MBCI InserviceTechnology and
Pedagogy Dec. 6, 2013R. Redekopp
Backchannels
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Perspective 1
It is still possible to get a great K-12 education without using any digital technology
Other technologies such as books, pens and paper seem to still be necessary.
Choose your tech poison(s)!
Perspective 2
“We become overwhelmed by technology when we neglect the pedagogy”
Apologies to whoever said this at Riding the Wave, Gimli, 2013
It’s not just a tool
•Technology changes how we think
•We negotiate with, and try to control, the technology
•We dialogue with each other through the technology
It’s not just a tool
Technology changes how we think:
•Knowledge and Ways of Thinking - what is valued and what is lost/devalued
•Technology and control of the environment
•Technology as enculturation and globalization
•How technology interferes with democracy
•Technology and equity
It’s not just a tool
We negotiate with, and try to control, the technology:
•Design drives the logic and bias of technology
•Technology steers the conversation to facts
•Relationships are mediated by technology
It’s not just a tool
We dialogue with each other through the technology. What changes:
•Distance
•Time
•Audience
Why Use Technology in Education?
•New ways to learn - working with the 85%o Angela McFarlane (sound clip)o RWL(P)
•New ways to express learningo writing doesn’t do it wello other media take just as much thought
•Huge social implicationso we still teach how to behave and stay safe -
but there are new contextso digital divide issues - who benefits most?
Babies and Bathwater????
•Teachers are still necessary!
•Facts are still necessary!
•Learning to write well (gooder) is still necessary!
From Facts to Thinking to ‘Wisdom’
Not the same path for everyone
Facts
•Facts are needed at various points - some at the beginning and some at points of contradiction along the way.
•Facts are fleeting (remember Pluto?).
•You can’t have a conversation without some facts.
•Facts are useless without a context (who won game 5 of the 1956 World Series?). [Look it up - see if you remember tomorrow]
Thinking
Thinking - working with and questioning the facts. (Is 2+2=5 for really large values of 2?)
Creating involves thinking - finding info, organizing it, presenting it.
Wisdom
How do you teach experience?
How do you teach the ‘big picture’?
How, in the age of Snapchat, do you teach long-term perspective?
How, in the age of FB do you teach quality relationships?
Fact Learning Apps
There is some question as to whether you can learn facts through apps/games or whether they are just good for reinforcing what you already know (still a good thing).
Too many subject areas and levels her to make any recommendations.
Facts - Google, Bing, Yahoo
Why waste students’ time searching?
Better search techniques help a bit, but ...
Using the search engine of your choice search for ...
Facts - Google, Bing, Yahoo
Louis Riel or Lester B Pearson
•how many hits?
•how many on the first page are irrelevant?
•how do we do better?
Facts - Google, Bing, Yahoo
Louis Riel or Lester B Pearson
•try -hotel (no space) or -airport
•still on ebay?
•do you have ONLY 500 000 hits?
•still going to try the first 3?
Facts - Google, Bing, Yahoo
•Teach good search techniqueso yes, BUT these searches can still be a huge
waste of time.
•Get your cybrarian involved!o they or you should come up with 5 - 10
starting links (on your web space) that will get students started
Facts - Google, Bing, Yahoo
Try the same search adding family.
Did Louis Riel have parents????
Why did they name his mother after a street?
Important Notes
Use right-click “Open in new tab” to follow my links.
Use one email/username and one password for all your ‘education’ accounts (but not your school id)
Student Learning - Beyond Facts?
Examples:Khan Academy, TeacherTube or Youtube lessons for procedures - at school or at home (using suggestions from your site)
TED (and TEDx kids) talks to challenge
What have you tried?
Student Expression of Learning
Most students do not express themselves best through writing.
Teaching writing is important, but if you want to know what they have really learned ...
Student Expression of Learning
Not every assignment
Can be quick response
Can be a major project
Student Expression of Learning
Quick response
Try this:Using Educreations (app or web) create a two or three page visual and audio creation to explain your use of your web page on the school site.
