"It's not about the technology" - techsavvyed.net

I came across a great posting at TechSavvyEd.net titled "It's not about the Tehcnology". I liked the way Ben explores his ideas on this topic. While this is not a new idea, the posting is honest and reflects a thoughful educator who has their priorities straight (IMHO). I responded on the site.

I hope you like it.

jim :-)

Generation WE

I have heard of Digital Natives and Millenials but....

Here is an article on the current 11 and unders now known as Generation WE!

This is a generation of kids with parents that are just as tech savvy as they are. This is an nteresting concept. These are the kids of the Gen Xers and covers me also. We were the Pong / MTV (when their used ot be music videos) generation.

I hope you like it. I have to get back to my Duran Duran album.

Jim :-)

PULSE lap top posting -- response

Ron Canuel has produced a clever posting at the pulse concerning 1:1 computing. I posted the following response to see where the conversation will go. Hopefully we can get a debate rolling at The Pulse.

-------------------- the post below------------------

Let me play the "pencils advocate" for a moment. (A role I am unfamiliar with.) While I found this posting entertaining, I think it still didn't address the reasons why 1:1 computing is so powerful. You refer to research on the topic briefly. You state, "The research on laptops has clearly indicated that, as in any educational tool (I refer to pens, texts, lab materials, paper), integration is the key." Sure, but integrating a pencils costs five cents. Is this not significant in a real-world of shrinking education budgets? (by shrinking I mean the portion of the budget used for instructional materials)

Send us the research links in your next posting. These would go a long to quieting your critics.

Here are some thoughts from a typical (fictional) tax payer.

1) "I had some great learning experiences that were engaging and fun without the use of lap tops. Shouldn't we use the money for staff development for better instructional methods and more hands-on experiences for the kids, or maybe we can use the money to reduce class size which should clearly improve achievement instead?

2) I work in a high-tech industry and didn't have lap tops in my school. Why am I doing well?

These types of responses are not from people who are afraid of change or who are luddites. These are reasonable people who Tivo shows, check their Blackberries endlessly, and maintain encryption on their Wi-fi networks at home.

Also, in my experience, when teachers resist the use of technology there are often good reasons. This posting may be an example of Cuban's "exhiliration / scientific-credibility / disappointment / teacher-bashing" cycle, particularly when you turn to blaming the lesson plan for the lack of lap top success in some settings. What do you think?

Jim
http://edtechnot.blogspot.com

Too much technology in the classroom?

Hi All,

For what it is worth, here is another article questioning the role of technology in the classroom. It is from the BBC.

It covers the regular ground. The only unique aspect of this article is the focus on interactive white boards. I didn't realize how prevalent they were in the UK. It is amazing how consistent the opinions are on these things.

Jim :-)

FETC changing hands

Hi All,

I just found out that the FETC conference has been acquired by 101 Communications. As you wil see they produce a lot of trade magazines, e newsletters and conferences. They are the T.H. E. Jounal people. I am not sure what this means for these FETC people but I hope that 101 Communications will use their talent because the FETC conference has been very popular over the years. Sure, it doesn't hurt that it is in Orlando in Winter, but anyhoo.

What do you think? is this a good thing or a bad thing?

Jim :-)

ps- My favorite FETC moment was when Todd Oppenheimer addressed an agitated crowd in (help me here) '95 or '96. This was shortly after the publication of "The Computer Delusion" article in the Atlantic monthly. It was, shall we say...... awkward.

The Milgram effect and teachers.

Gary Stager has posted a great piece comparing the famous Milgram Effect experiments and the practice of teachers. It raises some really good questions about why we do what we do and whether we are being ethical in doing it. If we sense that we are doing harm how should we react? Should we fight the entrenched system, quit our jobs, close the door and do what we want?

See it here.

I posted a reactionary response to see if anyone will take the bait. :-) I do believe that teachers deserve more credit than they are given by society and to point to them as unprofessional for doing their job (as defined by their school district) is a cheap shot.

Jim :-)

How much ed tech do teachers need to know? ( a rxn)

In this Blue Skunk Blog post entitled "Just How Much do Teachers need to Know About Technology" Doug Johnson (Director of Media and Tech at the Mankato Public Schools) is concerned that ed tech trainers may need to spend more time reflecting on what is essential and avoiding what is confusing during staff development. He refers to the annoying uber-wonk, that we are all too familiar with, as the "Alpha Wolf" due to their need to flaunt their superior intellect.

