Learning By Listening - USA Today

The accessibility of information has been quite a hot topic in education since schools first began getting on the Net. The newest piece to this technological marvel is transportation. With a "right-click" and a "save as" so much of our informational world can go with us.

I'm glad to see that listening to books can help a student become interested in reading. I'm just afraid that it will become an option for those students who "struggle" with reading and are given the book on CD as a modification, rather than have them learn to read. It's possible and don't think someone won't suggest it sometime soon as some sort of compromise. I personally love books on CD for long trips, but not so much as a learning tool; a promotional tool, yes.

Combining this article with any others about academic podcasting and you have potential for some real change in the movement of information. A large concern with it all is the fact that it can not be controlled. Where, how and when they listen to the material can have a large success on retention and comprehension.

"You just need to ask intelligent questions, and you can get answers anytime, anywhere, in real time," Taylor said. "Education becomes no longer a fact-based learning process; it's search-based, cognitive. It's kind of like what happened to math skills with the calculator." I think this is the real essence of where education is headed and this is where educational technology should be playing a leading role.

The Dark Side of PowerPoint

I believe that Tufte has done a great job at pointing out the limitations of this program as well as shown appreciation for true understanding and praising quality over quantity. And by the way, why is it that if no one likes being read everything that's on the screen behind the presenter, why do people keep doing it?!

As we continue to gain access to cheap and instant information, we must realize that it is only natural for us to begin to devalue it. Powerpoint does a terrific job at showing how little we care about the information we present. Just like faster computers make people more impatient (strange huh?) the more ways create to present information, the worse it gets.

I've actually read the full version of this reading (this seemed to be the summary that we read), and it shows in great detail the value of numbers and charts; their objectiveness and clarity being their overwhelming strength.

By continuing to use PowerPoint in the presentations that we call "academic projects", we are creating an army of marketers, not intellectuals. The more bells and whistles use to present information will mean a desensitizing to the information and the intolerance of effecient and meaningful information.

There will always be boring and horrible presentations. Technology can not be the solution. As Tufte pointed out, it is not the format that makes for an uninteresting presentation, but the data and the presenter who make the biggest impact. This is the same timeless reason that some teachers can make any subject fun and exciting and others can ruin even the most interesting topics for their students.

People (not just teachers) need to be taught the limitations of technology. Just like the overhead was once the Grail of new technology, it still has its uses. As adaptable as "Powerpoint is, it is not only solution to our teaching needs.

The Gender Gap

Is there a title IX technology provision? In all seriousness, we have a growing need for technology and seem to be growing in a lopsided fashion. Sure girls use technology, but they’re not the ones creating it. After reading the article it was interesting to see that it’s not necessarily that they have an aversion to technology, but how its being used. Which I guess makes sense due to the more social nature (dare I say) that women seem to have. This might be why men are more than happy to alone in their “cave” doing their own thing, and women would rather participate in a group activity. Most young girls are less apt to sit around for hours tinkering with something by themselves. It’s the same reason why there are no pink Legos (or maybe there are some nowadays).

So the keys are socialization and communication. The tricky part is creating ways of infusing these traits within the use of technology. The physical environment matters more to the girl than the boy. This doesn’t seem that shocking since we all have seen the difference between a boys and girls bedroom/dorm room. And the fact that they like communication is no surprise either seeing the extraordinary popularity of IMing and texting with girls. Not to say that guys don’t, but if you want to learn how to type-talk with four or more people at a time, ask a twelve year old. We should be using their interests to our (education's) advantage.

Dexter's E-Tips Continued - What's the "value added"?

In this chapter there was large focus on what technology should do for the teacher and student. On of the most important factors to me is the ability of the curriculum to accept technology. It should include alternatives and allow flexibility for the diversity of the students. The technology requirements that are being sanctioned by districts should be absorbed into the curriculum. The difficulty is figuring out how to still maintain the original goals before the technology piece was there. Often technology is a "side car" rather than a new mode of transportation. Those that have the ability to alter curriculum for their schools need to take this idea of integrating into consideration. If technology is going to become a stronger part of education it needs to be seen as less of a break from the norm, and more of a student's everyday life.

Another interesting point dealt with the difference in accessing learning and accessing information. I feel that many teachers are misled by technology in using it mostly for the latter. Information is now cheap and plentiful. Project that regurgitate information only help the students learn how to work the software, and even then that's not always the case. How can we use technology to promote thinking rather than gathering? A lot of what's out there is gathering in disguise.

Some Thoughts and Reactions

So far the class overall has been great. For a regular classroom teacher, it has been nice to be introduced (or reintroduced) to a number of excellent programs. A few I've used or heard of but rarely had the chance to use them. On top of that, most of them are FREE, and that can play a huge role in its eventual use down the road. I forgot about good ol’ GIMP for years until a few weeks ago. And the new portable version now resides on my flash drive.

And even if I never use MovieMaker again, I can see myself being more willing to approach projects like it with less hesitation. I have liked the fact that we are making projects at are own level. If we want to make the project more complex or challenging, we can; or it can be simple and effective. I guess I'm sensing it’s about exposure and comfort, rather than overall mastery. It's also interesting to see the variety of skill levels within the class. I guess that can be challenging to approach seeing how some people have never made a website and others can type in HyperText.

I plan on using this class to create projects for my class that I would otherwise not have (or set aside) the time to do. Just about everything so far has been useful for me in my regular classroom environment. We'll see what happens with the Podcast and the Wiki.

The Inquiry Struggle

I have used inquiry-based units in my social studies classes. Some have been online (e.g. a Webquest about Antarctic exploration) and some have been in the classroom. The problem with of them has been that the students have had difficulty breaking away from their previous expectations. They constantly ask if what they're doing is right or if their answers are sufficient. The toughest part to me about the inquiry model is asking the right type of questions and keeping a balance between their freedom to explore and making sure they are accomplishing the tasks at hand (within the allotted time). Most of the time, I provide the (pre-filtered) research materials. This has allowed them to access a variety of material and still stay within the bounds of the project itself. The toughest part about inquiry-based units is the preparation and the amount of time they take. It's definitely an issue of quality over quantity. Sadly, my curriculum doesn't really see it that way.

My focus Standard - Historical Thinking

Blog posting: What standard are you using as a target of focus this semester? How can you link visual learning with digital imagery & Inspiration to this standard?

I am going to be focusing on the following standard throughout the semester:

SS - Standard 1.a - Historical Thinking
Students will develop historical thinking skills, including chronological thinking and recognizing change over time; contextualizing, comprehending and analyzing historical literature; researching historical sources; understanding the concept of historical causation; understanding competing narratives and interpretation; and constructing
narratives and interpretation.

I can see many uses for visual imagery when involving my students in historical thinking. Artwork such as painting and sculpture can be an excellent way of examining cultural changes throughout a time period. Film of particular decades can reflect the attitudes of a culture. In addition, the use of political cartoons and photographs allow for interpretation by the viewer adding a stronger understanding of the eras we examine.

Inspiration can always be put to good use when surveying history; categorizing events and even showing the relationships between them . It is also very useful when seeing what events took place at the same time (e.g. Reconstruction after the Civil War, the 2nd wave of immigration, and the growth of industrialism in the U.S. all overlap greatly).