Applying Learning Theories and Technology to Classroom Instruction

My personal learning theory has changed. While some teachers have spent the past eight weeks imagining that it is "5 o'clock somewhere" all day, everyday, I have been a part of an online learning community through Walden University. My classmates and I spent the past eight weeks reliving our undergraduate days, where we had to learn and understand the various learning theorists' theories in order to become more effective teachers.

Nine years ago I studied each theorist, memorized the material, took the test, and moved on. The theories had no relevancy to me. Times have changed! In my own classroom, after participating in "Bridging Learning Theory, Instruction, and Technology," one of my fellow classmates might recognize some significant changes that will change the way my students learn and I teach.

At the start of the course, we each had to explore the various learning styles, via brief excerpts in the text Theoretical Foundations. After studying the material, it was clear to me that my personal theory of learning resided mostly with Howard Gardner and B.F. Skinner. I connected with Gardner, because of his multiple intelligences theory, which essentially shows that all children learn through various strategies. Skinner's behaviorist theory also seemed like a close fit, because of his use of reward systems.

After reviewing my original "personal theory of learning" from eight weeks ago, I now know that I do use both of these theorists' theories in my classroom. I do recognize that children learn differently, and have to be given options to succeed in the classroom. Therefore, Gardner's theory is still one I plan to use. I also see a place for Skinner's behaviorist theory; however, I plan to implement my reinforcement strategies quite a bit differently this coming school year.

In my original paper, I wrote about the commonly used "marble" behavior system that many teachers choose to use in their classrooms. While each teacher tweaks the system to fit his/her style, the idea is common among most teachers. I recognize now that while the system might be effective for me, it served no purpose to my students. They did not, and will likely continue to not care about the incentive program, because it had no meaning.

This year I am trying a new reinforcement strategy partially stolen from my wife's school, partially developed from my own ideas, and partially adjusted from the reinforcement activities described in the text book Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works. In chapter three, the authors discuss various methods of providing recognition. They suggest that the teacher use personalized recognition and use concrete symbols of recognition. In chapter eight, reinforcing effort is discussed. In this chapter the authors state that teachers must "explicitly teacher the importance of effort," (book) and have students monitor their effort while working towards a goal.

This year in my classroom, my students will take part in the "Earn It!" class challenge. Each week my students can earn points for various activities, such as completing all of their homework, helping out a friend, getting a great score on an assignment, filling out their agendas, etc. At the end of each week they will add up their points, and record them on a class chart. Once my students have earned a certain amount of points they will receive a varsity letter ("P" for Pulaski in this case). From here they can earn various colored (red, blue, gold) star stickers and a Pulaski logo sticker to add to their letter. Additionally, over the course of the year my students will be able to earn stickers randomly for excelling in the classroom, getting a great grade, helping out a classmate, and more. They will be able to earn an infinite amount of these stickers. The idea is to fill up their varsity letter "P" with as many stickers as possible by the end of the school year.

Additionally, since I am getting rid of my marble incentive this year, when all of my students earn the varsity letter "P," the whole class will receive some sort of reward of their choice. The same goes for earning the various colored stars.

I am very excited to try this new reinforcement and effort strategy out. I am excited to expand a math lesson by using the data a student has on their personal chart. With the data they will use Google Docs and Spreadsheets to make graphs and such. Since my classroom is piloting Google as a possible district wide initiative for years to come, my students will be able to email their parents both graphs and explanations of their effort through Gmail. I believe this year, and for years to come, my reinforcement and effort monitoring will be very rewarding and meaningful for each of my students.

In my original personal learning theory I also touched on having a SmartBoard in my classroom. While I stated that the SmartBoard changed the learning environment, I am now not totally convinced that it changed the way my students learned and I taught. In the past, I now believe that my SmartBoard was being used as primarily an instructional tool. I wrote notes on the board, my students still copied them. I put a slideshow on the board, my students still watched it.

This year, I want to make my SmartBoard truly interactive. I want it to be a learning tool. I want to see my students up at my SmartBoard manipulating mathematical problems. I want to see my students rearranging sentences in order to make a complete paragraph by using the Smart Notebook Software. I want to see my students create presentations they never thought possible through Microsoft PowerPoint and/or Windows Movie Maker. For my students to be successful, I will have to step back and facilitate.

This means I will have to apply a more constructivist approach to my teaching. I will have to watch as my students experiment with the SmartBoard and other technology tools, and accept that failure might come at first, but with some coaching, they will be able to succeed. I will also have to integrate a more socialist approach, by allowing my students to work cooperatively to maximize their classroom experience.

I am very excited to see the direction my classroom will take with the "Earn It" challenge and allowing my students to interact more with the SmartBoard and the resources that work side-by-side with it. The idea of being a facilitator is very intriguing to me, especially since I know it will make me a more effective instructor. In using the past eight weeks to study and change perspectives on what I previously thought to be "meaningless" theorists, I think this year my students truly will learn something new, in a way that is meaningful to him/her. I also now recognize the importance of staying up to date on the various teaching and learning strategies available to me.

To all my fellow teachers/classmates, good luck as the new school year quickly approaches!

Chris

VoiceThreading is Cool!

I created a voice thread asking for suggestions of how to set up my classroom this coming school year. My goal is create a 21st century classroom environment where collaboration can take place at any time, but also where my students have some free space. This is tough, considering I have 26 fifth graders, who sprout into big fifth graders by January/February each year. I created this thread using Microsoft PowerPoint for my images, but VoiceThread.com for the rest. Enjoy, and I am excited to get some feedback on VoiceThread.

