Living in Betaby Eric Lawson
Over the past month I have attended several conferences, workshops and the GAFE New England Summit. I'm not sure how much more my brain can take! All of this new information and resources that are continuously becoming available is making my head spin. It can be quite overwhelming and there never feels like there is enough time to implement these new initiatives, ideas or strategies. In fact, just as I start to get comfortable with a program, tool, or strategy, it seems like life throws me a curve ball and things change again. However, one of the biggest take aways that I got from the GAFE New England Summit in Burlington, MA, was that we as educators have to realize that the world is changing every minute and technology especially is moving faster than any of us can keep up with, but we must embrace living in beta. In other words, we should stop complaining about all of the new things coming out and instead focus on the learning. We are in fact beta testing all of these new technologies within our classrooms. If not we as educators, certainly our students are the biggest field testers for technology. Big tech companies are watching closely and making changes and tweaks based upon our feedback and the feedback of our students. If you don't believe me, check out Google's forum sometime. Google is constantly updating their products in the background based upon feedback, complaints and suggestions from students and teachers. So how does this carry over into our learning environment? Let the students help guide the lesson, project or outcome. As an educator with sound knowledge of student learning and curriculum, we should focus on the process of the learning and not focus so much on the tools, resources, or products used to create the end result. The tool that was used in first period just may be replaced with a better tool by 3rd period. For this reason, open ended projects often yield more student enthusiasm and higher quality work due to the fact that students take more ownership of their learning when they are allowed to use media that best reflects their own personality and their research. These types of classroom activities, whether you call them Project-Based, Service Learning, Real World, or some combination of any of these, are certainly harder to plan and implement, but the learning is far worth all of that effort. But what about the question, "How do you help students when you yourself have no experience with the tools that they choose?" It's a good question. We have to change our mindset. Instead of teaching, or assisting, students with these tools, we should offer more online resources to assist them with their learning and process. We cannot be expected to stay ahead of students in the world of technology, but we can point students to already created resources for online support. It's also a good idea to have students plan their projects ahead of time and research not only their content, but how to present their findings and learn the tool they will use to present their information in a meaningful way. This way they can find the online sources for themselves and report it back to you for future assistance. In this process students will not only learn a great deal from their peers with the content that is shared, but also learn some new tools and products to try out for future assignments. Examples give educators and students a better toolbox to use when deciding which tool fits the assignment the best. A real 21st century skill. Whether you embrace technology or not, you have to admit that most students like to try out new tools and experiment with what they can do. Adaptation may be one of the greatest skills you can reinforce within your learning environment to assist students in their quest to become life long learners. The tool shouldn't be the sticking point in your lessons despite how frustrating technology can be when it doesn't work or has changed over night. Instead focus on the learning and student outcomes. Let your students choose the best tool for the assignment. It will open up your mind to a new world of possibilities. You may just be glad that you did! About the Author: Eric Lawson has been in education for 13 years. He spent 7 years in an elementary classroom, 5 years as a technology integrator, 1 year as the Admin Curriculum/Technology Integrator, and is currently the Coordinator of Instructional Media and Technology Services for the York School Department in York, Maine. He has been published in eSchool News, Tech&Learning Magazine and ISTE’s Learning and Leading with Technology Magazine for technology integrated projects and ideas. He was named a member of the Maine Starting 6, and was inducted into the Unum Maine Teacher’s Hall of Fame in January 2012. He lives with his wife, Jennie, two daughters, Elsa and Lily, and golden retriever, Surrey. Articles of Interest50 Crazy Ideas To Change EducationBelow are 50 ideas for a new education. Note, most of these are about education as a system rather than learning itself, but that’s okay. It’s often the infrastructure of learning that obscures anyway.
Few of them may work; even fewer would work together, and that’s okay too. As long as we’re dreaming anyway, let’s get a little crazy. 10 Changes a School Library Must Consider in the Digital EraSchool libraries have come a long way from card catalogs, thanks to surges in education technology. But besides re-categorizing, how can libraries support an increasingly digital education? According to experts, there are roughly 10 changes library administration should make to keep up with schools’ digital transition.
STEAM Tips and Resources you can use Right NowThe need for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and proficiency is nothing new. But a movement is growing for STEAM education, in which the “a” stands for Arts. Cultivating scientific and mathematical viewpoints and experiences through arts education is a critical need in today’s schools, STEAM advocates say.
The 10 Best Resources for K-12 STEM ProjectsWith the current national emphasis on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) curriculum, educators are often left wondering where to find new ideas for STEM projects that won’t dig deep into school funds. However, thanks to resourceful peers, and the power of the internet, many organizations and websites offer well-vetted STEM project resources for students of all ages.
