2020 Vision

After viewing Karl Fisch’s 2020 Vision, I really started to ponder what the world would be like.  I’m not sure where to begin predicting what education will be like, let alone the world in 2020.  I can only express what I would like to happen and how I would like to see education evolve.  When I first started writing this reflection, I had huge ideas for 2020.  It seemed so far away.  Then I got to thinking.  Is 2020 really that far away?  It is only 6 and half years until we reach 2020.  Can huge strides be made in technology, economics, and medicine in only six and a half years?  I am going to say…YES! When I look back at what I was doing almost 7 years ago I was getting ready to enter my Junior hear of high school.  At that time I wanted to be a pediatrician  and I paid my younger sister to type my papers because I hated computers.  Here I am today, a Hearing Support teacher completing my Master’s in Online Teaching.  A lot has changed! So here goes my big dreams for 2020.

It is obvious that changes in eduction need to made.  It is also evident that those changes will involve technology.  Web 2.0 tools continue to change, adapt and update to fit the needs of the people using the tools.  The more people are exposed to and use technology,the more they think of ways to improve upon it.  You can look at the computer as an example.   As mentioned in Karl’s video, computers are becoming more affordable.  The monetary factor in education will always play a role.  But I can foresee technology becoming more affordable and more readily available to students.  If they are able to have the tools in their hands it would make learning easier and more beneficial for students.  They have a desire to connect the dots between what they are learning and how they will use it in the future.  I plan to help my students continue to evolve by having them create a blog.  They will be expected to fully emerge themselves in the blogging community by creating, following, and commenting. Technology out dates itself within months if not days.  There will be a constant need for training and learning.  Teachers will need to be more qualified in Web 2,0 tools. They will not only need to be trained they will need to know how to work through kinks. Teachers will also view other teachers as great resources with great wealth’s of information. This is why I want to collaborate with other professionals to create ways of adding more Web 2,0 tools to the class.  I have the advantage of traveling to different schools.  I can help be a connecting factor to build communication networks for the students.  Podcasts that are student created will be used for basic instruction

Another change that needs to take place starts with the individual students.  Our students need to take responsibility for their actions, their education and learn the discipline needed to incorporate such a large amount of technology.  Completing classes and activities online via Wiki’s, blogs, webquests, or other means is not always easy.  There is a certain amount of self discipline that needs to be in place.  Come 2020, it is my dream that students will learn that mindset when they first enter the education system.  Expectations will be held high and students will strive to achieve those expectations.  Students will have high expectations for themselves and want to learn.  That yearning to never stop learning should be what drive our students.  Come 2020 we should have a student population of critical thinkers.  They should be able to see a problem and work their way through it.  Trial and error.  Having a theory that doesn’t work doesn’t mean the students are wrong.  It just means that they have to roll up their sleeves and try again.  So many of my students worry about being wrong.  They would rather the teacher just tell them what they need to to do to get the good grade.  They don’t take the time break concepts apart to thinking them through critically.  The dimensions of teaching need to foster critical thinking.  As teachers we are preparing students for jobs that we can barely even fathom.  In 2020, teachers will set their students up for success by making them think.

Classrooms around the world will be able to be connected in 2020.  Students in the United States could be taking classes with students oceans away by using Course Management Systems.  These CMS will be able to have students form different languages all in the same class.   Information could be entered in English and then translated into French without a third person.   Students would not only be at the college or graduate level.  Elementary and high school students could also participate in these international courses.  On a more locally level, I have a dream of creating a blending course to comply with the transition goals in IEP’s. The course would teach basic living skills such as looking for a job, budgeting, and self-advocacy.   All of the CMS available make me see the feasibility of the course.  I know the need exists and I want to help be a problem solver.  So I will continue to dream and work on building the class on the side.

When it comes to what the world will be like in 2020, there are so many avenues that could be intertwined.  Economics and politics tend to overwhelm and confuse me.  So my predictions will be simple.  The division of parties will not be as evident in 2020.  Congress and Representatives will come together not as Democrats and Republican but as a unit working to do what is best for the people. Solar power would be among one of the top ways our country receives energy.  Everyone would be recycling and living lives more greenly.  This would lead to allowing our natural resources to last longer and be used more efficiently.  Technology advances in medicine will have cures for cancer being tested and resulting with positive outcomes. As I said before dream big.  We can only go up from here!

Remind 101

There are countless numbers of new technology available to students and teachers to help foster learning.  A technology that I recently heard about at a conference is Remind 101.  This is a a website (also available as an app) that allows teachers to text students and parents without ever giving their own personal number.  The students and parents sign up by texting and the teacher never sees their number either. It is one way communication.  The students and parents cannot reply.  You can set up reminders to be sent ahead of time.  The website also provides a toolkit with a video and documents that you can use to explore and support using Remind 101.  This quick video gives a simple breakdown of how the website works.

What I like about this technology is that it can help keep students motivated.  You can use Remind 101 as a tool to not only give reminders but to send congratulatory messages.  Parents can be reminded about conferences or when report cards will be coming home.  Parents could also be sent messages when their child does well.  I know a teacher that used this in their class.  Every week he selected a student that was either most improved or had done something positive.  He then sent a message to the entire group bragging about the student. The students wanted to be the one in the text so they worked hard.

