When Technology Fails Us

As I grow as an educator, my background knowledge of technology continues to increase.  I don't claim to know all the answers, but I have developed the ability to ask questions about the failure.  What caused it?  Is it within my control?  Can I find a work around?

Today I was asked to help with a blog where the comments weren't posting properly.  I didn't know the solution, but I checked it on another computer to see if it was a computer related problem, I asked the teacher to show me what they were doing, I asked them to check through the blog management tool.  We did find the problem being that the system hadn't accepted the comment approval commands that were given before.  The point is that I don't know Edublogs.org well enough to know the answer, but by asking questions and exploring we found the answer.

This leads back to my original idea.  What about when technology fails?

I was presenting on Google Earth in Victoria, BC yesterday and technology failed me.  The projector had poor contrast so that reds, blues and blacks all showed up as black on the screen, Google Earth opened but did not have a reliable fast connection to the Internet, and I planned to show my Google Literature Trips on the Apple Learning Interchange but the Internet would go there.  Sounds like a presentation from hell - right?

Wrong - I have learned to present the concept and the process more than the details.  Much of my time was spent sharing the concepts, the rationale, and the practical applications for Literature, Mathematics and Social Studies.  It is always hard to learn from a demonstration where you can't follow along anyway.  Being forced to present highlighting the concepts and potential was much more powerful.  

I find that we (as teachers) are moving to the process oriented learning side.  In doing so, I don't have to showcase a final product, I can instead describe the process and learning encapsulated in the project.

Yes technology fails; however, so does the power from time to time.  We deal with interruptions, assemblies, fire alarms, code yellow and much more on a daily basis.  Technology is not the answer to all.  Rather technology can be the spring board to amazing learning opportunities.  I remember creating skits in groups as an intermediate student; we are really doing the same project when we have students create movies to tell a story.  It is about the process not the product.

Where do we put our energy?

I listened to a TED video today.  It is focused on the basic question ?Given $50 billion to spend, which would you solve first, AIDS or global warming? Danish political scientist Bjorn Lomborg comes up with surprising answers.  

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/bjorn_lomborg_sets_global_priorities.html

Taking this to our role in teaching and learning.  There are many problems.  Rather than prioritize problems, we should look at prioritizing solutions.  Bjorn worked with economists to determine the cost/benefit of solutions.  In terms of technology, what technologies would have the best cost / benefit ratio.  If we can help more students by doing X than helping less students with Y, which choice should we make.

I don't have the answers to the cost / benefit of providing 1 to 1 laptop initiatives.  Rather than that specific problem I think we should ask ourselves if we are making the best choices with not only technology, but how we spend our time teaching and learning.

Is there a way to show that the cost / benefit of providing school and home computers with internet access to all students is more beneficial than providing targeted support to only students that need it (after they are already falling behind in their learning and then identified to receive support.)

My statement is not which one is better, rather that decisions around the world seem to be made all in the name of 'putting learners first.'  

Do we really know what uses of technology if any are more beneficial?

Flying over storytelling tools

I really enjoyed this morning where I was able to give a high level fly past of a variety of tools that teachers might want to go.  It is nice to know what is out there even if not ready for it.  A year later, one can reflect and say, "now I need something that will do _____.  I remember that we saw something that might just do that."

In preparing to share the tools, I had even forgotten about some options.  The last one CogDogRoo has a list of 57 + ideas for storytelling with digital media.

The archive of tools I briefly covered include:

Tools for Digital Storytelling
del.icio.us/digitalstorytelling
http://screencast-o-matic.com/
http://jingproject.com/
http://mnemograph.com/
Comic Life - see district license
Inspiration - see district license
Kidspiration - see district license
KidPix - see district license
www.edublogs.org
Google Maps / Google Earth
flickr.com
quickmaps.com
clustrmaps.com
Apple Learning Interchange - http://ali.apple.com

http://electronicportfolios.org/

CogDogRoo - http://cogdogroo.wikispaces.com/StoryTools - FIfty different tools 

What is it like to just have second years....

This year we only have second years at our summer institute.  This is very interesting.  It seems more relaxed.  We are all focused on the same process.  We don't have to balance rooms, activities, times to make it all fit.

We do miss the opportunities to share with the first years.  Having second years helping the first years overcome the emotional hurdles and technical hurdles was empowering for the second years.  We don't have that same opportunity. 