While I can't argue with this idea, I do feel some reactions bubbling up from this post.

1st- Educational technology staff development should be about creating better teachers. Whether or not they know the origin of the acronym "URL" is irrelevant. Will the ed tech staff development session offer them ideas that will make them better teachers, with their specific kids, in their specific setting? This should be the ultimate assessment

2nd- Many of the frustrated reactions that teachers share via informal body language, rude comments or (in the worst case scenario) thrown objects are often the result of the disconnect of the "expert" from the classroom teacher. It isn't that they aren't organized, but it is that they really have no idea what great science, language arts, or math teaching looks or feels like...but "boy do they have a technology solution for you!" The reluctant veteran teachers are then labeled recalcitrant Luddites. Poor alpha wolf. :-(

3rd- As it relates to the "omnivore's dilemma" and the depth of knowledge necessary, I don't want a great reading teacher worrying about why the ISDN line works or the origin of Spam. I want them to have the tools they need to entrance kids with wonderful lessons that encourage them to be life long learners. This is where their focus should be, not on why the tech around them is not working.

I probably just woke up on the wrong side of the lap top. Let me know what you think.

Jim Forde :-)

Headline...."On-line Schools Slammed"

Here's the article.

This not the kind of headline you will find in an ed tech journal. While this certainly doesn't represent all on-line schools in all states, here is an excerpt from the article about the major issues facing Colorado on-line schools.

This may be a cautionary tale or an aberration. You tell me.

Jim :-)

--------------------------------------------
Overall online education issues

• ACADEMIC STRUGGLES

An analysis of student data over three years found online students perform worse on state exams than their peers across Colorado, and the performance gaps are larger in middle and high school. On average, the audit found, online students' performance on state exams actually declines over time.

• TEACHER QUALITY QUESTIONS

Five of the 12 online schools audited did not appear to comply with either state licensing requirements or with federal rules mandating teachers have completed college courses in their subjects. Hope, for example, had four licensed teachers for 1,500 students.

• OVERSIGHT LACKING

Colorado Department of Education officials did not follow their own monitoring rules. Despite recurring problems with online programs in four of seven school districts reviewed in the audit, state officials did not place them on academic probation.

Online schools typically said their student achievement was poor because their kids are "at risk," but there is no standard definition for that term. Some schools said their students were at risk if they had jobs or participated in rodeo programs."

IM stats from an AP-AOL poll

I thought you would find this interesting...Happy '07.

According to the AP-AOL poll: The original article was here.

-- Almost three-fourths of adults who do use instant messages still communicate with e-mail more often. Almost three-fourths of teens send instant messages more than e-mail.

-- More than half of the teens who use instant messages send more than 25 a day, and one in five send more than 100. Three-fourths of adult users send fewer than 25 instant messages a day.

-- Teen users (30 percent) are almost twice as likely as adults (17 percent) to say they can't imagine life without instant messaging.

-- When keeping up with a friend who is far away, teens are most likely to use instant messaging, while adults turn first to e-mail.

-- About a fifth of teen IM users have used IM to ask for or accept a date. Almost that many, 16 percent, have used it to break up with someone.

The original article was here.

jim :-)

Top 100 Education Blogs - We made it!

We made the list of the top 100 education blogs from the On-line education database!



Ok, so they had a scratch and I made it in as a a result, but I'll take it! :-)

I want to thank all of the little people who make this blog possible. (Most of my family is currently under 5' 6".) :-)

Peace and Joy in the Holiday Season to you all!

Jim :-)

Technology Spurs testing culture? - DRAT!

This interesting Washington Post article is brief walk through history from ancient greece to NCLB.

It appears that teachers are focused on inputs and politicians on outputs. That can't be good. I've always suspected some such problem myself.

Jim :-)

A time to chill out? - Thornburg Blog Post

On District Administration's "The Pulse" blog David Thornburg posts an awesome rant and call to action.

See it here.

My favorite line is, "broadband access can be a distraction to the teacher whose lifeless uttering might otherwise compete with real-time research being done by students in his class." Ouch!! :-)

You go David.

Jim :-)

ps- I must say that I have admired David T.'s work since I was a 1992 Master Teacher at the WNET Teacher Training Institute in NYC. He keynoted there and was amazing. He has been inspiring teachers to "think big" for a LONG time.

