Solving The Time Issue

A few weeks ago I wrote about the issue of time and technology. I had referred to a speech given by Clay Shirky. His argument stated that we have always had the time to investigate technology but we used that time mindlessly watching sitcoms.

The other day I read a post by Antonio Viva titled, Who Has Time for Social Media? Mr. Viva states that for the vast majority of people

social media is either a term they don’t recognize or a fad they tried and just don’t seem to have the time for.

So this brings me to my question.

What will create the shift to where the majority of people see social media and technology not simply as another thing to do but rather as THE thing that brings their lives together?

The shift is beginning to happen, we see Oprah coming to Twitter. Yes, I am following her. The Boston Globe may close. These are both important indicators. They identify the fact that mainstream media is evolving. The ways we get our information is shifting in response. Despite this, many still fight the idea of technology as a "waste of time".

For technology or social media to take hold, our communities must fully incorporate it. We work and live in communities. If we want to make that shift from seeing technology as just another responsibility, it must become our brand. It must be a ubiquitous part of our community.

When our communities develop strategies that incorporate technology seamlessly into our daily lives, we will find that elusive time that Mr. Viva was looking for.

This takes a very deliberate approach but with the right plan and support, that shift can happen.

Photo Credit: Matt Hamm

Students Can Transform Educational Technology

Sylvia Martinez, president of Generation YES, recently penned the blog entry Successful, sustainable strategies for technology integration and tech support in a tough economy.  This entry was very timely because our school, like most schools, is trying to cut costs. Some see technology has a financial burden during a recession rather than an opportunity to save some money and create a student centered environment.  Martinez's post argues for the later.

Even though students are 92% of the population at the school, and are 100% of the reason for wanting to improve education, their voice goes unheard.

The idea behind making technology integration and support successful in a school is to incorporate the students into the process.  She outlines the following reasons for including students:

• Technology literacy for all - Creating an expectation that modern technology will be used for academics, schoolwork, communication, community outreach, and teaching. A key success factor is teaching students how to support their peers as mentors and leaders.


• Student tech teams - The 21st century version of the old A/V club, this strategy expands the definition of tech support from fixing broken things to also include just-in-time support of teachers as they use new technology. This digital generation is ready, willing and able to help improve education, we just need to show them how.


• Professional development 24/7 - The old idea that teachers would go off to one workshop or a conference and immediately start using technology has been proven wrong. Truly integrated technology use requires a bigger change than that, and it doesn’t happen overnight. Teachers require more support in their classrooms that they can count on when they need it. Students can help provide teachers with this constancy and supportive community.


• Students as stakeholders - Whenever schools initiate new technology programs, there is typically a call for all stakeholders to be included. Parents, teachers, staff, board members, and members of the community are invited to participate — but rarely students. Even though students are 92% of the population at the school, and are 100% of the reason for wanting to improve education, their voice goes unheard. Students can bring passion and point-of-view to the planning and implementation of major technology initiatives. They can be allies and agents of change, rather than passive objects to be changed.


• Students as resource developers - Students can help develop the resources every teacher and student needs to use technology successfully. These resources can be help guides, posters, instructional videos, school websites, or teacher home pages. Students of all types can use their talents to build customized resources for their own school. Artists, actors, and techies can contribute to this process.

How Can We Make This A Reality

1. We are a laptop 1 to 1 school.  If we fully utilize these laptops for everything pertaining to the school, essentially going paperless, we would save a great deal of money.  If the students become a primary resource for helping faculty and other students adapt to this shift, you are not only cutting costs but you are promoting student responsibility.


2. Building upon what I just mentioned.  Many of our students know more about technology than even some of our tech savvy faculty.  We must utilize this.  If we can incorporate students into our tech training and support systems, not only will we be empowering them, but providing the school a cost saving opportunity to expand their staff and make the most of the knowledge available.


