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Today we had a chance to share where we feel we stand now one week into the course and what are some potential inquiry questions we have. Sandy and I are in a similar situation in that we are both teachers-on-call and do not necessarily know what kind of class we’re walking into each day. This led us to the inquiry question of how we could incorporate ICT to benefit substitute teachers and the students in the class. The ideas of creating something to do with community and an online community was initially discussed, but there is already an abundance of materials available online. What we feel we need is a more specific resource that takes advantage of technology to assist in engaging with students.

Using Mindmeister, we’ve decided to create a checklist (a work in progress) for a TOC or teacher entering a new school. With this list, the goal is to quickly figure out what technology is available. If a Smartboard or projector is already set up, the teacher can easily access materials, websites, a personalized blog, etc. in the class to hook in and engage the students at the start of the day. This could be incredibly useful if the classroom teacher has not left a day plan or to just connect with the students.

However, a major problem is the disparity of technology available in schools, and even amongst classrooms. Sandy and I hope to find solutions and perhaps create a database to find ways in which we can utilize technology in the classrooms we visit.

In the case that nothing is available and one is dead-set on using technology as a resource, there are some products that are available. Purchasing a 3g subscription for a device, tethering to your phone’s data, or even looking into mini-projectors could potentially substitute a trolly full of books.

The issue is it comes down to money and how much teachers are willing to spend for their traveling bag of tricks. Another concern is how fragile these devices are and the risk of damaging or losing them when traveling from school to school. While it could be viewed as an investment, I would like to consider other cost effective avenues first. Hopefully some practical solutions will become evident as we further explore this idea.

When we started this course, I hadn’t directly considered the implications of ICT in the classroom. I feel many educators and students are so used to having certain technologies compartmentalized (i.e. computers at school are just for work; smartphones can only be used outside of class time; tablets are for gaming or tinkering with apps), it’s challenging to think of using things like Twitter or Facebook for educational purposes and work. Technology is constantly changing and affecting the way we interact and communicate with one another. I feel that while many things classify under information and communication technologies, the challenge now lies in learning how to make effective use of it and discern what is beneficial to the way to teach/learn, rather than using technology just for the sake of using it.

After reading about Will Richardson’s anecdote about his son playing Minecraft, it reminded me of Jane McGonigal’s TED Talk about trying to get youths to seek that “epic win” passion to real world problems. While gaming might not save the world, the information fluency involved in networking and problem solving in games are exactly the skills that are needed. Richardson’s ideas of getting away from fact finding and heading towards information fluency with technology is far more practical and applicable in the modern workforce. Technology as information fluency is defined as utilizing technology resources to create, problem solve, and develop social awareness and identity while becoming a responsible citizen.

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I think the key to succeeding as connected individuals is finding the right balance between the technological, cultural and cognitive domains. If we are going to use devices and resources such as tablets, how can we use them to improve our current practices? Simply having iPads and letting students play with apps and games all day isn’t exactly being technology and information literate. At one of my previous schools, we were fortunate enough to participate in a pilot program that provided a class set of iPads for low-income schools. Our technology teacher collaborates with our family of schools to develop lessons to teach these students how to use technology effectively throughout their K-12 education. So while they may be just learning how to navigate the OS in elementary school, by the time they reach high school the goal is that these students have the basic skills down and can then utilize technology to assist in solving problems and inquiries.

I think the concept of learning and unlearning with students is important because we need to become comfortable with the fact that we will never catch up and know everything there is to know about technology and information. We will make mistakes and fumble along at first and that’s all apart of the learning process. Finding ways to network and share our pooled knowledge is one way we can move forward.

This has led me to my topic of inquiry – finding ways to pool information and support teachers-on-call and new teachers in schools. There seems to be a culture of hoarding information or competing with one another for work; however, having “good subs” benefits everyone. I hope to expand on this in the near future!

References:

McGonigal, J. (2010). TED Talk. Retrieved on July 5, 2013 from

MediaSmarts. Retrieved on July 5, 2013 from

http://mediasmarts.ca/digital-media-literacy-fundamentals/digital-literacy-fundamentals

Informational literacy has a broad definition. Being informational literate means that an individual is able to identify a problem or question, and then decide how to go about finding the answers. The skills involved as outlined by the American Library Association include:

• Determining the extent of information needed
• Accessing the needed information effectively and efficiently
• Evaluating information and its sources critically
• Incorporating selected information into one’s knowledge base
• Using information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose
• Understanding the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information, and access and use information ethically and legally

In regards to technology, information literacy allows individuals to use computers, software applications, databases, videos and other technologies to achieve a variety of goals, whether that is personal, work related, or school related. In order to be information literate, individuals must develop technology skills. However, students must become more than just technology literate; they must learn to become technology fluent. Having basic computer skills relies more on rote instruction, learning how to navigate through software interfaces or motions. Being fluent means that individuals are able to apply those skills to solve problems and answer questions with no clear answer.

