Audioboo: Midterm Reflection

listen to ‘Midterm Reflection’ on Audioboo

Week #5: PBS Films

This week in class we watched the PBS Frontline documentaries Digital Nation (2010) and Generation Like (2014). The following are questions posed to the class and my responses to them based off the information gathered during the viewing and my personal experiences.

1. Compare and contrast each documentary. What was similar or different from the first one Digital Nation filmed in 2010 to Generation Like filmed in 2014 ?  

At first I found the two documentaries to very different from one another. Digital Nation was focused on multitasking while Generation Like examined the growth of identity forming through social media. However, as each film went further in depth of its topic, it was clear that the idea of connectivity was a key feature of both documentaries. Digital Nation explains that video gaming can lead to people making connections with other players and building strong friendships. In some cases, it even leads to romantic relationships. According to the film, one-third of female players have made a romantic connection with another player. In the documentary Generation Like, people build an identity through likes, follows, and re-tweets, and use these connections to meet new people as well as build fan bases. Several entertainers, such as social media personalities and aspiring skateboarders and musicians, use the connections they made on social media to start careers in pop culture. 

2. Your thoughts on multitasking. Do you agree? Can you multitask? Do you disagree with the video on the topic of multitasking? What do you think our students think about multitasking today?

I multitask quite a bit. In fact, while I was watching the films, I had the Red Sox game on in the background (on mute) and replied to a few text messages while taking notes. I consider myself pretty good at multitasking but after watching the film and seeing the studies they conducted, I am not so sure that I am. However, my job requires me to multitask and it carries over into my personal life. At school, I may be in a meeting but I am checking my email or preparing for the next meeting by scanning through the agenda or reading through other materials. I consider myself to still be "present" in the meeting by listening and participating in the conversation but my mind is often in two or three different places. I think the key part of multitasking for students and adults is that they have to be able to manage the multitasking. While a laptop is considered appropriate in the classroom or workplace, a cell phone may or may not be. Students and adults have to be aware of the NORMS in their environment and allow for their multitasking to adhere to it. 

3. Is there an addiction happening in society today with technology or is it just a new way of living? Should we be concerned?

There certainly seems to be a growing addition to technology. The dependence on technology has led to studies of whether or not drunk driving is safer than texting and driving. In South Korea it is being treated as psychiatric disorder and addicts may be sent to camps to help relieve technology dependence. In general, the side effects of it can be poor grades or lack of job production, poor communication skills, and eye/ear complications. Only the "top ten percent" may be considered a high risk for addiction but even that percentage is enough for concern. 

4.  Do video games serve a purpose in education or are they a waste of time?

Video games seem to be the "doodles" or side tracks to classroom production today. Students have always had a tendency to draw during direct instruction or lectures but now they are gaming, snap chatting, or using the video screen to fix hair and make-up. It is a pet peeve of mine and one that I have gone back and fourth with my technology team on. We have considered further restrictions on technology devices and made plans for gradual release but students always seem to find a way around them. Ultimately, it comes down to creating a safe, collaborative, and empowering culture around technology integration, rather than a restrictive one, no matter how frustrating the "doodles" of today's generation may be.

5. How did what you watched in the two videos support your feelings about technology or how did it change your views?

More than anything else, I think the Digital Nation helped to reinforce my evolving philosophy around technology integration. Two weeks ago I would not have written the response to the question above. For the past two years I have felt that students are not prepared to be digital learners but at the same time I have enough responsibility for helping them become one. Although I have utilized several technology tools in my classroom, I have not embraced the ideas of sharing and connecting with them to appeal to "instant gratification" needs of the students in my classroom. Now that I am developing a stronger grasp for the capabilities of the tools, I think I can start to build a better culture for learning through technology. 

6. Are kids and adults today ruining their digital footprints by sharing too much information online without realizing that it may be detrimental to their future? Should they care? Are they focused on too much of what others think?

One would think after watching Generation Like that your digital footprint can only improve your stature and lead to positive connections. However, if it is not used appropriately, the consequences can be harmful. The misuse of social media can lead to fall out among friends or it can be detrimental to your career. Last week I referenced a study done by the Microsoft Safety and Security Center. According to the survey conducted by Microsoft, 38% of colleges admissions officers found something online that had a negative impact on their evaluation of a student and 70% of U.S. job recruiters have rejected candidates based on their online reputations. Whether people care about their digital footprints or not, you can't argue with the facts. 

7.  What do you feel are the dangers of technology use?  Are there any?

Most of the dangers center around sharing information such as credit card information, your location (through a picture you upload from your phone) and your thoughts and/or opinions on a topic. Students and adults are typically unaware of the dangers that the web and social media present. Sharing general information when ordering something through an online merchant or posting messages and images of yourself can be harmful to your personal and/or professional life. I would strongly encourage a digital citizenship class, or at least a crash course, for digital users to avoid the pit falls of technology misuse. 