The Poverty of Abundance - McKenzie

For an excellent article on info-glut and kids see this one from Jamie McKenzie.

http://fno.org/oct06/poverty.html

I think you will find some excellent thoughts here. When you are done, then search out the rest of his site for other fantastic ideas. This is staff development one-stop shopping. For the best experience though you have to have the man himself present the ideas at a pre-conference session. Good stuff.

(BTW- I am in no way affiliated with Jamie. I just like his persistence and his gutsy and honest ideas.)

Jim :-)

"Happy Thanksgiving"

Why teachers don't use ICT.

Terry Friedman of "The Educational Technology Site: ICT in Education" conducted an on-line poll asking, "Why don't teachers use ICT?" You can see the results at this article.

Although I am sure these results are "unscientific" I applaud Terry for asking a good question. Good questions are amongst the most valuable things in the world. Even if the results are not perfect they will lead to meaningful conversations ...which should translate to better educational experiences for kids.

Jim :-)

T& L speakers challenge educators?

Hi All,


Educational technology trade show's theme: Today's students need high-level skills to succeed.

Yah think?

Thanks for the breaking news out of the 1989 SCANS report.

As far as the "world flattening" commentary about China, see my earlier post about that one. (scroll down to 1/9/06 to see it.)

Also, I find it interesting that more than half of this article (the last two pages) were dedicated to highlighting corporate entities from the exhibit hall. Shouldn't that have warranted a different article title so I could miss that section? May I sugest, "Educational Technology Corporations Seeking your eRate Dollars!" (You realize I am being kind here.)

Jim :-)

Second Life??

I posted this on another blog of mine but thought you might have an interest in this also...yeah, yeah, I'm skeptical...but it is worth investigating!

HI All,

As if manging my first life wasn't bad enough, here come a web space known as "Second Life".

Second Life is a 3-D virtual world entirely built and owned by its residents. Since opening to the public in 2003, it has grown explosively and today is inhabited by over a million people from around the globe.

You create a virtual person, known as an avatar and literally make your way through this world. There is an economy based on something known as a "linden dollar" which I believe can actually be converted to real money for people who would rather buy these virtuaa assets rather than earn them!

Why would I post this info on the RW Blog? Well, I recall a number of years ago joining a community run by Compuserve known as "World's Away" and finding it absolutely fascinating. The problem was that on-line time was expensive and 56.6K modems were too slow to effectively utilize the real-time aspects of the world. Now, given our new lap tops and high speed connectivity, it is actually time to see whether or not this idea has merit, free of the technological restrictions of the past.

This CNN article from 11/14 even suggests that, "A growing number of educators are getting caught up in the wave. More than 60 schools and educational organizations have set up shop in the virtual world and are exploring ways it can be used to promote learning."

Let's say we wanted an island for our organization well here are the specs..."We offer a discount to verified real world educators and academic institutions (e.g., universities/schools) or 501(c)3 non-profit organizations that will be using the regions to support their organization's official work. For these organizations, small islands are priced at US$980 for 65,536 square meters (about 16 acres), and monthly land fees for maintenance are US$150."

I know this is a far out concept but it may be time to consider the merits of virtual spaces. My 9 year old daughter is currently fascinated with a virtual space called "Club Penguin" in which she exists as a panguin, owns an igloo and, from what i just heard, an LCD TV! I kid you not! Ask any kid under the age of 11, with broadband, about it. Given the popularity of these spaces with the under-10 set they will certainly be ready to utilize an Avatar as an undergrad.

Jim :-)

Hi Tech toys and educational gains?

I'm back!

Thanks for your patience with me. I took a couple of months to deal with some family things and to explore a couple of other fun side projects. The most bizarre of which is my use of purevolume.com under the pseudomym "jimmyandthekeyz" *see http://www.purevolume.com/jimmyandthekeyz to express my disappointment with Pluto's demotion! :-) Seriously, I am not really THAT upset! :-)

Anyhoo.. in an article written by Lucy Ward of The Guardian, it appears that an English government study has suggested that electronics for infants and pre-schoolers may not be as educational as once thought. Apparently they are no more effective than traditional ways of introducing literacy and number skills. The bottom line is that they found that "such toys were neither harmful nor "particularly beneficial". This really flies int he face of the advertising which preys on the guilty "my kids might not get into Harvard if I don't buy this" feelings of sub-urban uber-parents.

I will probably place this under my "DUH!" file, but given that it is closing in on Xmas time I thought it might be nice to share this info.

