Group+3

Group 3: Audra, Irene , Jennifer , Stephanie ﻿Monday 2-21 Yes, thank-you Audra for getting that into a letter format. I am moving onto the next assignment on the WIKI with Mark and Amy. Feel free to finish the letter however you like. I thank-you for your comments and views. Jen

﻿ ﻿Thanks, Audra, for putting it into a letter form. I agree with highlighting technology use that is free, yet trains users in collaboration and "internet fluency." Jen, that is an interesting idea that technology use is not so novel and exciting to the students, as to the parents, teachers, administration and ultimately the purchasers. This would be a good survey topic, to see which learning style students really prefer to learn, say, borrowing in subtraction: manipulatives, or a smartboard? Audra: Dear School District ,

I am writing in regards to your current technology usage throughout your school district. Having a child in your district I thought you should be aware of my family’s and several other families’ opinions regarding the use of technology in our schools. Being a digital native myself, I lean toward technology for many things I do throughout my day whether it is at my job or at home. I think the world has transformed into a digital world and it has just become part of the daily lifestyle. I do feel there are families out there who abuse the technology privileges by allowing their children to be engrossed in it for extended periods of time, excluding them from discovering the real world and from being creative and imaginative. However, I feel that with technology in schools, students are able to be a part of what their future holds, in their jobs and in their daily lives. I feel it is important for them to be technologically knowledgeable, so that they can use these tools to their advantage. I know that schools these days have a limited budget and with technology changing so fast, it is crucial to make important decisions with the money. The tools should be chosen wisely, so that they can try to be utilized for a significant amount of time. That may be difficult with how fast changes in technology happen, but we should try to research and become informed the best that we can be. Here are a few things that I think would benefit our district’s students in their learning.

~I think every teacher should have a website or wiki that could be used collaboratively between the teacher, students and parents. This tool is a great way to communicate with students and parents with upcoming news, what they are learning, homework posts, pictures, and useful resources for families. This is a very cheap tool that is useful in so many ways and it saves paper! ﻿I have a web page and never have time to update it due to lack of prep time. I would agree that this is nice, but it's just not practical unless the teachers get more prep time.

~I think our school district should have an online report card system. This allows parents to check grades on a monthly basis versus just at the end of each quarter. Parents could do a better job of keeping on top of their children’s homework completion and behavioral needs. ﻿I agree and our district already has this.

~I think each classroom should have a Promethean Board ﻿(Is this a smart board?) I have only found studies that smart boards assist with special needs students because of the ease of use, (gross motor friendly) I have not found any evidence that using these with regular education students improves achievement. or access to one on a daily basis. I know this tool comes with a big expense, but these tools are used in schools across the United States and have a huge impact in classrooms. Students are able to interact in a different way than just using a chalkboard or whiteboard. With this board, teachers are able to create interactive lessons that allow every student to be included. These boards replace chalkboards, whiteboards, projectors and tvs.

<span style="color: #3992ea; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">~Along with the Promethean Board, I think that each school should have a few sets of ipod touches that are able to interact with the boards. There are responders that are available for purchase and are made to go along with the Promethean Boards, however ipod touches have an app that would do the same thing as the responders, plus they would include many other great features that could also be used in the classroom with the students. With this responder app, students are able to answer questions or “respond” with the board. They can be used as a game, when checking their homework, or in many other ways. This tool allows all students to have a way to be interactive in class at the same time. Students can use them from math class to writing class or even as a science tool. It would be another great personal learning tool. Again, I know these tools come with an expense, however the learning that will happen will outweigh the cost. <span style="color: #bb2580; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">﻿Currently my elementary school is the pilot school for using ipads, we have 20 of them and they are shared and used for a variety of reasons. The teachers using them will do a report and let the district know if they are an asset to learning. I think it is a good idea to do pilot programs on new technology before you spend a lot of money. I also would like it to be a formal study and include action research. I need to see documentation that this increases achievement, not just a teacher or kids saying they enjoy using it and they are cool.