We have planned less 'workshops' and more learning time, exploration, and critical reflection.  Since everyone has a base level of technological ability, there is little need to provide that kind of workshop or support.  I hope that next year when we start with first years again that we will be able to keep this decreased focus on technology and greater focus on the educational issues around integrating technology.

As a Teacher and Learner ...

As I continue as a learner, I learn more about my teacher.  I have always put myself in positions to share my knowledge.  I consider myself somewhat introverted; however, in a teaching role I seem the exact opposite.

Also in a teaching role, I force myself to be knowlegable.  This concept is odd in terms of teaching with technology.  I chose to leave my position at Frank Hurt as the Tech Facilitator because I was expected to be the expert in everything.  It just isn't possible. 

Oddly enough 3 years later, I ended up at the district level where again I am expected to 'know everything.'  The biggest difference is that I no longer try to actually know 'everything.'  Now I have a network of people and sources to point teachers to help themselves.  

With the growth of technologies, it is impossible to know everything.  I have been teaching lifeguarding for 18 years and have always taught principle oriented.  In lifesaving and first aid, you can practice procedures to deal with knowns and expecteds but rarely to accidents happen in identical ways.  I hadn't realized it until recently that teaching (especially with technology) has changed to be much more principle oriented.  

It is now no longer about knowing the answers but being willing to try and explore.  I am not an expert in most technologies; however, I can figure them out based on other existing knowledge.

I am much happier facilitating than delivering information.  I think the rich conversations during exploration and learning are worth more than the information that may have very little to do with their future life.

Kevin

Surrey TLITE 2008

I have been working with Surrey and Simon Fraser University for the past 8 years on an incredible program called TLITE - or Teaching and Learning in an Information and Technology Environment.  During August 11 to 22, I will be making some posts that might be a bit different than my usual posts.  

I wanted to warn you that as part of the coursework for the cohort everyone is blogging regularly.  I am including myself in this process.  

Google Teacher Academy Reflection

This opportunity was amazing.  I have been an Apple Distinguished Educator for 1.5 years now and love the networking opportunity.  The networking with GCT has been just as wonderful for networking.

The Academy was a neat adventure to be with 50 incredible educators and then cramming in the great wealth of Google into our brains until near explosion.  I consider myself to know lots about Google, but there were many things I found that I didn't have a clue about.  

As part of my follow up activities, I am hoping to produce a 40 things you can do tomorrow using Google in your classroom.  I would then be able to present this as a workshop to provide a condensed version of our experience.  Seeing what is possible is one way to open the eyes of educators to change.  At the same time, I want to caution educators to be careful how deep and how far they choose to go.  We want to make sure that we are using our time wisely to use what we need.  Here is where Just In Time learning comes in for teachers as well.  

I think for teachers JIT learning is almost as important as for students.  If we try and learn it all now, without direct application, it will just be added to the frustration level.  Prior to April of this year, I had experimented in Google Earth and created a basic virtual field trip.  During April of this year I was asked to share Google Earth in a meaningful way.  To me this became creating a Google Lit Trip. I have since created 2 Google Lit Trips; however, I built my skills as needed to complete the tasks.  (I still have a personal goal to learn the time coding features - but I don't have a project that needs it yet.)

I found the value of the GCT Academy in being:

1. Expanding my network of incredible educators,
2. Expanding the fly past knowledge of the Googlverse
3. Forcing me to think deeper about how to apply and present Google and its wealth of resources as meaningful tools to teachers (that may not be as eager as I can be.)

Kevin

Google Literature Trip

I had the pleasure of presenting with Jerome Burg at BC Literacy Forum conference. The link to the recording of our presentation. It does require a bit of Java install (automatically).

https://sas.elluminate.com/site/external/launch/play.jnlp?psid=2008-06-19.1739.M.4E2872FEDB7D69F3FCADABF491B2F1.vcr

I cannot say enough about how pleased I am to have worked with Jerome on this presentation. I was challenged to complete a second literature trip to share and learned new information to be able to share it. In preparing, I summarized what I see as the Return on Investment.

Student Engagement
Deep Learning with Many Connections
Reaches Visual / Spatial Learners
Reading with Purpose
Cross Curricular applications
Encourages global links to sources, people and resources
Alignment with PLO’s, IML Learning Capacity and NETS-S

A personal note for teachers thinking about doing a Google Literature Trip. Try it and you will learn more about that piece of literature than you may have in studying it with your students for years.

Kevin

Web 2.0 is not the Future of Education

In response to http://injenuity.com/archives/207#comment-1109

Jen,

An interesting conversation. I have to say I found your initial post provoking; however, I understand where you are coming from.

