Category Archives: 21st Century Learning

Does Technology Foster More Active Learning, or More Shallow Learning?

As you all know, I’m a big proponent of the use of mobile technologies in our classrooms. In previous posts I’ve blogged about the benefits of BYOD and posted a research paper I wrote about mobile devices as vital learning tools. This article from theJournal discusses how today’s mobile technologies are “creating today’s active learners” who crave immediate access to educational content and timely feedback from teachers and peers. The author makes some valid points about meeting today’s “digital natives” on their turf. But then I came across this video on UpWorthy…

…and it got me thinking: Are mobile technologies creating more active learners, or more distracted learners? And if this important distinction hangs in the balance, what can we, as educators, do to determine the answer to this question?

I know from first-hand experience that the narrators of this video are right when they say that the Internet creates a “perpetual state of distraction” that “crowds out the more contemplative, calmer modes of thinking.” To illustrate, just last week I was enjoying a book talk at Central Office with author Allison Zmuda while participating in a live chat of the event on Twitter. There I was doing my best to multitask, listening closely while tapping out some of the key concepts on my phone’s Twitter app, when a text message notification appeared on my screen. It was from my brother. The notification displayed a thumbnail preview of a photo of my nephew grinning widely, holding a baseball in his hand as if it were some lost treasure, and a truncated version of the text that let me know he had just hit his first home run. Proud uncle that I am, I just had to read the full text. Before I knew it, I had lost one of the key concepts Ms. Zmuda was explaining. My attention was divided, and thus, my learning interrupted. I’ve seen this happen with students, too. Once, while helping one of Luke Arsenault’s Video Production students with the attention-demanding task of planning her PSA on digital citizenship, a text message notification appeared on her smartphone that sat on the desk between us (students were instructed to use their mobile devices to brainstorm on their group’s online discussion board). I commended her for not becoming distracted by her phone, but there is no doubt in my mind that, had I not been sitting right there with her, she would have picked up the phone, totally losing her train of thought in the process.

Yes, thanks to mobile technologies, the Internet has the potential to constantly divide our attention and puts at risk our ability to think conceptually, critically, and creatively–the very modes of thinking we know are so vital for our students to develop. But the Internet is such an information and idea-rich place! Without it, I would never have come across the article or the video that prompted this blog post and challenged me to grapple with and synthesize these two pieces of information that seem to be at odds with each other. And without the Internet, I wouldn’t be able to share them with such ease, and collaborate with you on trying to find a solution to the problem this information presents. Thanks to the Internet, I am engaged in a cognitively complex task that calls on my ability to ask tough questions, think critically, and attempt to solve this problem of how to harness the power of mobile technologies to foster deep learning, not shallow, distracted learning. Moreover, thanks to the Internet, I am not alone in finding a solution ( I hope). We can work on this together.

I have some ideas that begin with an open discussion among students and staff about how to manage our digital/academic lives and control the notification settings on our smart devices. But I need your help. You’re the ones in the trenches, day-in, day-out. Share your experiences. What ideas do you have about how we can utilize the power of mobile devices to produce deep thinkers, not distracted, superficial ones.

Please leave your comments below.

Twitter Really IS the Best PD Tool Available to Teachers

I’ve made this claim before, and I’ve written in this blog about how great Twitter is at building Personal Learning Communities that stretch beyond the walls of your school. While some in the MPS teaching community have gotten on-board and started using Twitter to connect to other educators’ ideas, most have not. One reason for this is obvious: time. The whirlwind pace of the typical school day makes it difficult to squeeze in a healthy lunch and bathroom breaks, let alone search for inspiring instructional ideas on the Web. Other reasons teachers have been slow to get on Twitter include the misconception that it’s just a repository for jokes or mindless drivel about what people had for lunch, or more generally, a lack of know-how or a compelling example of how it can benefit them.

For some compelling examples, read this article by educator/author Mark Barnes. Then watch his simple how-to video on some of the basics for how you, as an educator, can harness the power of Twitter….


Once you’re all set with your Twitter account, you’ll be able to curate only the content that matters to you. And while it’s nice to contribute ideas to the Twitterverse from time to time, it’s certainly not necessary. You can simply read what comes into your Twitter feed. You can participate in a live Twitter chat, or just follow the stream and learn from others’ insights.

Speaking of live Twitter chats, I (@MadisonITS) will be live tweeting next week’s Meet the Author book talk in the Hammonasette Room and our guest speaker, Allison Zmuda (@compclass) will be encouraging others who attend to do the same as she discusses her book Breaking Free from Myths About Teaching and Learning.  All you have to do to join or follow the discussion is log in to Twitter next Monday at 7:00 pm and search the hashtag #kidsandlearning.

Hope to see you there…in person, or on Twitter!

Addendum: If you’re interested in checking out some regularly occuring live weekly Twitter chats specific to your interests or subject area, click here for an extensive list containing meeting times and hashtags. Thanks to Paul Coppola for passing this on.

