Drape's Takes

I really like where Ryan Bretag is going with his description of student (and teacher) resistance to learner-centric, technology-rich learning environments.

But, I continue to see frustration from teachers that hear about this magical world and then face something different in the classroom. They face resistance.

Because of this, we must help them with this reality.

1. We need to help them understand why students are resisting.
2. We need to remind them that community is at the core of a classroom not myths about what this generation wants.
3. We need to acknowledge that this isn’t easy and it is even more challenging when you try to change the game in the midst of the class.
4. We need to help teachers and students fight through it for a better environment that they might not fully understand or appreciate in the moment as they build and establish community.

In seeing this list, I'm reminded of Mishra and Koehler's (2008) TPACK framework (see also Koehler & Mishra, 2005 and Mishra & Koehler, 2006). The elements of the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework include knowledge of content, pedagogy, and technology, as well as comprehending “the complex interaction between these knowledge components” (p. 2). In other words, learning to teach with technology is a skill in and of itself, requiring expertise above and beyond the traditional training in pedagogy and content that teachers receive in pre-service programs.



Mishra and Koehler also emphasize that technical literacy for teachers means more than mere understanding:

Beyond traditional notions of technical literacy, teachers should also understand information technology broadly enough to apply it productively at work and in their everyday lives, recognize when information technology can assist or impede the achievement of a goal, and to continually adapt to changes in information technology. This, obviously, requires a deeper, more essential understanding and mastery of information technology for information processing, communication, and problem solving than does the traditional definition of computer literacy. In this view, technology knowledge evolves over a lifetime, consisting of an open-ended interaction with technology. (p. 4)

While the TPACK framework itself is still under scrutiny, it feels right to me. My experiences in education have introduced me to excellent teachers that struggle to implement technology into their teaching. I've also known techno-geeks who can blow your socks off with their understanding of technology, but have no concept of effective classroom management or even basic instructional design. Ultimately, I think that many teachers still struggle to blend technology with effective curriculum delivery because - as Ryan points out - this is difficult business requiring complex skills not fully understood.

Might TPACK, nevertheless - or something like it - also apply to student learning? Is there a technological/educational understanding that must be acquired before technology can be effectively used in the learning process? Do some students come about this proficiency far easier than others? What elements must be present before technology can be reliably used for learning? Finally, is it really community that lies at the core of a classroom?

In the immortal words of every doctoral candidate, "more research is needed to answer each of these important questions."

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References:

Koehler, M.J., & Mishra, P. (2005). Teachers learning technology by design. Journal of Computing in Teacher Education, 21(3). 94-102.

Mishra, P., & Koehler, M.J. (2006). Technological pedagogical content knowledge: A framework for integrating technology in teacher knowledge. Teachers College Record, 108(6), 1017-1054.

Mishra, P., & Koehler, M.J, (2008) Introducing Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New York City, March 24–28, 2008.

This is why more teachers today should be using technology to increase student engagement than ever before. Unless you're Hannah Montana, Justin Bieber, or Spiderman, I honestly know of no easier way to effectively increase student motivation.

You've heard me say it before, but I can't help saying it again: Pay attention, people.

I think Alan November's message is the most important of any that were delivered at this year's ISTE conference. Primarily, if we're going to teach teachers and students to use the Internet, then we should be teaching them to understand the perspectives of others. The idea that empathy is the most vital skill of the 21st Century is very powerful. Nevertheless, I don't think it's limited to only here and now.

Hasn't our society starved for citizens that understand and care for one another? Haven't we strove for the most civil of populations? Isn't empathy the first step in achieving such a goal?

What's changed, however, is the geographical distribution of our society. In times past, social capital was established among those in our immediate proximity: local meant house, village, and state. Today's local, nevertheless, is yesterday's global. I think that this is exactly what Jean Claude Richard was trying to teach in his opening keynote. In spite of his difficulties in presenting to a 5,000 person audience, Richard's thesis was that the only way we're going to solve all of the problems we face on this planet, will be to work together as a race: the human race.

