Of the 12 "blog promoting" strategies presented in class, there were only a few that I have not utilized: TwitterFeed, ePals, YouTube (BlogRoll), and RSS Feeds. One strategy I chose to incorporate for the final class assignment was to add a Twitter feed to my blog. This was relatively simple using Twitterfeed. Now everytime I post to my blog, my Twitter account auto-generates a tweet containing the title, description, and link to my latest post. Adding a Twitter feed seems an efficient way to promote one's blog. I am now basically posting in two places at once.
The second strategy I chose to increase blog traffic was not one of the strategies presented in class but one that I stumbled upon while exploring the many settings options of my Blogger account. (I hope this is okay, Dr. Dunleavy?) From the Blogger Dashboard I chose the Settings link. On the Settings tab, I chose the Email & Mobile button. The very first section of the Email & Mobile page is entitled Email Notifications. In this section there is a white text box beside of the words BlogSend address where you can enter a list of up to 10 email addresses to which your blog will be emailed whenever you publish. I chose 10 teachers from the schools I serve who I know are interested in iPods/iPads and Web 2.0 to be on this email list. If a teacher on the email list chooses to "Follow" my blog, I will remove him/her from the email list and add someone new. Of course if someone asks to be removed from my blog email list, I will certainly do so.
The project of creating a blog has been extremely useful toward my overall professional development as an educator. Not only has this project given me an outlet in which to document my professional activities and share integration ideas with others, it has also expanded my personal learning network enormously by putting me in touch with other technology integrators via their blogs, Twitter, Classroom 2.0, etc. I have discovered many new and useful Web 2.0 tools, numerous educational apps, countless tips and trick for using iDevices...the list could go on and on. I truly feel that as a result of this class and the creation of my blog, I have moved into the world of Web 2.0 and evolved from being not only a web consumer but a web producer/contributor as well.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Below is an excerpt from a recent post on the iPads in Education Ning entitled, Do iPads Have the Capacity to Change Education? I encourage you to read the entire posting, but I thought the following excerpt was spot-on:
"In her study of how technology is used in industry, Harvard professor Shoshana Zuboff has identified two distinct phases in the way new tools are implemented. She calls them "Automating" and "Informating". In the Automating stage, new tools are used to reinforce existing practices and processes. We see this stamped all over the educational space. Smartboard use that reinforces existing frontal teaching methods. Digital content replacing paper distribution. Technology that speeds the efficiency of existing standardized testing. The essence and character of traditional educational practices however hasn't changed. It's still "business as usual" in most American schools.
The second phase of a tool's implementations - "Informating" as Professor Zuboff calls it - involves the re-imagination of processes using the new technologies. Instead of focusing on making existing processes more efficient, we start to look at entirely new methods and goals. We are in the infancy of that stage in education. In the Informating phase, educators reevaluate goals, visions and processes:
- We see a society that values skills such as critical thinking, communication and creativity over the rote memorization of content. After all, the vast majority of content can be easily accessed within seconds on most mobile devices.
- We value new literacies such as informational literacy that enables students to access, filter and evaluate the evolving mass of content now available.
- We recognize an emerging global society where development of collaborative skills far outweigh traditional demands that students sit still, listen and work only on their own.
- We understand and value the use of text as a means of conveying information but also recognize that alternative medias are the language of new generations and their use needs to be encouraged in schools.
- We feel the empowerment granted by new technologies and their ability to move us from frontal delivery of content to involving students in discovery based and interactive learning practices."
"In her study of how technology is used in industry, Harvard professor Shoshana Zuboff has identified two distinct phases in the way new tools are implemented. She calls them "Automating" and "Informating". In the Automating stage, new tools are used to reinforce existing practices and processes. We see this stamped all over the educational space. Smartboard use that reinforces existing frontal teaching methods. Digital content replacing paper distribution. Technology that speeds the efficiency of existing standardized testing. The essence and character of traditional educational practices however hasn't changed. It's still "business as usual" in most American schools.
The second phase of a tool's implementations - "Informating" as Professor Zuboff calls it - involves the re-imagination of processes using the new technologies. Instead of focusing on making existing processes more efficient, we start to look at entirely new methods and goals. We are in the infancy of that stage in education. In the Informating phase, educators reevaluate goals, visions and processes:
- We see a society that values skills such as critical thinking, communication and creativity over the rote memorization of content. After all, the vast majority of content can be easily accessed within seconds on most mobile devices.
- We value new literacies such as informational literacy that enables students to access, filter and evaluate the evolving mass of content now available.
