One to one solutions

I poked around some looking for information on one to one solutions. Again this is a new term for me. (Fairly common occurence for this course - thank you, Jeff). The choices seem to be PCs, laptops, & PDAs. I think for any district cost will be the deciding factor. I think districts have a better chance of providing one on one solutions through the use of PDAs. There were some interesting annecdotes on the Palm site describing how individual schools have utilized PDAs. The Arlington Virginia Schools have had success with their writing program utililzing PDAs. There seems to be a general consensus that students are more engaged. The big question of course is - does it actually increase student achievement? There are school districts that feel their test scores are higher and attribute it to use of use of technology, especially one on one solutions. This is one of those areas that can be hard to prove. Others feel that additional time is spent monitoring student activity because as we all know it's easy to get sidetracked. I do feel that it has to be a benefit to engage students so that they look forward to not only reading and writing but to publishing their work for others to see. I think it also comes down to motivation. I've always felt that it is the most important attribute a person can have and the ability to use technology to learn has to be motivating for students. As time goes on the cost of providing technology should decrease so that it will be more affordable for school districts.

Assessment

I seem to be having issues with my computer being very slow lately. I was unable to listen to the elementary episode #27. It would play but then the buffer would kick in and take a long time to reload. Wish I could have moved it along to other sections of the podcast.

I can see real possibilities using podcasts for assessment. I think there are a lot of students that have trouble with written tests. I know that two of my three children always have had issues taking tests. If they could have verbally explained what they had learned they would have done well. They are successful in their fields but they struggled with testing. I think it is important to have a variety of ways for students to demonstrate competency. Our local school district is implementing e-portfolios from grade 7 & up. It's a requirement from the Dept. of Ed. but I think it will be a great way to show achievement and progress.

the other benefit of podcasts is helping to develop students presentation skills. they really need to organize their thoughts so they flow. It's also a great way for parents and community members to hear what the children are learning. Student's poscasts could be posted on the district/school webpage.

Second Life

Well, I have to say that I'm not sure if I'm that impressed with Second Life. I think it's mostly because, once again, it's technology that you need to spend time with to figure out. I've spent time wandering around looking at various places. Haven't had much luck interfacing with the vaious signs throughout the place. It was interesting to meet in one spot with everyone and of course it's fun creating our avatar. Previously to visiting Second Life, I had listened to presentations done through Second Life. As far as students utilizing Second Life, it's definitely not a place for them. Too public with no control of who's interacting. Not sure of how to utilize Second Life for education. Maybe someone can give me other examples of how to utilize it. I can see where it would be popular with people because so many 20 somethings have grown up with computer games and virtual worlds.

One computer for every student

It seems like a no brainer to me that students definitely would benefit from having a personal computer that they could take home with them. There is no question that today's students will utilize computers in almost any career they pursue. It's vital that they learn to be fluent in every aspect of computer use. (Imagine only allowing students to have access to books while they are at school.) We all know that homework is a necessity for students to master skills. How can we expect them to master computer use if they only have access during school hours?

I think there are two major barriers to implementation of a computer for every student. The first is cost. Having served as a school board member I know first hand the challenges of selling new initiatives to the voters. I happen to live in a school district that has the means to provide students with quality facilities and teachers but we still encounter issues with convincing the grey haired taxpayers that certain services are necessary to prepare students for their future success. It might be that the best avenue is having a district seek a grant for computers. The second barrier is having educators that are not up to speed themselves with technology either because their district cannot provide the technology or they have not been trained sufficiently to feel confident enough to utilize technology in the delivery of curriculum. Today's teachers should be encouraged and suppported to become fluent in utilizing computers in their classrooms. Then, teachers should take every opportunity to utilize Web 2.0 to inform parents, administrators, board members and community members about all the great learning that is happening in their classrooms. I know that a well prepared presentation to a school board and the taxpayers can go a long way to convincing them of the need for availability of a computer for every student.

Teaching in a New Networked World

As I've mentioned previously I am not a formal educator. I am not in a classroom, although I have done a lot of informal education. Through reading lots of blogs it is apparent that there is a broad range of skill levels out there as it relates to utilizing technology in school districts and classrooms. It seems there is no question that all districts and educators need to jump on the bandwagon as quickly as possible or they are going to be left in the dust. As many have said today's students are technology savvy and we need to be on our game and we need to provide them with all the tools they need to function in the workplace of the future. I think districts are going to need to devote money and resources into allowing ample time for teachers to become knowledgeable in integrating technology into their curriculum. It has the potential of really engaging students in their educational experience. This is an exciting time to be an educator but I'm sure there are many who are more than a little intimidated and maybe a little frustrated because their days are already full and now they need to find time to develop new methods to deliver curriculum in order to utilize the powerful tools that are available.

Personal Learning Networks

Personal learning networks have always existed. A person begins their life with their parents, siblings and extended family as their personal learning network, then teachers and classmates, Girl Scout and Boy Scout leaders and fellow troop members, followed by bosses and co-workers. It's not really a new concept. It's just that the volume of potential contacts has exploded through the use of Web 2.0. As one who has always enjoyed researching and utilizing resources to develop workshops for Girl Scouts, I am enthralled with the possibilities of sharing and finding information from such a huge network. There are so many individuals out there with so much knowledge.

I want to share one interesting resource that I came across in a blog through the School Library Journal. Principal Barbara Barreda from Van Nuys California recommended utilizing this tool: TouchGraph Check it out at www.touchgraph.com It basically is a tool for older students to use to when researching a particular topic. Type in the topic and you get a visual representation of resources for the particular topic. It includes related topics. I think it would help narrow searches. Coming across this is a prime example of the power of personal learning networks.

Web 2.0

I continue to be amazed at the powerful tool Web 2.0 is. I've been trying to come up with an appropriate analogy and one that may or may not work is the following: Imagine you suddenly wake up in a stadium full of cheering people all watching players on a field scrambling to get their hands on a footlong, oblong, pointed ball. There appear to be two teams playing against each other to see how far down the field they can carry the ball. You've heard of this sport but are not knowledgeable of the rules, never mind the individual plays that are being called. It appears that the game has been going on for some time because the players are very engaged and the spectators are cheering them on. You realize that you can waste no time learning the plays because you are not a spectator, you are a player! That's how I feel, excited but overwhelmed at the same time. Desperately wanting to learn the plays but realizing time is of the essence.

Now imagine you are an educator with a full schedule of classes, lots of students, lots of planning and preparation to cover all aspects of the curriculum and now you need to quickly learn how to function in a new world, a Web 2.0 world. It must be overwhelming. I can only hope that school districts work quickly to not only update their technology but find effective ways to support educators as they struggle to learn how to navigate the new technology while delivering the curriculum.