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  • Digital Learning Day February 1, 2012

    Posted by Barbara Crouch at 1/30/2012
    February 1, 2012 is national Digital Learning Day.  Teachers and students are encouraged to try innovative use of technology by trying something new, showcasing success, kicking off project-based learning, or focusing on how digital tools can help improve student outcomes.
     
    There will be webcasts during the day and a national Town Hall Meeting from 1:00 - 2:30 EST.
     
    Lots of information and resources may be found at the website Digital Learning Day.  www.digitallearningday.org
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
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  • Social Media

    Posted by Barbara Crouch at 1/25/2012 11:45:00 AM
    Is social media appropriate for school use?  This article addresses the pros and cons.
     
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  • 5 Emerging Trends

    Posted by Barbara Crouch at 5/28/2011 7:55:00 AM
     
    5 Emerging Trends
     
    1. The tremendous amount of available online tools is challenging teachers "to revisit our roles as educators."  The ability of the teacher to access credibility of resources is huge.
     
    2.  It departments are moving away from storing on school servers to cloud computing.  There will be more dependance on browser based software that can be used by many different devices.  This could be provide a huge cost savings for schools although there will still be some privacy concerns.
     
    3.  The digital divide (the haves and have nots) will continue to grow.  Those students with access to technology and who use technology skills will have greater opportunites.  What was once though of as a digital divide by wealth is now a digital divide by education.
     
    4.  Increasingly, we now expect 24/7 access to learning to balance demands of home, work, and extra-curriculars.  Learning must be timely and efficient whether it's "just in time," "found," or done at school .
     
    5.  Schools must embrace innovation and creativity.  Learning experiences must be created to reflect the growing importance of these as professional skills.
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  • 5 Critical Challenges

    Posted by Barbara Crouch at 5/27/2011 7:00:00 AM
     
    5 Critical Challenges
     
    1. Digital illiteracy among teachers - teachers do not get the training needed to learn and teach technology concepts.  Most training focuses on the transient or "what's most popular today" technologies rather than digital literacy skills and techniques.
     
    2.  The economy is impacting education.  How do schools meet the challenge of providing a high quality education with less dollars?  How do schools support growing numbers of students with few resources and fewer teachers?
     
    3.  How do teachers meet the challenges of providing differentiated learning for highly diverse student populations?  Technology can and should be used to support personalized learning.
     
    4.  The structure of K-12 education must adapt and change.  Resistance to change along with maintaining status quo challenge any meaningful change in practice.  Increasing educational opportunites such as home-schooling and online classes take students away from the traditional education settings.
     
    5.  There's a disconnect between what's learned in school and learned outside of school.  A great amount of serendipitous learning takes place online through programs, games, social networing with no tie back into what's being taught in the classroom. 
     
    Next blog posting - the 5 emerging trends.
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  • 2011 Horizon Report

    Posted by Barbara Crouch at 5/26/2011 10:00:00 AM

    The New Media Consortium (NMC)is an international not-for-profit consortium of learning-focused organizations dedicated to the exploration and use of new media and technologies. The consortium and its members have dedicated themselves to exploring and developing potential applications of emerging technologies for learning, research, and creative inquiry. The consortium's Horizon Reports are regarded worldwide as the most timely and authoritative sources of information on new and emerging technologies available to education anywhere.

    The report, released on May 17, 2011, is the latest in an annual analysis of the outlook for education technology. It addressed opportunities and challenges facing technology's adoption in America's K-12 schools.

    Researchers identified five "key" trends and five "critical" challenges in the 2011 Horizon Report K-12 Edition.  It identified key challenges facing education technology in the coming years, ranging from changing economics to instructional practices that have failed to adapt to the evolving technology landscape. But the No. 1 challenge in educational technology is with teachers themselves and the inadequacy of their preparation and ongoing training.
    5 Critical Challenges
    1. Digital media illiteracy among teachers;
    2. Economic pressures and new education models;
    3. Lack of support for personalized learning;
    4. Institutional resistance to change; and
    5. Inability to tie students' extracurricular learning activities to their classroom learning    .
     
