The future of educational technology

I recently found an article about the future of educational technology by Nellie Deutsch of University of Phoenix.

http://www.nelliemuller.com/Future_Trends_in_Educational_%20Technology.htm

She brought up some great points. She believes that “the future of technology will enable people to be life-long learners.” People will no longer rely on schools and universities as the only places where they can learn new things. Now anyone can learn anywhere, at home, at the office, or even in the car. Deutsch believes that future learners do not have to depend on their memories. They can store information on their personal computers and be able to retrieve it at all times. “Teachers' roles will ultimately change since they will no longer be providers of information. They will be facilitators who concentrate on the teaching of social skills rather than academic or technical expertise.”

I believe the use of educational technology will continue to grow. Computers today are like the automobile in the 1920s. At first everyone was a little afraid of them and few people used them. Now people could not get along without them. Computers will evolve in the same way.

Doodle

I found a great site that makes a teacher’s life much easier. It allows a teacher to ask their students questions electronically.
http://www.doodle.ch
Doodle allows teachers see how far their students are when they are working on projects, give tests and quizzes, easily grade assessments, and see what information needs to be retaught. I think this is a fantastic tool. It's free and it's very easy to use.
The problem: To use the site participants need to have an e-mail address. This would be a fine tool to use for high students. However, middle school and elementary students may not have e-mail addresses. It seems weird to me to assign students to create an e-mail address. It's like teaching students how to text message. Spooky!

Cyberbullying

As the internet continues grow and evolve it is important that adults teach child that is not ok to bully people on-line.

www.cyberbullying.us/ defines cyber bullying as “"willful and repeated harm inflicted through the use of computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices." ...

Parents can teach their children not to bully other kids on the play ground because most of the time adults are there to supervise. When children get on-line there is rarely adult supervision. The effects of cyber bullying can be devastating.

http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2007/nov/18/cyberbullying_ends_girls_life/

The problem has gotten so bad that there is a national campaign to stop it.
http://www.stopcyberbullying.org/index2.html is a website dedicated to stopping cyber bullying. There, web browsers can find out what cyber bullying is, how it works, why people cyber bully, prevention against cyber bullying, how to take action, and what's the law?

This is a problem that parents need to address before their child touches a computer for the first time. Naive parents created the problem and it is time from everyone to fix it.

Netiquette

http://www.definethat.com/define/326.htm defines netiquette was "internet etiquette."

Many people feel like when they get on a computer they can do what ever they want. This simply isn't true. There are rules and they must be followed if the internet is to remain a safe and productive place.

http://192.107.108.56/portfolios/r/ryter_m/safety/netique.html has posted 6 key rules:

Rule #1Respect everyone online. Do not spread rumors or send hateful or harmful messages. Don't use inappropriate and offensive language.
Rule #2Think before you type; make sure what you write cannot be misinterpreted. Use emoticons or abbreviations to convey humor, teasing, or other emotions while online.
Rule #3Avoid spamming. Unwanted junk mail, chain letters, and jokes can be annoying and time consuming.
Rule #4Use the KISS principle - Keep It Simple Silly. Be short and to the point in both e-mails and in chatrooms.
Rule #5Don't type in all CAPITAL letters. This is considered shouting by the online community.
Rule #6Don't be pest and annoy people while online. People may have work to do and can't continue to communicate with you at that particular time.

Without rules, there is chaos!

Digital Storytelling

I found a great site that describes digital storytelling.

http://digitalstorytelling.coe.uh.edu/

"Digital Storytelling is the practice of using computer-based tools to tell stories. As with traditional storytelling, most digital stories focus on a specific topic and contain a particular point of view. "In a nut shell, digital storytelling allows users to share pictures, music, videos, etc. easily. This site has examples of digital storyboards, has access to step by step tutorials, and provides advanced software to create digital storyboards. There are millions of opportunities for students to learn from digital storyboards and I look forward to using digital story boards in my classroom to inspire student learning.

Blogging about Educational Blogging

Internet blogging represents the future of education. No longer do teachers have to learn HTML codes to create effective websites for their students. Blogs allow teachers the ability to communicate with their students when ever they choose to. All teachers have to do is log on, submit, and share.
Blogs have replaced standard class web pages, because they make communicating much easier. Teachers can easily link information that they find on the Internet to reinforce what they are teaching in their own classroom. Examples of past student work can be posted on a blog so current students can see what the instructor is looking for. Blogs can be used to summarize what took place in the course of a day so students that were absent can easily catch up. These summaries can also be useful to students that have a hard time tracking information or staying on task. In addition, blogs provide ways for students to easily communicate with their teacher. If a student has their own blog they can easily submit homework assignments, e-mail questions, or post an on-line journal showcasing their work.
The world is changing. Five year olds now have e-mail addresses. Education must stay current to be effective. The future of education will eventually lead to full time teacher blogs. Blogs allow teachers to share content, instruction, announcements, readings, assignments, etc. with their students. Blogging produces a world of endless learning possibilities.

Education Journal

I found a great educational journal called Education Weekly.
This journal allows subscribers to:

• Browse the top stories and Editors' Picks from Education Week and the Associated Press.
• Read unlimited Teacher articles including archives, featuring tools you can immediately use in the classroom.
• Become part of our online community through Chats, Blogs, TalkBacks, and article comment discussion.
• Explore Digital Directions, trends and advice for K-12 Technology Leaders.
• Explore Teacher Professional Development Sourcebook, a guide to ideas and resources on teacher learning.
• Review special reports including topics such as salary, leadership and technology.
• Compare state data and utilize tools from the Research Center.
• Get the first look at all jobs listed on TopSchoolJobs!

PowerPoint

PowerPoint is a fantastic educational tool if used correctly. Word and PowerPoint are the only to applications that most teachers know how to use. As a result, they are over used. It is essential that before students use PowerPoint they are taught about good and bad design. I have a graphic designer come in every year and speak to my students about how to properly design posters, PowerPoints, etc. The main focus of the lesson is to show students that multiple fonts, colors, sounds, picture, and effects are not the answer. When dealing with my 6th graders I preach, "Less is More." Once students have a good idea about what good design looks like then I will assign a PowerPoint project. PowerPoint is a fantastic program, but I try to only assign one to two PowerPoint assignments a year. There are so many other great applications out there. It is imperative that students have the skills to run multiple programs if they are to be successful in the future.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3g4bScZSm8

Presenky

I believe that the two sides most meet in the middle. The old guard and the new guard have always disagreed about what is most pertinent. The old guard most learn to adapt. Presenky says, "Our Digital Immigrant instructors, who speak an outdated language (that of the pre-digital age), are struggling to teach a population that speaks an entirely new language." However, I believe the Digital Natives most also learn some of the old ways. Technology, like education is ever changing. The two sides most work with one another, adjusting to each others strengths and weaknesses, in order to succeed.

Sam

Hello,

I teach science and social studies to 6th graders in Maple Valley.
I recently won teacher of the month.
I enjoy my school and can't wait to get to know all of you better.
Take Care,

Sammy the Bear