iPad-based learning is ever-present in the 2014 classroom environment. But do you and your staff understand how to successfully integrate this technology to achieve an absolute benefit for your students?
The above graphic establishes 10 useful tips to remember when utilising mobile technology in the classroom.
New technology should serve as a tool for a better education, though the human being should always remain at the center, visiting Bavarian Education Minister Ludwig Spaenle said on Monday.
Technology should act as a “servant or tool at the heart of the education process,” Spaenle said, speaking during a panel discussion on the “Technological Revolution in Higher Education” at the Herzliya Conference In future, higher education will depend on one’s ability to sift through the “worldwide ocean of knowledge and choose the way,” he added.
The session focused on how the education system will evolve to incorporate technology. A short film was screened ahead of the discussion depicting “the future classroom,” in which students’ desks are interactive 3D computers and smartphones are used as basic learning tools.
Dr. Ayelet Ben-Ezer, vice president for student affairs at the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya and panel chairwoman, said Generation Y, born after 1980, was the most educated age group, immersed in technology, though at the same time also narcissistic and facing higher rates of unemployment than any prior generation.
Today, students take a more practical approach to academia, abandoning the humanities and trying to pursue applied degrees that will provide financial stability, Ben-Ezer added.
Prof. David Passig of Bar-llan University, a futurist and a member of the Israel National Council for Research and Development at the Science, Technology and Space Ministry, said the newest trend in higher education was “anti-disciplinary study,” in which students study contrasting subjects such as philosophy and computer science, as opposed to the multi-disciplinary study of similar fields such as economics, business administration and accounting.
According to Passig, an ideal future would include a mandatory bachelor’s degree, or to a lesser extent a first year of study, in the humanities, with students pursuing high-demand scientific fields in the following years.
Meir Brand, managing director of Google Israel for Greece and sub-Saharan Africa, agreed, saying that today, industry is much more interested in the “tools and abilities” of students, rather than the “content of their studies.” His ideal future would include the study of both humanities and STEM – science, technology, engineering and mathematics – subjects.
However, Gila Ben-Har, CEO of the Center for Educational Technology, said that despite the need for science and technology education, there are very few teachers with the expertise to teach these subjects, fewer students studying science and math, with even fewer pursuing a teaching degree in these areas.
According to Ben-Har, the future virtual classroom should enable the best educators to teach a variety of subjects, including STEM to students via the use of advancing technology.
The panel addressed the rising costs of higher education, especially in the United States where the average tuition per year stands at some $42,000.
Shai Reshef, founder and president of the University of the People, the world’s first accredited, tuition-free online university, said “frontal learning” was a privilege that is afforded to few, but the virtual classroom provides access to education for those who would otherwise be unable to afford it.
According to Reshef, the University of the People serves as a possible model for future education, with students from around the world using technology to study together via the virtual classroom and pursue higher education degrees.
The panel questioned whether the inevitable incorporation of technology would replace human interaction.
Ben-Har said technology should serve to “complement studies and not replace the personal touch.” Rather, she said, universities need to evolve to incorporate small classrooms and lecture halls, as well as virtual classrooms and computer laboratories.
Check out this clever and quick look at how advancements in technology have impacted teaching and learning over the ages!
*Article written by Josh Thomas, school teacher*
“I’m not very tech savvy” is the response I usually hear from teachers that struggle with technology. Whether it’s attaching a document to an email or creating a page using interactive whiteboard software, some teachers really have a difficult time navigating the digital world. As schools around the globe begin to embed the use of technology in their learning environments, these teachers can be left feeling frustrated and marginalized by the new tools they are required to use but do not understand.
The school where I teach is currently within its post-BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) implementation age. We started with a small cohort of tech-savvy teachers to pilot a BYOD program with selected classes. Starting small was definitely beneficial, as we were able to troubleshoot issues and best prepare ourselves for the school-wide BYOD rollout. Front loading any work is always helpful in education, especially when developing resources for teachers who struggle with technology.
