Reflection on Presentation

Overall, I was pleased with my Visual Literacy lesson plan presentation. I had no problems with the technology I employed. The students participated very well. I was able to briefly review the slides quickly and effectively in an adequate amount of time and retain the attention of the students. Many of the students picked up on the main points of the video as it related to visual literacy and our group discussion brought out all the points I wanted to impress upon them.

I had pondered the possibility of using an online worksheet in order to incorporate more technology into the lesson. I thought about that essential question we have established in class: "Will the use of said technology enhance the experience and warrant the extra time it will take to introduce said technological tool?" I answered in the negative. A simple handout sufficed for focusing a five minute discussion in small groups. It would have taken me at least five minutes, likely more, to ensure that everyone was logged in and had accessed an online worksheet. Not only that, an online worksheet would have distracted the students from jotting down their ideas about the video, which was the most important part of the engagement activity in the lesson. It was crucial that the students noted their insights quickly and engaged in discussion immediately not only in order to retain their insights, but because we had limited time. So, I am pleased with my decisions about what technology to include and not include.

I was quite familiar with the technology I did use, LCD, computer, PowerPoint, video and moved through its use without no problems. For my lesson, it was not necessary for me to train students to use the technology, but to enhance their awareness about visual literacy through the use of technology. If I had had more time, I might have implemented another aspect to the visual literacy lesson that incorporated the use of a technological tool to create a unique piece of work using their visual literacy skills. First, however, it is most important for the students to become aware of visual literacy and how to use it to filter the messages with which they are bombarded daily. Using a mixed media video for this purpose afforded me the opportunity to engage the students by using media they find most attractive. In this way, the use of technology greatly impacted and enhanced my lesson since the students find that type of communication very relevant to their lives. At the same time, the skills they learned can be applied to communicative pieces they might encounter that are less exciting to them.

I believe I picked the appropriate mix of subject content, technology, and trendiness to make this a successful lesson.

Reaction to ISTE’s Technology Standards

The acceptance implementation of ISTE’s National Education Technology Standards (NETS) for teachers necessitates a profound change in the way we approach lesson-planning for students and demands changes in the views and practices of teachers in their professional lives. Standards 2a, 3a & b, and 5a & b all require a personal and professional “buy-in” to the concept that using technology is the way to go.

For example, 5a states that teachers should, “exhibit leadership by demonstrating a vision of technology infusion [italics mine], participating in shared decision making and community building, and developing leadership and technology skills of others.” You need to have a vision for integrating technology (or infusing it) not only into your lessons, but into your community. 5a also demands teachers to “participate in local and global learning communities to explore creative applications of technology to improve student learning.” As a teacher, you need to be active in “global learning communities” which necessitates technology, in short. Most teachers cannot communicate globally without the use of technological tools such as the computer, email, Internet, etc. 1d mirrors this command by telling teachers they should collaborate with colleagues in virtual environments as well as face-to-face. 3a tells teachers they must “demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations.” Basically, teachers must update their lesson plans and figure out how to deliver the lesson through a technological vehicle. So, regardless of your personal feelings about utilizing technology in the classroom, if you strive to meet these standards, you must embrace technological tools, become fluent in them, convert your lessons to integrate technological tools, and use them enough to become globally aware and influence those in your community.

The student standards run parallel to the teachers. They are required to “develop cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with learners of other cultures” (2c), which means teachers need to integrate technological tools into the curriculum in order for students to have this opportunity. Students output demands have changed as well; they must “communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats” (2b), so it’s not just about writing reports anymore. Students may be asked to develop a website or a photo story to deliver a report rather than the typical research paper.

A whole host of changes are necessitated once these standards have been accepted as something that must be met. It is a huge administrative commitment that advocates technology in the classroom and requires that advocacy of its teachers, parents, and students.

