Let's teach for mastery -- not test scores

Key Points:

The traditional academic model groups students together by age and perceived ability and all learn at the same pace.  No matter what grade a student receives on a test , the whole class will then move on to the next subject, a more advanced subject that's going to build gaps  

in knowledge

Sal Khan believes students need to be given the option to practice a piece over and over again until students master an idea before they move on to a more advanced one to avoid creating gaps in knowledge.     

Is Graffiti Art? (TedEd)

Is Graffiti Art?

Vanessa's Journey: Empowering Special Education Through Technology

Vanessa's Journey: Empowering Special Education Through Technology
Published April 13th, 2015
Written by:  Karla Philips
On Huffington Post
Link


This article focuses on one mother's journey to helping her daughter with special needs succeed at school. She started out with just buying an Ipad for herself and downloading a toddler game to distract her daughter but was surprised that her daughter thrived with the new technology. From the article: What I have discovered is that we haven't even begun to scratch the surface of technology's ability to help us increase academic achievement for children with special needs. Her daughter is currently in a very traditional school setting and Karla is urging for more school to utilize the power of technology based on the results she has seen in her own daughter. When doctors told her to "not expect much" she fought that diagnosis and is now watching her daughter thrive with the use of age appropriate learning apps.

Audience: educators, parents, school boards, and district leaders.

Flip Class

http://www.opb.org/news/series/classof2025/earl-boyles-teachers-flip-class-of-2025-classroom-to-do-common-core-math/

Another good article about local schools and common core.  It give some good ideas about how technology can help you as a teacher and help you students become better learners.

Working with One iPad

I really liked how this teacher has found a way to use her only iPad in her classroom. She uses an app called "Show Me" to write math problems on it then pairs students up. She has a student who is strong in math teach their partner how to do it on the iPad. Then the other student does a similar math problem. The teacher then saves it and gives it to another pair of students while the rest of the class does a worksheet or a similar task on paper. I thought this would be relevant because not everyone has access to a classroom set of iPads or laptops and this was a creative way to include tech in the classroom with limited resources.

Keeping students involved even when they are not at school

This article from eSchool News by Samuel Speciale brings to light ways to engage students even when they are unable to attend, like snow days. This article was posted on March 12th 2015.   Here is the article!

The article is intended for teachers, parents and students interested in learning. It is relevant because it

TED Talk

TED Talk, Alan Kay: A Powerful Idea about Ideas. 2007

Alan Kay is a well respected visionary with a history of providing good insight. He conceived on laptops and graphical interfaces years before they were realized. This TED Talk is a little older when measured in technology years, but its interesting given his history.

"We cannot see until we admit we are blind."

He makes an interesting observation that over the last 400 years, mankind has been developing Brainlets: things that augment how we see the world

Sensory - telescopes, microscopes

Reasoning - math, reasoning

Perspective

Alan Kay goes on to talk about perception and learning, with examples of a hands on discovery of pythagorean principles as well as computer aided science modeling where the student explores scientific principles through geometric relationships showing velocity, acceleration, and more.

He finishes with a plug for providing low cost laptops to children in second and third world countries as well as software in order to provide these learning opportunities.

The Benefits of No-Tech Note Taking

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The Chronicle of Higher Education

by Carol Holstead

March 4, 2015

http://chronicle.com/article/The-Benefits-of-No-Tech-Note/228089/?cid=wc&utm_source=wc&utm_medium=en

A year after banning students from taking notes on laptops, a professor reports on the results

This article shared important information for educators related to the topic of student retention of information in relation to hand written vs. typed note-taking in class. Studies show that because writing longhand requires encapsulating highlights [as it is virtually impossible to write everything verbatim] it is actually better for processing and learning. The article states, "A study published last year in Psychological Science showed that students who write out notes longhand remember conceptual information better than those who take notes on a computer. "Whereas taking more notes can be beneficial," the article’s abstract reported, "laptop note takers’ tendency to transcribe lectures verbatim rather than processing information and reframing it in their own words is detrimental to learning."

