EDTECH 541 Final Post - Course Reflection

Part One: Course Reflection

What have you learned? Other than for my own subjects (Social Studies and Language Arts for Middle School students), I had never really studied what tools and techniques work most effectively in another subject area.  We have a strong Science teaching staff, who are also interesting in deepening the technology integration in their classrooms. So, I chose High School Biology as my focus. This was a good thing. I was able to dig in over the course of the semester and find a large number of high quality websites and iPad apps that I think will enhance student learning. My next major step is to sit down with one or more Biology teacher, show them the results of my coursework and then develop a plan for them to start integrating what appear to be very high-quality resources. If they want, I can assist them in  searching on their own  for resources, using some of what I found as a starting point.

How has theory guided development of the projects and assignments you created? Understanding theory definitely helped me  as I developed projects for the course. Understanding what does, and does not work, regarding how learning materials need to be presented, the appropriate scaffolding of information, and even how the brain can process the material, was very helpful in developing my content. For instance,  learning that a student's auditory and visual channels for learning are very small contributed significantly in how to develop multimedia resources for effective learning. Even though you, as the subject matter expert, may be tempted to include "everything and the kitchen sink" on a page, that has a deleterious effect on student learning: too much information (verbal, other audio, written word, images) on a page can stop the students' learning before it has even begun. People are just not mentally able to take in that much material at once. This idea (the Coherence Principle) was brought forth in my Edtech 513 Multimedia course, and it was good to see the same concepts bubble up in this course.

How did the coursework demonstrate mastery of the AECT standards?  I feel confident that my course work does reflect mastery of the AECT standards.  Please refer to the analysis of the course standards on my Edtech 541 Google Site. 

How have you grown professionally? I have learned, or had reinforced, a considerable amount about how to better integrate technology into the High School Science classroom. As I noted above, I now have considerable ammunition to work with the science teachers at my school regarding how to more effectively integrate technology - in a practical way - into their coursework. Since my job is to support teachers in doing that, this is of supreme importance to me. Of course, it applies to the whole school, not only Science subjects.  I have also (re)learned how to break projects out into bite sized pieces to successfully complete. The assignments every week provided me good practice for my organizational and project management skills.

How has your own teaching practice or thoughts about teaching been impacted by what you have learned or accomplished in this course? What will you do differently as an educator as a result of this course? More than anything, I think that I have honed my approach to working with teachers, based upon this course. I see how busy the teachers here are - with considerable academic and "other" deadlines to meet. For me, it's instrumental that I be able to support them by "cutting to the chase" and finding relevant tools, sound approaches, and reasonable "how to"' steps to effectively integrate tech more fully in their coursework.  This goes well beyond just the how to's regarding the function of the tool or resource; the key component is the integration into their actual curriculum. Taking the Edtech 541 course has given me some tools and techniques to do just that.

As I noted above, it's always tempting to include everything in a multimedia presentation used for learning. This course reinforced what I already knew: less is more when presenting learners (teachers) with new information, and of course engaging the learner as much as possible (no passive "sit and git" in my training classes!)   As  staff developer, being mindful of what the student needs to successfully learn has to always be top of mind.

Part Two: Assess Your Performance

Upon reflection, I am very pleased with the body of work I have created for Edtech 541,  Integrating Technology into the Classroom Curriculum. I have consistently provided information in clear and concise ways, and I think I added value to other students who chose to read my posts. I also feel that my responses to others were substantial and added to the ongoing conversation. I could have done better by posting earlier on occasion, so more people could have read and responded to my posts.

Content  70/70- I consistently made clear connections to current content, as well as real life situations with significant detail. In particular, the posts on Internet Safety, Mobile Wifi and  Accessibility Options on iPad exemplified some of my best work.

Readings and Resources 18/20 -  I did make references to outside readings and did use APA style references as appropriate in my posts.

Timeliness 15/20 - I did do all the postings required with quality, and most were done early enough for others to respond. 

Responses to Other Students - 25/30 - I did respond to my peers with substantial posts that added to the conversation. I  made only one substantial response to a peer in one or two weeks of the semester.