<span style="color: #3992ea; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">~Along with some of these technology tools, it is important to train your teachers in how to use them. Many teachers are technologically challenged, so training is necessary for them to become comfortable to use and to teach with. I think that after the teachers are comfortable with these tools, they will be utilizing them in their everyday lessons. Teachers should also work with students on how to use these tools safely. They should have lessons on internet safety, so that students are aware of how they should be using these learning tools. <span style="color: #bb2580; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">﻿I agree, but currently the only training we get are professional development courses that are after school and done by other teachers in the district. All of the training is done on our time and at our expense. I believe that a better plan would be using half days (Our district calls them SIT days) for district wide training.

<span style="color: #3992ea; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">I know that these suggestion all come with a price, however they should be looked at as an investment. Our students are our future and so is technology. Please consider these recommendations.

<span style="color: #3992ea; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Sincerely,

<span style="color: #3992ea; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Audra Kretschmer (parent)

JEN / Saturday, 2-19 p.m.

<span style="color: #ea3974; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Here are a few of my Recommendations for this assignment:
 * <span style="color: #ea3974; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tabstops: list .5in;">Instructional and informational technologies should be used to create relevant and engaging student learning opportunities
 * <span style="color: #ea3974; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tabstops: list .5in;">Instructional and informational technologies should be used primarily to raise student achievement in all subjects
 * <span style="color: #ea3974; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tabstops: list .5in;">Consistent technology opportunities should be given at each grade level
 * <span style="color: #ea3974; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tabstops: list .5in;">Technology should be used for staff and student collaboration (sharing of ideas, information and content)
 * <span style="color: #ea3974; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tabstops: list .5in;">Professional development for teachers should include technology integration for complex student learning practices
 * <span style="color: #ea3974; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tabstops: list .5in;">All students, staff, and parents have access to information technologies
 * <span style="color: #ea3974; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tabstops: list .5in;">﻿Technology should encourage all stakeholders (teachers, students, administrators, parents, community members) to build interest and understanding of current and emerging technologies

JEN / Saturday, 2-19 a.m. Hi again, I think we are doing this right, but I do not know if we are supposed to be using the discussion thread? I agree that we should teach basic computer literacy for all students and need to put money into basic software and computer infrastructure i.e. wiring, hardware, speed etc... Students should feel confident in their skills and understanding of how technology can be used to make a better world and maintain / create positive social experiences. I believe that it is important for parents to know how much time their child is spending in front of a computer or using an ipad at school. We all know that kids spend excessive amounts of time at home on computers, playing video games, watching T.V., using ipads, iPods, tweeting, blogging, face booking, and texting, so I believe the time spent at school using technology should be looked at. You may have one teacher that uses her smart board and doc camera all day long while another teacher only uses these items occasionally. I would like to share a thought about our big push for technology in schools, our work, and our lives. The children who are about my daughter’s age, 18, and have always had technology at their fingertips think it's great. They always want the latest and greatest new computers, phones, and games, however, because they are so used to technology it really is not the big attention getter that people think it is. I guarantee that if you ask students if they would prefer to learn a concept with a hands on method or a computer method the vast majority would choose a hands on method. I have never, even when I taught art to middle school students, had a student ask why we don't do art on the computer or request to do so. The people who are so excited about technology and want it everywhere are those who have not always had it. As always let me know what you think, Jen

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">I agree Jen that all students should learn and be comfortable with basic computer skills and the districts should have basic software and computers. The only problem is that by the time each building would get their computers the technology would be obsolete and then everyone would complain that the computers are too slow, the software is outdated, etc. Where does it end? How do we keep up and how do we as teachers continue to teach our core curriculum when the administration tells us we have to use our prep time for meetings, they cut tech staff and then expect us to teach computers on top of everything else? I have a hard time getting everyting in as it is!