Here is the link to my voice thread:

http://voicethread.com/share/1260563/

Cooperative Learning through Google…Hopefully!

This coming school is going to be a new beginning, in some ways, for me. Certain changes happen because they must, while others seem quite unclear to me. However, one change I am excited for, one that will hopefully enhance my students' experience in the fifth grade is Google. This coming school year my entire fifth grade team is "piloting" the use of Google and all of its many tools in our classrooms. Students and teachers will be given a GMail account, giving them access to Google Docs, Blogger, Google Reader, Google Books, Google Maps, Google Sites, and more! My mind is exploding with ideas. To be honest, this pilot has had me on the edge of excitement since it was merely in the "idea" stage last January. I think Google's tools will open up a totally new avenue of learning that my incoming fifth graders will not have known is possible. Additionally, it will definitely effect the way I instruct my students in any subject matter, because it would seem as though the possibilities are about to become endless.

In Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works this week I read about cooperative learning. Early in the chapter the authors claim that "When students work in cooperative groups, they make sense of, or construct meaning for, new knowledge by interacting with others" (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski, 2007, p. 139). In my experience this statement could not be more true. My students get the most out of classroom experiences through mathematics and science. The reason I know this is because their math curriculum (Everyday Mathematics) requires quite a bit of cooperative group work on a daily basis. Children get the opportunity to teach and be taught by peers. Groupings vary in size and ability.

Our science curriculum uses the Einstein Project, which brings hands on science into the classroom. Our students are introduced to these kits in kindergarten and use them all the way through middle school. Each kit comes complete with enough "stuff" to have each child work in groups, no larger than five, to complete various science experiments. Nearly every unit ends with a real world problem that the groups must solve, based on what they learned over the duration of the science unit.

I think both Everyday Mathematics and Einstein Kits will easily coordinate with the various programs that Google has to offer. This week, I watched a student use VoiceThread to talk about an end of the unit math problem she had made up, also showing visuals of how to complete the project. While VoiceThread will be useful for this in my own room, I am hoping to find a similar application within Google. If this sounds right, I would like Google to serve as a second "homeroom" for my students this coming year. It can be a place to store, share, and collaborate on their "stuff."

The good news is that I think Google will also open up the doors for more cooperative group work in the other core subject areas, Language Arts and Social Studies. I think my students will have more time to reflect on writing projects, because they will not have to spend as much time writing and re-writing by hand. Like it or not, most of our students can, or will be able to, type faster than they can write. I know this is true for me. I could not tell you the last time I hand wrote a paper of any sort. If I would do that for my current masters course, I would never meet any deadlines. Additionally, through the use of Google Docs, my students will be able to share and publish their papers. They will be able to understand peer comments. Peers will hopefully be more likely to research whether or not a word is spelled correctly, or used correctly. Additionally, losing notebooks (AHHH!) should no longer be an issue.

Social Studies notes can be put online by myself or another teacher. These notes would have the potential to be modified at any time by the teacher or student. Notes could have useful links to gather more information. Notes could also lead students to various Webquests on the net that are based on the specific topic.

In my brief and recent experience of comparing various learning theories to current classroom practices, I think it is safe to say that cooperative learning ties in quite well with the social constructivist learning theory, which essentially says: knowledge is created through interaction. I think it is important to note Lev Vygotsky's thoughts on the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) and More Knowledge Other (MKO). Vygotsky's three tiers within the ZPD create a "frame of 'things' that a particular child can learn" (Laureate Education Inc., 2007). The lower tier would be what a child already knows. The middle tier is what a child is ready to learn. The top tier would be something a child is unable to learn at the time. More importantly, the top tier can only be learned through MKO...a person who helps a child learn the top tier; such as a teacher or classmate. To me, this sounds exactly like cooperative group work. Thus, Vygotsky's work with social learning theories correlates quite well with collaboration.

As of I have stated in past blog posts, I think that applying various learning theories to my classroom toolbox is an important step in becoming a master, effective teacher. I am hoping that by truly adopting the social learning theory this coming school year, largely through the use of Google, my students will become better teammates inside and outside of school. I am hoping that they are able to learn to respect one another, help when another, and listen to one another. My gut instinct tells me that while this coming school year is going to be very new, and challenging, it is also going to be my best school year yet. We'll see!

References:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009) Creating an Effective Classroom Learning Environment [Film Strip]. Social Learning Theory. Los Angeles: Laureate Education, Inc.

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

PBL in the Classroom

At the Auburn Early Education Center (AEEC), Principal Dr. Lilli Land says, “Technology has taken us to another level.” After watching Dr. Land’s students and staff showcase their talents in the short documentary on Edutopia.org it is clear that the constructivist theory is alive and well at this school. The kindergartner’s within her building glow with enthusiasm while preparing to go on a fictitious trip to Brazil, or while planning a funeral for the class praying mantis, or while sharing personal stories and then writing about them, or even while learning the meaning and usage of the alphabet. In almost every activity shown, students are engaged in project and/or problem based styles of learning. When faced with problems, the students at AEEC go the extra mile to find a solution. This school is beaming with students, staff, and parental support that have formed a true community of learners, thinkers, and problem solvers. Watch this short video and see for yourself:

Another great constructivist approach to teaching and learning that I read about this week, in Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works, was exemplified by fifth grade teacher Mrs. Omar. In her attempt to meet her school district’s benchmarks for Social Studies and Economics, she did a simulated activity where her students learned about savings, investments, and interest rates through trial and error. Using Microsoft Excel, she created an interactive savings and investments spreadsheet which showed her students the results of multiple options they could choose on how to save a “recently inherited $10,000”. Each option left the student with a certain amount of money after a time period of 30 years. While it might not happen in the form of a $10,000 inheritance, each fifth grade student in Mrs. Omar’s class is likely to remember this lesson when they are presented with a real life, money/investment decision.