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Te@chThought
A Balanced Approach to Social Media for Teachers
Staff, 6/27/2014
URL http://www.teachthought.com/social-media/balanced-approach-social-media-teachers/
Audience: Educators
Dean Gustavson shared this and when I read it not only did it resonate for me but I thought it might for some of you as well.
Key Points: the visual says it all...
1. Niche: one step at a time. Pick one thing and try it. Give it time and don't pressure yourself about having to know it all.
2. Be Yourself: my takeaway is whatever the media you zero in on, use it as it fits whether that be for teaching or professional development
3. Mission: this connects to my approach which is do a little action research. Ask what you want to accomplish, do a little research and playing, try it out, then assess how it went.
4. Don't Break: again small steps, take on what you can. Don't compare to what others are doing. Just set an achievable, enjoy reaching out and learning from others when you can.

Relevance: in this day of overload and so much to do as an educator, this article provides some words of wisdom.

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Great interview with Catlin Tucker

 

Interview with Catlin Tucker, author of Blended Learning in Grades K-12

Retrieved February, 28 2015

http://youtu.be/YYE7zbq7eTA?list=PLYmYDLb2oJqEzVcH_VQdAkDUv7M_ofm2I

 Catlin Tucker is very knowledgeable in regards to technology in the classroom.  She goes into depth about how blended learning has been very beneficial in her classroom.  She also describes how making sure all children have access to the internet and to a computer is vital in order for our students to achieve success.  This was very informative  I thought and would be useful to all in the education field.

10 Homepages that teach something everytime you open a tab

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10 Homepages that teach something everytime you open a tab

by Amy Mae Elliot

January 19, 2015

URL: http://mashable.com/2015/01/19/homepage-alternatives/

Intended Audience: Educators

Relevance: technology integration is an essential element of today's educator. This idea can help to enrich anyone's web presence.

Key Points: Elliot suggests that teachers should take advantage of rich resources on the internet to keep learning alive and creative. And she suggests, "You could start every day by learning something new, getting motivated by the creative arts or enjoying an inspiring visual." Here are her suggestions:

Merriam-Webster's "Word of the Day" Why not have a word of the day, or for that matter also include a Spanish word of the day?
Google Doodles We all get a kick out of Google Doodles. Sometimes it can be fun to see what they are celebrating that day.
You can't really go wrong including pictures from these kinds of sources. National Geographic's Photo of the Day and Astronomy Picture of the Day
Other suggestions include Wikipedia's "Random Article", The Current's "Song of the Day", Poets.Org's "Poem-a-Day", Today I Found Out's "Surprise" Article, and Daily Kitten

Though some of these might not be what you would choose for your particular classroom setting, the idea still works. Just find what's appropriate and bring it in as a gadget or new post!

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Getting Past the "Digital Divide"

Article Author name(s): Sean McCollum
Title of article: Getting Past the “Digital Divide”
Title of journal: Teaching Tolerance
Volume of the journal: Spring 2011
Issue number of the journal: 39
Intended audience: Everyone

http://www.tolerance.org/magazine/number-39-spring-2011/getting-past-digital-divide

Key Points: When teacher Aaron Fowles inherited his classroom he had 4 outdated computers, two that didn’t even work. Although not a tech savvy guy, buy years end he had updated and restored 8 computers for his room alone, and an additional 16 computers for other classrooms. Since 2009, the government has set aside billions of dollars to ensure that technology reaches the classroom. A significant 97% of all US classrooms have computers, 93% with internet access. However, two issues arrive: 1) that these computers are often non-functioning and out of date and 2) many students do not have private access to technology and home. With no computer at home, student’s technology access is limited to what time can be squeezed in during class time. With 30 students in the class, this time is likely to be very minimal. With some kids getting significant access to computers and others getting very little, a gap is being created among students within the same classes. Donated smart cell phones and other mobile devices like Kindles and iPad’s can be used to bridge the gap between students who have home access to technology and those who do not. Utilizing this technology allows students to learn on their own, research independently and have broader access to interesting materials not usually presented to students as part of the curriculum.

