Reading Review Part C

I find it ironic that my topic focuses on finding ways to make the use of technology authentic and deeply meaningful for students and here I am trying to make it meaningful for myself! What I have realized during this research process is that I do prefer resources that give me something that I can use right away. For example, I found an article online from the University of Wollongong (it's Australian) by Herrington and Kervin (2007) that gives "10 suggestions and cases of integration in classrooms". I was immediately compelled to read this because I felt that I would walk away from it with something I could try tomorrow. I read it in less than ten minutes and didn't have to sort through a lot of extraneous information and data to get to the good stuff. Instant gratification? Sounds familiar...it's what we accuse our students of when we are met with resistance to our carefully planned lessons! That could be another topic of research relevant to using technology in the classroom. I also found that I tended to be more likely to select articles that were less than 3-5 years old. I am clearly biased in terms of thinking that since technology changes so quickly, it is more likely that I will glean something practical from a more recent article. I did force myself to read some of the older articles in an effort to develop my understanding of the pedagogy behind using technology in the classroom. I have to admit that I did find this a useful and interesting endeavor.
The research phase of this project has definitely been inspiring, not just because of the information I have found in the literature but more so because of the thinking that I am doing - the "side topics" so to speak. In my research, I have found that the idea of integrating technology in meaningful (authentic) ways is certainly not "new" with what seems like a boom in research in this area in the early '90s. Most of what I found in reading these articles was relate more to the theory behind the importance of ensuring that the use of technology in the classroom was indeed meaningful; however, I am having to continue to search more creatively for literature that offers concrete, practical, feasible opportunities for authentic uses of technology in the classroom. Thankfully, every time I sit down to do a little more research, I am instantly rewarded with more information and something new to think about.

1. Authentic learning supported by technology: 10 suggestions and cases of integration in classrooms. Herrington & Kervin, (2007). International Council for Educational Media.

Reading Review Part B: Literature Review

My search begins...

Well, first of all, I realized that I don’t know what all the codes are for in the “Select a field” option when searching the UBC database. For example, I thought KW Identifier might stand for ‘key word identifiers’ but when I used it, I came up with zero search results…so, going back to the “shooting in the dark” strategy (searching without any field options), I actually found a few very relevant and current resources which I am excited to explore more thoroughly (soon!).

 

The first source (Snape, Fox-Turnball, 2011) caught my eye because its list of Subjects included a lot of the themes that I believe are critical aspects of my topic:

Subjects: Learner Engagement; Foreign Countries; Technology Education; Best Practices; Constructivism (Learning); Education Courses; School Restructuring; Learning; Teacher Role; Accountability; Program Implementation; Teacher Education; Teacher Collaboration; Partnerships in Education

This particular research paper is exactly what I am interested in! The focus is on using authentic experiences with technology to “develop enduring learning for students”.  As I scanned the abstract, I knew this paper was the perfect place for me to begin to delve deeper into my topic…and I learned a new word as I was reading it, which is always a bonus:

“Conation is defined as the will, drive and effort behind students’ engagement in learning and is increasingly seen as an integral part of authentic education.”

The second source (Moersch, 2011) that I selected caught my eye truthfully only because of the ‘H.E.A.T acronym’ in the title since I used to work at a school that also used that same acronym (but in reference to something completely different than it is used here). As I read the abstract, I found that I was thinking that it could turn out to be a good resource but then something about the last line irked me:

“Turning up the H.E.A.T. is no longer a cliche, but a driving force to prepare students for the challenges of a digital society and to transition low-performing schools into high-performing schools.”

Maybe I have to include more research about accountability vs. “high performance” as I explore my topic. For some reason, I haven’t connected using technology authentically to support deeper, long-lasting learning with higher school performance. I don’t think I am too far off the mark here in saying that I think this is because I work in Canada where “high performance schools” is not as emphasized (yet) as it is in the US…something to think about for sure.

 In looking for more research sources, I decided that I wanted to find something relevant online so I went to Google for answers! Of course, I found lots to sift through but one stood out to me because of its publication date – 1993! What could kind of authentic technology experiences will they be talking about? I definitely had to take a look...

 "many schools are trying to reorganize curriculum and instruction to support “authentic learning,” the new catchphrase for learning by doing” (O’Neil, 1993).

I couldn’t help but wonder why it’s taking so long for this to happen. Is this an indication that it’s “easier said than done”? Is technology changing faster than schools (and curricula) can keep up with? More things to think about as I explore my topic! It turns out that this is in fact a great article and, despite its “old age”, it was still highly relevant (and I love the subtitle “John Dewey, meet R2D2).

I think now that I have a taste for what’s out there in terms of literature to support my topic, my next step will be to search in the Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology. I feel like that will give me something solid that I can connect with.

