"Teacher Technology Change: How Knowledge, Confidence, Beliefs, and Culture Intersect
This journal article brings up some very good points about what is expected from teachers and students in regards to using technology to facilitate learning. One of the main problems that it points out is that our students are simply not being prepared for the highly technical world that we are living in today. This fall in large part on the education system and more so on the teachers. The article gives statistical evidence that teachers are using technology more; however, they are not using it to help students "facilitate learning." Most are using it for administrative tasks and student activities that require little collaboration and interaction. From this the article points out that, "we need to help teachers understand how to use technology to facilitate meaningful learning, defined as that which enables students to construct deep and connected knowledge, which can be applied to real situations" (Ertmer, 2010). The Purpose of the paper is taking a closer look at technology change through the eyes of the teacher. It investigates the necessary characteristics and qualities that teachers need to enable them to make a change that introduces meaningful technology experiences. It then explains how schools can support teachers as they try to integrate technology. Some of the things that the authors point out to help aid in teacher change are overall knowledge of technology and how much confidence teachers have in themselves to facilitate student learning with technology (self-efficacy). Teachers beliefs or expectations also play a big roll in technology integration. School culture also influences technology integration, based on the importance placed on it by the school as a whole. The article then concludes by addressing the factors that affect teacher change and how programs can facilitate a change in teaching. It address two approaches that address the factors above, one is during teacher education programs at the university level and the other is during professional development programs at the school level.
This article got me thinking about how I started integrating technology into my classroom. At the university level, my pre-service training included very little practice on the "how to" involved with technology integration. We learned of different tools, however most of my methods classes were still modeled after and catered to the students of the past. When I graduated and started teacher, my first couple of years I was mainly a lecturer with some studented centered labs and activities but I found myself wanting more and observed that not all of my students were being services. The students were not getting out of the material what I knew they needed to. The past couple of years I started to look for more ways to make chemistry relevant to high school students, this is when I came upon the Flipped Classroom model. My school was very supportive of my shift to use technology and I considered myself very knowledgable when working with technology. This meant my self-efficacy was very high and I knew I could figure out a way to work through the problems. I also believed that my students were being better served by using more technology for meaningful interactions. However, my school culture is starting to change to a more technology friendly environment as far as equipment and teacher training. Mostly this has been due to teachers trying to find better ways to reach students and the district providing resources for the teachers to be successful. I just hope the enthusiasm continues after the "newness" wears off.
Friday, March 1, 2013
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Sandholtz Chapter 5
Sandholtz Chapter 5: Redefining Student and Teacher Roles
Chapter 5 focused on the role shifts of the teacher and student in a technology rich classroom. It followed the movement of the classrooms from a teacher-focused environment to more student-focused one. Students began to take on different roles including experts and peer tutors, not only in content, but also in technology. Students began to help other students with technology problems and even helped the teacher learn new things about the technology. Some of the teacher were apprehensive about letting the students have this much control; however, once they saw the benefits, they realized that this type of collaborative learning helped to reach every student in the classroom. Many of these teachers reorganized their classrooms to facilitate more collaborative interactions. The remainder of the chapter discusses some considerations that must be taken into account when changing the roles of the classroom. For instance, having not only advanced students act as experts, but also low achieving students, which acts to increase their self-esteem. They also point out that students should be allowed to not only share their expertise with peers, but also parents, teachers and administrators.
This chapter is very helpful to me, because I am always looking for ways to increase student collaboration in my classroom. My flipped classroom model already lends itself to being more student-centered, however I find myself always looking for more student collaboration, in particularly using technology to do so. I love the idea of student roles as experts and peer tutors. I think I am going to try this in my class next unit, because it has been very hard to have meaningful peer interaction when I am letting students pick their own groups. Perhaps if I assign a groups, with each group having a peer tutor or "expert" I can always make sure that every group has someone there to answer questions when I am not around.
