Too Much Technology and Not Enough Learning?

I was reading the book The Smartest Kids in the World by Amanda Ripley and couldn't help wondering what our schools would be like today if we were forced to teach without the technology (including copy machines). She describes three school settings in South Korea, Finland and Poland as being devoid of the technology U.S. teachers take for granted, and how, especially in math and science, their best students outperform our best students by a wide margin. I agree with the premise of her book: good teaching and high expectations make the difference, and technology is icing on the cake. My concern is that we are at a point where our students spend more time using technology and less time actually learning.

Maybe There Isn't an App for That

Even controlling for those things, their best and brightest outperform ours. Yes, I know, some might ask, "At what cost?" But that is another point we can discuss later. What I am getting at is that our student learning is so diluted by bountiful resources and access to all types of knowledge and learning activities that our students are underwhelmed with learning. The only students challenged in the U.S. are the AP and International Baccalaureate, and even then we have a hard time getting to the most important things.

For example, we have all experienced the "app" mania and are sick of hearing, "Is there an app for that?" Here is a new distraction: why don't we encourage students to use valuable time for "learning" through social media? After all, they already spend hours of their time on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and myriads of other social media sites.

To answer that question, I feel similar to Harrison Ford who played Colonel Graff in Ender's Game when Ender asked why the email was not being sent. Graff stated that the cadets had freedom as far as their personal thoughts were concerned, but he would not allow "unfiltered communications" which the family (and others) might not understand and would distract the cadets from their original mission.

Just Plain Learning

I have to tell you that I have a hard enough time filtering the communication that comes out of students' mouths in the classroom, let alone what they text or write to their buddies out of the classroom. While Facebook has a really cool knack for helping people stay in touch with each other and their lives, it takes a considerable amount of time, not only to participate, but to review what all the other people are doing. Filtering out what is useful from all the pointless blather takes more time. Now, if the communication is attached to a project, as in collaboration via Evernote, Assemblee or FieldNotes, then I can see a purpose and a reason to share thoughts with each other, but that could be done just as easily face-to-face -- which is more powerful still. Of course, if geographically disparate groups of students need to collaborate, technology certainly can help, but even still it can never fully replace face-to-face interaction.

If we want our students to do better, I think we can take a lesson from the countries that are cleaning our clocks on the fairly easy PISA, which is designed to test thinking. Sometimes I wish I could go back to the days of chalk boards and overhead transparencies, not just to simplify teaching and learning but to minimize distractions and focus on what is really important -- just plain learning. Any ideas on how to do that? I would love to hear your successes in getting back to the basics.

by Ben Johnson HS Principal, consultant, author and instructional learning coach

Teen Life Today: It Sure Is Complicated BY KEVIN HODGSON

Dr. Danah Boyd chose an excellent title for her new book about her research on young people and technology: It’s Complicated: the social lives of networked teens.She’s right on the money: it sure is complicated. Not the book, which is a wonderful research-infused dive into the world of teenagers and technology and digital expression, but the world in which we teach and parent and live.

Drawing on extensive interviews with hundreds of young people over a number of years, boyd brings to the surface what it means to be a teenager in the early decades of the digital age, and therefore, what it means to be a teacher of these students, now and into the near future.

“We live in a technologically mediated world. Being comfortable using technology is increasingly important for everyday activities: obtaining a well-paying job, managing medical care, engaging with government. Rather than assuming that youth have innate technical skills, parents, educators and policymakers must collectively work to support those who come from different backgrounds and have different experiences.

“Educators have an important role to play in helping youth navigate networked publics and the information-rich-environments that the internet supports. Familiarity with the latest gadget or services is often less important than possessing the critical knowledge to engage productively with networked situations, including the ability to control how personal information flows and how to look for and interpret accessible information.” (p. 180)

Curiosity & discovery comes with mistakes

Thankfully, boyd also dispels the whole notion and dichotomy of the “digital native” concept, as if young people have some natural abilities to navigate and use technology in a meaningful way. They don’t. What they do have is natural curiosity and a willingness to dive into the unknown, figuring out how a website or app or device works on the go. This can lead to discovery, and to mistakes. By focusing on the mistakes, we lose sight of the powerful potential of technology.

In fact, boyd calls the labeling of kids as “digital natives” dangerous on a number of levels, including her legitimate concern that by doing so, we ignore the issues of equity and access that is creating a “participatory divide” along racial and class lines in our country.

