Powerpoint on Steroids

The final project of the Literacy and Technology class was a Wonders of Web (WOW) presentation.  The topic that I chose to present on was Using Technology as a Remedial Resource for Student Literacy.  I  chose this topic because of the overwhelming impact that literacy has on all aspects of one's life.  Upon beginning the class I did not realize the impact that the right technology can have on one's learning.  This project and class has made that impact clear to me.  I can not wait to be able to use what I have learned.

We had to choose a tool to present with so that all students could see.  This involved posting the presentation link to the final Webex class for all to see.  I had never posted a live presentation to an online class.  It was seamless; what a great tool.

The presentation tool that I used was Prezi.  This is one of a host of tools that could be used.  Prezi is not static.  It makes a presentation come alive with its three-dimensional affect of slides sliding into each other from all different directions.  I was pleased with the effect.  I feel it was engaging.  I was happy with the flow.  Just click the button at the bottom of the presentation window to advance the slides.  Check it out and tell me what you think...

Using Technology as A Remedial Resource to Improve Student Literacy on Prezi

The Journey Continues!

The end of Literacy and Technology is just the beginning!  Here is a quote from one of my first blogs (a whopping 3 weeks ago), The Spin Cycle; "this influx of new information has my brain feeling like it is on the Spin Cycle. These bits of information are spinning around and around aimlessly and not really forming any cohesiveness with what I already know [or thought I knew] about technology".  That was how I felt back then.  How do I feel now?

The influx of new information was very much needed.  I did not know that most of the tools we were exposed to even existed.  These tools make collaboration possible anytime, anywhere, and anyhow.  Tools such as, Wiziq, Googledocs, Glogster, and Webex, make it possible to work as a team, distance-learn, and be creative.  Presentation tools like Prezi and Smilebox have modernized the 'art of the presentation'; giving new life to an otherwise bland presentation.

There is cohesiveness now.  Throughout these five weeks I have been making connections between Web 2.0, Web 1.0, and standard curriculum.  I don't claim to know all there is to know.  I do however feel that this class has provided a solid base for understanding how technology can support learning for our students.  The video of a 7th grader's account of her Personal Learning Environment (The Future of the Classroom on my sidebar) is a glimpse into the [not so distant] future.  The course readings have made me acutely aware of the impact of technology on education.  Stephen Downs' (education and technology guru) website is a must for every educator's Favorites Bar.  In fact, I subscribe to his RSS Feed now.  I have this class to thank for knowing what RSS is and how to use it.

Web 1.0 sites are static.  Web 2.0 sites are dynamic.  They are sites that we can collaborate on, add to, express ourselves, and make an impact.  The video on my sidebar entitled "Digital Media = Happiness" makes this point in a very systematic way.  Students want to make an impact.  Students want to be heard.  Students want to express themselves in creative ways.  This is what drives happiness according to the video.  I couldn't agree more.  As a student, I find it extremely satisfying when peers comment on what I have done, when I see one of my projects in a public forum, and when I get the chance to learn from those that have more knowledge than me.  I now see that technology, specifically Web 2.0, makes all of this possible.

All of this new knowledge would have just passed me by if not for this amazing class. 

Dr Smirnova's contagious enthusium had me on my laptop constantly (both for fun and for work).  Thank you Dr. Smirnova! 

My peers are truly an exceptional group of people.  The entire class was extremely helpful.  We are all thrown into the fire at the same time and everyone helps each other out.  Thank you to the members of the Tech Quad (Veronica Freeman, Susan Gunther, Kelly Lake).  I learned a great deal from all of you and really enjoyed working together.

Collaboration is the key

Web 2.0 tools offer many great and amazing benefits as my peers and I have experienced throughout this Literacy and Technology class.  Examples of these tools can be seen thoughout my blog.  The tools of today's Internet [that we all used for the class] can really enhance what I like to call "The 3 Cs"; Communication, Creation, Collaboration.

Communication is hugely enhanced with tools like Gtalk, Skype. and the standard Email.  Not only do these tools allow us to get things done in a timely manner, they also have the potential to teach our students to be dynamically literate in a digital world.

Creation of new and exciting fnished products is possible with just a few clicks.  Of couse, pre requisites are computer literacy and information literacy.  The developers of today's Web 2.0 tools, however, have made the sites quite user-friendly.  And the best part is the cost...FREE.  Afterall, information should be free...right?

