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Technology Integration:
Essential Questions (Page 3 of 3)

 

How does technology change thinking?

The dynamics of the learning process are influenced in turn by the ways people think: rational versus creative; deductive versus inductive; logic versus perception; analysis versus synthesis.  Our thinking is both individual and social.  It is also affected by our emotional state, attitudes, and experiences.  With the rise of artificial intelligence, some of that thinking is offloaded to machines.

According to Rupert Wegerif (2002),  "[T]he kinds of thinking that people value most depend on the cultural and historical context and particularly upon the kind of technology that people have at their disposal to help them think” (p. 11).  “Technology, in various forms from language to the internet, carries the external form of thinking. Technology therefore has a role to play through supporting improved social thinking (e.g. providing systems to mediate decision making and collective reasoning) and also through providing tools to help individuals externalize their thinking and so to shape their own social worlds” (p. 15).

Robert Kuhn (2000), an expert in brain research, indicated that few people really understand the complex nature of how technology is transforming thinking.  “The change in mental process is nothing less than a shift in worldview. Technology is radically transforming our thinking in at least three new ways:

(1) information is freely available, and therefore interdisciplinary ideas and cross-cultural communication are widely accessible;

(2) time is compressed, and therefore reflection is condensed and decision-making is compacted;

(3) individuals are empowered, and therefore private choice and reach are strengthened and one person can have the presence of an institution.

So what kind of new thinking is technology engendering? Notice what happens. With an increasing number of diverse ideas circulating freely and widely, and with people more empowered but with less time to assess value, and with vast communications amplifying opinions, this new thinking is at once creative and innovative, volatile and turbulent.” (Kuhn, 2000, Concluding Remarks section).

The new tools for communication that have become part of the 21st century no doubt contribute to thinking and that creativity, innovation, volatility, and turbulence that Kuhn indicated.  Hence, the glossary that follows takes a further look at some of those.

 

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What's the difference between Web 1.0, Web 2.0, Web 3.0 and Web 4.0?

 

Initially the Internet was characterized as a place to go to find information, associated with acquiring knowledge.  It was linked with the term "Web 1.0," a read-only one-way medium.  However,  Web 2.0 is an evolution to a read/write medium and is the new expectation enabling anyone to participate, collaborate, and share information online using many of the tools listed in the glossary below.  As Todd Lucier (2009) noted, "Web 1.0 was the content Web; Web 2.0 has generally been regarded as the social Web" (Let's Look Back section).

Yet, some educators have concerns about the affect on learning when using Web 2.0 tools and other digital tools.  Where do they fit in the hierarchy of Bloom's Taxonomy?  Recall that Benjamin Bloom first developed his Taxonomy of the Cognitive Domain in 1956 to include six levels, which from low to high are knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.  These were later revised in 2001 to be in verb, rather than noun form: remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating (Churches, 2008).

Andrew Churches (2008) added new digital verbs to each of the levels in the taxonomy, reflecting where the use of Web 2.0 and other digital tools fit into the learning process. He calls it "Bloom's Digital Taxonomy Map."  Drawing from that, consider the following additional verbs associated with digital content:

• Remembering: Retrieval of information can be associated with bullet pointing, highlighting, bookmarking, favorite-ing, social networking, social bookmarking, searching or "Googling."

• Understanding: Advanced searching, Boolean searching, blog journaling, twittering, categorizing and tagging, commenting, annotating, and subscribing.

• Applying: Running, loading, playing, operating, hacking, uploading, sharing, and editing.

• Analyzing: Mashing, linking, reverse-engineering, cracking, mind-mapping, validating, and tagging.

• Evaluating: (Blog/vlog) commenting, reviewing, posting, moderating, collaborating, networking, reflecting, (Alpha & beta) testing.

• Creating: Programming, filming, animating, Blogging, Video blogging, mixing, remixing, wiki-ing, publishing, videocasting, podcasting, directing/producing, creating or building mash ups.  (Churches, 2008)

View Jeff Utecht's Web 2.0 video on YouTube to learn more about Web 2.0 and how it differs from Web 1.0. If you need some “Explanations in Plain English“ on several on the new Web 2.0 tools (e.g., blogs--and microblogs like Twitter, wikis, webcasts, podcasts, social networks, and social bookmarks), view Lee LeFever’s short video clips on those topics at YouTube.

 

 

As technology is continually evolving with new tools and their applications, new terms like "Web 3.0" and "Web 4.0" have emerged with various definitions of them.

Lucier (2009) discussed the rise of Web 3.0 and provided his own definition: "the location-aware and moment-relevant Internet."  The phrase makes it relatively easy for anyone to grasp the concept.  Consider, "Content relevance in Web 3.0 is heightened by location and time. Intimate connections are made between the real world and the Web, often with the use of handheld data-enabled phones like iphone and other devices" (Web 3.0 Defined section).  Think of applications like Twitter, GPS triggered multimedia tools (from where you are find your location and get directions, local maps, phone numbers, or find local restaurants, movies, points of interest, TV listings), online storage sites that can be accessed from anywhere, real-time communications such as video calling; cell phone video broadcasting or instant photos, and instant uploading of those to the internet.

Web 3.0 has been called the semantic web, defined as a "web of data."  The term was coined by Tim-Berners Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web.  "The aim of design web of data is machines first, humans later. Primary objects are things so links are between things" (Aghaei, Nematbakhsh, & Farsani, 2012, p. 5).  "The main difference between web 2.0 and web 3.0 is that web 2.0 targets on content creativity of users and producers while web 3.0 targets on linked data sets" (p. 6).  Think of Web 2.0 as the Read/Write Web and Web 3.0 as the Portable Personal Web.

Per Aghaei, Nematbakhsh, and Farsani (2012), "Web 4.0 is also known as symbiotic web. The dream behind of the symbiotic web is interaction between humans and machines in symbiosis. It will be possible to build more powerful interfaces such as mind controlled interfaces using web 4.0. ... Web 4.0 will be the read-write-execution-concurrency web" (p. 8).

 

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Glossary of Web 2.0 and Beyond:
Terms, Resources, and Concerns
What are all these?

 

 

Aggregator: "A website or software program that gathers (aggregates) and displays web content such as news headlines, blogs, and podcasts from multiple websites to a single location. It allows searches by keyword and provides summaries for browsing. It uses RSS or other types of feeds to find the content, and allows subscribing to feeds, allowing new content to be automatically downloaded when it is available. Also known as a feed reader" (Blubrry: Blogging and Podcasting Terms section).

An aggregator is a time saver.  Think of it as your personal collection agency. Rather than going out to search multiple sites individually, the aggregator will do it for you and deposit current information from favorite blogs and news sites directly in a central location.

Aggregators work together with RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds.  Look for an RSS icon on your favorite sites and subscribe to them.  Aggregator tools include:

• Feedly.com
• Netvibes.com
• Newsblur.com available on the Web, or as an iPad and iPhone app, or Android app

The following are tutorials and information about setting up your aggregator and working with RSS:

• Commoncraft.com has Lee LeFever's RSS in Plain English (2007, April) with a very concise explanation of RSS.
• RSS Tutorial for content publishers and webmasters also includes a brief technical overview, how people use feeds, choosing content for feeds, and publishing your feed.

 

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Artificial Intellence (AI) as defined in Britannica is the "ability of a machine to perform tasks thought to require human intelligence.  Typical applications include game playing, language translation, expert systems, and robotics."