Peace.
JIm(my)

Edison's Prediction Revisited-revisited

HI All,

This article in Converge was written to address ed tech critics who point out budgetary concerns and lack of research to support tech's role in raising test scores.

Let me start out by saying I like anyone who sticks their neck out there. We need more of this because it encourages conversation, and conversation results in learning and sometimes change.

First point... "Corporate leaders don't fuss and worry about technology spending the way education critics do". In my experience they do support the purchase of tools that will make their employees more effieicent, but on the other hand, if the expense does not make a measureable difference in achieving their goals they will drop it like a hot rock. The fact is that the blackberry, lap top and videoconferencing make, or saves them, money. Our bottom line is learning. Can we always say the same? Often yes...then keep funding it. If not, let it go and apply the money to reducing class sizes.

Next..."To suggest, as some education critics do, that we eliminate things that foster both communication and creativity in the classroom is ridiculous. But that is exactly what they are promulgating when suggesting technology should be limited in the classroom." That is too simplistic and creates a false dichotomy. I'm not sure if I've ever "promulgated" anything but there may be other issues to consider when one looks at tech use being limited by a school. It's important but isn't the only thing in increasingly shrinking school budgets. I, dare say, it isn't the always the evil critics trying to limit the creativity and communication of the classroom environment.

Next..."If there is no benefit in using pen and paper in the world that we work in, why should we demand our students stay in the pen and paper world?" I agree with you on this. Digital tools are the way I am reacting to this article. My own kids are immersed in them. The question I have is, when you consider the cost of computers for a writing class relative to traditional pen/paper journaling etc. Is it worth it? You can't dismiss the costs of training, hardware, software, infrastructure etc. associated with their use. Is my son becoming a MUCH better writer because of these tools? If so, we need them. If not....

You got me on the sports thing. I see their value but those expenditures are ridiculous. I would apply a similar argument there. Is it really worth that much? The only thing I can say though is that tax payers are funding this. If they want "friday night lights" because it is part of their culture, I guess they will continue to support it. I'm with you on that one.

It is also my experience that tech is enthusiastically embraced by students. They love it.

I am offended. I will not accept your attack on "old school" teachers. Are you kidding me? Most of these veteran educators realize that they have no access to a lab on a regular basis because it is being hogged by a handful of over-zealous teachers. They also know that they produce results without tech and wonder why it is being forced on them. They also aren't being offered respectful (i.e old school???) staff development that addresses learning and not the software. Lastly, the often unreliable computers are a crap shoot when it comes to actually producing work. I know that you are writing this article from some fantasy school setting but enter a random public school some day and check out their learning lab. That's old school.

The closing is emotional but weak on facts. It states..."Perhaps that is ultimately the main complaint naysayers have against using technology in our schools...they don't want to change, even for the benefit of students." Talk about an ad hominem attack. This is blatantly untrue and doesn't serve your argument well. Of course critics care about kids. They may care about the waste associated with some applications of ed tech. You don't have to have computers to have a constructivist curriculum. Granted, there are amazing ways to use computers in support of that style of teaching but to suggest that it can only take place if evil luddites will embrace ed tech is wrong.

Have at me. You know you want to. Let's keep the conversation going.

Jim :-)

The Pulse and Postman's "Crap Detector"

There is a new blog designed for debate (not unlike this one...AHEMM) called The Pulse. It is being produced by the District Administration Web site. It offers a dream team of commentators including, Gary Stager, David Thornburg,UCONN's own Dr. Dyrli and others.

Check it out...and get involved.

I particularly like this Gary Stager post which referred back to a Postman speech given at the 1969 NCTE conference, Bulls#@t and the Art of Crap-Detection.

Don't you just love the 60's? We need a little of that moxie right about now.

Jim :-)

The divide still exists....really?

I'm telling you, I am tempted to start a web site called edtechDUH.com so I can link to all of the painfully obvious conclusions reached by journalists and researchers.


The article from 9/5/06.

This one points out that there remains a digital divide. I agree.

Some of the conclusions are a classic "causation vs. correlation" deal. Is it really that not having access to the internet,"narrows their ability to even think about the kind of work they can be doing,?" ...or could it be that the conditions that lead to a lack of internet accessibility...aka poverty that contribute to that more?

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for closing the digital divide. I have even been personally been involved in helping to do so. My issue is that some feel as though once we do that things will be dramatically better. I'm not so sure. The achievement gap is more pernicious then that folks. The root causes will remain unless we get serious as a society about solving the root causes and really start caring about these kids.

jim :-)