The one constant is Collaboration.  In order to be deemed "Web 2.0", a website needs to have a collaborative quality to it.  Wiziq and Webex are online classrooms.  GoogleDocs is another amazing tool by the people at Google that uses a powerpoint format to be able to build presentations collaboratively.  Glogster is another amazing tool to create images of text and pictures collaboratively.  Here is a school newsletter that my team (Veronica Freeman, Kelly Lake, Susan Gunther, and I) made using Glogster....

Internet Safety, Copyright, and Fair Use

Life is inherently dangerous.  At any given time anything can happen and parents spend a great deal of time teaching their children how to be safe.  Walking safe.  Running safe.  Riding a bike safe.  Crossing the road safely.  Driving safe.  Keeping safe at school by dealing with social issues appropriately.  This is all fairly basic and seems relatively easy to instill in kids.  As a parent I can attest that 'safety' in everything my children do is personal to me.  If they do what they do safely then I know I did my job.

Now parents need to be concerned with another potential hazard;  the Internet.  Being an Education student has made me aware of terms like cyberbullying and digizen.  Cyberbullying is an issue.  It is a fact of life now in schools.  It is basically when someone has used technology (usually the Internet or a mobile phone) to cause unpleasantness for someone else.  Technology has so many great benefits.  But with everything out in the world that serves a positive purpose you can pretty much count on someone to use it for a negative purpose. 

Digizen (a combination of "digital" and "Citizen") is an organization concerned with people building safe communities on the internet that they use to enhance creativity and learning.  I built this widget (below) using digizen.org.  Just roll your mouse over the image to see my wishes.

 

This is a tool that an Internet user could use to express his/her online citizen values and wishes for him/herself, friends and the world.  This could be posted on a site to let others know his/her wishes as an online citizen.

In a world of unlimited resources and an abundant supply of smart, innovative, forward-thinking people it is so important to give credit and use other's material in a respectful manner.  YouTube videos, for instance, are very popular as an enhancement for others work.  If these videos, or any other form of media, are used to get a different point accross or to add to the topic of the video then it is okay to use.  If it is being used for the same reason that it was make then credit needs to be given to the owner.  It's only fair to credit other's efforts that you use yourself.  Afterall, creditting others will keep your online presence safe as well.

I have not noticed if the schools I have substituted at have a Fair Use Policy.  I am sure they do.  I just wasn't in a position to be privvy to that information.

3 Cheers for Engrade!

This Web 2.0 tool is excellent for having students and parents actively engaged in the assessment process.  It is just one more way for parents to be more involved [as thay should be] in children's learning and the outcomes of that learning.  It also serves as a tool for students to keep track of their own progress.  The uploading of files is a nice feature and allows student access to future assignments 27/7.

To the left is a shot of an imaginary class grade book created on Engrade.  The online grade book is is a great way for teachers to be as efficient as possible.  In creating my test class I found it very easy and user-friendly.  I especially liked that I could assign a weight for different assignments to be factored in the final grade automatically.  What a time saver!

Rubrics in the 21st Century

Students learning in more creative ways demands a diverse array of rubrics.  There is a rubric for everything as you can see .  The rubrics of the 21st century have a few common elements; assesssing collaborative elements, aesthetics, imagery, and assessing the use of other resources (links, videos, other multimedia). 

Teachers won't just be assessing rote learning.  They will be assessing higher thinking skills.  The rubrics available are excellent guides for assessing such skills.

Technology Supports Authentic Assessment for President

In my last post I delved into my philosophy of assessing students.  It is rooted in authentic, non-traditional approaches of assessment.  Although it is quite possible that these assessment practices will be traditional in the near future.  This notion is supported by the overwhelming number of technological applications to classroom learning.  Students are now able to show what has been learned in much more exciting ways than just a fixed response test.  Blogs, Wikis, and personal websites, for instance, are excellent tools for students to put together portfolios of learning and receive peer and teacher feedback.  Collaboratve tools such as GoogleDocs and Blogster are excellent for students to learn to work together.  These are just some of the Web 2.0 tools that support Authentic Assessment for president.

Authentic Assessment Toolkit

Assessment is twofold. First, and most obvious, is student assessment, which should always be continuous, dynamic, formative, and never-ending. Second is the assessment of instruction. Like student assessment, assessment of instruction should be continuous and never-ending. Instruction assessment should be reflective. Assessment of instruction can be broken down into teacher assessment, material assessment, and instructional method assessment. Please let me elaborate on my philosophy of assessment.

