Technology Integration is a four part series on essential questions, technology integration resources, web page design, and multimedia in projects. Sections contain relevant opening essays and resources.
Part 1: Essential Questions
Essential Questions (Page
3):
Part 2: Technology Integration Resources
Part 3: Web Page Design
Part 4: Multimedia in Projects
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).
What should you and your students know about artificial intelligence?
Artificial intelligence incorporates things, people, data, and processes.
In
Envisioning AI for K-12: What should every child know about AI? authors
David Touretsky, Christina Gardner-McCune, Fred Martin, and Deborah Seehorn
(2019) identified and elaborated on five big ideas in AI for K-12 learners:
They also noted key concepts to address with students in K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12 within each idea above. Some tools and resources for AI in K-12, and efforts to develop curriculum resources are presented.
Teaching AI: Exploring New Frontiers for Learning by Michelle Zimmerman (2018) is a publication of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). Per its description, the book includes "perspectives from educators and industry experts on how they are using AI; approaches to teaching about AI, including design thinking, project-based learning and STEM connections; tools for exploring AI and sharing it with your students; and activities to introduce AI concepts, reflection questions and lesson ideas."
ISTE has an entire section devoted to Artificial Intelligence in Education. It contains Hands-on AI Projects for the Classroom, which provide "elementary, secondary, elective and computer science teachers with innovative curricular resources about AI across various grade levels and subject areas. Each guide includes background information and four student-driven projects that directly relate to subject area standards, while providing foundational learning on what AI is, how it works and how it impacts society" (Description section). ISTE includes multiple resources on AI, along with access to courses on AI for students and teachers.
Also see Google's Collection: AI Experiments, "a showcase for simple experiments that make it easier for anyone to start exploring machine learning, through pictures, drawings, language, music, and more."
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.
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:
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. Then to get started with Web 2.0, visit Classroom 2.0, the social network for educators using collaborative technologies.
A Taste of Web 2.0--and mostly free, too!
Here's a primer for the unknowing and those who want to take their technology use to the next level. Read Dr. Patricia Deubel's A Taste of Web 2.0 in T.H.E. Journal Collaboration 2.0 (2008, Mar 19).
Issues for Web 2.0, Social Software, and Digital Tools
Advancements in technology, principally Web 2.0, social software, and digital tools, have challenged what it means to be educated and how we proceed to educate our youth in a culture where innovation and creativity, lifelong learning, personalization (my own learning space), and knowledge from and with the collective vie for a rightful place. Read Dr. Patricia Deubel's Crossroads in Education: Issues for Web 2.0, Social Software, and Digital Tools in T.H.E. Journal Collaboration 2.0 (2008, April 16).
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).
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:
The following are tutorials and information about setting up your aggregator and working with RSS:
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.
The following provide additional information about augmented 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.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:
- Reach beyond the classroom walls for learning opportunities, collaboration, and audience
- Create a student driven/centered learning environment
- Allow for collaborative experiences in and out of the classroom
- Permit student control over learning, allowing for important voice and choice
- Provide opportunities for remixing of information leading to innovation and creativity
- Give opportunities for personalized and differentiated learning
- Promote convergent and divergent thinking in order to promote inquiry and critical thinking
- Encourage student invention of new products and possibilities to demonstrate learning
- Explore authentic and real learning experiences.
- 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:
The following provide additional information about blended learning and how to implement it:
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 noted in the following image.
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
Here's
an idea! If you plan on using blended learning,
survey parents/students on the type of technology with
internet access they have
available at home that learners can use. If they do
not have such technology, ask where they access or could
access a computer or internet (e.g., a neighbor, friend,
relative, public library, etc.), and ease of doing so. A survey
might be performed at the beginning of the school year,
perhaps using Google Docs or Survey Monkey as examples.
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.
Microblogging is on the rise using tools such as Twitter, which limits messages to just 140 characters. In 7 things you should know about Twitter, Twitter is described as "an online application that is part blog, part social networking site, and part cell phone/IM tool" (Educause Learning Initiative, 2007, p. 1). Janelle Cox (2020, February 3) noted 10 ways for how twitter can be used in the classroom.
Here's
an idea! If students each have their own blog, consider
setting up a blog aggregator, so that you as the teacher can
read the blogs and comment to the group without having to go
to each blog separately. Demski (2012) suggested
simplifying navigation by "having students subscribe to each
other's blogs via RSS feeds, dividing students into small
groups to comment on each other's work, or building a mother
blog--a front page for the course that aggregates recent
blog posts, comments, updates from course-related websites,
and social-networking feeds" (p. 19).
