My new ideas & Ed. Tech

I have created this blog for one of my grad school classes. I have posted all I learned in the class.

I would like to continue posting my ideas of ed. tech for everyone's classroom.

Mobile Devices, Applications and Issues

Will Richardson explain what is the problem in the current education. Also, he states what students desire through their education.



This topic was really interesting to me. When I was in high school in Japan, I just followed the teachers instructs to enter high level and famous public university. We have two huge exams that measure students’ knowledge. The exams’ days are big event over Japan. All high school students take a same exam at a same time on a same day. Depending on the scores, the students can get “tickets” to take the next exam that each university or each department at college prepares for the applicants. During the last two years at high school, students in Japan need to keep studying hard and put knowledge and answers to do successfully on the exams, so that they can proceed to the next step of education. Educators’ goals are also to enhance students’ skills and knowledge by teaching tips and providing drills. Most of students go to cram schools right after school finish, and keep studying until late night, so that they can get higher scores on the exams. Although students focused on chasing a goal to enter a university, most of students become lazy or lose their goals after entering university. I was one of them. I really agree with Will because of the experiences in my high school. (Actually not only universities but also elementary, middle, and high schools have entrance examinations in Japan) I did not like that my skills and knowledge are calculated by only test. I really agree with Will that “we have to stop trying to make schools better, and we start trying to do them different” (Richardson, 2011).

As noted earlier, students in Japan often lose their goals after finishing their compulsory education. We cannot overlook this issue. Schools must not “take all the imagination, all the creativity, all the initiative, all the engagement right out of them” (Richardson, 2011). Schools need to focus on process-based learning, not procedure-based learning.

Web 2.0 Apps and Administrative Applications

What is Web 2.0. ? Check this.

Some examples.

 Prezi
This software is basically for presenting ideas. Prezi’s unique features are that you can make your slides zoom in and out, size, rotate, and edit. Also, you can navigate through information by using Prezi. Prezi can also be useful for corroboration work to create presentation slides by sharing with your members. Moreover, Prezi allows you to import files that you have created on powerpoint, and produce new advanced slides based on the original files. You can put YouTube videos, images, and pdf files as well. Those features would be great useful for both of teachers and students to present their ideas and knowledge to audiences in class. Presentations using Prezi would enhance class activities by attracting audiences’ interesting, encouraging them to learn from the slides, and improving visual learning in class.

Audacity
This is a free audio editor. One of unique features is that users can convert recorded data on Audacity to mp3. Considering this point, for education, this software would be helpful for language learners. Teachers can record their speech with correct pronunciation and accent, and students can listen to the records on their portable devices or computers wherever they are. Also, students can record their own speech and check/review theirs.

Edmode
 I got most interest in this web2.0 application. This is like e-lerning. However, teachers and instructors can connect and communicate more. Students cannot contact a specific student for a private usage. This application focuses on group work. Teachers can create small groups of students for discussion in class as well. Typically, teachers create a community for one class through Edmode. Teachers post learning activities or comments in basically five ways; Assignment, Alert, Poll, Note, and Quiz. For Assignment, teachers post assignments and files, and set due days; students can submit their assignments through the post. The students can check their results through the application from wherever and whenever they want. For Alert, teachers can remind students of important information. For Poll, teachers post their own questioners; students click their ideas/thoughts/answers. This feature would be helpful to hear students’ voices and feedback to class contents. Also, teachers can post five types of quizzes; true-false, multiple, short answer, fill in the blank, and matching.
These multiple choices, for teachers to create tests on Edmode, would help them to measure students’ achievements. I hope the application will add an information management system as well, so that teachers and students can manage and check learning achievement.

 There are more such as; Audacity * Blogger * Bloglines * Bubbl.us * Classblogmeister * Delicious * Diigo * Edmodo, * Edublogs * Elluminate * ePals * Facebook * Flickr * Freemind * Gaggle * Google+Calendar * Google+Docs * Google+Earth * Google+Notebook * Google+Reader * Google+Video *Haiku Deck* iGoogle * Jing * JotSpot * MindMeister * Moodle * MySpace * Netvibes * Ning * Pageflakes * PBWiki * Plurk * Scratch * Skype * Slideshare * TeacherTube * Twitter * UStream * VoiceThread * Wetpaint *Wik * Wikispaces * WizIQ * Xtranormal* YouTube * Zoho+Writer *

Flipped Learnings

What is Cloud Computing? Check this to learn about it before learning Flipped Learning.



