Beauchemin discusses the data that is constantly being quoted in schools and required changes in curriculum. Does this help our students to learn? Do we just need to buckle down learn what we need to know and teach it to our students?(2009. pA18)

Relating this article to our readings on professional development I began to think about the reality of everyday work as a teacher. Is it plausible to really implement the things being taught in professional development seminars? I think it is a lot to ask of already burdened teachers and when it comes to technology few of us are experts; some of us need the help. Research shows that teachers need extra time to review and learn technology, without extra time they are in danger of burn-out. (2007. Hew & Brush)

I found the article to be interesting because I am always asking my husband (high school science teacher) if he is using the technologies we are learning about. Usually he says no saying they are just not practical. He is also a member of his school’s technology academy so he is very interested in technology. He does use the basics in his classroom PowerPoint and a whiteboard and he says there just isn’t time in the day. Perhaps technology should be more a part of education training. If colleges start to incorporate technology more into their teacher education curriculum it might be easier to naturally incorporate it into the classroom. I’m sure this is happening to some extent and I feel like this is a time of transition in our field; a transition between those who use technology and those who do not.

Citations:

Beauchemin, Phillip. (Friday, November 6, 2009). Hire teachers who actually know things. Philadelphia Inquirer, A18.

Hew, Khe Foon & Brush, Thomas. (2007). Integrating technology into K-12 teaching and learning: current knowledge gaps and recommendations for future research. Educational Technology, Research and Development, 55(3), 223-252.

Cell Phones in the Classroom

You know the old saying if you can't beat ‘em join ‘em. That's what comes to my mind when I think about using cell phones in the classroom. Many students have cell phones and are prohibited from using them in school. I know some parents that regularly text their kids during school. Students are certainly texting each other. The newer phones have many applications and web access that could be a benefit to students. Could cell phones be a resource that is not being used to its potential in the classroom.

It is understandable that educators and administrators are concerned about allowing cell phones in classrooms. “Educators note that restrictive cell phone policies — even blanket bans — are born of worrisome reports or direct knowledge that some students have used cell phones to cheat, disrupt classroom activities, bully, communicate with adults they shouldn't be talking to, and take unauthorized or inappropriate images of teachers or students for uploading to the Web.” (2009. Trotter. p.1) We must still deal with these important issues but we should also consider the benefits of using cell phones in the classroom. Cell phones can be used to create audio podcasts, taking notes, texting opinions to poll programs, taking pictures on field trips.(2009 Trottier p.1) Cell phones can be a way to give each student a connection to technology; especially in schools where there are not enough computers for the students. It is much less expensive to provide each student with a cell phone with internet capability than to provide each student with a computer.


“Students, for example, can do first-person interviews with a cell phone, with audio or video that can be posted to school wikis, collaborative Web sites, to enhance their reports and projects. They can receive class assignments and start their research using Web features on their phones. And they can record themselves practicing musical instruments, or a foreign language, and send the recordings to their teachers.”(2008. Manzo. p.10) I think that the benefits are beginning to outweigh the problems with cellphones in classrooms. there would definitely have to be rules of use for cell phones but I don't think educators should reconsider banning cell phones in the classroom.


Citations:
Manzo, K. (2008). The Cellphone: Turning It Into a Teaching Tool. Education Week, 28(3), 10-
11. http://search.ebscohost.com
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Trotter, A. (2009). Students Turn Their Cellphones On for Classroom Lessons. Education Week,
28(16), 10-11. http://search.ebscohost.com
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Challenging Subjects & Technology