To that critical thought, I join with Alan November in emphasizing to teachers and curriculum leaders world-wide that we should all be more focused on globalizing the curriculum. I fear thar failure to do so will translate into drastically negative consequences for this and future generations.

Right on the heels of my last post, Larry Cuban explains why teachers must be aggressive in their learning habits. Because education is a complex process (rather than a complicated process), those hoping to succeed under such circumstances must be willing to adapt.

At the minimum, know that working in a complex system means adapting to changes, dealing with conflicts, and constant learning. These are natural, not aberrations. Know further that reform designs borrowed from complicated systems and imposed from the top in complex systems will hardly make a dent in the daily work of those whose job is convert policy into action.

I know of few things more complex than teaching a child to learn.

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Image source: Flickr user fdecomite.

An important question has been posed by our district’s Superintendent that has heavily occupied my thoughts over the last few days. My initial take follows (complete with an ample supply of cutting-edge, 21st Century, digital-age buzz).


What is the purpose of IT in preparing students for college success?

• To assist all educators in the task of teaching students to learn how to learn.
• To assist all educators in the task of teaching students to effectively function in the same kinds of technologically rich learning environments found on and around college campuses.
• To provide access to knowledge and information outside of the immediate school environment, while enabling teachers to understand best practices in empowering students with that access.
• To provide functioning technologies that can improve the learning process, while supporting teachers in empowering students with these technologies.
• To facilitate communication and collaboration between all members of Canyons District learning communities.

In other words, the purpose of IT includes supporting teachers in their use of technology to:

• Facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity
• Design and develop digital-age learning experiences and assessments
• Model digital-age work and learning
• Promote and model digital citizenship and responsibility
• Engage in professional growth and leadership

...and supporting administrators in their use of technology to:

• Provide visionary leadership
• Facilitate a digital-age learning culture
• Promote excellence in professional practice
• Enable systemic improvement
• Model appropriate examples of responsible digital citizenship

Well, there you have it (kind of reminds me of this). Anything you'd add to or remove from my list?

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Cross posted at Thinking Out Loud... Let's learn together.

I was recently asked an important question that I fear I wasn't able to properly answer.

How should the district support the technology needs of the district?

As I've thought a lot about this question since my first attempt, I've decided that a second attempt would be fitting. Hopefully this time around I'm able to offer an improved analysis of this important subject. Therefore, that which follows is my second draft.

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First, the district should support the technology needs of the district by realizing that the primary reason of its very existence is to improve the learning experience of students.


Next, the district should support the technology needs of the district by challenging the status quo, providing alternative methods, and imparting the resources necessary to ensure success.


Finally, the district should support the technology needs of the district by always helping when needed and by sometimes staying out of the way.


For what it's worth.

Original Image Sources: Flickr users Juber Al-haddad, The Tardigrade, and stuant63.

As not every teacher understands how to implement the Creative Commons into their curriculum, I thought I'd take a minute to explain how I would use it if I was in their shoes.

Step 1: Understand the rules of the Creative Commons.

• These two videos give a pretty good description of what it is and why creative people like it.
  

• The presentation that follows, created by Jessica Coates, also gives an excellent description of how to use Creative Commons in the classroom. Because she has licensed the presentation with a CC-Attribution license, I am able to include her presentation in this blog post (or distribute it anywhere else on the Internet) - without worrying about Fair Use or other copyright restrictions - given that I attribute her as the author of the presentation. These were the terms that she decided upon when she created her license.
  
  

Step 2: Use Creative Commons-licensed materials in my curriculum. There is a growing number of resources available online for finding Creative Commons-licensed materials. The list of directories maintained on the Creative Commons wiki, for example, is continually growing. To narrow the list down slightly, I'll list a few of my favorites here:

• Images - Most pull from Flickr's extensive collection
  
  Flickr (check the Creative Commons box at the bottom)
  FlickrCC
  Compfight
  FlickrStorm
  everystockphoto
  Open Clipart Library
  Geograph British Isles
  Wikimedia Commons
  
  
• Audio
  
  CC Mixter Samples
  Jamendo
  Freesound
  Internet Archive
  Owl Music Search
  SpinXpress
  Wikimedia Commons
  
  
• Video
  
  MOD Films
  Internet Archive
  SpinXpress
  

Step 3: Reuse, remix, and share my Creative Commons-licensed curriculum materials.