STEM Education: Over 25 STEAM Links Filled With Resources and InformationWelcome to a post devoted to turning STEM to STEAM. It is exciting to cover the topic of STEAM since it is important to include the Arts. I have also included 25 resources to help make it happen!
Tech of Ages Features New Gadgets and Older TechnologyTeen Tech Week is a national library initiative organized by Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). At Pikes Peak Library District (PPLD), we participate in Teen Tech Week in a variety of ways: craft programs, displays, gaming and experience zones. Experience zone is the term I use to explain when patrons happen upon a program. Our experience zone for Teen Tech Week is Tech of Ages. During Tech of Ages we bring together old and new technologies for people to look at and touch.
Turns out Most Engaged Library Users are also Biggest Tech UsersIt wouldn’t be a leap to theorize that the expanding role technology plays in American lives would lead to the demise of public libraries. After all, so many other industries, including the one that’s bringing you this article, continue to struggle in the digital age.
14 Things that are Obsolete in 21st Century SchoolsSaying that it has always been this way, doesn’t count as a legitimate justification to why it should stay that way. Teacher and administrators all over the world are doing amazing things, but some of the things we are still doing, despite all the new solutions, research and ideas out there is, to put it mildly, incredible.
9 Wonderful TED Talks on Re-Imagining SchoolsIs our education system broken? Answers to this question differ depending on the perspective from which each one of us looks at it and also in terms of what we mean by broken. This question has also been the theme that several scholars and educators from all around the world covered in their TED talks.
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New Links for TeachersPower My LearningFind and use thousands of FREE games, videos, and interactives in all major K-12 subjects and aligned to the Common Core.
Top 20 Sites and Apps for TimelinesA list of 20 great sites and apps for creating, collaborating and presenting projects with timelines.
Inspiring Writing with Digital PromptsAn article full of 15 plus resources to inspire writing through digital prompts.
WebcheckWebsite evaluation instrument that helps to validate information on any page.
Teacher Gaming NetworkCreate classroom online games in minutes.
NewselaView articles and change the Lexile level and see which anchor standards articles are attached to, and take quizzes for comprehension at the end of the read. Perfect for individual learning!
Common CurriculumPlan lessons faster with easy, powerful features. Online plan book that aligns directly with Common Core State Standards. Resources, templates and other features make planning much easier.
GeniRevolutionDeveloped for middle school and high school students, this online game gives your students the chance to learn importantpersonal finance skills as they play and compete against fellow classmates.
Google Market Place Extensions/Apps for Chrome Web BrowserYork GAFE Support Page AdditionsScreencasts added:Drive: Create a Content Distribution Folder (from teacher to student)
Drive: Create a Student Collection folder 'Desktop' version (from student to teacher) Drive: Create a Student Collection folder 'iPad' version (from student to teacher) Forms: Build a Student Contact Group Gmail: 'Canned Responses' Lab Google Tools -> Links: 100 Ways to use Google Drive in the Classroom Student Work Collection Form - A Youtube video Maps EngineCreate and share custom Google Maps. Bring the power of Google Maps to your classroom with Google Maps Engine. Layer your data on top of Google’s base map and create your own maps and geospatial applications that are supported by Google’s reliable, world-class infrastructure.
Amp Up Your Online Experience with Google Chrome ExtensionsWhat are Chrome Extensions: Chrome extensions are add-ons which Increase your productivity online and let you surf like a pro by adding functionality and finesse to your browsing experience.
Chrome Extensions vs Chrome Apps: Chrome Extensions “extend” the functionality of the Chrome browser and apply only to the website you are currently viewing with little user interface. Chrome Apps run stand alone like any website. Chrome Webstore: Search for Chrome Extensions in the Chrome Webstore. To add a Chrome Extension, click the +FREE button. You will see ratings and also the number of users currently using an extension. CAUTION! Extensions can have malware or lots of annoying ads, so take a moment to read review and see how many people use it before you add it. Google Scripts by EdTech PiratesAre you … Sharing, Collecting, Monitoring, & Grading Google Docs? Do you plan to?
Teachers face some logistical issues when utilizing Google Docs with students. Lucky for us, a resourceful script programmer wrote a Google Spreadsheet script just for us called Doctopus and a Chrome extension called Goobric. Together these tools allow easy use with students. Google Maps GalleryGoogle Maps has recently released the Google Map Gallery which is a platform where you will have access to a wide range of map collections spanning different topics and subjects. I spent sometime browsing through the featured selections there and thought you might want to have a look as well.
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