This week I also took some time to explore a problem based project/game, called “Astro-Venture: Design a Planet.” This game made me, the user perform several tasks before finding out if my newly created planet was suitable for human life or not. After roughly ten tries and 40 minutes, I finally created a planet (just the right size) that orbited around a red dwarf star (at just the right distance). Additionally, my planet contained volcanoes, tectonic plates, water, and plant life, all vitally important aspects of a planet capable of inhabiting humans and animals alike. This NASA created simulation provided me with tutorials prior to construction. During the game it provided me in depth explanations about any choices I made along the way, but never quite gave me an answer if I was right or wrong, until the very end. I had to do quite a bit of trial and error, before I figured out what my planet really had to have. The simulation was very in tune with a problem based project, and would fit very well into any planet unit.

All of the activities I read about, watched, and played this week tie-in quite well with the constructivist and constructionist theories taught this week. To me, project based and problem based learning makes a lot of sense, especially when trying to connect instruction to technology. In my own classroom I am always looking for ways to do this, but often find that time plays the largest factor in not being able to create and carryout more PBL projects. If time were not an issue, PBL’s would be an exceptional ways for children to learn, think, and problem solve.

While time is not always on my side, I do think it is important to find ways to sneak various components of a PBL unit into a smaller lesson when applicable. For example, in a math class my students might be studying the order of operations for the first time. In the past I have always introduced this lesson with a problem on the board that must be solved using the order of operations. Each student then answers the problem on their own. Once everyone is done I quickly collect everyone’s answer on the board to show them how many answers a class of over 25 found, for what seemed like a fairly simple problem. This specific type of math problem, at the fifth grade level, certainly gets the attention of each student in my class, and focuses them for the upcoming lessons where we explore order of operations. In some ways, it is almost like a mathematical way of doing a KWL. On a fun side note, my students love when I find music videos on YouTube or TeacherTube. Both Mr. Duey and Mr. Q.U.E. are very popular. Click on the image below to check out Mr. Q.U.E. rap about the order of operations (you have to watch a quick ad before it begins):

Problem and Project based instruction (constructionist and constructivist theories) will always have a place in my classroom. In the past three weeks I have also come to realize that so will behaviorist and cognitive theories. I am not one to seek a “happy-medium” instructional strategy, because it is only through my current Walden University course that I have come to realize how many variations of teaching theories I use. Is one more effective than another? Maybe, but as a professional I am always tweaking my teaching strategies to meet the needs of each child in my room. On this particular day, I can say that along with the previously studied theories, constructionist and constructivist learning theories definitely have a place in my classroom.

Pavlov's Altoid Theory

I couldn't resist posting this, after watching this episode of The Office. Watch as Jim uses Pavlov's behaviorist theory on Dwight (click on Dwight).

Thinking with Concept Maps

When I think of the word cognitive, the word “thinking” comes to mind. In looking at a student’s cognitive ability, I see it has his/her ability to think. How well he/she is able to think is not always in my control. However, with a few new tips and tricks that I picked up this week, my student’s cognitive ability may be more in my control than I previously thought. This being said, there are many ways I can incorporate technology into my teaching portfolio, in a way that my students are working with the technology to gain a better understanding of the topic at hand.

One of the tools described in Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works is the computer software Inspiration, an organizing and brainstorming software. In this software a teacher is able to create several variations of concept maps, such as summary frames, definition frames, topic-restriction-illustration frames, problem solution frames, and character trait frames. This software would definitely come in handy, since creating concept maps can sometimes be an exhausting task. That being said, decided to do a Google search on Inspiration. My search took me to their website where I found Webspiration, a free public beta version of the upcoming subscription version. In no time I had signed myself up, and began goofing around with the free version. I chose to create a character trait frame, based on the book The City of Ember. As you can see in the picture, the idea is simple, but has created a map to follow and look at. In addition, I had fun making this, though it took me a bit, because I was playing around with the various tools.

I think the use of these concept maps correlate quite well with the various cognitive theories. For one, creating a concept map “replicates the network model of memory (Laureate Education Inc., 2009).” If a child were to build a character map, similar to the one I created, he she would have to activate prior knowledge, and then begin making connections about the character they have chosen. I enjoy the way Dr. Michael Orey describes concept mapping. He says, “Concept maps serve as mind tools, because it is hard to sort tons of information at one time. These organizers help learners visualize the idea and make connections between ideas (Laureate Education Inc., 2009).” I also think that in creating these concept maps, with a technological tool like Inspiration or Webspiration, I am giving my students an opportunity to create an episodic memory, which according to Dr. Orey is very powerful.