Note: Learners will appreciate adding authenticity to their blogging efforts. Comments4Kids "is a way for students and teachers to find blogs to comment on and to get their own posts commented on" (Welcome section).
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:
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:
There is no doubt that blogging takes time. In this regard, Bill Ferriter (2013) provided three valuable tips for teachers using classroom blogs:
Moderating and Ethics for the Classroom Instructional Blog
For how to's on moderating and using a classroom instructional blog, read Dr. Patricia Deubel's Moderating and Ethics for the Classroom Instructional Blog in K-12 Tech Trends (2007, February 21).
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.
Blogging in the Classroom: How to Get Started is another valuable resource, this one by Matt Banner of OnBlastBlog.com. He elaborates on uses of classroom blogs, benefits to students, starting a blog, free blogs, educational blogging services, self-hosted blogs, and ways to promote your blog.
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.
Learning About Blogs FOR your Students (2011) by Sylvia Tolisano is a seven-part series on the issues: reading blogs, writing, student writing, commenting, connecting, reciprocating, consistency, and quality. In part 7 quality, blogging rubrics are also discussed. Per Tolisano, "The guide will be based on the assumption, that in order for a teacher to facilitate quality student blogs, the teacher needs to have their own understanding of quality blog writing."
Start Blogging Online includes resources to help you need to get started, including Classroom Blogs: Educational Free Blog Sites for Students and Teachers.
WebsiteSetup.org: How to Create a Blog using WordPress.
WordPress.org offers multiple themes to help you get started with blogging, creating websites, and apps.
Microblogging tools:
Twitter: You can make your "Tweets" public or protect them. Twitter includes a Help section.
Some blogs for math educators:
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. As one example, view one of his application videos in which he relates playing volleyball to the maximum height in meters of the ball in play according to the given equation of parabolic motion. You can then access other videos he has done.
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.
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:
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:
For concerns about protecting data in the cloud, see the following:
Doxing or Doxxing as defined by Kaspersky, a cybersecurity company, "is the act of revealing identifying information about someone online, such as their real name, home address, workplace, phone, financial, and other personal information. That information is then circulated to the public — without the victim's permission." Their article, What is Doxing: Definition and Explanation elaborates on how it works, addresses its legality, how to protect yourself from doxing, and what to do if you become a victim.
Folksonomy: The word 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:
Glog: a virtual online poster that incorporates multimedia.
Mashup: This term has more than one meaning. It is often associated with mixing music or other media 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.
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
Read the two-part series on podcasting by Dr. Patricia Deubel in T.H.E. SmartClassroom (2007): Podcasts: Where's the learning? and Podcasts: Improving quality and accessibility.
Podcast aggregators:
Podcast directories:
Other podcast examples, how to's, copyright/legal info:
Podcast Tips:
Social Network: 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).
Note: 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 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.
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:
Classroom 2.0 is a social networking site for educators interested in Web 2.0 and collaboration.
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 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.
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.
Schoology is free for your digital classroom and contains academic features, social networking features for private spaces, learning management, and administrative features.
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.
Twiducate is a free social networking site for schools, developed by teachers. Per the website, "only teachers and students may view classroom posts, thus creating a private network for you and your students and a safer online learning environment" (About section).
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.
Software as a Service: (SaaS-pronounced like "sass") 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.
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.
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:
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 video explaining how she uses wikis in the classroom. This is a very instructive video on the process. Highly recommended.
Teacher Tips for Wiki Projects at Digitally Speaking.
Here's an idea!
Use a wiki to have learners create their own lexicon of key
math words in a unit or lesson.
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 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/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 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2.0). 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:
HOT! Need more inspiration to try Web 2.0 tools?
The Centre for Learning and Performance Technologies is a must see site to learn about teaching with new technology. The Top Tools for Learning include many tools for collaboration and communication, multimedia development, online learning, and more.
Read Web 2.0 Coming of Age: An introduction to the NEW worldwide web edited by Terry Freedman (2006). This free 93-page booklet, also available in audio format, provides more practical advice on how to get going and applications in education.
HOT! Need help with keeping up with Web 2.0 and emerging technologies?
Consortium for School Networking has an initiative, Driving K-12 Innovation, which is the successor to the New Media Consortium’s annual “Horizon K-12” reports that ended in 2017. COSN's goal is to produce three shorter reports each year for the K-12 segment that focus on Hurdles, Accelerators, and Tech Enablers. The first of those reports was 2019 Hurdles.
