Proposal for the 21st century

The technologies I have observed at Marquette Senior High School are minimal. The internet, PowerPoint, and a projector are the most abundantly used.  None are those like that of the 21^st century classroom.  There is a document camera in the class, but I don’t believe it has ever been used as anything besides a dust collector.  I am merely speculating, based on the observation of one teacher, but I assume there has been no mandatory workshop on how to use and how to enhance a lesson with the document cameras. From what I have seen, I would classify Marquette Senior High School as having moderate to low technological wealth.   If the teachers of MSHS were trained with the available resources, the school would move up the technological scale, but unless the resources are being used, they are of no benefit. In regards to technology, unless a new tool helps solve a specific problem, it too is of no benefit.

Specific problems I have observed in middle and high school classes are that there is not enough time, and students are underprepared. So how can we fix the issue without extending the school/work day? By “flipping the classroom”, a term used to describe a method of teaching where the students receive their lectures  from the internet outside of class time, freeing up more time to work during the sub one hour time slot. Flipping the classroom however would not be possible without the help of several 21^st century tools.  First off, a child needs to be able to access the internet outside of class in order to flip. Some schools offer afterschool computer lab access, and others are issuing iPads to each student.  Also, in order to flip the class, the instructor must have the means to record a video lesson and upload it to the internet. With the availability of a cheap webcam and microphone, free online services, and knowledge of the processes, a teacher can easily flip a classroom. My proposal is this; Find the funds to offer students internet access long after the school day has ended. Whether it is by means of personal tablets, extended computer lab access, or any other reasonable method, the students will benefit from a program which implements a flip classroom. Teachers will have a larger chunk of time to engage in deeper lessons including project-based learning, differentiated instruction, and active learning.

Project-based learning is a means of teaching that challenges students with complex problems and questions which require investigative skills such as problem solving and decision making.   Project based learning can be used to answer the age-old question, “when will I ever need to know this?” by teaching skills as well as content.  Differentiated instruction in its most basic form is a teacher’s ability to adapt a lesson to accommodate all children’s academic interests and creating the best learning experience as possible. Content, process, products, and learning environment are four classroom elements that teachers can differentiate in response to classroom variance. Active learning, a term with inconsistent definitions, can be summed up as a process by which students learn in an environment where students are engaging in material by reading, writing, talking, listening and reflecting.  Research has proven, that the effectiveness of teaching and learning is increased when students have sufficient opportunities to clarify, question, apply, and consolidate new knowledge. 

Funds are always going to be a topic of discussion when it comes to indulging into expensive tools for the classroom. But until we can provide students with internet access, we cannot hold them responsible for information to be found on the internet, which rule’s out flipping a class. Afterschool access to a computer lab can eliminate the problem for a school that simply cannot afford distribution of personal computers. Next the teachers need to be trained how to flip a class and to use the technologies required. Ultimately, time is of the essence. By manipulating time teachers will deepen their students’ ability to make connections to the world through deep, meaningful lessons and activities.


http://www.worldwidelearn.com/education-articles/hybrid-education.html 
http://www.eschoolnews.com/2012/03/09/how-can-research-inform-ed-tech-decisions/ 
http://www.mastersacademy.org/page.asp?ID=35 
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/ipad-teaching-learning-apps-ben-johnson 

Teaching in the 21st-century

An increasing pressure in the field of education is  to incorporated a variety of technological tools into the classroom. As my formal education of the available technologies progresses, I have been compiling a toolbox of resources to bring along as I transition from student to teacher.  By continuing to fill my toolbox, I am progressing toward meeting the expectations of a 21st-century teacher and learning the skills required to fulfill Michigan Teacher Standard 7, technology operations and concepts, which includes the 'use of technological tools, operations and concepts to enhance learning, personal/professional productivity, and communication.'


Of the several tools I have explored during ED483, a few stand out to me as the most useful. The first of those tools are those from google: Blogger, Sites and Documents. For purposes of communication, Google sites and blogger are excellent resources which can be used to strengthen the community built between the teacher and both his students and the parents of. By uploading assignments, test dates, course expectations, etc.,  there should be no confusion about where the students are expected to be at with their education in a given course. With Google Documents, a teacher can assess a students learning during a class period or from outside of school. Furthermore, the results of that assessment will be easily scored and made available in a spreadsheet which can then be converted to a graph, which can be helpful to indicate how the class did as a whole, or on any individual test item. 


In addition to the Google Resources, I found the concept of 'flipping the classroom' to be very beneficial as a tool to 'implement curriculum plans that include effective technology-enhanced methods and strategies to maximize student learning' (as required by standard MTS 7).  The compilation of several tools, providing the ability to record a video lecture, upload it to the web, and then embed the video into a site, can be used to develop a lesson in which the students are lectured to while outside of class. Flipping the classroom maximizes student learning by minimizing the amount of class time designated for lecture, allowing that time to be more interactive/activity based.


Third, the online resources I explored for simply developing a grading rubric will certainly be a vital time saver. Prep time for teachers is often too short; saving time by taking advantage of free online resources is an efficient way to apply technology to facilitate a variety of effective evaluation strategies.


I have accomplished many goals this semester in building my toolbox toward meeting the expectations of a 21st-century teacher and for meeting technological standards. But in learning of these several tools, I have concluded that my knowledge is minimal in relation to the vast array of tech sources available in developing to be the best teacher I can be.

TLC and SMART Boards

Since the first year of the millennium, NMU has been issuing laptop computers to full time students as a part of the Teaching, Learning, and Communication (TLC) initiative. In addition to distribution of personal computers to the students, NMU has been recognized by the President of the United States for its innovative uses of technology, specifically with the implication of the WiMAX network. WiMAX is a city wide wireless internet signal, accessible to anyone with a university login and a computer with either a portable or built in modem specific to WiMAX.  Having a distributed computer and free unlimited internet access has greatly enhanced my learning experience.

Also in regards to the TLC initiative and to stay ahead of the technological curve, Northern has installed SMART Boards in several classrooms.  I have had the pleasure of learning basic functions of SMART Boards. Though the use of SMART Boards in the classroom has sparked controversy, they are a great addition to any classroom.  However, if a teacher is not properly trained in at least the basic functions of the boards, they will be of little to no advantage and can actually be a setback, as I have witnessed from a professor’s learn-on-the-go attempt.

At this time (01/2012), I have not received formal training on the use of the SMART Boards. However, I do have experience using them.  When a  group of mine and I were offered the opportunity to use a SMART Board to deliver an in-class presentation, we jumped at the idea. While the other groups resorted to the more familiar PowerPoint, we took on the challenge of learning a new, more advanced tool. By viewing several online tutorials, we were able to train ourselves basic functions of the SMART Board.

The most basic and universally beneficial function is the ability to control a synched computer simply by touching the board. Regardless of what program or internet website is being used to teach from, a finger acts as the computer mouse. The Smart Board also acts as a white board in the sense that the image projected from the computer can be written on.  Furthermore, writing can either be saved as a new document on top of the original, or the writing can be simply deleted. Smart Notebook, a computer application specifically designed for the SMART Board allows for use similar to that of a standard white board, but with the ability to move notes around with the touch of a finger and open up multiple tabs which allows for virtually unlimited space.

I have read several mixed reviews of the SMART Board’s integration into K-12 classrooms. Contrary to the experiences of many, there is no question that SMART Boards are an amazing advancement for teaching in any classroom. The trouble lies within the training teachers are receiving in how to teach with SMART Boards.