Kansas School District Rolls Out 1:1 MacBook Program by Dave Nagel
THE Journal November 2007
This article by Dave Nagel intrigued me because this issue, a lack of the technological advantages of wealthier students, is a very real concern at my children's school. Our school, like the schools in Kansas City, KS, has a high percentage of students who qualify for free or reduced lunch. Closing the achievement gap and giving these students the tools for success is a primary concern. I was curious to read this article and learn how the Kansas City School District was able to achieve this goal.
The reason that the district chose the MacBooks is very insightful. In addition to having students have access to their computers twenty-four hours a day for classroom studies, accessing assignments and conducting research, the district wanted the students to use the laptops to explore the technologies and to become producers of media and information themselves. Nagel writes that David A. Smith, assistant to the superintendent for communications, envisions students becoming creative with their computers and that the iLife suite allows them to do this. As Smith says, "We expect [students] to be producers of information, not just consumers."
One obstacle to the implementation of the program was, of course, funding. The district chose to use monies from the capital outlay budget which pays for the renovation of facilities and athletic fields. Another obstacle was, surprisingly, skepticism about the students themselves and their abilities to handle the responsibility of having the laptops. The district installed many security features and the laptops can be disabled remotely if they are lost or stolen.
Questions:
1. Why aren't on-campus computer labs a solution? On campus computer labs are often overcrowded, particularly with the ongoing testing that is mandated by the state and federal guidelines. Also, as this article points out, the goal is to have students become a creator as well as a consumer and this can only be accomplished with time to explore and collaborate in an unstructured setting.
2. What about the trade-off between athletic fields and computers? The trade-off between athletic fields and laptops is an interesting one. In society today there is a lot of discussion about childhood obesity and the importance of physical activity; obviously athletic fields are important. In the article Nagel writes that the Kansas City district decided that while athletic fields benefit only some of their students, the laptops would benefit all students.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Journal 9: Collaborative Documents
From the list of topics on Classroom 2.0 I chose to follow a discussion on collaborative documents. I was interested in the topic because of my recent introduction to GoogleDocs in the course of our classwork. The definition of collaborative documents is as follows: documents that are a collaboration, i.e. the work of more than one individual. With regard to Classroom 2.0, the discussions on collaborative documents is primarily a discussion of particular web sites that allow numerous people to work on the same document at the same time.
The discussion I followed centered primarily around specific web sites and their respective features. GoogleDocs was by far the site that was cited most often. On the whole, most users seemed to like GoogleDocs. Some of the pluses to GoogleDocs include the simplicity of use and the fact that concurrent editing is allowed. Another site that was mentioned was YouFig. This particular site has some great features, as well as some limitations. While using YouFig the document you are editing appears in one frame while a discussion on your particular topic or document appears in another frame. Additionally, with YouFig it is possible to see and compare different versions of the document. The biggest limitation to YouFig is that there is no concurrent editing, the document appears locked while someone else is editing it. Other sites mentioned include ThinkFree, ScribbleWiki and ZohoWriter.
The primary benefits to collaborative document web sites is the ability to work on a document from anywhere, with anyone. This is beneficial to both students and educators. The primary advantage to just emailing recent changes around between a group of collaborators is the assurance that everyone is working on the most current version of the document at all times.
The only downside to the use of collaborative document sites in the classroom seems to be the fact that many school districts do not allow them. Some in the discussion speculated that this may be because collaborators are often allowed to "chat" while inside the document. This may be addressed by using a specific form of Google applications designed for use in an educational setting. With this specific application, ads can be turned off, a shared contact list is created for all addresses using a school domain name and collaboration is only allowed for those within that specific school domain.
The discussion I followed centered primarily around specific web sites and their respective features. GoogleDocs was by far the site that was cited most often. On the whole, most users seemed to like GoogleDocs. Some of the pluses to GoogleDocs include the simplicity of use and the fact that concurrent editing is allowed. Another site that was mentioned was YouFig. This particular site has some great features, as well as some limitations. While using YouFig the document you are editing appears in one frame while a discussion on your particular topic or document appears in another frame. Additionally, with YouFig it is possible to see and compare different versions of the document. The biggest limitation to YouFig is that there is no concurrent editing, the document appears locked while someone else is editing it. Other sites mentioned include ThinkFree, ScribbleWiki and ZohoWriter.
The primary benefits to collaborative document web sites is the ability to work on a document from anywhere, with anyone. This is beneficial to both students and educators. The primary advantage to just emailing recent changes around between a group of collaborators is the assurance that everyone is working on the most current version of the document at all times.