Chapter 5 focused on the role shifts of the teacher and student in a technology rich classroom. It followed the movement of the classrooms from a teacher-focused environment to more student-focused one. Students began to take on different roles including experts and peer tutors, not only in content, but also in technology. Students began to help other students with technology problems and even helped the teacher learn new things about the technology. Some of the teacher were apprehensive about letting the students have this much control; however, once they saw the benefits, they realized that this type of collaborative learning helped to reach every student in the classroom. Many of these teachers reorganized their classrooms to facilitate more collaborative interactions. The remainder of the chapter discusses some considerations that must be taken into account when changing the roles of the classroom. For instance, having not only advanced students act as experts, but also low achieving students, which acts to increase their self-esteem. They also point out that students should be allowed to not only share their expertise with peers, but also parents, teachers and administrators.
This chapter is very helpful to me, because I am always looking for ways to increase student collaboration in my classroom. My flipped classroom model already lends itself to being more student-centered, however I find myself always looking for more student collaboration, in particularly using technology to do so. I love the idea of student roles as experts and peer tutors. I think I am going to try this in my class next unit, because it has been very hard to have meaningful peer interaction when I am letting students pick their own groups. Perhaps if I assign a groups, with each group having a peer tutor or "expert" I can always make sure that every group has someone there to answer questions when I am not around.
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Sandholtz Chapter 4
Sandholtz Chapter 4: Managing a Technology-Rich Classroom
Chapter 4 dealt with how teachers adapted to having technology in their classrooms on a daily basis. It describes how the teachers dealt with changes brought about by the technology. One of the first things it addresses are the concerns teachers had and how they related to the first 3 levels of technology integration. In the entry stage of the integration, teachers had many concerns, mainly stemming from the unfamiliarity with the technology and not knowing how the students would react to it. They had concerns about student misbehavior, in particularly cheating, as well as the environment of the classroom and concerns with technical problems and how class would function with added distractions. In the adoption phase, concerns and apprehension from the teachers turned into problem solving strategies and teachers anticipating problems before they began. In this stage the teachers could stay one or two steps ahead of the students on almost all of the problems outlined in the entry phase. In the third stage, adaptation, teachers began to use technology to manage the classroom. They began to use technology to develop new materials, keep records, keep grades and most importantly realized that technology could save them time. The chapter then concludes by addressing classroom management and how it changed for the teachers involved. At first the teachers viewed the technology in the classroom as a concern, however, after the first few stages of integration the teachers began to use the technology to aid in classroom management and instruction.
This chapter is a great picture of how powerful a successful technology integration can be. After reading this I can see why many teachers do not make it out of even the first stage of technology integration. Many of the concerns I hear from teachers at my school were similar to the concerns that were outlined in the first pages of this chapter. I believe that many teachers are scared off from using technology in the classroom by some of the concerns outlined. For instance I went through the first two stages earlier this school year in my classroom. I was given a classroom set of iPads and had many of the same concerns about classroom management, the physical environment, software, etc. I had to kind of find my own way of managing an entire classroom of iPads. At first it was kind of hectic because the kids always wanted to get on YouTube and download apps to play, however after a few weeks we established a set of rules and a point system that rewarded them for good digital citizenship. I have to admit it took some nights thinking about different ways to harness the power of the iPads for use in the classroom and was not easy, but I got better and better at coming up with ways for the students to express themselves using the iPads. I think this level of not know what foot to put forward is why many teachers choose not to integrate technology into their classrooms. I don't think it is that they don't want to, it may be they just don't know how?
Chapter 4 dealt with how teachers adapted to having technology in their classrooms on a daily basis. It describes how the teachers dealt with changes brought about by the technology. One of the first things it addresses are the concerns teachers had and how they related to the first 3 levels of technology integration. In the entry stage of the integration, teachers had many concerns, mainly stemming from the unfamiliarity with the technology and not knowing how the students would react to it. They had concerns about student misbehavior, in particularly cheating, as well as the environment of the classroom and concerns with technical problems and how class would function with added distractions. In the adoption phase, concerns and apprehension from the teachers turned into problem solving strategies and teachers anticipating problems before they began. In this stage the teachers could stay one or two steps ahead of the students on almost all of the problems outlined in the entry phase. In the third stage, adaptation, teachers began to use technology to manage the classroom. They began to use technology to develop new materials, keep records, keep grades and most importantly realized that technology could save them time. The chapter then concludes by addressing classroom management and how it changed for the teachers involved. At first the teachers viewed the technology in the classroom as a concern, however, after the first few stages of integration the teachers began to use the technology to aid in classroom management and instruction.