Irene: I think all of your questions are very important. I too feel that schools are eating out of the hand of the companies producing the technology, and are less informed than those marketing it. Parents put pressure on the schools to purchase, also. If districts do not have any firm vision in mind for a technology plan with limits, they will be swayed by the loudest voices in the clamor. Until reading our own comments in this class, I have not heard voices questioning the validity of this spending. It makes a lot of sense; as a parent in a group advising a school board, I would recommend that the school provide basic computer literacy for all students, but treat as current events the news of the latest innovations (and news of what is becoming obsolete as well.) Don’t try to purchase the latest and greatest; by the time the kids graduate, those expensive items will be museum relics. Instead, use the wealth of free programs, software and educational games on the internet. I know this sounds negative, but in light of this week’s proposed changes to public employees and education as a whole, it seems that there won’t be money for anything soon. ( Am I doing this right? Posting the newest at the top of the page, in a consistent color from now on? )

Hello Groupies: Here is my enlightened opinion on the use of technology in the classroom. First of all I am not opposed to technology in the classroom if used to enhance a unit that is in the curriculum, however, I spent four hours trying to find non-biased / impartial research that shows proof that technology improves student achievement and I found nothing. I went on the U.S. Department of Education’s web site and assumed I would find the proof I was looking for and again nothing. The website Discovery Education, which was suggested to look at, is sponsored by CDW-G and Smart. Both of these companies sell technology products and Discovery Education is a subsidiary of Discovery Communications (A media and technology Company). One of their guiding principles stated by Discovery Education is that they "Offer services that are proven to be effective" I called the company to get the proof of effectiveness and got two phone trees all regarding customer service and sales. I finally left a message, asking for their proof of effectiveness, and hope they will call me back. I noticed a lot of sites from our first technology assignment were from Will Richardson. I decided to do a bit of digging. He earns his money by doing paid appearances to speak, conducting workshops and consulting for school districts. He received his B.S. in Journalism in 1980 and a M.A. in 1983. I can't find much of anything on him until 2003 when he started writing a ton of articles on technology and began writing books in 2009. He owns a company called "Connective Learning" This Company helps people start up their own cyber blogs and promotes his books, web blogs and seminars. I read his some of his articles and blogs and his two big points are; that we can learn a lot by sharing information through the internet and that schools need a clear curriculum and should use technology to implement it. I found a lot of contradictions in his blogs and some a bit insulting. Will Richardson has talked his way onto the advisory board for the George Lukas Foundation (Yes the creator of Star Wars) Will has written articles for EDUTOPIA, which is supported by the George Lukas Foundation. Although I think it's great when philanthropists give money to education, as you read in the superman articles in Rethinking Schools it's not all about what's best for education. It can be about making more money, feeling good, and looking good in front of others. I hope you realize I am not saying that Technology is bad or has no place in schools, but I want impartial proof. In the past when a new vaccination came out and it was suggested by the media and drug companies that I give it to my kids I consulted my Doctor, read all of the impartial information, read about information from the FDA and then made an informed decision. I just don't feel as a society we are informed about the risks and benefits of technology in the classroom. Does technology reduce attention spans in classrooms? will its excitement ware down like any new toy in the classroom? Will poorly written software incorrectly teach concepts? I can't find answers to these simple and important questions. A few more fun facts: The U.S. Department of Education’s Director of the Office of Educational Technology is Karen Cator. Prior to this very important role she directed APPLE’S leadership and advocacy efforts in education. I just don’t think her prior job for Apple will keep her view point impartial. Oh, and since you all know that technology is the leading cause of cheating in school, I thought you might like to buy a paper on the negative effects of technology on education, just click on the link and you can finish your homework in a few clicks. [] Let me know what you think, Jen

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Here are some questions that I might present to my district's school board:

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Dear Members of the Board, <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">As a parent of two children in the district I am glad to see that the district has decided to make some receint changes to update the use of technology in the classrooms and to share information with parents. The use of SMART Boards to enhance learning in the classroom has been a tool that my kids really enjoy. I like being able to go onto the district website to see current updates throughout the district as well as individual teacher sites that allow teachers to post relevent data such as newsletters, homework, fieldtrip information, and curriculum based games and activities that my children can access from home. I think that the receint change to the online report card system is an imporvement over the old inconsistant grade reporting system that the teachrs were using.

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">I do also have some concerns as well. I wonder with all of the current budget issues stressing the district and the state, with all of the library/media specialists already being fired from the district and the technology support staff being moved to the high school how will technology continue to be supported within the elementary schools? How will the teachers be supported so they can continue to provide the best education for our children in the future?