- We recognize an emerging global society where development of collaborative skills far outweigh traditional demands that students sit still, listen and work only on their own.
- We understand and value the use of text as a means of conveying information but also recognize that alternative medias are the language of new generations and their use needs to be encouraged in schools.
- We feel the empowerment granted by new technologies and their ability to move us from frontal delivery of content to involving students in discovery based and interactive learning practices."
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
iPod Enthusiasm
Last week I had the privilege of teaching an iPod Touch/StoryKit lesson to a class of second grade students. It was such a rewarding and uplifting time! Working with these students really made my day. I started the lesson by using a document camera to demonstrate basic iPod Touch uses and features such as the home screen, search screen, volume control, swiping, entering text, etc.
I then demonstrated how to use the StoryKit app. I showed students how to create their own digital book by adding new pages, entering text, and drawing pictures. I also showed them how to include a title, author, and book description for their creation.
Once the direct teaching/demonstration portion of the lesson was complete, the 16 students worked together in pairs to construct a digital story book using their weekly spelling words. The students took turns entering text and drawing pictures while collaborating on their story. They were so enthusiastic and engaged with this project. No one complained, misbehaved, or refused to share, and their finished products were exceptional. At the end of the lesson, we used StoryKit's built in email feature to email the students' digital books to the teacher, who will in turn email the books to the students' parents. We all had a great time, and the students learned several new skills in the process.
I then demonstrated how to use the StoryKit app. I showed students how to create their own digital book by adding new pages, entering text, and drawing pictures. I also showed them how to include a title, author, and book description for their creation.
Once the direct teaching/demonstration portion of the lesson was complete, the 16 students worked together in pairs to construct a digital story book using their weekly spelling words. The students took turns entering text and drawing pictures while collaborating on their story. They were so enthusiastic and engaged with this project. No one complained, misbehaved, or refused to share, and their finished products were exceptional. At the end of the lesson, we used StoryKit's built in email feature to email the students' digital books to the teacher, who will in turn email the books to the students' parents. We all had a great time, and the students learned several new skills in the process.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Web 2.0 Resource - Tripline
Came across a Cool Web 2.0 resource today. It is similar to Google Earth only simpler (in my opinion) and web-based:
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Videos for Parents
A second grade teacher with whom I am working has decided to use the class iPod Touches to record the students' upcoming "Famous Americans" presentations. The students will be giving a speech to the class dressed as the Famous American they chose. I will then take the videos from the iPods and create a DVD for parents. The kids and parents will be very excited!
On another note, for all of you Dr. Seuss fans, here is a link to iPod Touch/iPad apps of Dr. Seuss books. Some are free and some are paid.
On another note, for all of you Dr. Seuss fans, here is a link to iPod Touch/iPad apps of Dr. Seuss books. Some are free and some are paid.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
iPad/iPod syncing, updates, maintenance...who should handle this task?
On a recent weekend I spent eight hours at home “off the clock” updating and syncing iPod Touch devices for one of the elementary schools I serve. This is not a task that I can complete at the school as I have appointments and other responsibilities scheduled during my one day of the week at this location. In addition there are bandwidth and infrastructure constraints which make downloading and updating nearly impossible on site. When I attempt it, the connection times out, can’t be made, or generates an error.
Being an ITRT in my school division poses unique challenges. ITRTs balance both instructional and technical responsibilities and tasks. The main job of the ITRT is to provide training for teachers on the integration of technology into classroom instruction and on the use of administrative applications. On the other hand the ITRTs handle technical problems as well. Each ITRT is paired with a technician, and together the two serve the instructional and technical needs of three to four schools. ITRTs work with technicians to prioritize and complete technology work orders as needed. Personally I enjoy the technical aspects of the job.
The technical/instructional issue has reared its head recently as a result of the numerous iPod Touch and iPads being purchased and implemented in the division. As anyone who has worked with an iDevice knows, they require a good bit of time to maintain, sync, and update. Even with the Bretford carts/cases, time is still a major factor. If an OS update is needed, you can expect about one hour per device to update, and it’s a “one-at-a-time” undertaking.
So here is my question. Who should be assigned the task of updating, maintaining, and syncing the iPod Touches and iPads? Should this responsibility fall to the ITRT who can also work with the teacher to suggest apps and ways to integrate the devices in the classroom? Should this be the job of the technician who addresses all things technical anyway? Should teachers be trained to manage the devices themselves since they will be the ones using the equipment day in and day out or is this too time consuming to ask of educators? I’m very interested in your thoughts and advice as my division moves forward. Thanks!
