Through Langwitches’ Twitter Times, I found the following slideshow from the Business Insider.com

Kids explain their passion for technology. How can we not LISTEN to them and CONTINUE to teach them like NOTHING has CHANGED?

I was asked by my principal to think BIG. What would a technology rich school look like?  My first thought was to correct the title of the assignment. Not a “technology rich”, but a technology integration rich” school. I wanted the emphasis shifted from technology (which is often set equal to hardware) to integration and LEARNING!!!

I started brainstorming with my colleague Paige M. about what the essential components would be. This is the list we came up with…. if money were no object… (the hardware is in addition to what our school currently already has in place)

Technology Integration Rich School

1. Hardware
2. Support
3. Programs
4. Accountability

Hardware

• 1:1 laptops students for older grades
• Alphasmart class sets for younger grades
• Tablet Laptops for faculty
• LCD Projectors
• SmartBoards in every classroom
• Wireless access across the school
• Ipod lab
• Digital Camera Class sets
• Flip Camera class sets
• Wii Fit and Sport

Support

• IT Support
• Curriculum Integration
• Professional Development Trainer

Projects/Programs:

• 21st Century Skills
  • Communicate
    • Literacy
  • Collaborate
    • Global Awareness
    • Geographic Literacy
  • Connect
  • Create
• Professional Development
  • Creation and support of your own Personal Learning Network
  • monthly workshops
  • international conferences
  • Monthly/Weekly planning time (substitutes)

Accountability

• Student Assessment
• Teacher Evaluation
• Reflection
• Lesson Plan Sharing
• Presentations

I also threw out the question of “What are components of a technology integration rich school to my twitter network and received the following answers.

@cwebbtech added the component of “Stakeholders” which I felt is an important addition to the components list. Who are the stakeholders in a technology integration rich school?

Stakeholders

1. Students
2. Teachers
3. Administration
4. Parents
5. Community

What are your thoughs? What would you add or take away, if you were to devise a plan to create and run a technology integration rich school?

The link to the above cartoon came via twitter from mclobridge. Thanks!

It has been 2 years, since I was in the classroom teaching Spanish to elementary school students. I am often asked  if I miss it. I do miss having classes on my own, where I am the one who can decide on a project and see it through from beginning to end. Do I still feel like that I am continuing to contribute to my students’ Spanish language skills as a Technology Integration Facilitator? YES!

As the Spanish teacher, I felt that not only the language itself was important to teach to my students, but also global awareness and specifically Hispanic culture were part of my job. My philosophy was:

• Being able to communicate is one of the primary goals of the world language classroom.
• Collaborate with others by being sensitive and aware of cultural differences
• Presenting opportunities in order to make connections to help my students understand the value, advantages and necessity of learning another language are always a priority.
• Teaching creatively to engage my students is a must, especially when being considered a “resource” teacher, not part of the core subjects.
• Allowing students to be creative in order to take the language out of the textbook and make it real to them in common situations.

Is it becoming obvious yet where I am going with this?

• Communicate
• Collaborate
• Connect
• Create

World Language teachers ARE teaching 21st century skills. Through web 2.0 tools it is easier, available and more affordable than ever before to bring the world, your language’s culture and people to your students. Technology is a World Language teacher’s best friend and ally.

As part of my Masters in Instructional Technology, Langwitches: The magic of Learning Languages through Technology was born in 2005. I started posting projects that would benefit the world language learner.

• digital recipes
• digital movies
• digital images
• webquests
• blogging
• distance learning
• puzzles
• podcast
• iPods

In 2006, I presented at the K-12 Online Conference iPods-iSpeak-iSing-iListen-iLearn

iPods and other MP3 players have revolutionized the way kids listen to and purchase their music. They are quickly entering the classrooms as a teaching and learning tool as well. The foreign language classroom can especially benefit from the possibilities the iPod opens up, such as podcasting, video capabilities, and audio recordings. The popularity of such devices directly effects students’ engagement in the learning process.Teachers will learn about ideas and ways they can easily create and distribute pronunciation guides, audio books, lectures, notes, and much more for their students.