This chapter is a great picture of how powerful a successful technology integration can be. After reading this I can see why many teachers do not make it out of even the first stage of technology integration. Many of the concerns I hear from teachers at my school were similar to the concerns that were outlined in the first pages of this chapter. I believe that many teachers are scared off from using technology in the classroom by some of the concerns outlined. For instance I went through the first two stages earlier this school year in my classroom. I was given a classroom set of iPads and had many of the same concerns about classroom management, the physical environment, software, etc. I had to kind of find my own way of managing an entire classroom of iPads. At first it was kind of hectic because the kids always wanted to get on YouTube and download apps to play, however after a few weeks we established a set of rules and a point system that rewarded them for good digital citizenship. I have to admit it took some nights thinking about different ways to harness the power of the iPads for use in the classroom and was not easy, but I got better and better at coming up with ways for the students to express themselves using the iPads. I think this level of not know what foot to put forward is why many teachers choose not to integrate technology into their classrooms. I don't think it is that they don't want to, it may be they just don't know how?
Sandholtz - Chapter 3
Chapter 3: "The Evolution of Instruction in Technology-Rich Classrooms"
Chapter 3 discusses how instruction must change in order for technology integration to be successful. On page 36, the authors state: "Technology by itself was not a silver bullet," they go onto say it adds a new level of complexity to a teachers already long list of challenges. However, teachers that were prepared to replace their old beliefs with new ones and embrace the technology would lower the challenge drastically. Much of the rest of the chapter goes onto to discuss the stages of instructional evolution of technology in the classroom. The five stages they present are entry, adoption, adaptation, appropriation, and invention. The first level, entry, consists of initially getting the technology into the classroom, unpacking the boxes and booting up the computers. The second stage is adoption, in which the teachers tried to integrate technology into their lesson plans on a daily basis. The third stage, adaptation, occurs when the students and teachers become more comfortable using technology during the school day and incorporate it into more and more tasks. In the fourth stage, appropriation, teachers experience a change in the way they think about technology and become "masters" of the technology and it seems effortless. In the final stage, invention, teachers begin to experiment with other forms of instruction and other ways of relating material to students. For example, project based learning, team teaching, individually paced instruction can occur during this stage. The rest of the chapter deals with supporting teachers during technology integration and finding ways to help them confront changes in their instructional beliefs.
I think it is amazing that this book was written in 1996 and many of these principle that these teachers are advocating in this chapter like project based learning, cooperative learning and team teaching are once again education "buzz" words today. We are living in a time where more and more schools are spending big money on technology for their students and as a result more and more teachers are at the entry and adoption stages. I believe it is critical that teachers are supported during these stages to ensure that they try to adopt technology and change the way they "instruct" their classes. Many of the teachers at my school are in the second stage and want to move more toward the adaptation phase, but little support is present for them to be successful. In the age of the Common Core more and more emphasis will be placed on technology and instructional practices that promote more than just rote memorization of facts. Student need to be able to problem solve and create. Technology can help greatly with this, however if teachers are not prepared than how will our students be?
