Are You My Teacher?

From Brothersoft.comhttp://www.brothersoft.com/drink-web-2.0-icon-pack-213925.html

As the six people who read this blog religiously know, I'm on a scholastic crusade to integrate Web 2.0 tech in the classrooms of America (the world?). I'm a big fan of what can be done with this stuff to better educate the kids, and let's face it - it's all about the kids these days. 

There are some who would have me put down my megaphone and go about doing something else. The main point these doubters to my cause is the subject of this editorial. 

There are some teachers that do take issue with this sort of technology invading their classrooms. Those  say that technology can sometimes hinder learning and the educational process. Take the ‘spell-check rapture’ scenario under consideration for a moment – imagine what would happen to the world if every single type of spell-check suddenly disappeared. What would happen to our ability to communicate with the written word effectively? Yet this is only an example of what the world would be like without technology. There doesn’t seem to be any real discussion about the dangers or downfalls of Web 2.0 itself.

Schools can sometimes acquire technology before those who will use it are adequately trained in the various uses. Consider, for a moment that college teacher that wants to present a YouTube video, but has no real knowledge of how to go about doing so. The professor cannot utilize the supplied audio-visual equipment and, with a classroom of snickers, he resigns to asking for help from one of his students. Three things have just happened: The prepared lesson has lost its luster, the professor has lost his grip of authority on the class, and valuable class time that could have been spent educating has been lost. Add to that an ever-present need for upkeep and upgrading, and one can start to understand why those who have been teaching for a while are reluctant to ‘join the revolution.’

From YouTube.com

The lack of teacher knowledge of technological equipment is not in itself a hindrance to the educational process. It is when the teacher wants or is pressured to use the technology with no real attempt to understand it that hinders the process. This means that it is not the technology itself, but the lack of preparation on the part of the instructor, which causes disruption in the classroom. Some teachers seem to treat lessons as a place to supplement preparedness with technology, and this simply will not do. Still, the benefits seem to outweigh the downfalls, even if some “old school” teachers are hesitant to make the shift.

Recently, I had the chance to sit down with Christopher Magistrale, a social studies and writing teacher for middle school students in the Winooski School District. Chris is one of the 'new school' of teachers, having less than five years of actual solo teaching under his belt. Chris and his crew have decided to 'join 'em' rather than 'beat 'em' with regards to technology integration in their classrooms.

“There is slight opposition from some of the teachers who have been teaching for a long time,” says Chris. “After 15-20 years, you become sort of set in the ways you teach, and the overall ignorance of those teachers in regards to how this technology could better the learning experience is the main opposing force here. While the traditions of education are there for a reason, we are using what is at our disposal as a new way to reach the kids. This is not to say that I want to be exclusively a technology teacher. I don't want to teach all of my lessons using the computer. But having that element involved really helps amp-up a lot of our instruction.”

(You can listen to the entirety of the interview here)

No matter how you feel about it, Web 2.0 isn’t going away (well, at least until Web 3.0). Especially in today’s classrooms, those in the current generation who are responsible for raising and preparing the upcoming generation need to get the memo: Alongside reading, writing, math and science, the use of the Internet and its technologies needs to be set in the curriculums in order to better prepare these kids for the future in which they are undoubtedly going to find themselves. With technology getting cheaper and hard drives doubling in size every two years, educators need to hurry to catch up. 

From Dusty Shelves to Digital Storage: Education in The Digital Age

Do you remember the classroom of your childhood?  The dusty chalkboard, the pencil sharpener, well-worn textbooks with notes written all throughout the pages that may or may not be helpful in your studies…. Those memories of your childhood will not be the ones your children will have, thanks to emerging Web 2.0 technologies.

From Edudemic.com

            If you’ve used the internet in the last five or so years, you’ve been using Web 2.0, weather you knew it or not. Facebook, YouTube, Blogger, Flash, Flickr, and Google+ are all examples of Eeb 2.0. It’s not a type of software, but a new kind of thinking when it comes to the Internet and its community. When the internet was first starting up, users were limited to passive viewing of content that was created for them. These days, users interact with one another on an equal basis.

            If you’ve been living under the proverbial rock for the last five years, you would not understand the impact that social networking sites like Facebook and YouTube have had on our collective cultural consciousness. According to Facebook, they have “over 800 million active users, with more than 50% of these users visiting the site on any given day”. YouTube is just as busy, in fact, “More than 13 million hours of video were uploaded during 2010 and 48 hours of video are uploaded every minute, resulting in nearly eight years of content uploaded every day.” These are not numbers to scoff at – this is the way the next generation will communicate. In a world where school relationships, marriages, and even births aren’t ‘real’ until they are ‘Facebook official,’ the world of education needs to embrace Web 2.0, or at least make a solid attempt to understand it.