Relevance: Technology changes very quickly and if not appropriately addressed by teachers, IT will leave students in the dust if they are not given the basic computer skills and the opportunity to experiment with techy tools.

iPads for All

Kindergartener’s Getting iPads (April 8, 2011)

www.cnn.com Accessed: May 8, 2011

Topic: Kindergarteners in Maine will be getting their own iPads.

Summary: Kindergarteners will be given an iPad to use for assistance in learning to read, learning letters and alphabet sounds, and in other ways. The school district will be paying for these as learning devices.

Intended audience: General Public

Key Points:

• Kindergarteners will use iPads to aid in regular learning activities.
• The school board voted unanimously to approve the purchase of iPad 2s at $475 per iPad
• The idea is contentious. There are people who strongly support it and others who don’t.

Relevance: I am torn on this. I think that iPads and other types of technology can be great teaching tools. It’s awesome to see the kids engaged and interested in learning things that are often presented as tedious/boring worksheets but on the other hand I struggle with the idea of plugging kids in at school when they are plugged in so much at home. I think that the iPads could be used as a tool, but I really don’t think it’s necessary to purchase one for every 5 year old. Why not just get a handful for each classroom?

iPads take place next to crayons in kindergarten

“iPads take a place next to crayons in kindergarten” by Clarke Canfield, Associated Press The Seattle Times Published 4/12/11 Retrieved 4/16/11 Complete URL: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2014752277_apusipadsabcs.html Intended Audience: taxpayers, teachers, administrators Summary: Elementary schools in Auburn, Maine, will be providing iPads to around 300 kindergarteners. The city plans to spend $200,000 on the iPads which retail for around $500 each. Advocates are enthusiastic about supplying the kids with a new learning tool that is easy to use and can access a multitude of engaging imagery, audio, and other teaching opportunities. Some, however, are hesitant to support the effort, believing the money could be more wisely spent on older students who would better appreciate and utilize the new technology.  
Key Points: • Kindergarteners are getting iPads. • This effort follows similar technological initiatives in Maine in which 50% of all high school students were eventually supplied with Apple laptops. • Supporters predict a boom in the distribution of iPads and other related technological learning tools in the coming years.  
Relevance: This is a refreshing step outside of the traditional teaching methods requiring pencil and paper and a great educational opportunity to familiarize young students with new technology. However, teachers and students should keep in mind that increasing technology tends to decrease social interaction and real-life experiences, so there still needs to be a healthy amount of other kinds of activity going on in the classroom.

Google Notebooks: a tool for education

Lori Tobias
Google Notebooks changing the way Astoria High students learn
http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2011/03/google_netbooks_change_way_astoria_high_students_learn.html
3/23/2011
Topic: Leaning with technology

Google has given every student in Astoria High a Google Notebook, a laptop that is not yet available to the public. The Notebooks are used to help teachers engage the students in class, help students study and communicate their ideas. Only six schools in the country got to participate in this Google experiment.

Key Points: students who once did not speak up in class are now voicing their opinions through forums and posts, disciplinary incidents have decreased since the introduction of the Notebook, All information can be accessed from various “clouds,” and some teachers are concerned that face to face social interaction may be at risk—considering students already spend most of their time on personal electronic devices.

Relevance: I think this is a great idea. This experiment ties in with our use of the Blog, and our COE Flex portal. I think that it is a great idea, since this gives students who did not have a computer or laptop access the ability to communicate with their classmates and teachers and study from home. The article makes a good point that this should be used as a tool, tied in with other methods of teaching in the school. The focus is that this is a tool, not a replacement for education.

Computer science programs use mobile apps to make coursework relevant

Jenna Johnson
"Computer science programs use mobile apps to make coursework relevant"
Washington Post
March 8, 2011

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/03/06/AR2011030602729.html?wprss=rss_education
Topic: Technology

Computer science is growing and this article shows how students are able to address real world problems with technology solutions.