EDTECH 541: Accessibility options on iPad

The iPad and other iOS devices offers a number of accessibility features to assist users. Many of these features can be found in Settings --> General --> Accessibility. There are four sections, each with a few features allowing users to pick and choose what is necessary to make their experience more user-friendly.

iPad Settings

Vision features assist the visually impaired or blind student. Some of the settings allow the user to manipulate the size of text and icons. There is a voice-over feature, using Siri to verbalize screen touches, as well as using a finger to draw letters instead of typing. Speech reads the content on the screen, making email, text messages, web pages and books accessible.

iPads also allow for a braille display when connected to a wireless braille device. These displays allow for braille in a number of languages.

Communication and collaboration between visually and hearing impaired students can take place using Facetime, the iOS video calling feature. Students who use sign language can see each other, including gestures and facial expressions, making Facetime a valuable tool.

Hearing impaired students have a number of options on an iOS device. They can turn on Closed Captioning to view CC enabled videos and podcasts, including ones in iTunes U. There is mono audio available for students who hear best from one ear. And iOS offers connectivity for Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids.

Students with physical or motor challenges have some options on the iPad. AssistiveTouch allows users who can’t pinch or spread fingers to use a one-touch or assistive device to substitute for the more complication gestures.

Students can use Siri to provide certain directions to the device, such as sending a message or scheduling a task. Many apps that require typing now has the Dictation feature, where students can talk instead of type. There is also Switch Control that allows Bluetooth-enabled hardware to perform certain on-screen tasks.

Students with speech impairments can use Facetime to communicate using sign language. iMessage allows them to collaborate using text. Speech Selection allows the device to speak for you. This feature can also help students with speech development, providing an always-accessible model.

From the list of accessibility features listed above, it appears that Apple is making a thoughtful effort to assist disabled users. From my observation, just in the past couple years this list has grown, especially with accessibility to Bluetooth-enabled assistive tools. In addition, Apple has partnered with third-party app developers to provide learning tools to students and others who need them.

Here are some links to additional iOS accessibility details:

https://www.apple.com/accessibility/

https://www.apple.com/ios/accessibility-tips/

http://www.imore.com/how-use-accessibility-iphone-and-ipad-ultimate-guide

EDTECH 541 - Obstacles and Solutions to Technology Use in Biology

Biology classrooms have technology related issues similar to most. We always have a “plan B” if the internet is down, the projector won’t fire up, a student forgets her iPad at home, or assignments cannot be accessed because of no home connectivity. We also struggle with teacher tech knowledge and how well trained they are on applications. Those are givens, and the teachers, along with the IT/ET team, work together to mitigate those problems. The science classroom has its own obstacles, which that team has recognized and are working to minimize.

Our school has adopted a 1:1 iPad program for students this year.  Although initially a bit skeptical, teachers and the tech team have found several quality apps students can use that mimic hands-on activities, making technology a valuable tool to augment student learning. This presents our obstacle:how often and when do teachers substitute actual labs with virtual labs?

My reading finds that there are some common issues with virtual labs. One is the inability to provide students with timely, specific feedback. In an actual lab, students and teachers can interact and address questions on the spot. In virtual labs, the teacher can provide feedback - but more likely after the lab has been completed. Secondly, some virtual labs cannot differentiate instruction to varying learning styles and disabilities our students possess.

Virtual labs have many benefits - they are cost-efficient, allow for "any time" completion, provide absent students an opportunity to do it, and can be revisited to refresh learning. They provide flexibility for the project-based learning classroom, where a number of different labs can take place at the same time. Actual labs allow for tactile manipulation of the lab supplies, the ability to better understand and respect supplies (e.g., chemicals used for testing), timely feedback from classmates and instructors, and greater attentiveness to results.  So how do biology teachers know when a virtual lab is more appropriate to an actual lab? Teachers first need to know what they want to accomplish in the lab. What are the higher order skills and larger learning they want their students to achieve? Possibly the most efficient way to get there (considering costs and availability of supplies) is a virtual lab.