Using Technological Tools in Education

I believe there is a place for all educational learning tools. In the early years, children learn foundational knowledge such as their multiplication tables, spelling, the alphabet, etc. Certainly there is a place here for drilling tools, whether the old-fashioned “repeat-after-me” type or the drilling software on the computer, or an interactive method that somehow combines physical activity with the repetition. As students develop in their cognitive abilities, I believe there is more of a place for inquiry-based learning, where students are given a problem and must figure it out, largely left to their own talents, skills, and resources, but strongly facilitated by an expert teacher. I think that there are certain subjects that lend themselves to more structured forms of teaching (teacher-directed) rather than hands-on learning (student-centered). I also believe that, to a certain degree, all learning is constructivist because people learn by making connections, thereby “constructing” their own learning. That is the very reason why having a strong foundation in the basics is so important. It’s like having the electrical sockets necessary to plug new learning into to make it work, or make the lights come on.

Engagement of the students in the learning process is critical. A good lecturer can actually do this through skilled questioning, enthusiasm about his/her subject, and the ability to show relevance on many fronts. Because of the increasingly short attention-span of many students today, hands-on learning has become popular: engaging the student in a physical activity of some sort. I think this is a good method, but, like all methods should not be used blindly as a panacea. After reading Oppenheimer, I am increasingly aware of the seductive nature of new technological tools and will watch to ensure I am not blinded by the glitz of those tools, but am always assessing them based on criteria we discussed in class for “appropriateness.” As a librarian, however, the bulk of my teaching will be teaching students and faculty how to use online databases, catalogs, the latest and greatest tools for citations, and maybe Web 2.0 tools, so I may be working with students, faculty, and administrators who have been “seduced” by technology. I will have to remain all the more balanced if this is the case. That means I cannot react in the opposite direction (taking a bad attitude about technological tools) but look at technological tools as one of many educational tools available.

As a college English teacher, I tend to keep my lessons low-tech. I use the computer, document camera, and Blackboard. If my students have computers on which to work in class, I integrate a bit more technology, but still keep it secondary to substantive reading, discussions, and some lecture. Typically English textbooks come with an online component on which students can drill on various elements of grammar. I encourage them to use this tool, but I do not spend class time on it. However, I haven’t ruled that out as a possibility if I see fit do so at some future date. I never rule out any tool that might be helpful. I use my intuition to help me navigate through the needs and dynamics of each individual class. I try to model open-mindedness about the Internet rather than a cut and dry judgmental attitude. For example, I would advise the class about evaluating all websites rather than taking the attitude of “Absolutely NO Wikipedia!” I tend to model my thinking out loud to students when I am analyzing an essay we have read. I am a big believer in small group discussions at the college level and then sharing as a large group, using strong facilitation skills to keep the lesson on track.

Kaiser Report - Part 2

I just realized I did not respond to the actual question for our assignment, so I will continue my thoughts on this posting.

I don't believe the Kaiser Foundation Study will impact educators. I think technology in the classroom is here to stay and the drive to incorporate it is too strong and intense to just go away because of the negative effects of heavy users.

I will be striving to use more technology in my teaching, but due to the fact that I am not using much now, that's a good thing. I will always consider the cost of using technology, as I discussed in class when talking about appropriate technology. How much additional time will it take, etc.

As a librarian, it will be my responsibility to teach students and faculty about the latest and greatest technology appropriate for education. As I saw in my student teaching, often teachers jump on the bandwagon of wanting to use technological tools and once they try it, they realize just how much more time training the students to be effective users of that tool takes. Then, they may change their minds again. I saw this happen with an instructor who wanted her Freshman students to use Noodlebib and even had the help of the librarians to train the students, but she was inundated with questions and regretted her choice.

As always, I think a balance is necessary.

Kaiser Foundation Report

I found the Kaiser Foundation Study fascinating, but not surprising. One thing I found intriguing was the link (in data only--the authors made sure to mention that they could not confirm a cause and effect relationship here) between a lower degree of personal contentment and a higher usage of media. I don't know about the rest of you, but I often find that to be the case for me. It seems the more I watch television, the less I feel content with my life. I have often wondered why that is and have chalked it up to the superficial focus of most of television coupled with the inane aspects of humanity that are frequently shown on most shows.