• Remember: The Creative Commons makes it easy to understand when it's OK to reuse, remix, or share new content.
  
• This blog is an example of how I share my ideas and materials. I've licensed everything I share here under a CC-Attribution-Share Alike license.

Step 4: Teach my students about Creative Commons while I also teach them about global collaboration, desktop publishing, why creativity is such an essential skill, and my core subject.

• If I were teaching a core subject today, I would use Flickr to teach math, wikis to teach history, and Voicethreads to teach geography. In doing so, I not only teach the core content, but I teach my students a variety of other essential skills that might not be addressed by the core.
• If I were teaching a core subject today, I would also use project-based learning far more than the sit-n-git techniques I used to employ. With that in mind, it is any wonder why I love the Creative Commons?
  

To close, what are your thoughts regarding the Creative Commons? How and why do you use it with your students?

Technorati Tags: creativecommons sharing teaching core ishareyoushareweallshare

There are three basic actions that every teacher can take to improve instruction now.

• Collaborate
• Videotape
• Practicate

To elaborate…

Collaborate

If you’re a teacher and you’re still not getting out, you should – and now. Begin by collaborating with your peers about what works in your classes and what doesn’t. In time, expand your circle of collaboration to include other members of your local faculty and even members of your school’s faculty that teach subjects other than your own. You will be surprised by how much can be learned by teachers of other disciplines that will work for you in yours. I guarantee it.

Additionally, in this day and age, there is absolutely no reason for you to not expand your circle of collaboration such that it includes teachers from other cities, states, and even countries. I would begin such efforts by joining any of a number of social networks designed for educators. Classroom 2.0, for example, can be an excellent place for you to meet other teachers with interests, issues, and instructional circumstances similar to yours.

Videotape

Whether you like it or not, your students are likely not learning many of the things that you may think you are teaching. By watching yourself in action, you will be able to see your instruction as some of your students see it – and probably learn of areas wherein improvement might be needed.

Combining this type of videotaped feedback with collaboration can also be beneficial.

Practicate (Practice)

You’ve heard it a million times: Practice makes perfect. So, why would improving your abilities as an instructor require anything different? As any teacher that teaches the same content multiple times a day knows, the first time a lesson is taught is almost always worse than the second or third time it’s taught.*

In my experience, effective "practicating" includes a narrow focus on specific skills to practice. For example, transitions, question formulation, and giving appropriate amounts of wait time are all essential teaching skills that all take practice to master. Focus on one such skill and practice your way to improvement.


Three simple steps to improved instruction - but tell me: which catalysts for improvement have I missed?

Image source: Flickr user Wonderlane.

Technorati Tags: instruction teaching learning improvement

* Caveat: I can’t help thinking that the law of diminishing returns doesn’t come into play a little bit here. By your fifth time teaching the same lesson in the same day, I’m sure you’ve experienced the ol’ “haven’t I already told you this?” scenario.

So it looks like the majority of schools out there really don't care to allow mobile phones in the classroom (aka those pesky "little internet machines" - hat tip to Mr. Higgins). As of this writing, roughly 90% of respondents claim that their school actually bans the use of mobile phones in the classroom, regardless of teacher preferences.

Sure, they're cool. Sure, they're engaging (surprise). But the truth is that even we adults honestly don't know how to control the use of mobile phones. We're as bad as the kids when it comes to not understanding (or not being willing to comply within) the limits of appropriate and non-appropriate use. This truth hit home the other day when I snapped this picture while waiting to place my order at a McDonald's drive-thru window.