Monday, March 28, 2011
3-Tier Collaborative Math Planning
This past week I took part in a 3-Tier Collaborative Planning workshop designed to facilitate the integration of iPod Touch devices in math classrooms at the middle and high school level. The three "tiers" represented were the regular ed teacher, special education teacher, and ITRTs. Each of the district's secondary schools has been given anywhere from two to ten iPod Touch depending on the number of students in the building with IEPs. There is also a class set of 17 devices available for checkout from the special ed department.
The event began with an overview of apps that are currently downloaded to the iPods. Three-tiered groups then had the opportunity to browse, research, and download apps that we felt addressed specific SOLs in the math curriculum that proved to be a challenge for students. I worked with two fabulous seventh grade teachers during the workshop, and we came across the following apps that we felt would be useful in seventh grade math:
Basic Math (free) - drill and practice
Number Line (free) - ordering/comparing decimals, fractions, and percents; drag the decimal, fraction, or percent to the correct spot on a number line to order from least to greatest (I've mentioned this one in a previous post too.)
Portion Platter (free) - visualize fractions; interactive
Brain Tuner Math (free Lite version or $2.99 version) - similar to Brain Age games; thought this would be good for a math warm-up each day
Geometry Combat ($0.99) - challenge game with a cage-fighting theme; great for students who like competition; you even get to trash talk a bit (There is also an Algebra Combat app.)
Hot Potato Basic Math (free) - practice up on basic skills; individual and competition modes
Our 3-tier teams were asked to spend the afternoon planning a lesson that integrates the iPod Touch in a meaningful way (or two). My team integrated three apps into our lesson: BrainTuner, Scribble Lite, and Portion Platter. The lesson was designed to address math SOL 7.1: TSW compare, order, and determine equivalent relationships between fractions, decimals, and percents. The lessons are being posted on the district's course management system for sharing with other educators. In my opinion, it was a worthwhile, productive day!
The event began with an overview of apps that are currently downloaded to the iPods. Three-tiered groups then had the opportunity to browse, research, and download apps that we felt addressed specific SOLs in the math curriculum that proved to be a challenge for students. I worked with two fabulous seventh grade teachers during the workshop, and we came across the following apps that we felt would be useful in seventh grade math:
Basic Math (free) - drill and practice
Number Line (free) - ordering/comparing decimals, fractions, and percents; drag the decimal, fraction, or percent to the correct spot on a number line to order from least to greatest (I've mentioned this one in a previous post too.)
Portion Platter (free) - visualize fractions; interactive
Brain Tuner Math (free Lite version or $2.99 version) - similar to Brain Age games; thought this would be good for a math warm-up each day
Geometry Combat ($0.99) - challenge game with a cage-fighting theme; great for students who like competition; you even get to trash talk a bit (There is also an Algebra Combat app.)
Hot Potato Basic Math (free) - practice up on basic skills; individual and competition modes
Our 3-tier teams were asked to spend the afternoon planning a lesson that integrates the iPod Touch in a meaningful way (or two). My team integrated three apps into our lesson: BrainTuner, Scribble Lite, and Portion Platter. The lesson was designed to address math SOL 7.1: TSW compare, order, and determine equivalent relationships between fractions, decimals, and percents. The lessons are being posted on the district's course management system for sharing with other educators. In my opinion, it was a worthwhile, productive day!
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Video Mirroring with iPad2
Disappointed to learn this is not possible with 1st Gen iPad. Did not know this.
iPad 2's Display Mirrored on a Big Screen
iPad 2's Display Mirrored on a Big Screen
Monday, March 21, 2011
Apple Training, Take 3
The following is a list of apps/resources recommended by Apple trainer, Dianne Lawrence, at the recent iPod/iPad workshop I attended:
Lit2Go - Tremendous resource! Part of iTunesU; created by the University of South Florida, provides free audiobooks; while in an audiobook, tap once to have the text display on the screen; user must scroll through text as the audio plays (iTunes > iTunesU > Colleges and Universities > Find it Fast (on right) > Lit2Go)
TechEase - also in iTunesU under USF; has Technology tutorials
Khan Academy - collection of 24 audio/video textbooks; (iTunesU > Beyond Campus > "K" section > Khan Academy > click on See All)
Tennessee State Department of Education - electronic learning center; resources sorted by content area and grade level; (iTunesU > K-12 > "T" section > Tennessee State Department of Education > click on See All)
Scribble Lite (free app) - students can use this app with the iPod Touch to display answers for the teacher to see; shake to erase (like an etch-a-sketch); can import pictures, teacher-made questions; excellent app for student-teacher interactivity
Math Drills (free app) - students can review and practice basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts either timed or untimed
Coin Math (free app) - learn to recognize and count coins, shop and make change
Number Line - an educational game to help users learn and compare fractions, decimals, and percents. Drag circles containing values to the correct place on a number line. Appropriate for middle and high school students and perhaps advanced, upper-elementary students.
