Why We Need to Teach 21st Century Skills

One thing that concerns me, and has popped up in many conversations in this class about kids' use of technology, is that technology prowess will overshadow the importance of social relations in kids' lives.

Reading Regan's, "Why We Need to Teach 21st Century Skills" I was really impressed by the emphasis he places on social skills. After his mention of Dewey, Regan writes, "Social responsibility and integrating community-based projects into the daily curriculum enhance student awareness of life beyond school." Regan seems to imply that rather than stymie social skills, technology can instead be used to foster them.

Later in the article, Regan writes about how students will be increasingly expected to create and respond to information presented in a variety of mediums. I wonder if rather than hindering a student's social progress, technology perhaps just multiplies the ways in which people can communicate. So it may be the case that students seem limited in their ability to communicate using the traditional methods, but what if this is only because they are being exposed, simultaneously, to so many more methods than students from earlier generations? Perhaps traditional communication is not necessarily dying out, just that students' skills are less focused now and they must juggle multiple proficiencies--similar to young children growing up learning two or more languages.

Steph Dobler

New School vs Old School

Sometimes, I think "Why do I need to teach spelling? These days, most things are done on computers and have spell check." or "Why do I need to teach handwriting? My students will probably type most documents; anything handwritten will be for personal use and if they can understand it why bother?" And I then answer my own question- humans are not computers. We do see a definite increase in computer and technology use in everyday life, but there are still "old school" skills we must learn. Research shows that the tactile response children get from writing helps them learn (and retain) letter-sound correspondence thus improving their decoding. Reading will always be an essential skill. Period, end of sentence, no negotiations. If writing helps the learning process, we need to teach it.
Over the course of the semester we have touched upon many benefits of integrating technology. I do firmly believe that technology can enhance the educational experience. The visual stimulation screens provide is such a motivator for students. Technology can make lessons more interactive and relatable to real life. I believe the technology we include should compliment the education we would provide without it. I do not think it should replace it. In many cases, this is not a real/ relevant danger. In some cases it is.
As a teacher, I am starting to use various multimedia in my classroom. But I am very selective about videos, visuals or sound clips I create/ choose. When using clips in my class I ask myself several questions (is this relevant, is it appropriate, does it add to the experience I am creating, will it engage my students.) If I cannot answer all of them, I may choose to "kick it old school".
If nothing else, the one lesson I would like to take from this class (and to impart to others) is evaluation of technologies we choose. We should not be sticking in technology tangentially. When we choose to use technology it should be meaningful and provide for real learning. This is the only way to reap the full benefits of technology integration.

Teaching 21st Century Skills

As I read the article "Why we need to teach 21st century skills- and how to do it" I was particularly impressed with the connection Regan made to Dewey. When I think about Dewey's philosophy of hands on learning, I hadn't really thought of it in terms of using technology. Regan continued to explain that often times children retain information and understand it better when acquired through the use of hands-on learning. A recent episode in the classroom I am currently assistant teaching in comes to mind. It was time for social studies, a subject the children tend to enjoy but sometimes forget pretty quickly after learning it. The kids were asked the other day to create a web including all of the information they could recall about Jamestown. Although the students were enagaged at the lesson when it was being taught, a few struggled to think of what they had learned (through lectures and worksheets). With all the technology available to us today, not only would my students have been learning constructively, but at the same time, they would have been learning some of the skills they will need to succeed in the 21st century world.

Technology and Social Learning

In the article, Learning: Peering Backward and Looking Forward in the Digital Era, Weigal and James discuss the promising effect that the integration of technology in the classroom can have on social learning. They mention that the digital world has opened doors to many new forms of communication and that these seem to have a positive effect on social development. Through these new outlets students are encouraged to collaborate as they come face to face with the online community. The possibilities for group work are endless. A task as simple as a classroom blog can provide opportunities for learning that go beyond academics. As Wiegal and James point out, in a “networked, globalized marketplace” as the one we live in, social skills are an essential characteristic.

After reading this article, I have decided I want to introduce my second graders to blogging. A blog is a powerful tool that embraces the idea of community. I envision my second graders taking an active role in the development of a classroom blog, as they truly enjoy interacting with technology. I imagine that they would be motivated to write and see their ideas displayed on the screen while also interacting with one another on the web. The possibilities are endless. Let’s see what happens.

Why We Need to Teach 21st Century Skills—And How to Do It

The knowledge I have gained in this course has been extremely enlightening. I know have a deeper understanding of the benefits to integrating technology in my classroom as well as how to implement my new found ideas. The article by Bob Regan solidified my understanding as to why we need to teach these 21st century skills. I agree that this is a new age and educators need to embrace it. As educators its our job to prepare our students for the world that they will work and live in once their schooling is complete. We need to provide them with the skills necessary to compete in the world. It can be done, but as educators we need to understand the skills that this century consists of. I believe that the lack of understanding the significance of integrating technology in the classroom is the reason that teachers don't embrace it. It's going to take a little more than just pointing them in the right direction or having smart boards placed in every classroom. Teachers NEED professional development.
Integrating technology is another way to ensure that no child is left behind. The 'times are a changing' and we need to prepare our students for that. They need to go into the world feeling confident.

New Skills=New Disabilities ?

In many of the articles I have read this year, the concept of technology in the classroom has been described as being beneficial specifically to students with learning disabilities. Many readings has cited that a digital classroom provides certain students a new venue to engage and express themselves; to help take a concept further by providing a visual or audio supplement. While there is certainly no doubt in my mind that many students with disabilities or challenges will strive with the modification to the conventional classroom, I can help but anticipate the potential rise of a new category of disabilities, “Digital Disabilities”.

For example, the Regan article that discusses why technology needs to be taught in the 21^st century classroom described how the digital age has ushered in new skills that need to be learned and new contexts arise within the digital world where existing skills will need to be adapted to handle. For example, with the surplus of information on the Internet, kids need to apply the ability of separating important information from excess. This is a skill that has always been championed but in the digital world it has a new application.

I am curious if these “new skills” or new applications will in turn create a new type of disability. For example, students who have problems retrieving previously learned information and applying it to new material will have great trouble researching on the Internet (especially when so much sorting is required). Will these students who have fine motor issues “fall behind” in a digital classroom?

As a complete side note, I thought the idea of technology as a universal language to be completely mind blowing. The notion as well of a technical immigrant is so accurate that I will bring it into my vernacular without question.

Video blog post

http://s1186.photobucket.com/albums/z365/Mi238/?action=view&current=Capture_20101024.mp4

Why We Need to Teach 21st Century Skills—And How to Do It

One of the things I worry about most when it comes to technology (not just as a teacher, but also as a person) is that we are replacing human interaction. If you are taught that you can order groceries, talk to friends, do your job, etc. all through a computer and the internet, then what is the point of even leaving the house? While technology has allowed us to do great things I often wonder what we lose in order to gain these great things. In Bob Regan’s article he discusses how technology can be used to further a student’s social skills. He says “Group work and social skills, vital to the functioning of a globalized economy, need to be honed through collaborative learning projects.” He is suggesting that one should not exist in the absence of the other. In order to use technology in a rich way in the classroom, group projects are key. What I like most about what he says is that he seems aware that change is inevitable and by ignoring it you are doing a disservice to your students and also to yourself. So instead of becoming frustrated that new technology is being forced upon you, figure out how it best works in your classroom. Technology is supposed to enhance learning and be helpful. If you (as the teacher) see it as a hindrance, your students will probably sense this negative attitude and resist what is being presented to them.