My personal philosophy dictates that student assessment is most valuable when it is done formatively. Continuously and routinely circling back to previously learned material in order to evaluate retention and establish connections. Connections will be made in my classroom; connections between various parts of the subject matter, connections between the subject matter and other subjects, and connections to real life. The instruction needs to be authentic. It needs to relate somehow to the student’s life or else the material has little meaning, is in jeopardy of not being retained, and is harder to teach. For this reason I believe in finding out the interests that students have outside of school. This may be accomplished through the use of alternative assessment tools such as portfolios and journals, both of which I plan to use throughout my teaching career. Student assessment in my classroom will be dynamic. It will be fast-paced, slow-paced, and be based on instruction that entails more than the topic at hand. Whenever possible, I will like to establish connections between the topic being taught and other topics within the same subject and different subjects as well. Establishing interconnectedness among different subjects [in my opinion] makes school more meaningful for the students. For instance, relating a recent Math lesson to a lesson on industrialization in Social Studies, or a Science lesson on plants to a Social Studies lesson on Native Americans and how they grew their food. The connections to be made are endless and will aid in helping the student answer “why do I need to learn this”.

Assessment of instruction is an intricate part of my philosophy. During instruction, I will not only be assessing the students, but myself as well. Are the students reacting as expected to my instruction? If not then take a step back and adjust. Did I assess the students’ prior knowledge of the topic accurately? If not then ask more meaningful diagnostic questions. In addition to assessing myself during instruction, I will assess the day’s lessons after instruction as well. Personal reflection will allow me the opportunity to give meaningful instruction which ultimately will lead to more accurate student assessment.

In summary, my personal philosophy of assessment is based on more alternative assessment practices rather than traditional methods, and is well-aligned with the Essential Learnings Framework. Tests do have their place, are a fact of life, and are a chance for the students to test their knowledge. If tests do need to be administered then I would rather give a series of short quizzes as opposed to one large exam at the end of a unit. I would not assign grades to these quizzes, but rather use them to gauge the effectiveness of my instruction. I feel that journal writing, exhibitions, demonstrations, and activities related to instruction are much more valuable ways for students to demonstrate knowledge. I would assign grades to these alternative means of assessment. Assessing ones higher level thinking skills is a valuable indicator of knowledge. Thus, assessment of these alternative practices is focused on higher level thinking skills. After all, the goal of all assessments should be the students’ preparedness for the highly dynamic workplace of today. It won’t be enough to know facts, but rather to have the confidence and the ability to think a process through to a solution will be more valuable for the students of today.

4 Models of Teaching

The chart, 4 models of teaching, is a graphic organizer for some various methods of teaching created by my professor, Dr. Ludmilla Smirnova.  The methods outlined are; Social Family Method (aka, SIM for Social Interactive Method), Information Processing Model (IPM), Personal Family, and Behavorial Systems Family. I am familiar with SIM and IPM since I was introduced to them in another class.  I am not familiar with Personal Family and Behavioral Systems Family.  The link was broken to the referenced article.

The Social Interactive Model is just as the name implies.  It promotes student learning through collaboration with peers.  CWPT (Class Wide Peer Tutoring), Jigsaw, and any type of project activity where students are learning from each other are all methods of promoting a social learning environment where unity is promoted and bullying is dissuaded.

The Information Processing Method is used when the teacher wants to teach a method of solving a problem.  The Scientific Method, for instance, is frequently taught and used to solve problems.  Concept Attainment is another framework for solving a problem; having students devise the concept from random content.

I gather that the Personal Family teaching method is based on the personal profile of the student.  From the graphic organizer it seems that instruction is closely associated with affective nature of the student.  Instruction is one-on-one.

The Behavioral Systems Family is a direct instructional strategy.  From the limited details on the organizer, it seems that the method promotes student mastery of a topic.  Mastery can be promoted through teacher-student tutoring, the availabily of addiitional resources, or additional classroom instruction for a makeup test.

Web 2.0 Tools For Classroom Instruction

The Cheeky Lit Teacher's blog, What's The Web 2.0 Buzz is informative and refreshing for those digital immigrants (like me) who feel  cautiously intrigued and not quite fluent yet.  I say "cautiously intrigued" because of the dynamic nature of Web2.0 tools.  What tools should I invest the time in to learn?  What tools will still be here in 1,3,5, or 7 years?  I say "not quite fluent" because there are those of us who were not born into the world of Web 2.0.

