Teaching with Technology Summer I Midterm AssignmentSubmitted by Bill McGillicuddy

Out of the Darkness…

Into the Light…Into the Light…

►Seeing things differently…Seeing things differently…

We as teachers need a variety of We as teachers need a variety of ways to reach our students, who ways to reach our students, who were born in an era of television were born in an era of television and digital images and sounds.and digital images and sounds.

We must stuff our toolboxes full of We must stuff our toolboxes full of media images, audio files and media images, audio files and

software platforms to access the software platforms to access the learning pathways children favorlearning pathways children favor

Highlights of Learning Highlights of Learning So FarSo Far

Digital natives speak a different language, and their Digital natives speak a different language, and their mental abilities and processing skills are far different mental abilities and processing skills are far different than my generation, the “Digital Immigrant” generationthan my generation, the “Digital Immigrant” generation

We as teachers, like any immigrants, want to hold onto We as teachers, like any immigrants, want to hold onto “Old World” customs and are phobic about change“Old World” customs and are phobic about change

The technological resources available to incorporate in The technological resources available to incorporate in your lessons are vast, multi-layered, and adaptable to your lessons are vast, multi-layered, and adaptable to many instructional purposesmany instructional purposes

The highest and best learning takes place when students The highest and best learning takes place when students are not passive recipients of data and concepts but are not passive recipients of data and concepts but instead construct meaning and connections, building on instead construct meaning and connections, building on their schema, interests, and topics of personal valuetheir schema, interests, and topics of personal value

A treasure chest of personal web pages, blogs, wikis, pdf A treasure chest of personal web pages, blogs, wikis, pdf saving, whiteboard learning, chats, mindmaps, saving, whiteboard learning, chats, mindmaps, flowcharts, flowcharts, del.icio.usdel.icio.us filesaving, and other useful tools filesaving, and other useful tools has already been opened up to mehas already been opened up to me

Application to Life & Application to Life & Professional PracticeProfessional Practice Technology integration into your lessons is essential to captivate the Technology integration into your lessons is essential to captivate the

attention of students and build on their native languages and attention of students and build on their native languages and preferencespreferences

At least a portion of your week should be devoted to inquiry based, At least a portion of your week should be devoted to inquiry based, problem-solving learning, with students grouped collaboratively, problem-solving learning, with students grouped collaboratively, utilizing technological resources for brainstorming and final productsutilizing technological resources for brainstorming and final products

My own personal familiarity with programs and applications must be My own personal familiarity with programs and applications must be enhanced so that I may be an able conductor of the digital orchestra enhanced so that I may be an able conductor of the digital orchestra before mebefore me

For students to explore content themes while using tools such as For students to explore content themes while using tools such as webpages, blogs, wikis, and visual organizers, enriches me, enriches webpages, blogs, wikis, and visual organizers, enriches me, enriches themthem

Students must develop the ability to search and synthesize Students must develop the ability to search and synthesize disparate information sources, make judgments about their relative disparate information sources, make judgments about their relative worth, and arrive at analytical judgments and evaluations, for worth, and arrive at analytical judgments and evaluations, for success in their work lives and perhaps most importantly, as lifelong success in their work lives and perhaps most importantly, as lifelong learnerslearners

Using these tools will help me avoid stagnating lectures which is the Using these tools will help me avoid stagnating lectures which is the tradition in which I was educatedtradition in which I was educated

Explaining the Course to SomeoneExplaining the Course to Someone With students of the net generation coming of age, they must have different With students of the net generation coming of age, they must have different

ways available to them to learn material and concepts, and construct ways available to them to learn material and concepts, and construct meaning meaning

Just as we learned by lecture and notetaking, they will likely learn by internet Just as we learned by lecture and notetaking, they will likely learn by internet access, website construction, interactive software, and cooperative access, website construction, interactive software, and cooperative production venuesproduction venues

For us as teachers, learning the tools of Web 2.0 is akin to learning a new For us as teachers, learning the tools of Web 2.0 is akin to learning a new language, a digital language, and the best way to master a language is to use language, a digital language, and the best way to master a language is to use it frequently and normally within our livesit frequently and normally within our lives

Transferring authorship of learning from teachers to the students themselves Transferring authorship of learning from teachers to the students themselves enables students and encourages them to construct their own meanings and enables students and encourages them to construct their own meanings and judgmentsjudgments

Having our students increase their computer knowledge and fluency will Having our students increase their computer knowledge and fluency will enhance their life skills and their competitiveness in the global marketplaceenhance their life skills and their competitiveness in the global marketplace

A picture is worth a thousand wordsA picture is worth a thousand words As we have seen the evolution of technology in our own lives, so our children As we have seen the evolution of technology in our own lives, so our children

will see further evolution, and they must be prepared for as yet unseen will see further evolution, and they must be prepared for as yet unseen challenges and issues requiring highly adaptive thinkingchallenges and issues requiring highly adaptive thinking