Let's learn about flipped learning.See the below video: Salman Khan: Let's use video to reinvent education



Along with popularization of digital textbooks, internet at schools and homes, software for education, and Open Educational Resources (OER), flipped learning courses have become popular through elementary to higher education in Japan (Shigeta, 2013). For the past five years, flipped learning has come under the global spotlight, especially in Western countries. As Slman Khan states, “moving the delivery of basic content instruction online gives students the opportunity to hit rewind and view again a section they don’t understand or fast-forward through material they have already mastered”. The most important point for me to integrate flipped learning is that not only students but teachers can see students’ comprehension levels, frequency of using web-based software, procedure of learning, etc by accessing to cloud computing. As we learned about DDDM, teachers can see students’ comprehensions levels from the data through learning software, and make decision how they should assign students into classes, who is behind class, who can help others, and more. “In the flipped classroom, teachers guide students as they apply what they have learned online” (Slman Khan) after the students come back to classroom. Although the number of the examples of flipped learning is still limited in Japan, several schools and universities currently have integrated it into learning environments (Shigeta, 2013). For example, all newly-enrolled students from 2013 at Kinki University High School purchased ipad, and used it in English and Mathematics class by flipped learning. The school introduced Learning Management System (LMS) for sharing digital materials with the students. As the result, in both of the English and Mathematics classes, students could have more time to have collaborative activities between the students, and enhance their skills and knowledge. The activities increased communications among students and teachers as well. Also, personalized learning happened by using commentary videos according to the decided degree of understanding. The flipped learning also promoted the progress of the classes. As a result of another example, Hokkaido University could enhance students’ discussion performances by integrating flipped learning. Students could be encouraged to attend the course and have interactive between students. Thus, the current practices of flipped learning in Japan have clarified that teachers can “humanize classrooms” (Slman Khan) by using technology, instead of the traditional “one-size-fits-all lectures” where students have no interaction with each other (Slman Khan).

 Reference

 Horn, M. (2013). The transformational potential of flipped classrooms. Education Next, 13 (3). Retrieved from http://educationnext.org/the-transformational-potential-of-flipped-classrooms/

Salman Khan: Let's use video to reinvent education Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/salman_khan_let_s_use_video_to_reinvent_education.html

Shigeta, K. (2013). Flipped Classroom : Educational reform utilizing information technology. Journal of Information Processing and Management, 56 (10), P 677-684. http://dx.doi.org/10.1241/johokanri.56.677

Global connections with technologies

Let's consider about global connections as a technology and learning tools, and what skills that students need based upon Dr. Alan November’s video lectures as well as possible changes that you as a teacher may need to make.




Today, students are not expecting to receive learning from teachers anymore in and out of schools. They are excited to collaboratively learn between peers and help each other by something that they create. First of all, they need to develop their critical thinking and analyzing skills to find problems that they want/should solve. Next, they should improve their problem-solving/researching/ communication/ (critical thinking) skills to gather information that they need to solve the problems. By communicating with the other people, they also can find a new way to promote their solutions. They can spread their learning world via internet and can connect with the world in their learning processes. Technology can support their new learning possibilities.

 TEdxNYED

 

His last phrased impressed me, “teachers are more important than ever. This is a changing in the culture, a change in the iconology of learning. This not about adding technology, it’s a fundamental shift in relationships and roles and the feeling of empowerment that students have when they create a legacy”. Teachers need to transfer classrooms into new learning environment with technologies. As he said, “students need to work harder in the classrooms than teachers do”. For supporting students to create a “legacy” in their education, I would need to consider well about how I can transfer ownership in the classrooms to students. I may be able to conduct flipped learning for proving more time to discuss between students based on their skills and knowledge. Also, I shouldn’t give specific homework from drill books every day. For increasing their creativities and problem-solving skills, I may give them choices to choose their own assignment based on their interests, not only during a long holiday but the daily school days. For this way, students need to set a purpose and goal to conduct their homework, and they create something following their own purpose. It is associated with independent and autonomy leaning style.