The blog is informative because it mentions some Web 2.0 tools; blogs, wikis, RSS Feeds, and forums just to name a few.  There is one common thread with all Web 2.0 tools.  Tools need to posses this thread to be deemed a "Web 2.0 Tool".  That thread is Collaboration.  The collaborative nature of Web 2.0 tools is refresting to me because of the human quality.  Blogs, for instance, promote connectiivism by encouraging one's reflection and inviting comments from others.  Wikis encourage collaboration by inviting others to add content and comments.  RSS Feeds (Really Simple Syndication) promote inquiry because the user can subscribe for future content based on personal interests.  Forums are online communities and discussion groups for the purpose of collaboration on a particular topic.

Web 2.0 tools are not static.  To get the most out of these tools one needs to collaborate by being engaged and immersing him/herself  in the technology.  It is an exciting time to be an open-minded digital immigrant.

The BIG Question

So, what have I learned that has served me well throughout my life?  The answer to this question needs to be of a conceptual nature rather than a specific skill that I am proud of.  The skills that I learned, and learned well, in the past are not really serving me in today's technological climate.  But, the quagmire of skills have been combined to form the answer to the BIG question;  What should I learn?

Early on I learned how to navigate a computer.  I learned how to organize files.  I learned how to search the computer's hardrive and find things that I thought were gone forever.  I learned how to "defragment" the computer, keeping the machine healthy.  All of these things are no different from the things that anyone else my age learned about a computer.  At the time, the skills seemed to be compartamentalized, not really leading to a bigger purpose.  They did though.  According to Holly MacDonald's article, The Big Question, knowing how to categorize, organize and search are vital for adapting to the dynamic nature of technology.  Tools will continue to come and go. Knowing how to find what you want, organize what you want, and categorize what you have found is paramount for getting the most out of technology. 

As I said, tools will come and go with time.  The real concern is will you know how to get what you want even if the tool that you have used in the past is gone.  Having an open-mind and the persistence to try new things is perhaps the most beneficial skill that an educator can have in the 21st century.

Is Your Learning Environment Personal?

Stephen Downes' presentation of Personal Learning Environments (PLEs) cements the meaning of the name and explains that there is an infinite amount of information availiable online to all who want it.  The trick of course is effectively managing this weath of information and turning it into your own personal knowledge.  To turn this information into knowledge that makes sense to you is the basis of the Constructitive Theory of Learning.  The PLE is a community of learning, of your own interests, where the outcome is not just factual knowledge [like in a traditional classroom], but is total immersion into what you are trying to learn.
According to Downes, there are six major components of one's Peraonal Learning Environment:

1. Profiler System:  This stores your personal information on all websites that you subscribe to.  It is essentially your online profile. 
2. Aggregator System:  This system manages all of your interests.  It manages the reasons that you visit particular sites.  For instance, if you want to keep abreast of all information concearning education then you can set up an RSS feed or Atom feed (there are various aggregator systems avalaible.  This system retrieves education information from all subscribed sites and feeds it to you.  These web feeds allow software programs to check for updates published on a website. To provide a web feed, a site owner may use specialized software (such as a content management system) that publishes a list (or "feed") of recent articles or content in a standardized, readable format. The feed can then be downloaded by websites that syndicate content from the feed, or by feed reader programs that allow Internet users to subscribe to feeds and view their content.
3. Editor System:  This is you opportunity to see all information in one place on your machine and create your own knowledge.  Here, you edit the information supplied by the Aggragator to create a piece of text that you understand.
4. Scaffolding Systems:  These systems essentiallly connect one PLE to anothe PLE.  Here, you can take your newly created knowledge and input is into another learning environment to create something.  For instance, there are various websites that help to make you own personal website.  The site asks you for bits of information for the purpose of creating something unique to you.  The content (facts, video, data, results of your aggregation) are being merged with the manipulation of the data.
5. Third Party Services:  A prime example is an online class where people are collaborating via services such as Elluminate or Webex.  This is where the connection between your PLE and your teacher's and Peer's PLEs takes place.  This essentially takes creation of knowledge to a new level and cements understanding.
6. Recommender System:  This system watches & inputs alll data and recommends other sources of information based on the work that you have been doing.