If you plan on introducing a new technology or are embarking on the mighty task of becoming a wireless BYOD school, here are five tips to help your teachers still struggling with technology.
1. Build a Tech
Team Integrating technology can be very stressful for educators that aren’t familiar with it. Having a support team that’s flexible and available to struggling teachers is crucial for any tech rollout. Our tech team consisted of teachers, support staff and administrators. This group was able work together across multiple content areas and grade levels to support successful tech integration. We focused primarily on mind mapping ideas and helping teachers slowly introduce technology into their classes.
2. Scaffold Effective Professional Development (PD)
One big mistake when introducing technology is either too much or too little professional development. Teachers that struggle with technology might feel overwhelmed if you introduce too much too soon. On the flip side, if you don’t provide enough PD, teachers may feel isolated. Going back to tip #1, have your tech team develop a feasible plan for effective PD using input from staff members.
PD also needs to be focused on being of value to teachers facing the hurdle of technology. How often do these teachers say, “Why would I try this when I’ve been doing just fine without it all these years?” If you are planning PD for the whole year, poll your teachers and ask what tech-related areas they would like to focus on. Select only one or two of these areas and make a concerted effort to help those teachers who are struggling.
3. Make Time
While I’m talking about PD, all educators know that extra time for PD is scarce throughout the day. I’ve had amazing administrators that carved out dedicated time for tech PD. Allowing teachers to meet and collaborate with each other is part of building a successful environment to support student learning, especially regarding the use of technology.
Aside from just having dedicated time for teachers to meet, create a homegrown professional learning community (PLC) that focuses on monitoring tech integration throughout the school. This PLC can be powerful and insightful while supporting those that need additional help.
4. Make It Relevant!
Some teachers feel technology is being pushed on them, especially those who struggle with it. They might start using technology just for the sake of using it. This has shown to be an ineffective method for both tech-savvy and tech-challenged teachers. There is a big difference between using technology to teach and the successful integration of technology into lesson plans. This goes back to having a meaningful plan to incorporate technology into the yearly PD plan.
Create a school-wide culture of tech integration and an openness to take risks. Some lessons will not go as planned — and that’s great! Reflect and learn from these challenges. Be willing to press on and continue to learn. After all, don’t we expect the same from our students?
5. Encourage Them
Even with the best PD and resources available, some teachers will still struggle. Support them! I’ve worked with great veteran teachers that just wanted me to stop by every few days and discuss their tech ideas. Once they have mastered one technology, present them with another to consider. Encourage them and celebrate their willingness to try new things. Focus on the learning (by teachers) and share their successes.
Are there any tips that you have for helping teachers in your school who struggle with technology? If you’re a teacher still trying to master technology, how have others helped you? Please share your stories in the comments section below.
To mark Teacher Appreciation Day on 6 May in the US, Google has launched a preview of Classroom, a free organisational tool kit for teachers to organise students’ work.
The new software will be included in the Google Apps for Education suite and, according to a post on the Google blog, Classroom “helps teachers create and organise assignments quickly, provide feedback efficiently, and communicate with their classes with ease”.
The software uses a combination of Google Docs, Drive and Gmail to better interact with students and, perhaps to the annoyance of students, will mean there will be no excuse for getting a pass on doing homework if they can’t make it into school.
So far, Classroom has been tested in a number of pilot schools in the US and is now being released as a preview to students and teachers who sign up for Classroom. A selection of those individuals will begin testing the software’s capabilities by next month.
Other features of the education tool include the ability for teachers to make announcements, ask questions and comment with students in real-time, thereby improving communication inside and outside of class. Drive folders can also be created for each assignment and for each student.
Classroom is due for general release at no cost in September.
Raj Dhingra is a twenty-year veteran of the technology industry with an extensive track record of building strong, sustainable and profitable industry leadership positions in new and emerging categories.
In this video, Raj answers one of the most complex, most common questions in the classroom today: Can technology really change education?
Watch the video to find out!