Show Students How to Get Better Search Results with Google’s Advanced Features

Since the topic of this post is Information (or Web) Literacy, I asked Library Media Coordinator  Dawn Fiorelli to co-author it with me. Thank you, Dawn!

As we were recently reminded during a professional development conference led by educational technology guru Alan November, web literacy is an essential skill we must teach our students across all content areas. The Common Core requires that students be able to manage web-based information, but more importantly, web literacy involves being able to think critically, conduct meaningful, purposeful research, determine fact from fiction, and synthesize multiple pieces of information. And it all begins with knowing how to use Google to get the results you need.

This article by Alan November makes a compelling case for why we should all teach kids how to search the web as early as first grade and goes on to describe how we can all start. It’s a great read that I highly recommend. Also worthwhile is the Information Literacy Resources page on NovemberLearning.com, which contains information on how to validate websites and “read” a web address.

But the real key here is developing a solid understanding of Google advanced search options. So we’ve compiled some Google tips and tricks resources that are all downloadable. You might want to start with the embedded image above, but be sure to check out Google Tips for Better Search Results, too. Then there’s this link from Google’s website that is geared a little more to consumers but is incredibly useful.

Another powerful tool is Easybib.com.  Our students in grades 5-12 have access to subscription services provided by Easybib which help students evaluate websites using their Criteria for Evaluating Websites guide.

More Ideas for Digital Learning Day…Let’s Make It Digital Learning Week!

Today is Digital Learning Day, so for the rest of the week I will be posting some quick suggestions/recommendations for how you can incorporate meaningful digital learning activities into your lessons. Today I’d like to focus on Wallwisher. This collaborative web-based tool gives students a great way to process information, reflect on what they are learning, and share their thinking with others. Some elementary teachers in the district have been using this tool during reading/writing lessons with awesome results. Click here to see an example from Renee Pardo’s 3rd grade class.

Like many of my favorite digital learning tools, Wallwisher doesn’t require any student logins or extensive setup on the teachers part, and it can be used with mobile learning devices. Check out the video below to see how easy it is to set one up for your classes. And if you’ve used Wallwisher with your students, please leave a comment below to share your experience with others. Was it a success? Is there anything you’d do differently? Any lessons in particular that are a good fit for this tool?

Addendum: Since this post was originally published, Wallwisher has officially changed its name to Padlet.

Digital Learning Day 2013

As an Instructional Technology Specialist, tomorrow is one of my new favorite days of the year: It’s the second ever Digital Learning Day.  It’s a day on which people like me encourage other teachers to try something new in their classrooms to engage students with a meaningful, purposeful use of technology in the classroom. Now that we have WiFi available to students and teachers in grades 5-12, we have more possibilities than ever before. So here are a couple suggestions that may inspire you to try something new. The first is geared toward grades 5-12, but the second can be used by all grade levels…no WiFi needed.

  • Use finalsiteSocial’s Activity Stream to engage students and spark a discussion related to that day’s lesson objectives. I recently had an opportunity to try this out at the high school with two of Luke Arsenault’s TV Production classes. As we were introducing the topic of their new project–PSA’s about digital citizenship–we asked students to log in to finalsite on their mobile learning devices and go to Luke’s class where we posted two questions for them to respond to in the Activity Stream: What are the benefits of WiFi in the classroom for students and teachers? and What are the risks? Students took out their phones, tablets, and laptops (there was at least one of each) and keyed in their responses where they appeared in real time as I periodically refreshed the page on the teacher machine. This proved to be a great way to get them all engaged in the topic, and it helped that Luke encouraged them to bring their mobile learning devices to class in the days leading up to the lesson. Those who did not have a device were able to borrow one from me or a friend. For more ideas on how to use finalsite on Digital Learning Day, click here.
  • This next one features one of my new favorite digital learning tools. You know those super expensive student response clickers that some teachers use to check for student understanding during class? They’re about to become a thing of the past thanks to free web-based alternatives that harness the power of mobile devices to conduct customized formative assessments on the fly. PollEverywhere.com has been known as the go-to clicker alternative for some time, but I think it’s about to get smoked by the new kid on the block: Socrative. What makes Socrative so good? Just about everything. Some key features:  teacher-created polls and quizzes that can be saved and re-used, no student logins needed, available on multiple platforms from desktop PCs to smartphones, students can easily share devices but record their own responses, mobile apps for iOS and Android devices, and a killer mobile website for those who don’t have the app, and engaging game-like features.  Watch the video below to see how it works, then sign up for your free account at the link above.

The official Digital Learning Day website has excellent resources and toolkits to help teachers get started. And, of course, I am always willing to help see your vision through. Don’t forget that you have great resources in your building, too, whether it’s the library media specialists, computer lab paras, or your colleagues who tend to be quick to embrace technology as a teaching tool. So start talking to each other and leave a comment below about what you might do to celebrate digital learning.