However, in its Introduction to AI online course (chapter 1, part 1: How Shoud We Define AI?), the University of Helsinki and MinnaLearn (2018) noted that there is no officially agreed definition of AI, not even by AI researchers.  But, AI can be characterized by two key properties: autonomy and adaptivity.  Autonomy is "The ability to perform tasks in complex environments without constant guidance by a user."  Adaptivity is "The ability to improve performance by learning from experience."  There are concerns about the evolution of AI and its implications for society.  In the course summary (chapter 6, part 3), the authors stated:

• "We need to avoid algorithmic bias to be able to reduce discrimination instead of increasing it."
• "We also need to learn to be critical about what we see, as seeing is no longer the same as believing – and develop AI methods that help us detect fraud rather than just making it easier to fabricate more real-looking falsehoods."
• "We need to set up regulation to guarantee that people have the right to privacy, and that any violations of this right are strictly penalized."
• And we need "to find new ways to share the benefits to everyone, instead of creating an AI elite, those who can afford the latest AI technology and use it to access unprecedented economic inequality."

 

Additional AI Information and Resources

In What is Artificial Intelligence and How Is It Powering Our Lives? posted at ScienceABC, Ishan Daftardar (2022, July 8) delved into the history of AI, machine learning, deep learning, and where AI is used.  For example, AI is used in the algorithms for social media feeds like Facebook, Amazon ad recommendations, and digital assistants like Siri, Alexa, Cortana, and Google Assistant.  Streaming services (e.g., Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Spotify, Quora) use AI for recommending films, programs, music, and articles to read.

HOT!: There are 10 articles on Artificial Intelliigence at ScienceABC that help to understand AI and its use in modern society. For example, learn about why we feel uncomfortable with AI that is too human; how Snapchat and Instagram filters work; how deepfakes are made; how Alexa determines who is speaking; the difference between deep learning and AI; the Turing Test used to design machine intelligence; and more.

The Center for AI Safety (CAIS) has a mission "to reduce societal-scale risks associated with AI by conducting safety research, building the field of AI safety researchers, and advocating for safety standards."  Of interest is its Overview of Catastrophic AI Risks.  They are grouped into four categories: Malicious Use, the AI Race for development (profit vs. safety), Organizational Risks, and Rogus AIs (loss of control over AIs).

HOT!: Elements of AI, created by MinnaLearn and the University of Helsinki in 2018. includes free self-paced online courses: An Introduction to AI and Building AI.  The courses combine theory with practical exercises, but you can read the content without signing up.  Signing up gives access to the practical excercises to test your understanding.  Content is available in multiple languages.  Everyone can benefit from the Introduction to AI, in which you'll learn what AI is, what is can and can't do, and how it affects our lives.  In Building AI, you'll learn about the actual algorithms that make creating AI methods possible.

HOT!: The Council of the Great City Schools and the Consortium for School Networking worked in partnership with Amazon Web Services to develop a K-12 Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI) Readiness Checklist Questionnaire.  It has over 90 questions to consider before implementing any Gen AI technologies, including on Executive Leadership Readiness, Operational Readiness, Data Readiness, Technical Readiness, Security Readiness, and Legal/Risk Management.

HOT!: The ILO Group (2024, March) developed a Framework for Implementing Artificial Intelligence (AI) in K-12 Education.  This 30-page document has two parts.  Part 1 addresses District-wide AI Areas of Consideration (Political, Operational, Technical, Fiscal).  Part 2 includes Department-Specific AI Applications (Risk Profiles and Department-Specific Examples).  Risk profiles include the potential for inaccurate communications, bias, and misuse of personal information.  There are potential technological and operational risks, eductional and pedagogical risks, and legal and compliance risks.  Within department-specific applications, there are curriculum and instruction and special education examples, and more.

AI in Classrooms, Writing and Math

For classrooms, there are 4 ways that AI can help students: differentiated instruction, intelligent textbooks, assessment, and personalized learning, per W. Ian O'Bryne (2023, April 11).  AI has been used in computer-assisted problem solving programs, intelligent tutoring systems, profiling and prediction, adaptive systems.  It's used in AI powered automatic grading systems and chatbots to answer student questions.

AI has been used to develop apps that can write essays for students and it can be difficult for educators to detect.  ChatGPT, an OpenAI product, is one such tool and its use is controversial.  If you do opt to use it, read the OpenAI privacy policy about the personal information it collects and how it is used.  For example, the policy states "in certain circumstances, [OpenAI] may provide your Personal information to third parties [e.g., vendors and service providers, and OpenAI affiliates] without further notice to you, unless required by law" (Disclosure of personal information section).  Note: In ChatGPT, the acronym stands for "Generative Pretrained Transformer."

Educators are concerned about students' cheating on assignments when AI tools are used, but AI is here to stay.  Per Lauraine Langreo (2023), the only way to get around this concern is for educators to "change what they're asking students to do.  They need to "create assignments that are impossible to complete with these tools or they need to allow the use of these tools but require students to acknowledge and document how they used them."

So, changes will be needed in how writing assignments are structured and evaluated (e.g., incorporate personal experiences).  See Anti-Cheating Education Software Braces for AI Chatbots, a Bloomberg Newsletter by Brad Stone (2022, December 14).  Writing in ASCD's blog, Zak Cohen (2023, January 24) presented some thoughts on Leveraging ChatGPT: Practical Ideas for Educators.

Kristen Moore (2023) illustrated benefits for teachers in Using ChatGPT in Math Lesson Planning.  It can be used as a search engine relating to potential topics of interest to learners, a math content creator (e.g., questions and word problems, performance tasks, projects, inquiry based activities), a math lesson designer, and as an aid to human intelligence.  She elaborated on those ideas.

There are numerous math programs that use AI.  The following are a few of those:

• AIR MATH Homework Helper and Solver uses artificial intelligence to solve math problems from basic math to algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and more.  It's available for use on the Web (as a Chrome extension) and on mobile devices.  You can even submit a screen shot of your problem, including word problems.  The app is free and offers in-app purchases.
• MATHia from Carnegie Learning is for grades 6-12 and delivers personalized learning with ongoing formative assessments.  It won the “Best Artificial Intelligence Solution” in The EdTech Awards 2020.
• Julius uses computational AI to solve ma
th problems, including equations.  Use it to analyze survey results and to visualize data.  Scan problems and get solutions.  Julius provides step-by-step solutions. 
• Mathpid by Woongjin ThinkBig is an AI powered math app for grades preK-9.  It promotes being able to determine a student's math level in just 10 problems.  A personalized learning path is then determined after the diagnostic.  There's a math camera to input problems, even hand-written problems, and video lessons.  Math teaching topics include "counting, composing & decomposing numbers, addtion, subtraction, mutiplication, division, fractions, decimals, equations, factorization, square roots, proportion, functions, and statistics."
• Mathway is a free online problem solver, which uses AI for basic math, pre-algebra, algebra, trigonometry, precalculus, calculus, statistics, finite math, linear algebra, and graphing.
• Microsoft Math Solver
• Roybi is a small hand-held robot designed to introduce kids ages 2-8 to technology, science, math, and multiple languages (English, French, Spanish, Mandarin).  It uses AI to provide a private tutoring experience.  If you're older you can still use it to start learning another language.
• StepWise Math from Querium Corporation uses AI as a virtual tutor to provide help and step-by solutions to math problems.  Areas of study include mathematics, pre-algebra, algebra, trigonometry, pre-calculus, and formal logic.  It works on the Web, and on Android, and iOS devices.  There's a free trial for 10 online problems, and pricing plans for students, parents, and teachers/schools.
• TutorEva is a math solver and AI tutor for multiple subjects including basic algebra, word problems, analytic and basic geometry, elementary functions, math modeling, and elementary statistics and probability.
• Wolfram Alpha--enter what you want to calculate or learn about; per the site "Wolfram Alpha has broad knowledge and deep computational power when it comes to math. Whether it be arithmetic, algebra, calculus, differential equations or anything in between, Wolfram Alpha is up to the challenge. Get help with math homework, solve specific math problems or find information on mathematical subjects and topics."
• Educabrains Maths for Kids designed for children ages 2-6.