K-12 Timed Reading Practice (free app) - fluency app for K-4 readers; 25 stories; can upgrade to the full version (250 stories) for $1.99
Spelling Cat - locally created app from NRCC games; allows users to choose pre-loaded, grade level specific spelling lists or enter a customized word list; three games from which to choose: Speak Easy, Scramble, and Missing Letter. My daughter is a fourth grader and loves this app for use with her weekly spelling words!
Lit2Go - Tremendous resource! Part of iTunesU; created by the University of South Florida, provides free audiobooks; while in an audiobook, tap once to have the text display on the screen; user must scroll through text as the audio plays (iTunes > iTunesU > Colleges and Universities > Find it Fast (on right) > Lit2Go)
TechEase - also in iTunesU under USF; has Technology tutorials
Khan Academy - collection of 24 audio/video textbooks; (iTunesU > Beyond Campus > "K" section > Khan Academy > click on See All)
Tennessee State Department of Education - electronic learning center; resources sorted by content area and grade level; (iTunesU > K-12 > "T" section > Tennessee State Department of Education > click on See All)
Scribble Lite (free app) - students can use this app with the iPod Touch to display answers for the teacher to see; shake to erase (like an etch-a-sketch); can import pictures, teacher-made questions; excellent app for student-teacher interactivity
Math Drills (free app) - students can review and practice basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts either timed or untimed
Coin Math (free app) - learn to recognize and count coins, shop and make change
Number Line - an educational game to help users learn and compare fractions, decimals, and percents. Drag circles containing values to the correct place on a number line. Appropriate for middle and high school students and perhaps advanced, upper-elementary students.
K-12 Timed Reading Practice (free app) - fluency app for K-4 readers; 25 stories; can upgrade to the full version (250 stories) for $1.99
Spelling Cat - locally created app from NRCC games; allows users to choose pre-loaded, grade level specific spelling lists or enter a customized word list; three games from which to choose: Speak Easy, Scramble, and Missing Letter. My daughter is a fourth grader and loves this app for use with her weekly spelling words!
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
History Apps
Check out iTunes for these two FREE history/social studies apps:
Pass The Past is an educational app designed to help students prepare for Virginia's SOL tests with a focus on World, United States and Virginia history, civics, and geography.
Early Jamestown is an interactive textbook app of the early days of the Jamestown settlement (with quality graphics).
Pass The Past is an educational app designed to help students prepare for Virginia's SOL tests with a focus on World, United States and Virginia history, civics, and geography.
Early Jamestown is an interactive textbook app of the early days of the Jamestown settlement (with quality graphics).
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
iPod Touch Text Tips
Text Entry on an iPod Touch can be challenging, so here are a few tips:
- iPod Touch will auto correct and auto suggest as you type, so look for the suggestion bubbles and tap them to insert text and save time.
- Press and hold on a word to get a blue highlight over the word with blue buttons/circles at the top, bottom and/or left, right. Drag the buttons/circles to highlight text you wish to copy. Tap the Copy balloon. Next, go into the Notes app or any text app, tap and hold, and choose paste to enter the copied text.
- (Love this one!) When entering text, tap the space bar twice at the end of a sentence, and the iTouch will automatically add a period, a space, and capitalize the next letter typed. Sweet!
- iPod Touch will "learn" words from the words typed and recognize names from the Contacts entered.
- Hold down the back arrow to delete quickly.
- Hold down on text you have entered to get the "cursor bubble" and drag the cursor to the position you want.
- Go to Settings > General > Reset > Keyboard Dictionary to clear “learned” words you may not want in the iPod Touch Dictionary.
- Each iPod touch screen will house 20 icons; 9 screens per iPod Touch is the maximum.
- Tap and hold an icon until all icons wiggle. You can then drag the icons to rearrange them or click the red X to delete.
- iPod Touch apps will play on the iPad, but iPad apps will not play on iPod Touch.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Apple iPod Touch & iPad Training
I attended an Apple iPod Touch & iPad Training today and WOW! I learned so many cool tips, tricks, and integration ideas and found a wealth of new resources. My mind is racing. I have plenty of blogging material for a while! One of the first activities of the day was to watch a video on the iPod Touch and do a think, pair, share activity afterward. I watched Tony Vincent's "Learning in Hand" episode 16. For those of you who don't know Tony Vincent, he is a former fifth grade teacher turned technology guru/consultant. Check out his website Learning in Hand. You may also want to consider following him on Twitter.