1. Turning up the H.E.A.T. on Student Learning: Assessing 21st Century Skills in Classrooms Today, Moersch, Christopher. Educational Technology, v51 n3 p43-46 May-Jun 2011. (EJ936517)


2. Perspectives of Authenticity: Implementation in Technology Education, Snape, Paul; Fox-Turnbull, Wendy. International Journal of Technology and Design Education, v23 n1 p51-68 Feb 2013. (EJ998175)


3. Using Technology to Support 'Authentic' Learning, O’Neil, John. Education Update, v35 n8 October 1993







 

Reading Review Part A

BLOG POST #1
My topic is a focus on integrating technology to create opportunities for authentic digital experiences that support 21st Century learning in the public school setting. Technology is unlimited but in the public school setting, we need to be mindful that the purpose in using technology is to facilitate authentic learning opportunities. While including technology in the classroom is often viewed as a strategy for engaging learners, the use of technology needs to be appropriate and should support the development of 21st Century skills and competencies. 

As I begin to explore my topic, I have several questions that I will endeavor to answer:
What is the criteria for an authentic digital experience? An example was posted on Forbes.com (1), "Authenticity isn’t just about what you share and how others connect to it, but how you connect to it as well" that made me think about what the criteria for an authentic digital experience might be in an elementary school setting.  
What are the skills and competencies related to 21st Century Learning? There are many lists that can be found on the Internet (see (2) below for examples) that describe 21st Century learning skills that students need and in British Columbia, new curriculum drafts (3) focus heavily on the need to develop specific skills and competencies by the time students graduate from high school.
Can we use technology to promote deeper learning beyond just being engaging? Microsoft Corp suggests several of their products to enhance learning and to help teachers promote 21st Century skill development in their students (4).
In each of my roles (librarian, vice principal, and a classroom teacher), how can I integrate technology in order to provide my students with authentic opportunities that promote deep and relevant learning experiences? Ringstaff and Kelly (2002) also explored a similar question, “Under what conditions does technology have the most benefits for students?" and essentially, there is no easy answer!

There are two "off the top of my head" examples that come to mind as I begin to think about authentic learning experiences. The first is the use of SMART Boards in elementary school classrooms. At the elementary school that I work at there are now SMART Boards in almost every classroom. This sounds great, but we need to consider if the SMART Boards are truly being used to facilitate deeper learning. How can we qualify this? How can we measure the amount of learning going on and if it can be attributed to the use of the SMART Board? How is the SMART Board being used in the classroom setting? What are the skills and competencies that students are learning from using the SMART Board? Are there other technologies that contribute to a rich learning experience?

The second example stems back to when I first started my teaching career when a colleague introduced me to a flexcam. He had purchased it for anyone in our district to use and I often booked it for my science lessons. The flexcam had to be assembled for each use. It had several attachments and wires that needed to be organized in order for it to function properly...needless to say, it was awkward. However, when it was all set up and in use, the benefit for students was amazing! Basically, it operated like a giant magnifying glass that was hooked up to a tv screen so the entire class could see the image of the object under the camera. All of the students could see the object and begin their learning journey. I will never forget the day that I put a dead bumblebee under the camera and one student said, "Wow. That thing has hair! I've never noticed that before because I'm scared of bees to I never get close to them!" That was a student who was engaged, who was thinking, and who was making connections to the world. Would this be an authentic experience with technology? Can we achieve this with the use of digital technology? 

As technology is changing with every passing moment, I know that I may end up with more questions than answers throughout this project journey; however, I am excited to be thinking about what I can do to integrate meaningful technological experiences into my classroom as well as to my school library settings. 

1. http://www.forbes.com/sites/yec/2011/10/10/are-you-creating-an-authentic-digital-experience/

2. http://www.thoughtfullearning.com/resources/what-are-21st-century-skills

http://www.envisionexperience.com/plan-your-future/blog-articles/13-essential-21st-century-skills-for-todays-students

http://edglossary.org/21st-century-skills/ 

3. https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/

4. http://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/sites/education/classroom.aspx

5. http://dmps.typepad.com/tac/learning_return.pdf

Welcome to my blog!

I am an elementary school teacher and librarian. I will be using this blog to track my progress and ideas as I delve into the world of using digital media and technologies to professionally develop and communicate with other learners. During this journey, I will explore personal interests in topics related to librarianship and digital technologies. Throughout this endeavor, I expect to learn a great deal about digital technologies and the use of social media to promote learning, develop technological skills, and for personal learning networks. I hope to be able to apply my new technology skills to create authentic and meaningful learning opportunities and resources for my students.

Educational Technology

Great opportunity!
http://www.educationtechnologysummit.com/