The loss of traditional social space

As parent of two teenagers and as a teacher of pre-teens, I took away a lot of information from It’s Complicated. First and foremost is the idea that young people have less and less access to public spaces and time in which to socialize with friends and peers. The days of our moms and dads kicking us outdoors in the morning and saying, “Don’t come back until dinner time” are over. Ballfields remain empty during the day. Malls and shopping centers are less teen-friendly than ever, with some resorting to strict policies about congregation and others using high-pitched noise generators to make the spaces unpalatable to kids.

Wandering the neighborhood for hours at a time is no longer an activity allowed by many families. Fear has cast a protective net over everything kids do. Children’s days are over-scheduled with sports, arts, functions and additional classes. Yet the need to connect and socialize has not gone away in these overly adult-managed times.

The urge to socialize

Online spaces provide the venue for that socialization outlet for many teenagers, and boyd’s research focuses in on the false perceptions that many adults have of teenagers and their devices — that they are becoming solitary screen zombies, engaged in meaningless activities — instead of seeing the activity for what it is: a response to the helicopter parents and over-scripted school environments that not only fail to value the need for socialization, but actively come into conflict with efforts to achieve it.

Many of the young people interviewed here said they would actually rather be hanging out with friends in real spaces than posting updates in online spaces, but the hemmed-in reality of their lives makes that nearly impossible. They use what they have to meet the urge to socialize, however. They use Facebook, and Twitter, and Snapchat, and other platforms.

It’s Complicated explores many of these cultural fault-lines – including the way news outlets portray teens and technology in such negative light; the issues of cyberbullying versus what kids call “drama”; the way social spaces amplify both the positive and negative aspects of human nature – and issues a call to all of us who are adults to take more time to understand the shifts now taking place.

7 take-aways from danah boyd’s work

As a teacher, here are some of my take-aways from boyd’s important book. We need to:

• Acknowledge the role that networking spaces play in the social lives of teens and provide the framework for helping students understand the dynamics of those spaces as a means of connection and communication;
• Provide more time for shared learning experiences in their lives, tapping into the social spaces of students in ways that acknowledge the strengths of those connections;
• Come to learning from a positive position, not a negative one driven by fear of the world and fear of the unknown;
• Understand that social media sharing is in a context that we adults often don’t understand completely, avoid making judgements about a single image or tweet or post, and be open to how “posturing” in some spaces can be a survival technique for some students;
• Recognize how different online spaces can shape or nurture prejudices and access, so that when white/upper class students flock to Facebook and minority/lower class students remain in MySpace (a phenomenon that boyd noticed a few years ago), the opportunities for education and careers don’t get narrowed;
• Teach explicitly what it means to find information and understand media influence in online spaces, so that students understand the pros and cons of the communication, and they can learn how to make judgements about the validity of that information with informed eyes;
• Listen to what teenagers are saying about the complexity of their daily existence, because their voices are important in any educational landscape where learning is not about the moment, but about their lives.

I highly recommend It’s Complicated to my fellow teachers, whether you have teenagers in your classroom now or not. The research and boyd’s insights will open up your eyes to how complex the world is for children to navigate, and how so often they are figuring it out on their own, making mistakes as they do so.

We teachers are not “digital immigrants.” We are their guides, and our role, along with parents, has never been more important, nor more complicated.

The 5 Best Free Gradebook Tools for Teachers

1. LearnBoost
   About LearnBoost LearnBoost is a free online gradebook and roster for teachers. It’s clean, simple interface makes it easy to use for all educators, regardless of technological skill.
   How to Use LearnBoostClick the link above and visit the LearnBoost homepage. Locate the green “Sign Up” banner to the right of the screen.  Enter in your information, or sign up through Facebook or Google+. LearnBoost will then redirect you to your dashboard.
   Once you have arrived at your dashboard, LearnBoost will take you through a quick tutorial of all its features. Continue to click “Next” until you reach the end of the tutorial, then click “Finish.” Once you arrive back at the dashboard, click the “Add Class” button. Type the class name, subject, course number, school session, grade level, and start and end date.  Then click “Save.”
   In order to begin creating your gradebook, mouse over the name of your class, and when the “Gradebook” button appears, click it. In order to start with your gradebook, you’ll need to add an assignment to grade and a class roster. To add an assignment, click the “Add Assignment” button, type in an assignment title, type, points possible, due date, and State Standards if you choose. Then click “Save.”
   To add a class roster, click on the “Administration” tab, scroll down to “Class Roster,” click the pink “Add” ribbon, type in a first and last name, and an ID number, email, and phone number if you choose. Then click “Save.”
   Once you have added all your students to the roster, go back to your gradebook, enter their grades, and click save. LearnBoost will then calculate a percentage and a letter grade! Continue this process for all future assignments!
   
