These are great resources, many of which would allow a teacher with limited technology skills to readily implement in their classroom. Kerpoof is similar to a software program our elementary school uses called Kid Pics.
The challenge we all face, however, is moving faculty in the direction of understanding that technology and excellence in teaching go hand in hand. Most faculty are clueless about what Web 2.0 even means. There were two recent articles in "Learning and Leading" published by ISTE that I found particularly salient--"Web 2.0 or Tidal Wave 2.0?" and "Is the Web Shallow or Deep?" The first article written by the CIO for a school district in Georgia argues that those who cannot consistently adapt to the "digital factory" likely to find themselves struggling to contribute to a workforce that will readily rely on this skill set.
The second article, which references Will Richardson, makes the argument that the digital literacy that is inherent in so many of our students is important "... to pick up the social and technical skills they need to be competent citizens in the digital age." Interestingly, the author goes on to argue, "...the only reason why so many educators don't embrace Web 2.0 is because students go there first--figured out how to use it, and bascially took ownership of it." While this may be true, I think the challenge with technology always goes back to a dialogue and discussion regarding good pedagogy. I wonder how many teachers are evaluated during an observation on their proper use of technology. It seems to me that districts need to continue to invest in the proper professional development that will lead teachers in the direction of using these critical resources.
I definitely agree. All teachers are required to provide x amount of hours towards professional development. Some of those hours should definitely be specified/required to be some type of technology course.
I agree that PD is vital piece of the puzzle here. For me the challenge is always to find the right balance of technology infusion and pedagogy. When we advocate for technology it's easy to lose sight of the pedagogy. Too often this becomes the tech killer in the classroom.
So what do you prioritize when developing PD for your school? Do you consider collaborating with staff prior to the session in order to tailor it to ft their needs? What's the most effective delivery? How do you get get the resistant on board? Have you ever considered including students in PD?
I met Will Richardson a few weeks ago at EduCon. In a conversation about emerging technologies in the classroom he said that "At this rate forget about 21st Century skills. I'm preparing for 22nd Century skills!" I found that to be a pretty telling sign that even the guys that we look to for direction in this "technology tidal wave" don't have such a clear vision of what to expect in the next 5 years.
I think the tools of Web 2.0 relate to the MacArthur Foundation study posted. We ran a student survey for our district technology committee and one statistic that stood out to use was students' school digital life did not reflect their home digital life. Our district's teachings were not updated to our students' new world. The MacArthur studied pointed out the valuable resource that internet was for kids and their problem solving. Kids are embracing these Web 2.0 tools to connect and learn. Just as a math or science teacher has the professional responsibility to keep up with the latest standards and research in their fields a teacher that acts as the instructional technologist for a district needs to stay on top of the latest web tools and how they can be incorporated into learning.
These are great resources, many of which would allow a teacher with limited technology skills to readily implement in their classroom. Kerpoof is similar to a software program our elementary school uses called Kid Pics.
ReplyDeleteThe challenge we all face, however, is moving faculty in the direction of understanding that technology and excellence in teaching go hand in hand. Most faculty are clueless about what Web 2.0 even means. There were two recent articles in "Learning and Leading" published by ISTE that I found particularly salient--"Web 2.0 or Tidal Wave 2.0?" and "Is the Web Shallow or Deep?" The first article written by the CIO for a school district in Georgia argues that those who cannot consistently adapt to the "digital factory" likely to find themselves struggling to contribute to a workforce that will readily rely on this skill set.
The second article, which references Will Richardson, makes the argument that the digital literacy that is inherent in so many of our students is important "... to pick up the social and technical skills they need to be competent citizens in the digital age." Interestingly, the author goes on to argue, "...the only reason why so many educators don't embrace Web 2.0 is because students go there first--figured out how to use it, and bascially took ownership of it." While this may be true, I think the challenge with technology always goes back to a dialogue and discussion regarding good pedagogy. I wonder how many teachers are evaluated during an observation on their proper use of technology. It seems to me that districts need to continue to invest in the proper professional development that will lead teachers in the direction of using these critical resources.
I definitely agree. All teachers are required to provide x amount of hours towards professional development. Some of those hours should definitely be specified/required to be some type of technology course.
ReplyDeleteI agree that PD is vital piece of the puzzle here. For me the challenge is always to find the right balance of technology infusion and pedagogy. When we advocate for technology it's easy to lose sight of the pedagogy. Too often this becomes the tech killer in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteSo what do you prioritize when developing PD for your school? Do you consider collaborating with staff prior to the session in order to tailor it to ft their needs? What's the most effective delivery? How do you get get the resistant on board? Have you ever considered including students in PD?
I met Will Richardson a few weeks ago at EduCon. In a conversation about emerging technologies in the classroom he said that "At this rate forget about 21st Century skills. I'm preparing for 22nd Century skills!" I found that to be a pretty telling sign that even the guys that we look to for direction in this "technology tidal wave" don't have such a clear vision of what to expect in the next 5 years.
I think the tools of Web 2.0 relate to the MacArthur Foundation study posted. We ran a student survey for our district technology committee and one statistic that stood out to use was students' school digital life did not reflect their home digital life. Our district's teachings were not updated to our students' new world. The MacArthur studied pointed out the valuable resource that internet was for kids and their problem solving. Kids are embracing these Web 2.0 tools to connect and learn. Just as a math or science teacher has the professional responsibility to keep up with the latest standards and research in their fields a teacher that acts as the instructional technologist for a district needs to stay on top of the latest web tools and how they can be incorporated into learning.
ReplyDelete