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Final reflections on ITEC 7430

4/30/2013

WOW!
This semester seems to have flown by, and been jam-packed!  Sometimes I’m not sure how I’ve actually made it through without letting something completely fall and crash.  While there have certainly been some slips, I have somehow managed to catch them all and get them where they belong.

At the beginning of the semester, terms like RSS-feeds, Delicious, blogs, and screencasting were all academic vocabulary to me or part of my personal social-media life, rather than part of my professional toolbox. Over the course of the semester, however, I have now integrated RSS-feeds and blogs into both my personal and professional life.  Additionally, I have incorporated VoiceThread into all three of my content areas in what I believe to be effective and engaging way.

One problem that I currently have, however, is that students often resist my attempts to flip my classroom using notes delivered via VoiceThread or Prezi, or to create a communicative writing experience using blogs. It is my intention to incorporate these elements from the beginning of my classes in the fall. If these become part of the course requirements from the beginning, students will hopefully be more accepting. Additionally, as I gain experience and as students learn more about using technology to increase their own learning and engagement, they will also learn more about themselves and what they need to become successful.

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A new definition of the digital divide

4/20/2013

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When trying to ensure “equitable access” to technology and to diminish the “digital divide” that exists in their halls, schools face a difficult challenge. This is due, in part, to the fact that the digital divide does not refer solely to the mere possession on technology. Instead, as referenced by the authors of “Predictors of creative computing participation and profiles of experience in two Silicon Valley middle schools,” the digital divide now refers to “a multidimensional construct capturing inequities in how people use computing tools and how skilled they are (Barron, 2010).” In other words, it is no longer enough to own the technology; one must also be knowledgeable and skilled in its use.

Considering this, I realize that while my students typically come from very affluent backgrounds with no shortage of technology, they suffer from being on the wrong side of the digital divide. This is especially true when it comes to technology used for something other than gaming or social interaction. It often seems to me that as soon as a new technology comes along to help educate students, they develop a mental block that prevents them from being able to intuitively “figure it out” in the same way they process a game or a social media site. In order to bridge this divide so that students have access and knowledge, teachers must push students to think more, to research more, to be more willing to experiment. Knowledge comes best when gained authentically through an active experience rather than taught in a sterile environment and learned passively.

Of course, if the technology is not available, then it becomes even more of a challenge to limit the effects of the digital divide. When a school has the available resources, it can “allocate resources by allowing students to take home digital devices, thus providing family members with access to computers and software (Hohlfield, 2010).” In these cases, schools should also consider the allocation of personnel to assist families with the technology, as again, it is not enough to have technology if one does not know what to do with it. Without the additional instruction that may available to students from a higher socioeconomic background whose parents use technology frequently, students from a lower SES will remain in place. This was found to be true in a study cited by Barron, which stated, “Even when children have similar levels of home access to computers, those from higher socioeconomic backgrounds are more likely to experience educational gains from the resource than children from lower SES backgrounds (2010).”

So what is to be done to ensure an equitable access to technology that also bridges this new definition of the digital divide? In my mind, the answer is clear: teachers must keep doing as they have long done. They must do their best to help students fight their own dragons by equipping them with the most powerful sword of all: knowledge. While it is clear that “that there must be ongoing work to address both the digital divide and the newer “app gap” to ensure that the benefits of this exciting new educational content reach those most in need (Rideout, 2011)”, teachers must continue to educate all students on the best uses of technology. As students experience more, do more, and create more, they will also learn more and thus ensure their eventual success.

RESOURCES

Barron, B. (2009, July 24). Predictors of creative computing participation and profiles of experience in two silicon valley middle schools. Computers & Education, (54), 178-189.

Common Sense Media. (2011). Zero to eight children's media use in America. Common Sense Media.

Hohlfeld, T. (2010, February 05). Connecting schools, community, and family with ict: Four-year trends related to school level and sense of public schools in Florida. Computers & Education, (55), 391-405.