Sheesh. Not even Ronald McDonald wants me to multitask. Do you think we have a problem here? Unbelievable.

The real issue for me, nevertheless, lies in the fact that we are the teachers. We ARE the teachers. Aren't we?

• Are we not the ones that were hired because of our abilities to manage a room full of kids?
• Are we really not capable of figuring out how to monitor and guide our students in their educational use of mobile phones?
• Do we not have the responsibility to teach proper etiquette in using these new technologies?
  
• Is banning really the only way to manage this issue or is it really just the easy way out?

Onward and Upward

On a positive note and in a positive direction, Liz Kolb has been blazing the trail when it comes to using mobile phones to teach and to learn. In a recent Twitter conversation, she shared the rules that she uses to govern her students' in-class mobile phone use. Ironically, these rules were created by the students themselves (again, if we can't beat 'em, why don't we join 'em?):

1. Phone ringers must be set to vibrate at all times.
2. Phones are placed at the front of the room, away from all students, when they are not in use as a class.
3. All media/messages must be course related.
4. All media published about/of others must be approved by them.
5. All messages can be accessed at any time (through cellphone companies - no message/media is private)!
   

In order to monitor her students' progress and behavior, Mrs. Kolb says that she simply uses web sites that back up messages and media (Flickr mobile, Utterz, Gcast, and Jott all have this capability). She then uses these sites in the classroom, live, as the assignments are happening. By watching the media come in (and by noticing when the media is sent), a teacher can then tell which students are on task and which ones are not.

Bravo, Liz, and hanks for your shining example!

Now excuse me a minute while I go take this call.

Image Source: Flickr users RSEanes and yewenyi

Technorati Tags: cellphones teaching education technology

I finally watched Mike Wesch's presentation to the Library of Congress that he's entitled "An anthropological introduction to YouTube." An absolutely incredible presentation, this is the kind of keynote that could get a guy nominated to speak at TED.

One of the most staggering messages of the presentation is given in the first two minutes.

In 1948, ABC started broadcasting - and they became the third network to do so... so they were the third major network... Those three networks, if they had been broadcasting every day, for every hour of the day, for [the last] sixty years, it would be over 1.5 million hours of programming. Which is a lot, but YouTube produced more in the last six months. And they did it without producers, they did with just people like you and me, anybody that's ever uploaded anything to YouTube.

Amazing.

Another interesting topic addressed by Dr. Wesch was the idea that in creating YouTube videos, people are basically alone while potentially talking to millions. This kind of "interaction" can't be healthy.

Or can it?


Teachers, alone or otherwise, too often focus solely upon the teaching that they do. Nevertheless, I wonder if this kind of YouTube-video-creation practice wouldn’t help them to think more about the learning that may or may not be taking place in their classrooms. On YouTube, even though the person creating a video is likely alone in their production, speaking to a camera, they are often forced to think about what the viewer sees as a result of their production. They think about the viewing experience before and during production.

Teachers should be no different.

Successful teachers not only think about the teaching that occurs in their classrooms but the learning, as well. Questions encompassing that which the students hear, see, feel, and experience - during instruction - are consistently addressed.

I think that teachers need to think more about what their students are learning, in addition to what is being taught. Can creating YouTube videos actually encourage the practice?

Nyeah. Maybe, maybe not.

Image Source: Jennifer Jones

Technorati Tags: youtube teaching learning

Of the 21,015 words used in the above post, 21,000 of them have been provided by the following Flickr users under Creative Commons licenses: Unhindered by Talent, shapeshift, Jim Sneddon, ckaroli, ★ Wim, Leo Reynolds, carf, Waldgeist, F3R/n@nd0 (FJTU), Pablo Baslini, Cayusa, Duchamp, Sidereal, Aislinn Ritchie, One Laptop Per Child, Old Shoe Woman, A Boy And His Bike, Sidereal, santheo, woodleywonderworks, Cayusa, texasgurl, phoenixdiaz

Technorati Tags: teaching learning 21stCenturySkills photoessay