Key Points: I thought it was interesting that this particular teacher just turned the students loose on these projects without much constraint. The result was some pretty interesting innovation and creativity.

Relevance: After reading this, I saw at the end of the article that the other sciences, college prep, etc, like Chem, Bio are much more popular courses as core curriculum. My question is, is or should technology become a core competency or is it still off to the side like vocational specialties such as wood or metal shop?
Posted By Doug K

Your Students Love Social Media...So Can You

Article Author name(s): Camille Jackson
Title of article: Your Students Love Social Media…And So Can You
Title of journal: Teaching Tolerance
Date of publication: Spring 2011
Issue number of the journal: 39

http://www.tolerance.org/magazine/number-39-spring-2011/your-students-love-social-media-and-so-can-you

Summary: Due to social networking, online tools have become more and more available, which leads to empowering models of communication for students. Students can learn to use social media responsibly by watching how their parents use it, so parents should encourage their children to test the waters, and at the same time be involved along the way because the benefits that students stand to gain are many.

Introduction: 73 percent of teens between the ages of 12 and 17 use social networking, up from 55 percent just four years ago. The majority are female. Social networking is here to stay, and instead of fighting the trend, educators and administrators should embrace it and work with it.

Intended audience: Educators and administrators

Social media is important because it’s a new way for young people to play an active role in creating their own identity. It aids them in their ability to learn socially and form skills that will carry students into adulthood. It can be difficult for teachers and parents to understand the significance of social media in teen’s lives and what healthy online behavior looks like. Principle Christopher Lehman says, “Social media is part of kids’ lives, either we acknowledge it exists and allow ourselves to be part of the conversation, or it’s one more way school becomes irrelevant to kids”. Online class facilitation websites can be a great way to involve students in class discussions while easing some of the social anxiety that comes with speaking up in front of the class in person.

This article is relevant because social networking and social media is prevalent in the lives of everyone these days. To ignore it would be irresponsible, so the better option is to embrace the movement and work in ways that social media assists us in our jobs and getting through to students. As we frequently mention, teachers must use tactics that will reach all students’ needs, and utilizing technology and social media may be an excellent way to get the more shy, independent students to open up and share skills and interests.

iPads and Special Education

Nirvi Shah
iPads Become Learning Tools For Students with DisabilitiesEducation Week
Published: March 2, 2011
Complete URL: http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2011/03/02/22ipad.h30.html?qs=Special+Ed.+Ipad

iPads are proving to be useful in numerous educational capacities. Let me just ramble off some interesting examples: helping children with autism communicate, allowing down syndrome children the freedom to speak through the iPad, making math accessible to children who would normally be overwhelmed by worksheet or textbook presentations of the same material, assisting students working on life skills – such as ordering food from a restaurant or buying things at a grocery store, and providing deaf students new avenues to understanding texts – they can connect the dots between English idioms and the sign-language equivalent in a unique way. I found some of those examples amazing – particularly the connection deaf students are able to make between sign-language and English idioms with the assistance of an iPad. The author also pointed out some specific features that make the iPad more user friendly then a laptop computer. The only draw back mentioned in the article was the obvious – cost. They are expensive. The intended audience would be parents and teachers of students with special needs. The relevance however is far broader. There seems to be a move towards inclusive classrooms and we may have students in our rooms where an iPad could provide the necessary assistance to differentiate our lessons for them. Maybe iPads will be a new accommodation made on an IEP.

On a side note - I work with a hearing impaired student – and find that trying to communicate beyond the literal is difficult. I was thrilled by the possibility of using a tool such as an iPad to help connect the dots for this student. His interpreter is fabulous but it would also be helpful to communicate directly with this student.

Mobile Learning - How Cool Is This?!

"Mobile Learning: Not Just Laptops Anymore" by Jennifer Nastu
e School News
Published Online on February 25, 2011
Complete URL:  http://www.eschoolnews.com/2011/02/25/mobile-learning-not-just-laptops-any-more/?