If you opt to use any social media in your course, consider reading the following:
Rafferty, J. (2017, April 10). 8 things you should know about before using social media in your course. Online Learning Consortium Blog. https://onlinelearningconsortium.org/8-things-you-should-know-before-using-social-media-in-your-course
Webopedia: Definitions will help you expand your vocabulary. Webopedia is online dictionary and search engine for computer and Internet technology definitions. For example, see the definition of Web 2.0.
Sources for above definitions:
Blubrry Podcasting Community: Blogging and Podcasting Terms: https://blubrry.com/manual/about-podcasting/glossary/blogging-and-podcasting-terms/
Federal Communications Commission: https://www.fcc.gov/general/voice-over-internet-protocol-voip
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
How can innovations, including technology, be sustained in schools?There are five stages to go through for an innovation to be sustained per Richard Rush (2019), summarized as follows:
Any innovation, including the implementation of educational technology, must become part of a school's culture to be sustained. David Jakes (2006) stated:
In support of and extending Jakes' (2006) view, Dian Schaffhauser (2009) noted six dimensions for scaling an innovation, which are in a framework developed by Chris Dede of Harvard University and Allyson Knox of Microsoft. The traditional way to look at an innovation is spread. However, a successful innovation program involves more than just adding users. It involves depth, sustainability, shift, evolution, and emotion. Depth produces transformative change and leads to improved educational outcomes; Sustainability, as the name suggests, means that the changes in practice are maintained over time; Shift refers to the users of the innovation assuming ownership of it and spreading its impact to others; Evolution means that those who adopt the innovation make revisions to it as an ongoing process (p. 32). Emotion comes into play when asking people to try something new. While those who are struggling might be eager, those who believe themselves operating at high quality might not be so willing (p. 33). The key to remember is that significant changes in classroom instruction brought about by a sustained innovation might not be realized for years.
In terms of sustaining technology in schools, a more concentrated effort is needed to use technology to customize learning. According to the Digital Learning Council (2011), an initiative of the Foundation for Excellence in Education, "Today, less than 10 percent of students around the nation are experiencing the benefits of digital learning. States must advance bold reforms to make systemic changes in education to extend this option to all students" (p. 3). Digital reform in education is needed to better meet needs of students who are already using technology out of school for such things as texting, gaming, posting on the internet, and exercising their own creativity using technology tools. Ten elements for high quality digital learning are included within its Roadmap for Reform:
There must also be a change in the teacher's paradigm for teaching and learning, according to Gary Shattuck (2013). His Six Laws for Tech Adoption also relate to sustaining an innovation. If an innovation is considered, educators must also deal with the laws of scarcity, change, beliefs, perception, diffusion, and leadership, which he proposed:
Next, what goes on in the classroom level is at the root of sustaining innovation. Teachers need to be able to foster innovation and creativity in the classroom so that students become inspired. Trevor Shaw (2015) outlined eight principles for the innovative classroom:
Teachers might also need innovative ideas to try with their learners. For this, Carl Hooker at HookED on Innovation provided 36 Weeks of Innovation for Your Classroom (2015) with innovations listed in order of difficulty ranging from using selfies to creating a start-up incubator.
As leadership matters per Shattuck (2013), districts should share their success stories as a means for sustaining a technology innovation and promoting technology integration, particularly for people who are still non-believers. As suggested by The League of Innovative Schools (2014):
In terms of infrastructure, the Consortium of School Networking (2019) found that a cloud-based infrastructure is among the top five tech enablers advancing teaching and learning innovation. "A virtual infrastructure delivered or accessed via a network or the internet enables schools to move hardware and software services away from physical locations. Shifting to cloud services makes teaching and learning resources more readily available in any location—and it can reduce costs" (Tech Enablers Survey Results: Key Findings #3, 2019). This brings up the issues of the amount of cloud-based storage needed, how data and access to it are secured in the cloud, and if institutions will use a commercial cloud-based service or have a private cloud infrastructure or a combination of both.
