Using Technology as a Tool

There are days I wonder how I could survive without technology because I use it seamlessly every day at work and at home. For example, we were planning a recent trip to a large city, so I Googled it to find out the best places to visit, where to stay, and even recommended restaurants. I then used the TripAdvisor App to further investigate the options I found on the web. I created a Google Doc to share with the folks traveling with me so they could add their input as we built our itinerary. And the whole process was made easier with "technology."

A colleague shared a YouTube Video with me showing a two year old interacting with a magazine and then interacting with an iPad. You guessed it, the two year old had no trouble manipulating the apps on the iPad, but had difficulty grasping how to turn or move the pages in the magazine.

Then I read about an article The New York Times recently published indicating that there is "little proof" that technology improves education in the United States. I can't help but wonder where is the disconnect? Perhaps it is because of the pockets of excellence we have happening in our schools are going unnoticed by the media. 

I want to talk about one such pocket that is happening in a classroom in Gaston County Schools. Becky Perkins, a fifth grade teacher at Sadler, immerses her students in technology so seamlessly that they often ask when are they going to get to use technology. It is so much a part of the culture of the class, they students don't recognize it as "doing technology." She has five literacy stations going on at the same time. Those five stations are comprised of :

• Adobe Digital Editions (eBook projected for small group)
• Literature Discussion Groups (using Flip Share video camera)
• Fluency Center (Students recording their reading using Audacity on the computers in order to improve their fluency)
• Listening Center (mp3 player playing audio text while students follow with printed copy)
• Literature Response Center (via Classroom Blog)

As you can see, all five stations had technology in use by the students, but it wasn't the focus. It is a tool just like I use it in my everyday life. Students see it as learning, but they are using technology to get their work completed. 

Another pocket of excellence that I see is in a computer lab at Cherryville Elementary School. Heidi Harvey plans, creates, and then implements lessons for students in Kindergarten through third grade that is tied to the curriculum and goes along with what the students are learning in their classes. As I work on this post, I am sitting in her class as she teaches third graders how to research animals. The students' task is to find their animal and pay close attention to the images included of the animal. She is teaching Internet safety skills, valid sources, and how to recognize links to additional information. The students then are to sketch their animal as they will be making a clay model of it in art. Sounds like a real world scenario doesn't it? And she has done similar things all day with all grade levels. 

Again, these are but two examples of how technology is being used effectively and making a difference in the education of our students. So I will continue to advocate for technology integration where technology is a tool and not the focus. I agree with Kevin Hogan of Tech & Learning when he says, "To not educate students on how to use the tools and techniques (technology) they need to use in order to succeed is almost criminal."

Greatest Gift a Teacher Can Receive

A preview of the new report sponsored by Scholastic Inc.and Bill and Linda Gates Foundation called “Primary Sources 2011, America’s Teachers on America’s Schools” was recently released. The full report will be released in January. The report captures the voices and opinions of teachers from across the country on learning and public education. One quote caught my attention. An Elementary School Teacher said, “Having the resources to effectively teach and empower all students would be the greatest gift a teacher can receive.”

I am not sure I think resources would be the greatest gift, but I do think that Gaston County Schools has access to many resources to teach students. One that I feel goes under utilized is the use of Discovery Education (formerly United Streaming). There is so much more than videos available for teachers to use to empower their students, including the capability to create classes and add students to those classes. Once the student has been added, they have the access to the great video content, images, clipart, sound files, and more that teachers have, all included in the service paid for by Gaston County Schools. The students can then use that material with Web 2.0 services such as VoiceThread, Museum Box, or a host of other free sites. 

Other resource provided to classrooms in Gaston County Schools are the interactive whiteboards (SMART Boards and Promethean) that can be an effective tool when leveraged for the interactive abilities these boards provide. We have to move beyond the teacher experiencing the tool to the students experiencing the tool.

If you have any interest in learning more about Discovery Education or help with creating interactive lessons, please let me know. I will share these resources with you and help you use them to empower students.

In the meantime, I am curious, what do you think is the greatest gift a teacher can receive?

Market Place on Learning.Com

Learning.com (EasyTech) has launched a new feature called Market Place. Log in and take a few minutes to check it out. Basically they have partnered with 25 education providers (such as Khan Academy, NASA's BEST Students, LEGO) to offer standards aligned content which is already aligned to Common Core. Most of it is free although some is fee based. Check it out and let me know what you think.