A lot has changed since 2005/2006. If I were a World Language teacher in the classroom, what would I do differently today, ? I would continue to reinforce 21st century skills for my students. Some of the tools that I would use are different though.

• Communicate (Skype, blogs, VoiceThread)
• Collaborate (Skype, Google Docs, Mixbook, wikis)
• Connect (Skype, blogs, VoiceThread)
• Create (podcast, vidcast, online portfolios)

Seeing the impact the Skype Video Conferences has had these past few months on our elementary school students is encouraging. The easiness and normality Kindergarten kids use their Spanish to sing, play, listen and talk to other Kindergarteners in Lima, Peru is exhilerating and hopeful that we are on the right path.

We are hopeful that we are able to prepare those kids for a world where they will talk, work and collaborate with people around the world on a daily basis. This collaboration requires cultural awareness, language ability AND sensitivity as well as a global network.

Technology is just another language. Both of them fit together like Pizza and Empanadas, Peanut Butter and Jelly or Nutella with Pancakes. Pick the one that culturally seems to makes the most sense to you. 

Photo Credit:

Nutella by DTC Master Crew
Pizza & Empanadas by ricardo.martins
Peanut Butter & Jelly by iirraa

What makes the Whiteboard Interactive?

Finding an answer to this question is very important to me. Since I first touched a SmartBoard at my friend Andrea H.’s (from EdTechWorkshop) school I knew that the possibility for teachers to use the board JUST as another dry erase board or big screen was huge. I need to find a way to demonstrate and clarify the difference to teachers. What makes a SmartBoard lesson different from the one delivered on a normal screen?

See my previous posts:

• SmartBoard Training
• SmartBoard- The WoW Factor
• There is a SmartBoard in the House
• Interactive Whiteboards- Which? How? What?

I feel that IWB are capable of amazing things, but so are MP3 recorders, digital cameras, document cameras,etc.

What makes the whiteboard interactive?

The more I am playing and experimenting with the SmartBoard and the software Notebook 10, the more I am convinced that the power is IN THE SOFTWARE.  But not the software itself, but how it is used as a tool to present the lesson in a new way, for a different learning style, for access outside of the classroom. The software’s ability to :

• easily integrate
• pull in
• record
• create
• focus on
• highlight
• have students create their own lessons notebooks
• edit/add to  the teacher’s notebooks
• GET THE STUDENTS INVOLVED beyond the classroom

can make the difference.

No doubt that the WOW factor, when one first sees techniques used with the IWB, will wear off and fade for teachers and students after the initial phase. What will keep the teachers going to create and search for new innovative ways to use their IWB? What will keep the students engaged and INTERACTIVE with a lesson?

On one of the slide (35) from a presentation by Jason de Nys below states:

In these classrooms, interactivity has come to stand for interacting with the board itself, not manipulating the concepts the teacher is teaching

A few slides later Schuck and Kerney are quoted saying:

the the only form of interactivity we saw was the tactile benefit for young students.

This brings me back to the initial fear of how not to use the IWB as a big screen and your fingers as a “cool” mouse. The same fear that creeps up when I see teachers plopping their students in front of a website, letting them read the content and then summarize it in a Word document, THEN calling it Technology Integration.

On slides 56 & 57 the question is asked if:

• Text + Diagram+ Hyperlink = Interactive?
• Choices+ Feedback + Challenges = Interactive?

We need to spend time in training and supporting teachers using IWB and helping them become aware and clarifying the concept of “interactivity”.

Slide 58 suggests to focus on existing interactive pedagogy such as:

• critical thinking
• graphical organizers
• problem solving
• expert jigsaw
• reflections
• think-pair-share
• well crafted software

to make the IWB truly interactive.

| View | Upload your own

What do you think? If you train teachers to use IWB… how do you make the difference in how the board is used for learning apparent for them? What activities are truly interactive and contribute to learning in a new way while others are merely”fun” to use your fingers with?

I would liek to put together examples of traditional notebook slides, the ones that could have been delivered just as well on a normal screen and than contrast them to the same lesson, but with true interactivity. Any suggestions?

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Muchísimas gracias a la dirección de la Goethe Schule en Buenos Aires, Argentina por darme la oportunidad de hablar con ellos acerca de la integración de tecnología y la alfabetización en el siglo XXI.

