Killing them softly with slides.....or not?

Presentations.  We love them, hate them, use them, refuse them, sleep through them, dread them, or avoid them at all cost.  However you feel about them personally, as educators, they are something we are all familiar with.  Maybe too familiar with.  Chapter 4 of “Crafting Digital Writing” hit home for me in more ways than one.  Right there in the first sentence, “the ubiquitous practice of having students present a slide show in front of the class has been one of the chief complaints by those railing against educational technology” (Hicks, 2013, p. 61).  Yep, guilty as charged.  I think most teachers transitioned from poster to the PowerPoint presentation phase.  Students liked using the computers, and it does give them some pratice getting up in front of the class, but we have the opportunity here to do so much more. The chapter continues on to talk about how “bored, er, board meetings and second grade animal reports end up being a series of formulaic slides.” (Hicks, 2013, p. 66)  I think we can all relate to that one.  

So what do we do?  Where do we go from here?  Well, for me, I am working toward applying the MAPS (Mode, Media, Audience, Purpose, Situation) approach to my own presentations. MAPS Prezi by Farrah Brown I want to “practice what I preach” so to speak.  I think as teachers, we have to remember that we too, are students and are constantly learning and perfecting our craft.  I think with my own classroom presentations, I forget to apply the MAPS approach, and if I did, my presentations would be much more engaging for my students. Whether students or teachers when crafting a presentation and looking at the MAPS elements, we must consider first our mode.  Are we telling a story, providing infomation, or persuading?  With science most of the time I am providing information, but by using some of the tips from the chapter, I am sure I can make the information more engaging with clips, videos, etc.  Next, we have to look at media; this is where it gets fun.

These days we have so many different types of media available from prezis to blogs and Wikis the possibilities are endless.  Audience must also be considered.  My primary audience is my students most of the time, but it also ranges from my peers at professional development meetings to my supervisors at faculty meetings.  Our audience affects our tone and our formality a great deal.  Purpose, while important, is something that students struggle with many times.  How many times have we heard it?  Why do we have to do this?  Why does this matter?  We have to help our students see a clear purpose for their work and giving them a wider audience whether it be their peers or the world via the internet, we can do just that.  Lastly is situation, the context of the presentation or demands on the writer or presenter.  I have also included a clip that gives the basics of Prezi.  This was my first time to use it, and I still have a lot to learn but I did like the transitions.  I am going to try to incorporate it more.

Prezi Intro

References:

Hicks, T. (2013). Crafting digital writing: Composing texts across media and genres. Portsmouth: Heinemann.

"More than just a very expensive pencil"

With 1:1 initiatives being a hot topic in every boardroom, teacher workroom, classroom, newsroom, and living room, it is certainly a subject that must be discussed in a technology class.  These initiatives were started in our state as early as 2005 with Cullman City Schools, so this is not new, and there have been many different versions of these initiatives ranging from laptops to ipads to chromebooks.  What is new, however, is the decision being made about whether or not to proceed with 1:1 initiatives in other districts.  The problems experienced in early rollouts and the lessons learned there are becoming the topic of journal articles, planning sessions, and board discussions statewide for systems currently looking at this enormous expense. Those of us who are not new to education know that it is a constantly changing field, with new initiatives being introduced to us frequently.  Why then, is this technology issue any different?  Why is the focus on how to have a successful 1:1 implementation or whether to have one at all so important and the topic of such heated discussions and debate?  Maybe because  “a 1:1 laptop computer initiative is such a visible, expensive, and labor intensive, effort that stands out in a forest of reforms.” (Weston & Bain, 2010, p. 9)  I think most could agree in all of the initiatives we have seen in education, this one is at the least one of the most-- if not the most--expensive to implement.  Indeed, most systems that have not tried to implement a 1:1 initiative have not done so because of the cost.  These programs are also very visible, districts are proud of them and publicize their initiatives, and the local media is sure to cover their success or failure.  So these expensive programs are being implemented and their success or failure is being vetted in a very public arena.  Additionally, many systems are opting not to move forward not only because of the cost but also because they do not want to just purchase “$1000 pencil programs” (November, 2013)  Just like the Lotusville case study we looked at in chapter 2 (Picciano, 2011, p.30),  the focus with many systems seems to be on getting more computers into the schools and not on the actual change of instructional methods and pedagogy that must accompany this technology integration.  If we are to have successful implementation of these programs,  we have to have planning that is “comprehensive, collaborative, and continuous.” (Picciano, 2011, p. 32)   We cannot continue to think that just by adding computers to the classroom and changing from textbook-based assignments to web-based assignments that our rigor has increased and that our test scores will rise and our students are learning more.  The following video (although produced by a consulting company) points out the positive impact a 1:1 initiative can have when implemented correctly and used effectively. 