This also opens up the communication between students and teachers and parents and teachers.  It makes learning seem more casual and enticing to students.  Open communication outside of class leads to open communication inside the class.

 

 

Web Applications

There are numerous web applications available today.  It was difficult to select just one application to explore and discuss.  This past summer I was introduced to many Google applications that I never knew existed. After getting brief introductions to a few of the applications I made big plans in my head.  I want to use Google to create a survey to ask parents, teachers and special education coordinators to complete to help improve the hearing support program.  Blogger could be used for educational blogs. Google Docs could be used for pen pals.  And the list goes on and on.  While I fell in love with what Google has to offer I also found an application that I would like to incorporate.

Rubrics are used for various assessments throughout the school system.  From evaluating teachers to evaluating students, rubrics are everywhere.  Why not have the students help in creating the rubric?  After the students have been exposed to rubrics and generally know how to use them to guide their projects, they should know how to create one.  If the students are able to say what each level of completion should look like they will know as they are working on their project where they fall.  This also assesses their understanding of quality work.  The web application that can help make this possible is Rubistar.  This website guides you in creating rubrics for various content areas.  I plan to have the students help create the rubric for their self-advocacy project.

 

 

 

Paperless Spaces

Having completed online courses that were completely paperless, I know how it works.  Yet, I am still skeptical about having a completely paperless classroom with students.  Who wants to sit in front of a computer all day long to get your instruction and complete your work? I have a lot of unanswered questions that I need to explore before I am sold 100%.

I see a paperless classroom working much like a flipped class.  The students can get their instruction at home via an online source.  Then during the actual class period is where the discussion and application occurs.

For me a paperless classroom would not change my teaching a whole lot.  I am in an out of schools and having less material to lug around would probably make it easier for me.  I am sure that I could find activities using idioms and writing prompts online.  But I have a wealth of paper materials that make it easy and less time consuming to plan lessons.  I know I sound like the typical ‘old school’ teacher that is refusing to change with the times but why recreate the wheel?

There are multiple programs and apps available that monitor student’s progression through the ‘game’ or program making measuring the student’s progression much easier.  If the class were truly paperless all tests and assessments would have to be completed via a computer or other form of technology.  Learning could still be measure through the typical processes of observation and assessment.

I believe that a paperless classroom would make it both easier and harder to build learning networks.  If the class were paperless the networks would be created through blogs and other web 2.0 tools.  This would develop a technological learning network.  Other networks would lack and there for not be retained.  Networks that foster social skills and face-to-face interactions would be sacrificed.

Mastery is the Product Not the Test!

I think the Big Shift that resonates with me the most is ‘mastery is the product not the test.’  While many of my students participate in the general education curriculum, they struggle to keep up with their peers. Tests have to be adjusted to their level and they have to administered with an adult that can help them through. I have proctored the PSSA test in a small group setting and it was not easy.  It is extremely hard to watch students make mistakes on material that they have proved to me that they know and not be able to help them.  When taking a test you have that one day to prove what you know.  Outside factors are not always taken into consideration.  A project would allow the students an extended time period to demonstrate their knowledge.

I practice this Big Shift already with my hearing support students.  They don’t take a test to tell me they understand their hearing loss and how to explain it to others.  They show me! By completing a project to show to their teachers the following year they are applying what they have learned in a meaningful way.  Richardson stated ‘students can display mastery in countless ways that involve the creation of digital content for large audiences.’ (Richardson, 2010) With the amazing advances in technology, I believe that students will be excited to show what they know because they have enjoyed the learning process.  Exploring, experimenting, analyzing, and reflecting are the skills we want the students to retain.  If they can demonstrate the desired skills through the products they produce then they have demonstrated mastery.

 

 

Richardson, W. (2010). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web toold for the classroom. (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin.

 

Connectivism

Is it a learning theory or methodology? In all honestly I don’t think that I have given the topic enough time to fully absorb.  My understanding is still at a surface level but I believe that I know enough to form a vague opinion. I think that Siemens and Downes have a a great idea forming.  Downes says in a recent e-book that ‘learning is the creation or removal of connections between entities, or the adjustment of the strengths of those connections.’ (Siemens, 2012)  What I agree with is that connections can be adjusted.  As students develop the skills that they need to be successful they will make the connections that are appropriate. Siemens suggests that connections can be strengthened through a varieties of factors.  The factors range from emotional to exposure to logical.  I like that he looks at the connections in a personal manner as well as an educational manner. I also think that learning today is much different than when the most popular learning theories were developed.  The means in which the students are gaining information is via technology.  Students are gaining information outside of the classroom more rapidly than in the past. As education is evolving to better suit our students, the theories that are used to influence teaching should evolve as well.  Siemens and Downes have attempted to do just that with the theory of Connectivism.  I mentioned that they have a great idea forming.  I say it like that because I believe that creating a new learning theory isn’t a readily accepted notion.  They will need to continue to develop their theory to convince the nonbelievers.