One final word to the wise: If you’re taking the leap of letting students bring their own devices into your classroom for the first time, you should set aside some time helping them connect to the WiFi the day before the big lesson. For instructions on how to connect your device to our BYOD WiFi network, log in to finalsite and look for the link in the “New Features” box. Depending on the device, you may experience a few hiccups connecting. If this happens, the best place to start is to completely turn off the device then turn it back on. This is especially true for Apple devices…genius!

Use Engaging Videos to ‘Flip’ Your Lessons with TED-Ed

I used to think the Khan Academy had the market on educational videos cornered, but now I think that TED-Ed has Sal Kahn’s operation beat. Don’t get me wrong, KA is still an awesome resource for finding top-notch educational videos for specific lesson topics, as are WatchKnowLearn and YouTube for Schools. But TED’s new educational venture will create and tailor professional looking, animated video content to any lesson you submit to them…that’s right, they make a video for an actual lesson you teach to your students…for FREE!

Watch this video, but first prepare to have your mind blown…

5 Effective Uses of finalsiteSocial to Engage Students and Promote Essential Skills

 

As anyone who’s checked out finalsiteSocial will point out, there is a potential for features like the Activity Stream to become a distraction for students. Without the teacher’s guidance, silly comments or inappropriate shout-outs will surely be a temptation for some. With that in mind, I’ve come up with what I think are five effective ways to use your classes’ Activity Streams as an engaging learning tool that fosters essential skills, such as critical thinking, collaboration, and communication.

1.Have students evaluate and discuss resources on the Web. Foster critical thinking and Web literacy by posting links to articles/stories related to the current concept you’re teaching that come from different perspectives and biases. Then have students analyze the purpose and tone of each. Or, post something that lends itself to fact-checking on the Web. The way the current presidential campaigns are playing loose with facts presents ample opportunities for social studies students to analyze and research their claims on the Web. As leading educational thinker Alan November points out, common sense and the Common Core are two driving forces that create an urgency to redefine what it means to be literate in today’s world. This means giving students opportunities to gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources and assess the credibility and accuracy of each source.

2. Electronic exit slips! By now we’ve all heard about the benefits of collecting exit slips at the end of a class. It’s a proven informal formative assessment tool that allows us to gauge student understanding. But who wants to collect and flip through 20+ scraps of paper that students scribble on as they rush to get out the door? My guess is that students will be much more thoughtful in their responses in a digital environment. Plus your not wasting paper, and you have one easy place to read their understandings that you can access at any point in the future. Moreover, students have the added benefit of seeing each other’s insights and questions. Now your end-of-class ‘exit slip’ activity fosters that essential skill of collaboration by establishing your class as a community of learners. One caveat of course: Your students will need mobile computing devices. But with the increased number of laptop carts in our buildings and a robust WiFi network on the horizon, this will be much easier to accomplish in the not-too-distant future.

3. Student scribes.  Alan November often talks about getting students to own their learning. One strategy he promotes is rotating the responsibility student scribes, or note-takers, for each lesson.  Summarizing and note-taking is one of Marzano’s Nine Instructional Strategies for Effective Teaching and Learning, proven to promote greater comprehension by asking students to analyze a subject to expose what’s essential and then put it in their own words. With finalsiteSocial’s Activity Stream, students can easily post their summary of what they’ve learned in class so that their classmates can re-learn concepts from them, or fine-tune their own understandings. This is great for students that missed class that day, too. Of course, this will probably require some coaching along the way so that all students understand what constitutes an effective summary, but it will pay huge dividends in building students’ collaboration and communication skills. For more on student scribes from a teacher who swears by this strategy, click here.

4. Student researchers. This strategy really fosters student-centered learning and exploration. How many times has a student asked you a question in class, and you had to tell her that you’d have to get back to her after looking it up, probably the next day (if you managed to remember the question)?  With WiFi blanketing all grade 5-12 classrooms in the near future, why make them wait? Assign one student the responsibility of being that day’s researcher, and have that student look up relevant questions on the Web right there in class, and post their findings to the Activity Stream. Here is yet another way teachers can foster Web literacy, critical thinking, and the sense that our students are part of a community of learners.

5. Virtual office hours.  As a former English teacher, I know…spending one to three hours (or more!) planning lessons and grading student work at night is the norm for today’s teacher. But occasionally, we have those nights where last year’s lesson is perfect and no student work has been collected for grading. Maybe you’ve just taught a challenging concept and you know some of your students will struggle. Try holding virtual office hours that night. Let your students know you’ll be on the Activity Stream for a specific window of time to answer any questions they might have about that night’s assignment.

So that’s the view from my’ivory cubicle. Five strategies you could try out immediately with one of the laptop carts in your building, and I didn’t even touch the flipped lesson model. Anyone want to put these ideas to the test with students? Drop me a line and let’s develop a plan. Or, if you have any other ideas for how educators can harness the power of fsSocial, leave a comment below.