ICONN and Digital Equity

The very concept of ICONN helps achieve digital equity; it is an aggregate of databases available to schools and towns by the state of Connecticut in order to provide universal access to quality information, no matter the income level. All of the information is in databases that would generally only be available through a password protected program that would cost CT residents much more to buy individually. Though digital equity is also based on how the information is used, ICONN removes the first barrier to equal education - access to quality information. ICONN also organizes the databases with descriptions of the uses for each, helping students to narrow their searches to the most useful resources.

As a special education teacher, I would be a consultant for general education teachers to create lesson plans that help students with all different needs. ICONN provides the Educator's Reference, filled with full-text, peer-reviewed articles to keep up to date on new strategies. I also like the Discoveries database for students learning researching skills. The database is filled with encyclopedia listings about various topics, which allow students to collect general information for simple projects. I also appreciate breadth of the databases; they are a resource for obtaining reliable information on topics that either require depth beyond google searches, or to decipher which source has the correct information.

Is it important to teach Problem Solving?

I think the Big Six steps to problem solving are universal; but they organize the strategies for problem solving in such a way that I think they could be used as a framework for instruction on problem solving. Every lesson, teachers could organize their activities so that each one requires a different step of the Big Six, culminating in the students using the steps to solve a problem on their own.

Teachers must instruct on problem solving because it is life-learning. Problem-solving is an ability to break down any task into manageable parts, and to learn from how it went by evaluating at the end, a skill that helps students to become independent students and adults. Everyone needs practice though; and guidance on how to achieve goals through obstacles.

I pulled the Big Six strategies from their website, as a reference:
1. Task Definition
1.1 Define the information problem
1.2 Identify information needed

2. Information Seeking Strategies
2.1 Determine all possible sources
2.2 Select the best sources

3. Location and Access
3.1 Locate sources (intellectually and physically)
3.2 Find information within sources

4. Use of Information
4.1 Engage (e.g., read, hear, view, touch)
4.2 Extract relevant information

5. Synthesis
5.1 Organize from multiple sources
5.2 Present the information

6. Evaluation
6.1 Judge the product (effectiveness)
6.2 Judge the process (efficiency)

The Computer Delusion

The Computer Delusionhas significant points about computer use - it may change how people structure their thinking, it doesn't provide real life experience, and it creates a mentality of taking things at "interface" value. However, with guidance and moderate use, computers can be teaching tools that enhance instruction, rather than replace it.

In response to the example of shop teachers being retrained as computer lab instructors, Special Education has a term called the "Least Restrictive Environment" in which schools need to look at students individually to place them in an environment that meets their needs without limiting their potential. Schools are required to provide access to every type of environment from residential schooling to general education classroom placement. I think that school administrations need to keep this concept in mind when considering the use of computers in the classroom. Not every student will respond to computers education, some have a more technical mind, others may be interested in music, or learn kinesthetically; schools must provide a range of educational subjects to give students an opportunity to find what works for them, which will help them plan for their future.

Photoshop Re-Do

I wasn't happy with the photoshop work I did in my first attempt, so I went back in today and tried again. With some help on getting the background color, I was able to make the Save the Date card that I plan to send out in an email for my cousin (Meghan's) bridal shower. I took the silhouette from the internet - it originally had a very large, detailed black border that I removed, and I then I created and positioned the text to match. Now I just have to figure out how to do the invitations.

Is there a digital divide?

There is absolutely a digital divide, between genders, and across economic levels. As one article discusses, the divide between genders is starting to lessen, as scientists learn more about how girls use computers differently than boys - such as their tendency to use the computer in groups rather than work individually. Also, the introduction of creative tools like photoshop or photostory into the classroom, has helped girls to become more fluent in computer use based on their own interests.

In terms of economic divide, the article "Law, software, fuel a new digital divide" points out that school systems with more funding are able to set higher performance goals for their students, purchasing higher quality computer programs that provides multisensory lessons and requires higher order thinking, while schools that are trying to stay afloat and meet NCLB standards are purchasing computer technology for remedial practice that can help them pass the tests. What seemed most important to any program's success though, is the involvement of teachers. Teachers can customize programs to fit into curriculum standards and use information and performance in the programs to guide instruction, making sure that students are learning.

Non-Linear Powerpoints in the Classroom

Interactive programs are more likely to engage students than a traditional powerpoint. While a traditional powerpoint can teach a lesson, a nonlinear one gives students the opportunity to immediately use the information they've learned in the presentation, especially if the content is factually based. Students can take quizzes in a nonlinear powerpoint, answer questions and/or do their own research on the internet through a nonlinear powerpoint, giving them the repetition needed to remember facts, dates, vocabulary and more.

Traditional powerpoints still have a role as a presentation tool, because the interactivity can be provided by the presenter, but nonlinear powerpoints provide versatility for teacher and student use.

Inspiration Concept Map on Universal Design

Inspiration is a concept mapping and graphing tool that helps students to organize thoughts and synthesize information by creating their own visual map of the information. I think Inspiration is a great way to see how students think, and what connections they make to the reading. I actually had a really hard time with understanding the text of the Universal Design article, and how each section connected to the other conceptually, making it harder for me to complete an Inspiration map about it. On the other hand, having to put the map into a visual format that other people can understand forced me to read even more carefully, which helped to improve my understanding.