The days of purely teaching students through text books is something that should be found in a history book, or more likely, an online history course or app. The tried-and-true, and ancient, method of teaching through books alone has been forever changed by technology. The company McGraw-Hill Education has been investing a lot of time, money and research into the 21st Century classroom and is releasing new educational video games that introduce new ways for kids of all ages to learn everything from politics to Spanish.
The company entered the higher education gaming market last year with the launch of McGraw-Hill Practice, a suite of hands-on, experiential learning games that go much further than any text books or websites and attempt to connect with today’s gaming generation. Included in the McGraw-Hill Practice suite is Government in Action, the industry’s first 3D, multiplayer game for the American Government course, which is taken by more than 750,000 students per year. Government in Action simulates the experience of being a member of the U.S. Congress, allowing college students to apply the concepts and principles they are learning in the classroom by collaborating with and competing against their fellow students to secure political capital and get re-elected. Government in Action and the other games in the McGraw-Hill Practice suite are designed to reinforce learning while increasing engagement, a key element of successful instruction in today’s classroom.
Gaming has been one of the most popular trends in education in recent years. While all students have their own unique and preferred learning style, learning by actively engaging with a subject is a learning method shown to appeal to a large number of today’s students. Popularized by educational theorist David Kolb and supported by numerous studies, experiential learning has been proven to be one of the most efficient and effective ways to learn difficult or complex concepts. Government in Action, which was built based on the cognitive science behind experiential learning, helps students not only engage with the concepts of their American Government course but also apply those concepts in their daily lives and personally understand how the American government actually works.
“With McGraw-Hill Practice and Government in Action, we’re incorporating the leading principles of cognitive science and technology in our product development,” said Stephen Laster, chief digital officer of McGraw-Hill Education. “By tapping into the way today’s students learn most successfully — including real-life simulations and the competitive elements of gaming — we are helping to improve student performance.”
Government in Action allows students to explore the real-world challenges and day-to-day experiences of a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Students compete and collaborate with classmates to obtain political capital by developing and passing legislation and strategizing political moves, such as seeking co-sponsorship of a bill from a member of the competing party or launching a national media campaign. Players have limited resources to spend, so cooperation with other students is crucial to finding success in the game.
“Government in Action has helped me bring my American Government course to life by creating an engaging environment for students to explore the reality I’m teaching,” said Professor Jason Seitz of Georgia Perimeter College. “Government in Action helps my students tie all of the concepts in my course together to develop a deeper understanding and knowledge of the subject. With an engaged classroom, I can spend less time transferring facts and more time exploring implications. Not only has Government in Action made studying American Government more enjoyable for my students, it has also made teaching it more fun, too.”
The McGraw-Hill Practice suite also includes Practice Marketing and Practice Operations. Practice Marketing is another multiplayer simulation that puts students’ marketing skills to the test in a competitive, real-world environment designed to support the Marketing Principles course. Practice Operations brings operations management to life by allowing students to manage operations of a clothing manufacturing and distribution company while reinforcing key concepts that promote critical thinking and strategic decision making.
This year, the company launched Practice Spanish: Study Abroad, the first 3D educational game for PCs and tablets aimed at immersing college students in the Spanish culture. Set in Colombia, the game offers a fully realized 3D world filled with avatars that players can interact with in Spanish as they explore the city and smaller towns. The multiplayer Spanish language learning game provides students with a virtual and immersive â??study abroadâ? experience while enabling them to practice Spanish vocabulary, grammar, reading, and conversation. As the company’s first foreign language learning game, Practice Spanish builds on the new interactive initiative at the traditional textbook maker.
Craig Gill, executive marketing manager at McGraw-Hill, said the game replicates the experience students or tourists would have when visiting a foreign country. Students may be asked to find their classes on campus, plan weekend excursions, buy souvenirs, interact with the fictional host family, and possibly seek medical attention to assist a fellow classmate.