Digital Promise with input from the Verizon Innovate Learning Schools partner districts developed a Technology Sustainability Toolkit, which should help districts in allocating available funding. The toolkit includes additional information and resources within the following steps:
Finally, Education Week Research Center's 2019 national representative survey of preK-12 teachers (N=700) revealed "It is difficult for teachers to even consider ed-tech innovation if they lack such basics as reliable WiFi, adequate tech support, and sufficient numbers of devices" (2019, p. 6). Fortunately, "A majority of teachers [said] they have access to all three at school" with respective responses being 72% for WiFi, 69% for tech support, and 56% indicating they had enough devices for every student to have his or her own (p. 6). Unfortunately, access to technology outside of school hours poses a problem, as only 22% of respondents agreed that "they can safely assume that students can complete homework that requires access to technology outside of school hours" (p. 6). Thus, results showed there is still room to grow for edtech innovation both in and out of school. In spite of having available in-school technology, "What is less clear is the degree to which teachers have used these new tools [high-speed WiFi, cloud-based services, low-cost devices] in innovative manners, rather than merely continuing their former practices on new and different platforms" (p. 5).
Aghaei, S., Nematbakhsh, M. A., & Farsani, H. K. (2012). Evolution of the World Wide Web: From web 1.0 to web 4.0. International Journal of Web & Semantic Technology (IJWesT), 3(1), 1-10. http://airccse.org/journal/ijwest/papers/3112ijwest01.pdf
Boettcher, J. (2007, July 18). iPod course design. Campus Technology. https://campustechnology.com/articles/2007/07/ipod-course-design.aspx
Brooke, E. (2015). Blended learning: A basic overview of typical implementation models and four keys to success. Concord, MA: Lexia Learning. https://mylearning.nps.gov/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/WhitePaper-Blended-Learning-Overview.pdf
Churches, A. (2008, April 1). Bloom's taxonomy blooms digitally. Tech & Learning. http://teachnology.pbworks.com/w/file/fetch/19978695/Bloom%27s%20Taxonomy%20Blooms%20Digitally.pdf [Note: original article at http://www.techlearning.com/article/8670 is no longer available.]
Consortium of School Networking. (2019). 2019 Tech enablers survey: Key findings. http://web.archive.org/web/20201102054735/https://cosn.org/sites/default/files/Key%20Findings_2019_Tech%20Enablers.pdf
Deal, A. (2007, June). Podcasting: A teaching with technology white paper. Carnegie Mellon University. https://www.cmu.edu/teaching/resources/PublicationsArchives/StudiesWhitepapers/Podcasting_Jun07.pdf
Demski, J. (2012, January). Strategies for blog-powered instruction. Campus Technology, 25(5), 18-19. https://campustechnology.com/articles/2012/01/01/strategies-for-blog-powered-instruction.aspx
Digital Learning Council. (2011). Digital learning now: Roadmap for reform. http://digitallearningnow.com/site/uploads/2014/03/Roadmap-for-Reform.pdf
Dlott, A. M. (2007). A (pod)cast of thousands. Educational Leadership, 64(7), 80-82. https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/a-(pod)cast-of-thousands
Education Week Research Center. (2019, May). Teachers and ed-tech innovation: Results of a national survey. https://www.edweek.org/research-center/research-center-reports/teachers-and-ed-tech-innovation-results-of-a-national-survey
Ferriter, W. (2013, March 17). Three classroom blogging tips for teachers. The Tempered Radical. https://blog.williamferriter.com/2013/03/17/classroom-blogging-tips-for-teachers/
Freedman, T. (Ed.) (2006). Web 2.0 coming of age: An introduction to the NEW worldwide web. http://www.shambles.net/web2/comingofage/index.htm
Gorman, M. (2014, October 12). Ten ideas to move classroom technology closer to blended learning. K-12 Blueprint. https://www.k12blueprint.com/blog/michael-gorman/ten-ideas-move-classroom-technology-closer-blended-learning
Hooker, C. (2015, September 1). 36 weeks of innovation for your classroom. Hooked On Innovation. https://hookedoninnovation.com/2015/09/01/36innovate/
Jakes, D. (2006, October 27). Making IT stick. Austin, TX: Presentation at Tech Forum: Insight and Innovation for Technology Leaders. http://makingitstick.pbworks.com/w/page/20142281/FrontPage [Note: The original URL is no longer available. The presentation is cited in Web 2.0: New Tools, New Schools by Gwen Solomon and Lynne Schrum, 2007, pp. 22-23. https://u1lib.org/book/2517874/3149d4]
Johnson, L., Adams Becker, S., Estrada, V., & Freeman, A. (2014). The NMC Horizon Report: 2014 K-12 Edition. Austin, TX: The New Media Consortium. https://library.educause.edu/resources/2017/12/horizon-report-k-12-edition-2009-2017
Johnson, L., Levine, A., Smith, R., & Smythe, T. (2009). 2009 Horizon Report: K-12 Edition. Austin, TX: The New Media Consortium. https://library.educause.edu/resources/2017/12/horizon-report-k-12-edition-2009-2017
Kane, J., Reingold, H., & Brainard, J. (2007, September 6). Wikis and emerging Web 2.0 e-learning communities. Campus Technology Webinar Series. https://campustechnology.com/articles/2007/08/webinar-wikis-and-web-20.aspx [Note: register to view.]