Myths and Opportunities: Technology in the Classroom by Alan November 



We need to encourage children to learn so that they can develop their required skills to success in 21st century and create the global. Children will lead and create the global based on their skills. It takes time to change curricula that children can build their own collaboration, responsibilities, leadership, and research skills. However, teachers need to design the curricula and integrate technologies into classrooms for them to promote these skills. Technology makes kids smarter depending on how teachers integrate the technologies into their classes. I would put a researching time in each subject, and students will create their own research results on wiki and share with the others. Students can connect with the global and peers via technologies.

Data Management & Technology in the Classroom

First, check the YouTube video on data management and differential instruction in personalizing the educational process that was taken too far.  Let's check the below; Blazer, C. (2006), Data Driven Decision Making.Information Capsule. Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED541069.pdf

This article is reporting about Data Driven Decision Making (DDDM), past research findings, several examples of DDDM integrations into schools, and challenges of DDDM for improving. According to the report, ninety-three percent of school district superintendents are using DDDM for school improvement. School superintendents relatively believe the positive impact of DDDM on school improvement and student achievement. According to a research finding, data driven have improvement on mathematics instruction, not science. Also, several research findings clarified changed in faculty practice and attitudes by using data-driven decision making. For example, many teachers can gain more knowledge, such as student learning needs, and determine which instructional strategies would be most effective for students by DDDM. Teachers can get feedbacks of their instruction and their own practice, and provide better learning practice to meet learners’ needs. On the other hand, there are several identified barriers to use of DDDM. One of the issues is that teachers are lack of training; teachers have difficulties to share or exchange data, collect appropriate data at a correct timing, link information to appropriate intervention, and report the data. Therefore, challenging of DDDM, by school staff members, administrations, and district leaders, are required to overcome these barriers.

Challenges of DDDM 
First, district leaders need to determine what types of data are needed for each school demands, and make a specific plan of the procedures that teachers and decision makers will follow. Moreover, when collecting a different type of data, it is a challenge to deal with a mount of information for making it available in timely and making understandable reports, so that decision makers can affect the students’ performances at appropriate time. Therefore, districts should “begin growing their measurement culture” by selecting a fairly small, balanced set of data”. The types of collected data can be gradually expanded after decision makers get familiar with dealing with DDDM processes. Furthermore, many school staff members are lack of the capacity to successfully make use of the data in terms of technical skills and analyzing the large amount of data and information. Teachers are likely to hesitate making decisions for affecting students, based on data that the teachers don’t agree with the reliable and accurate. Administrators need to clearly understand the benefits of having data and how the information helps school staff members make decisions. Also, professional development will support the teachers and administrators to make use of DDDM for school improvement.

Author’s Position 
The author agrees with the effectiveness of DDDM on school improvement and students’ achievement. He especially believes that professional development needs to be set for teachers to have confidence to effectively deal with data and information for the improvement. Schools, district leaders, and decision makers need to collaboratively make organized school improvement plans for conducting DDDM, challenging to overcome barriers.

6 open resourses to think about the Impact of Technology on Future of Education

1. Speak Up 2013 for Students, Teachers, Parents & School Leaders Selected National Findings,See http://www.tomorrow.org/speakup/2013_OnlineLearningReport.html


2. Technology in U.S Schools: Overview on Key Trends. http://www.nmc.org/publications/2013-horizon-report-k12

3. Top Technologies that will Make a Different in Education video See



4. Adopt and Adapt – 21st-Century Schools Need 21st-Century Technology http://www.edutopia.org/adopt-and-adapt

5. Five Predictions for Higher Ed Technology in 2013 | Inside Higher Ed: http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2013/01/03/predictions-about-higher-ed-technology-2013-essay

6. TED Talks: 8 Great Videos on the Future of Education and Teaching, especially the one below by Sir Kenneth Robinson on