As with most things in teaching, there is no easy answer, and the direction to take truly depends upon the particular learning needs described the standards to be covered, and the focus and methods the teacher identifies to teach those standards. As we have learned often, the answer to using tech or not is, "it depends." What is clear is that the technology approach should not lead this discussion. It's one tool in the teacher - and student - toolbelt, and needs to be used when it's advantageous to do so, and not used (or de-emphasized) when student learning can be maximized some other way.

References

Cyberlearning. (n.d.) Retrieved from http://circlcenter.org/giving-students-feedback-complex-tasks-virtual-biology-labs/.

Turkman, H. (2006) Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED501461.pdf .

EDTECH 541 - Technology in the Content Areas

As I have worked through our assignments, I'm continually reminded about the amazing breadth and depth of resources available (in all subject areas) that can add to student learning. My core area for this class is High School Biology, so of course I have spent considerable time this semester getting a decent feel for the apps, websites and other 'tools' available to a biology teacher. Not being a Biology teacher, it's been interesting for me to uncover the wealth of resources that are available. For instance, I stumbled across Biology Corner, which has an amazing array of lesson plans, diagrams, quizzes and other resources that can be used to augment student learning. I've done a little bit of evaluation of iPad apps for bio, and there are several are specific apps that can add much to a student's learning, such as BioNinja IB (free), which can be used to research the biology of genetics, including chromosomes and meiosis.

I also did some research into the tools available for those English speakers learning a foreign language, like Spanish. Translation resources abound, of course, but there are innumerable YouTube and other videos available to assist the learner in actually hearing the words pronounced, using proper grammar and so on. There is an excellent and easy to use web-based tool call Lingt that provides a way for teachers to provide prompts to students, who can then record and turn in their response to the teacher. Simple, but very effective. And of course, there is an endless list of iPad apps that can help to some degree, particularly for younger students.

I created an eBook for Biology, and again, there is a phenomenal array of tools (some better, some not as good) to provide ways for students to "show what they know" and deepen their learning. I used Bookbuilder and it was ok. It was nice that is was web-based, but a little clunky and not particularly speedy. It helped me accomplish my goals and was fine overall. There are some iPad apps - Book Creator and Book Writer - that I plan to explore in more depth this summer. They look like excellent tools that can cross all subject matter boundaries and enhance students' ability to write about the topic of their choice, and then publish their work. These types of tools deserve more of my time, as I see that need in our students - writing in depth about whatever subject matter topic is at hand.

Beyond the almost innumerable subject-specific resources are the so-called "Evergreen Apps" - those that cross just about all subject boundaries and are useful in many and varied learning situations. These are tools such as the Google Apps for Education Suite (which has an amazing array of tools, of an by itself). Beyond that, Padlet, Quizlet, Notability (iPad), YouTube, WeVideo/iMovie, LucidChart, PiktoChart, and many others make a great base for any student or teacher to get started in technology, depending upon their particular learning goals.

So, it's very clear that there are more than enough tools and resources that can augment student  learning of any type. An area I struggle with is how to make all these possibilities not seem overwhelming for an "average" teacher who wants to add technology to learning in a practical way.  From our textbook, I have gotten quite a bit from the "Top Ten" Integration Strategies referenced throughout the book (and listed on Special Features on page HV). I intend to refer to some of these, as I work with teachers as they explore opportunities. Focusing at first, of course, on the teacher's academic goals for the day, week, unit, etc. I think that talking the teachers through a short list of integration strategies that could augment what they are doing may just be the spark they need to get started. In particular, I think this may be a strategy that works for those teachers very reticent (or just plain confused) as to where or how to start. Plus, it's a focus on learning need, not tool, which is very appropriate for any discussion about adding tech to curriculum: start with the academic need, then dive into how (and what) tech can support it. DON'T start with a "this is a cool tech tool" perspective.

EDTECH 541 - Walled Garden and Social Media

This week's topic is about social media in school. Schools face some hard decisions about how to plan the access to be provided for their students. Some default to a very strict and very limited access, which means no social media sites. Some schools still block YouTube, some even block Google and Yahoo. Here's a VoiceThread with my thoughts on the "Walled Garden" and some ideas about consideration for schools as they evaluate their particular situation.

 
 

The image in the VoiceThread is by Jojo77 and is called Garden at Christ Church, which can be found here. It was found via Creative Commons search.