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Respectfully, <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Stephanie Henneberry

**Technology Part 2 Task:**
==**You are a group of parents interested in the enlightened use of technology in your school district. Create a document to present to them outlining recommendations you would like them to consider as they plan for technology integration for the future. Give the rationale for everything you suggest. Make it clear to them what educational beliefs you are working from. Be as specific as possible. Reference any of your readings to support your recommendations.**==
 * To go back to the list of sites from last week, Technology Part 1**
 * Here is the link from Mark: Discovery Education**

==

== ==Compile a list of issues, questions and challenges facing K-12 education today and in the decade(s) ahead - related to technology change. (include a brief explanation of why you think this will be important):== Irene: This is kind of hard to do, not face-to-face.

I have just watched the presentation on Portals, used in a university-level anthropology class. I'm sort of stuck in an elementary world, and really unaware of many of the venues for learning through media that were used here. What was exciting was the way students were allowed to collaborate on their learning project, and how they learned to use media to research and connect information, beyond merely for their own entertainment. I think that these are important skills for learning and spreading what students collectively know, in the future. I think the challenge would be for the set-in-stone systems, patterns, and ways it's always been done, to really be changed. The application for k-12 education would be very different than for university students.

Jennifer I read "Footprints in the Digital Age" by Will Richardson, from the Nov 2008 issue of Educational Leadership. He speaks about how many children / adolescents are creating thier own digital image or individual identity online. He jokes about fearing what his kids identity or "resume" will look like when they are googled. Will they be interesting enough, look smart....or will things they have said or done come back to haunt them. He notes that 80% of young people who are online are networking and creating all sorts of content, some very bad. Children are learning on thier own from the web and networking sites, they are in charge and we are not. He uses an example of kids at the front of a bus and adults at the back, they are driving but, don't know how to steer, break or follow the rules of the road. He feels we are failing to teach kids to be learners and not just knowers. Teachers need to be co-learners and model how to use technology and networks in a positive and safe mannor. The first step is wanting to share, since our technological world is all about sharing information, interests, thoughts and ideas. The author feels students need to know how to use technology to enhance learning and maintain engagement in interests. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">﻿I think one of the greatest challenges is that I have to be an expert in technology, an expert in my teaching field (Art) and an expert in the art of teaching. Get real people, how is this possible??? There is not enough time in the day to keep up with three major jobs in one. An example of this is lack of time is when I got a new phone three weeks ago, I have not had time to read the manual and am learning as I go. Yes I loose calls since I can't figure out how to pick up an incoming call when I am on with someone else or how to change the setting so it does not lock every five seconds. Honestly by the time I figure out this phone, I will have to get a new one and start all over again. I now have to have a web site and maintain it for my district. Yes another thing to do. Another issues regarging schools and technology is that we are accepting all of it without studies being done about the effects on kids learning and socialization. We go with it because ???????? Everyone else is and we don't want to look outdated. I wonder who does the studies of the benefits of technology in the classroom? Maybe companies who sell it to the schools? You know like the drug companies who do the medical research proving the benefits of their products on patients. Just some thoughts, Jen

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">Irene: I agree that technology is changing too fast to keep up with, financially. Districts can spend thousands on Smart Boards for every room, and they may be outdated very soon. I would like to see data showing that learning borrowing in math is really better by having it taught on a smart board, versus with good old manipulatives. I think that student skills in cooperation and searching out their answers are the underlying skills, whatever medium is used.