Demo of Educreations
Student Expression of Learning
Can require more planning and effort
WARNING: Multimedia is the ‘black-hole of time’
Student Expression of Learning
Samples:
Can I do a Podcast? (Amanda - GoAnimate)Connected (Warren - GoAnimate)
Important Ideas (Amanda - Powtoon)Assessment Ideas (Nicole and Andrea)
Stretch and bathroom break
3 minutes
Also - a tech break.
Feel free to check your texts and email and maybe even Facebook!
Student Expression of Learning
Demo of Powtoon
Your turn:In your group (or re-group) create a plan and use goAnimate or Powtoon show how you might assess this type of ‘essay’
Student Expression of Learning
Group work:
Students can make decisions about responsibilities and then work on their own piece when they can.
Demo: Google presentations - volunteers?Prezi, MS SkyDrive and wikis also allow this easy collaboration.
Student Expression of Learning
Podcasts and video are also good ways to express learning
The same essay research and planning go into these creations and students often put in more effort.
Pride - have you ever had a student want to show you their essay bloopers? Or show friends?
Student Expression of Learning
If we have time.
Your turn to create a 1 - 2 minute:
Group video or audio about the ways that you could better use your web space.
Good Tech for Teachers
Your web presence(s)
Your teacher sites are useful to get info and forms out there!
To get students to contribute and share you need more - blogs or wikis
Good Tech for Teachers
Wikis - the easiest way for students to contribute and share.
Can be private or public.Examples:Teacher and Tech CourseDigital Game Design CourseHigh School Courses
Good Tech for Teachers
LMS (Learning Management Systems)
Controlled class work spaceseg. edmodo, schoology, moodle
Good Tech for Teachers
PLN - Professional Learning Network
Diigo groups - social bookmarkingTwitter - find and follow good people
(@rredekopp) and hashtags (#umtandt) (Education hashtags)
SAGE mailing listsGood blogs
Good Tech for Teachers
PLN - Professional Learning Network
Try this (buddy up with someone who uses Twitter)
Twitter - find and follow good people (@rredekopp) and hashtags (#umtandt) (Education hashtags)
Good Tech for Teachers
PLN - Professional Learning Network
•Don’t read everything
•Not necessarily a daily obligation - if it is good, it will appear over and over.
•Sign-up for weekly summaries
Stretch and Tech break
3 minutes
and perhaps a funny video (time permitting)
Assessment
What to do about this unfamiliar world?
Content matters because production is easy, although time consuming.
Apply the flinch rule!
Assessment
Marking may take you longer (limit time to a few minutes!)
It will be more interesting!
Don’t complain about your marking - you assigned it!!!!!
Assessment
“Once you mark it, the learning stops.”
What happens when you hand back an essay?
So don’t give a mark until you have to, but give lots of feedback.
Assessment
Peer editing happens on its own - they want to see and comment on other’s creations.
The audience becomes larger
Encourages student voice - time, space and anonymity
Digital Games and Learning
Games don’t teach
Create the learning environment
Play or create games - both can be valuable
Unexpected outcomes - talking and writing
Digital Games and Learning
The current thinking
James Paul Gee - Grading with Games (1:15 - 3:23), Textbooks, Problem Solving
Katie Salen - Learning With Games (0:44 - 4:44)
Angela McFarlane - Gamers Need Communities
Copyright Matters
Council of Ministers of Education, Canada
Teach students about fairness, not legalities.
Be an example.
Show them BibMe.org
Apps and Learning
Some samples apps that go beyond facts:
Educreations - quick way to show learning
SoundBrush - to generate goofy ideas
iTunes U - U course free and online (enrichment)
Khan academy - content videos
Dragon Dictate - speech recognition
Apps and Learning
Look at some lists - for ideas and for anything that goes beyond fact acquisition/reinforcement.
Too long list - http://www.schrockguide.net/ipads-in-the-classroom.html
Middle School - http://schooltalkdev.palmbeach.k12.fl.us/groups/ipadpilot/wiki/ad829/Middle_School_iPad_Apps.html
High School - http://schooltalkdev.palmbeach.k12.fl.us/groups/ipadpilot/wiki/70925/
A more organized list - http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2012/12/a-list-of-all-best-ipad-apps-teachers.html
Q & A
What makes sense?
What concerns you most?
What doesn’t make sense?
Next steps?
Thank-you
The end.