Our District Motto is "Keeping Learners at the Centre."

I don't know that Web2.0 is the right catch all but I will work within that category. I believe students today are different than even 10 years ago. If we want to keep them at the centre, we need to change as they and society changes. I do a lot of professional development workshops and get quite annoyed being asked to teach a software title. I reflect back to the requester to tell tell me what their learning goals are and ask how this will integrate to the curriculum.

A quote from Brigham Young University that I just love is "The goal of teaching is to teach our students to be learners. The content is what they practice with. "

With the world changing in ways such as a online community being compared to being a country with its size and other features. Students are different and have opportunities to learn differently. A few years back (probably 10 now) Bernajean Porter worked with our Ministry of Education to define technology use in three ways - Literacy - Adaptive and Transformative.

At some point we all need the literacy level (skills), then we can move to doing what we already do (PPT) to doing things not possible before. Transformative is where I want to see most of the time spent. Voice Thread was an example discussed earlier. If we just record ourselves that is just literacy, if we use it to practice a speech that might be adaptive, but if we use it to , that could have been done before . Using Voice Thread for a global (or local) conversation with voice, text, files, annotations was not possible.

Students and Teachers don't need to learn every Web2.0 application; however, we do need to prepare students to learn and use the tools that they will need throughout their life. (I actually don't use Voice Thread myself but I can see the potential.) I love working with wikispaces.com. It doesn't matter if you use Wikispaces or PB Wiki or any other tool. What I am teaching is becoming creators of information and publishing to a limited (or global audience.) I would hope that spending time learning to write with a wiki would transfer to other wikis, blogs, voice threads, and even podcasts.

I love using technology. I see so much potential. I totally agree that learning should be central.

I question where the balance is between "I am teaching them to learn so technology is a lower priority" and "I am teaching them to learn with technology"
Kevin

Security

I had an interesting conversation yesterday about security on a school network.  The "Ah Ha" moment for me was when I was informed of the greatest security risk - the USER.  When networks become super secure, the user is encouraged to find ways around the security.  When you can't do what you believe you need to do, frustration and creativity set in.  

I found this amazing and I agree.  Last year, I was introduced to the Yes And concept....  There are three kinds of people.  

No Way - They don't want to try things and whatever you suggest is just a No Way.

Yes, But - They like the ideas but have lots of reasons why it won't, can't or shouldn't work.

and

Yes, And - These people like the ideas AND seek for ways to make them work.  There are always hurdles, and there are lots of ways to overcome hurdles.  In terms of Security, the Yes, And group is the most dangerous.  We don't take no very well and seek creative alternatives.

I had to laugh when a school district recently blocked Facebook.  In the same breath I was told about the blocking, I was informed about UnblockFacebook.com as a way around.  I realize that that may be blocked soon too, and it will have another way around it created just as fast.

In the end, if we weren't so restrictive and diligent with some forms of security, then the Yes And group could do what they believe they need to do without putting their creative energy to just getting access, instead it would be channeled into doing what is needed better.

Kevin

Grafting Mac to Novell - Burnaby School District - Ken Kiewitz

Technology in Burnaby School District – Ken Kiewitz

 

Burnaby is the 4 th largest district in BC.  Currenlty they have 4000 computers (predominantly PC based) over 53 sites.

 

The presentation focused on Visual and Performing Arts.  When you want to bring in new technology, you have four options

1. Don’t bring in new technology
2. Bring it in and run it separate from existing structures
3. Bring in the new and out with the old
4. Try to make the two work together.

 

So the model was chosen of option 4.  Now it has been a lesson in grafting.  There are 39 Mac computers working with the network to service the Visual and Performing Arts.  The metaphor works well.  You can graft, use hybrid breeding, easier propogation.  The point of grafting is to use existing strengths (such as a tree and its root systems) 

 

At the same time as adding new hardware, it had to be made to fit with the existing infrastructure.  This meant that there needed to be administrative control to make the Macs that are aimed at single user work well with multi-user environments.

 

With planning and support the integration of the 39 Macintosh computers to meet the needs of students that were likely graduating to the Emily Carr Art Institute has been successful.  There was consultation and training directly with Apple.  The project will now be integrated into the other High Schools.  The suit of tools has been provide that are designed to support ‘artistic’ approaches instead of the ‘business’ style model. 

 

Students now have an advantage when applying for work experience or further education.  They are able to share a portfolio of successful work done on the platform and with the software tools that are commonly used in these areas.