So, it seems apparent that the construction and utilization of Personal Learning Environments is the wave of the future for students.  To me, it seems like creating a Personal Portfolio electronically.  Then, for assessment purposes, the learner creates a finished product - a compilation of information in the PLE. 

This finished product will demand students' higher thinking skills. 

Teachers will be able to assess students' higher thinking skills. 

Todays' students, for the most part, are not assessed based on higher thinking skills. 

Embracing the use of Personal Learning Environments and other Web 2.0 tools will be critical in the education of the 21st Century Learner.

Utopian Technology

An article by Stephen Downes, Nine Rules for Good Technology, is so refreshingly simplistic at describing what people want from technology.  We want it to ALWAYS be availaible.  We want it ALWAYS to be on (or can be turned on quickly).  We want it ALWAYS to be connected.  It should ALWAYS be standardized..  Good technology is ALWAYS simple.  Good technology does not require parts.  It is personalized.  Good technology is modular, able to be easily rearranged to fit our needs.  And good technology ALWAYS does what we want it to do.

Now, I did take some liberty by adding "ALWAYS" to all of the steps.  Afterall, technology is man-made, and with everything man-made there are kinks and setbacks.  The referenced article was written in 2000.  Take a moment and think how far technology has come since then. 

The producers of technology  have persevered through the obstacles to get to what consumers want.  This perseverence is a testament to the progressiveness of technology over the passed ten years. 

Teachers in 21st century will need training with new technology.  Teachers will need patience.  But most of all, teachers striving to utilize new technologies in the classroom will need perseverence;  perseverence to get through the occassional kink and setback.  Our students deserve it.

The Power of Google

It's all about the tools that you have in your toolbox.  I have an igoogle page, however I know now that I haven't even begun to scratch the surface of what it can do for me.  For this Literacy & Technology class I have used GoogleDocs and gtalk.  I have played around with putting various gadgets on my page but haven't realized their full potential.  It is apparent that Google has harnessed the concept of Web 2.0 and made the various tools easily accessible to the user.  Google is truly on the cutting edge and not just a search engine.  Rather, Google is a portal for all types of communication, collaboration, and research.  I will be customizing my igoogle page to take advantage of all that Google has to offer.

A Paradigm Shift from Education 1.0 to Education 2.0

Much has been learned about the ways in which students learn.  This has transpired into new teaching methods, and to a large extent, a shift towards more student-centered learning.  Technology has been [and will continue to be] infused with education.  This infusion has been present for some time now, but it has always resulted in a final paper or some type of project from the student.  The more advanced phase of this infusion can be labeled as Education 2.0.  In these classrooms, the student role shifts from a consumer of information to a producer of information.  A student has a wider audience rather than just a teacher and fellow students.  The audience now consists of the World Wide Web, students in other schools, other school districts, other countries;  the list is infinite depending on the restrictions of the particular school district.  This wider audience is reason for students to be more engaged and enthusiastic about school.  In Education 2.0 the student has become;  the Producer of information, Publisher of information, a Peer-Reviewer of information, and a member of the Audience.  Because of these new student roles the most valid form of assessment will be portfolio-based;  this will be more and more common as time goes on.

The Building Blocks of 21st Century Literacy

 Possessing the skills needed to be effectively literate for 21st century learning requires several different components and fluencies of  learners and teachers.  These skills are particulary of a technological nature.  Of course, it is necessary that one be literate in traditional ways (a whole separate set of building blocks) first in order to be technologically literate.  As future educators, we will see more and more technology being implemented for the purpose of instructing students.  As mentioned in a previous posts this dynamic requires higher-order thinking skills of the learner.  It also requires higher-order thinking from educators.  This higher thinking doesn't come pre-packaged in one box.  There are steps, sharp inclines, and cliffs to ascend to reach the summit.  In order to drive the machine of 21st Century Learning teachers and students need to embrace, harness, and effectively utilize three main building blocks...

• Computer Literacy is basically the comfort level at which the user is at with basic computer skills. It is the physicality, the familiararity with the machine.  Can you turn it on?  Do you know how to navigate through the hard drive?  Can you install/unintall software and hardware to personalize your machine?  The extent to which one is computer literate is an integral component to driving the machine.
• Information Literacy is knowing how to make your computer literacy work for you.  Do you know how and where to find information that is most important to you?  Can you merge Computer and Information Literacies effectively and efficeintly to get better gas mileage out of your machine.
• Integration Literacy is ultimately the culmination of the two drive components.  Can you effectively integrate all literacies to learn?  Learning technologically requires the ability to make connections, comparisons, and to draw on any and all resources to reach the driver's seat.