Episode 16, iPod Touch Tips, covers several topics, and here are just a few tips I learned about using Mobile Safari on the iPod Touch:
Episode 16, iPod Touch Tips, covers several topics, and here are just a few tips I learned about using Mobile Safari on the iPod Touch:
- Tap the time in the top center of the screen to return to the top of any webpage
- Double tap a column or image to zoom in, double tap to zoom out
- Tap and hold a hyperlink to see web address/URL
- Tap and hold an image to save it to your Photos app
- Create a "custom image" icon by going to a webpage, enlarging an image from the webpage that you want to use as the icon pic, then bookmarking the page by adding it to your Home screen. The image you enlarged on the screen will be the icon on the Home screen for the website.
- Bookmarklets perform a variety of functions (search, find, bottom of page, etc.)
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Digital Storytelling
Check out these resources for Digital Storytelling with the iPad:
Apps for Digital Storytelling
App Tutorials for StoryKit, Sonicpics, and StoryRobe
Articles, Web 2.0 Resources, Sites, iTunesU, Miscellaneous
Apps for Digital Storytelling
App Tutorials for StoryKit, Sonicpics, and StoryRobe
Articles, Web 2.0 Resources, Sites, iTunesU, Miscellaneous
Monday, March 7, 2011
Fun Stuff!
I thought I would share just a few fun uses of the basic iPod Touch features for the classroom or anywhere:
- Depress the power button in the upper left and the home center button at the same time to take a screen shot that is automatically placed in the Saved Photos folder of your iPod Touch. The photo can then be used in other apps that allow you to add photo content, like StoryKit.
- Did you know that the Calculator on the iPod Touch is a simple 4-function calculator when the device is held vertically, but changes to a scientific calculator when the device is turned horizontally?!
- There are many great uses for the Clock utility. My daughter uses the Timer feature of her iTouch to time her 20 minutes of nightly reading. This is an easy way to put students in charge of their own learning and scheduling. We also use the Timer feature when completing multiplication fact/drill sheets to track recall improvement. Do you have a student who needs to go to the nurse everyday at 1:00? Have him/her set the iTouch Alarm as a reminder. Finally, use the World Clock function when studying faraway places such as England, Greece, or China. Students will find it interesting to see how the time is different from our own.
- Use the Calendar to teach calendar skills or use it as an agenda to note homework assignments and important events.
- Use the Voice Memo function for students who have strong verbal skills but difficultly with writing.
- Use the Notes function for simple reminders, lists, homework assignments, and any other quick note- taking that is needed. Kids will enjoy this method as it is a lot like texting!
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Using iPod Touch with Elementary Special Ed Students
I am currently involved in the integration of iPod Touch devices with elementary special ed students in my school district. This is a district-wide initiative, and each elementary school sped program has received at least three devices. My roles as an ITRT are to maintain the devices through updating and syncing; assist with customizing/individualizing iPod Touch devices for students as needed; and collaborate with the regular and special ed teachers to create activities/lessons that utilize the iPod Touch devices.
We are currently using a number of communication and scheduling apps with students. Two of the most used apps are Look-2-Learn and First Then.
The following is a sample of some of the other apps we are using:
iCommunicate - visual scheduling
iPrompts - visual scheduling, choice menu, custom photos and audio
iConverse - choice menu, custom photos and audio
Proloquo2Go - augmentative and alternative communication for people who have communication challenges, symbols and text-to-speech voices
Visules - visual scheduling
In My Dreams - phonological awareness, visual tracking, sign language, multisensory approach
My Pictures Talk - personalized photos and audio
Sonic Pics Lite - turn your images into slideshows
Wheels on the Bus - music and singing, interactive
Old MacDonald - music/singing while kids touch interactive objects
I am also working with an iPod Touch integration project for special ed students at the secondary level and will focus on that in a future post.
Feel free to let me know if you have any questions or comments!
We are currently using a number of communication and scheduling apps with students. Two of the most used apps are Look-2-Learn and First Then.
The following is a sample of some of the other apps we are using:
iCommunicate - visual scheduling
iPrompts - visual scheduling, choice menu, custom photos and audio
iConverse - choice menu, custom photos and audio
Proloquo2Go - augmentative and alternative communication for people who have communication challenges, symbols and text-to-speech voices
Visules - visual scheduling
In My Dreams - phonological awareness, visual tracking, sign language, multisensory approach
My Pictures Talk - personalized photos and audio
Sonic Pics Lite - turn your images into slideshows
Wheels on the Bus - music and singing, interactive
Old MacDonald - music/singing while kids touch interactive objects
I am also working with an iPod Touch integration project for special ed students at the secondary level and will focus on that in a future post.