   
2. ThinkWave
   About ThinkWave ThinkWave is an educational technology company that provides an online gradebook for free. The setup process is simple and the clean interface of the gradebook makes it easy to navigate.
   How to Use ThinkWaveVisit ThinkWave by clicking the link above. Locate the orange “Start Gradebook” button on the right side of the screen and click it. You will now be taken to a page to create your account. Enter the required information and click “Continue.” On the next page, specify the term structure at your school and click “Continue.” On the next page, enter a class name, and specify your grading scale. Then click “Continue.” On the following page, determine the type of grades that you will use for the class as well as assignment types.  Specify whether you want to average the grades between quarters and click “Continue.” Now add some students to the class and click “Continue.”
   You will now be taken to a page to add an assignment to the gradebook. Type in the assignment name, specify the type of assignment it is, enter in a date, description, and determine how it will be graded.  After completing these steps, click “Save.” ThinkWave will now take you to your gradebook. It is unlikely that you only have three students in your class, so click the “Create New Student” button under your gradebook and add more students to your class.
   Now your gradebook is set up and ready to go! Just add assignments as necessary and type in students’ grades!
   
   
3. JumpRope
   About JumpRope JumpRope is a website that allows teachers to create gradebooks for free. JumpRope’s ability to separate a course into Units and add Standards makes it ideal for the highly organized teacher.
   How to Use JumpRopeClick the link above and visit the JumpRope site. Find the text that reads “JumpeRope is free for teachers!  Sign up today.” Enter your first and last name and an email address, and then click the orange “Get Started” button. JumpRope will then take you through a few more steps to setup your account, follow the site’s directions until you arrive at your Teacher Dashboard.
   JumpRope will then take you through a tutorial for a quick overview of the site’s features. Once you are done, it’s time to create a course. To do this, click the “Create a Course” link under the checklist. Type in the course name, select a content area, band then add students by typing their names, then pressing the “enter” key to continue adding names. Once you have completed this step, click the “Save” button.
   Now click the “Grade” tab at the top of the dashboard, select your course from the dropdown menu, and create a new unit by clicking “Create new Unit” dropdown menu and providing the necessary information. After you do this, select your course again as well as your unit. JumpRope will now prompt you to create some Assessments to grade. Click the blue “Access Planning Tool” button in order to begin this process.
   Select which type of assessment you would like to create from the “New Assessment” dropdown menu. Specify the details of the assessment, add some standards, and then click “Done.” JumpRope will now redirect you to your gradebook where you can now manage your class’s grades and assignments!
   
   
4. Engrade
   About Engrade Engrade is a simple gradebook that makes the transition from paper to digital extremely easy.
   How to Use EngradeClick the link above and visit the Engrade site. Find the yellow button to the top right of the screen that reads “Free Gradebook.” Engrade will direct you to the signup page. Enter the required information and then click “Create my Account.”
   Engrade will now direct you to the page in which you are able to create your class. Enter your class information, then click “Next.” On the next page, specify your grading scale, then click “Next.” On the next page, type in student names with ID numbers and click “Next.”
   Engrade will now take you to your gradebook. Before entering grades, you must create an assignment to grade.  Do this by clicking the “New Assignment” button to the top left of the gradebook. Type in the assignment information and then scroll to the bottom of the screen. Under “Student Scores,” enter the score that each student received on the assignment, then click “Submit.” Repeat this process for any future assignments!
   
   
5. Jupiter Ed
   About Jupiter Ed Jupiter Ed offers a very thorough and precise gradebook to educators for free.
   How to Use Jupiter EdVisit Jupiter Ed by clicking the link above. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click “Jupiter Grades.”  Once directed to the Jupiter Grades page, locate the “Pricing/Free!” tab and click it. Find the “Free” option on the pricing page and click “Start.” For this article, we will be discussing the “Gradebook” feature. If you wish to add the “Learning Management System” later, you are able to. Check “Gradebook” and then click “Start.”
   On the next page, specify that you are a teacher, accept the terms of service, and then click “OK.” Next, provide an email address for verification and click “Send.” Check the inbox of the email you provided, find the email from Jupiter Ed and click the verification link found within it.
   Now choose your username and password, then click “Next.” On the next page, enter your first and last name, display name, and role; then click “Next.” Now enter your school and its location and click “Next.” Next, provide your school’s information and click “Next.” On the next page, specify which grade level you teach and click “Next.” On the next page, determine how often you would like to start a new gradebook and specify the manner in which you want your grades calculated and click “Next.” Now enter the dates of your school’s semester/trimester/year and click “Next.” On the next page, type in the subjects you teach and click “Next.”
   Jupiter Ed will now ask whether you would like to watch a tutorial at this time, or later. Either option is fine.  Once you end up back at your dashboard, click the “Setup Students” button to add students to your classes. Enter the names of your students, check the classes that they are in, and click “add.”
   Once you are done adding students, click the “Class” tab, and then click the “New Assignment” button. Here you will input information about the assignment as well as student grades. Once you are done, click the “Done” button on the top right of the screen. Do this for any future assignment to maintain your gradebook.