EDTECH 541 - Internet Safety

The integration of technology into the classroom must include the important lessons involving online safety. The opportunity for anonymity (or misrepresentation) of those who are online opens the possibility for young users to naively stumble into precarious situations. Yes, this puts more responsibility on the educator’s plate to work with students in learning such practices, and on school administration to assure consistent messaging and enforcement of digital literacy policies year after year.

Common Sense Media identifies eight topics that should be included in a school instruction. These lessons are scaffolded by grade level. All lessons include pacing, resources, videos and associated Common Core standards. The four I will focus on are Cyberbullying, Information Literacy, Privacy, and Digital Footprint & Reputation - and tied to ISTE Standards for Students in the area of Digital Citizenship.

Cyberbullying - Whether it’s an attempt to be hurtful or simply to be funny, sometimes what someone posts can have a negative impact on the receiver. Students need to understand that it's not so much the intent that is important, but how the receiver understands it. Facial cues are integral in face to face conversation. It tells us much about meaning. But in typed correspondence, that piece is missing. What might be meant as sarcasm, wit or a joke, may come across as hurtful spite. Students should be encouraged to use emoticons or other cues (e.g., “jk” for just kidding) to indicate intention.

In addition, students should understand and act as upstanders. An upstander is a witness to hurtful behavior and learns actions so he or she can support the victim. Upstanders know that it is ok to stand up for what’s right. (ISTE*S 5d)

Information Literacy - The ability to search for quality, reliable information is a learned skill. It is so easy to “google” any term and receive thousands of results. The problem is that sometimes results surface to the top for reasons other than reliability and accuracy. Students need to learn how to do an advanced search to narrow down specific information, understand clues using solid techniques that help eliminate poor sources, and find resources other than huge search engines to locate information.

The internet is a great platform to share creative work, but that doesn’t mean anyone can use it as part of their work. Students need some knowledge of how and when they can use the work of others. They should also learn how to protect their own creative work. Lessons found in Creative Commons help teachers and students get a basic understanding of what can be a complicated issue. (ISTE*S 5a)

Privacy - A woman named Keri McMullen posted on her Facebook status that she would be attending a concert that evening, as reported by the Sileo Group in a 2010 post. Shortly after she left, her home was broken into, with $11,000 worth of property loss. The investigation revealed that the thieves (caught thanks to in-home video cameras) were high school classmates who had seen the post. They weren’t close friends of Keri’s, but in her desire to have a lot of “friends," she added those with whom she had little personal relationship. Students must learn how to take care about who they share with,  and what they share. Online lessons walk students through the process of selecting what to share and when.

Students also need to understand the value of keeping passwords secure. This includes sharing with friends, clicking on suspicious advertising, and identifying phishing in email. Identity theft is regularly in the news, but users can remain safe if they are diligent with password privacy, and change passwords when prompted. (ISTE*S 5c)

Digital Reputation and Footprint - A recent study Reppler study of 300 random employers found that 96% of them used social media to screen candidates. About one-half scanned the candidate’s social media sites prior to meeting the candidate. Sixty-nine percent rejected candidates based on what they saw on social media. We know colleges are using social media in the same manner, especially with highly visible applicants, such as athletes.

Students must learn that once something is posted online, there is little opportunity to remove it. A less than innocent image posted on Snapchat can be saved as a screenshot by the receiver, and shared with others. Regardless of intent, an image or statement can be replicated and share indefinitely, causing embarrassment and harm to others. (ISTE*S 5d)

Consider using the following resources for more information on digital literacy:

Common Sense Media - provides lessons, ratings and other resources for families and schools

Creative Commons - resources to understand, find and use copyright-friendly media

Family Online Safety Institute - resources to educate and engage parents in conversations about media use at home and school

iKeepSafe - tools for schools and family to learn about privacy laws

References

Reppler Company (2012) How Employers Use Social Media To Screen Applicants ... Retrieved from http://theundercoverrecruiter.com/infographic-how-recruiters-use-social-media-screen-applicants/

Sileo, John (2010)  Facebook Status Update Leads to Robbery | Sileo Group Retrieved from http://www.sileo.com/facebook-status-update-leads-to-robbery/

EDTECH 541: Multimedia Vlog.