Teachers of the ‘new school’ are attempting to better reach the youth of the era by using these technologies in their classrooms. Instead of using a chapter in a book to explain Martin Luther-King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement for example, teachers can capture the imagination of their students by using YouTube to give an overview of the topic. Students could use Skype, a video-conferencing service, to talk with children in Spain during a Spanish language class to learn firsthand about the culture they are studying.  Yet another example shows how Twitter can be used in a current-events class to track the pulse of those affected by a devastating hurricane.

After class, a teacher could e-mail students the homework assignment, which links to a ‘classroom website’ (Like Blackboard or Moodle) with research materials and a place to submit the assignment. No matter where the teacher might be after school, he (or she) can view the students’ progress using an app on a laptop, tablet, or even a cell phone. These are just simple examples. The limits are only in the minds of the educators.

There are some ‘old school’ educators that shun the use of these Web 2.0 technologies.  They say that the pixel is taking the place of the written word on a page. It is also feared that the ‘wild west’ mentality of sites like YouTube and Facebook can only be detrimental to kids, causing distraction and opening a door to an impossible-to-regulate dominion, where bullying and hazing can have free reign.

Those who advocate for Web 2.0’s use in the classroom have taken these arguments into consideration, and have found ways to have the best of both worlds. Recently, I had the chance to sit down with Christopher Magistrale, a social studies and writing teacher for middle school students in the Winooski School District.

Kids from Winooski. Image courtesy of The Winooski Schol District

Chris is with the 'new school' of teachers, having less than five years of actual solo teaching under his belt. Chris and his crew have decided to 'join 'em' rather than 'beat 'em' with regards to technology integration in their classrooms. With the blessings of the administration, Chris’ students now have access to their own laptop computer, filled with useful software that is used in conjunction with traditional studies.

“The computers have really been an enhancement to the classroom,” says Chris, sitting in his classroom. “Specifically with my classes, which are mainly reading and writing, we are doing a of of writing with the computers. We are using a couple of different programs, like Edu 2.0 and Google Docs to better connect with the students. With Google Docs, for example, I am able to see the student's writing as it is happening and be able to give an immediate response, and vice versa. These technologies allow for a closer interaction between student and teacher.”

            In his classroom, Chris also makes use of a Smart board, which is the newer version of the overhead projectors of old, with the capabilities of an iPad.

A Smart Board. Image courtesy of CHCEmergTech

“On the Smart Board, I can display whatever's on my computer screen,” says Chris. “This gives me countless possibilities of things I can show my students. For example, in terms of student engagement, I could put of a blank map of the Unites States, with the individual states being scattered around the country. With the smart board, my students can grab the states and put them where they think the state is. With the kids being more involved in their learning, instead of just me lecturing, It’s a big win for me.”

When it comes to opposition to using these types of technologies, Chris gets none from his students.

“The kids love it,” says Chris. “Every time they come into the classroom, they want to use these technologies, it makes the learning more interactive and relevant for them. I mean, this is their world.”

Indeed it is their world. According to an NUA Internet Survey, in November of 2000 almost 20 percent of all digital media users were children.

There are some teachers that do take issue with this sort of technology invading their classrooms. Some say that technology can sometimes hinder learning and the educational process. Take the ‘spell-check rapture’ scenario under consideration for a moment – imagine what would happen to the world if every single type of spell-check suddenly disappeared. What would happen to our ability to communicate with the written word effectively?

 Schools can sometimes acquire technology before those who will use it are adequately trained to use it effectively. Consider that college teacher that wants to present a YouTube video, but has no real knowledge of how to go about doing so. The class time lost during this process can build up. Add to that an ever-present need for upkeep and upgrading, and you can start to understand why those who have been teaching for a while are reluctant to ‘join the revolution.’

“There is slight opposition from some of the teachers who have been teaching for a long time,” says Chris. “After 15-20 years, you become sort of set in the ways you teach, and the overall ignorance of those teachers in regards to how this technology could better the learning experience is the main opposing force here. While the traditions of education are there for a reason, we are using what is at our disposal as a new way to reach the kids. This is not to say that I want to be exclusively a technology teacher. I don't want to teach all of my lessons using the computer. But having that element involved really helps amp-up a lot of our instruction.”

No matter how you feel about it, Web 2.0 isn’t going away (well, at least until Web 3.0). Especially in today’s classrooms, those in the current generation who are responsible for raising and preparing the upcoming generation need to get the memo: Alongside reading, writing, math and science, the use of the Internet and its technologies needs to be set in the curriculums in order to better prepare these kids for the future in which they are undoubtedly going to find themselves. With technology getting cheaper and hard drives doubling in size every two years, educators need to hurry to catch up. 