OK, I admit the title of this blog entry is not the title of this article, but I wanted to get your attention because this is an awesome article!  As we have been reading articles not many of them get me really excited, but this one sure does.  It is a long article - 11 pages - but it is a pretty quick read.  It will take some work to get it as you have to register with e School News to be able to read the whole article.  I received the link via an e-mail from the ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education which we can join), so if you are already a member you may have received this notification.

So, let's get started on the article.  The main point is taking my previous article on George Lucas' idea one step further: using the mobile devices children carry in their pocket (smart phones, small tablets and other mobile technology) for learning in the classroom and outside the classroom - a term now coined as "mobile learning".  Since last Fall, nearly 50% of all middle and high school students had smart phones, it is believed that in 5 years, all students in every school grade will be using mobile devices 24/7 to learn.  Whereas not everyone has a computer, computers could only be used for supplemental learning at best and not independent learning.  Mobile devices would solve that problem.

Now I know you are asking yourself, "How does everyone get a mobile device?"  Ms. Nastu gives plenty of ideas, with many of them already tested.  They involve schools buying them for kids, children who do not have them working with kids who have one or kids simply owning their own mobile device.  Security would be provided by having the kids logging into the school to use it therefore having content monitored.

One study was done for a 5th grade class in New Jersey where everyone had a smart phone and every student handed in every piece of homework on time.  That had never happened before.  Another study used 150 low-income ninth graders to see if they could improve their learning of Algebra 1.  The mobile devices were downloaded with Algebra 1 content, the teachers were trained on how to use it and the kids were encouraged to work together.  By using this program their average math test scores increased by 30%.  Some kids who had struggled with math now wanted to pursue a career in math!

I really do not see a downside here and it is definitely relevant to us as teachers as it would be a complete change on how things are done now.  As the article states in its last paragraph, “The model of teaching where the teacher is the sole source of information is changing... Teaching is not telling, and learning is not listening—it’s doing. So curriculum changes need to take place. And if we can pull it all together, the U.S. will no longer be 15th in the world.” 

George Lucas Wants to Transform Learning

"Join The Movement to Transform Learning" by George Lucas
Huffington Post
Published Online on February 28, 2011
Complete URL:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/george-lucas/join-the-movement-to-tran_b_828962.html

This article is the first of three I have on technology in learning or "Trifecta of Technology" or T.O.T. for short as we are focusing on children.  :)  Mr. Lucas begins his writing by stating much has changed in technology since he started the George Lucas Educational Foundation, but schools have been incredibly slow to adapt to the new advancements.  The reason for this, he argues, is schools are stuck in the Industrial Revolution mindset where all schools want to do is stuff as much information into kids as possible, have them regurgitate it and then get a diploma.  However what society needs is for kids to use technology to do three things: "find information, rigorously analyze the quality and accuracy of information and creatively and effectively use information to accomplish a goal."

Lucas also argues it would be more cost advantageous to have computers for learning as opposed to buying textbooks that are expensive and outdated within a couple of years.  He sounds much like Jerome Bruner in he wants to combine technology with classical education and have an inquiry based and project-based learning process.  Lucas feels this would make education fun and exciting for kids again.  It is ironic to me that Lucas considers his thoughts as innovative when Bruner argued them 50 years ago!  

However adding one-on-one computer learning would certainly make the learning process much different than what Bruner would have ever anticipated.  As new teachers, we may very well see our worlds changed by the possibility of all kids learning from portable computers or iPads and giving them problems they can instantly research and solve on the web while working together.  When the "textbooks" need to be updated, it can be downloaded in a short time to be able to allow children to use current information so there is no lag time on current issues or discoveries.  How cool would that be?!

What is refreshing is Lucas does not blast the schools or teachers in his article.  His basic point is to leave the old way of schooling behind and embrace the new age of thinking and technology.  Since I think that is something we would all favor, it does not sound like a bad idea to me.