Another point that he made was “Social responsibility and integrating community-based projects into the daily curriculum enhance student awareness of life beyond school.” I remember when I was younger my peers would say to the teacher “I’m never going to need to use this in the real world, so why should I learn it now?” Though it’s a sort of smart-ass comment, there is deeper meaning behind it. When teaching we need to make sure that students understand that there is a purpose behind what they are learning. They are not learning just to learn, they are learning because they are building skills that will help them in the future. Maybe you won’t need to know how to use algebra when you become an adult and get a job, but the skills you obtained, such as breaking a problem down into simpler steps, can help you in other aspects of your day-to-day life.

Importance of Technology

I read the article, "Why We Need to Teach 21st century skills and how to do it," which really allowed me to synthesize all of the knowledge and ideas that were discussed in this course. One thing that really stood out to me was the idea that technology allows for problem solving and critical thinking. It's easy to think that technology simply makes our lives easier and allows us to more easily access information. But, what I often don't think about it is the way in which technology teaches students to organize and think about a mass of information that they can readily access. It's also important to remember the ways in which technology gives all students the means to access various ideas and information.
The article also highlighted the idea that students are often more eager and ready to engage with technology because it is such an important part of their everyday lives already. The reality that students are accessing and using technology outside the classroom and this use allows them to better understand and manipulate technology inside the classroom is important to remember.
As an educator of students with special needs, I feel more prepared to provide my students with opportunities to learn through technology. Making abstract ideas come alive to my students through the many lenses of technology is so helpful and so important for my students and has already increased their learning and engagement in my classroom. As the article states, we are giving students valuable skills by introducing them to technology and allowing them to think creatively and globally. It's important for me to continue to remind myself to incorporate technology in my classroom and to provide my students with the skills necessary to live in the ever changing, global world.

Chiara Nakashian: Why We Need to Teach 21st...(Post #5)

I have a student in my class who is labeled on his IEP as being "mentally retarded," a dated and insensitive title. He does have cognitive delays, however Walter is 100% educable and often has deeper ideas and questions than his peers. Regardless, Walter lacks certain basic skills that often make him feel inferior to his classmates, one of these skills is reading. Fortunately, I recently came across a stack of Leap Frogs that weren't being used in my school and took them. When Walter saw the Leap Frog, he instantly knew what to do--where to put the cartridge, where to put the book, how to turn it on, where to place the pen, etc. Without asking me for any assistance, Walter set himself up and started reading! This is a student who often tells me during reading, "Just give me F, I can't read, I don't care." But on this day, I walked up to Walter and asked him to explain to me what he was doing. He stopped, looked up at me, slightly annoyed, and said, "I'm reading." It was exciting and heartwarming--Walter was reading!

This article by Bob Regan made me think of this experience, specifically because of brief mention of the benefits of technology for children with special needs. The tactile aspect of using different technologies--such as Smart Boards and Leap Frogs--has proven to be incredible in my classroom. In addition, the students are just so excited to use technology that the mere presence of the Smart Board excites them and gets them motivated to learn.

Another key point in this article is Regan's reference to John Dewey. He states that "Learning by doing was a core theme of John Dewey’s work. It is as important today as it was in his day. We don’t want to teach our students about science, we want them to become scientists." Thanks to technology, learning through experience can be brought to an entirely new level. Today, students can literally experience the world through a computer screen, and certainly should. Of course, this does not mean that real life experiences should be replaced in full by virtual experiences, however the interent is there to allow students to experience the parts of the world that they would have otherwise not been able to experience. For students like Walter, the internet and other technologies can bring the world to him.

Reflection on 525

A few weeks ago when it was time for social studies, my students groaned. I had just been creating guided notes and PowerPoint presentations, which are somewhat boring.

For my group presentation, I had to research making media with students. During this time, I stumbled upon Filamentality, which allows users to make a webpage consisting of links for students to explore. I ended up making a website to begin an inquiry based unit on cultures.

For the first day, the plan was to allow students to explore the site and compile 25 of the most interesting facts that they could find (to get students invested in the unit). I presented the website to my students as "Our Social Studies Website" and explained what it was all about. Even though the internet did not work for the computers that I took out, I handed out text books and some relevant books from out class library and allowed students to use the computers to type their facts. I was also able to allow different groups to use my computer to explore our class website. The students LOVED taking notes on the computer and using our class website when they got a chance. We only have social studies 2 times a week, but lately my students have been asking if we can do more social studies. They were not asking this before I brought in technology.

I probably would not have looked into making a class website for social studies or thinking of ways to have my students do internet research if it were not for this class and the group project.

Why We Need to Teach 21st Century Skills –And How to Do It, by Bob Regan

This article has only confirmed that technology to teach skills is what our kids require if they are to succeed in the adult working world. Things are changing faster than ever. Even things like job interviews are not the same as twenty years ago. Today you may have to take a series of test on a computer before you even get to see a live body. You may never meet your employer or not until much later because your interview took place through Skype or another video conferencing program. Currently where I work there are cases that we’ve had for two years and we’ve yet to meet the judge, the defense attorneys or even go to court. Everything is done using technology. Orders, photos, and requests, and anything else are faxed, scanned, emailed or conferenced. All the information is readily available to all the parties all the time, so there is no real need to drive two hours to get to court, just check it online.

As the article says, textbooks alone can only get us part of the way there. You can read all you want about computers but if you never have the hands on experience, it’s all moot. When students are given the opportunity to do a paper using technology they do better. Sometimes I’ve been writing a paper and tried to describe a feeling or a thing. It’s not easy to find the right words. Whereas a picture a video, or using Adobe to manipulate an image until it says what you want to say just seems to do the trick.

Using technology in school allows students to earn constructive criticism not only from their teacher but also their peers. Kids will tell each other what’s good, what’s not, what’s cool or hot. They can work in groups to develop better projects or a presentation which is essentially the same thing they’ll be doing in the workforce; working as a team to get a project done, putting ideas together to make things better.

I wished I had used technology while in school. Being able to use images and make my own would certainly have helped me have a better understanding of math. Technology allows us to make tangible or hands on things that in the past seemed impossible, which in turn may help better understand concepts and theories.

Response to Why We Need to Teach 21st Century Skills—and How to Do It

I attempted to record my voice reading this blog, I was able to record it on my Blackberry; however when I tried to upload it to my computer using windows media player, the file extension didn't transfer over. Here is my blog, enjoy!

Response to Why We Need to Teach 21st Century Skills—and How to Do It

By Bob Regan

As we become a society further connected by technology, the implication is on educators to ensure that our students will be prepared not only to compete in this culture but to excel. Whether in the job market or in their future educational career, students will need to have mastered the skills associated with technology. We can scaffold students toward this by allowing them to explore, manipulate and discover concepts through their expose with technology including multimedia, computer learning games etc. Society is continuing to be influenced by the constant changing technologies; students need to be equipped to work properly with these tools.

The expectations on a student graduating high school and their ability to utilize and configure technology is higher than the past; in order to effectively excel in the job market, students will need to be prepared. The preparation must begin the early years to meet the standards for the latter and higher education levels. For example the medical field, which in the past relied partially on technology, today many of the medical procedures are majorly performed through the usage of computerized equipment; these modernized measures require that the operator has the ability to enter the data effectively into the technological medical appliance, for efficient results. For the past 200 years the medical field has made enormous progress in the fight against deadly diseases with the help of new technologies. From the invention of the first vaccine to surgeries that can give someone a better quality of life, technology continues to improve the medical field. On a recent trip to my doctor’s office the physician’s assistant rolled in a machine that literally checked my blood pressure, registered my pulse and heart rate and temperature coupled with providing my doctor a print-out of the results before we had our face to face in the examination room.