3. With the development of Twitter, chat clients, and on campus support teams, faculty professional development no longer has to be dedicated to one day workshops.  Students and the technology department could use Twitter to periodically update the faculty with tips and reminders on how to use their laptops or fix a problem.  Something like iChat has to potential to have a help desk on call when school is not in session.  Finally, if you have teams of student technology assistants, they could help solve simple problems like "Why won't the projector turn on?" This support network would bolster the faculty's  confidence when using technology.


4. Students need to be a part of the conversation.  If a school wants to fully utilize our laptops, we must consider the students' perspective.  They will have an understand how the technology is used and can help plan and implement a program as well as prevent issues from happening.  We must listen to our students, their voice and contributions are vital to a program's success.


5. Finally, students are creators.  They have grown up around digital media.  We must take advantage of their comfort with this medium and have them help create and publish digital media that can range from tech tutorials to videos for prospective students.  Their experience with that medium will promote a student centered environment and save your school some money.  Who needs a marketing firm when you have students.

The points Martinez are important. Student participation is necessary.  When we involve our students in the integration and support of technology we not only empower them and the community but also cut costs.

Photo Credit: -bartimaeus-

The Switch

As I examine my media habits I realize, like many people, that what and how I consume my information has drastically shifted.

In my previous post, Where do we find the time?, I mentioned the role of the Internet and how it can alter how we utilize our time.  After I wrote that post I started to think.

If I have shifted my media consumption habits from passively watching television to actively managing, digesting, and learning from media online shouldn't I think reconsider what media I pay for?

The reason I mention this is because I have been traveling a great deal lately and unfortunately it has been hard to find access to the Internet when and where I want it.  I spend more time trying to find a coffee shop with wireless than I do actually on the Internet.

So, if the media I consume is primarily online and I am not at home as much, why should I pay for a traditional TV and Internet plan?

Since I carry my laptop with me virtually everywhere, wouldn't it make sense to simply purchase a top of the line wireless Internet card as my means of connection? Everything I watch or read is online, from TV shows on Hulu.com to my favorite contributors on my Google Reader and Twitter.

I spend my time watching, reading and contributing to the web.  In this economy, it only makes sense to purchase a plan that fits my needs more appropriately.

By getting rid of my cable and home Internet I can access and contribute to my media anywhere and I will no longer have to search for a coffee shop with wireless.  Although a good chai latte will go a long way.

I'll let you know how it goes. Good-bye Charter Communications.

If you have suggestions on a good wireless card and carrier please lend me your expertise via the comments.


Photo Credit: droïd

Where Do We Find The Time?

Like most technology integrators, the biggest hurdle I have faced as the Director of Academic Technology has been the issue of faculty buy-in.

I consistently hear the "I don't have enough time" argument. This video of Clay Shirky, author of "Here Comes Everybody", presents an interesting perspective in regards to the use of time. Are we really lacking the time or do we need to reallocate our time?

In the following video, "Where do people find the time?", Shirky argues that investing our time in learning these technologies or spending your extra time on the Internet learning is not useless, rather it is more productive than watching TV and that we should reconsider how we "waste" our time.

So as I look at the impact for educators, my argument for teachers who say they don't have enough time is this: rather than watching that episode of "American Idol", go online, develop and learn from a Personal Learning Network. You have the time and this is much more rewarding.

Part 1

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyoNHIl-QLQ

Part 2

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNCblGv0zjU

Thanks to @arvind for reminding me of this video.

Google Maps and Writing

Writing is an essential part of what I teach.  But no matter how you slice it, the act of writing is evolving.

The short story, The 21 Steps by Charles Cumming is a prime example of this evolution.  Cumming intertwines Google Maps into his story so that a story now takes a very visual twist. The reader visually follows the protagonist as the story unfolds.

Changing The Game

With the evolution of technology has come this evolution of writing.  If we are to engage our students and make writing something they enjoy practicing, we must reconsider our approach.  As a history teacher, I value the necessity of learning how to research and write a argumentative essay, but a story like 21 Steps, Twitter, and blogging prove that the art of writing can and should be developed in other mediums.