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Increasing cultural understanding and global awareness

4/17/2013

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Thirty years ago, students were limited to interactions with the other students in their classroom or school. For some schools, such as in my system, Forsyth County, this meant that those students were not exposed to a very diverse population. As a result, they had a limited understanding of diverse cultures. Today, the advances and integration of technology into even the most remote areas has increased both understanding and respect for diversity. The authors of Fostering Students’ Global Awareness: Technology Applications in Social Studies Teaching and Learning promote the idea that “through infusion of both global education and technology...teachers can foster students’ understandings of the interrelationships of peoples worldwide, thereby preparing students to participate meaningfully as global citizens (Crawford & Kirby, 2008).” Indeed, while the article is specific to social studies classrooms, I would argue that exposure to different cultures should be part of all classrooms and subject areas. As the business world continues to become more globally connected, an education about and exposure to diversity is essential for all students.

Crawford and Kirby continue by referencing David Thornburg’s 2002 assertion that “the most essential skills for becoming a future ‘knowledge-value’ worker are technological fluency, effective communication skills, teamwork, leadership, problem solving, and creativity (2008).” In order to give our students the most exposure to the skills, they must communicate with others outside of their own community, learning the value of other cultures and perspectives. Unfortunately, the ability of a teacher to take his or her students on culturally-rich and diverse learning experiences outside of the classroom is severely limited by the shrinking budgets that schools face. Again though, technology comes in to assist. David Houston wrote in his 2003 article “Can the Internet Promote Open Global Societies?” that “the Internet’s power as a communication tool comes in part from its capacity to disrupt the status quo by bring new knowledge at a very low cost to the far reaches of the globe.”   With the cost associated with such exposure brought to manageable levels, or even eliminated, the playing field can be leveled, the digital divide can shrink, and students from all classifications can share and exchange their ideas. With the exchange of ideas comes communication, collaboration, and reflection.

Far from using the Internet “just for the sake of using it (Greene, 2012)”, Stephen Greene uses technology to open his students’ minds to stereotypes and then to eliminate them with knowledge. For example, he uses videos from YouTube and other video hosting sites to expose his ESL students to authentic language, accents, and viewpoints from English-speakers around the globe. He asks students to look at trending topics on Twitter and then to discover the meaning of the hashtag. He asks students to present their stereotypes of regions and then to research to find evidence that either confirms or refutes the stereotypes. Activities such as these are perfect for a language class, but would fit in well with any subject matter.

Another way to increase student collaboration and communication for the purpose of increasing cultural understanding and global awareness is to encourage blogging in the classroom. Hosting an open blog with two-way communication between students at two schools in different parts of the world can double the global awareness benefits, and can even lead to global action. As Crawford and Kirby argue, “By connecting classrooms worldwide, students can participate in global service learning projects (2008)” that can lead to not only the above mentioned benefits, but also the traditional classroom benefits of more engagement, higher achievement, and deeper reflection.

RESOURCES

Crawford, E.O., & Kirby, M.M. (n.d.). Fostering students’ global awareness: Technology applications in social studies teaching and learning. (2008). Journal of Curriculum and Instruction, 2(1), 56-   73. doi: 10.3776/joci.2008.v2n1p56-73

Greene, S. (2012, April11). Using technology to raise cultural awareness. Retrieved from             http://www.tmenglish.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=127:using-technology-to-raise-cultural-awareness&catid=12&Itemid=134

Houston, D.A. (n.d.). Can the internet promote open global societies?. (2003). The Independent, VII(3), 354-370. Retrieved from http://www.independent.org/pdf/tir/tir_07_3_houston.pdf

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Keeping students safe in the classroom

4/10/2013

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Things have changed since we were students in the classroom. For many of us, things have changed A LOT. The biggest change concerns student privacy and safety. That is all thanks to the creation of the internet and advent of wireless technologies.