There are numerous ways one can bring technology into the classroom, which will enable children to discover and maneuver the information they are learning. Primary examples of how to incorporate technology within the classroom are: the Smartboard- which makes learning come alive when utilizing this interactive board. It allows students to be actively engaged in their learning process. Additionally by placing children in groups of two or three directing them to explore how to search for information online; providing them specific directives and encouraging them to navigate their way through the internet. Older children can post to a class blog- this will assist them with contributing their ideas to a central location and additionally will afford them an introduction into collaboration. Lastly by having the students create a simple power point presentation will enhance a crucial skill for their future academic journey, career and job training.

As the article mentioned in order for children to be effectively prepared for the 21^st century, technology can assist them with: critical thinking/problem solving, global awareness, just to name a few, these skills are not only helpful in the classroom but also in society at large. The simple viewing of “Youtube” virtually can place one into classrooms around the world; affording insight of what and how well 4th graders or any level are performing globally! The future leaders whom we are educating today will require the technological skills to advance in their future endeavors.

The Necessity of Teaching 21st Century Skills

I believe that teaching children how to use technology and implementing technology in the classroom is greatly beneficial. Technology is something that students today can relate to because it has always been part of their 21^st century world. I agree with Regan who wrote, “While the context in which our schools operate today has changed, the goals have not.” Of course we still want to teach children information, ways of communicating, how to problem solve, collaboration, global awareness, and topical literacy, but if teachers continue to teach the old fashion way without integrating technology, teachers are not going to make connections with students. A huge part of learning is forming a relationship with learning through teacher encouragement.

Also, Regan points out that Dewey’s theory of “learning by doing” is still in practice today, however the ways in which students do and participate has drastically changed and we need to embrace that. By creating fully integrated curriculums that allow students to explore through the use of technology, students are able to “get closer to the source of information.” Not only are students able to more closely examine information, but media also helps them to express what they have learned. Including structured media in the classroom does not necessarily mean that social networking, contacting friends, or browsing the web will distract students, but how do teachers set limits?

I fully support the use of media technology in the classroom because I believe that it allows students to build stronger personal connections to the materials. By allowing students to further explore using what they already know, students will only expand their curiosity and problem-solving skills. But, if they are not able to use technology and more easily make connections with the information being taught in school, it is very likely that students will check out and not make as much progress as they can through the use of an integrated curriculum.

Reflection on Course

This course has allowed me to understand the benefit of using technology in the classroom and how it can help, the various learning styles that teachers encounter daily especially in underserved schools where there is a high concentration of minorities. I even challenged myself by playing a video game to understand the significance of utilizing technology and how games help in literacy development. What I learned after playing Sims 2 with my son again is that utilizing technology especially video games in the classroom can provide discussion and assist students to develop a higher level of thinking, reading and writing for their future success. My goal as a teacher is to incorporate the value of technology as an educational mechanism that can change and evolve over time. Technology, video games and Google Earth to name a few are effective if approached from their content, concept and design principle that teaches virtual and real world life experiences can include to help students understand the relevance of the subject being learned. What I have learned in my 3 years of teaching is that students spend an exorbitant amount of hours on computers especially social networks and playing videos games. This same amount of time can be funneled into student’s active and mindful learning through the usage of technology, blogs and video games in the classroom, which I now understand the implication in improving literary in all content areas. This is important if we are to catch up with other nations in the 21st century as their students are surpassing United States students in all areas of education. It is my hope that administrators would invest in more technology, i.e., laptops for all students, Smart Boards for interactive learning, video games for literacy development, and blogging to develop higher order thinking through discussion and debate on a topic. Technology can teach diversity and breaks away from the rudimentary textbooks, which many students find uninteresting. In my final assessment of technology it is the only logically approach for students to learn new cognitive skills in the age of technology, which will make learning engaging and relevant to students.

Viewing technology integration as a necessity

Bob Regan does a fine job portraying technology use in the classroom as a necessity.  Even though I am somewhat apprehensive about the trendiness of technology integration, as I attribute it to an onslaught of gimmicky and pointless lessons, I still see technology as an important tool to be used in the classroom, provided it is used correctly.

I think what makes Regan's argument compelling, even to us teachers who are wary of the technology hype, is the way in which he presents technology as an integral component of progressive education.  Technology does enable student to create, explore, and inquire as they engage in hands-on applications and share ideas with others all over the world.   Techology also offers students more choice.  They can access information from a large variety of sources rather than just a single text book.  This also means that they have a better opportunity to question sources and formulate opinions of their own.

Of course, as Regan points out, just as technology presents students with newfound opportunities, it presents teachers with newfound responsibilities.  We now need to teach students how to identify reliable sources and  how to safely access and present information.  We also need to start teaching students certain skills earlier.  I didn't learn how to cite sources or use PowerPoint until college.  Now elementary school students are using these strategies.  If teachers don't want their students to be left behind, they will incorporate these strategies into their curriculum as well.

So with all this said, one of my goals this year is to incorporate the use of technology in my classroom a little bit more.    It's a little akward, because my students already know more about computers than me.  One of them even knows how to do computer animation.  Even if I'm not teaching all of them new skills, I'm still emphasizing their strengths and helping them see themselves as creators of knowledge.  It is a staple of progressive education.  I just have to make sure it always has a purpose/

Great article in Time Magazine about Technology and bullying

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2024210,00.html

Enjoy!

Kinshasa

Why We Need to Teach 21st Century Skills

After reading Regan's article, it became even more clear to me how vital learning skills to operate technology really are. Teacher are always teaching the future generation, and because our country is continuously increasing our use of technology, it only makes sense that teachers should be teaching the skills that students will need in the years to come. Our job is to prepare our students to function independently in society. Therefore, without incorporating these skills into our lessons and curriculum, we are actually doing a disservice to our students. Regan raised a very important and intriguing point when he mentioned that we must first figure out what skills need to be taught and what are the best ways to teach those skills.

I found it interesting to think about how the general, overall expectations of skills our students need have not necessarily changed over the year, but the tools which we can use to teach those skills have. I also was intrigued by the emphasis in this article that was placed on the economy and students being able to function and interact with the economy. This is something that I have not really given much thought to before. Maybe it is because I teach such young children (five year olds), but I can see the connection to the teaching philosophy of teaching and learning by doing. This is a philosophy I try to maintain because I too agree that students' learning is most meaningful when they experience it first hand. I was really drawn to the point when Regan stated, "we don't want to teach students about science, we want them to become scientists." I have also always favored progressive education, but had not always thought about technology when thinking about progressive education. After reading this article, I can now see the strong connection between the two. Technology can support so many different types of learning styles and can help to make all students feel successful and heard.

The author also raised a good point. That although some teachers may feel hesitant about exploring new forms of technology, the students are not as apprehensive because they see it everyday outside of school. In this way, technology can also bridge the gap between home and school. This can lead even further into incorporating global awareness into the classroom and lessons. The internet now can help students better understand the world in which they live, and in turn, help prepare them to be more well rounded citizens.