Another tid-bit that I wondered about was the chart on page 13 that illustrates those students who get good grades and compares that to their media usage. The bit I found interesting was the percentage increase of schools that don't use grades. With heavy users, that category does not exist, while with moderate users it's 3% and light users goes up to 10%. I wonder what schools these are and if they are linked with socioeconomic class as well. For example, public schools is the norm for heavy users versus a private or charter school that is out of the norm and likely very expensive. I thought it was interesting that that type of school seemed to correspond with media usage. Does it also correspond in some way with families placing limits on those children?

The fact that all media is becoming more prevalent, more widely used and accessed in most homes is not a surprise. It is disturbing to me that media is in kids' bedrooms because I would think it is much more difficult to supervise appropriate usage that way. I also think kids are more likely to fall asleep watching television, and I believe that is not wise. One's conscious blockers (of common sense and sorting and thinking) are not "on" when one is asleep, so all that stuff just goes in as "truth." Frightening. Not everyone believes this, however.

I find it a little disturbing that only about 10% are reported to read print media online. I wonder about taking in little fragmentary bits all the time and never reading anything comprehensive. What is the long-term effect of that?

Technology in Education

I believe technology is a catch-all term for many tools (computers, Internet, browsers, email, etc.) that can be highly effective if they are used knowledgeably and appropriately. Like any tool, it is critical to fully understand 1) how to use it, and 2) when it is appropriate to use it in order to use it most effectively. Inherent in that statement is an understanding of that that tool’s advantages and disadvantages. One needs to understand both assets and limitations in order to discern appropriateness. As Oppenheimer alluded to, it’s just plain silly to worship a tool as a panacea to all problems, but that has been the case with technology.

The example that Oppenheimer gives about the student who spent 12 hours refining his graphics, which was far more time than he spent on researching and writing his project, is a perfect example of how technology can be limiting in education, without the proper instruction on the parameters of its use. Unfortunately, when an educator is acting under a cloud of delusion (i.e. that technology is always good no matter what the lesson or circumstances), these parameters are not often given as part of the instruction.

I’m a firm believer that technology should not replace human instruction or contact. You don’t leave a tool chest on the house’s foundation and expect a house to be built when you return; just so, you should not assume that technology alone can do the job of educating our children. Furthermore, I believe in developing a strong foundation in the basics before spending a great deal of class time on technology. For example, I do not believe that students should rely on calculators to add, subtract, multiply, and divide. I believe they should learn how to do that on their own and use calculators as it becomes necessary for more complicated math (trigonometry, calculus). Similarly, I tell my students to remember when they are writing their essays that spell-check does not determine word usage, thus it does not correct homonyms (words that are pronounced the same but spelled differently) It would see “Thank ewe” as correct because “ewe” is a legitimate word (for female sheep) and it is spelled correctly. It takes a human being to see that “ewe” is not “you” and, therefore, is not the appropriate spelling for that context. This is the perfect example because it shows the proper relationship between the tool and operator. Spell check is a tool which can alert you to misspellings—but it needs to be checked by the operator of the tool to ensure it is correct based upon the operator’s intent. It should not be followed blindly.

Educators need to use their common sense and constantly remind themselves of their lesson’s goal, further examining the time limitations for that lesson. How much technology is appropriate for this lesson? How much time will the lesson take integrating technological tools? How will using technological tools impact the effectiveness of the lesson? Is it worth the extra time it may take? Will additional training be necessary to incorporate those tools?

Certainly, I believe in teaching literacy of all types: textual, visual, computer. However, there is a balance that needs to be constantly sought and maintained between integrating technology and not allowing it to usurp the lesson’s goal (as in the case of Oppenheimer’s student above). It is in the educator’s hands to find and maintain this balance.