 

In conclusion – Expanding the Orchard

-       choose an appropriate site,

-       prepare the soil,

-       mitigate the hazards,

-       establish the product,

-       market the product

 

If it offers us a better way of doing something, we don’t want to stand in the way of that.  If we can address the need with existing structures, that needs to be considered as well.

Apple Digital School - Session 1 - SD42

School District 42 Initiatives in the Classroom

Rory Payment and Peter Valbonesi

 This session is an overview of technology used to support the SD42 school district.

School District Environment

 - 22 elementary schools, 6 secondary schools

 

Moodle

Connected Learning Community – recently launched the front end to the service portal.  http://clc_online.sd42.ca  - working with MAMP – Mac– Apache – MySQL- PHP

 

BCeSIS – Teachers in 9 elementary schools have been given macbooks to support the needs of BCeSIS.  While they are used for that, teachers are also doing iLife and other productivity applications.

 

SMART boards

Implemented at 8 schools and the district office.  There is a great wealth of software bundled with the SMART board that allows for high interactivity in Math and Science.

 

SEED Carts

Teachers can book carts for a term.  It is designed for two teachers to work together on project based learning.  (MS Office is purposefully not installed)  Each cart set has a different set of software available.

 

One to One

400 students in grade 6/7 (20%) in 15 classrooms.  Classroom is integrated from September to June

In terms of results, it is not about the improvements in writing.  There are so many benefits to the students overall learning and the lives of the students.

Ah ha – some students do better paper-based. 

In some cases, the school decided to load all of the special needs students into the laptop class.  The results from teachers of those classrooms is that it is easier to teach than a class with less identified special needs students and no laptops.

Learning is differentiated as students can demonstrate their learning through Comic Life, iMovie, Podcast, WebPage and more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Apple Digital School - Keynote - Paul Witzel

Shoreline School District 1 to 1

 

A large portion of the success has been with the leadership of the Superintendent.  They are able to support with financial decisions and political ones as well.  Roadblocks are much more likely to be removed with this kind of support.

 

This success story started with a single cart for  Mathematics project 6 years ago.  An early finding is that the mobile cart was used for many other educational opportunities.  Early in the implementation all teachers were provided with a laptop. 

 

Peer Coaches were provided with release time (1/2) day per week to support their peers and funding a 0.5 tech specialist teacher.  Roadblocks and bumps in the road were removed so that teachers didn’t experience that one problem that gave them reason to abandon technology.  The 0.5 tech specialist was phased out; however, the peer coaches still continue to support.

 

Additional funding was arranged through grants and a 2 student to 1 computer ratio was established.  Programs grew and additional stakeholders came and observed what was happening.  Grade 4 to 8 became 1 to 1 and then the carts that were used for the intermediate grades moved to the primary classrooms.  In years 4 and 5, all schools in the Shoreline District went to 1 to 1 implementation.  (Changes to the support included training days,1 hour classified time, 0.2 tech specialist teacher, district technology specialists and continuation of the peer coaching.)

 

Common Agreements

-       Just right – Just in Time staff development

o      Surveying staff to assess needs

o      Differentiated instruction

-       Building-wide curriculum mapping

-       Vertical planning (discussion between grades)

 

Success :>

Over the five years of study,  students scores on the WASL are higher.  They are careful not to claim technology has made this change; however, technology integration is not a detractor.

 

Student Engagement through

            Writing

            Story Telling – engaging the family in sharing their stories

            Movie making – take existing clips, remove audio, create own tracks

           

Differentiation

            Projector – Visual learners, websites, modeling

            Individualize software – NLVM – Rainforest Maths – Net Trekker

                        - Achieve 3000 – United Streaming – Explore Learning

– Note Taker

 

Access – Not all students have home access or internet access

            Offer Breakfast Club

            Offer Homework Club

            Parent Classes – supporting parents to talk technology with students

 

Efficiencies

            Above and Beyond

                        Podcasting

                        iMovie

                        Communication

 

Interesting Comment to a question about Cyberbullying.

We have not have many issues with this but it is an administrative issue.  What we are looking at is just new ways of creating the same crimes.

 

http://tiny.cc/woGfO

Closing thoughts

I have now finished a whorl wind of a conference.  I have tried to blog and share my experiences.  I was very impressed with the last session I attended by Sharon Taylor.  The term VUCA will stick in my head now.

I found a bird of a feather sharing the same frustrations with much 'teaching' and same motivation to meet the needs of students.

Kevin