Math educators also need to be careful about using ChatGPT.  In ChatGPT Is Not Ready to Teach Geometry (Yet), Dr. Paul T. von Hippel (2023, January 4) noted the following and then illustrated his point with examples using the Pythagoras' Theorem:

"Can ChatGPT provide feedback and answer questions about math in a more tailored and natural way? The answer, for the time being, is no. Although ChatGPT can talk about math superficially, it doesn’t “understand” math with real depth. It cannot correct mathematical misconceptions, it often introduces misconceptions of its own; and it sometimes makes inexplicable mathematical errors that a basic spreadsheet or hand calculator wouldn’t make."

As noted in When it comes to advanced math, ChatGPT is no star student (Hughes-Castleberry, 2023), "AI's ability to handle math depends on what exactly you ask it to do."  Users need a math maturity, domain knowledge, and enough experience to validate the math output of ChatGPT.  They might not understand or be confused by ChatGPT's explanations when asked how it derived answers, particularly in basic math classes if those explanations go outside of the standard procedures on how students have been taught.  Also, there are problems that ChatGPT can't do, such as finding the area of geometric figures.  Yet it is useful in math, for example as a math-based search engine or defining a math concept.  This article elaborates on research conducted by an international team of researchers on what ChatGPT can and cannot do.

AI Detection Tools

In AI writing: The challenge and opportunity in front of education today, Turnitin (2022, December 15) indicated it has "technology that can detect AI-assisted writing and AI writing generated by tools such as ChatGPT today."

GPTZero is free for teachers and others and can detect AI plagiarism.  Read about it in What is GPTZero? The ChatGPT Detection Tool Explained By Its Creator (Ofgang, 2023, January 27).

Diana Restifo (2023, July) reported on the Best Free AI Detection Sites.  Among the 13 tools that were tested, those receiving an "A" or "A-" grade were Copyleaks AI Content Detector, Crossplag AI Content Detector, Undetectable.AI, and ZeroGPT.  Note that GPTZero received a "B-" grade.

Note: Erik Ofgang (2023, October 23) provided some good advice for educators who suspect that work submitted was generated by an AI tool.  For example, the writing has a different tone or style than previous work submitted.

• First, check any policy that your institution has developed regarding use of AI tools.  Then submit the work to more than one AI detection tool to verify a match, as false positives may occur.  When doing so, leave out identifying information of the student.
• To protect yourself and the student from any false interpretations, consult with more than one colleague in your department, including your superiors, and ask them to also verify the results.
• Talk to the student without mentioning AI or accusing them, and ask them how they conducted their research or wrote the paper.  Have a set of questions available that you'd like to be answered.
• Consider having an AI approved classroom policy, including consequences for violations.  Remind learners of it, perhaps using an email to all in the class voicing your suspicion of AI use and the AI policy.

AI and Policies

Policies are needed and being written to address the concerns posed by AI.  Writing in Forbes, Bernard Marr (2023, June 2) listed The 15 Biggest Risks of Artificial Intelligence.  His list included:

1. Lack of transparency
2. Bias and discrimination
3. Privacy concerns
4. Ethical dilemmas
5. Security risks
6. Concentration of power
7. Dependence on AI
8. Job displacement
9. Economic inequality
10. Legal and regulatory challenges
11. AI arms race
12. Loss of human connection
13. Misinformation and manipulation
14. Unintended consequences
15. Existential risks

HOT!: The U.S. Department of Education Office of Educational Technology (OET) indicated that it "is working to develop policies and supports focused on the effective, safe, and fair use of AI-enabled educational technology."  There's a series of informative posts on AI and the future of teaching and learning.  For example, in discussing new interactions and choices, the OET (2022, April 11) included a list of differences that teachers and students may experience in future technologies.  Although developments might be attractive, the OET recognized new potential risks.  "People overestimate AI systems."  "AI systems will collect more personal data."  "AI will produce unwanted or "fake" outputs."  "AI systems may not be visible or obvious."

The OET developed its policy report, Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Teaching and Learning: Insights and Recommendations (2023, May).  Per the website, the report "addresses the clear need for sharing knowledge, engaging educators, and refining technology plans and policies for artificial intelligence (AI) use in education. The report describes AI as a rapidly-advancing set of technologies for recognizing patterns in data and automating actions, and guides educators in understanding what these emerging technologies can do to advance educational goals—while evaluating and limiting key risks."  The report is also at https://tech.ed.gov/ai-future-of-teaching-and-learning/

UNESCO "produced the first-ever global standard on AI ethics – the ‘Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence’ in November 2021. This framework was adopted by all 193 Member States."  It includes multiple policy action areas.

Also see the Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights (2022) from the White House.  It includes "five principles and associated practices to help guide the design, use, and deployment of automated systems to protect the rights of the American public in the age of artificial intelligence" (About This Framework section, p. 4).

AI Implications

AI has implications for the future of education.  There will be changes in the goals of education, curriculum and learning objectives, how we teach, what we teach, how students learn, how we assess learning, and grade.

AI will give rise to new skills that students must acquire to best use the technology.  For example, Heidi Hayes Jacobs and Michael Fisher (2023) noted that "prompt literacy" is a key for AI-based learning.  This skill is "associated with the creation and engineering of prompts that users input into AI tools to generate content. ... Learning how to write effective prompts will empower learners to be the drivers of AI rather than being driven by it" (p. 18).

Students who use AI tools will then need to acquire skills to evaluate the output for accuracy.  As NCTM (2024) pointed out, AI output might include biased data, hallucinations (untrue or unreaonable results), and inaccurate citations.

The use of AI will lead to changes in education standards.  Adam Geller, CEO of Edthena, stated "If teaching with and about AI is not part of states’ standards, it just becomes something that’s “nice to have,” which means it won’t come with funding and support, and schools will have to figure out how to prioritize it against a million other requirements" (Langreo, 2023).

 

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Augmented Reality: "Augmented reality (AR) is a live direct or indirect view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented (or supplemented) by computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data. It is related to a more general concept called mediated reality, in which a view of reality is modified (possibly even diminished rather than augmented) by a computer. As a result, the technology functions by enhancing one’s current perception of reality" (Wikipedia).  It is not the same a virtual reality.  Virtual reality replaces reality.

The following provide additional information about augmented reality:

• Commoncraft.com: Augmented Reality.  "This video is an introduction to augmented reality - a growing way to use camera phones to learn about the world around you."
• Augmented Reality and Education: Learning Connected to Life by Professor Raúl Reinoso (2013).  This is a slideshare presentation with 245 slides--well worth viewing for the potential of this technology.
• The Definitive Guide: Augmented Reality 2020 (AR) provides a definition and explanation of AR, the difference between AR and virtual reality, the future of AR, industries benefiting from AR, real-world applications of AR, and AR games.
• The Franklin Institute includes brief explanations on the difference between augmented reality, virtual reality, mixed reality, and extended reality.

Augmented Reality Resources and App Examples:

• Arloon Geometry for Android and iOS devices is for students ages 11 and up.  It "features 3D models with Augmented Reality for most geometric shapes" and enables users to "View geometric shapes from all angles and see their sides unfold into flat figures. Geometry combines conceptual content (definitions and characteristics) with procedural content (applying formulae and calculus)."  Practice exercises are included: "guess the geometric shape, confirm characteristics and calculate area and volume."  It's available in English and Spanish for a small fee.  The app is posted on edshelf.com, which includes other augmented reality math apps.
• Blippar specializes in augmented reality and includes AR development tools.
• Chromville: Kids can make their colored pages come alive with this free augmented reality app.
• Discovery Education's Sandbox AR app for iPad is free.  Students get an augmented reality experience as they create their own 3D world with a library of models.  Per its description, the app is a "companion to the award-winning Discovery Education Experience learning platform."  Read more about augmented reality programs at Discovery Education.
• Google's Collection: AR Experiments "features work by coders who are experimenting with augmented reality in exciting ways. These experiments use various tools like ARCore, an SDK that lets Android developers create awesome AR experiences."  The projects you'll find are meant "to help inspire more coders to imagine what could be made with AR."
• Math alive from Alive Studios is a supplemental math kit designed for preK-K and for intervention in grades 1-3.  It uses zoo-themed flash cards and video to provide augmented reality without the use of 3D glasses or goggles.  There are 45 skill-based games.  It provides a full-year supplemental math curriculum aligned to kindergarden state standards.
• zSpace.com combines augmented and virtual reality.  Educational content, including hundreds of learning activities and teaching resources, is available for multiple subject areas.  For example, mathematics includes explorations with functions, geometry, number and operations, measurement and data, and ratio and proportions.  And you don't need a headset.
• PBS KIDS: FETCH! Lunch Rush and Cyberchase Shape Quest for math in elementary school.