Here's my vlog on Multimedia. Hope you enjoy it!

EDTECH 541: Spreadsheets Relative Advantage

Several benefits for integrating spreadsheets in the classroom stood out to me as I read Chapter Four. One of the benefits is clearly from a student perspective: the ability to add spreadsheets that can then create useful (and easy to read!) charts, graphs and timelines. The ability to make graphic displays of data is often a very powerful way to show both understanding by the student, as well as clearly explain concepts to others.  Being able to think about and answer "what if" questions as data changes and being able to quickly see results helps students develop logical thinking skills, and promote problem solving as well. The ability to change the data and demonstrate the accompanying changes to the timeline, chart, etc. is very valuable from a learning standpoint. In this case, for example, using spreadsheets to evaluate demographic data in a Social Studies class could provide valuable insight into comparing and contrasting nations, cultures, timeframes and more. The ability to easily generate charts that make visible data changes over time can lead to some extra critical thinking, communication and problem solving practice for students.

My subject matter area is high school biology, and (even though I don't teach that subject), it's easy to envision how collecting experiment observations, measurements, etc. via spreadsheet (or, even easier, via a Google Form) can lead to better record keeping, faster results, and more time to evaluate and truly understand the experiment and the outcomes.

In Math, used with care, spreadsheets can also remove some of the 'mundane' number crunching and replace that with some deeper thinking opportunities as students evaluate "what if" scenarios as the data changes. This can either be teacher led, perhaps more on the front end of a unit, or done by students as they delve into more complex mathematical constructs. This does assume that the students have learned the basic mathematical calculations that underlie the learning and are not using spreadsheets as a crutch.

As Roblyer and Doering noted, there is still a fear of "math" by some students (and, I would submit, some teachers too...). So, that would need to be overcome to ensure there is a level playing field in the classroom if the teacher wanted to utilize spreadsheets to support students'  deeper analysis and problem solving.

Here's my High School Biology - Spreadsheet site.

Thanks for any feedback you might have.


References



Roblyer, M.D., & Doering, A.H. (2013). Integrating educational technology into teaching. Boston,    
      MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

EDTECH 541: Relative Advantage of Presentation Software

Prior to my time in education, I worked in the high tech industry for many years, so I understand very much the Death by PowerPoint concepts brought forward in this unit. Having more than a passing knowledge of PowerPoint myself, I used some of that knowledge with my students when I first started teaching 15 years ago. At that time, I was attempting to convey middle grade Social Studies content on a 25 inch wall mounted monitor! Needless to say, I had to try my best to eliminate unimportant words in the presentations I provided to my students. In hindsight, it was a less than stellar attempt, in most cases. I learned much from that effort.

Fast forwarding several years, I took on the role of Vice Principal of a K-8 school, and tasked to develop a plan and train teachers in effective use of technology in the classroom. Part of this process included helping the teachers, and more importantly, their students, become effective users of Google Slides (aka "Presentation"). It seemed to be an ongoing, and slow, process to improve the students' results. I was somewhat amazed at what teachers would allow regarding this important - and potentially VERY effective- tool. I'm not sure what the reasoning was, but it did take several years of training before results at the middle school level were consistent. And even then, certain teachers never really wrapped their heads around it. By this point, I was able to successfully teach the students in my 7th grade Social Studies classroom the characteristics of a powerful presentation, so I knew the students at my school were certainly capable. I shared the rubrics I used and did my best to work with the teachers. The results came, but very slowly.

This is interesting to me because an effective presentation can really help support the growth in, and give students practice with, important skills such as collaboration, critical thinking, problem solving, and, certainly, effective communication. Speaking with teachers, they universally acknowledged how important these so-called "21st Century" skills were to develop. And yet, when provided with an excellent 'vehicle,' to practice these skills, it seemed some of the teachers really struggled getting across to students what we learned about in this unit. Namely, keywords only, severely limiting 'flashy' transitions, animations, etc. that add little to no value, the power of images and how they can effectively limit/eliminate words, and so on. As I learned in an early EdTech class, our audio and visual learning channels are extremely limited, and easily overwhelmed, and so limiting the distractions and extras are paramount to a successful, effective presentation.