    5 Emerging Trends
    1. Abundance of online resources;
    2. Decentralization of IT;
    3. The digital divide as a function of education, not wealth;
    4. Easy and timely access to technology; and
    5. Embracing innovation.
     
    Next blog posting - the 5 critical challenges.
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  • Wordle

    Posted by Barbara Crouch at 5/27/2010 2:00:00 PM
    This year many teachers enjoyed using Wordle with their students.  You type in words to create a word cloud.  If a word is used more than once, Wordle emphasizes it by creating it in a larger size. 
     
    In her article Wonder of Wordles in Tech & Learning, author Jennifer Wagner discusses and explains the attraction of Wordles.  If you thought it was fluff, think again.  She shares links where you may read what others think about Wordle and also links to resources with Wordle ideas.  Finally she shares links to other sites offering a similar product and her own Daily Wordle. 
     
    Have you Wordled today?
     
     
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  • Changing Role of Educators

    Posted by Barbara Crouch at 4/16/2010 10:30:00 AM
    "What does a 21st Century Classroom Look Like?"  I keep hearing this question at conferences, on tv, in grad class, at schools, at work.  What does it look like physically?  What is the teacher's role?  What is the student's role?  What is the structure or is there structure to it?  Is there homework?  Will there be testing and formal grading?  Is it project based?  Is it collaborative?  Can it be done anytime and anywhere?  Will paper and pencil become obsolete?
     
    Here's an interesting article, The Changing Role of Instructors Moving from Facilitation to Constructive Partnership from the April 7, 2010 edition of THE Journal.
     
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  • E Readers

    Posted by Barbara Crouch at 12/8/2009 11:00:00 AM
    I've been interested in e readers for a few weeks, mainly checking them out for a Christmas gift. I've also been thinking about the implications for use in schools. Wow! No more 30 lb bookbags! Just download your text books. After the initial purchase, downloading textbooks would be so inexpensive! Instead of checking out library books, download the media. Teachers could have students download the handouts. Most e readers have pdf readers and document readers.
     
    The first was the Kindle.

    Here's a link to a comparison of Kindle vs Nook. Kindle is sold by Amazon while Nook is Barnes and Noble. (and is sold out until Jan.) The latest Kindle appears to be much improved over earlier models. The Nook is expected to be a big rival of Kindle.... techies are calling it the "Kindle killer."

    You can view info on Sony readers at Sony's website

     
    Next week Sony is coming out with a model called the Daily Reader which has wireless downloading capablity. You may pre-order. You may also get good deals on the previous models in upcoming weeks.
     
    There seemed to be similar features in all brands and models.  There were features I liked in one but were not available in the model I was considering.  So after much thought and comparison, I decided to purchase a Sony Reader Touch.  If I like using the e reader, I plan to research models again and upgrade in a few years.

     
     
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  • Integrating Technology on a Budget

    Posted by Barbara Crouch at 11/2/2009 8:00:00 AM
    Budgets are so tight this year.  How do you integrate technology in the classroom on a budget?  How do you vary your teaching strategies?
     
    Here is an article from Tech & Learning:
     

    What are some creative ways you use technology?
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  • What is a Voicethread?

    Posted by Barbara Crouch at 5/4/2009 4:20:00 PM
    Voicethread is a web-based (nothing to install!) communication tool for creating, collaborating, and sharing.   There are several versions - I will be covering the FREE version. 
     
    Voicethread is like a slideshow in which you can upload images, documents, and videos.  You may also comment on each slide in one of 5 ways; by speaking (using a mic or telephone), typing text, uploading an audio file, or by video (via a webcam).  A unique feature to each Voicethread is doodling.  You may doodle on top of the slide to illustrate a point while commenting. 
     
    Here is an example of a Voicethread I created for a class I took.  Hurricane Fran Voicethread
     
    How could you use this in your class?  Just think of the Voicethread projects your students could create!
     
    The free version only allows 3 Voicethreads.  You may either delete old ones or create another Voicethread account using a different email address.
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