Technology as a necessary skill

I know it has been mentioned so many times in the articles and also in the class presentations but I think this is my “take away” from this class. Technology is what the world we live in is based on. We live in a world of internet, cell phones, facebook, globalization, and collaboration. As Bob Regan talks about in his article, we live in the 21^st century so we need to teach 21^st century skills. The world we live in as adults consists of instant, constant communication, multi-tasking, and processing large volumes of information in seconds. This is the world our students are growing up in and we need to teach them how to navigate it and function in it. Using technology in the classroom is not just about how to make use of the computer that is in the room, its about teaching our students the skills they need in their tool belt to live in this world. We are not only teaching students skills in the classroom to bring out into the world, we are taking what they do anyway and what they enjoy from our technological world and we are bringing it into the classroom. Just like in reading, we need to build on students’ prior experiences to help then engage with and comprehend a text, we need to build on students’ prior knowledge when they come into our classrooms. We need to provide experiences for our students that mirror what they see in the world, that build on what they know and enjoy, and that prepare them for the increasingly technological world of tomorrow. We might not have grown up in a world like this While the context in which our schools operate today has changed, the goals have not. As Regan says, "While the context in which our schools operate today has changed, the goals have not." Schools themselves are not the same as they were in Dewey's days but their goals and function are the same. We are training children to be productive in the world that they live in. In the 21st century, that means giving them the technological skills they need as well as the life skills that come hand in hand with technology.

21st century skills

Technology is not what it used to be when I was growing up. It has become a necessity in our lives, and in the lives of our students. They are growing up in an era where they will skills for their future jobs that perhaps when I was growing up wasn't necessary. Teachers need to keep in mind this and incorporate it in not only their lessons, but the culture of their class. We need to let students explore other realms of learning. We also need to eel in mind that everyone has different learning styles, and that a textbooks don't offer that hands on experience that will remain with them forever.

The use of technology can only enrich and make the students' learning more meaningful. Although Bob Regan (2008) mentions that @1st Century Skills suggests, that teachers need to be teaching different skills such as " Information, media literacy, and communication skills; Thinking and problem-solving; Interpersonal, collaborative, and self-direction skills; Global awareness; Economic and business literacy, including entrepreneurial skills; Civic literacy" I belief that we should still teach what we are teaching now and incorporate these suggested skills. Students should be made aware of all of the skills mentioned above, but at the same time they still need the academic skills to make that are being taught in school now.

If a student has the necessary 21st century skills and the regular academic skills being implemented by schools now. Then this student is worth more than a student who has only limited set of skills. We want our students to be prepare for the future, but at the same time we want them to be well rounded and engage in all sorts of topics. As teachers we need to use our discretion and think about what is going to work for our students without limiting them.

21st Century Skills--Teaching the Future

As teachers, we need to stay as constant as possible with the digital nation/world because of the never ending technology breakthroughs and innovations. Constantly, we are surprised by yet another invention, but then we must choose whether or not to incorporate it into the classroom. The obvious answer (for current education grad students--not necessarily for seasoned teachers) is: do research, be creative, use the invention yourself and find a way, make a way, because if the kids are using it, which we know they are or will be soon, we need to use it in the classroom. Our teachings must be relevant, and the most important relevancy of today's digital generation is to integrate technology into the curriculum and classroom (yes, that's the name of our class!).

As I was reading Regan's article, I just kept saying over and over in my head "Of course, of course." In this course I have learned so much about not just adding technology in some of my lesson plans, but how to really use it; integrate it. There are a plethora of amazing websites, programs, and games out there and it is a matter of finding ways to make your lesson around it, of having students explore for themselves and really participate in the learning. By doing this, students are so much more motivated and of course, they learn so much more because the material is real.

Unfortunately, a point made in the MIT article, few schools have made progressions to stay up to date with 21st century skills. There needs to be a massive change, however, there are disagreements on how to best change these schools. Not only the failing schools need to be up to par with newer technologies, but all schools do. All students should have the right to an equal and just education, with similar resources and the opportunity to be on the same level with other students once they have graduated from high school. I really do hope that there is a systematic change and that across the board, schools will give students these opportunities. I know I will fight for it in my own school, but it is important that it reaches a national level of awareness and that something is done for the better.

Great Technology article about toddlers using the iphone

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/17/fashion/17TODDLERS.htm?_r=1&scp=4&sq=toddlers%20iphone&st=cse

Enjoy!

Kinshasa

Teaching 21st Century Skills

Many things in this article really struck me upon reading it. In fact, in the first two sentences, reading "technology is her first language," made me stop to think about how true that statement is. Thinking about students' shortened version of language that they now verbalize, it is amazing how quickly this idea of technology as a language has spread. Media, songs, networks, etc. all utilize this shortened and brief form of communication. It seems unrealistic to feel that it won't try to break through the walls of our education system. Though the technology language certainly does not belong in classrooms, technology can absolutely serve as an important part to enhancing a child's experience in education. Things such as field trips, text books, maps, hands on projects, etc are all still important and vital parts to education. However, technology brings something new to the table. Using this, "students can get closer to the source of information than they could before." (Regan). This can create long-lasting memories, concepts and experiences for students.

Something else that stood out revolved around reflection. Traditional ways of reflecting on classes, experiences and assignments involved a paper and a pen or a computer. However, with newer technology, students have options on how to best express and reflect themselves. Using animation, video diaries, images, recordings, etc. students can express themselves in ways other than writing. This feat does not come easy for all. It is a wonderful thought to think that students will have a choice on how to complete an assignment (ie reflection) that works best for them. As long as the students can successfully complete the requirements of the assignment, I personally see now issue with a student choosing alternative ways to complete assignments, and I think it is important for teachers to consider adopting this as well.

In addition to the added bonus of reflection, technology provides many other tremendous opportunities for students. Being able to use technology to complete an assignment, as discussed above, changes the audience that can view it. In a traditional paper or report, the student writes it down, hands it in, the teacher reviews it, and gives it back. If the student opts to complete a video or audio assignment, they can opt to share it with the entire class, which adds different meaning to it. Personally, though I put in the same amount of effort into an assignment that only a teacher will see, I put in a different type of effort if my peers will view it as well. Many students have experienced an amazing sense of pride in their product and it is wonderful that they can have the opportunity to showcase it to their peers in ways that they enjoy best.

Looking Forward: Learning in a Postmodern Digital Age

The new digital media (NDM) are implicated in many of the broad changes underway and underscore the importance of the aforementioned new skills. Digital media allow for nearly ubiquitous access to people and to virtually infinite amounts of information, as well as affording new forms of sociality, play, creativity, social activism, networking, and collaboration.



This quote is right on target. The buzz word here is infinite amounts of information.

Wait: moment of connections.....stay with me people. OK, so yesterday I was working with a 5th grade student at the Manhattan School for Children (PS133). So, as we were getting ready for out tutoring session for EDUC 860, I mentioned something about the College where I go to school, and the boy said, "YOU GO TO COLLEGE? YOU'RE TOO OLD TO GO TO SCHOOL". Wow! That made me pause to reflect to when I did my Undergraduate at University of Florida back in the 80's, over 20 some years ago. "Back in my time (here I go sounding like Gramps), I said to him, we typed our term papers with an electric typewriter! We didn't have computers, we would spend endless hours in the library researching and reading source materials. Today, you can just Google everything and never leave your house, just do your whole paper from your laptop!". His eyes were opened so wide in disbelief....Here this 10 year old couldn't even imagine a life without computers and above all COMPUTER GAMES!

This is the digital age we live in. I was reading another classmartes blog regarding teaching her mom how to use a Mac. Well, I was in the same boat when I got my first iPod 5 years ago. I would actually wait for my neices to come visit me in NYC and have them give me tutorals in all of the magical wonders of the Nano. Being that they were in college or graduating, (legal drinking age), I would reward them for their efforts with a beer at the local bar. Not such a bad Uncle, no?

It was reciprocal, though. I have vast knowledge of things they never knew existed. I could teach them things like, how to adjust an antenae TV (Rabbit ears and all!), How to make a Mixed Tape (remember them?) Even how to do laundry, I swear these kids are used to having their parents STILL do everything for them.