After working for several years with the 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade teachers, the presentations the students produced gradually improved, and the vast majority of students truly understood the power of a high-quality (usually multimedia) presentation, and how it could - and did- augment their learning. I'm still unsure why it was such a long process, but I know know that, if faced with similar training to take place, I need to be extremely diligent and clear with both teachers and students regarding how this powerful communication tool can be used to maximum effectiveness.

EDTECH 541 Using Presentations to Support Curriculum.

Here's my example of a Google Slideshow that could be used as part of a classroom environment. In my case, this is to be used to teach teachers about the usefulness and application of YouTube in the classroom. The teachers, in this case, are my students.

EDTECH 541 - Instructional Software

EDTECH 541 - Biology Instructional Software Assignment Reflection

The use of instructional software in the classroom can be advantageous to both students and teachers in a number of ways. As outlined in this Biology Instructional Software Relative Advantage presentation, students have many opportunities to build content knowledge and skills.  Teachers can reallocate time to work with remediation or alternatively, with students ready to reach higher levels of learning.

Below are three specific opportunities where instructional software supports both the students and the teacher.

Blended learning opportunities  

A blended learning environment allows for the combination of guided instruction, self-paced online work, and time to collaborate in small groups to work on projects. Ideally, the online work provides content to the student and data to the teacher. This data identifies the areas that need further clarification and support during the guided instruction time.  Students can then use both online and traditional resources to build content knowledge and structure for their group project.  

The integration of instructional technologies in a blended environment allows for a richer educational experience in that it provides an opportunity for students to develop skills required for college and career readiness.  Students learn to manage time, self-regulate, understand the value of practice, develop mastery, and strengthen their collaboration and communication skills.

Reinforces instruction

Online tutorials, drills and other resources provide multiple functions, one of which is the opportunity for students to review specific instruction on their own time. And they can review it as many times they need to in order to feel confident in their understanding of the content.  This type of online support benefits students too afraid to ask questions or approach their teacher, as then have resources get information and additional instruction.  

The teacher benefits as it allows them to concentrate on more significant remedial help, and alternatively, higher levels of instruction.

In addition to the having the supported provided by instructional software, such resources also allow students to develop meta-cognitive skills. Because tutorials and drills are self-paced, students learn to better manage their own learning, understanding what it is they need to work on, allowing time to do so, and repeating the process as they determine necessary.

Alternative to traditional systems

Often a classroom will include students who are challenged with traditional classroom instruction. This may be a result of learning issues, past experiences, physical or emotional impairments, or other reasons.  These students are drawn to instructional technologies as it provides a new and different opportunity to demonstrate success.  Simulations may be one example, as a simulation will allow a student to literally view an item that might otherwise be unavailable to him or her, both physically and/or imaginatively.  An example in biology would be the understanding of a cell.  A simulated cell allows a student that opportunity to see it in three dimensionally, not just imagine what it looks like.  Having these kinds of models help teachers meet the needs of students with multiple learning styles.

Students challenged with traditional methods appreciate the use of instructional software as it gives them an alternative to develop content knowledge. They have an alternative to asking questions in class, or another visit with the teacher.  They do have to develop self-regulation and self-motivation skills, and manage their time well.

Here are some good resources to use when searching for effective Instructional Software resources (apps and web based). This software can be used  in a wide variety of settings, for different objectives, and for different subjects.

iPad Apps in Schools - this site contains well organized lists of iPad apps for use in K-12 classrooms, for all subjects. There is also a ‘general productivity’ category for those ‘evergreen apps’ that span multiple subjects and which can form the basis of a students’ tech toolkit.

Balefire Labs - iPad and Android app reviews, based upon research based student learning objectives.

Free Technology for Teachers Blog  - this blog contains a searchable list of tools for varied use in K-12 classroom. Richard Byrne authors this site and actually tests, in classroom situations, the tool or resource before he recommends it. All the software is free, or VERY low priced for premium versions.