The only downside to the use of collaborative document sites in the classroom seems to be the fact that many school districts do not allow them. Some in the discussion speculated that this may be because collaborators are often allowed to "chat" while inside the document. This may be addressed by using a specific form of Google applications designed for use in an educational setting. With this specific application, ads can be turned off, a shared contact list is created for all addresses using a school domain name and collaboration is only allowed for those within that specific school domain.
Journal 8
Fitting the Pieces Together, Successful Technology Integration with Laptops by Patricia A. Yost
Learning & Leading with Technology November 2007
In this very interesting article, Patricia Yost details exactly what makes the State College Area School District student laptop initiative so successful. The pilot program began two and a half years ago with eight sixth grade teachers, and, looking back, Yost is able to identify the specifics that have made it so successful. Of course, the program began with equipment, but Yost goes on to say that equipment, often the be all and end all of many a program, is actually just the beginning.
In addition to equipment, teacher readiness, ongoing professional development and a shared database are the keys to the program's success. Many teachers are slow to adopt new technology and the pilot program addressed this by allowing the teachers to have access to a laptop, a video projector and professional development instruction for a full year before extending the access to students. Professional development continues throughout year two and year three and culminates with "sharing sessions," where teachers share a lesson or strategy they've learned, and finally, the creation of a resources and lessons database.
How does Yost know that the pilot program has been successful? In the article she gives examples of the types of technology integration that is happening in the sixth grade classrooms on a daily basis. Examples include changing the focus of research from topical to purposeful; research that helps students make decisions or choose between alternatives. Teachers are also creating self-paced presentation documents to replace lectures and incorporating video segments within lectures to illustrate specific points. Teachers are also using email and electronic chat rooms to communicate with students, parents and fellow teachers.
Questions:
1. Is the ongoing professional development enough to overcome a teacher's reluctance to adopt a new technology? I think that ongoing professional development can be enough to overcome teacher reluctance. This is especially true when the professional development is paid and occurs during the regular school hours. In addition, Yost points out that one reason why the database works so well in this district is because the teachers are given time during a professional development session to upload their first lesson to the database and the opportunity to browse others' lessons.
2. How come so many technology programs focus on the equipment and go no farther? I think the lack of equipment often seems like the biggest obstacle to integrating technology in the classroom when in reality it is the reluctance of the teacher to try something new. Even though teachers may see the value in the new technology, they are often overwhelmed with their day-to-day tasks and do not see a simple path to technology integration.
Learning & Leading with Technology November 2007
In this very interesting article, Patricia Yost details exactly what makes the State College Area School District student laptop initiative so successful. The pilot program began two and a half years ago with eight sixth grade teachers, and, looking back, Yost is able to identify the specifics that have made it so successful. Of course, the program began with equipment, but Yost goes on to say that equipment, often the be all and end all of many a program, is actually just the beginning.
In addition to equipment, teacher readiness, ongoing professional development and a shared database are the keys to the program's success. Many teachers are slow to adopt new technology and the pilot program addressed this by allowing the teachers to have access to a laptop, a video projector and professional development instruction for a full year before extending the access to students. Professional development continues throughout year two and year three and culminates with "sharing sessions," where teachers share a lesson or strategy they've learned, and finally, the creation of a resources and lessons database.
How does Yost know that the pilot program has been successful? In the article she gives examples of the types of technology integration that is happening in the sixth grade classrooms on a daily basis. Examples include changing the focus of research from topical to purposeful; research that helps students make decisions or choose between alternatives. Teachers are also creating self-paced presentation documents to replace lectures and incorporating video segments within lectures to illustrate specific points. Teachers are also using email and electronic chat rooms to communicate with students, parents and fellow teachers.
Questions:
1. Is the ongoing professional development enough to overcome a teacher's reluctance to adopt a new technology? I think that ongoing professional development can be enough to overcome teacher reluctance. This is especially true when the professional development is paid and occurs during the regular school hours. In addition, Yost points out that one reason why the database works so well in this district is because the teachers are given time during a professional development session to upload their first lesson to the database and the opportunity to browse others' lessons.
2. How come so many technology programs focus on the equipment and go no farther? I think the lack of equipment often seems like the biggest obstacle to integrating technology in the classroom when in reality it is the reluctance of the teacher to try something new. Even though teachers may see the value in the new technology, they are often overwhelmed with their day-to-day tasks and do not see a simple path to technology integration.