EduTech so far

I think this class has been very helpful, though the timeline has been incredibly stressful. That said, I think the short semester may have helped me make decisions faster about the content I post. In a normal semester, I would have had more time to be anxious about what I put out there, rather than just going with it and exploring and seeing what happens. I think the most useful teaching tool that I've learned so far is learning how to put together a website. I think that will be essential for communication with a classroom of students and their parents. Beyond that, google docs can help students learn to work together and communicate in a medium that they are all likely to be very comfortable with. As far as rewarding moments - my favorite experience so far was working with the photo story. I was happy with the content i chose from the start so I liked the product I created; I also think many students would enjoy creating a product from start to finish. I'd like to say I had an ah-ha moment with photoshop but i think it will take some time and more practice before i feel really comfortable using photoshop in any large capacity in the classroom.

Wiki Post

I decided to write a Wiki post about Gliffy, a website that helps you create professional looking charts, diagrams and other visual aids. I'd never heard of Gliffy before, and after looking at it, it seems like a Wiki version of Inspiration. It saves students the hassle of saving down when using different computers, and it allows students to work together on charts from their own homes, as if they were in a classroom looking over the same piece of paper.

I think there are a zillion uses for Gliffy in the classroom; it just takes a little time and interest on the part of the teacher to look for the lessons (and students) that can gain the most from creating digital charts. Gliffy could absolutely save teachers time in the data-driven school systems we have today, as well. For example, teachers could visually display the content standards that must be covered during the class, and list out the activities and assessments used to track student progress. They can also use Gliffy to create worksheets and charts for students to fill out and submit electronically.

Picnik is my new favorite program

I've had to upload pictures from work functions all this week, and I've discovered that all of the photos I post on Flickr can be edited through Picnik and saved back into my photostream on Flickr. That saved me a boatload of time not having to download photos, edit them in PhotoEditor, and them post them to Flickr. Thanks MD400!

I can't include work pics, but I have now started posting some of the landscape photos that I've kept on my camera until I was ready to edit. This pic is one of the images I played with. It is a photo from Pleasure Beach in Stratford...more to come on this image in my Digital Story.

What are the implications of copyright issues for educators?

Copyright laws are complicated and frequently changing. Though some groups like Creative Commons and Wiki Commons (where I got the starfish image above) allow teachers and students to use content that would otherwise be unavailable for educational purposes, many authors do not. Teachers must set a model of correct material usage and review the rules with students before every research project.

Some notes to keep in mind when considering what "fair use" means:

Purpose of Use- education, parody, criticism
Nature of the Work- print, tv, music, plays, movies
Percentage and Significance of Borrowed Portion - how much of the whole is used, how significant the portion borrowed is to the whole of the work
Market Effect - make sure your borrowed work does not block the author's opportunity to make money off of the work.

Inquiry based learning

After reading the article on inquiry-based learning, I've been thinking about all of the science experiments I loved in school - the water basin that helped me learn about refraction and the physics of water and the bridge my friend and I built out of coffee stirrers in middle school. Inquiry based learning is all about developing theories and predictions and testing out your ideas to learn for yourself the consequences of your test and what they mean. I think these experiences are valuable for every type of student in every classroom - because it teaches the generalizable skills of questioning and analyzing that help you to think problems through.

This is a photo of fog rolling into Sausalito, CA taken from a boat returning to San Francisco. I think this photo would be a great start to an inquiry-based lesson about weather and atmosphere.

Hooked on Gadgets

I think this article about how the human brain is adapting to heavy computer use and multitasking is fascinating. A study the article discusses explains that people, especially heavy multitaskers, have a hard time shutting off that function at home, fragmenting their social time with family and friends between email responses, video games and other tech devices. Responding to the immediacy of texts etc. gives our brains a little jolt of endorphins making us happier, and maybe a little addicted to the immediate satisfaction of technology.

I know I am guilty of all of these things described in the article. At work, I start a project, which sparks another thought, and I end up down a rabbit hole and cannot even remember the original task. If technology is like an addiction, do we have a responsibility as teachers to try to instill self-control in children as they use technology? Just like we try to teach drinking in moderation during D.A.R.E lessons? How do we incorporate technology into lessons for children with attention and impulsiveness problems? Maybe time limits for tasks are the way to go for some children, or regular monitoring as they work, as well as clear rules about when it is okay to explore.

nytimes link

Mana Mana

This just makes me smile when I need one.

Photoshop practice

This was so frustrating. I have worked with Photoshop before so I think I got a little too ambitious about what I was going to have in my image. The original title was Katie goes to Yosemite, but obviously I lost some steam after the boat.

MP3 Homework

I think new technology is another way for teachers to engage their students and differentiate instruction. Students that are auditory learners or who need to work on their auditory skills can utilize these new materials. Plus if teachers give students the choice to learn in different formats, students can keep track of how they like to learn. Practically though, this technology is useful because so many kids have busy schedules outside of school, and this allows them to do their assignments wherever they are.
USA Today article on teens & learning with audio

Learning Style

The quiz said I am a visual/auditory learner, which I absolutely agree with. Even the suggestions for studying they gave at the end are ones I use and work for me. I think the study techniques would be really helpful for a younger student so they learn what formats work for them.