 

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Blended Learning: Blended learning combines online delivery and learning, at least in part, at a brick-and-mortar facility.  The student has control over time, place, path, or pace.  There are six classification forms currently in use: the teacher as face-to-face driver of the curriculum; rotation in which the student rotates on a fixed schedule between self-paced online learning and sitting in the classroom with the face-to-face teacher; online lab in which the online platform delivers an entire course, but in the brick-and-mortar facility; self-blend in which students take a remote online course to supplement the school's traditional curriculum; flex in which the online platform delivers most of the curriculum and the teacher provides on-site support as needed; and online driver in which the online platform and teacher deliver all the curriculum; students work in a remote location and face-to-face check-ins are either available or mandatory (Knewton, Inc., Blended Learning Infographic, n.d.).

Mike Gorman (2014) provided the following ideas for using one-to-one initiatives for blended learning.  Use technology to:

1. Reach beyond the classroom walls for learning opportunities, collaboration, and audience
2. Create a student driven/centered learning environment
3. Allow for collaborative experiences in and out of the classroom
4. Permit student control over learning, allowing for important voice and choice
5. Provide opportunities for remixing of information leading to innovation and creativity
6. Give opportunities for personalized and differentiated learning
7. Promote convergent and divergent thinking in order to promote inquiry and critical thinking
8. Encourage student invention of new products and possibilities to demonstrate learning
9. Explore authentic and real learning experiences.
10. Establish opportunities for anytime/anywhere learning.  (Gorman, 2014)

Elizabeth Brooke (2015, pp. 3-5) identified four success factors that have the potential to accelerate the benefits of a blended learning implementation and also minimize frustration in both teachers and students when doing so:

1. Select a technology tool that adapts to each student's abilities.  Look for scaffolding and adaptive technology, including both adaptive assessment and adaptive instruction.
2. The instructional program should capture student data at a "fairly granular level."  According to Brooke, "When the right technology tools are used, the student experience is monitored in real-time—without administering a test. Teachers can view data showing which students have completed each skill area, and which students have encountered an obstacle and require individual or small group direct instruction" (p. 4).
3. The program should recommend next steps for the teacher.  "Schools can dramatically improve their levels of teacher effectiveness if they implement technology that provides recommendations for teacher intervention—connecting personalized learning, embedded assessment and teacher-led instruction" (p. 5).
4. The program should provide resources for teacher-led instruction.  Such instructional resources "help the teacher to connect performance data to instructional strategies. Some technology programs analyze and connect student data to the school’s existing basal program, while others provide customized strategies for direct instruction by a teacher or paraprofessional" (p. 5).

The following provide additional information about blended learning and how to implement it:

• National Standards for Quality Online Learning (2024) provides three sets of relevant standards for educators involved with blended learning and online learning.  These are National Standards for Quality Online Teaching, Online Programs, and Online Courses.  This initiative is "led by a partnership between Quality Matters, the Virtual Learning Leadership Alliance, and the Digital Learning Collaborative with widespread community support."  (About section)

• iNACOL Blended Learning Teacher Competency Framework by Powell, Rabbitt, and Kennedy (2014) elaborates on 12 key competencies that teachers need to be successful with blended learning.  These are organized into four domains: mindsets, qualities, adaptive skills, and technical skills.  Note: Effective October 28, 2019, iNACOL changed its name to the Aurora Institute to reflect its shift in focus from educational technology to competency-based, personalized learning.  The Aurora Institute has multiple blended learning resources.

• The Blended Learning Implementation Guide 3.0 (2013, updated 2015) from Digital Learning Now.  A successful transition to blended learning includes these key phases: creating the conditions for success, planning, implementation, and continuous improvement.

• What is Blended Learning? from the Clayton Christensen Institute includes a series of resources and publications on this topic.  For example, Clayton Institute's Blended Learning Definitions and Models elaborates on the definitions within their taxonomy for blended learning shown in the image below.  There are four common models: Rotation, Flex, A La Carte, and Enriched Virtual.  The Rotation model includes four sub-models: Station Rotation, Lab Rotation, Flipped Classroom, and Individual Rotation.

  

• In Blended: Using Disruptive Innovation to Improve Schools, Michael Horn and Heather Staker (2015) of the Clayton Christensen Institute present a step-by-step framework and advice for implementing blended learning techniques in K-12.

• Brodersen, R. M., & Melluso, D. (2017). Summary of research on online and blended learning programs that offer differentiated learning options (REL 2017–228). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Regional Educational Laboratory Central. https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/rel/Products/Publication/3832

• The Boundless Classroom: Designing Purposeful Instruction for Any Learning Environment by Nathan Lang-Raad and James Witty (2022) includes seven blended learning models and how to implement each.  Chapters also include mapping a course scope and sequence, constructing a pacing guide, strategies for implementing authentic, student-led assessments, maximizing feedback, and integrating digital citizenship.  It also contains downloadable templates, checklists, and guided professional learning tasks to help design virtual and blended lessons.

• Next Generation Blended Learning (2024) posted at StrongMind.com delves into some of the history of blended learning and includes examples of what new blended learning looks like.  Of relevance are the four building blocks four next generation blended learning.

 

 

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Blog: short for Web log, is a website for which an individual or a group frequently generates text, photographs, video, or audio files, and/or links, typically (but not always) on a daily basis.  Posts appear in reverse chronological order, and unlike wikis, cannot be edited by others. (Wikipedia)

Blogs in the classroom:

Dan McDowell (2004) proposed blogging techniques for the K-12 classroom and provided links to examples of each.  Educators can use blogs as administrative tools for one-way delivery of information to students and parents.  Blogs can be used as discussion tools.  A teacher might post a discussion question or topic on a single blog, and students post their responses.  Or, teachers can allow students to not only respond, but to post their own comments.  Blogs can also be used as publication tools.  Students each have their own blog on which they post assignments, projects, digital portfolios, reflections, and so on.

 

 

Blogs can serve a personal agenda or be journalistic in nature. Educators might need to justify that using a blog will contribute to helping students reach instructional objectives, as it should have a clear pedagogical purpose. When used in K-12, they might need to justify their use to master standards, so that they perform well on state-mandated tests.  But, consider that blogs offer the collaboration so important in a learner-centered instructional environment.

If you use a blog, it should be an integral part of your instruction and a graded element of the course, so that students will not view it as just another thing to do.  According to Ruth Reynard (2007), each student develops his/her own voice in the process.  "Student response statements really cover a wide variety of "types" that reflect the instructional goals of the course. That is, when developing individual voice throughout a learning process, each stage of that process is often reflected in the students' comments."  When a blog is used throughout a course, the statements that students make can be categorized into reflective, commentary, new idea, or application statements to demonstrate their learning (online p. 1, Statement categories).