Journal 7
More Than Money Matters, Establishing Effective School-Corporate Partnerships by Nancy Flynn
Learning & Leading with Technology November 2007
In this article Nancy Flynn outlines ten specific guidelines for creating successful partnerships between schools and corporations. The increasing costs of technology combined with the increasing financial constraints on public schools have led many administrators to seek out corporate partnerships. Schools benefit from these partnerships by receiving the latest technology and corporations hope to benefit through advertising, marketing and promotion.
Before entering into any kind of corporate partnership, Nancy Flynn advises that schools consider the following: what does the school hope to accomplish with the new resources, can the school infrastructure support the hardware or software supplied by the corporation, does the technology match the educational goals of the school, will there be consistency and open channels of communication between the school and the corporation, will there be someone on campus who can provide support for the new hardware or software, is the corporation committed to providing continued support, what expectations does the corporation have of the school and its administrators, what level of product promotion is the corporation expecting, is an assessment system in place to evaluate the benefits of the corporate partnership and how long is the partnership expected to last.
According to Nancy Flynn, financial constraints together with the need to continually upgrade technology will continue to encourage partnerships between schools and corporations. In light of that fact, all of the above questions must be considered thoughtfully before committing to such a partnership.
Questions
1. What level of product promotion is acceptable in a school setting?
Corporations form partnerships with schools in hopes of increased marketing and promotion for their products. Administrators need to take the first step of simply acknowledging this fact - that corporations have expectations. Given the corporate expectations, if the administrator is able to wholeheartedly recommend the technology to colleagues and peers, that seems acceptable. Making students and parents aware of the partnership, without sales pressure, also seems like an acceptable level of promotion.
2. Are corporate partnerships the wave of the future? Corporate partnership definitely seem to be the wave of the future. As schools are asked to accomplish more with less funding, corporate partnerships do seem to be a viable solution. Will we see the day when schools are named for corporate entities and corporate logos are plastered all over the lunchroom? I hope not, but it's not inconceivable.
Learning & Leading with Technology November 2007
In this article Nancy Flynn outlines ten specific guidelines for creating successful partnerships between schools and corporations. The increasing costs of technology combined with the increasing financial constraints on public schools have led many administrators to seek out corporate partnerships. Schools benefit from these partnerships by receiving the latest technology and corporations hope to benefit through advertising, marketing and promotion.
Before entering into any kind of corporate partnership, Nancy Flynn advises that schools consider the following: what does the school hope to accomplish with the new resources, can the school infrastructure support the hardware or software supplied by the corporation, does the technology match the educational goals of the school, will there be consistency and open channels of communication between the school and the corporation, will there be someone on campus who can provide support for the new hardware or software, is the corporation committed to providing continued support, what expectations does the corporation have of the school and its administrators, what level of product promotion is the corporation expecting, is an assessment system in place to evaluate the benefits of the corporate partnership and how long is the partnership expected to last.
According to Nancy Flynn, financial constraints together with the need to continually upgrade technology will continue to encourage partnerships between schools and corporations. In light of that fact, all of the above questions must be considered thoughtfully before committing to such a partnership.
Questions
1. What level of product promotion is acceptable in a school setting?
Corporations form partnerships with schools in hopes of increased marketing and promotion for their products. Administrators need to take the first step of simply acknowledging this fact - that corporations have expectations. Given the corporate expectations, if the administrator is able to wholeheartedly recommend the technology to colleagues and peers, that seems acceptable. Making students and parents aware of the partnership, without sales pressure, also seems like an acceptable level of promotion.
2. Are corporate partnerships the wave of the future? Corporate partnership definitely seem to be the wave of the future. As schools are asked to accomplish more with less funding, corporate partnerships do seem to be a viable solution. Will we see the day when schools are named for corporate entities and corporate logos are plastered all over the lunchroom? I hope not, but it's not inconceivable.
Journal 6
Mind the Gap: The Key to Equal Achievement by Pedro Noguera
Edutopia February 2007
In this article Pedro Noguera writes about the challenge facing public education today: no underprivileged child left behind. Noquera makes a very intriguing statement: the concept that American schools have never been expected to educate all children. The author proposes that before the No Child Left Behind Act, it was accepted and expected that some children would fail. Although I knew that the educational system failed, in fact, continues to fail, many children, I never imagined that this might be both expected and acceptable to some.
Pedro Noguera believes that the focus on state-mandated exams leaves little time for exploration in the classroom or the development of critical thinking skills in students. In addition, he feels that schools are also called on to solve the many social issues of their underprivileged students, as well. Despite all of this, Noguera ultimately believes it is the will of the individual educators that closes the education gap for underprivileged children.