source: http://linkis.com/elearningindustry.com/

How To Use The 5 Best Free Web Search Tools for Teachers

1. Sweet Search
   About Sweet SearchSweet Search is a search engine that only directs students to websites that have been approved by a group of researchers and librarians. It is best used in a classroom in which you wish to ensure safe research practices or simplify the research process for your students.
   How to Use Sweet SearchSweet Search is incredibly easy to use. Simply click the hyperlink above to visit the site, enter your search term in the text box under the logo, then click the green “Go” button to the right of the screen. You will be directed to a page that displays your search results. Locate the content that sounds most relevant to what you are looking for, click it and get learning!
   
   
2. Google Scholar
   About Google ScholarGoogle Scholar provides a search engine with the simplicity and functionality of Google that only directs you to scholarly articles and sites. It is great for scholarly essays or any class in which you want to take your students’ research skills to the next level.
   How to Use Google ScholarMuch like Google, Google Scholar is very easy to use. Go to the site by clicking the link above. Once you are directed to the Google Scholar homepage, type in your search term in the search box, and then click the blue magnifying glass icon to the right of the box.
   You will now be directed to a page with your search results. Note that you are able to change your search preferences with the menu on the left side of the screen in order to cater to your specific interests. Find the link that seems most relevant to you, click it and enjoy scholarly information at the click of a button!
   
   
3. instaGrok
   About instaGrokinstaGrok is a search engine that not only provides you with information, but organizes that information into an efficient and easy-to-navigate mind map! It works very well for students who want pertinent information in a flash.
   How to Use instaGrokGet started with instaGrok by clicking the link above. Once directed to the instaGrok site, locate the text box at the top of the screen that reads “What would you like to learn about?” Type your search term into this box and click the “Grok” button to the right of it and wait a moment while instaGrok organizes your information.
   You will now be directed to a mind map that instaGrok has created in order to inform you about your topic. The center of the mind map will contain your search topic and a definition. The stems branching off of the center topic will contain different facets of information relevant to your topic. These stems are called subtopics. Once you click on a subtopic, smaller stems will emerge from it. Take note that there are videos, website links, images, facts and concepts associated with each subtopics. View all of these things in order to learn as much as you can about your topic!
   
   
4. Ask.com
   About Ask.comAsk.com is a search engine that allows users to search for topics in the form of a question. Its simple format caters perfectly to inquisitive minds, or students who have a tough time researching with other search engines.
   How to Use Ask.comClick the link above to go to the Ask.com site. Type your question into the search box to the right of the “Ask” logo. After you type in your question, click the blue “Find Answer” button. You will now be directed to a page that contains answers to your question!
   On the right side of the page you can find answers in the form of Q&A’s. These are quick and simple answers to your question. At the top of the page, you can find a list of related topics and search terms relevant to the question you asked. On the left side of the page you can specify your search results to images, news, videos, Q&A, references, apps, shopping, local information, maps, or games. Specify your search results and click the link that provides you with the answer you need!
   
   
5. Infotopia
   About Infotopiainfotopia is a search engine that allows you to specify a category for your search so that you are only provided with relevant results. It’s perfect for assignments that require students to focus on a specific subject area.
   How to Use InfotopiaVisit infotopia by clicking the link above. Find the search box beneath the infotopia logo and enter your search term. After that, click the red search button to the right of the search box. You will now be directed to your search results!
   Note that you have the option to determine which search results you prefer. At the top of the screen you are able to select search results from information portals, art sources, science/technology/math sources, news, biographies, geography/travel sources, social science sources, music sources, images, WorldCat, recreation/sports sources, health and history sources, literature/quotes, primary sources and encyclopedias. Cater your search to your specific area or interest, or simply choose “all results.” Now find the link that provides the most relevant information, click it and increase your knowledge!

 source: http://linkis.com/elearningindustry.com/