Feel free to let me know if you have any questions or comments!
Sunday, February 27, 2011
iPads in education resource
Interested in iPads in education? The following is a link to an "iPads in Education" Ning: http://ipadeducators.ning.com/main/invitation/new?xg_source=msg_wel_network
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Web 2.0 Tools & Mobiles
Check out this video from Discovery Education. Great ideas for using Web 2.0 tools and mobiles in the classroom.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
StoryKit
StoryKit is a free App available from iTunes that I recently introduced to a third grade class. It allows students to create their own digital storybooks by adding text, drawing pictures, importing photos, and creating sound effects. The student's story is saved within the app but can also be shared via email.
In addition to students creating their own electronic books, there are four books pre-loaded into the app: The Three Little Pigs, The Three Bears, Humpty Dumpty, and The Rocket Book. These books can simply be read as eBooks, or they can be rewritten and rearranged to create all new stories. This feature is great for teaching sequencing! While the pre-loaded stories lend themselves to students in lower elementary grades, the app can easily be used by older students and even teachers to generate their own projects and/or content. This might be a fun way to incorporate journaling? Give it a try, the price is right, and I think you will love it!
In addition to students creating their own electronic books, there are four books pre-loaded into the app: The Three Little Pigs, The Three Bears, Humpty Dumpty, and The Rocket Book. These books can simply be read as eBooks, or they can be rewritten and rearranged to create all new stories. This feature is great for teaching sequencing! While the pre-loaded stories lend themselves to students in lower elementary grades, the app can easily be used by older students and even teachers to generate their own projects and/or content. This might be a fun way to incorporate journaling? Give it a try, the price is right, and I think you will love it!
Thursday, February 17, 2011
2011 Horizon Report
I recently read the 2011 Horizon Report which identifies and describes six emerging technologies likely to have a significant global impact over the next five years. The technologies identified this year include electronic books, mobiles, augmented reality, game-based learning, gesture-based computing, and learning analytics. Much to my surprise, I found the report both interesting and engaging in addition to containing an abundance of useful resources. Since the Horizon Report focuses on the higher education environment, I am curious as to how these trends translate to K-12 public education which is my field. If there is a similar report that addresses these trends in K-12 education, I would appreciate knowing about it. Perhaps there is little difference between the trends/timing for higher ed and K-12.
I feel that the two near-term horizon technologies, eBooks and mobiles, are already making a significant impact in the classroom in my district. Students use iPod Touch devices across all grade levels and content areas for research, direct instruction, projects, and many other activities. On p.14 of the Horizon Report, the 100 Most Educational iPhone Apps provides a list of educational apps that any teacher integrating mobiles will find useful.
eBooks have just started to gain momentum in our district with the use of online textbooks and a variety of eReader apps available for iPods and iPads. Classroom Kindle sets have also been purchased at two district schools thus far. I believe the use of eBooks will grow significantly in education in the near future as a result of more academic titles becoming available and the fact that publishers have begun to “uncouple print and electronic sales of textbooks.” (p.9) I agree with the Horizon Report that the content and social interactivity available in eBooks are the keys to their popularity as opposed to the devices themselves. There are numerous “Reader” devices available in the market today that perform similar functions. I personally prefer the multifunction devices, like the Apple iPad. The more things I can accomplish with one device, the better!
There are a number of challenges with moblie devices in K-12 education from an IT standpoint. One challenge is providing a one-to-one student-to-device ratio. With today’s budget constraints, funding for the devices is not currently available and will likely not be available in the near future. Grant opportunities are a possibility. A second challenge is the use of personal mobile devices by students. The one-to-one ratio could be achieved if this were allowed, but at the present time the school district in which I work does not allow personal devices (teacher or student) to access the school network, and most schools have a no cell phone/mobile policy for students due to the fear of students using the devices for purposes other than education and disrupting or not paying attention to instruction. On p.3 of the Horizon Report the point is made that, “...individual organizational constraints are likely the most important factor in any decision to adopt...any given technology.” I see these organizational constraints first-hand.