Reynard (2008b) noted five common mistakes when using blogs in instruction and how to avoid those:

1. Ineffective contextualization:  For students to benefit, instructors must have clear planning as to "exactly where the tool will be used in the flow of the course, how often the tool will or might be used, and how necessary the tool is to the learning process. In the case of blogging, the most effective use of this tool is in the area of self reflection or thought processing" (online p. 1).
2. Unclear learning outcomes: Learning outcomes are more than course objectives.  "If the instructor is unclear as to what the learning outcomes of the course are and is focused only on course objectives, the potential of the blog tool may not be maximized."  A blog can be a place to help students process their thoughts and ideas for analysis and synthesis, capture new ideas well for others to view and absorb, and a place where they can articulate how new ideas they've acquired can be directly applied in real life contexts of practice and use (online p. 2).
3. Misuse of the environment: What is the purpose intended for using the blog?  Blogs are not the same as wikis.  Reynard believes "The essential difference between a blog and other online tools is that it is intended to be an individual publication: a one-way monologue or self-post to which others may comment but do not contribute" (online p. 3).  The blog entry remains as originally posted.
4. Illusive grading practices.  Students need rubrics to know how they will be graded.  As blogs contain a series of statements, an assessment rubric might address specific statement types such as reflective statements, commentary statements, new idea statements and application statements (online p. 3).
5. Inadequate time allocation: Students need adequate time to process information and then post to a blog.  Reynard recommends the blog remain open throughout a course (online p. 4).

Advance preparation is needed, including preparing students for how to write to a blog so that what they say is LARK, the acronym for Legal, Appropriate, Responsible, and Kind (Sturgeon, 2008).  Advance preparation might include practical aspects such as "uploading images and videos, embedding text links, and writing constructive comments on peer blogs ... before content-specific blog entries are due" (Demski, 2012, p. 19).

Julie Sturgeon (2008) also provided some pitfalls to avoid when using blogs in the classroom:

1. Educators should not just jump in to blogging.  Before students blog alone, Anne Davis (Sturgeon, 2008) said that teachers should "spend time letting students see samples, understand guidelines, and anticipate blogging and what it can mean to their learning" (p. 26).
2. Don't confuse blogging with social networking.  An educational blog is about collaboration and expressing ideas related to academic content.
3. Don't leap to freebies.  Some free blog spaces post advertisements out of the educator's control.  The blog might not be a private space.  Students might be able to access the entire blogging world and vice-versa.
4. Don't force a sequential style.  Blog posts appear in reverse chronological order and valuable content might be overlooked as time passes.  With advance preparation, teachers can add structure to a blog by designating topics for discussion.
5. Don't leave the blogging to the students.  Teachers need to join in the discussion. (pp. 26-30)

There is no doubt that blogging takes time.  In this regard, Bill Ferriter (2013) provided three valuable tips for teachers using classroom blogs:

1. Take the pressure for generating content off of individual students--"always START classroom blogging projects with ONE [topic-focused] classroom blog that EVERY student can make contributions to."
2. Train student editors to lead the blogging project.  They can be valuable for writing, revising, and editing posts; locating images and cropping and inserting those into the blog; and creating and maintaining schedules for creating new content and monitoring those.
3. Recruit volunteer readers and commenters for the blog (e.g., parents, professional friends, family members, PTA members and so on who want to help the school) for sufficient readership.  According to Ferriter, student thinking can't be challenged unless posts are read, and "classroom blogs won’t AUTOMATICALLY generate enough attention to receive page views and comments automatically."  These volunteers might monitor the blog for a month and leave 2-3 comments per week to challenge learners' thinking.

 

 

Blogging tools and tips:

The number of blogging tools for classroom use is increasing.  See examples and get the how to's using the following resources:

• b2evolution: a free blogging open source platform that can run on your website.  It has additional features beyond those of traditional blogs, such as file and photo management.

• Blog Basics: A resource from TeachersFirst.com

• Blogger is a free Google tool that comes with many features including templates, access controls, and help.  You can customize your blog, add pages, add photos and videos, and post to it from a mobile phone, and more.

• Edublogs.org provides free blogs for teachers, researchers, other educational professionals and students.  Teachers can control settings to ensure privacy of student accounts.  Paid versions are also available.

• Fanschool (formerly Kidblog) is designed for K-12 teachers who want to provide each student with their own, unique blog in a safe controlled environment.

• How to Start a Blog Step-by-Step Guide is an extensive article by Richard Goodwin, who elaborates on 7 steps to build a blog.  He claims that 20 minutes is all you really need and you don't need to know HTML, coding, or graphics design.  He also has a free blogging course with lessons.

• Start Blogging Online includes resources to help you need to get started, including Classroom Blogs: Educational Free Blog Sites for Students and Teachers.

• WordPress.org offers multiple themes to help you get started with blogging, creating websites, and apps.

Microblogging tools:

• Twitter: Janelle Cox (2020, February 3) noted 10 ways for how Twitter can be used in the classroom.  However, in Are Educators Leaving Twitter? Erik Ofgang (2022) noted that "Many educators have wondered whether they should be leaving Twitter and what social media platform might emerge in its place since Elon Musk completed his purchase of the company at the end of October 2022."  Ofgang discussed pros and cons of such alternatives as Mastodon, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and Reddit.

  Note: In July 2023 Elon Musk rebranded Twitter and it is now known as "X" (Feiner, 2023).  The site twitter.com is available, but content refers to "X."  There is a help section.  Posts are public by default, unless users choose to protect their posts.  Originally Twitter limited messages to just 140 characters, but with the rebranding, Musk indicated "now you can post almost anything, including several hours of video" with additional features to be added.

Some blogs for math educators and professional development:

The community blog, Peers and Pedagogy, from Achieve The Core includes sections for classroom strategies, tools and resources, materials adaptation, standards-aligned information, and research and reflections.  Each has multiple entries with valuable content.  Posts can be sorted by ELA/Literacy and Mathematics.

K-12 educators in all content areas who are interested in educational technology blogs might consider the collection of 50 Must-Read K-12 Educational IT Blogs, as recommended by EdTech Magazine in 2018.

In addition, the following focus on math:

• BetterExplained can benefit math educators, and anyone interested in those ah-ha moments in which you finally gained better insight into understanding a topic.  In this blog by Kalid Azad, a Princeton grad who has also worked at Microsoft, you'll get his insights into several math and number concepts, programming and web development, business, writing, and communication.  For example, there are posts on mental math, how to learn math, number systems, prime numbers, permutations and combinations, uses of the Pythagorean theorem, exponents, logs, complex numbers, and calculus topics.

• Blog on Math Blogs from the American Mathematical Society "is a tour of the mathematical blogosphere" that will capture your attention for its relevance, humor, and practical insights.  For example, among posts in March-April, 2016, you'll find "Packing Heat: The World of Sphere Packings is on Fire," "How to Celebrate Square Root Day," "A conversation with The Accidental Mathematician," and "Algebra: It's More than just Parabolas."  There are 19 categories for easy retrieval of posts.  Among those are Applied Math, Biomath, History of Mathematics, K-12 Mathematics, Events, Math Education, Mathematics and the Arts, Recreational Mathematics, and more.

• Dy/Dan: Dan Meyer's blog has a following of educators who share his interest in using dynamic math and Web 2.0 tools creatively for teaching and learning math.  He also includes multiple posts on videos.

• Dynamic Math Classroom is the blog from Ihor Charischak where you'll also find his list of Dynamic Math Activities.  Charischak is a former mathematics project manager for the Center for Innovation in Engineering and Science Education at the Stevens Institute of Technology (NJ) and past President of the Council for Technology in Math Education (CLIME).

• emergent math is a blog that has some great ideas for introducing students to inquiry-based learning.  You might begin your exploration with A Problem Based Learning Starter Kit, posted October 30, 2013.  You will also find a set of Common Core Problem Based Learning Curriculum Maps for grades 3-8, integrated math for grades 9-11, algebra 1, geometry, and algebra 2.  Each unit of study has multiple problems and tasks mapped to the associated Common Core math standards.

• Learner.org: Blog from Annenberg Learner features posts categorized in multiple areas.

• Let's Play Math! by Denise Gaskins is about learning, teaching, and just playing around with K-12 mathematics.

• Marilyn Burns Math Blogs: This blog focuses on K-8 math teaching.  Burns is a highly regarded math educator and author of more than a dozen books for children.  There are multiple categories for posts in which she offers her thoughts about teaching math, suggestions from her past and present classroom experiences, links to resources she has found useful, problems to solve, and more.