As Will Richardson states in Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms, student safety is about far more than simply not publishing full names and pictures. Instead, “safety is now about responsibility, appropriateness, and common sense as well (Ch. 1, “Keeping Students Safe”, paragraph 1).” Richardson relates an incident that occurred in his classroom where a student accidentally chanced upon an inappropriate site. However, due to the time spent in class teaching students that “responsible” means more than avoiding irresponsible sites, but also reacting in an appropriate manner when coming across inappropriate sites, the situation was a teaching moment, not the “phone call to the office” that it could have been.

Among the many “common sense” things that have fallen to teachers to teach is the appropriate and responsible use of the internet by students. During my research of sites available, the following useful conseils appeared:

“Every piece of information you post, and every action you take online has commercial value to someone (Washington State Office of the Attorney General, 2008).”
Most people think about the “private” information that they may or may not reveal. But it’s important to remember that anything posted by or about someone can help to reveal that person’s identity. If privacy is important, students need to be sure that they take that into consideration before posting. Also, they need to know to let their friends know what is and what is not okay to say about them.
“Cyber bullying refers to cruel or bullying messages sent to you online. These might be from former friends or other people you know (Dowshen).”
The general idea of “cyber bullying” is threatening messages. However, it is important to know that any mean or bullying messages sent online is considered cyber bullying. If it happens, students need to know that it is not okay and how to go about reporting it.
“Teens may not realize that what they post sets their reputation. Other people might judge them based on their profiles. It’s not just inappropriate photos that put them at risk. Teens might also post references to underage drinking and engage in mean-spirited chat. As kids get older, stuff they’ve posted in the past can reappear. According to a 2008 Kaplan survey, 10% of college admissions officers at the nation’s top 500 colleges looked at applicants’ social networking profiles. 38% of them said that what they saw “negatively affected” their opinion of the applicant (Common Sense Media, 2012).”
I don’t actually have anything to add here. They say it all, and say it pretty clearly.

RESOURCES

Common Sense Media. (2012, March 19). Internet safety tips for high school kids. Retrieved from http://www.commonsensemedia.org/advice-for-parents/internet-safety-tips-high-school-kids

Dowshen, S. (2011). Retrieved from http://kidshealth.org/teen/safety/safebasics/internet_safety.html

Richardson, W. (2010). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms. (3rd ed.). Corwin Press.

Washington State Office of the Attorney General. (2008). Internet safety - teens. Retrieved from http://www.atg.wa.gov/InternetSafety/Teens.aspx

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Using SlideShare in the classroom

4/4/2013

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I have heard of SlideShare previously, but had never used it before doing so for this class. Even after using it, I still think that I prefer VoiceThread. This may be because I was introduced to VoiceThread first, or because my system has accounts for all faculty and students with VoiceThread. Regardless, that is probably why I chose to create my SlideShare presentation on using VoiceThread.

The process is similar, but I prefer being able to add my voice with my emphasis and my tone to each side as desired. I also prefer VoiceThread because it allows students multiple opportunities to practice their speaking skills.

Slide share on voicethread from aburge14

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Screencasts with Jing

4/2/2013

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During the summer semester, we were first introduced to Jing but the time constraints of the summer session meant that we did not get to the opportunity to play a lot with the process. So this was my first time creating a screencast. I have to admit that while I was intrigued, I was also very intimidated by the idea. I think that I had the most hesitation about choosing a topic.

I finally decided that I would introduce my students to using Quizlet. This is a tool that I in both my French and English classes as a way to introduce new vocabulary and to practice those ideas that need memorization (vocabulary memorization, dates, authors, character descriptions, etc.). For me, the process of joining seems simple, but it is something that causes confusion for students to every year. My video for students is below.

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Author

Angela Burgess is a high school French and Lit teacher, as well as an Instructional Technology Specialist. She is also understandably a Francophile and technophile. She obtained her M.Ed. in Instructional Technology from Kennesaw State University in May 2014.

Final reflections on ITEC 7430

A new definition of the digital divide

Increasing cultural understanding and global awareness

Keeping students safe in the classroom

Using SlideShare in the classroom

Screencasts with Jing

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