You Bet We Follow NETS-S

The International Society for Technology in Education has written standards for promoting technology in the classroom.  The National Educational Technology Standards for Students., when applied, encourage higher order thinking skills in students.  Technology standards are a much-needed add-on to the current taxonomy of educating our children in the 21st century.  If we want the critical tinking from students ( a major component of the current educational concern) then we need standards to aspire to.  But, in order for teachers to wholeheartedly promote these standards in the classroom, the school district needs to be 100% committed to supporting the standards.  Just as districts are committed to the traditional educational standards, there needs to be the same commitment to technology. 

I am currently not a full-time teacher nor do I know what ISTE standardards are guiding and influencing curriculum.  However, I am a Substitute Teacher and have seen evidence of students' uses of various technology for school work.  I have seen creativity and innovation from students in putting together projects and presentations.  Although this is the only standard that I've witnessed come to fruition, I don't want to sell today's students/teachers short. 

The ability is there.  The commitment is not there.  The expectation is not there.  I feel confident in my readiness to embrace all new technology to come and to meet the standards.  The students will demand the commitment from me.  I will demand the commitment from the school district.  My commitment will be fueled by professional development, continueing education, and flexibility.  This is the fuel that will give technology in education a chance.

"The [Digital] Natives Are Coming!"

No, they're here already!  They speak a different language.  They think differently, not step by step, but globally.  The article, Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants, makes some excellent observations concerning a [presumed] communication gap between old school teachers (Digital Immigrants) and students that have grown up alongside all types of technology (Digital Natives).  The article also purports that this communication gap adds to the decline of the United State's educational system when compared to other industrialized nations.  This adds weight to the notion that todays students are not the learners that the educational system  was originally designed for. 

I was intrigued while reading the article.  Could this really be?  Are teachers really doing the disservice of refusing to learn the new language of technology to their students?  As I have mentioned in previous posts, everyone can learn something from anyone as long as he/she has an open mind.  This goes both ways.  Students can learn from teachers and vice versa.  As a future teacher, I will need to learn this new language by participating in professional development and being receptive to the new knowledge that students can offer me.  Any and all souces new knowledge need to be embraced if one wishes to continue to be an effective educator.

But alas there is reason for hope I believe.  After all, this article was written in 2001 as a wake-up call.  It worked.  Proof of this is evident through the advent of a taxonomy of technology integration in classrooms with the creation of National Education Technology Standards and LoTi.  Progress is slow.  It doesn't happen overnight.  Unfortunately, resistance to change is a human quality in many teachers.  These teachers, I suspect, are approaching retirement.  Newer and younger teachers will bring with them new experiences with technology and be better prepared to adapt their intruction for the Digital Natives.

A1 Picasion Slide Show

Throughout this Literacy and Technology class so far (2 weeks in) I have experienced many different feelings. At times I have felt in control of the instruction. At times I have felt that my control was spiralling helplessly out of control. And at other times I have felt very scattered in the fact that I have been at a loss of where to start. You could say that I have felt like a tennis ball being batted all over the place in the realm of understanding.

Never fear though. My understanding is coming around. To kick off the class I had to reflect [using various tools] on why I want to teach, my inspirations, my values, and showcase all using a combination of pictures and words. Here is a little slide show of all that I have done so far to reflect...

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This slide show was made with picasion.com. It was very easy. The only trick is that the pictures need to be in jpeg format. Getting all of the screen shots saved in the proper format prove to be somewhat cumbersome due to my lack of knowledge. Although I am proud to say that I persevered.  I will definitely use this tool in the future

The Voice of a Digital Native (Personal Learning Environments)

The idea of paperless classrooms (prior to college) and Personal Learning Environments (PLEs) for students is amazing. It is also scary. It means that future teachers really need to step up their game (especially me) and become comfortable and well-versed when utilizing the internet for instructional purposes. I never thought there would come a day when a classroom would be virtually paperless and the students posted all work electronically for the teacher to see. I am in Graduate School and am experiencing it for the first time. Here is a seventh grader experiencing it! The teacher of this student is obviously comfortable and well-versed when using Web 2.0 tools for collaboration and instruction.