The point I am trying to make is that older generations/younger generations share a symbiotic co-existenes and I think that's pretty cool. I am still learning new technologies everyday, like programming my DVR, using my new Droid phone ( I only use 1/4, I'm sure of what my smartphone can actually do). Come to think of it, my Neice Katie will be visiting from UT Austin in a couple of weeks, maybe Uncle will reward her with some beers when whe shows me all of the hidden wonders of my Droid!

Integrating technology- the teacher’s perspective

While reading the Regan article this week I couldn’t help but think about when my mother (who is both an educator and a student) got a new computer. Her laptop was broken so my family convinced her to get a Mac, which we all had and loved. She finally conceded and got a Mac but was presented with a new problem. She didn’t know how to use one. She was constantly asking us questions on how to do things on the Mac, and on a computer in general. My mother is a smart woman, but it definitely took her time to pick up how to use this new technology. My siblings and I sat down with her one day and gave her a lesson on how to use the computer. She has picked up on most of the things by now, but still asks us questions. Every once in a while one of my siblings will sigh when she asks a question in a way that suggests, “you should just know how to do that mom” or “everyone knows how to do that it is so easy.” What we have to always remind ourselves is that she had not grown up with this technology and so she has to learn it all from scratch, where for the younger generation it is like second nature.

Regan cites a study in which it was concluded that about 80% of voters recognized that the skills that kids need to learn today are very different from those of 20 years ago. 99% of people also said that teaching these students the necessary 21^st century skills is vital to our country’s economic success. As educators, we not only have to identify what these skills are, but we must also figure out how to teach them to our students.

            Often, when we speak about integrating technology into the classroom learning, we think about how great it will be for the students. What sometimes may get overlooked is the fact that these technologies are not second nature to some of these teachers. Teacher must first learn all about the technology and programs their students will be engaging in and then find a way to incorporate and tailor it to fit a particular lesson. They must change and adapt just as the times keep changing. They must keep learning new and innovative things, and stay in tuned with where the kids are when they are not in school and what they are doing. One of the most important things is to connect what is being learned in the classroom to what goes on outside its walls. Without that association, children lose the connection and learning becomes something irrelevant to them.

When my mother learns something on the computer that makes her life a little bit easier she is always grateful and surprised. She learned how to research on the computer to find journal articles and even books that she can find at the school’s library in advance. For us, it seems so silly, but it really makes so much sense. Technology offers so much to everyone, no matter who we are. Now, whenever she learns something new that can be done on the computer, she thinks about how it can be integrated in her school and how she can use these resources to her advantage. 

Educational Games

Math Concentration
http://illuminations.nctm.org/ActivityDetail.aspx?ID=73

Latitude and Longitude
http://www.abcya.com/childrens_latitude_and_longitude_practice.htm

Legos
http://creative.lego.com/en-us/games/builder.aspx

Geo Board Game
http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/grade_g_1.html

Boggle
http://www.wordtwist.org/init.php

Sim City
http://simcity.ea.com/play/simcity_classic.php

Scrabble
http://www.hasbro.com/scrabble/en_US/

Sometimes seams are a good thing

Klopfer, Osterweil, Groff, and Haas all urge educators to "try out" social networking as a curricular tool, but I love the fact that they stress the importance of using technology not as purely a motivational tool but rather as leverage for instruction.  They also state that there are educators who implement excellent, innovative instruction without technology. We have to remember that good teaching is all about communication and concept.  If you don't have those, you're instruction will fall flat regardless of whether or not you have a flashy gadget.

I don't agree with the assertion that we must strive to make the academic and social worlds more seamless.  As I stated in my last post, this can be a dangerous statement when one thinks about how casual social networking is.  We don't want to render academic language obsolete. Remember, code switching between academic and social language is a skill.  There is a reason why we define settings as either formal or informal.

All this being said, I do agree that even social networking tools can be used to heighten the academic experience.  Here are some good examples I've seen...

Teachers with facebook pages.  This concept still makes me feel nervous, but our 8th grade math teacher does an exceptional job using facebook to communicate with students and parents who also, not surprisingly, have facebook.  She posts homework, tutorial videos, pictures of exemplary student work, and  invites students to quizzes and exams (yay, fun!)  Her profile pic also undergoes weekly changes.  She's a new famous female mathematician each week.  Her students do have a high homeowrk turnout.  Can this be solely attributed to the facebook page?  No, but it certainly doesn't work.  Kids know how to work facebook.  They're on there every night anyways, so why not swing by and see what the math teacher has to say?

I also agree that  have their place in academia.  This class has inspired me to start a college prep blog for my 8th graders.  We post written comments and video blogs to document the college exploration process.  As anticipated, this project has increased motivation and also encouraged discussion amongst my students. It is important to me that these students build upon the ideas of each other.  This blog helps them see themselves as active creators of knowledge rather than passive recipients of the ideas of others.  I like it.

In regards to the gaming, however..I'm not convinced.  I feel that the arguments for gaming as a catalyst for the development of "new cognitive abilities" are weak.  They seem like euphemisms to describe someone with a low attention span.  Maybe I'm being a grinch, but I have worked at a school that dedicated a year to trying to prove the benefits of synthesizing gaming and academics simply so that we could be seen as hip and fresh.  The game our school adopted was Dimension M, a shoot-up-the- aliens game that supposedly utilizes math skills.  I realized quickly that the game was worthless unless you pretaught or reviewed mathematical concepts traditionally before letting the kids loose.  Otherwise they just guessed.  For our enrichment students, it was motivating because they could apply previously used concepts.  For our struggling mathematicians, the game was simply frustrating.

Also, don't forget: students are being held subject to standardized tests that are still presented within a very two dimensional, flat, tradtional format.  Unfortunately this means that presenting concepts in a two dimensional mode is still important- at least within struggling public schools.

So, in short..evolution, not revolution.  I like that.  By no means should be totally remodel the academic realm.  At least not without doing our research first.

Living and Learning with New Media: Steph Dobler

I must say it was a little surprising to see the terms "geeking out," "messing around" and "flirting" in such a scholarly setting as a white-paper from the MacArthur foundation.

However, once I moved past my surprise, I was really inspired by the fact that fornak adult culture is taking such an interest in figuring out youth culture--not just youth behavior, but their actual culture. So much I think of the disconnect between young people and adults or teachers is the traditional condescension that the latter group demonstrates toward the former. In fact though, if we as adults and teachers are going to best serve the children and young people in our schools, we must first understand what interests them and second understand where technology is going. Young people are the obvious source for this information.

Evolution, Not Revolution

What is best practice teaching? I would say that it is teaching a child where they are through what they best relate to. In today’s educational world, children are relating to technology through the use of the Internet, video games, social networking, and television. Eric Klopfer et al. said it best, “These youth have been completely normalized by digital technologies – it is a fully integrated aspect of their lives.” When something is so ingrained in everyday life, why remove it to try and teach something new? I feel like that is saying come to school and learn by candlelight instead of using electricity because that’s the environment that the teachers know how to best teach in. The reality is that teachers need to adapt, otherwise they are creating further disconnect between school and the rest of the world. How can school prepare anyone for the rest of their life if it does not acknowledge the tools they will be using?

The argument regarding the use of technology in the classroom will continue, however, how will teachers learn the technology in order to incorporating it into their lessons? Should students be teaching their teachers? Should schools be focusing their professional development around the use of technology and ways it can be used to educate students? At this point, I think it is more a question of how can we move forward, rather than continue down the same low-tech teaching philosophy.

Games, social networking, and making media

Reading through the MacArthur study, I found myself thinking back on my own experience as a middle/high school student and realizing how much I learned from media such as online games like MapleStory, social networking/blogging such as Xanga and DeviantArt, and from wandering around on the internet learning about things that interested me.