Another resource I have learned about this week, which can be applied to the use of technology in the classroom, is the use of cues, questions, and advanced organizers. In the Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works cues are described as “explicit reminders or hints about what students are about to experience (Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., Malenoski, K., and Pitler, H., 2007, p. 73).” While questions are similar, they might be used to get the ball rolling or to get kids thinking and talking about a topic. Advanced organizers might come in the form of a concept map, but are given to students prior to a lesson beginning. Additionally, advanced organizers come in many different forms.

In seeing how cues, questions, and advanced organizers might work in my classroom, I am going to use an example of discussing the lost colony on Roanoke Island with my fifth grade students. Prior to class beginning, it would be appropriate for me to put up a map of the general region where the Roanoke Island is. Plus, I might begin the lesson by discussing with students some prominent figures/ideas; like John White, Sir Walter Raleigh, 1587, winter, England, etc. From here, I think my students would be able to actively participate in a KWL chart on the lost colony of Roanoke Island. Next would be a great time to distribute a blank advanced organizer for my students to fill in as we discuss the lost colony of Roanoke Island, as pictured below.

Both of the strategies I have described would work well in any classroom. With more practice, I am positive that I will be able to become more familiar with Inspiration, or in this case Webspiration. It seems like a resource that could be implemented immediately, in order to create a more effective learning experience for my students. This being said, there are thousands of other cognitive, technological learning resources available. The opportunity is ours, if willing to explore, learn, and practice a bit of thinking ourselves.

References:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009) Creating an Effective Classroom Learning Environment [Film Strip]. Cognitive Learning Theory. Los Angeles: Laureate Education, Inc.

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

The "Hendricks Box"

In my experience, B.F. Skinner is probably the most well known learning theorist, specifically with his behaviorist learning theory. B.F. Skinner learning theory suggested that students learn behaviors, skills, and knowledge in response to the rewards, punishments, or withheld responses associated with them. To Skinner, a student learns as a result of his/her environment, not necessarily because of their mental activities. Skinner began testing his hypothesis by experimenting with rats in the famous “Skinner Box,” using the idea of operant conditioning. Simply put, when inside the box, his rats were trained to press a lever, which resulted in receiving a food pellet (positive reinforcement). Eventually the pellet was replaced with a quick electric jolt, and no pellet (negative reinforcement). The rats associated the shock negatively, therefore no longer pulled the lever.

So this makes me wonder, is my classroom a Skinner Box? More importantly, is my classroom a “Hendricks Box!?” Are my students being conditioned, while stuck in their desks all day, to make me happy, so that they will be rewarded? Are they conditioning themselves, because they know that earning a good grade feels better than earning a failing grade? While it is easy to associate behaviorist theories directly with the way students behave towards one another and the people around them, this week I learned some new ways to think about behaviorism, along with how to apply it right away to the upcoming school year (let’s not talk about that yet…it’s only July 7).

The current text book I am reading, Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works (Google edition), discusses the behaviorist theory, without actually coming out and saying so. The first section I read about was on reinforcing effort. According to the authors, “Effort is the most import factor in achievement” (Hubbell, Kuhn, Malenoski, and Pitler, 2007). They recommend that students must first be taught what effort is, followed by monitoring their own effort through the use of spreadsheets. In doing so, “students can change their beliefs and make a connection between effort and achievement” (Hubbell, Kuhn, Malenoski, and Pitler, 2007). If used effectively this system could be a great addition to any classroom. While the text suggests using a computer lab or laptop computers to complete a weekly analysis of performance, I think it would be just as easy to create a generic spreadsheet to be printed out and distributed at the beginning of each week. If used on a school network, the spreadsheets could easily be saved and monitored over time. Eventually the data could be collected to create personal mathematics lessons on graphing, data collecting, and more. Likewise, the same could be done with paper copies; however it may take more time to complete.

This particular strategy would be very useful to any teacher looking to integrate the behaviorist learning theory with technology. Plus, students would get to take a first-hand look at their own learning style and the amount of effort they give. If used consistently, this tool would be very beneficial to any student, ranging from one who is competitive with him/herself or one who lacks motivation to complete the daily work required to earn a desired grade.

The second section I read about was on homework and practice. Again, this section made several suggestions of how to apply the behaviorist learning theory to completing work outside of school. The authors begin by claiming that “Mastering a skill or process requires a fair amount of focused practice. Additionally, while practicing, students should adapt and shape what they have learned” (Hubbell, Kuhn, Malenoski, and Pitler, 2007). If this isn’t a behaviorist idea, I don’t know what is. In order to apply these ideas to homework and practice, it is suggested that students and teachers use a variety of technological tools, such as word processing software, multimedia, and communication software to enhance homework and practice.

This coming fall my teaching team is one of several groups within our district who will be piloting Google as a wide spread tool. We will be using almost any aspect of Google with our students, including Gmail, Google Docs, Blogger, and more. I think this will be an outstanding opportunity for my team and most importantly our students. This tool is going to make learning possible 24/7, because while students are at home they will be able to access their personal work, blog, website, etc. Additionally, while I am at home I will be able to access student work and respond to them with more ease. In the age of technology, this looks like a golden opportunity to my entire team, students included. Additionally, I think the use of Google inside and outside of the classroom walls will be an added motivator to my students. Believe it or not, students respond to technology and opportunity. This will give them both of those.

So, it would seem as though my classroom will take on the look of a “Hendricks Box” this coming school year. My students and I are about to embark on a technological upgrade to our district that no one else has had the chance to do. Will this make my students motivated? I think so. Will this make my students more accountable? My guess is yes. I am excited to say that my classroom is going to take a huge step towards going “digital” this coming year, giving my students the opportunity to “increase their level of understanding to mastery” (Hubbell, Kuhn, Malenoski, and Pitler, 2007).