By combining a powerful technology like Google Maps and a short story or for history, a historical narrative, a student can create a much deeper learning tool that not only develops writing skills but the visual connection reinforces and extends the learning opportunities.  Using images, or in this case, maps allows the reader to actually see where the events took place.

Using a tool like Google Maps in conjunction with a writing assignment could make writing an engaging and rewarding process for both the author and the reader.

Joe's Non-Netbook vs. The Internet

Today I was reading Jeff Richardson's blog entry, Textbooks... Are they old-school?, and it touched on a point that has been brought up in several recent conversations.

Should we move away from textbooks?

Jeff posted the following video made by Joe, a student at Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia, PA, which highlights this issue.



While the video takes an amusing look at textbooks, Joe's Non-Netbook ties into deeper questions about the direction schools should be taking.

Inquiry And Textbooks

No matter how you slice it, a textbook cannot provide the same richness, depth, and perspective as the Internet.  A textbook limits a student, it prevents inquiry and further investigation.  As educators, if we are attempting to develop critical thinkers and challenge our students to ask thoughtful questions, they need to have access to multiple points of view and should be able to investigate on their own.  A textbook cannot provide that, the Internet does.

The Cost Of Textbooks

The argument is presented, but it would cost too much to put a computer in every students hands.  If you compare the cost of bound textbooks over four years (at least one textbook per class) to the cost of a having all texts housed on the Internet through an online course management software (CMS) and a top of the line HP netbook ($499), it's not even close.  You would save hundreds of dollars.

The Environmental And Economic Impact

Whether a school is trying to cut budgets, support efforts for environmental sustainability, or both, it is a good call to invest in online texts.  The amount of paper that is printed can be cut substantially when using online texts and laptops.  If a school invests in high speed scanners and all paper resources are made digital and posted online, a school is able to cut down on not only the amount of paper used but the number of copiers and printers needed on campus.

Conclusion

Joe's video may of taken a satirical look at bound textbooks but it definitely hits a nerve.  When we look at transforming our schools and truly preparing our students we must reconsider what we use to teach.  In a world where our students are constantly connected online and have access to the world, are we really going to turn that off and give them a book with no hyperlinks or alternatives and expect them to really learn?

Bursting the Bubble (Tests)

I read an Op-Ed the other day in the New York Times by professor E. D. Hirsch, Jr.  The article supported the value of the fill in the blank bubble test.  He asserted that while the current format is faulty, there is validity to the data and reliability of the test.  Dr. Hirsch made some valid points including:

the key to comprehension is familiarity with the relevant subject. For a student with a basic ability to decode print, a reading-comprehension test is not chiefly a test of formal techniques but a test of background knowledge.

While this may be the case, and we must assess our students on relevant materials.  That does not mean that bubble testing is the answer to the question of assessment reform.  Bubble tests have been around since 1938 and like the lecture only classroom, is seriously outdated.  In an era in which we know that students learn in many different ways, we must reconsider how we assess our students.

In his article, Beyond the Bubble, Bill Tucker argues that we can assess using the technology that are relevant to our students

Using multiple forms of media that allow for both visual and graphical representations, we can present complex, multi-step problems for students to solve, and we can collect detailed information about an individual student's approach to problem solving. This information may allow educators to better comprehend how students arrive at their answers and learn what those pathways reveal about students' grasp of underlying concepts, as well as to discover how they can alter their instruction to help move students forward.

I find this argument interesting.  I am not saying we should not assess.  I simply believe that with the understanding of differentiated learning styles and multiple intelligences, we must shift our understanding of teaching and assessment and disrupt the current model.  Bubble testing does not effectively represent what and how our students learn.  In the 21st century, our students are learning differently, interacting differently, and we must assess differently.

Assessments are a core part of preparing our students for the global marketplace but in an interactive and connected world, do bubble tests really prepare students for what lies ahead?

In utilizing the concepts of differentiated learning, we can to develop a form of assessment that takes advantage of the available technology and supports the skills the students must master to succeed in today's world. This will take some time and effort but to do justice to our students and their future we must burst the bubble tests.

Photo Credit: Thant Zin Myint