Some subjects in a school’s curriculum pose more challenges when incorporating technology into the mix. We want to make sure students are participating in meaningful learning and they are able to understand the facts of a subject and have a conversation with real understanding. We don’t want to students to merely memorize facts in preparation for a test and later forget what they have memorized. (2006. Ashburn and Floden. p.87) There is a lot of talk about meaningful learning and some fear that it is becoming only a catch phrase when it really requires planning and preparing to create lessons that facilitate meaningful learning. It not easy to create a lesson that will engage students and some subjects can be more challenging than others. Ashburn and Floden discussed that history has been “cursed by bad publicity” (p.88). I agree that this is true. When we think back to history class we usually think about a boring string to facts to memorize. What we were missing was the connection to the events that surround the facts. We needed to make these events real to our lives so we can make a connection.
How can we achieve meaningful learning in challenging subjects such as history? “New technology can become a sociocultural tool that can bridge the gap between students’ novice acts of thinking and the more sophisticated cognition located in the discipline’s practices.” (1998. Kozulin) Technology is the way to understanding for subjects such as history that have been challenging for students to understand and connect to the meaning. On page 111 of Ashburn and Floden Mr. Robert Bain discusses his sample web page that provides navigation boxes alongside text about a subject in history. These navigation boxes are hyperlinks that connect to further explanation of a word or subject or go back and reference a previous lesson. This kind of web page has scaffolding build in so the student can fully understand the reading.
In technology supported learning environments, the metaphor of scaffolding is appealing in principle…the appeal of the principle lies in the fact that it directs attention to the role of instructor or teacher in the learning process and emphasizes that good teaching is responsive to the state of understanding achieved by learners. (1999.McLoughlin. p.2) If students are coming into our classes and without the understanding required to learn about history or social studies scaffolding is a great way to meet them where they are and provide these students with the support they need. Not all students will require the same amount of support so scaffolding on a web page using hyperlinks is a great way that students can choose the help they need.

Citations:
Ashburn E.A. and Floden R.E. (2006). Meaningful learning using technology: What educators need to know. Teachers College Press. New York.
Kozulin, A. (1998). Psychological tools: A sociocultural approach to education. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
McLoughlin, C. (1999). Scaffolding: Applications to Learning in Technology Supported Environments. http://search.ebscohost.com

Is Your Face Safe on Facebook?

Imagine logging on to Facebook and you see an ad directed to you personally and it says , "Hey Peter. Hot Singles are waiting for you." Next to this as you see a picture of your wife. This is what happened to a man from Virginia. Peter and his wife, Cheryl, were both shocked to see her picture used in this ad. (p.A19) This situation makes me step back and think about how our privacy can so easily be compromised. I think we need to be proactive in protecting our privacy. What if Cheryl was applying for a job and her employer saw this ad. What if this ad was for something more risque. Cheryl's chances of getting this job just dropped significantly.

If we want to participate in social networking websites protecting our privacy may not be easy but we must be responsible for our privacy. You are able to protect yourself from advertisers on facebook be using the following map to exclude your private content from Facebook's ad domain.
Settings -- Privacy"-- News Feed and Wall--Facebook Ads--then select "no one". (pA19)

Many people don't concern themselves with privacy issues but we can clearly see from Cheryl and Peter's situation that it can have serious effects if we do not.

Authentic Work

Meaningful learning as defined by Ashburn and Floden is learning that is characterized by intentionality, content centrality, authentic work, active inquiry, construction of mental models, and collaborative work. (2006. p.9) It is important for students to have an understanding of material we present to them and have the ability to develop thinking skills they can use outside of the classroom. We are, as educators, trying to prepare out students for the outside world. We hope they will succeed in furthering their education or in the workforce. This requires the ability to think a problem through to the end. I believe that one of the most important attributes of meaningful learning is authentic work which requires learning how to make a personal connection to the lesson. “Students think about information- its relevance and credibility- and they categorize, analyze, and synthesize it for communicating their understandings and solutions to specific audiences.” (2006. p.16) For students to successfully create authentic work we , as educators must allow them to do the work. We can guide them and show them the way but at some point we must take a step back and let them make the connections on their own.

We must give students the opportunity to think on their own. Kowalski offers an interesting analogy of crew members and passengers for students and authentic learning. “As we know, crew members, whether on a plane, cruise, or stage, are those folks who are in charge and have a distinct role. They are trained and expected to provide leadership, offer direction, solve problems, and handle situations as they surface. Initiative is assumed. It is the crew that we turn to for information and direction. They play an active role in their respective circles. A passenger, on the other hand, is viewed as the passive person who does as he or she is instructed to get from point A to point B. Expectations from the passengers are minimal, while crew members actively contribute.” (2009. p.55) We must offer students the opportunity to act as leaders and think on their own. We want to make sure our students are active crew members in their education, not passive passengers. In my own experience I sometimes find my initial reflex is to give a student an answer when I should be guiding them to finding the answer on their own. By letting students make their own mistakes and come to answers on their own we are supporting authentic work through meaningful learning.
We can use technology to connect the students to authentic environments. Callison and Lamb provide examples of ways we can use technology to connect students with authentic environments.
* Use webcams to video conference with experts at remote locations.
* Go on virtual field trips to historical locations, museums, and natural places.
* Interact with experts on group discussion forums.
* Access primary sources and real-world data sources.
* Communicate with students from other cultures through e-mail.
* Watch news broadcasts from other countries over the Web.
* Use a video camera to record oral histories. (2004. p 37)

Citations:
Ashburn, E.A., and Floden, R.E. (2006). Meaningful learning using technology: what educators need to
know. Teachers Press College. New York.