References:
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

I Have a SmartBoard, So Now What!?

For the past eight weeks my life has consisted of quite a few things, ranging from training for a marathon every morning at 4:45 to working countless hours in my unfinished (but getting closer to finished) basement at 5:00 most evenings in order to prepare for the arrival of my first child sometime around early May. In addition to this, I have also tried to maintain a somewhat social life with my wife, all while enhancing my own classroom using several new tools and gadgets that I have learned about in my most recent Walden University class, The Impact of Technology on Education.

On many of my early morning runs, I have found myself wondering, “Self…do you think you got any new feeds from Packers News in your Google Reader account today?” To which I reply, “Of course you did! You live in Green Bay, Wisconsin. There is always news to report on the Green Bay Packers.” While editing my students’ classroom blog posts, I find myself sitting back and enjoying the simple, but humorous spin they put on what I see as a “regular” day in room B223. Most recently, my students and I felt a sense of accomplishment in creating and editing our (first) wiki, Glenbrook’s Book Shelf. We saw a need to share books we read with other fifth graders, and thought a wiki was a great medium to do so.

The past several weeks have opened my eyes to more than just RSS feeds, blogging, and wikis. After creating my first podcast, which you can listen to in my previous blog post, I am confident that Audacity is a great tool for students to use in more ways than for just podcasting. While I have yet to fully embrace Audacity in my classroom, I can see my students recording an excerpt from a book they read, and then transfer it to their wiki page about the same book, so that listeners can get a glimpse of what the book is about. I also know that my students would love the idea of creating their very own radio show, about topics that are interesting to them.

The Impact of Technology on Education has began to answer one of my biggest questions, from the beginning of the school year, “I have a Smart Board, but what else can I do that might keep my students coming back to school and wanting more, and more, and more!?” The answer, in short is that I had to explore the Read/Write Web on a personal level, and then give my students the exact same opportunities. Over the past eight weeks, my students have received access to websites like: Gaggle, PB Works, Edmodo, Blogger, and much more! These opportunities are teaching them how to be responsible, how to treat others with respect, and also internet safety. It is an opportunity for me to teach them about something that perhaps their parents are not as comfortable or knowledgeable with.

Over the next several years, I have big aspirations for myself, as far as what it means to be a teacher who integrates technology into the classroom effectively. One goal I have for myself is to figure out ways to take my Smart Board to the “next level” with my students. While I personally do not believe that a Smart Board is “a different tool, used in the same way,” it is clear that others may disagree. In taking my Smart Board knowledge to the next level, I want to prove that there is WAY more to an interactive whiteboard than just writing on it and having digital media literally at your fingertips (which no whiteboard or chalk board is able to do).

Another goal I have for myself is to continue seeking out new ways that technology can be used in the classroom. Blogging and updating/editing a classroom wiki with my students will now be a regular part of my daily classroom routine, but what about all the other millions of options out there? How can I make those options accessible to my students, in ways that they will be able to leave my room with a knowledge base that will allow them to function in the real, 21st century, world?

As I find myself racing towards the end of another masters course, with the goal of achieving a technology related degree, I often find myself thinking about a lot of the new ideas that authors, speakers, and teachers have recently pumped into my brain (even at 4:45 AM). These thoughts all come back to one of my first masters courses, where a majority of the eight weeks was spent analyzing what it meant to be an effective teacher in the 21st century. I understand that I have to be a 21st Century Skills activist in my profession. I know that kids learn differently in my fifth grade classroom, than I did 17 years ago when I sat in similar desks. I know that the tools and resources are at my fingertips, but it is just a matter of whether or not I have the skills and guts to pursue and use them. In knowing these critical elements of teaching to the “Digital Natives,” I know I am ready to apply my knowledge in an effort to become a more effective educator, and a leader among my peers.

Podcast...LAME...Machine? What is going on here?

This week, largely due to my class assignment, I created my first every podcast. Without going into much detail, as to what a podcast is, I really had a fun time figuring it all out. I began by reading the chapter titled, "Podcasting, Video and Screencasting, Live Streaming: Multimedia Publishing for the Masses," from Will Richardson's book Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for the Classrooms. In this chapter Richardson made me feel like I could really make a podcast, without much trouble. This proved to be true.

Prior to this week, I had only heard the word "Podcast" from friends, on TV, and through various internet outlets. To be frank, I am not sure that podcasts, prior to now, were of much interest to me, personally. I have really enjoyed learning about blogging and collaborating through wikis, but a podcast...I wasn't too sure of that. While I am not ready to jump into the Podcast radio circle quite yet, I do see them being a valuable tool in the classroom. However, after reading Richardson's chapter on podcasts, I told myself, "You can do it!" So, I downloaded Audacity, along with the LAME MP3 encorder and began recording myself talking about the crumbs on my table, the color of my black running shoes, and other interesting topics. It took little to no time to figure out where the record and stop buttons were in Audacity. The hardest part was probably figuring out how to export my file to MP3 format (which was really not that bad). I had a lot of fun editing the clips I made, learning to take of seconds of awkward pauses, along with "Ums" and "Okays (I could not get rid of all of them)." Upon completion of my first podcast, and successfully turning it into an MP3, I signed up to use the website Podcast Machine, as a host for my show, "B223 Tech Talk."