Chapter 3 discusses how instruction must change in order for technology integration to be successful. On page 36, the authors state: "Technology by itself was not a silver bullet," they go onto say it adds a new level of complexity to a teachers already long list of challenges. However, teachers that were prepared to replace their old beliefs with new ones and embrace the technology would lower the challenge drastically. Much of the rest of the chapter goes onto to discuss the stages of instructional evolution of technology in the classroom. The five stages they present are entry, adoption, adaptation, appropriation, and invention. The first level, entry, consists of initially getting the technology into the classroom, unpacking the boxes and booting up the computers. The second stage is adoption, in which the teachers tried to integrate technology into their lesson plans on a daily basis. The third stage, adaptation, occurs when the students and teachers become more comfortable using technology during the school day and incorporate it into more and more tasks. In the fourth stage, appropriation, teachers experience a change in the way they think about technology and become "masters" of the technology and it seems effortless. In the final stage, invention, teachers begin to experiment with other forms of instruction and other ways of relating material to students. For example, project based learning, team teaching, individually paced instruction can occur during this stage. The rest of the chapter deals with supporting teachers during technology integration and finding ways to help them confront changes in their instructional beliefs.
I think it is amazing that this book was written in 1996 and many of these principle that these teachers are advocating in this chapter like project based learning, cooperative learning and team teaching are once again education "buzz" words today. We are living in a time where more and more schools are spending big money on technology for their students and as a result more and more teachers are at the entry and adoption stages. I believe it is critical that teachers are supported during these stages to ensure that they try to adopt technology and change the way they "instruct" their classes. Many of the teachers at my school are in the second stage and want to move more toward the adaptation phase, but little support is present for them to be successful. In the age of the Common Core more and more emphasis will be placed on technology and instructional practices that promote more than just rote memorization of facts. Student need to be able to problem solve and create. Technology can help greatly with this, however if teachers are not prepared than how will our students be?
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Professional Development
What are some things you can do for free to improve your technology skills?
Probably one of my biggest resources for me and my classroom is YouTube. YouTube is a great place where I can go and get ideas for projects in class as well as learning how to use new technology. For instance at the beginning of the year I had to teach myself how to use Apple Configurator, a Mac based program to control large amounts of iPads. No one else at my school had any clue how to use the program or even how to manage classroom sets of iPads, so I took it upon myself to learn as much as I could about it. I watched a 50 minute lecture given by a school technology coordinator outlining there large iPad rollout plan using Apple Configurator. It gave me a great idea of the tips and tricks of how to use it proficiently.
Google is also another tool that I use very frequently when I have problems with technology. I just type in the question I have an usually I can find the answer within just a few clicks. I have also started to browse other teachers blogs of how they use technology in the classroom (thanks to blogger!). It is amazing the resources you can learn to use for free on the internet. Lastly, however not free, with my subscription to ISTE I have access to many online resources about technology use in the classroom.
One thing, that I believe is a great resource, are the other teachers at my school. I know there are some teachers doing great things in the middle school and elementary that I would love to learn about. However, finding the time is hard to do, especially with testing approaching.
Probably one of my biggest resources for me and my classroom is YouTube. YouTube is a great place where I can go and get ideas for projects in class as well as learning how to use new technology. For instance at the beginning of the year I had to teach myself how to use Apple Configurator, a Mac based program to control large amounts of iPads. No one else at my school had any clue how to use the program or even how to manage classroom sets of iPads, so I took it upon myself to learn as much as I could about it. I watched a 50 minute lecture given by a school technology coordinator outlining there large iPad rollout plan using Apple Configurator. It gave me a great idea of the tips and tricks of how to use it proficiently.
Google is also another tool that I use very frequently when I have problems with technology. I just type in the question I have an usually I can find the answer within just a few clicks. I have also started to browse other teachers blogs of how they use technology in the classroom (thanks to blogger!). It is amazing the resources you can learn to use for free on the internet. Lastly, however not free, with my subscription to ISTE I have access to many online resources about technology use in the classroom.
One thing, that I believe is a great resource, are the other teachers at my school. I know there are some teachers doing great things in the middle school and elementary that I would love to learn about. However, finding the time is hard to do, especially with testing approaching.