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em

Recently, I had the chance to sit down with Christopher Magistrale, a social studies and writing teacher for middle school students in the Winooski School District. Chris is one of the 'new school' of teachers, having less than five years of actual solo teaching under his belt. Chris and his crew have decided to 'join 'em' rather than 'beat 'em' with regards to technology integration in their classrooms. I met Chris in his classroom, which looks like what you'd expect a sixth grade classroom to look like - drawings of George Washington adorn the walls, next to bookshelves  filled with multiple copies of classics like The Giver and Maniac Magee. Two things caught my eye right away that I did not recognize as the usual fare - a shelving system, filled with laptops, and instead of a chalkboard on the wall, a 'smart-board', which is like a large version of an iPad.

Roy: Let's have a rundown on the technology initiative that you have going on here.


Chris: Well, three of us - myself, Will, who is another middle school teacher here, and the vice principal, met this summer to discuss a plan to distribute laptop computers to each of the 125 students here. We are able to have a 1-to-1 ratio, with a few left over.


Roy: What kind of things are you doing with the students and the laptops to foster grown as opposed to traditional means of education?


Chris: The computers have really been an enhancement to the classroom. Specifically with my classes, we are doing a lot of writing with the computers. We are using a couple of different programs, like Edu 2.0 and Google Docs to better connect with the students. With Google Docs, for example, I am able to see the student's writing as it is happening and be able to give an immediate response, and vice versa. These technologies allow for a closer interaction between student and teacher.


Roy: Have you seen any other technological innovations, for example with the smart board over there?


Chris: On the smart board, I can display whatever's on my computer screen. This gives me countless possibilities of things I can show my students. For example, in terms of student engagement, I could put up a blank map of the United States, with the individual states being scattered around the country. With the smart board, my students can grab the states  and put them where they think the state is. With the kids being more involved in their learning, instead of just me lecturing, Its a big win for me.


Roy: Have you seen any real opposition to the integration of Web 2.0 in the classroom?


Chris: Not from the kids. The kids love it. every time they come into the classroom, they want to use these technologies, it makes the learning more interactive and relevant for them. I mean, this is their world. There is slight opposition, I would say from some of the teachers who have been teaching for a long time. After 15-20 years, you become sort of set in the ways you teach, and the overall ignorance of those teachers in regards to how this technology could better the learning experience is the main opposing force here. While the traditions of education are there for a reason, we are using what is at our disposal as a new way to reach the kids. This is not to say that I want to be exclusively a technology teacher. I don't want to teach all of my lessons using the computer. But having that element involved really helps amp-up a lot of our instruction.

You can listen to the entirety of the interview here

Let's go to The Khan Academy!

So, for my Research and Reflection class, my 20 (ugh) page paper will be on the benefits of integrating Web 2.0 technology in today's K-12 classrooms. While doing research, I came across the Khan Academy.

The Khan Academy logo

"The Khan Academy is an organization on a mission. We're a not-for-profit with the goal of changing education for the better by providing a free world-class education to anyone anywhere." Turning the idea of traditional classroom education on it's ear, the Academy focuses on free education for everyone, using YouTube and the like to express subjects and ideas that can be absorbed by millions of 'students' at their own, individualized pace. Here's a sample video, giving an introduction to light:

As an example of how individualized the Academy's uses are, Wired Magazine recently showcased Matthew Carpenter, a 10-year-old who, with the help of the Academy, is succeeding in doing inverse trigonometry.

 From the article, which you can read in full here:
“It took a while for me to get it,” Carpenter admits sheepishly. Carpenter, who attends Santa Rita Elementary, a public school in Los Altos, California, shouldn’t be doing work anywhere near this advanced. In fact, when I visited his class this spring—in a sun-drenched room festooned with a papercraft X-wing fighter and student paintings of trees—the kids were supposed to be learning basic fractions, decimals, and percentages. As his teacher, Kami Thordarson, explains, students don’t normally tackle inverse trig until high school, and sometimes not even then. But last November, Thordarson began using Khan Academy in her class. Students, or anyone interested enough to surf by, can watch some 2,400 videos in which the site’s founder, Salman Khan, chattily discusses principles of math, science, and economics (with a smattering of social science topics thrown in). The videos are decidedly lo-fi, even crude: Generally seven to 14 minutes long, they consist of a voice-over by Khan describing a mathematical concept or explaining how to solve a problem while his hand-scribbled formulas and diagrams appear onscreen. Like the Wizard of Oz, Khan never steps from behind the curtain to appear in a video himself; it’s just Khan’s voice and some scrawly equations. In addition to these videos, the website offers software that generates practice problems and rewards good performance with videogame-like badges—for answering a “streak” of questions correctly, say, or mastering a series of algebra levels. (Carpenter has acquired 52 Earth badges in math, which require hours of toil to attain and at which his classmates gaze with envy and awe.):

 What do you think? Should we be placing our youth's educational growth in the hands of YouTube? Or should we shun such talk, and stick to tradition? A combination of the two? Leave some comments below.