Noguera goes on to cite some specific strategies are evident in the schools where all children succeed including, "a commitment to engage parents as partners in the educational process, a plan that details explicit roles and responsibilities for parents and educators, strong instructional leadership focused on a coherent program for curriculum and instruction that teachers support and follow, a willingness to evaluate interventions to ensure quality control and a commitment to finding ways to meet the nonacademic needs of poor students."
Questions:
1. If I, as a teacher, am willing to accept my role in student accomplishment, how can I get my colleagues and administrators to follow suit? According to Noguera, it is very important that everyone on the campus believes strongly in closing the achievement gap and that particular strategies must be in place to support this goal. All administrators are feeling the pressure to educate all children and exploring models of successful schools and communicating with peers will open the door to positive change.
2. How can I encourage more parental involvement in my classroom? The first step to increasing parental involvement is to put yourself in the shoes of the parents of your underprivileged students. You must understand what the barriers are that are stopping them from becoming more involved and then tackle those barriers one at a time. Cultural views and personal experience color many people's impressions of the educational system and it is important to acknowledge this before trying to overcome it.
Edutopia February 2007
In this article Pedro Noguera writes about the challenge facing public education today: no underprivileged child left behind. Noquera makes a very intriguing statement: the concept that American schools have never been expected to educate all children. The author proposes that before the No Child Left Behind Act, it was accepted and expected that some children would fail. Although I knew that the educational system failed, in fact, continues to fail, many children, I never imagined that this might be both expected and acceptable to some.
Pedro Noguera believes that the focus on state-mandated exams leaves little time for exploration in the classroom or the development of critical thinking skills in students. In addition, he feels that schools are also called on to solve the many social issues of their underprivileged students, as well. Despite all of this, Noguera ultimately believes it is the will of the individual educators that closes the education gap for underprivileged children.
Noguera goes on to cite some specific strategies are evident in the schools where all children succeed including, "a commitment to engage parents as partners in the educational process, a plan that details explicit roles and responsibilities for parents and educators, strong instructional leadership focused on a coherent program for curriculum and instruction that teachers support and follow, a willingness to evaluate interventions to ensure quality control and a commitment to finding ways to meet the nonacademic needs of poor students."
Questions:
1. If I, as a teacher, am willing to accept my role in student accomplishment, how can I get my colleagues and administrators to follow suit? According to Noguera, it is very important that everyone on the campus believes strongly in closing the achievement gap and that particular strategies must be in place to support this goal. All administrators are feeling the pressure to educate all children and exploring models of successful schools and communicating with peers will open the door to positive change.
2. How can I encourage more parental involvement in my classroom? The first step to increasing parental involvement is to put yourself in the shoes of the parents of your underprivileged students. You must understand what the barriers are that are stopping them from becoming more involved and then tackle those barriers one at a time. Cultural views and personal experience color many people's impressions of the educational system and it is important to acknowledge this before trying to overcome it.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Journal 5
If You Can't Beat 'Em, Join 'Em by Charlene O'Hanlon
THE Journal August 07
Charlene O'Hanlon has written an article about the use of social networking sites in educational settings. Although geared primarily to teens, social networking sites are being used in classrooms with students as young as eight or nine. The use of social networking sites in classrooms has many applications and is producing very positive results. The sites are being used for everything from language arts to science. In one class, students write persuasive essays in response to prompts posted on their instructor's blog; in another, students are producing a podcast of news from colonial times. The results have been very positive. Students are striving for quality in their written work because they know they will be published and read by peers. The use of social networking sites has resulted in higher test scores, as well; as much as nine points higher scores in some science classes.
Social networking sites in education are not accessible to the outside world and security measures are very stringent. Most districts and school sites have specific policies and limitations which must be acknowledged and adhered to. In addition to educating children in core academic subjects, the use of social networking sites in schools gives children the opportunity to learn social protocol and safety concepts before venturing out into the public networking sites.
Questions:
1. How can you use a social networking site in the lower grades? As early as second grade, with some guidance from the instructor, I can imagine children posting short answer responses to a prompt on their teacher's blog. Another benefit, mentioned in the article, of introducing the concept to children while they are young, is the opportunity to teach computer etiquette and safety while the children are receptive.
2. Might parents be hesitant? If security measures are stringent and parents are made aware of them, I think that most parents would see the benefits to the technology and might even welcome the guided introduction to something that will surely be a major player in the life of their child in high school and beyond.