Resources:

Connectivism:Learning as Network-Creation

Siemens, G. (2012, May 21). [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://www.connectivism.ca/

Connecting Through Skype

I have used Skype personally for years.  I live hours from my parents and they celebrate little milestones with my daughters via Skype.  My girls know the Skype ringtone and know that it is usually Nana or their cousins calling.   I also used it when my sister was in Africa for two years.  We had a better free internet connection with Skype than we did with the $20 phone card. I completely understand the benefits of using Skype to connect….but what about professionally?

This past school year was the first time that I used Skype on a regular basis at work.  One of my students received a school bought iPad.  I would Skype every other week with the technology person from that district.  If we had any questions it was easier and quicker to Skype than email back and forth.  It also saved on travel.  I go to multiple school districts in a day so using Skype made it possible for me to chat while being in a different district.  I also used Skype this past year when I was on maturity leave.  I needed to give my input at a staff meeting but was unable to attend.  We just Skyped and everything worked out great.

I have tossed around the idea of virtual pen pals for about a year.  I have just never seemed to make the correct connections for it to work.  I would love for my students that use Sign Language to talk to another students that also uses Sign Language.  In most of my schools these students are the only one that communicates using Sign.  For them to communicate with peers that have the same communication needs would be such a benefit.  They could talk about obstacles that they have run into and discuss ways to overcome the obstacles.  This could also be set up as mentoring.  My older students could connect with younger students.  Just connecting them to other students that are deaf and or hard of hearing helps build that local community.

Using Podcasts in Education

While podcasts are not my favorite form of technology to use in the classroom I can see some practical cons to incorporating them.  They allow the students to pause, rewind and play as many times as needed.  They can also be short enough to keep the student’s attention. As I have stated before, my students struggle with Language Arts.  The podcast that I found gives grammar tips to help remember the proper techniques.  The name of the podcast is Grammar Girl: Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing.  What I like about this podcast is that it is short and sweet. She answers questions from her listeners. Her voice makes for easy listening and the information is practical.

I would use this podcast as a weekly enrichment activity.  The students would listen to the podcast and then apply what they have learned.  They would have to complete a worksheet, complete a writing prompt that incorporated the tip or play a game that incorporates multiple tips from the Grammar Girl.  I specifically thought the podcast titled Affect Versus Effect would be good for my students. In this podcast she explained when to use affect and effect and then gave tips to help remember which one to use.   Since the Grammar Girl answers questions from her views, the students could come up with a question to ask the Grammar Girl.

Flickr Fun

The newest Web 2.0 tool that I have been introduced to is Flickr.  This is a great site where people can upload photos that they have taken.  I am always looking for realistic photos and not just the clipart options.  There are pictures of everything you can imagine. This site will come in handy this up coming school year!  I can see two definite ways that I will use Flickr.

The first being in the self advocacy projects that my students complete every year.  The projects consists of them explaining about themselves, their hearing loss, classroom accommodations and how to use their equipment.  I have used various  forms of presentation with the students, including  VoiceThred, iMovie, and a brochure.  The students always add pictures to their projects and this would be a great site to use!  Especially for the students that I do not have permission to photograph.

The second way I can visualize myself using Flickr would be for writing prompts.  My students struggle with Language Arts and especially writing.  It helps if they have a resource to give them a visual of what they are writing about. The ideas are numerous possibilities when incorporating pictures into writing.  The students could compare, describe, create a story or write a poem.  I found these two great pictures on Flickr.  I would use them to have the students write a persuasive essay (practice for the PSSA).  They would have to incorporate adjectives from all five senses. The writing prompt: Which is better, a hot dog or a hamburger?

 

                             

 

Citations:

Depolo, S. (Photographer). (2010, June 3). Hot dogs food macro [Web Photo]. Retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevendepolo/4670301615/in/photostream/

Pointnshoot. (Photographer). (2007, March 5). Best burger hamburger [Web Photo]. Retrieved from
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pointnshoot/416698521/in/set-72157594484179703

Wikipedia or Not?

I recently have had two grad classes that have had me explore Wikipedia in more depth.  I knew that Wikipedia was considered a questionable resource because of it being able to be edited by any one. What I didn’t realize was just how easy it is to edit Wikipedia.  I always thought that you had to be able to provide factual sources to back up the edits you were making.  I was wrong.  You can just log right in a change anything you want.

Yet knowing that, I still stand with one foot on each side of the debate for or against Wikipedia.  I understand that students often use Wikipedia because it is easy to find when doing research.  That is discouraging.  I like to think that my students would check multiple sources before quoting or believing the first thing they read. I also know that they don’t always do that.  So, after learning more about Wikipedia over the last few weeks I have come to the conclusion that they students just need to be taught how to use Wikipedia wisely.  Wikipedia can lead the students to a wealth of reliable resources. Yes, allow the students to review the information that Wikipedia provides.  After reviewing the information and before making quotes show them how to use the links that Wikipedia provides.  Have them use Wikipedia as a starting point to their deeper research.  Research isn’t always easy but it doesn’t have to be impossible!