Gracias a Verónica D. y Heidi M. por organizar ese encuentro. Ich freue mich schon auf gemeinsame Projekte!

¿Qué es un Instructional Technologist?

• La carrera universitaria de un Instructional Technologist es una combinación de cursos de educación, pedagogía, diseño gráfico, diseño de cursos, investigación de programas de estudios, diseño de paginas web
• Planifica y enseña con los maestros/profesores en las aulas y en la sala de computación como co-  teachers.
• Responsable en el ámbito tecnológico del desarrollo profesional de profesores y dirección.
• Trabaja directamente con el coordinador de programa de estudio, el administrador y técnicos de la red

Video “Did you know?

• ¿Sabías ?

Desarrollo profesional de los docentes

• Planificación semanal
• Co-teaching y apoyo en la sala de computación y en los aulas
• Reuniones y talleres mensuales
• Ayuda uno a uno -  One-on-One help
• Conferencias y talleres afuera del colegio
• Crear una comunidad de aprendices
• Incentivos y Evaluaciones
• Prioridad la enseñanza y el apoyo de los profesores
• Crear una red personal de aprendizaje (Personal Learning Network)
• Micro- Blogging: Twitter o Plurk
• K-12 Online Conference
  • iPods- iSpeak- iSing- iListen- iLearn
  • Travel through Space and Time

Cambio en la enseñanza y el aprendizaje

• De enseñanza aislada a enseñanza paralela y de ahí a enseñanza integrada
• Enseñanza y el aprendizaje- Donde sea, como sea, cuando sea..
• 24 horas al día, 7 días a la semana, 365 días al año
• Los chicos están siempre conectados (instant messaging, MySpace, Facebook, celular), esperan resultados inmediatos, respuestas instantáneas
• Los alumnos muy buenos para acumular información, pero necesitan ayuda para analizar y comprender
• El cerebro evolucionó y las neuronas conectan en forma diferente
• Tareas múltiples para concentrarse- escuchando al ipod, chateando …….
• Aprendizaje y enseñanza a distancia

Traducido de “How the Google generation thinks differently ” by Catherine O’Brien

Habilidades, conocimientos y competencias del siglo XXI- 21st Century Skills

• Comunicación
• Colaboración
• Conexiones
• Preparar a nuestros alumnos para SU futuro, no para NUESTRO pasado.

Alfabetización en el  Siglo XXI – 21st Century Literacy

• Los analfabetos del Siglo XXI, “no son aquellos que no saben leer y escribir, sino más bien aquellos que no puedan aprender, desaprender lo aprendido y volver a aprender. Alvin Toffler
• “leer”: una foto, un video, diferentes medios, como analizarlos
• Informacion:
  • acceder, manejar, integrar, evaluar y generar información, y la utilización como herramienta
  • Cómo organizarla?- uso extensivo del “tagging” como forma de clasificación de la información
  • Cómo manipularla, crear nueva información y nuevos conocimientos
  • Cómo conectarla a otra información en nuevas maneras.
• ¿Cómo se lee un Wiki o un blog?
• ¿Cómo se escribe, como se crea enlaces para conectar mas información?

Web 2.0

• Cambio de herramientas tradicionales (MS Office), dependientes de la plataforma, instalados y que funcionan desde el escritorio, a herramientas basados en el web (el web es la plataforma) aplicaciones que generan colaboración, son personalizadas
• La información es lo que mueve al Internet
• Cambiamos de ser consumidores /receptores de la información a ser productores/ autores de la Red
• Herramientas de la web 2.0:
  • Blogs- Blogger , WordPress
  • Wikis- Wikispaces
    • What Could it Mean? Wiki
    • Cities Around the World
    • Global Collaborations
  • Redes Sociales- MySpace , Facebook , Ning
  • Social Bookmarks- web de intercambio de enlaces/favoritos- Del.icio.us , Diigo
  • Google Docs : Word Processor, Spreadsheet, Presentations
  • Skype – Video Conferencia
  • Flickr – web social de intercambio de fotos
  • YouTube
  • VoiceThread
    • What could it mean?
    • Jose travels to Egypt

I have decided to introduce Scatch in my upcoming TechCamp.