EDTECH 541 - Acceptable Use Policies

Acceptable Use Policies for schools are similar to "Terms of Use" policies in place for websites, personal services, and similar situations. An Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) calls out the specific behaviors and expectations of the technology users involved. For technology, it is the community members of the school, and in particular, the students. It defines what is considered acceptable behavior by the user community. Common Sense Media, a well known non-profit involved in guiding and supporting teachers, students, and parents through the complex technology landscape in place, notes that schools include both acceptable and unacceptable online behavior and these rules not only prohibit particular behavior (e.g., plagiarism, pirating, non-school related internet use), but also define positive goals for incorporating technology as well.

Along those lines, I was reading another student's blog post, and she made reference to an article by McLeod encouraging appropriate use positive reinforcement, and to not just simply focus on the negatives and the 'can't do's' of an AUP. I think this is a powerful message for our students, and one that puts the students and the staff on the same side of the equation - that the technology is a powerful, positive tool for learning and should be treated that way.

I had the opportunity (pleasure?) of authoring an Acceptable Use Policy for my prior school. It was a complex task. In the document (which is referenced below for your reading pleasure), I included some of the most pressing issues I thought students would face. Several details were identified on topics including ensuring personal privacy, the security of data, an understanding of "intellectual property" (property owned by others), and that students were expected to practice respect the "community" (classmates, teachers and beyond). If those policies were adhered to, the students could use the school-provided computers to, essentially, use technology for any educational purpose. At least an attempt, I felt, to include some positive spin to this document.

This was followed by a short series of examples of appropriate behavior (Students will...treat others as they want to be treated...be polite...keep emails to the point... and the like) as well as inappropriate behavior (Students will not...be rude...send offensive files...). The document concluded with consequences for not following the AUP, and some information about the school's right and ability to monitor what was happening on our network/system. Finally, a short troubleshooting guide was included. Not that this is technically part of an AUP, but since minor issues tended to crop up (particularly for new students) this was a way to re-document some tips that both parents and students would see.

The expectation was the student and parent would sign the AUP document. It was given to them as a clearly connected part of the Parent-Student Handbook. If this did not occur, the student would (eventually) not be allowed to use the technology. This happened almost never. Students realized that it was a privilege to use the technology, and the vast majority were bought in. Further, when issues downstream did arise (infrequently) we tried our best to use the issue as a teachable moment so student use of the technology (and behavior, as need be) would continue to move in the right direction.

After I wrote the initial draft, the document was reviewed by a variety of staff at the school, including the principal, the 8th grade homeroom teacher, and other members of a small tech committee. We did not formally acquire approval by our school board (it is a small private school), who fortunately trusted our judgement and seemed to not require that level of oversight.

Upon reading Common Sense Media's 1 to 1 Essentials document, I'm both happy and a bit sad about the way the AUP turned out. I am glad that many important considerations, like student privacy, data security, intellectual property and so on were included. But, on the other hand, we missed some important considerations. In hindsight, getting school board approval would have been very appropriate. Considering other, related documents such as a Technology Values document or Social Media Guidelines, time allowing, would also have been appropriate, I think.

Other AUP's Reviewed

KATYISD.ORG  - this is an amazingly comprehensive, and unfortunately, difficult to absorb document. Some effort to make it more concise is probably in order. Splitting it up into multiple documents may also be a good idea. For instance, information about expectations regarding students coming to school with charged up devices seems like it may belong in a separate document.

Nederland School District - this, to me, is an excellent AUP. It is concise, and yet appears to cover all major aspects of privacy, security, and setting appropriate expectations for students. 

Socorro Consolidated Schools - this AUP starts strong, but again seems to be too lengthy for its designed purpose. The first 2 pages, where a good Summary and Guidelines of use are defined, are very good. After that, it changes to a mostly "you can't do _____" document that seems a bit repetitive and too negative in nature. As in the KatyISD AUP above, I suspect the legal department had quite a bit to say about what needed to be included in this document.