So much learning takes place while children and youth are online or playing games. It was more than a few years ago that digital pets like Tamagotchi and Gigapets first captured the hearts of children. I think that having one of those pets could teach a child skills such as caring for another being and learning what kinds of things pets need to have healthy lives, among other things. While these are very basic ideas, I think that there is great potential for the use of different kinds of games and media in the classroom.

Through making media such as podcasts, students could practice literacy skills like constructing a persuasive essay, organizing a coherent story, as well as using the actual techologies of recording, editing, and layering sound clips. It could become a social learning experience as students listen to and comment on each other's projects.

I think it is important for educators to remind outselves that we do not hold all of the knowledge. It is unclear what kinds of knowledge and skills children growing up now will need to succeed in the world of the future. So instead of devaluing certain media, saying that they are a waste of time, perhaps we should be embracing them more fully, discovering ways to integrate them into our teaching, so that students can connect the technologies they use outside of school to their in-school educational experience as well.

Technology tools

Many teachers become overwhelm and reject a method they are not familiar with. According to Klopfer's article "these technologies don't just help us teach the old stuff in new ways- they can also help us teach the new stuff in new ways" (p4). In other words we should embrace them because they'll help us teach in ways that are more meaningful to the students. Students are very familiar with many technology tools. One that is used by most students and educators digital gaming.

There are many types of digital games that teachers have turned into educational tools. I find this to be a very powerful tool. This is a new method of education that will more than certainly engage the students. It makes learning fun and entertaining. children are oblivious at the fact that they are learning many skills that will help them, not only socially, but academically as well. These are long term skills that will help them as they get into the real world. Researchers have found that digital gaming gives student'
• The ability to process information very quickly;
• The ability to determine what is and is not of relevance to them;
• The ability to process information in parallel, at the same time and from a range of different sources;
• Familiarity with exploring information in a non-linear fashion;
• A tendency to access information in the first instance through imagery and then use text to clarify, ex- pand, and explore;
• Familiarity with non-geographically bounded networks of communication

There are many different sites teachers can access to find digital games that are suitable for the students that they have and for the different subjects they teach. With this generation, it is important to include, and teach, these technology tools because these are life long skills that will perhaps help them get a job. We should, as educators, embrace the new tools that are out there, and what better way to do it than with tools that our children will respond to in a positive way.

Digital Games and Social Networking

Digital games and Social Networking

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Response to article: Living and Learning with New Media by the McArthur Foundation

Response to article: Living and Learning with New Media by the McArthur Foundation

Students are surrounded by media all the time. As the article states, they learn from their peers more so than they do from educators. In learning from their peers, learning is more fun, interactive and it is play, not work in many aspects. It’s simply socializing; this new way of communicating is their way of life. Learning from other peers provides them with uninhibited access to new media. Creativity is at its best when not hindered or limited. While I understand that educators must limit access to certain media in school, it also puts the educator on the other side of the playing field. They can be seen as an opponent or adversary. Educators need to become familiar with new media and level the playing field with students, as this would provide better communication and learning between the two groups thus better opportunities for learning. Access to media should be less restricted. If the students are using media outside the school anyway, educators should use it in schools in ways that will make the students think and thrive. Media for learning in school should flow into the student’s lines of communication just as looking up the hot new video game out is. Students should be encouraged to research for school as if it were part of their socializing. As much as students use media, it’s the educators who may find that they have something to learn from their students.

MacArthur Post

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Technology THEN and NOW

In reading the Report on Digital Media and Learning, it was one of the first sentences in the reading that really struck me. “…it is hard to believe that less than a decade ago these technologies barely existed.” It seems like the internet and everything that has come with it has been around forever. But reading this sentence made me think back to a time when I did not rely so heavily on the internet. I can remember in 5^th grade being given the option to either type or handwrite my essay. I’m not sure if this is a result of me being in 5^th grade so the teacher wasn’t as strict or if it was the fact that it was 1998. I can remember getting my first AOL account and being excited every time the “You’ve Got Mail” jingle came up because I knew that someone had sent me an email. I hadn’t been jaded by the constant influx of junk mail. To think of how far the internet has come since then is fascinating and terrifying at the same time. We are always trying to make things better and surpass what our predecessors have done. I wonder where we will be in regards to technology in another 20 years and whether this will have greatly affected the social dynamic of our personal interactions.

One passage that really struck me was:

“New media allow for a degree of freedom and autonomy for you that is less apparent in a classroom setting. Youth respect one another’s authority online, and they are often more motivated to learn from peers than from adults. Their efforts are also largely self-directed, and the outcome emerges through exploration, on contrast to classroom learning that is oriented toward set, predefined goals.”

It is really important for students, adolescents especially, to have a place where they feel like they are equals with the others in this place. More often than not, this doesn’t happen in the classroom. If the internet and technology can be brought into classrooms than maybe students will feel more confident sharing their ideas and contributing to the classroom dynamic.

There are not many places where children get to feel superior to the adults in their lives, but this is one of them. I wonder is this trend going to continue, or will it all even out in the end? As I grow older will I fall behind the technology curve, only to be surpassed by the next generation? Is this technology’s version of the circle of life?

Learning to love video games

Admittedly, I have been an opponent of video games and have never really championed the idea of bringing technology into the classroom. I never "saw the light" on the connection or saw the importance. I thought of technology and video games as a solitary activity and a mindless waste of time. I admit this can in part be attributed to the fact that I never found this venue fun or engaging the way other kids did and do. However, as a teacher, I need to use materials and teach in a way that is best for my students, not myself. That being said, I read "Using the Technology of Today, in the Classroom Today" with an open mind, and I must say I "get it". I see that there are genuine skills that can be learned from those experiences, but it is the job of the teacher to help students translate concepts learned in gaming into real life. I am sad that I have been so closed minded to this venue and dismissed it as a waste of time.

The kids who will be students in my classroom as kids of the "digital youth", kids who are "normalized by technology", and I need to find ways to create a reciprocal relationship between technology and teaching. I actually wish that I could create a video game around important historical events. Turn events in time such as the revolution or civil war into SIM's concepts or war games. This would help kids see history as a interesting topic and not dull memorization. There really is SO much teachers can do with technology and this article really helped me see that. I now see ways that I could connect curriculum to technology and games. However, the school I am currently in does not have a computer center or computers for the kids to use.

Question for the future:

Writing that out I am forced again to think about the grave disadvantage certain students are at currently, and how as time progresses and teaching tools become more advanced/expensive, that certain kids are going to lose out even more. I know that teaching lessons without technology is obviously still effective, but how will this effect the educational divide that already exists?

Educational Games

Math Concentration game:
http://illuminations.nctm.org/ActivityDetail.aspx?ID=73

Latitude and Longitude game:
http://www.abcya.com/childrens_latitude_and_longitude_practice.htm

Building Legos:
http://creative.lego.com/en-us/games/builder.aspx

Geo Board:
http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/grade_g_1.html

Boggle:
http://www.wordtwist.org/init.php

Sim City:
http://simcity.ea.com/play/simcity_classic.php

New media...New Learning

After reading the MacArthur report on Digital Media and Learning as well as the blog post on the report, I have a new outlook on this 'new media.' I have always considered myself to be an open-minded educator. I'm open to whatever will help engage my students in their learning. One thing I haven't considered is how these social networks and instant messaging is helping them to learn from one another. Students who have difficulty reading have myspaces pages that they have set up with so much creative thought. Kids are teaching each other and working cooperatively to set up these pages. They are able to maintain and sustain relationship through these social networks. They are following steps necessary to upload photos and video. Following multiple step directions is something that my students struggle with in school yet they are able to follow directions with this new media.
Now i don't agree with teenagers having access to this new media but I now understannd that are some positive effects of this new media. I struggle with how to incorporate this new media in my classroom. I wish that there was more professional development offered to guide me. Until the board of education sees that this new media has its benefits none will be provided. How can we intergrate this new media in our classrooms when teachers and parents are expected to restrict kids from using them.
As educators we have to become more knowledgable of this new media. I myself am a memeber of a social network. Being a member of this network I am able to collaborate with others. I'm learning things about the web that I didn't know or understand before. I know that I have to evolve with the times. I want and need to understand this new media because I need to know what my child is being exposed to. I am guilty of preventing my daughter to have access to this new media. Am I preventing her from having access because of my fear of the negative effects or my insecurties about my knowledge of this new media?