• Mathematics for Teaching by Erlina Ronda is for K-12 math educators to help their learners develop mathematical thinking and understanding and narrowing the gap between theory and practice in mathematics teaching and learning.  There are multiple categories of posts for teaching math (e.g., algebra, number sense, geometry, math lessons, graphs and functions, K-12 math problems).

• Mathtwitterblogosphere is a collection of math educators who twitter and blog.  They are sharing some great ideas to enhance your teaching.  You can also join.  Under the section "How to Take the Leap," you will find recommendations on who to follow listed by academic content level (middle school, algebra 1 and 2, geometry, precalculus, calculus, statistics) and interest.  Interest categories include arts and crafts in math, games, interdisciplinary work, classroom organization and management, modeling approach to teaching, standards-based grading, projects and rich tasks, technology in the math classroom.

• Math Values is a blog from the Mathematical Association of America, which features posts in four areas: inclusivity, community, communication, and teaching & learning.  It "explores the diverse voices of mathematics and discusses topics related to and affected by mathematics" (About MAA section).

• NCTM Journal Blogs: Each of three NCTM journals has a blog in which guest math educators contribute posts.  Math Tasks to Talk About is in Teaching Children Mathematics; Blogarithm: Standards of Mathematical Practice is in the Middle Grades in Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School; and Joy and Inspiration in the Mathematics Classroom is in Mathematics Teacher.

• NWEA Teach. Learn. Grow is an education blog.  Posts address multiple topics of interest for all, including assessment, policy and leadership, classroom tips, research, and teacher voices.

• On Teaching and Learning Mathematics from the American Mathematical Society includes articles "written either by the editors or by a contributing author following an invitation from the editorial board."  You'll find "practical "teaching tips,” commentary on current mathematics education research, discussions of social/curricular educational policy, and more" (About This Blog section).

• squareCirclez: the IntMath blog: You'll also find interactive mathematics resources.

• Teaching Calculus by Lin McMullin is a blog for high school teachers and students, especially Advanced Placement Calculus teachers and students.  You'll find comments, suggestions, hints, and observations on the topics for the course, and a video collection.  Of particular value is the Blog Guide section, which includes 10 units with calculus topics in an order that they are typically taught.

Blog Safety and Ethics:

Online safety and ethics must be considered; students should sign a code of conduct.  In general, any blogging code of ethics should strike a balance between free expression with factual truth.  Ethical considerations, which students must be taught, include the need for truth, accuracy, and accountability for what they say, and respect for others even when students might disagree. There is also need to ensure that bloggers keep private issues private to minimize potential harm to others.  Consider the following for online safety and sample contract for bloggers:

• TeachersFirst.com Sample Classroom Blogger Agreement: This file is in .doc format downloadable from the section for blog rules within Blog Basics for the Classroom.

 

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Cloud Computing:  "Cloud computing is a general term for anything that involves delivering hosted services over the Internet. These services are broadly divided into three categories: Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS).  A cloud can be public or private" (TechTarget.com, Wesley Chai, updated December 2020). The term is often associated with Web 2.0 applications.  Johnson, Levine, Smith, and Smythe (2009) stated, “Collaborative work, research, social networking, media sharing, virtual computers: all are enabled by applications that live in the cloud” (p. 5).  Services delivered over the internet, such as Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo! Mail or other Web-based email, Flickr, Google Apps, YouTube, TeacherTube and Amazon Web Services are examples.

The use of cloud services is making it fairly easy technologically to implement "digital strategies such as BYOD, the flipped classroom, and personalized and collaborative learning environments" (Johnson, Adams Becker, Estrada, and Freeman, 2014, p. 36).

There are other "cloud" examples, which can be used on a school curricular level.  Programming languages such as ScratchJr for kids ages 5-7 and Scratch for kids ages 8 and up, developed by MIT Media Lab, can be used for free to create animations, interactive stories, games, music, and art.  Vendors of commercial products are also providing online data storage.  Consider Renaissance Learning's Accelerated Reader, an online supplementary reading program providing guided reading instruction, or First in Math, an online skill building program aligned with Common Core math standards for grades K-8 that uses games and offers pre- and post tests to assist with learning.

For more on what cloud computing is all about, see the following resource:

• Campus Technology has a two-part primer on Diving into the Cloud (Ramaswami & Schaffhauser, 2011), which would help institutions regarding implementations of cloud services.  For example, Ramaswami and Schaffhauser indicated, "The three primary cloud types are public, private, and hybrid.  The most appropriate cloud for your institution will depend on several factors: what services you want to take to the cloud; your school's comfort level from a security standpoint; the existing infrastructure you have on campus; and privacy regulations that may dictate how data are secured" (Know Your Clouds section, para. 1).

For concerns about protecting data in the cloud, see the following:

• Privacy and Cloud Computing in Public Schools (2013) from Fordham University Center of Law and Information Policy is a. study that had three goals: "first, to provide a national picture of cloud computing in public schools; second, to assess how public schools address their statutory obligations as well as generally accepted privacy principles in their cloud service agreements; and, third, to make recommendations based on the findings to improve the protection of student privacy in the context of cloud computing" (Description section).
• In How Does Cloud Storage Work? A 2024 Guide to Online Data Storage Jason Stagnitto (2024) explained how cloud storage works, and then delved into an explanation of cloud models and types, pros and challenges of their use, security, and cost.  Note: Cloud storage is not the same as cloud computing. Cloud storage allows you to upload your files to remote servers. Cloud computing is different in that it allows you to access computing power or software remotely.

 

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Doxing or Doxxing as defined by Fortinet, a cybersecurity company, "is derived from the term “dropping dox,” or “documents.” Doxing is a form of cyberbullying that uses sensitive or secret information, statements, or records for the harassment, exposure, financial harm, or other exploitation of targeted individuals."  Their article, What is Doxing? elaborates on how it works, addresses its legality, how to protect yourself from doxing, and what to do if you become a victim. 

Folksonomy per Wikipedia is derived from "folk" and "taxonomy."  As opposed to taxonomy, which is a predefined traditional classification scheme created by authors of content for their own works or by professionals for the work of others, this is a new concept in which users (sometimes called amateurs) of social bookmarking systems on the Web categorize their own information for later retrieval.  Users add their own keywords or tags to content they save, creating personalized or community-based organizational systems.  In time the community develops its own structure of keyword descriptors to define its resources.

In Folksonomies - Cooperative Classification and Communication Through Shared Metadata, Adam Mathes (2004) discussed the advantages and disadvantages of folksonomies and their potential impact on information retrieval systems.  He elaborated on their nature by discussing two popular sites for sharing digital content: Del.icio.us (tool for organizing web pages) and Flickr (tool for photo management and sharing). Note: Educators should exercise caution if using Flickr, as some content might not be appropriate for K-12 learners.  There are alternatives for Web site photo management for student projects, which include log-in and password features.

More on social bookmarking:

• Commoncraft.com has a video on Social Bookmarking with a very concise explanation.
• Educause Learning Initiative. (2005, May). 7 things you should know about Social Bookmarking.  This article noted that "Social bookmarking is the practice of saving bookmarks to a public Web site and "tagging" them with keywords" (p. 1).

Glog: Per Webopedia, a glog (short for graphical blog) is an interactive multimedia image, similar to a poster, that allows users to interact with the content.

Mashup: This term has more than one meaning.  It is often associated with mixing music or other media (e.g., video, or web application hybrid) from more than one source to become a new unified whole.  However, in terms of the web and web applications, it is mixing content from more than one source to become a new, integrated whole.  Marshall Kirkpatrick (2006, October 17) discussed Web 2.0: What is a mashup? in a video interview.