In addition to organizational constraints, K-12 education must adhere to federal privacy laws regarding students and families (FERPA) and the Child Internet Protection Act (CIPA) among other laws. CIPA requires that students have filtered and logged Internet access in K-12 public schools. If students come to school with personal mobile devices or eBooks equipped with wireless access from outside sources (3G, 4G), Internet access is unfiltered, and the school system has no means of filtering or logging student activity. The only way that mobile devices can be configured to the district’s network to comply with federal law is for the devices to be purchased and managed by the school division.
The Horizon report lists Augmented Reality and Game-Based learning as mid-term horizon technologies with the time to adoption being two to three years. Interestingly both of these technologies are widely used on mobile devices. The visual and interactive nature of AR along with the use of real world spaces creates a highly engaging learning experience for today’s digital natives. I have limited experience with AR, but on the two occasions where I have completed an AR activity and the one time I was able to work with AR software, I was fully engaged and motivated. Being able to use AR when visiting historical locations tagged with information that allows learners to see pictures and information from the past seems like an excellent way to bring history to life and provide the real world connection that educators strive to make.
Game-Based learning can include anything from simple paper-and-pencil games to massively multiplayer online (MMO) games. In my 22 years as an educator I have used both non-digital and digital games with students and find them to be highly motivating and engaging. My students particularly enjoyed using Jeopardy-type games for content review in collaborative teams. Many students also enjoy the competitiveness of games and put forth a great deal of effort to win. According to the 2011 Horizon Report, “...as game designers continue to explore new ways to integrate serious topics and content area in engaging formats, gaming will become more useful and prevalent in higher education.” I concur that gaming will become more prevalent in the educational setting, and the trick will be to embed content and skills in such a way that learners don’t perceive the game as formal learning. Simulation Games for Business Students is a clever use of an “off-the-shelf” game in education.
The far term horizon technologies of Gesture Based Computing and Learning Analytics are not areas that are currently on my radar with the exception of my use of iPod Touch and iPad devices, our family Wii, my son’s X-Box Kinect, and a UDraw Tablet used by an Art teacher at one of the schools I serve. I look forward to the future of Gesture Based Computing and see great promise in its use for students with disabilities. Learning Analytics is certainly a powerful tool, but I have concerns regarding the misuse/overuse of data in education. Data doesn’t always tell the whole story, but when used in conjunction with personal student interaction, it can be very helpful in determining an appropriate learning path. I typically find that getting to know a student and working with a student individually gives me the most useful data.
I feel that the two near-term horizon technologies, eBooks and mobiles, are already making a significant impact in the classroom in my district. Students use iPod Touch devices across all grade levels and content areas for research, direct instruction, projects, and many other activities. On p.14 of the Horizon Report, the 100 Most Educational iPhone Apps provides a list of educational apps that any teacher integrating mobiles will find useful.
eBooks have just started to gain momentum in our district with the use of online textbooks and a variety of eReader apps available for iPods and iPads. Classroom Kindle sets have also been purchased at two district schools thus far. I believe the use of eBooks will grow significantly in education in the near future as a result of more academic titles becoming available and the fact that publishers have begun to “uncouple print and electronic sales of textbooks.” (p.9) I agree with the Horizon Report that the content and social interactivity available in eBooks are the keys to their popularity as opposed to the devices themselves. There are numerous “Reader” devices available in the market today that perform similar functions. I personally prefer the multifunction devices, like the Apple iPad. The more things I can accomplish with one device, the better!
There are a number of challenges with moblie devices in K-12 education from an IT standpoint. One challenge is providing a one-to-one student-to-device ratio. With today’s budget constraints, funding for the devices is not currently available and will likely not be available in the near future. Grant opportunities are a possibility. A second challenge is the use of personal mobile devices by students. The one-to-one ratio could be achieved if this were allowed, but at the present time the school district in which I work does not allow personal devices (teacher or student) to access the school network, and most schools have a no cell phone/mobile policy for students due to the fear of students using the devices for purposes other than education and disrupting or not paying attention to instruction. On p.3 of the Horizon Report the point is made that, “...individual organizational constraints are likely the most important factor in any decision to adopt...any given technology.” I see these organizational constraints first-hand.
In addition to organizational constraints, K-12 education must adhere to federal privacy laws regarding students and families (FERPA) and the Child Internet Protection Act (CIPA) among other laws. CIPA requires that students have filtered and logged Internet access in K-12 public schools. If students come to school with personal mobile devices or eBooks equipped with wireless access from outside sources (3G, 4G), Internet access is unfiltered, and the school system has no means of filtering or logging student activity. The only way that mobile devices can be configured to the district’s network to comply with federal law is for the devices to be purchased and managed by the school division.