Week 4: The Digital Citizen

When I think of digital citizenship, I am immediately drawn to the idea of citizenship and the rights and responsibilities that come with it. For a variety of reasons, mainly my own education and teaching background, I place a high value on incorporating the principles of citizenship into my Social Studies courses. However, when you add the term digital to citizenship, it seems to get much more complicated and, in my experience, it is not part of elementary or high school curriculum. Many educators struggle with "when should it be taught" and "who teaches it." Some even wonder "what is it?"

The Microsoft Safety and Security Center defines digital citizenship as "the norms of behavior with regard to technology use." The concept includes a variety of concepts ranging from digital literacy to online safety and good digital citizenship should be practiced "when you use computers, gaming consoles, or mobile devices (to) promote a safer online environment for all." According to Microsoft, a high percentage of teenagers use technology today. 

• 97% of teenagers play computer games
• 93% of teenagers use the internet
• 75% of teenagers use mobile phones

Additionally, Microsoft offers some staggering statistics about the misuse of technology by teenagers that have negative, and in some cases, criminal, consequences. These statistics support the need for digital citizenship to be part of school curriculum. 

• 91% of teenagers share nude/semi-nude images and suggestive messages sent to them
• 49% of teenagers report receiving or viewing hateful, sexist, or racist comments
• 43% of teenagers have been victims of cyber bullying 

On a positive note, Microsoft also reported that American teenagers and parents "are actively managing their online reputations -- with an eye toward good digital citizenship." This sentiment further supports the need for digital citizenship in the classroom. With a growing need to monitor online behaviors and teach safety skills, their has never been a better time to advocate for digital citizenship.

As we begin integrating digital citizenship into the classroom, the common question is "who teaches it?" The answer is simple -- everyone. Parents are students are responsible for monitoring and managing online behaviors, while teachers bare a responsibility with the influx of Chromebooks, iPads, and other 1:1 devices in the classroom. The starting point for teaching it lies within the Nine Themes of Digital Citizenship. Many, if not all, of these themes can be connected to each grade level and incorporated into a K-12 curriculum.

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There are an abundance of resources to build a digital citizenship curriculum. Common Sense Media integrates the themes (with a slightly different terminology compared to above) using the following scope and sequence:

• K-2 introduces the themes of internet security, literacy and communication
• Grades 3-5 build off of the above themes and integrate the themes of etiquette and rights and responsibilities  
• Grades 6-8 also build off of previous themes and focus on law (source citation and cyber bullying)
• Grades 9-12 emphasize self image and communication (including your digital footprint)

Several options exist for implementing the curriculum. The themes can be addressed in computer classes or by classroom teachers. In many cases these themes can be integrated into existing curriculum. Teachers can take 10-15 minutes to focus on a particular theme before using online sources for research or social media for collaboration. At Wilson Focus School in Omaha, Nebraska, Mr. Pane shares a lesson he developed for his fifth grade class to evaluate sources using superheros!

Super Digital Citizen Video Link

As the term citizenship begins to evolve and take on new meanings in the digital age, it is essential that students learn the foundations of digital citizenship in order to avoid the misuses of technology that today's teenagers are experiencing. With more schools emphasizing the themes of internet safety and security, literacy, and communication, students will be better prepared for the social and academic landscape of the 21st century.

Week #3: Blogging

PART I: Blog Visits

The world of blogging connects you to entrepreneurs, educators, and other intellects through just a few clicks of a button. I scanned through several this past week, starting with Jeff Utecht's blog post on I'm being pulled to Google. Utecht is an educator with more than 10,000 blog followers and he is a certified Google Apps trainer. Most of his posts were short but simple and he encouraged his followers to join Google Plus in his latest post. Although I am familiar with Google and its various capabilities, I had never heard of Google Plus, which is the second largest social networking site in the world with 5.8 million active followers. The post also includes helpful links that include a Google Plus User Guide and 7 Google Plus Communities to join. With Google starting to phase out the use of Blogger (see the sign-up page with the upgrade to Google Plus option), this will certainly be a post to revisit soon.

The next blog I visited was Maria Knee's classroom blog called the Kinderkids. Knee is a Kindergarten teacher in Deerfield, New Hampshire. I was drawn to her blog because I remember attending a conference she presented at a few years ago. The blog was filled with pictures of student work, class videos posted to YouTube, and Skype conversations. I like how the blog keeps followers from the school community (and the world according to the blog) connected with her class. The blog also acts as a historical database for student work and those exemplars can be shared with future generations of students. It is always challenging to go back and find an essay, poster, or presentation from a previous school year to share with a current student or class but with a class blog, the information is stored and easily shared. I look forward to starting to my own school blog to keep the school community up to date and connected to both the past and present.

The first two blogs I visited were excellent but I hit a bit of a rough patch searching through other blogs. Some were just too similar to Maria Knee's classroom blog and others were too distracting or hard to follow. Luckily, I found a blog by Vicki Davis, a Computer Science teacher and IT Integrator, who posted the Top 12 Summer Tips for Top Teachers. I appreciated her thoughts on making the worst into the best and revitalizing physical health -- two areas I have focused on in the past but have yet to find the time for this summer. Davis also had some great links in her last tip, which was to "hit a home run on the first day." I enjoyed the video link to If I Knew Then, a collection of thoughts from teachers on the first day of school. I am working with our administrative team to design our new teacher orientation in August and this video may be worth sharing.

