Choices, choices, choices

"How to Choose the Right Tablet for Your School" <-- Check out this link for further reading!

Due to some of our discussions concerning price-points, money, and financial strains throughout our class time, this particular article caught my eye. The writer of this article, Tanya Roscario, begins her writing by encouraging educators "to consider five key factors when thinking about starting a tablet initiative."

I found this article to be interesting because I know that every student, every class, and every district will look different. Thus, necessary (and beneficial) resources and technologies will vary from one school to the next. And more than that, we need to address what are the meat and organs and what is the skeleton of the classroom.

Furthermore, Roscario quotes Tim Williams (director of product management for Absolute Software) who said that the most important question is "Are we going to change our whole attitude to how we're delivering lessons to students?" I know that this is a question I have been challenged with this semester. Where is my focus? I think it has been on the physical technology in the past rather than what I can do with these tangible resources.

The article describes Crothersville Jr. Sr. High School's focus on digital curriculum. After these teachers had created a digital curriculum, students received KUNO Droid tablets. I think our instinct is to throw whatever is new and shiny and will entrance students into the classroom. And I have no problem with using new technologies if they do the trick when traditional teaching methods aren't working. BUT, I completely agree with this Indiana school's perspective. Devise the meat of the program and then bring in the skeleton to give the curriculum and meaning some structure and efficiency.

How to Cope

Customization, interaction, and learner control.

Truly, I believe that if we can encourage and maintain these three specific imperatives in the classroom, then we are destined to be successful teachers. So then I ask myself, what should success be for a teacher? I don't consider success being a famous educator or having all A+ students or making intricate lesson plans. I think a successful teacher is one that pushes his or her students to take ownership of their learning. Someone who challenges students to make choices and justify their decisions. Someone who pushes students to interact with others, especially those who are different from them and/or difficult to work with.

The main conversation we've had throughout this semester has focused on this idea of "rethinking education." I have been challenged to rethink my view of the classroom, especially in regards to the use of technology. I think it is very easy to write off technology when it seems to be too hard or overwhelming to understand. I think it is also a pride issue on my part because I want to be good at teaching in our culture today without needing "new stuff," yet these newer technologies can be powerful tools in and out of the classroom.

One obstacle all teachers will face is assessing their students. How should I assess them? When should I assess them? How can I assess them meaningfully? Harder than that - how can I assess them efficiently? Technology is a great tool when it comes to allowing teachers one-on-one interaction time with students, so that they are teaching themselves while having the ability to have in-depth conversations with their teachers. If technology is used properly, it can help teachers to assess students based on performance and depth instead of assessing primarily based on standardized testing.

So, how do we cope with new technologies? We embrace what they have to offer; we learn about them, explore programs and websites, and teach our students how to use technology safely, efficiently, and excitedly. Giving ownership and embracing the old idea of apprenticeship will allow us to be successful teachers.

The Touch Screen

We live in a culture where people want to touch screens and make things happen. When my mom and I were researching and trying out the different models of the Kindle around Christmas time, I asked my mom if I should get the Kindle with the touch screen or the Kindle with the keyboard.

My mom said, "We're touch screen people...if we touch a screen and nothing happens, it's weird."

I noticed she was right; it felt weird when I was maneuvering with the Kindle keyboard. All of this recounting to say that iTunes U is designed perfectly for this culture and generation. If I were in middle or high school and offered the option of iTunes textbooks, I would choose it immediately. Even though some people are old school and believe in the power of words written on paper, the reality is that our world is moving away from this traditional way of learning.

Sometimes I find this shift discouraging because I am not always a fan of change, but after exploring some of the iTunes U, I found that you can highlight, add notes, and place bookmarks - just like you can in a physical book. Another encouraging aspect of iTunes U is that a student can explore material more so that it is a hands-on experience. Students can click on links and view videos to explain difficult material or show something that one might need to visualize in order to understand.

One iTunes U series that I found interesting was the "What is Religion?" series. When I was in high school, we had a World Contemporary Affairs class, but we focused a lot on different religions of the world and how they have affected countries, people, and cultures today. One aspect of "What is Religion?" is the videos and pictures of artifacts and architecture reflecting or symbolizing major world religions, such as Hinduism or Buddhism. Looking back at that CWA class in high school, I would have loved get a more "hands-on" experience with these religions to better understand the people and groups involved. Another neat facet of this series is the music (specifically Sikhism music) that students can listen to in order to learn more.

Although I can be reluctant to change, I believe that iTunes U is great for this coming age. Students can have a better learning experience while taking ownership over their learning and even having more power to customize their learning!