Video games in the classroom

Growing up, my brother was very into playing video games. I never saw the fascination behind sitting in front of a screen and playing a game. I was more interested in running around or playing a game with a friend. My parents always bugged my brother to get up and go play outside or with a friend- I know my parents definitely did not see any value in playing video games, and until this week, I did not think there could be much of an educational value either.
As I think about my brother and my students who pull out their nintendo DS's the minute school is over, and as I did the readings this week, I am beginning to see that these games that so many boys and girls are hooked on playing can be used for educational purposes. I can imagine my student's faces if I told them that in an effort to learn about creating a community or a new colony, they will be playing a game like Sim City, where they would have to form a community of their own and make choices about how to sustain it. The choices that they would have to make not only teach about the importance of our choices in the community at large but also send the message to students that computer games could be a way to learn and have fun.
In addition to those video games whose educational purposes are hard to see, there are also many great games that students enjoy which are created with educational purposes in mind. Although many may not be as detailed and high-tech as a game like Sim City, my students love any opportunity they get to play a game. I often feel that this is the best way to reinforce a concept or skill without getting student complaints. I am looking forward to trying to integrate additional video games to bring into my classroom which I would not have thought had an educational purpose at first glance.

Digital Games

The age of technology is affecting the way teachers and administrators view education, however, there is a hesitation in the amount of funding that is being allocated to provide the tools and technology for classrooms throughout the United States. Digital games are an excellent tool for literacy development to acquire real life skills. To observe the benefits of video games I asked my 15-year-old son to play Sims 2 with me and recorded the outcome.

Tonight is the first night that I am going to try and play a video game with my son. I have not played video games in over 20 years. Nevertheless, I overcame my apprehension and decided that I will sit down for 30 minutes to see how I could actually implement video games as a learning tool in the age of technology since taking this course. The game actually turned into 1 hour and 45 minutes. First, my son had to explain the concept of the game, which was to create a family. Then he had to explain how to use the controller and I kept forgetting the instructions. I kept mixing up the arrow keys. Then there was the actually creation of my avatar. I had to get a job, sleep, eat, cook, shower, have a form of recreation and make friends. After my son helped me through the basic concept and ideas, I had enough for the evening and stopped playing. He said that I was thinking too much about the game and I was missing the idea. I just kept thinking that this was too complicated and there were too many screens to read, but my son was able to navigate without any difficulty, which confirmed the importance of technology in the classroom.

What I learned from this interaction was that the game provided real life application skills, which is what students need in order to understand the realities of what life will resemble once students graduate from high school or complete college. Additionally, I learned that when playing video games there is an extensive amount of reading and, as a teacher there could be a writing assessment to determine how much the student has learned from reading the screen. My final assessment from playing Sims 2 is that older teachers much embrace technology as a tool for teaching students who may otherwise become disengaged in their learning and embrace technology.

Reflection on Educational Games (in comics!)

Educational games reflection

View more documents from Jessica Millstone.

Living and Learning with New Media

The article, "Living and Learning with New Media," made me think and consider the different roles that technology and new media could play in education. It was interesting for me to read the definition of "new media" as the way in which traditional media (books, television) are now combining with interactive media and media for social communication. It was particularly engaging to read about the ways in which media for social communication is changing the way that teens "talk" to one another. The article highlighted new media as allowing teens to engage with one another in a new way: through social networks, IM, chats, etc. rather than through face to face interactions. The article discussed the way in which online sites have given youth a new way to interact with their friends. For parents and other adults, this may be new and unknown territory. Youth can now "hang out" with their friends online which is a new practice and which is something that will change and has changed the shape of teenage interaction.

This new media has also allowed students to form groups and to interact over common interests or ideas. Youth can turn to like-minded peers and share ideas that they may otherwise not be allowed to receive.

This new media clearly offers many more opportunities that most of us are currently aware. As youth discover and play around with different forms of technology and media, they are quickly discovering the wide range of opportunities available to them, both socially and intellectually.

Why We Need to Teach 21st Century Skills...

Media Literacy Enhances Language Arts

Reading about the kinds of things students are doing at the Crestwood schools, I cannot help but be impressed and intrigued. The students are using professional graphic design software to "deepen their understanding of plots and characters". This sounds great as an engaging option for a product students can create, but only after learning content. Okay, maybe students can work with the technology in the midst of trying to get a better understanding of the plot and characters, but it seems like the majority of comprehension work would be done without technology. I need to remind myself that this is only a way of enhancing language arts and deepening understanding.

Where I work, I do not know that there is a time in the day where students could be working in this way. Reading looks like mini-lesson, independent reading, then a brief share (if we leave enough time). If I were to incorporate something like this, it might be at the end of a unit. Thinking about it, it would probably be a really good idea to do something like this, in place of a traditional book report.

Regan suggests that digital media is a great way for students who struggle with text to "engage with and express ideas" while they are working to resolve their problems with reading and writing. Working on my group presentation, which is about making media with students, I really saw how such activities could enhance how students "engage with and express ideas." However, I think it is important to keep reading and writing skills as an integral part of this process-most likely these will be involved anyway in whatever the product is.

Less Barriers, More Technology

In the "New MacArthur Study: Must Read for Educators," Will explains the need for youth to have access to technology and encouragement to use it in ways to interact with peers. One thing that struck me was that he says students should be able to experiment and explore technology. This is something that absolutely frightens educators, and is the number one reason as to why most schools block so many websites. This is so unfortunate because connecting with the real world motivates children and many aspects of the real world can be accessed through the internet. Through collaborating with technology, students can learn about each other, find similar interests, as well as conduct self-directed research.

While I was student teaching in Yonkers, I realized the hardships of working in a school with such limited resources, especially with technology. Almost every single website was blocked, even Google images. Students were only able to go to the "computer lab" once and that was because I insisted upon it and made an account with BrainPopJr for the students to use while we were there. There is a disconnection to the real world when students have no technology at school, while their whole lives revolve around TV, internet, computers, cell phones, iPods, GPSs, video games, and handheld devices. As educators we need to be our students' advocates and help get more technology into the classrooms, keeping ourselves educated about the always new information and research about using technology effectively in the classroom.

Response to Klopfer Article

https://docs.google.com/present/view?id=dhn9n7gp_11fjjc3cgj&interval=15&autoStart=true&loop=true

Kinshasa Nicholas

Why We Need to Teach 21st Centruy Skill-And How to Do It

WOW!



This artical by Bob Regan just lept off the page and connected with every I've learned so far here during my 2 years here at Bank Street College. When I read the following quote:





According to the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, the skills we need to be teaching include the following:
•‑Information, media literacy, and communication skills
• Thinking and problem-solving
• Interpersonal, collaborative, and self-direction skills
•Global awareness
• Economic and business literacy, including entrepreneurial skills
• Civic literacy



I started to make the connection that this was in part the definition of the curriculum of Bank Street, i.e. using Social Studies as the core.