PART II: WebQuest Preview

I have taught a variety of Social Studies classes in grades 9-12 but for the past three years I have been teaching tenth grade American Government and Economics -- two courses that require a lot creativity to keep students engaged with the curriculum. The students are usually brutally honest about the assignments and projects that they like or dislike and one particular project that has them hooked, but can always use some fine tuning, is an economics project on personal finance and budgeting. The project is relevant to the students and offers real world applicability but the final product always seems to fall a little short. The task and process for the project are the strong points and I hope to integrate Web 2.0 tools or other technology aspects to the evaluation and outcomes of the project.

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I have started to explore alternative outcomes for the project (students have written a budget analysis in the past). One helpful link was the 35 Best Web 2.0 Tools for the Classroom. I am interested in learning more about Glogster and exploring other options in this link. I have used Prezi, Wikis, and Wordle in the past but Glogster has the capability to include audio, video, clip art, and a variety of colors, fonts, and backgrounds. Many of my students are excited to get out the markers and glue to make a poster but this multimedia experience should energize most, if not all, students involved with this project.

Week #2: Go Google?

For the first time in nearly 70 years, classrooms are undergoing a significant transformation. School districts across the country are moving towards a 1:1 learning environment, in which every student has a device. The range of 1:1 devices is increasing and taking on many forms -- the most common being a tablet. In a webinar moderated by the Google Education Team, the uses of the Chromebook were outlined in a session entitled Google Web Tools for Teaching and Learning. The webinar also featured Chin Song, the Director of Technology in the Milpitas School District (CA), who is heading the implementation of a plan to provide more than 10,000 students and 700 staff members with a Chromebook.

The Google Education Team states that "60% of students will have jobs that don't exist today." Many, if not all, of these jobs will require research and communication skills that can be taught through technology and school districts, colleges, and universities are looking to Google for support. In fact, according to Google, "74 of the top 100 universities in the country have gone Google." What does it mean to go Google?  Check out the video below. 

Go Google is based on the pillars of empowerment, choice, teamwork, and scalability (which Google describes as affordability and easy management). Google Drive has a variety of tools including Google documents that allow for students to work together on an assignment at the same time as researchers, writers, and editors. The idea of going Google reinforces recent shifts in education that are based on student-centered learning and teachers as facilitators.

Chin Song, the Director of Technology at Milpitas, shared the experience of his school district going Google with the Chromebook. The school district adopted a strategy based on personalized learning and mastery of course competencies through blended learning, a hybrid of classroom and online learning. One of the districts main goals was to reduce friction, or wait time to log-in. According to Song, "it use to take five minutes to log-in to the network at Milpitas." Now it takes only 8 seconds with the Chromebook and the school district estimates that it gets back 18 days of learning. Song says the primary uses of the Chromebook at Milpitas include research, presentations, and feedback (with exit tickets or brief surveys). Students at Milpitas are also "owing work and customizing it." Song noted one particular student who went to the Khan Academy website, learned how to code, and wrote his own program. 

In the school district that I teach in, we went 1:1 with iPads in the 2012-2013 school year. I am not exactly clear how the iPads and IOS fit with Google Applications for Education but all students have a Google email address and access to Google Drive. The sharing and storage capacity of Google Drive has proven to be an excellent resource for students and staff. It has allowed for groups of students and teachers to collaborate outside of the classroom and share information with one another. Students are also creating digital portfolios on Google Drive, which include essays, presentations, and photographs.

After watching the webinar, I thought back to how our school district went about the process of researching sustainability. Several vendors (Google wasn't one of them) shared presentations with IT personnel, teachers, and administration. I remember one of the key reasons we went with the iPad was it would be exciting and students would be engaged with the device. Although the device is supporting collaboration, communication, and critical thinking, we have a lot to take away from Milpitas in the area of planning for sustainability. One of the areas that stood out was Milpitas approach to professional development. Song said the district philosophy is, "if you can't operate a web browser, you can't operate a Chromebook." They offer only a few professional development opportunities, one every other month and a few others in the summer, related to the Chromebook and ultimately empower the teachers to learn along with the students. Professional development around the iPad has been a a challenge for us and, in turn, it has limited use in some classrooms.

The Google Web Tools for Teaching and Learning webinar connected primarily with two of the outcomes related to our course

• Outcome #2: Learn ways to promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual understanding.

• Outcome #6: Evaluate and reflect on emerging tools and trends by reviewing current research and professional literature.

Go Google does not only support teaching and learning in the classroom it supports states that are shifting to the Smarter Balance assessment and/or the Common Core standards. The gains for students and educators are evident with going Google. I am interested in learning more about it's possibilities and what, if any, limitations it has with the iPad and IOS.

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