This week, I came up with a handful of questions about technology, for a portion of my homeroom fifth grade students to fill out. The questions ranged from what types of technology do you have at home to what types of technology do you have at school. I also asked them to tell me what an ideal school, in their eyes, might look like if money were not an issue. Since podcasting is new to both my students and I, I sent the questions home for them and their parents to read through and answer. I asked the parents to sign the questionnaire and return it as soon as possible. I ended up using the first four students who replied, with parent signatures.

Without giving it all away, I would like to present to you, the first episode of "B223 Tech Talk - Episode 1." FYI: Sally is rather quiet, so you may have to listen closely. Enjoy!

Route 21

Napoleon Dynamite knows that skills are important. "Girls only want guys who have great skills, like numb-chuck skills, bow hunting skills, and computer hacking skills." Perhaps if Napoleon were to revisited the issue of skills today, he might find out that in order to survive in the highly competitive 21st century, he he may need to rethink his priorities.

If you are like Napoleon Dynamite, then it is time for you to revisit what "skills" are important in allowing your students to succeed future jobs. If you haven't done so already, do yourself a favor and check out The Partnership for 21st Century Skills website. So many of us find ourselves wanting to become more aware of how we can more effectively teach the "digital natives" that come into our classrooms each day, but are often left wondering how to do so, and most often, where are the resources?

This website is a great place to begin, as it is an excellent resource for anyone wondering what 21st century skills are. By simply studying the framework for 21st century skills, one will quickly find out that 21st century learning is not just about blogs, wikis, and podcasts, but also about career and life skills, learning and innovation skills, and of course core subject skills.

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills website also offers a resource to its users, called Route 21. From the Route 21 page, one is able access all types of helpful information, on varying levels of subject matter. So if you are interested in figuring finding a resource in a particular standard, Route 21 may be able to help you out. Or, if you were hoping to increase your students knowledge in one of the specific skills areas, you can narrow down your search to match your skill. You can also find out what your state is doing (or not doing) to create 21st century thinkers. This page offers you all sorts of information, in hopes of giving you some of the resources that perhaps you don't already have.

My school district uses The Partnership for 21st Century Skills website as a starting point for teachers wondering how to reach the millennial students in our classrooms. We especially focus on the framework for teaching, because we strongly feel that these are the skills our students will have to have to be able to compete for jobs in the 21st century. In one of our several committees dedicated to better serving the technological needs of our students, we often refer to the 21st century framework as a starting point for what we should do next.

Because my school district follows the suggested framework, students in our district will hopefully leave high school feeling prepared for the next stage of their life. Several years ago we began using the Everyday Mathematics curriculum, which many parents had a hard time dealing with, because of the many challenges that each unit touches on. However, now that several of the students who were the pilots or pioneers of the system are in high school, the district is seeing high gains in student retention and ability in math classes. In my opinion, the same will be said of students, who are currently using 21st century skills in the classroom. These students are going to gain experiences that will allow them to compete in the competitive real world that awaits them.

Napoleon Dynamite's skills may get him the girls; however, they are not likely to prepare him for the 21st century, where the job market is constantly changing, and increasingly getting more competitive. If his teachers had access to The Partnership for 21st Century Skills website, perhaps his skills list would have been different?

Elmo Saved the Day!

Who ever invented the slide rule was a genius. In the fifth grade Everyday Mathematics series, my students are currently learning/re-visiting how to add fractions. In doing so, like all simple math problems in Everyday Math, I am teaching my kids three different ways to add/subtract the same fraction problem. In no way is this a slam. In fact, it gives more options, which I really like. One of the options for adding and subtracting fractions, in this unit, is using a slide rule. The slide rule only is broken up into 16ths (like an inch), so it only works for adding numbers that are equivalent to 16ths (I am not sure if that makes a lot of sense).

Anyway, a lot of my kids were having the most difficult time seeing what I was doing with the slide rule to get the correct answers. They understood that 1/2 + 2/4 = 1, but could not easily find this simple answer on the slide rule. It does not help that the provided slide rule is only 10 inches long, which makes visibility to my back rows of desks about as good as driving through thick fog. It occurred to me, because of the vision difficulties and not having the time to assist 28 students individually (because of the time constraints and pacing Everyday Math uses) to hunt down one of the two Elmo document camera's in my school.

As I called our library media specialist, I had my fingers crossed. Blowing up the slide rule, and actually using it on my wall would get the point across. The Elmo was in use by a fellow third grade teacher. In an effort to be a "super" teacher, I ran down the hall (no, I did not get caught) and asked the third grade class if I could borrow their Elmo for 15 minutes...max! After some hard bargaining, the Elmo was mine...for 12 minutes.

In those 12 minutes, my math students were able to see a fully projected image of the slide rule and me using it. The light bulbs flashed on, above all of their heads (well, most of them). After making the time crunch, with 13 seconds to spare, I was excited to know that my students understood how to finally use their 16ths of an inch slide rules.

Elmo saved the day!

Document cameras are super cool! I think this piece of equipment would really benefit any classroom. Our art teacher uses his regularly, which seems totally practical. Besides using manipulatives in math class, I think document cameras could also be great tools in a science class. Any body else have any cool ways that they use their document cameras?