References

Common Sense Media, Inc. (2013) Acceptable Use Policies. 1-to-1 Essentials

Program. Retrieved January 30, 2015 from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/educators/1to1

Consortium for School Networking (2013) Rethinking Acceptable Use Policies to Enable 

       Digital Learning: A Guide for School Districts. Retrieved January 30, 2015       from  http://www.cosn.org/sites/default/files/pdf/Revised%20AUP%20March%202013 

McLeod, S. (2014). Instead of an AUP, how about an EUP (Empowered Use Policy)? 

Retrieved February 1, 2015 from http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2014/03/instead-of-an-aup-how-about-an-eup-empowered-use-policy.html

EDTECH 541 - Mobile WiFi for Schools

EDTECH 541 - Vision Statement

Technology is ubiquitous in the lives of most of our students. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Netflix, and a nearly endless array of internet-based content is available via smart phones, tablets, PCs, Macs, and more.  Widely available networks - from the corner Starbucks to the student’s own home - make getting to that internet content seem  a “right,” not a privilege, to many of our students.  It seems reasonable that the basic student tech skills, understanding and fearlessness could be leveraged to augment learning in the classroom. This could apply to traditional “3Rs” learning,  as well as the so-called 21st Century skills of critical thinking and problem solving; communication, collaboration; and creativity and innovation. As noted by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills organization, “every child in the U.S. needs 21st century knowledge and skills to succeed as effective citizens, workers and leaders.”

Effective use of technology can be a powerful vehicle to fuse 3Rs and 4Cs learning. However, far too often, schools and students have limited or no technology to support learning, or squander what is available and use technology to simply replace paper worksheets, or as a reward after “real” work is done.  Instead, it is imperative that technology be blended into the learning in an effective way that truly augments student learning. Educational leaders at the state and district level, local communities, parents, teachers AND students must all be on the same page for the effective use of technology to accelerate in our schools.

As stated in the 2010 National Education Technology Plan, “the technology that enables connected teaching is available now, but not all the conditions necessary to leverage it are.”  Many educators - elementary through university level - are not ready to embrace or fully utilize technology. From federal and state level education leaders, to district and school site administrators, many do not have the same comfort level or breadth and depth of knowledge as do their counterparts in other industries. Sadly this has created a gap that runs deep, influencing curriculum development, funding and purchasing, and preservice and inservice professional development.  This gap significantly slows the integration of technology and reduces the ways that technology would improve both instruction and student learning.

Somehow, “we must introduce connected teaching into our education system rapidly, and therefore we need innovation in the organizations that support educators in their profession—schools and districts, colleges of education, professional learning providers, and professional organizations.”  The infusion of technology into effective classroom instruction is starting to happen. The challenge is to make it happen much more rapidly and on a more systemic level.

The school at which I work has taken one important step by hiring an “educational technologist” (yours truly). In this position, I consult with administration, coach teachers in effective technology use, model effective technology to all staff members and students, and provide resources, tools and tips to speed the adoption of technology into the learning model.  There is an extremely wide range of technology needs among both teachers and students, and it has been an interesting challenge to ‘move the needle’ and see results. This position is new for the school, and it has only been recently that there is a sense of forward progress with several teacher embracing various aspects of technology, from “flipped classroom” videos to in-class quizzes to check for knowledge using tools like Socrative or Google Forms. A very reluctant Modern Language teacher recently had all students create brief family tree videos, created and edited on an iPad/laptop, and then uploaded to YouTube for assessment and viewing by a wider audience (classmates and parents). This is one of many indicators that the needle IS moving, and progress is being made.

But what about those schools or districts who don’t have the vision, budget or personnel to fill this role? While I am optimistic long term that technology will ultimately be used to effectively add to student learning, in the short term, I continue to ask myself why it’s taking so long! I see many attempts by enlightened districts and leaders to ramp up the skills of their educators, and look to the day when we can say, honestly, “remember when tech was a thing no one in education understood? Look at us now!” That will truly be a day to look forward to!

References

Edutopia. (n.d.). What is technology integration? Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/technology-integration-guide-description

National Education Technology Plan (n.p.).  Executive Summary. Retrieved from http://www.ed.gov/technology/draft-netp-2010/executive-summary

Partnership for 21st Century Learning (n.d.). Our Mission. Retrieved from http://www.p21.org/about-us/our-mission