Thinking About Learning

Our district has developed a very impressive 5 year technology plan based on technology bond money.  By the end of 5 years, all high schools will be involved in 1:1 computing, middles schools will be 3:1, and all classes in grades 4 and 5 will be 5:1.  The 5th grade 5:1 roll-out is scheduled for next year, 2010-2011.  As a Technology Integration Specialist, I find this plan exciting and highly ambitious.  My question is this: “Will receiving 5 laptops per class do anything to change the way teachers teach?”  That was actually a rhetorical question, because the answer is so obviously “no.”  So the real question becomes, “What can I do to help my teachers make the necessary shift in pedagogy to enable them to embrace a 21st Century Learning model?” I’ve been researching, but I’m not easily finding a road map.

There are lots of motivating videos about 21st Century Learning, such as “Engage Me.”  There are certainly more flashy ones, but I like this one because it features elementary-aged students.

I am now on a quest to discover the answer to my question.  My first step is to think about some key ingredients in a  21st Century Learning environment.  Here are 5 that I’ve adopted so far.

1) NETS: All curriculum should be framed by the National Educational Technology Standards.  The 6 strands are: Creativity and Innovation; Communication and Collaboration; Research and Information Literacy; Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making; Digital Citizenship; and Technology Operations and Concepts.  All content areas should be taught within the context of these standards.  The NETS-S 2007 Implementation Wiki contains some great resources for the application of these standards.

2) Student-centered learning: Teachers need to gain a new vision of their role in the classroom as they shift their focus from “teaching” to becoming  “facilitators of learning.”  Students need to take greater responsibility for their learning and become more self-directed.  This will only happen as they have greater freedom to make choices within their learning environment.

3) Differentiation: This is really just an extension of student-centered learning.  We have long known that students learn at different rates in different ways.  The use of technology tools is a fabulous way to provide differentiation.  Tracey Hall’s research about Differentiated Instruction provides a very informative overview, including a diagram of the learning/planning cycle.

4) Problem-based learning: In this type of learning, students explore possible solutions to “real” problems and work collaboratively to determine the best solution.  Through this process students learn “how to learn” by focusing on authentic issues.  This approach is very student-centered and open-ended.  IMSA’s PBLNetwork is a fabulous resource.

5) Online collaboration: To establish a 21st Century learning model, it’s important to base it on the foundational understanding that classrooms today are not contained within 4 walls or even within a single building.  Today our classroom is the entire world, and we can learn from and with people around the globe.  Cultivating collaborative partners from various corners of the world will broaden our educational resources and will help our students learn what it means to be a global citizen.

I’m still searching for a road map! Obviously Alan November has done ground-breaking work in this area, but his resources are all commercial products.  By far the best “grass roots” resource that I have seen is Kim Cofino’s work at the International School Bangkok.  The ISB 21st Century Literacy wiki sets forth a clear vision of the 21st Century Learner and a framework for planning instruction.  An ability to translate theory into practice is crucial!  I hope that as my district moves further into this ambitious technology roll-out plan, that our leaders will develop a similar framework that will provide structure and guidance in empowering our teachers to make the pedagogical shift necessary to prepare our students for the unknown world that awaits them.  These are exciting times to be an educator!

With the recession and incredible budget cuts to education, I was asked to make a list of what I do as a Technology Integration Specialist.  My district has worked so hard to protect personnel and jobs, but limited funding requires change.  The literacy coach program has already been reworked, and half of them have been sent back to the classroom.  Now it’s our turn.  We currently have a TIS in every school, with the exception of our 2 new schools that have .5 TIS positions, due to last year’s budget restraints.  I love my job!  I sense that I have had a positive impact on my faculty’s interest and willingness to try new ways of integrating technology into the classroom.  I have 2nd graders who have learned to use the Internet to research this year.  They used Open Mind 2 to organize their information as they researched, and then exported their mind maps to PowerPoint so that they could prepare an oral presentation of their work.  These same students have used Writers all year to learn keyboarding skills.  I can’t help it…I want to see what these students will be able to do as 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders!

Nevertheless, change is inevitable.  I don’t know what I’ll be doing next year, but here’s what I’m doing now:

1. Staff Development
Meet monthly with grade level teams during planning to address topics of their choosing or something I want to introduce.
Hold after school training sessions as needed.
Provide training for TTCA.
Provide training for the completion of Technology Competency Level 2 Portfolio.
Train new teachers on use of IGPro, Lex-Connect, Groupwise, and district software.
Provide training on use of equipment such as SMART Boards, student response systems, and document cameras.
Lead sessions in district-wide staff development venues.
Provide 1-on-1 tutoring for teachers who need extra help.
Provide training as needed for instructional assistants and student interns.

2. Curriculum Support for Teachers
Be familiar with state curriculum standards (quickly and easily accessed through SMART Tech’s lesson plan site)
When possible, attend team collaborative planning sessions to be aware of current instructional objectives.
Ask teachers individually what they are teaching and make suggestions of ways to use technology to enhance instruction.
Locate and share Internet resources that support instruction.
Make suggestions about project-based learning activities that relate to topics of study.
Collaborate with teachers to plan standards-based PBL objectives, activities, and assessment.
Co-teach with teachers  to model technology integration.
Suggest technology-enhanced alternatives for classroom assessment.
Create instructional materials such as SMART Notebook lessons for teachers.
Maintain a school blog to share student learning with families and the community.

3. Provide “Just in Time” Assistance (Examples)
Inability to log in.
Laptop won’t get on the network.
Laptop won’t connect to projector.
SMART Board tools won’t work.
IGPro gradebook problems.
Email issues.
Printer won’t work.
Diagnosis of computer problems to make work order referral for technician.
Answer immediate “how to” questions.

4. Personal Professional Learning
Develop a Personal Learning Network (PLN) with other educators around the world by reading blogs, Twitter, and social networks like
Ning.
Collaborate with other TISs to learn together about new opportunities for technology integration such as the use of iPods in the
classroom or Augmented Reality.
Make use of a social bookmarking tool to collect useful resources that can be shared.
Attend workshops or conferences.

What have I left out? Please share your thoughts!

Our governor is insisting that he will refuse to accept federal stimulus stabilization funds for education.  His children attend private school, and one of his big agenda items during his tenure has been to push for tax-payer funded vouchers to help families pay for private school tuition.  Our legislature has refuted his efforts, so now public education is being held hostage.  It’s his revenge as he tries to make his name known nationally to aid his future bid for the presidency.  Last week over 1000 educators rallied at the state house to protest his refusal to accept funds for education, and I’m proud to say that I participated in my 1st protest rally!