Regan mentions that even though the context in which our schools operate has changes, the goals have not. AND, how he connects this with John Dewey's core theme: LEARNING BY DOING, I connected with the mantra used by Diane Newman, "Theory and Practice". Meaning that to excel in one's learning, we need to put the theory (what we've learned from reading texts and discussion in the classroom) into our actual practice as Educators. Just what Dewey said! I also like how Dewey gives a classic example of this by saying, "We don't want to teach our students about science, we want them to become scientists". This is what some might call the notion of ACTIVE LEARNING.



So basically what we have here is the responsibility of caring out Dewey's plan of "emphasis on problem solving and critical thinking". Regan mentions who this Theory/Practice can be carried over into today's classrooms where so much new technology is readily (in most cases) to more students, he refers to this as, "Multimedia Applications". The car model may have changed, but it still serves the purpose of getting us from one place to another.

I was also drawn to the idea of how technology was furthering the practice of how content crossed over to other subject areas. "Visual memory is strong, so the more you can involve the student in creating or re-creating a visual, the more you’re imprinting that information in their minds," "We’ve been using arts classes to raise standard test scores in math, reading, and writing." When students take a picture and have to describe it, they’re learning how to verbalize the essential meaning. When they read a story and illustrate it, they’re showing reading comprehension, but they are also engaging at the level of synthesis. They are choosing what element to focus on and creating a visual representation.

Also, for the visual learner, " some students, especially those with learning disabilities, digital media provides a means to engage with and express ideas. For many students, text can present real hurdles to learning. While still working through issues with text, students can supplement core ideas through the use of interactive digital experiences".

In closing, Mark Johnson from Crestwood Junior and Senior High Schools raises probably the most valuable point one should take away from this article, that point is that most students today in a Technological Scholastic Environment learn from not just the work from fellow students in class, but from other students, WORLDWIDE......................... Very Cool.

Keeping with the times

With the new age of technology, come a new generation of technology-savvy kids. Students these days spend a whole lot of time on the computer and on the Internet. They talk to friends, socialize with others who may not be their friends, and pursue their personal interests. They have the freedom to teach themselves what they want.

            As MacArthur points out, and Will Richardson reiterates, kids learn many skills while they are online. They learn a lot about social skills: how to talk to others and how to respect one another. They also learn about facts and subjects that they are interested in. If a student finds he/she has a particular interest in something he/she is able to look it up, find more information, and find people with similar interests instantaneously. Online, students are also able to learn from one another, rather than only from an adult in the classroom.

            One of the best ways to keep kids engaged in the content of learning in the classroom is to present it in new and innovative ways. Teachers should utilize what students know and are interested in to teach them about new things. Instead of fighting against new technology, teachers should take advantage of it.

The Education Arcade article believes the same thing. They point out the hesitation of teachers and schools to use computer games, or really any other technology in the classroom. One interesting thing they point out is the use of digital games in many professional fields. They are used for training purposes for doctors and military personnel. But schools try to cut out this whole aspect of a child’s life when they are in the classroom.

            As we have seen throughout this class, there are endless amounts of ways that a teacher can incorporate technology into the classroom. A teacher can find the one that works best for them and use it to make learning fun, new and engaging. The one thing teachers need to be aware of is the parameters in which they are working. They have to make sure they know what they are asking of the student and they know how the program they want to use operates. While we do want students using their knowledge of technology to gain even more knowledge in various subject areas, we do not want it to get out of hand. There should be some censoring involved. Another thing to be aware of is the idea that technology does not “take over.” There are many things that cannot be learned on the Internet, for example, in-person social skills. Interactions with people and self-presentation are very important parts of learning that should not be disregarded for this new way of socializing. 

Simulations and Peer Learning

As we have discussed in various ways, technology has amazing crucial benefits to enhance a classroom environment, as well as drawbacks to its use. In the Education Arcade article, one thing that really stood out to me was using technology for simulations. Though I presented in the virtual field trip group last week, I had never really considered the options that digital games have to enhance a child's learning experience, whether they are able to recognize it or not. One specific game that many of my friends played growing up, The Sims, can be used as an excellent tool in the classroom. In dissecting the fundamentals of the game, one can see that government, economics, architecture, math, science, and many other qualities are grappled with. The student must be able to create a withholding society in which things must run smoothly. Though I do not feel that this type of exercise should be the bulk of a study on economics, government, etc., but it certainly seems that it can be used to enhance a unit on such topics. The authors did point out a specific necessity when using this type of technology in the classroom. Keeping students focused and on track is critical, otherwise they are merely playing a computer game in school and not working with the specified concepts. Adding a vast amount of structure to the practice will allow students to understand the reasons they are playing that game, or completing that activity.

Another way in which simulations are excellent to bring into the classroom is creating meaningful and lasting experiences and thoughts for students. A high school teacher discussed creating a simulation of a forest fire for her students. One must only consider the difference in experience those students had by creating, watching and dissecting that act of nature, as opposed to reading about it or watching a film on it.

Another concept that really struck me focused on the importance of peer learning and how closely that can be linked to technology. In using social networking sites and other forms of technology, students are learning form each other to utilize and manipulate technology, socialize in very different ways, among others. If teachers are able to tap into that world, students are likely to be more interested and engaged in their learning experience if it is linked to something that they really know and enjoy. Things such as blogging can encapsulate both peer learning, as well as an adult setting a purpose to learn or experience. MacArthur stated "Such learning differs fundamentally from traditional instruction and is often framed negatively
Living and Learning with New Media" which doesn't strike me as a good thing. Though it may be true, it seems to me that learning how to integrate this different type of learning will only benefit our students' experiences in our classrooms.

Chiara Nakashian: Games in Education! (Post #4 due 10/18)

I've always separated technological games and social networking sites from my professional life; so much so that I've blocked every one of my coworkers on websites such as facebook. However, to my surprise, this article, The Instructional Power of Digital Games and Social Networking Simulation and How Teachers Can Leverage Them written by Klopfer, Osterweil, Groff, and Haas, is pushing for the use of these social technological advances inside the classroom so to use them for instructional gain.

According to Dawley (quoted in Klopfer et. al.), "[i]n a given week, the average eighth-grade boy will play video games for about 23 hours, while the average girl will play about 12—that’s even more time than they spend watching TV (Dawley, 2006). Therefore, one of the most obvious benefits to using these technologies for learning is that students are often already familiar with these interfaces and the “language” of interacting with and utilizing them." Twenty-three hours a week isn't far from the average work week of an adult. In addition, other researches quoted in this piece state that playing video games (even those that are not labeled as "educational") help children to develop certain necessary skills including quick information processing, relevance, parallels, exploring non-linear information, problem solving, etc. This theory seemed interesting to me, however left me wondering how these skills--acquired through a non-educational medium--can then be applied to learning information in school.

Putting that question aside, I did find a lot of validity in using specific games inside the classroom as a means of acquring those skills while simultaneously learning. For example, the use of the game Diplomacy in Ross' 7th grade classroom allows students to experience virtual political scenarios that replicate historical scenarios of WWII, all the while playing a video game. As John Dewey writes in detail about in his philosophical work, Experience and Education, students must learn through experience. Using technology and specifically a game like this is a perfect way of allowing students to actually experience the impossible--history.

Regardless of the benefits of this type of experience, I'm still not exactly sold on the use of the social networking sites within the classroom, even those specifically created for educational purposes. However, this article also provides wonderful resources and advice regarding what an educator can do to experience the benefits of technology themselves and become more comfortable with the use of it with children.