Encyclopedia vs. Wikipedia

In just the last few moments, in preparing to begin animal research projects with my students, the following crossed my mind:

Encyclopedia vs. Wikipedia

The scenario: Your students are at the "information gathering" stage of their problem based research project on animals (I'll use the Bald Eagle for this scenario). In your PAPER packet you have students write down all of the different sources they could get information from on the Bald Eagle. If you are "old school," you will force your students to definitely use one of the dust collecting, commonly used as a paperweight, decoratively used as a book end, outdated, 1987 World Book Encyclopedia's. If you are the exact opposite, you will allow your students to use the Internet, and even demonstrate using Wikipedia appropriately.

I often find myself asking why so many teachers still force their students to use encyclopedias to do their research. Most encyclopedia volumes are very expensive; which is major problem for schools who are trying to "cut back" in these tough economic times. I am not saying that Wikipedia is the answer to all of our problems, because it certainly is not.

However, by double left-clicking on your desktop Internet button, you are granting yourself access to the information highway. For various fees, the World Book Encyclopedia is now available online...plus...it is current! For free, you can have your students go on a multitude of over common encyclopedias; such as: Encyclopedia Britannica, Yahoo's free encyclopedia, or encyclopedia.com. In addition to these sites, there are what seems like an infinite amount of sites (through a simple google search) that specialize in whatever topic your student(s) is/are studying.

Internet has made research much less of a hassle. Finding the answers to anything and everything is no longer impossible.

Which leaves me wondering, why do so many teachers still force their students to blow the dust off of that 262 lb book from 1987 to gather information? Do we actually believe this is a skill that students still must have?

Blogging in the Classroom

Up until about a month ago, I was not all that sure of what a blog was. I definitely had no idea of how I could apply a blog into my fifth grade classroom where all of the core subjects are taught each day. This changed after visiting a third grade classroom, during a "technology" visit a model 21st century school.

On my agenda, was a session titled, "Blogging with Mrs. M.'s Class." Since I was not sure what blogging was (even though I would later learn that I blog more than I knew), this session sounded intriguing. It was!

Mrs. M.'s third graders each had jobs, similar to those found in most elementary classrooms. One of the jobs was to be a "Daily Blog Keeper," which replaced the previous job of "Daily Log Keeper." Two girls sat down at a mini laptop and began writing about the happenings in their classroom and school. Although most blogs are very interactive, this model was definitely much more basic, and intended to give the students a chance to use a web 2.0 tool. After the two girls were done, they shared with the onlooking teachers, who were simply amazed, other things that they could do from their blog; such as access favorite websites.

On December 16, 2009, I took this same idea into my classroom. I took five minutes to set-up a blog, on Blogger.com, and made the idea a reality in my class. I was apprehensive, mostly because of my lack of blogging knowledge. However, as with most tech and web 2.0 tools, I know the only way to learn how something works is to "Just do it!" So, we "Just did it!"

The B223 Blogger has been a steady, learning process. Each week, the new writers are getting better, and learning from previous bloggers' posts. The posts act as a daily updates to anyone who is willing to look and read. As a class, we have already began talking about what we could do to make our blog a more powerful tool. One thing we know is that we have to begin posing questions to our readers, to get them to interact with us more. This week's bloggers have asked several questions in regards to the book Hatchet, which we are currently reading.

In time, I would like to turn my student's blog into a platform for discussion and display of exceptional peer work. I know that I am only scrapping the blogging surface, with my classroom blog (and probably this blog too). However, the blog has given my students something be excited about. They know that piece of technology will be a part of our daily routine. Additionally, it is giving them the opportunity to speak, be hear, and communicate using language that is appropriate and easy for all eye's to read.

What do you think? Should blogs become a regular part of classrooms? How would you, or do you, use a blog differently in your classroom?

That Seems Nuts!

I purchased my first laptop, in order to replace my almost new desktop (2000), in 2003. It cost almost $1000. This 12,000 lb, blue woolly mammoth, of a computer (also known as the "Blue Beast")was a sure bet for me to gain academic success. At the time, I was unaware of what "wireless" internet was, but knew it was expensive, so I passed on the option to go wireless. Instead, I attached an ethernet cord to my mobile devise, and began living the life of an almost completely mobile computer user. Life on the computer, as I knew it, could not get much better than that.


Of course I was wrong. Life got MUCH better, in terms of computers. My next computer was a much more powerful desktop. The decision was made, after several years of renting a U-Haul truck to transport the "Blue Beast." I figured, if I was going to have a heavy computer, and since light weight laptops cost more than a powerful desktop (at the time), I might as well get a computer that would permanently sit on my desk.


This changed (again, this past summer), upon enrolling in my online Masters of Education program (Integrating Technology into the Classroom) through Walden University. How were my wife and I supposed to balance computer time? Was she supposed to wait patiently to go on Facebook, while I worked away at my classes? The answer, of course was..."NOT A CHANCE!" How was I supposed to study while on vacation, because being a teacher, you have to enjoy your summer break? We needed to invest in a second computer, which we chose would a WIRELESS laptop. We chose to become members of the 21st century, in terms of modern computer users. The "Blue Beast" was a thing of the past. We welcomed in the "Red Raptor," which is must faster than my previous laptop, and slightly lighter in weight. The best part was, our new laptop was less than half the cost of my first laptop (about $400).

Which brings me to my educational point...