Based on my limited knowledge thus far, I believe this particular classroom is at a level 5 - Expansion, on the LoTi scale. This is evident to me because:

• Collaborations have extended beyond the classroom with the student's utilization of Skype to confer with various experts.
• Emphasis is placed on learner-centered strategies through the student's use of a Personal Learning Environment for the purposes of research, collaboration, and sharing information with peers and teachers. The student's PLE is a collection of websites that resides on her laptop.
• The level of complexity of the student's PLE is contingent on his/her level of complex thinking skills (analysis, synthesis, evaluation).

I did not think the LoTi was at a level 6 because it seems that level 6 is purely constructivist. In level 6, instructional curriculum is entirely learner-based. The seventh-grader seemed to be in a class where the curriculum was dictated by the teacher, but the mode of learning was up to the student.

The Spin Cycle

Tonight was our first WebEx class for Literacy and Technology. A multitude of material was covered; the class framework, activity reports, blogging, wikis, high achievement assignments (HA), readings, reflections, tutorials, discussion forum. I'm sure I missed something, but you get the gist (my sound kept going out...very frustrating). This was my first experience with any type of online instruction. As a result I was a bit apprehensive about how much insight I would gain.

As the class proceeded I found it hard to receive the information that Dr. S was verbalizing. This sounds like a strange thing to say (to me it does). So, I found myself thinking this. I wondered why I was thinking this. I think I came up with an answer to why I was thinking this.

Nowadays collaboration takes place by any means [as we saw tonight]. Email and text...that's been my game so far. Now I find out about wdydwyd, blogging, and google docs (we used google docs for the first group project); it's like being reborn. This influx of new information has my brain feeling like it is on the Spin Cycle. These bits of information are spinning around and around aimlessly and not really forming any cohesiveness with what I already know [or thought I knew] about technology. So, this is truly how I felt. But, back to my cunundrum; why was it hard for my brain to receive the information?

Upon thinking about why I thought this, I have come to the conclusion that, up until now, I have taken "traditional" classroom instruction for granted. The instructor is physically present, classmates are there, and there is a vibe in the classroom that is almost palpable. This vibe can usually be credited with one's assurances of "getting it". This vibe is missing online. More than the echo, It is was the lack of that "traditional" classroom instruction stimulation that made it hard for my brain to receive the information. Online instruction adds a new dynamic to my "traditional" processes for learning.

As you can gather, this week saw many firsts for me. Groups had to collaborate for purposes of producing Digital Cards that are representative of their 'takes' on technology and education. I thought we were just going to do the traditional emailing of drafts back and forth until all were happy. Then, a fellow group member pulled up Google docs and we started to revise cards online so all member could see. I was entrigued. I never knew that I could watch a presentation being updated online. I suspect that this is the scenario that I can expect to encounter for the next 5 weeks, Very cool!

I am going to learn so much. I am not apprehensive. I am going to embrace all of these unfamiliar tools of learning and get the Spin Cycle under control.

Why I Do What I Do

This image prettty much sums up education for me. Please excuse the cliche, but a young child's mind is like a sponge. We, as educators, need to effectively harness and manage the inquisitive nature of young children. I am allergic to negativity, I believe everyone can learn something fom anyone. All of the words and phrases are straight from my philosophy of education.

Re-thinking state testing of students

"There is a notion that the manner in which the U.S. assesses students needs to be re-vamped. I am in complete agreement that state testing of our children needs to be overhauled. Removing the notion of 'teaching to the test' is perhaps the most meaningful thing that can be done...but how do we do this? More than the testing, an entire mindset of administrators, politicians, and powers-that-be needs to be addressed. These individuals (the ones that have the power) need to really start to consider the United States students' preparedness for the dynamic world of the 21st century and beyond. The world is not waiting for us.

So, how do we instill and assess critical thinking in children? One way is to have students exposed to a greater number of open-ended response questions on assessments throughout the school year. Another way is to implement more IPM instructional methods into curriculum. Multiple choice (fixed response) tests are not effective at accurately assessing one's critical thinking. Assessments that get people to really start thinking about the big picture and to craft an articulate response are essay questions, short answer responses, and portfolio projects.

One other measure that requires consideration is year-round schooling. After all, summer vacation was originally developed [many, many years ago] so children could work on the farm. This dynamic doesn't have as much of an impact in today's United States. The summer schedule could be abbreviated, but would still prevent the mind from getting stale, and enable teachers to make more connections to the world of today."