A Context for Technology Use in the Classroom

When we use technology in the classroom, the most basic question is what technology do we use. However, there are also the questions of how and why to be answered. Sure, in a basic computer skills class, the answer to those questions might be centered upon learning how to use a program--such as Word or PowerPoint or Excel. Yet, once students have a familiarity with a tool, we should start to focus on how they can use that tool to convey what they know, and how they can use that information to create an end product.

In his article Technology-Transformed Learning Environments, David Warlick lists and describes 5 characteristics that a technology-infused learning experience should have.

1. The learning should be "fueled by questions." Whether these are questions based on student interest, questions encountered while researching, or questions presented by problems that students encounter, they wind up more successful at the task as they work to find the answers and creative solutions to these questions and problems.

2. "Students are engaged in a way that provokes conversation." Whether this conversation is with classmates, teachers, experts, or the data itself, students are working with the material as a two-way street, and learning and growing from the process.

3. "The learning situation is responsive to the learner’s actions." Whether students are getting feedback from classmates or teachers, or responses such as blog comments, they are hearing back about the final product that they have created, and getting genuine responses about its impact.

4. "The learning experience compels a personal investment by the learner and contributes to the learner’s identity." I think that all students are more engaged and successful with tasks when they feel a connection to the material, and see how it is affecting themselves and others. Technology and web 2.0 offer a much wider area for them to cast their nets and see the effects.

5. "The learning results from significant opportunities to safely make mistakes." It is an ever-present concept that we learn from our mistakes, and this goes back to something I said in my previous blog post. Students will never learn as much as they are capable of if we go about blocking anything and everything that *might* abuse or have issues with on the internet. What we need to do is supervise them, and help them learn to use some of these tools effectively, and Warlick is saying the same. Making mistakes and having the help available to navigate through them will be extremely beneficial when mistakes are made later on, and no one is there to hold their hand.

As I think about the web 2.0 tools we have talked about this semester, blogs and VoiceThread are the two tools that spring into my head at the moment as being usable in my class in the near future, and that address many of these ideas of Warlick's.

Blogs and VoiceThread would be a great way to address questions. A teacher could pose a question as a starting point for commentary on either of these tools, and through collaboration or individual responses, students would raise further questions that they could then research, or try and answer for their classmates. Responses would both answer portions of the discussion/research, and lead to more questions to continue with. Similarly, as these questions are created within answers, students are holding a conversation, and giving feedback to their classmates at the same time. They are carrying on conversations, validating and encouraging others' opinions, helping others to develop/change their arguments, being able to show why their position is important while at the same time hearing the positions of others, and having the opportunity for processing time before giving an answer. I think doing this activity first within a single-class group would help students feel better about mistakes, as their main audience is a set of people that they are already familiar with. In addition, the online format gives them a chance to think about and formulate their answer before typing in a text comment, or deciding they are ready to turn the microphone on and record.

While I think that connecting with other classrooms and communities is an ideal direction in which to head, when we are introducing our students to some of these tools, working with the limited group of their classmates at first may be the best way to go. We all started riding a bike with training wheels on, and this is part of what Warlick is getting at with his fifth point. Mistakes can be good, but perhaps we should show our students that on the smaller scale, before immediately jumping to the BIG picture and letting them sink or swim as they learn the piece of technology, the class information, AND the life skills all at the same time.

Four Things the Net Generation Needs to Know

As we go through the school year, we are following a certain curriculum in our classes. Whether that curriculum is something that we have helped create, or something that was given to us to follow, we know the basic topics that we are covering in our subject area. Our curriculum map outlines what we are teaching...but was isn't in there that should be?

Upon reading the article Four things every student should learn...but not every school is teaching, I find myself agreeing with the four things that Alan November says we should make sure that our students, the "Net Generation," know--global empathy, social and ethical responsibility on the web, the permanence of information posted on the web, and critical thinking about the information found online.

When a new idea, theory, method, or resource appears on the educational landscape, it is often a good idea to take notice of it, but how much we address it will often depend upon its usefulness and longevity. In my opinion, technology and the internet have long since proven that they are becoming required and interwoven with our everyday personal and professional lives. As such, it really is a necessity for us, as teachers, to make sure that we are helping our students learn to navigate the web 2.0 world.

One comment that particularly struck me was when November referred to social networking sites such as FaceBook. Just because we block them at school does not mean the kids are not going to use them at home. Now, I don't think that means we need to open up any and every website for their unsupervised use at school. Yet, I often think that we should allow them more access in general while at school, so that we can help and guide them in responsible internet use. We shouldn't be banning everything in a preemptive strike to keep them safe. We should proactive showing them how to use it safely...and there is a difference!

The permanence of the information posted on the internet is still something that I find myself having to think about some days. I remember being surprised when I first learned that "the Internet" is being archived nearly continuously. It's similar to the tangible items of diaries and photographs. If you don't want someone to see it, don't write about it or provide evidence. The same is true of the internet. I can even see making the parallel with the tabloid magazines and TV shows. Those celebrities sure don't want all those personal photos and videos surfacing, but...if you make them, and leave them laying around, you never know who will find them and what they will do with them!

Critical thinking about the information on the internet is SO IMPORTANT! All through this class, we have been bringing up the idea of Wikipedia and how inaccurate it sometimes is. We OWE it to our students to emphasize the idea of checking their information, and looking at where/who it is coming from. One of the best things about the internet is that everyone can contribute. Yet, one of the worst things is that everyone can contribute! Take what you read with a grain of salt, if you've only seen it one place, and it doesn't look like a very reputable site.

And finally, global empathy. This is the skill that seemed most easily addressed in my class, as a foreign language teacher. I am constantly trying to relate my experiences in other countries and with other people to my students' lives, and make them aware of those differences. And any time I get a foreign exchange student in my class, I make sure that we ask them about customs and concepts in their home country. Allowing for, knowing about, understanding, and embracing differences between cultures is so important anymore, and will help students so much in their lives and future careers. I think that this is the skill I would most like to try and find web 2.0 tools to help integrate more into my classroom next year. Perhaps we could pair with a classroom in a different country and share blogs or voicethread commentary on certain customs. I could also see exchanging pictures on Flickr or creating a wiki where two classrooms could share their views side-by-side.