Scratch is a new programming language that makes it easy to create your own interactive stories, animations, games, music, and art — and share your creations on the web.

Scratch is designed to help young people (ages 8 and up) develop 21st century learning skills. As they create Scratch projects, young people learn important mathematical and computational ideas, while also gaining a deeper understanding of the process of design.

Documenting my learning journey in familiarizing myself with the program helps me in the process and might encourage and guide someone else.

First I downloaded the available documentation from Scratch:

• Getting Started Guide (.pdf)
• Reference Guide (.pdf)
• I made copies of the Scratch Cards for each one of my TechCampers to reference. It was a lot of work copying, cutting, laminating and adding a metal ring. In the future, I am thinking of just photocopying them, letting the students color them and create their own style of booklet.

Researched other educator’s blogs and websites on their use, lesson plans and experience in the classroom with Scratch:

• Creative Computer Exploration

Other resources:

• LearnScratch.org
  Great getting started videos and answers to Why Learn Scratch for the development of 21st century Learning Skills
• Scratch Help Screens

This is how I plan to start out on Day 1 of camp. Let’s see where it takes us from there

• Discussion of importance of collaborative learning
• In order to personalize: take and import students pictures to be used as sprites
• Watch Introduction Video
  
• Watch Image Effect Video
  
• Let students experiment in the Scratch environment and create their own Name Project.
  Here is my first attempt:
  
• Record students explaining their projects
• I am leaving the Scratch Cards to be handed out for the next day. Again emphasizing to try out and play without too much instruction.
  

I am getting ready to teach a one week-three hour summer technology camp next week at my elementary school.

My objective for this camp is to allow the campers (incoming 4th-6th Graders) to have time to PLAY, time to EXPLORE, time to MAKE MISTAKES and time to FIGURE IT OUT, either by themselves or with each other.

The first day, I want to give them an overview of installed and web based programs that are available to in TechConnect (our lab).

Installed

• KidPix (Drawing)
• Jing Project (Screencasting)
• Zoo Tycoon (Simualtion)
• Venture Africa (Simulation)
• Scratch (Programming)
• Lego Designer (Construction)
• Audacity ( Audio Editing)
• MovieMaker
• PhotoStory
• Google Earth

Web Based

• LineRider
• Kerpoof.com (Drawing, Storytelling)
  
• Myths and Legends (Storytelling)
• Create a City (Simulation)
• or any other link listed on our TechConnect Resource page

From the video below, I got an excellent idea for an ice breaker that I am planning on doing with the kids. Get them in groups and have them teach each other one thing, that the other person DID not know. I want to make sure that everyone is in the mood for collaboration, sharing and teaching EACH OTHER what they are learning. It will be important to allow time every day to give each one the opportunity to share new things that they have learned. Since I don’t want to "force" any project on the campers, I will ask if anyone would be interested in creating a podcast or vidcast about the camp and be in charge of documenting what everyone has learned.

I am looking forward to having my own little group of students. Can’t wait to see what we can learn together.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQGiv53SE4k[/youtube]

I am reading more comments than blog posts in the last two days due to the Commenting Challenge . Quotes from different voices are are starting to accumulate and laying around like puzzle pieces in my mind.

I want to assemble these puzzle pieces and create a coherent post in the future. It seems overwhelming to having to remember who said what and where. How will I be able to link to the right post when quoting?

CoComment is keeping track of the conversations and comments that I am participating in, but what tool will keep track of individual quotes that talk about new ways of thinking and different perspective. They usually disappear in the galaxy of the blogosphere, never to be found again.

In comes Google Notebook .

With a Google account, you can also sign up for the Notebook service. I installed the Firefox extension, that added a little icon at the bottom part of my browser window.

Now anytime I find a quote that I want to save for a future post, I highlight the quote, then click on that notebook button and a new window pops up. I choose an already created notebook or create a new one.

Once the notebook I want to file the quote under is open, I just click on "Clip" and the quote will be filed, together with a link to the original post.

You can also tag each quote with more keywords.

This is a good way of collecting and to be able to link to different voices in that future blog posts.

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