 

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Metaverse, as defined in Britannica, is a "proposed network of immersive online worlds experienced typically through virtual reality or augmented reality in which users would interact with each other and purchase goods and services, some of which would exist only in the online world. Builders of metaverse technology consider it to be the next step in the evolution of the Internet after early 21st-century developments such as smartphone applications and social media."

Metaverse and education:

An Introduction to Learning in the Metaverse (2022, April) was written by Daniel Pimentel, Géraldine Fauville, Kai Frazier, Eileen McGivney, Sergio Rosas, and Erika Woolsey.  You'll learn about the metaverse, its state of development, and it's potential and limitations for education.  For example, the potentials include such things as increasing interest and motivation to learn, personalization, visualizations, active learning, game-based learning, virtual/augmented field trips, role-play and perspective taking, immersive storytelling, and novel social interactions.  On the other hand, there are limitations, such as an increase in cognitive load and its effect on retention of content knowledge, and the physical effect of long term exposure (e.g., beyond 10-15 minutes).  There are concerns about accessibility by all potential users, the cost of the technology itself compared to other learning resources, lack of educational content and the difficulty to create it, privacy and safety of user data that is collected by corporations that develop the technology, and the difficulty to access learning using all forms of data collected (e.g. new forms such as movement and eye tracking).

 

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Modding: "a slang expression for the act of modifying a piece of hardware or software to perform a function not intended by someone with legal rights concerning that modification" (Wikipedia).

Podcast: Podcast stands for Portable On Demand Broadcasting.  Wikipedia defines it as "an episodic series of spoken word digital audio files that a user can download to a personal device for easy listening. Streaming applications and podcasting services provide a convenient, integrated way to manage a personal consumption queue across many podcast sources and playback devices. A podcast series usually features one or more recurring hosts engaged in a discussion about a particular topic or current event."  In "What is a Podcast? An Explanation in Plain English," Colin Gray (2020, January 29) of thepodcasthost.com added that it's like "Talk Radio, but you subscibe to it. ... Most Podcasts today are audio only, even though video podcasts do exist."  Further, "a podcast episode is just one recording from that entire Podcast."

Podcasts and learning:

• Podcasting: A Teaching with Technology White Paper by Ashley Deal (2007) of Carnegie Mellon University explored the educational value of podcasting in three ways: "the creation and distribution of lecture archives for review, the delivery of supplemental educational materials and content, and assignments requiring students to produce and submit their own podcasts" (p. 1). "Does podcasting enhance education? The answer to that question depends entirely on the educational context, including goals and appropriate learning activities, and on how the tool is implemented. Podcasting does not contain any inherent value. It is only valuable inasmuch as it helps the instructor and students reach their educational goals, by facilitating thoughtful, engaging learning activities that are designed to work in support of those goals" (p. 12).

 

Podcast aggregators:

• iTunes
• Juice
• Astronomy Cast: Podcast Aggregators for Windows, Macs, Linux, and Web-Based and Cross-Platform

Podcast directories:

• EdTechTalk
• Kids Math Talk Podcast (about 45 minutes each) for parents and educators provides "tips and insights that will deepen mathematical understanding while also encouraging the conversation about math to remain active and positive" (Site description).  Each episode also includes show notes.
• Math Ed Podcast, hosted by Dr. Samuel Otten, includes episodes dating back to 2012.  They feature conversations with math ed researchers on issues relating to math instruction.
• Math Teacher Lounge is a biweekly podcast in which the moderators interview expert guests on math and educational topics of interest that you care about.  This is a resource from Amplify Education.
• Math Therapy is a weekly podcast hosted by Vanessa Vakharia, The Math Guru.  Podcasts delve into the causes of math trauma and what we get right and wrong about math education.  She "chats with some of today’s most inspiring and visionary minds working to make math more accessible, diverse, and fun for students of all ages."
• TeacherCast: Podcasts

Other podcast examples, how to's, copyright/legal info:

• Educause Learning Initiative. (2020, September). 7 things you should know about Podcasting.
• How to Start a Podcast from Podcast How To contains 22 sections answering the Who, What, How, Why, Which, and more on this topic.  Look for additional information in the Guides section.
• Peter Meng's Podcasting and VODcasting (March 2005).
• Learninginhand.com: Podcasting by Tony Vincent presents details for learning to create podcasts: preproduction, recording, postproduction, and publishing.
• Podcasting Legal Guide: Rules for the Revolution at the Creative Commons wiki.
• Podcasting Tools includes everything you need to know about podcasting.

Podcast Tips:

• When creating podcasts, consider learners who might be hearing impaired.  They would benefit from a text version of the podcast that is posted online.  If the content is part of course requirements, all learners must have access to it.
• If you use a podcast in your instruction, Ann Marie Dlott (2007) suggested that you might use a think aloud strategy to "demonstrate the skills students would need to listen successfully to a podcast: how to rewind, replay, and pause to take notes" (p. 81).
• If students create their own podcast, provide a rubric so they will know how their work will be critiqued.
• When posting your podcast, add metatags so that the podcast can be easily retrieved.  The following is a sample of metadata for describing your podcasts (Boettcher, 2007, online p. 2):
1. Title [Your Podcast Show Name] [Episode Number] [Episode Name]
2. Artist [Author]
3. Album [Your Podcast Show Name]
4. Track [Episode Number]
5. Comments [Episode Description]
6. Genre: Podcast

 

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Social Network / Social Media:  A social network is a "map of the relationships between individuals, indicating the ways in which they are connected through various social familiarities ranging from casual acquaintance to close familial bonds"  (Wikipedia).

Although the term social network might seem to be interchangeable with social media, Andrew Froehlich (2020) noted there is a difference.  "Essentially, social media is a platform for broadcasting information, whereas social networking is a platform for communicating with one another. Social media is a communications channel, whereas, in social networking, the communication has a two-way nature" (para. 1).  Further:

"Social media requires a social network in order to disburse content to those that wish to consume and interact with it. Thus, the social media network is the underlying technology and human connections, while social media focuses strictly on what is being published and consumed within the social networking platform." (The Difference section).

How Youth Use Social Networks

In 2006, a nationally representative telephone survey was conducted for the Pew Internet & American Life Project using a sample of 935 teens, ages 12-17, including a parent or guardian.  Results indicated that 55% of the online teens have their profiles online and are using social networks to communicate with current friends and to make new friends.  The majority of those only post their first names (81%), but they have included pictures of themselves (79%) and friends (66%), information about where they live (61%) and share their school name (41%) (Lenhart & Madden, 2007, pp. ii-iii).

In its 2007 survey of about 1000 9-17 year olds, Kids' Social Networking Study, the research firm Grunwald Associates in cooperation with the National School Boards Association found popular social networking activities, which students engaged in at least weekly, were predominantly unidirectional.  Those included posting messages (41%), downloading music (32%) and videos (30%), uploading music (29%), updating personal websites or online profiles (25%), posting photos (24%), creating and sharing virtual objects (16%), and creating new characters (14%).  Collaborative events and reaching out to others were engaged in to lesser degrees, as evidenced by blogging (17%), participating in collaborative projects (10%), sending suggestions or ideas to websites (10%), submitting articles to websites (9%), and creating polls, quizzes, or surveys (9%) (Reynard, 2008a, online p. 1).

The implication for schools is that if we want social networking to make a difference in instruction and learning, the medium should also be used for its publishing and production aspects, reaching higher levels of collaboration and creativity, and for enabling learners to network with experts and peers in a manner where their work gains legitimacy within the larger community of experts in various fields.  It also makes learning more interesting.  Teachers will need to be more creative "to model the same skills they are looking for in their students" (Reynard, 2008a, online p. 3).

Teachers and Social Networking

Teachers have an obligation to also learn rules regarding their own use of social media, as there have been cases of teachers being fired or disciplined over content they've posted on social media.  Read 10 Social Media Rules for Teachers (2016, March 29), a blog post by Rachel at American Board.  Common Sense Media developed Protecting Your Students' Privacy on Social Media, which contains a checklist of do's and don'ts for teachers.