The Horizon report lists Augmented Reality and Game-Based learning as mid-term horizon technologies with the time to adoption being two to three years. Interestingly both of these technologies are widely used on mobile devices. The visual and interactive nature of AR along with the use of real world spaces creates a highly engaging learning experience for today’s digital natives. I have limited experience with AR, but on the two occasions where I have completed an AR activity and the one time I was able to work with AR software, I was fully engaged and motivated. Being able to use AR when visiting historical locations tagged with information that allows learners to see pictures and information from the past seems like an excellent way to bring history to life and provide the real world connection that educators strive to make.
Game-Based learning can include anything from simple paper-and-pencil games to massively multiplayer online (MMO) games. In my 22 years as an educator I have used both non-digital and digital games with students and find them to be highly motivating and engaging. My students particularly enjoyed using Jeopardy-type games for content review in collaborative teams. Many students also enjoy the competitiveness of games and put forth a great deal of effort to win. According to the 2011 Horizon Report, “...as game designers continue to explore new ways to integrate serious topics and content area in engaging formats, gaming will become more useful and prevalent in higher education.” I concur that gaming will become more prevalent in the educational setting, and the trick will be to embed content and skills in such a way that learners don’t perceive the game as formal learning. Simulation Games for Business Students is a clever use of an “off-the-shelf” game in education.
The far term horizon technologies of Gesture Based Computing and Learning Analytics are not areas that are currently on my radar with the exception of my use of iPod Touch and iPad devices, our family Wii, my son’s X-Box Kinect, and a UDraw Tablet used by an Art teacher at one of the schools I serve. I look forward to the future of Gesture Based Computing and see great promise in its use for students with disabilities. Learning Analytics is certainly a powerful tool, but I have concerns regarding the misuse/overuse of data in education. Data doesn’t always tell the whole story, but when used in conjunction with personal student interaction, it can be very helpful in determining an appropriate learning path. I typically find that getting to know a student and working with a student individually gives me the most useful data.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Objective: Fluency
I recently started a project with a second grade class that involves using iPod Touch devices to improve reading fluency. The teacher has six iPod Touch in the classroom for student use. Our first obstacle was to find audiobooks appropriate for second grade students. We did not have much success in this area, so I decided that we should create our own audiobooks. Using a digital audio recorder and leveled books from the classroom reading program, I read the books aloud and created digital audio files that I then uploaded to iTunes in a playlist entitled "Audiobooks." I then synced the playlist to the six iPod Touch. (I must admit that I don't care for the sound of my own voice, but after recording a few books, the teacher was very happy with the content, so I agreed to be the "reader.")
The students' use of the iPod Touch and audiobooks goes something like this...at the beginning of each week, students are assigned a book based on their reading level. On Monday, students read the book to themselves, and then read it aloud using the Voice Memo utility to record their reading. The teacher then listens to the recordings on the iTouch and completes a running record evaluation for each student. On Tuesday students listen to the audiobook recorded in my voice on the iTouch while following along with the actual book in front of them. Students can listen to the audiobook as many times as they would like. On Wednesday and Thursday, students again use the Voice Memo utility on the iPod Touch to record and then listen to their own reading. The final student recording is again evaluated by the teacher using a running record. The goal is that the running record at the end of the week will show great improvement over the running record done at the beginning of the week.
We have found that the students are highly motivated and engaged in reading when they are using the iPod Touch, and thus far student fluency has improved. In addition to the gains for students, this project has shown me that it is fairly simple to create my own content for the iPod Touch.
The students' use of the iPod Touch and audiobooks goes something like this...at the beginning of each week, students are assigned a book based on their reading level. On Monday, students read the book to themselves, and then read it aloud using the Voice Memo utility to record their reading. The teacher then listens to the recordings on the iTouch and completes a running record evaluation for each student. On Tuesday students listen to the audiobook recorded in my voice on the iTouch while following along with the actual book in front of them. Students can listen to the audiobook as many times as they would like. On Wednesday and Thursday, students again use the Voice Memo utility on the iPod Touch to record and then listen to their own reading. The final student recording is again evaluated by the teacher using a running record. The goal is that the running record at the end of the week will show great improvement over the running record done at the beginning of the week.
We have found that the students are highly motivated and engaged in reading when they are using the iPod Touch, and thus far student fluency has improved. In addition to the gains for students, this project has shown me that it is fairly simple to create my own content for the iPod Touch.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Welcome!
The purpose of this blog is to share ideas, lesson plans, integration strategies, and management tips for the use of iPod Touch, iPads and Web 2.0 tools in the K-12 classroom. I hope you will find many useful ideas here.
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