==<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Stephanie: As we read in the papers, watch on the news, and read online it is the same thing everyday; budget cuts, layoffs, save money! Each district is doing it yet administrators and school boards are pushing for more technology updates. In the perfect world that would be great but at what cost? Should we be cutting jobs, arts programs, autos programs, sports programs, and other extra curricular activities to try to find the money to fund continuous upgrades to try to keep up with ever changing technology? I believe as a parent that it is important for my children to know and understand how to use the basic technology that is out there. The kids need to know how to type a paper, send an email and communicate electronically in appropriate ways but for districts to continue to cut other programs that are so important to children like my son who without the hands-on learing in his autos class would never have learned how to change the oil for his car or to do basic car repairs would have probably dropped out of high school. I believe that there has to continue to be teaching and learning of computer skills, typing, and on-line research but not at the expense of so many other programs. Technology changes too fast and too often, that is the name of the game! If the public and school districts continue to play the game many of our children are going to pay the price. If we have children who love the technology and if we as parents have the financial resources to let them explore at home or in college then I think that is what needs to be done to allow us to save the k-12 educational system. If we don't make a change to stop all of the cuts now, it will only continue to be an up hill fight. == <span style="color: #008080; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%;">Audra: I watched the "Digital Nation: Life on the Virtual Frontier," which discussed how people, particularily young people these days are immersed in the digital world. Everyone is connected, but many times parents aren’t aware of what their children are doing in the digital world. Kids who are from this digital time period, are wired differently, they are able to multitask just about everything they do. Tests were given to Stanford students to see how well they do at multitasking. Research showed that they were lousy at it. They were not as efficient when multitasking as when they were not. They talked about learning from South Korea, where internet addiction has become a public health crisis. Teachers are embracing technology in their classrooms, because that is how student’s minds are wired. This allows school to make more sense for the kids, because that’s how they learn best. There is a debate going on if these digital students are as smart as they are perceived, their everyday reading and writing skills are deteriorating. These digital worlds are being treated as if they are the real world, connecting to others in a different and imaginative way. Even the U.S. military uses technology in several ways. There is a school based on learning through video games. Are these kids getting something that we can’t measure or recognize yet? I found the video to be somewhat conflicting. Is this digital world we are living in a good thing? Are the way students are learning now a days with technology a positive or negative thing? In the classrooms that I am involved in, I think technology has done amazing things for the ways students learn, however I do see some pitfalls from this digital time period. There are things that kids do with technology where they are not being monitored by parents, when they should be. In the classroom there are definitely conflicts and struggles with technology, particularily having to do with money and the cost of getting the technology, implementing it, fixing it, or even replacing parts such as lightbulbs for our Promethean Boards that cost hundreds of dollars to replace.

==<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">Stephanie: I watched Ken Robinson's video "Do Schools Kill Creativity" <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">and he took a more comedic approach to the problems we are seeing in education today. He did talk about how over the next thirty years we will be seeing record numbers of students graduating from college because of the push technology is having on the workplace. He also started out by saying that we have no idea what the world will look like in the next five years not to mention in the years to come when all of these young kids we are teaching now will be graduating from high school and then from college. So if that is the case how are we supposed to teach them? Robinson also said that we are all so vested in education and that our education is what will take us into the future even though we have no idea what will happen because the future is so unpredictable. One of his main points is that when children are young they are all so talented and creative, as they grow older and are going through the educational systems around the world children are taught that making mistakes and taking chances is not the right thing to do. He believes this kills their creativity. Robinson also believes that fostering the childs creativity and talents throught the arts just like we do with math, language arts, and languages. He pointed out that in school systems around the world arts are at the bottom of the list of education programs taught to the children. Children are told/taught that the talents they value are not important so they begin to think they are not talented. == ==<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">I agree with him, we see more and more each year the push for technology in our district and the cuts in areas of the arts when so many student thrive in the arts and look so forward to music, art class, and even library. There are some students who may never want to go to college because they may not think they are good enough because they love to draw but they have been told that will never get them any where. We have school districts that are pushing to cut arts programs thinking they are doing a good thing but they are also not doing well with the area of technology where they want to make such a difference, or so they say! This year in particular in our district the decision was made to push for updating computer labs but then in every elementary building they cut the position of every library/media specialist who in the past taught computer classes. On top of that, each elementary building had a part-time computer technician who was also pulled out leaving the teachers, students, and building staff to figure out all computer issues on their own. I often wonder... How is that going to help the kids in the long run? We as teachers try to fit in as much as we can but to add in computer skills on top of everything else is very frustrating. <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">﻿ <span style="color: #bb2580; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">﻿ ==