How is a 1:1 Classroom initiative defined?

We have to “begin with the end in mind” when looking at any new initiative, technology included.   We have to look at what we want our students and teachers to gain from this.  We have to know what we want the outcome to look like and what our needs are.  Do we just want to transition from paper reading and composition to digital reading and writing?  I doubt it.  I believe we want our students to own their own learning and become comfortable in the digital age with crafting their digital footprint in a responsible way.  I alsoI think we can all agree that our students need access to technology and that we as teachers have to adapt our teaching style to incorporate this new technology as well.  We cannot, however,  just add more computers and think that will be the answer.  According to one teacher  interviewed by Storz & Hoffman (2013) for their article, “If we’re still doing the same things we did prior to the computers, then we’re misusing them.” Just as teaching in a 21st century classroom should look very different, the learning should look very different too.  But then again, the workplace of the 21st century looks very different from the workplace of the past as well.  We can only imagine what the classrooms of the future and workplaces of the future may look like.  It is our job to successfully implement the technology we have, whether it be a 1:1 initiative or mobile labs, so that our students are ready to face the world that will meet them when they have finished their education.  I think the following video shows just how great that responsibility is, and, in turn, how great our role as educators is.

November, A. (2013, February 10). Why Schools Must Move Beyond One-to-One Computing. Retrieved 17 February 2015, from http://novemberlearning.com/educational-resources-for-educators/teaching-and-learning-articles/why-schools-must-move-beyond-one-to-one-computing/

Picciano, A. (2011). Educational Leadership and Planning for Technology. (S. Dragin, Ed.) (5th ed.). New Jersey: Pearson Education.

Storz, M., & Hoffman, A. (2013). Examining Response to a One-to-One Computer Initiative: Student and Teacher Voices. Research in Middle Level Education Online, 36.

Weston, M., & Bain, A. (2010). The End of Techno-Critique: The Naked Truth about 1:1 Laptop Initiatives and Educational Change. The Journal of Technology, Learning, and Assessment, 9.

Global Revolution - Education Then and Now. (2013, October 30). Global Revolution - Education Then and Now. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqvuP4je1Ok&feature=youtu.be

How is a 1:1 Classroom Initiative Defined? (2014, March 5). How is a 1:1 Classroom Initiative Defined? Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAaVWeQG9RI&feature=youtu.be

When being "born digital" isn't enough

According to author Troy Hicks (2013) "Students today may be "born digital," but it is our job to help them become "purposeful and creative writers."  I could not agree more. This generation of students has grown up with ipads, smartphones and computers so reading, writing, and researching using technology is not new to them.  However, using technology with responsibility or "digital citizenship" sometimes is new to them.  The following video featuring Dr. Robin Bright talks about just how much students sometimes do not know. 

As part of our Google Apps for Education (GAFE) pilot group in our county I have been given a classroom set of chromebooks to use with my students.  Part of this pilot required me to go through digital citizenship training with my students before them being given email addresses and GAFE accounts.  The unit I used was one that I found through Common Sense Media that had lesson plans, videos and follow up activities for the students to do.   The students enjoyed it, but it became very obvious that although they are very comfortable tweeting, swiping, posting, clicking and snapchatting away, they oftentimes do not realize the amount of responsibility that goes along with it.  This responsibility is a key factor both in digital citizenship and in the college and career readiness standards. This responsiblity must be reiterated and reinforced throughout a student's educational journey. As students move from middle school to high school and from high school to college, this becomes even more important. We, as teachers, have to impart to our students how "colleges and companies look to discover a student's web presence before offering them a position"(Hicks 2013) and that what they do now on their own time on their phones, Instagram and Twitter accounts can affect them later in life.  We need to help our students focus on building a digital portfolio that paints them in a positive light and highlights their achievements as well as provides them a permanent place for their exemplary writing and presentations.  I look forward to moving into the digital age with my students by becoming a good digital citizen and crafting my digital writing and footprint carefully.

References:

Hicks, T. (2013). Crafting Digital Writing. Portsmouth: Heinemann.

Digital Literacy & Citizenship Classroom Curriculum. (n.d.). Retrieved February 4, 2015, from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/educators/curriculum