Callison, D. and Lamb, A. (2004). Authentic Learning. School Library Media Activities
Monthly, 21(4), 34-39. Retrieved October 4, 2009, from Education Module. (Document ID: 768768611).

Kowalski, S. (2009). Passenger or Crew? Who Do You Want in Charge?. Knowledge Quest, 37(5), 54-7.
Retrieved October 4, 2009, from Library Lit & Inf Full Text database.

Wikis

Wikis are websites that can be updated quickly and easily and information can be changed or shared among many users. “The word wiki comes from the Hawaiian which means quick. “(Hendron p.33) We can quickly add or change information on a wiki without having to understand complex code. Many of us are comfortable with using word processing programs. Working on a wiki is as easy as typing a simple document. I’d like to explore why we would use wikis and some real life school applications of wikis.
Wikis are set up to resemble a word processing document that links many pages to each other. First we must choose our space. As Hendron points out there are many free places to go for wiki space. For example you can choose MediaWiki www.mediawiki.org , PmWiki www.pmwiki.org , Instiki www.instiki.org or PBWiki www.pbwiki.org .(p. 35-36) Whatever wiki space you choose you will be given instructions to set up your site and there is always help available from forums and help sections of the wiki.
Now why would we want to use a wiki? Why don’t we just create a website and go from there? What makes a wiki so special? The main difference is that we can change the content fast and easily as well as collaborate with others. I think the collaboration is what makes a wiki so interesting and popular in schools. Wikis are effective in promoting collaborative learning within classes, between classes, among schools, with parents, and with communities. (2009. Lamb & Johnson. p. 49)

The collaborative nature of wikis support the models of learning discussed in Johnston and Cooley; project based learning, multidisciplinary learning, authentic learning and academic service learning. (p.26-27) We can combine some of the models of learning and engage the students in a wiki. For example if a class is using a wiki to collect data from the community regarding a proposed development project the students could collaborate on the wiki and change their information as they progress. This example would reflect an academic service lesson.
I also want to mention Wikipedia. I have never depended upon Wikipedia for research and I know many educators feel that it is not a reliable source for information. I found an interesting article about new rules on Wikipedia that are being enforced in hopes of making it a more reliable source for information. Entries written by new Wikipedia users now will be edited by regular contributors, and changes to the biographies of celebrities or controversial figures will be reviewed before they go live on the site. (2009. Carter.p1) Also an experimental and optional new feature called "WikiTrust" reportedly will color-code every word of the encyclopedia this fall, based on the reliability of its author and the length of time it has stayed on the page. (2009. Carter. p2) Perhaps these changes will make Wikipedia more reliable but it was unclear if all information will be edited.



Citations:
Carter, Dennis. (2009). Will wikipedia's new rules garner more trust?. eSchool News, Friday, September
18, 1-3. Retrieved September 23, 2009 from: http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/news-by-subject/technologies/widget/?i=60770


Johnston, M., & Cooley, N. (2001). Supporting new models of teaching and learning through technology.
Educational Research Service. Virginia.

Lamb, A., & Johnson, L. (2009, April). Wikis and Collaborative Inquiry. School Library Media Activities
Monthly, 25(8), 48-51. Retrieved September 20, 2009, from Professional Development Collection database. Persistent link to this record (Permalink): http://navigator-clarion.passhe.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=tfh&AN=37557725&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Read Write Web and "A Second Life"

What does the future of education hold for us? We don't know but we can speculate on the direction education may follow based upon current technology. Read, Write, Web , "builds communities, fosters shared knowledge and experience, and begins to virtualize the human experience." (2008. Hendron p.15) The concept of Read, Write, Web takes technologies such as RSS, wikis, and blogs and uses them in an educational way that will allow educators and students to enhance and expand their teaching and learning.