Social Network Tools

When you think about it, the telephone is a social networking tool, as is group or individual email, or a face-to-face meeting (with or without notes to document what happened or what was said).  However, below might be more in line with thoughts on newer tools.

• Instant messaging
• Application sharing
• Interactive whiteboards
• Live webcams
• VoIP, as with Skype for your telephone service, or online conferencing programs
• wikis
• discussion forums/groups
• blogs

Safe Social Networking Sites

Social networks are a source of concern for parents and schools because of the online safety issues for students who use them, such as cyberbullying, psychological trauma owing to excessive use, the potential release of private information, and sexual predators.  Sites like Flickr, MySpace, YouTube, Del.icio.us, Facebook might be among those, as they are open to anyone to use.  Other sites that might raise concerns about their use include Twitter, WhatsApp owned by Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, Kik Messenger, Tumblr.com, and Reddit.

However, there are social networks that parents with their kids and educators can use in which they can create a private, protected environment for learning, and which have been rated as safe.  There are also social networking sites that would be of principal interest to educators.  Examples:

• Elgg (named after a town in Switzerland) is free open-source social networking software for educators and their students to create a secure "personal learning landscape.  "It offers blogging, networking, community, collecting of news using feeds aggregation and file sharing features. Everything can be shared among users with access controls and everything can be cataloged by tags as well."  If you are concerned about its use in K-12, consider that you can install it on your own servers and have complete control over it.

• Flip (formerly Flipgrid) is a web and mobile video discussion app, free from Microsoft.  It is a platform used by PreK to PhD educators, students, and families around the world. Teachers post topics to spark the conversation and students respond with short videos.  It promotes social learning in a safe space.  Educators will value the toolkit with a library of topic templates available by subject and age of learners.  For more information, Luke Edwards (2024, January 5) at Tech & Learning discussed What is Flip and How Does it Work for Teachers and Students?.

• Future of Education is an interview series and discussion community open to all.  A huge benefit is the regular series of interviews with innovative leaders who are making a difference in learning.  Highly recommended.

• TIGed (TakingITGlobal) offers a collaborative environment in which students gain access to global perspectives on global issues and new options for expressing their creativity.  They can engage in project-based learning.  A database of lessons is included.  The environment is under control of the teacher, making safe social networking possible. TakingITGlobal.org membership is free, but small fees are attached for TIGed virtual classrooms, activity database, and teacher discussion boards.

• We Are Teachers is a social network for educators, which contains thousands of teaching ideas and best practices in multiple categories.

• Whyville is for 8-15 year olds. In 2006, Whyville received iParenting's award for its safety features.  It has numerous sponsors.

 

 

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Software as a Service (SaaS-pronounced like "sass") per Wikipedia is a general name for software that is internet-based, rather than being software that is installed and resides on the end-user's computer.  Google Apps is an example.

Virtual Reality (VR), as defined in Britannica, is "the use of computer modeling and simulation that enables a person to interact with an artificial three-dimensional (3-D) visual or other sensory environment.  VR applications immerse the user in a computer-generated environment that simulates reality through the use of interactive devices, which send and receive information and are worn as goggles, headsets, gloves, or body suits."

VR resources:

• Educators in VR
• The Virtual Human Interaction Lab at Stanford University
has a series of publications related to learning and virtual reality.
• Prisms VR per the site description is for learning "math through movement, experience, and meaningful discovery."  The pedagogy involves "using immersive tactile environments for students to connect 3D, 2D and 1D representations of core Algebra and Geometry concepts for deep understanding, retention, and lasting standards-aligned proficiency."

Vodcast or Vidcast: a video podcast

VoIP: (Voice over Internet Protocol) is a technology that "allows you to make telephone calls using a broadband Internet connection instead of a regular (or analog) phone line" (Federal Communications Commission).  There are many VoIP providers.  360Connect includes a list of common VoIP features that schools choose and some providers that cater to schools.

Walled Garden: Per Andrew Froehlich (2021, November), "On the internet, a walled garden is an environment that controls the user's access to network-based content and services. In effect, the walled garden directs the user's navigation within particular areas to enable access to a selection of material or prevent access to other material."  He noted examples such as Apples's App Store, Google's Play Store, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Microsoft Teams and Slack, Apple, Amazon, Facebook, and Google. (Walled Garden definition)

Webcast: A program combining audio and video that is delivered live or played back on demand over the Internet.

You might begin your exploration of webcasts with the following:

• Webinars from the American Mathematical Society
• Library of Congress collection of event videos

Wiki: Hawaiian for quick, "a type of website that allows users to add and edit content and is especially suited for constructive collaborative authoring" (Wikipedia).  Wikis can be organized many ways (e.g., subjects, categories, hierarchies).  They often contain a search engine, unlike many blogs.

For more on the role of wikis in education, see:

• Educause Learning Initiative (2005, July). 7 things you should know about Wikis.

• Wikis in the Classroom: Victoria Davis of Westwood Schools (GA) has a YouTube video explaining how she uses wikis in the classroom.  This is a very instructive video on the process.

• Teacher Tips for Wiki Projects at Digitally Speaking.

• Vanderbilt Univesity: Wikis includes informative information on wikis, including its definition, when and why to use wikis, how to create one, what research says about wikis, concerns, using a wiki or blog, and other resources.

 

 

Wiki Tools:

• PBworks.com: Wikis.

Wiki Concerns:

Will Richardson (2005) provided a cautionary statement about the use of wikis: "There are no technological safeguards against a user putting bogus information into the site or vandalizing an entry; the community of people using the wiki keeps the information accurate by policing itself" (p. 25).  On the positive side, however, best practices for using wikis in both business and educational environments include for project management, reducing email overload, and building a dynamic intranet, according to Jeff Brainard of Socialtext.net (Kane, Reingold, & Brainard, 2007).

Classroom wikis are great educational tools for student collaboration and note taking as teachers can track student postings.  However, public wikis (e.g., Wikipedia) can pose a problem when used as research tools.  Users don't necessarily know anything about the authors of the content, their credibility, and validity of the content posted.  We need to encourage students to use primary and secondary sources when conducting research, and to teach students critical evaluation skills for what they read.  As educators, we are faced with the dilemma of using public wikis as "sources consulted" but not "sources cited" (Schrock, 2007, pp. 38-39).

In fairness, however, Wikipedia is making greater effort to ensure credibility and reliability of its content (e.g., see Wikipedia: Citing_sources) and it is a good place to start if you want to learn about something.  You’ll see lists of references at the bottom of pages, which can be used to further research a topic.  Imbedded within content, citations are numbered and you will see the phrase “citation needed” next to unreferenced content.  For example, look for those as you read about Web 2.0 at Wikipedia.  Further, a study by Robert Tomaszewski and Karin MacDonald (2016) revealed that "the use of Wikipedia citations in peer-reviewed journals has been increasing since 2002" (Abstract section).

Some wikis for math educators:

• Mathematics on Simple Wikipedia
• Mathematics Education on Wikipedia

 

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Sources for above definitions:

Blubrry Podcasting Community: Blogging and Podcasting Terms: https://blubrry.com/manual/about-podcasting/glossary/blogging-and-podcasting-terms/

Britannica: https://www.britannica.com

Federal Communications Commission: https://www.fcc.gov/general/voice-over-internet-protocol-voip

Fortinet: https://www.fortinet.com/resources/cyberglossary/doxing

Knewton, Inc. (n.d.).  Blended learning infographic.  https://elearninginfographics.com/blended-learning-infographic/

TechTarget.com. (2020, December). Cloud computing.  https://searchcloudcomputing.techtarget.com/definition/cloud-computing

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

 

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References

 

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See other Technology Integration pages:

Part 1: Technology Integration: Essential Questions: Page 1  |  2  |  3

Part 2: Technology Integration Resources  |  Part 3: Web Page Design  |  Part 4: Multimedia in Projects

 

 

 

 

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