How I Feel About This How I Feel About This CourseCourse

I feel this course is like immersion therapy, bathing us in a pool of I feel this course is like immersion therapy, bathing us in a pool of technologies to initiate us into uncharted waterstechnologies to initiate us into uncharted waters I sometimes feel like I am in a software barrage, with things coming I sometimes feel like I am in a software barrage, with things coming at me from all directions. This lends an aura of chaos to the at me from all directions. This lends an aura of chaos to the proceedingsproceedings While the importance of the technological programs and resources While the importance of the technological programs and resources can not be downplayed, I think it is critical that our students not feel as can not be downplayed, I think it is critical that our students not feel as overwhelmed as I do now. We don’t want to discourage them from overwhelmed as I do now. We don’t want to discourage them from using these toolsusing these toolsAlthough I am a proponent of constructivist learning, I still feel that a Although I am a proponent of constructivist learning, I still feel that a teacher needs to maintain an active and involved presence in learning. teacher needs to maintain an active and involved presence in learning. As the As the OblingerOblinger article confirmed, face to face interaction with the article confirmed, face to face interaction with the teacher is still an important factor in the eyes of net generation teacher is still an important factor in the eyes of net generation students, and while we can be more withdrawn and let students build students, and while we can be more withdrawn and let students build their own learning, we can not and should not recede too far or this their own learning, we can not and should not recede too far or this would be an abrogation of our pedagogical dutieswould be an abrogation of our pedagogical dutiesThe breadth of exposure to programs, resources, and technological The breadth of exposure to programs, resources, and technological theories is impressivetheories is impressiveI feel like I am becoming a “jack of all trades, master of none.”I feel like I am becoming a “jack of all trades, master of none.”

The Good ThingsThe Good Things This is the first time I have really been able to work This is the first time I have really been able to work

collaboratively in class with a group of colleagues, who collaboratively in class with a group of colleagues, who are friends but who I have never actually worked with are friends but who I have never actually worked with before in any joint capacitybefore in any joint capacity

We get to share newness and discovery together, and We get to share newness and discovery together, and can bounce ideas off one anothercan bounce ideas off one another

Amazing breadth of materials available and knowledge Amazing breadth of materials available and knowledge of instructorof instructor

No time restrictions in terms of access to course No time restrictions in terms of access to course materials, classmates’ web pages and blogs, and the materials, classmates’ web pages and blogs, and the opportunity to work at your own paceopportunity to work at your own pace

Everything we do can be viewed at any time and saved Everything we do can be viewed at any time and saved for later referencefor later reference

Changes That Would HelpChanges That Would Help While I understand the immersion theory, better organization While I understand the immersion theory, better organization

would help us structure learningwould help us structure learning The Moodle website is confusing, almost anarchic, with links on all The Moodle website is confusing, almost anarchic, with links on all

sides, and no clear pattern emerging as to what to do and in what sides, and no clear pattern emerging as to what to do and in what orderorder

Much of the software is designed for cooperative projects, yet Much of the software is designed for cooperative projects, yet must be accessed in series and not jointly (two often can not be must be accessed in series and not jointly (two often can not be on the program at the same time), e.g. Moodle chat seems to on the program at the same time), e.g. Moodle chat seems to freeze up frequentlyfreeze up frequently

Even though the desire is for us to become more adept at multi-Even though the desire is for us to become more adept at multi-tasking and technology integration, we are still largely left-brained tasking and technology integration, we are still largely left-brained educators who crave more order and firmer directioneducators who crave more order and firmer direction

Reduction in the number of tasks with more concentration on Reduction in the number of tasks with more concentration on mastering the truly useful programs for the classroommastering the truly useful programs for the classroom

More lead time in assignments, as the course is far too time-More lead time in assignments, as the course is far too time-intensive for most, particularly those that are working or have intensive for most, particularly those that are working or have families, and late postings of assigned readings adds significantly families, and late postings of assigned readings adds significantly to the stressto the stress

Mid-Semester Feedback I think more emphasis could be placed on how to teach students

aspects of information literacy, such as how to screen sources, make judgments as to the vantage point/bias of the offerer of the documents or site developer, etc. (Oh I see it coming this week perhaps)

I would like more exposure to Excel which would be extremely useful in the classroom

Perhaps a group exercise in using some of the more sophisticated technologies such as video streaming or podcast creation would take away some of the fears we harbor

Less far-ranging assignments and concentration on a fewer number of the really important tools, which we could spend more time on mastering

Actual class time should not be spent waiting for classmates responses in writing or by microphone, in the chat room, when there is so much to learn and little time to do it(valuable as hearing those responses may be)

Mid-Semester Feedback Con’t With the number of assignments and readings, I find myself lacking

the time to go visiting my colleagues’ web pages and blogs as much as I would like

Some of the assignments of dubious value such as the learning contract and a few of the high achiever assignments could be omitted

Isn’t everyone in this class a high achiever to be here and trying as hard as we are to master the complete unknown? Courage counts!

Awareness of technology options for our students to meet their diverse learning styles and inputting preferences is half the battle, an awareness that many teachers apparently do not have or at least appreciate

One final thought, I know technology is open-ended, but I do think there is such a thing as overload and a point of diminishing returns in terms of applications and choices. Students need to feel in control to a degree, not bombarded by too much stimuli which may lead them to give up and recede

An Audio Piece About Samuel An Audio Piece About Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)Johnson (1709-1784)

Please Push to ListenPlease Push to Listen

This was Fun!!This was Fun!!