THE Journal August 07
Charlene O'Hanlon has written an article about the use of social networking sites in educational settings. Although geared primarily to teens, social networking sites are being used in classrooms with students as young as eight or nine. The use of social networking sites in classrooms has many applications and is producing very positive results. The sites are being used for everything from language arts to science. In one class, students write persuasive essays in response to prompts posted on their instructor's blog; in another, students are producing a podcast of news from colonial times. The results have been very positive. Students are striving for quality in their written work because they know they will be published and read by peers. The use of social networking sites has resulted in higher test scores, as well; as much as nine points higher scores in some science classes.
Social networking sites in education are not accessible to the outside world and security measures are very stringent. Most districts and school sites have specific policies and limitations which must be acknowledged and adhered to. In addition to educating children in core academic subjects, the use of social networking sites in schools gives children the opportunity to learn social protocol and safety concepts before venturing out into the public networking sites.
Questions:
1. How can you use a social networking site in the lower grades? As early as second grade, with some guidance from the instructor, I can imagine children posting short answer responses to a prompt on their teacher's blog. Another benefit, mentioned in the article, of introducing the concept to children while they are young, is the opportunity to teach computer etiquette and safety while the children are receptive.
2. Might parents be hesitant? If security measures are stringent and parents are made aware of them, I think that most parents would see the benefits to the technology and might even welcome the guided introduction to something that will surely be a major player in the life of their child in high school and beyond.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Journal 4
Designing to Learn, A Focus on Design in Project-Based Learning by Diane McGrath
Diane McGrath is making the important point that good design is crucial to project-based learning (PBL). In fact, one might argue that good design is crucial to any kind of lesson being planned, but in this article, the focus is on PBL. Project-based learning is defined as that in which students, "construct artifacts to better understand a subject and then communicate to an audience what they have learned" (p.50). With regard to design of a PBL, McGrath focuses on four important features: design skills, planning, audience and standards.
The crucial component of the design skills feature is that the student is able to represent that which they've learned as an artifact. The design skills component includes all of the research and organizing skills required to complete the project. The planning feature involves helping students learn to break the project down into manageable pieces and learn to keep themselves on track. The audience feature involves not only an audience for the finished project, but also reviews by audiences (of any size) throughout the process. Finally, the standards feature involves making certain that the student focus is on acquiring knowledge and not just on creating the artifact. The artifact should be an outgrowth of knowledge gained, not just a project for project's sake.
Questions:
1. With regard to the standards feature, how does a teacher guard against projects for project's sake? I think a point made in the article addressed this question very well. The technology should not be the focus of the project, which it often is if the students are creating only one or two projects per year. Instead, the projects should be so numerous that, "the bells and whistles become old hat" (p. 53). Not that the students are pumping out projects left and right, but that the technology used becomes just another tool, like a pencil.
2. With regard to the audience feature, how can a teacher foster the concept of cooperative work in the classroom? At the beginning of any PBL, it is important to stress that all students will be audiences for other students in the class. The purpose of these audiences is to provide constructive feedback. This concept needs to be explained clearly to the class so that feedback does not become hurtful. A team-building exercise or two might help as will occasions where the teacher invites constructive feedback of his or her efforts, as well.
Diane McGrath is making the important point that good design is crucial to project-based learning (PBL). In fact, one might argue that good design is crucial to any kind of lesson being planned, but in this article, the focus is on PBL. Project-based learning is defined as that in which students, "construct artifacts to better understand a subject and then communicate to an audience what they have learned" (p.50). With regard to design of a PBL, McGrath focuses on four important features: design skills, planning, audience and standards.
The crucial component of the design skills feature is that the student is able to represent that which they've learned as an artifact. The design skills component includes all of the research and organizing skills required to complete the project. The planning feature involves helping students learn to break the project down into manageable pieces and learn to keep themselves on track. The audience feature involves not only an audience for the finished project, but also reviews by audiences (of any size) throughout the process. Finally, the standards feature involves making certain that the student focus is on acquiring knowledge and not just on creating the artifact. The artifact should be an outgrowth of knowledge gained, not just a project for project's sake.
Questions:
1. With regard to the standards feature, how does a teacher guard against projects for project's sake? I think a point made in the article addressed this question very well. The technology should not be the focus of the project, which it often is if the students are creating only one or two projects per year. Instead, the projects should be so numerous that, "the bells and whistles become old hat" (p. 53). Not that the students are pumping out projects left and right, but that the technology used becomes just another tool, like a pencil.
2. With regard to the audience feature, how can a teacher foster the concept of cooperative work in the classroom? At the beginning of any PBL, it is important to stress that all students will be audiences for other students in the class. The purpose of these audiences is to provide constructive feedback. This concept needs to be explained clearly to the class so that feedback does not become hurtful. A team-building exercise or two might help as will occasions where the teacher invites constructive feedback of his or her efforts, as well.
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