Hendron discusses an area that he sees as progressing into the future which is called Second Life http://www.secondlife.com/. Second life is a three-dimensional virtual world where over two million residents interact. (2008. p.15) When we as educators think about what our students are interested in and we combine that interest with educational possibilities we come up with something like Second Life. Now I have never been interested in virtual worlds or games but I find Second Life to be intriguing and the potential is limitless. On the website introduction of Second Life it is described as a, "place to connect, shop, work, love, explore, be different, be yourself, and free your mind." (http://www.secondlife.com/)
Second Life is not only a place to make friends it is also a place where we can connect with people from all over the world. We can collaborate with people about subjects and problems we are interested in. "You will find other faculty to work with on projects and figure out best practices for your common goals. But you can also leverage all the things--the content, the events, the tools--that have already been created in Second Life." (2009. Waters p. )
Just think about all of the possibilities. For example chemistry teacher was interested in creating models of molecules and simulations of chemical reactions. The teacher was prepared to build them all from scratch until he found out that the American Chemical Society has an interactive museum in Second Life that users can freely visit. Second Life is a rich ecosystem of learning experiences that are open to the public. Teachers don't have to create everything from scratch. (2009. Waters) It takes so much time and energy to create lessons that will engage our students. Second Life is a place where educators who are willing to share their creations with each other can meet.
Students will find that Second Life is a place they will enjoy and they will be able to connect with classmates, make new friends from all over the world, explore new ideas and create a virtual world from which they can play and learn.

Citations:

Hendron, J. (2008). RSS for Educators: blogs, newsfeeds, podcasts and wikis in the
Classroom Eugene, OR:ISTE.

Waters, J. (2009, January). A 'SECOND LIFE' FOR EDUCATORS. T H E Journal, 36(1), 29-
34. Retrieved September 16, 2009, from Academic Search Complete database.

Second Life. (2002). Retrieved September 16, 2009 from http://secondlife.com/?lang=en-US

Weblogs

Blogs in Schools
It may seem strange that I am writing about blogs on my blog. After our readings from Hendron I felt that blogs can be a very important part of education success. I wanted to explore the benefits and find out why educators wouldn’t want to create and maintain a blog to keep in touch with their students and parents.
A weblog or a blog is an online journal or log. It is a collection of information called posts that the author also known as a blogger writes. A blog includes text, pictures and links to other blogs or websites. (2008, Hendron) Blogs are unique in that readers can comment on the posts on a blog. If I am reading a blog and I want to comment about a post I can comment and start a discussion with the blogger or other readers of the blog. This feature is a great way to communicate with the readers and create open channels to keep information flowing.
The blogger can write about anything he or she finds interesting. Some people like to keep blogs about their favorite books or music and some enjoy blogging about politics or current events. I have personally found blogging to be great fun and a way to keep track of things happening in my life that I want to share with friends and family. Honestly I find myself thinking, wow I need to take pictures of that and put it up on my blog. A few short years ago I never would have had such a thought. You can view my personal blog at www.angielizandre.blogspot.com
Why would we want to use blogs in schools? I say they are a great way to foster creativity and communication. For example a study in "June 2008 from the University of Minnesota found that regardless of family income level, students that use social networking sites…demonstrate creativity, learn technology, and communication skills, and come into contact with diverse viewpoints. " (2008, Boule) Just think about all of the possibilities there are with blogs. We could post homework assignments, post extra credit assignments, create collaborative projects, and keep in touch with parents about what is happening in classrooms. I’m sure the more we use blogs the more uses we will find. Our students will certainly help in coming up with new and creative ways to use blogs.
Now I ask the question, why would we not want to use blogs in schools? There will always be those uninformed people who don’t realize the ease of setting up and maintaining blogs. Administration is always thinking in terms of cost but blogs are free. We must teach our students not to divulge too much personal information and to use blogs safely. Also we can ensure that student’s posts are positive in nature because each post can be traced back to the student that signed in. If students post hurtful or mischievous information they can be blocked from posting. (2008, Hendron)
School Library Journal, 54 (11), 50-52. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=35226113&site=ehost-live&scope=site
Citations:

Boule, M. (2008). Go with the flow.

Hendron, J. (2008). RSS for Educators: blogs, newsfeeds, podcasts and wikis in the Classroom Eugene, OR:ISTE.