How does this apply to the classroom?

I think in many schools in Canada, teachers are moving away from simple rote exercises and shifting towards “the big questions” or inquiry based learning. While librarians still use the tried and true methods of using trade books and databases, there are more tools available now than ever. One of our goals as educators is to teach students how to use these tools, such as the Internet. There is such an abundance of information students need to learn how to narrow down results and determine what is a good, reliable source and what isn’t. In order to elevate the process to being fluent, students will have to learn the right questions and phrases to ask in order to find the answers they seek. Furthermore, once they find that information, they must evaluate that information and synthesize their own answer or solution. With technology and communication at our fingertips, students now also have the capability and resources of social networking. They have the potential to contact the experts (or others working on the same problem) directly through blogs, twitter, facebook, Skype, etc.

While technology provides more avenues to explore, students must develop information fluency in order to succeed in school and in their future endeavors. Starting this early in student education will help individuals smoothly incorporate technology and the new tools provided throughout their lives. But for that to happen, educators, parents, school trustees, etc. must push for change so we can keep up and make effective use of the tools around us. Perhaps the IRPs need to be updated to reflect the shift in technology and information literacy, and clearly set out guidelines so educators are unified in this endeavor.

References:

Association of College and Research Libraries. (2000). Information literacy competency standards for high education. Retrieved on July 4, 2013, from http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/informationliteracycompetency#ildef

Post 2

Some of the key terms that came up during our discussion were: technology in the classroom; technological dimensions; technology connected self.

This led to some interesting videos on Ted Talks, such as Sherry Turkle’s “Connected, but alone?” This made me wonder if technology would affect social development in schools.

After reading “Why School,” I felt a little overwhelmed by the daunting task that lies ahead of rethinking ways of how we were taught and how we can make it more applicable for students today. I’m relieved that we do not have the same education system as the U.S. where students and educators are ranked on test results. While there are merits to standardized testing and for educators to see how effective they are teaching, the benefits are lost when the consequence of failure is so high.

Many teachers stated their issues with the standardized tests are that they occur so early in the year, much of the material isn’t taught by the time they write. Perhaps many students would feel less anxious if were given adaptations to work through their tests. If students were assessed on how they would find the answers that might be a little more relevant. Richardson stresses the importance of being a master learner rather than being learned, emphasizing the words of Tony Wagner: “there’s no competitive advantage today in knowing more than the person next to you. The world doesn’t care what you know. What the world cares about is what you can do with what you know.”

What’s making this inquiry process more challenging is the inequitable distribution and access to technology. While many students are capable of conducting research and finding the answers they seek online, many schools lack computers or fast enough technology to keep up with our expectations. I’ve heard students ask if they could use their smart phones rather than the computers in the lab because they were faster and the students felt more comfortable using them. What’s frustrating is the students are usually right and can use their phones better than the computers available in the school, but unclear policies occasionally prevent students from using their devices. Jorn West Larsen, headmaster at Hellerup School in Denmark, heads a school for children ages 6-16. Instead of traditional classrooms, students learn in open spaces and have access to technology such as their own Smartphones. The school’s goal is to equip students for 21^st century skills, such as synthesizing large amounts of information online and working on solving problems with groups. “Our philosophy is that we have to give students academic skills, but just as important are social and personal skills,” says Larsen. By providing technology outside of computer labs, students learn at a young age that technology is incorporated in our daily lives; “the idea is that students interact with technology at school in the way they will later in the workplace.”

References:

Richardson, W. (2012-09-10). Why School?: How Education Must Change When Learning and Information Are Everywhere (Kindle Single) (Kindle Locations 468-469). TED Conferences. Kindle Edition.

Millar, E. (2013). The Globe and Mail. No classrooms and lots of technology: a Danish school’s approach. Retrieved on July 3, 2013 from

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/economy/canada-competes/no-classrooms-and-lots-of-technology-a-danish-schools-approach/article12688441/