Reflections

//2010-2011 //
- current ideas of semantic search engines may be a little farfetched - different cultures have different worldviews - affects communication
 * The Semantic Web, Syllogism, and Worldview** **- by Clay Shirky**

- some of the thinking around use of social media in the world, impact on societal change may be over represented - world changing events have happened in groups of people throughout the world before Twitter - relationship to others is more important that the medium that is used - **strong ties** vs. **weak ties** - Facebook / Twitter full of weak ties - networks - social networks increase participation, but lessen motivation - more people can do less - networks resilient and adaptable - but have less organization and direction //"The drawbacks of networks scarcely matter if the network isn't interested in systemic change—if it just wants to frighten or humiliate or make a splash—or if it doesn't need to think strategically. But if you're taking on a powerful and organized establishment you have to be a hierarchy"//
 * Small change: Why the revolution will not be tweeted** **- by Malcolm Gladwell**

- don't try to find too many things, but do a few things very well - how can we really implement new tech to give students ownership over content that they have created? - tech can't replace teachers //"I often wonder why so many people believe in the power of distributed leadership in the business world, but when many of these same principles are used in the classroom with our students (empowering others, letting them lead, focusing on strengths) there is great concern. It is not that we do not need “bosses” anymore, we just know that the traditional role that they have played in organizations is simply not as effective. These principles should be implemented in the classroom."// //-// need to see **projects** that can be done with tools - have to always be thinking about **how** we are going to be using these tools
 * Putting 'deep' into practice** - **by George Couros**

- interesting thought: //"In an age where the 'outsourcing' of certain jobs and tasks is considered normal business practice, how should we feel about students who, for example, contract out their homework to well educated online 'tutors' based in places like India, Pakistan and Egypt? After all, in the corporate world, the initiative and management skills required to do this are lauded, and one of the primary rationales advanced in support of the widespread introduction of ICTs in school is that this will lead to the development of various sorts of skills valued in the workplace."// //-// we ask for help from others online all the time! - //"Where answers to simple questions are just a click or two (or web search result) away, what role should memorization of various facts play in the classroom?" -// right: need more depth in learning //-// I think less worry about plagiarism if work is specific to the particular classroom
 * Crowdsourcing, collaborative learning, or cheating?** **- by Michael Trucano**

- every school in the world has maintenance issues with hardware - even more difficult in many 3rd world countries - idea is to have students assume primary responsibility for taking care of equipment - builds student confidence - showing students they are trusted - saves some time and money - students develop useful / relevant skills - important to encourage participation by girls (often only boys interested)
 * When students are in charge of maintaining the computers in schools** **- by Michael Trucano**

- "//efforts to improve education should focus almost exclusively on better teachers and stronger administrations"// - tech engagement flips between "uselessly fleeting" and "addictively distractive" //- "there is a repetitive cycle of technology in education that goes through hype, investment, poor integration, and lack of educational outcomes. The cycle keeps spinning only because each new technology reinitiates the cycle"// - past hypes of revolutionizing education: 1922 - classroom movies, 1945 - classroom radio, 1960s - classroom TV - present: computers, mobile devices - //“placing computers and Internet connections in low-[income] schools, in and of itself, does little to address the serious educational challenges faced by these schools. To the extent that an emphasis on provision of equipment draws attention away from other important resources and interventions, such an emphasis can in fact be counterproductive.”// - better teachers are far more useful that better tech
 * There are no technology shortcuts to good education** **- by Kentaro Toyama**

- focus should be on student learning; put computers in hands of the students - student learning should be the central part of policies - strategies designed around students - engaging in rich activities that allows connections to powerful ideas
 * Technologies for learning, vs. learning about technology - Claudia Urrea**

- study: use of ICT in schools does not lead to better results - study: is correlation between better performance and higher use of computers at home - what tech is used is not as important as how they are used - how are students using computers at home? how is this different than at school? - why is home use more effective for learning? how can we bring this to the classroom?
 * How we use technology in education is more important than which technology we use - by Cristobal Cobo**

- I like the idea of a busy classroom, everyone with their tasks - but hard to see sometimes if all on task //“You have to release control,” Mr. Lee says. “There’s a certain amount of trust. If you want 100-per-cent control all the time, then perhaps this technology is not the way to go.”// - kids seem very engaged and motivated to do the work - good how he brings in group discussion - not just the screen time - great variety of work - not just using iPads as eTexts
 * "Passion-based" learning takes hold - by Kim Zarzour**

- writing seems to have been overlooked recently with our focus on Reading and Math - "re//search that shows that, when students improve their ability to describe, explain, and persuade in writing, they also improve their reading comprehension.”// //-// need authentic writing platforms - blogs are a great venue for this - do we do enough modelling of good writing? we do a ton of read alouds... how many write-alouds do we do? - is it a case of teachers not being confident in their own writing skills? - "//How do we move students from the 140 character mindset to authentic non-fiction writing response and craft?"//
 * Looking to boost achievement? Try some non-fiction writing - by Chris L. Atkinson**

- studies shows: how you teach is more important than who does the teaching - interesting study (validity? small sample size, one time event, tools never used before so students more motivated) - point is that good teachers incorporate new tools into their teaching - hands-on method //- "it's not the professor, it's not even the technology, it's the approach."// //- "Lectures have been equally ineffective for centuries. Now we have figured out ways to do it better."//
 * Study: It's not teacher, but method that matters - by Seth Borenstein**

- great list of //Learning Boosts from Technology// - but can we get all of this just from the tech? No, needs to have good teacher/facilitator
 * It better be about the technology - by Doug Peterson**

- discussion on how computers can be more than just tools - help us to think differently - they are also //"media with which to think" -// actually changing our cognitive processes as we use them - interesting: effects **with** tech vs. effects **of** technology //-"‘Effects with’ are the changes that take place while one is engaged in intellectual partnership with peers or with a computer tool, as, for example, is the case with the changed quality of problem solving that takes place when individuals work together in a team. On the other hand, ‘effects of’ are those more lasting changes that take place as a consequence of the intellectual partnership, as when computer-enhanced collaboration teaches students to ask more exact and explicit questions even when not using that system."// - idea that these 'tools' actually shape our behaviour, shape our cognition - "//When will we see that we have successfully integrated Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) into the lives of students? It seems to me that this will be achieved when we see them not simply using ICT as ‘tools’, but rather when we see students thinking differently as a result of their ubiquitous presence and facility."//
 * It's not about the tool - by Peter Skillen**

- this leads to thinking that tech is only an automation tool, increasing effciency - Question: What is it that I can do now, that I couldn't do before? //- "I worry sometimes about efforts to “infuse technology”into our classrooms. Much of this infusion is just about continuing on with current practice and sprinkling technology on top and calling it innovative. This is when it’s just a tool. When the technology transforms the way we learn,offers us new,unchartered experiences and opportunities,it’s much more than a tool but a whole new environment."// //- "we currently aren’t using technology to create learning environments; at best we’re embedding them into our current system."//
 * It's not just a tool - by Dean Shareski**

- using social media in class can entice students to answer, join in discussions, without having to speak out loud - gives students time to think about answers, craft them well - allows kids to look up definitions of words, etc. while reading/writing/discussing - teacher must be able to incorporate the ideas into the discussions, choose quality discussion pieces - many schools setting up private social networks
 * Speaking up in class, silently, using social media - by Trip Gabriel**