With laptops, primarily mini-laptops, getting to such low costs as $300 for a decent set-up, should schools be investing in one to one programs? Why do we have kids hand write papers over and over, until their erasers no longer exist, when we could have them type a paper on a specific topic, and share back and forth with a teacher or peer to edit through emails, blogs, and wikis? I understand the "old school" mentality, but what about 21st century mentality? I could not tell you the last time I sat down and hand wrote a paper from start to finish, and then went back and typed it. That seems nuts! So I wonder, do our students think we are nuts, because they know they are capable of achieve higher quality work even faster, if given a computer?

I believe one to one programs could be very beneficial, long term. The cost would be a lot. In a district of 3,000 kids, with mini-laptops costing $300 each, someone (probably tax payers) would have to fork over $1,000,000 just to get up and running, and that doesn't include all of the additional costs associated. Perhaps these work stations have to get even cheaper, but not lose quality, before this can happen? One to one programs are upon us (or so I have heard and read), but I wonder how long it will be before this is a reality for school districts across the country, since so many schools lag behind in the demands that technology already present to them.

A bunch of Gagglers!

The only people allowed to access their personal email accounts, to my knowledge, within my school building is teachers. This is great, because if need be, you can check your Gmail, AOL, Hotmail, etc. However, with teaching a generation of students who have grown up not knowing what life is like without email and the internet, I have wondered for a long time why students do not have access to their email accounts at school.

I understand most of the security reasons. Of course I want my students, and all students to be safe on the web; but shouldn't it be partially our job, as teachers, to teach students how to use email and the internet appropriately, so that they do not turn into internet bullies on the plethora of social networks available to them?

This being said, yesterday my students got school safe email accounts! This may have been more exciting to them than anything we have done all year, with the exception of maybe our classroom blog. With the help of our schools librarian/technology teacher, my students were introduced to their new Gaggle.net accounts. This email site allows us to filter and sensor emails. As a teacher, I can pick and choose what students can and cannot subscribe to; such as Facebook vs. Edmodo.

Within minutes of setting up, my students became their own teachers. They were fast at work, using our school C.O.W.S. (Computers on Wheels (lap tops)). The excitement built as they began to find their classmates in their contacts, and even further built, when for some of them, they received their first ever email.

I look forward to being able to use this resource as another communication method. It is obviously one of many resources that could be tapped into. I think it is insane to think that email skills are something that should not be taught. Our students are the "21st Century Learners."

This week was a great technology week in my classroom. I hope my students do not expect to have their own lap top sitting on their desk when they show up on Monday.

Chris

Let the blogging begin!

My journey to the world of blogging has taken me through sites like: MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, CBSportsline, ESPN, de.li.cious, and much more. To say I am a rookie at this is wrong, but to say I am a connoisseur of blogs is also incorrect. My goal, in setting up a blog (that I can call my own) is to be reflective in a different sort of way than on my sports websites where I used to argue on threads about which football team had a better chance of making the playoffs.

That said...

I felt like I had a huge hangover at work, all day Monday! I know what you must be thinking, "He had too much fun over the New Year's weekend." While my New Year's was fun, my lifelessness was largely due to the fact that I spent much of the week off inhaling paint fumes in my basement from painting the walls and floor; a weekend of hanging out with old friends, which meant staying up much later than most any teacher is used to staying up (past 10 PM!); and on top of that chose Monday to begin my Green Bay Cellcom Marathon training day...at 4:45 AM. Monday was the most sluggish school day of my career! Upon entering my classroom, I was welcomed to the heater blowing a steady 80 degree blast of air out of the ceiling; which was not going to help my sleep deprivation. Next, my students were just TOO quiet and orderly when coming into the room. Something was up! These kids were exhausted from similar reasons to my own. As the hour hand on my clock painstakingly did 8 full revolutions, my students finally began to wake up to the reality that they were stuck inside our sauna of a room for the next five months. At the end of the day, after watching 23 slugs (including myself) sludge out of the room, I thought to myself, "Is it just because it is January? Should I really be waking up at 4:40 AM, just to run? Why does my head hurt so bad?"

Sure enough, today was a day when I told my wife on the drive home, "I'm back! Today, I ruled at teaching!" Let's get one thing straight, I am not full of myself, but like you, I know when I did a good job teaching and a poor job (Monday). I think my early morning runs are beginning to give me a psychological edge on my fifth graders, because they think anyone who wakes up before 5 AM is crazy. Next, the headaches are gone, and I am more alert than ever each day at school, which means my wit is even quicker than quick.

Because of my "alertness," I thought it was fitting to teach the kids how to make a list in a word document of their favorite websites by creating HYPERLINKS. This way, they could access their favorite websites quicker in the future. First and foremost, the kids were fascinated by the word HYPER. Secondly, they had finally got to do something in our computer lab that did not involve pounding/typing words like, "baseball...baseball...basketball...basketball" over and over until they could spell it better than type it. As we left the lab that day, and I asked my students if they had fun, in a chorus of various pitches (hyper) they replied, "YES!"

Then it hit me: de.li.cious

Which left me wondering, why did I waste all that time when I could have shown my students Delicious.com, "The tastiest bookmarks on the web!" Part of the reason is that my students do not yet have school emails accounts, and also because I am still learning about all the read/write (Web 2.0) tools available. Have any of you had students use Delicious.com? If so, any successes? If not, for what reasons?

I look forward to joining in on the world of blogging, which already seems like it will be a "6 Cups of Coffee Later" type of experience.

So long, for now...

Chris