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Video Project Software
I am planning to use Camtasia Mac for my screen capture project and iMovie for my video project
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Common Core Standards
Question:
I like many of the other teachers in Oklahoma are learning on the fly when it comes to Common Core. From what I have learned from professional development inservices and workshops is that Common Core standards are a set of national standards that allow every student in the U.S. to learn the same set of skills that will help them to be successful at a second level. This could be college, vo-tech or on the job training. However, from reading some of Patsy's blog (the resident Guru on Common Core) I found out exactly how Common Core relates to Oklahoma. I remember hearing about most of these things over the past year, however, no one explained them with as much simplicity as Patsy.
From what I have learned, the Common Core Standards now only encompass English Langauge Arts, Literacy and Math. At our school we have been working (probably not enough) with english teachers for how to best incorporate non-fiction texts into a science, history and math classrooms. However, this is a hard process because it is hard to get a clear picture of what types of questions will be asked. It is nice to hear that the testing company now has resources online that show the types of questions that students will be assessed on.
One of the things that scares me the most is the rapid change. It seems that people higher up the ladder decided that we must change something in order to prepare our students in a better way and this is product. The whole program seems rushed. The standards are supposed to be in full implementation for the 2014-15 school year and we are just now getting sample questions. Most of the textbooks that we use for each subject were purchased before the shift to Common Core, so they offer little help to prepare students. This leaves teachers with only one alternative, make their own material and when it comes down to it many teachers would rather use pre-made materials instead of making up an entire curriculum for an entire year of teaching to Common Core Standards. This is probably why most of the training we have received has been on how to modify existing materials to meet CCS. It seems unreasonable to ask teachers to change much of their teaching style and content within less than 2 years. From experience I know that there are teachers out there that are very scared of the quick time table.
Another thing that scares is that they are now (January 2013) just getting around to publishing the first version of the "Next Generation Science Standards" (www.nextgenscience.org). These are still in the development process and it is not known yet of a date for implementation. However, once they do finish the standards it will be up to the states to adopt them as part of the CCS movement. My guess is the only way to be prepared for CCS is to do the best to become educated on the standards themselves and the way they will be assessed (PARCC).
What do you know about the common core standards? What scares you about them? How can you become more knowledgeable about them?
Response:
I like many of the other teachers in Oklahoma are learning on the fly when it comes to Common Core. From what I have learned from professional development inservices and workshops is that Common Core standards are a set of national standards that allow every student in the U.S. to learn the same set of skills that will help them to be successful at a second level. This could be college, vo-tech or on the job training. However, from reading some of Patsy's blog (the resident Guru on Common Core) I found out exactly how Common Core relates to Oklahoma. I remember hearing about most of these things over the past year, however, no one explained them with as much simplicity as Patsy.
From what I have learned, the Common Core Standards now only encompass English Langauge Arts, Literacy and Math. At our school we have been working (probably not enough) with english teachers for how to best incorporate non-fiction texts into a science, history and math classrooms. However, this is a hard process because it is hard to get a clear picture of what types of questions will be asked. It is nice to hear that the testing company now has resources online that show the types of questions that students will be assessed on.
One of the things that scares me the most is the rapid change. It seems that people higher up the ladder decided that we must change something in order to prepare our students in a better way and this is product. The whole program seems rushed. The standards are supposed to be in full implementation for the 2014-15 school year and we are just now getting sample questions. Most of the textbooks that we use for each subject were purchased before the shift to Common Core, so they offer little help to prepare students. This leaves teachers with only one alternative, make their own material and when it comes down to it many teachers would rather use pre-made materials instead of making up an entire curriculum for an entire year of teaching to Common Core Standards. This is probably why most of the training we have received has been on how to modify existing materials to meet CCS. It seems unreasonable to ask teachers to change much of their teaching style and content within less than 2 years. From experience I know that there are teachers out there that are very scared of the quick time table.
Another thing that scares is that they are now (January 2013) just getting around to publishing the first version of the "Next Generation Science Standards" (www.nextgenscience.org). These are still in the development process and it is not known yet of a date for implementation. However, once they do finish the standards it will be up to the states to adopt them as part of the CCS movement. My guess is the only way to be prepared for CCS is to do the best to become educated on the standards themselves and the way they will be assessed (PARCC).
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