Kuhn, R. (2000, July). How does technology transform thinking? [Show 111 transcript]. Closer to the Truth. http://season1.closertotruth.com/topics/creativitythinking/111/index.html [Note, June 4, 2014: Original URL no longer active. See https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1323982/?ref_=ttep_ep11 for availability. See http://www.closertotruth.com/about/tv-program for more on Robert Kuhn and https://www.closertotruth.com/roundtables/how-does-technology-transform-thinking]].
League of Innovative Schools. (2014). Spring 2014 meeting summary. https://digitalpromise.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/league.spring14meetingsummarydocument.pdf
Lenhart, A., & Madden, M. (2007, April 18). Teens, privacy, and online social networks. Pew Internet & American Life Project. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2007/04/18/teens-privacy-and-online-social-networks/
Lucier, T. (2009, January 25). What is Web 3.0 Definition? [Blog post]. http://web.archive.org/web/20090131224223/http://www.tourismkeys.ca/blog/2009/01/what-is-web-30-definition/
Mathes, A. (2004, December). Folksonomies - Cooperative classification and communication through shared metadata. University of Illinois-Urbana, Graduate School, LIS590CMC. http://www.adammathes.com/academic/computer-mediated-communication/folksonomies.html
McDowell, D. (2004). Blogging techniques for the K12 classroom. In B. Hoffman (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Educational Technology. http://edweb.sdsu.edu/eet/articles/bloggingtech/start.htm [Note Dec. 31, 2011: URL is no longer available.] http://teachnology.pbworks.com/f/Encyclopedia+of+Educational+Technology.pdf
Ramaswami, R., & Schaffhauser, D. (2011, October 31). Diving into the cloud. Campus Technology. https://campustechnology.com/articles/2011/10/31/diving-into-the-cloud.aspx
Reynard, R. (2007, May 9). Instructional strategies for blogging. Campus Technology. https://campustechnology.com/articles/2007/05/instructional-strategies-for-blogging.aspx
Reynard, R. (2008a, May 28). Social networking: Learning theory in action. Campus Technology. https://campustechnology.com/articles/2008/05/social-networking-learning-theory-in-action.aspx
Reynard, R. (2008b, October 1). Avoiding the 5 most common mistakes in using blogs with students. Campus Technology. https://campustechnology.com/articles/2008/10/avoiding-the-5-most-common-mistakes-in-using-blogs-with-students.aspx
Richardson, W. (2005). The educator's guide to the read/write web. Educational Leadership, 63(4), 24-27. https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/the-educators-guide-to-the-read-write-web
Rush, R. (2019, May 31). Effective change management: The five stages of the innovation-decision process. https://evolllution.com/technology/tech-tools-and-resources/effective-change-management-the-five-stages-of-the-innovation-decision-process/
Schrock, K. (2007, October). Critical evaluation in the collaborative era. Technology & Learning, 28(3), 38-39. https://www.techlearning.com/news/critical-evaluation-in-the-collaborative-era
Schaffhauser, D. (2009, June/July). Scale. T.H.E. Journal, 36(6), 31-36.
Shattuck, G. (2013, September 17). Six laws for tech adoption [Blog post]. https://www.techlearning.com/schoolcio-advisors/6390
Shaw, T. (2015, August 3). 8 things every teacher can do to create an innovative classroom. https://www.eschoolnews.com/2015/08/03/innovative-classroom-490/
Sturgeon, J. (2008, February). Five don'ts of classroom blogging. T.H.E. Journal, 35(2), 26-30. https://thejournal.com/articles/2008/02/01/five-donts-of-classroom-blogging.aspx
Tomaszewski, R., & MacDonald, K. (2016). A study of citations to Wikipedia in scholarly publications. Science & Technology Libraries, 35(3), 246-261. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0194262X.2016.1206052
Wegerif, R. (2002, September). Literature review in thinking skills, technology and learning. Bristol, UK: Futurelab Series. https://www.nfer.ac.uk/media/1838/futl75.pdf
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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