Students can design and personalize their avatar, selecting physical features to their liking, including hairstyle, eye color, and clothing. Students can interact with their fellow classmates from within the game, encouraging students to speak in the target language with their real-world classmates from within the virtual setting. Students will collaborate with each other to complete some Quests.
Gill said they chose Colombia as the locale because it’s where the most pure form of Spanish is spoken. Players are able to explore a fictional town inspired by Bogota as they wish, interacting with local merchants and residents who will speak to them in Spanish. The game challenges players to use the keyboard or tablet touchpad to converse with the virtual residents in proper Spanish.
Twelve computer-controlled characters will appear periodically throughout the game. Players will interact with them in conversations to complete each quest. Examples include Paloma, an adventurous study abroad student interested in exploring the city, and David, a shy Canadian study abroad student who’s reluctant to use his developing language skills. Additional characters will include host family members and a local study abroad program advisor.
While this game is aimed at beginners, Gill said it can be expanded to include other locales and provide more advanced Spanish immersion. He said the game engine can also be utilized to teach additional languages with other countries as the main locale for cultural interactions.
*article courtesy of The Chicago Tribune*
A teacher’s ability to adequately adopt technology into the classroom plays an integral role in the educational development process.
This brilliant illustration translates a metaphoric representation of how parts of a pencil can better reflect the level of education reform at your school.
Which part of the pencil are you? How does your school adapt to education technology?
Ave Maria College took a huge step in solidifying their status as an education leader over the New Year period with the unveiling of their state-of-the-art video wall solution, designed and implemented by Vision One Australia AV experts.
Check out this awesome new video, showing off the installation in all its glory.
By voice, we mean the ability to recogniae their own beliefs, practice articulating them in a variety of forms, and then find the confidence — and the platform — to express them.
The platforms part can go a long way toward serving the confidence part. Introverted students (who may be gifted with self-reflection) might find the openness of a social media channel like Twitter intimidating, but they might also love the idea of long-form blogging, or even communicating indirectly through the creation of mini-documentaries, podcasts or music videos.
This (correctly) implies that there is no one-size-fits-all solution for students to express themselves and interact with the world. You can indeed insist that all students blog because, from your perspective, it sounds justifiable and beneficial, but if the goal is to help students find their own voice, they will need choices. Here are just four possibilities:
1. Blogging
This one is simple. WordPress, Blogger and a variety of education-focused blogging platforms help students establish their own digital space to meet the world. It allows the embedding of images, videos, tweets and of course text. To be successful here, they just need a reason to blog.
2. Storify or Storehouse
Storify and Storehouse essentially allow students to collect media bits and pieces from across the web, and to socialize them — that is, to shape them into a unique form of expression through social media. The focus here is less on the student articulation of ideas (in contrast to blogging), and more on what they share and why they share it. In other words, the content itself is the star. To be successful here, students need an eye for compelling content, as well as an understanding of the ways that various digital media can work together to tell a story.
3. Podcasting or VoiceThread
While podcasting and VoiceThread have fundamental differences, they boil down to the ability for students to express themselves verbally around an idea important to them. To be successful here, students need to be comfortable talking, and to be able to do so in ways that are interesting to listen to. They also need strong audience awareness — but then again, when don’t they?
4. YouTube Channels
YouTube is the ultimate digital distribution channel — billions and billions and billions of views. It works, and it’s staggeringly efficient, with a world of analytics and an instant global audience for any video that can find traction. Students can create review channels, perform music, humorously remix existing content, act, create documentaries, and a million other possibilities. Success here depends on a student’s comfort level in front of a camera (if they’re somehow performing), and/or an eye for standing out in front of said billions and billions of competing videos (if they’re behind the camera or somehow producing).
To work with YouTube — and really with any of the above-mentioned media — students need to have a strong awareness of both legal copyright issues and notions of digital citizenship. As a teacher encouraging them to find their voice, you are in a unique position to teach or reinforce these concepts.
How are you using technology to help your students find their voice?
*article courtesy of Terry Heick at http://www.edutopia.org*
