Introducing a new assistive tech blog: IntegrATe, by Gayl Bowser

Gayl Bowser, former coordinator of the Oregon Project of Assistive Technology and co-author of Education Tech Points, is widely known in education circles for her insightful writing and unstoppable enthusiasm. Please join us in welcoming her to the world of blogging!

Just like a garden needs different care from a gardener depending on the time of the year, students and educators need different supports for assistive technology use as they move through the school year.  With each new school season comes change—changes in our students, changes in what they are learning, and changes in our own AT services .  Just as we cannot simply plant a seed and expect to immediately see a plant, we cannot give a student assistive technology and expect to see immediate success. 

Visit IntegrATe

Financial Literacy and Professional Development

A recent column by Michelle Singletary, a personal finance columnist at the Washington Post, caught my eye. "We are Flunking Personal Finance" looks at a recent study by the University of Wisconsin at Madison entitled Teachers' Background & Capacity to Teach Personal Finance. The study indicates that less than 20% of K12 teachers feel they were “very competent” in the six areas of financial literacy focused on in the study. Those areas included:

• Income and careers
• Planning and money management
• Credit and debt
• Financial responsibility and decision making
• Saving and investing Risk management and insurance

From the column:

This study reinforces the need to incorporate personal money management topics into educational opportunities for teachers, whether in undergraduate or graduate curricula for students studying to become teachers, or as postgraduate or in-service courses or workshops," says Ted Beck, president and chief executive of NEFE. "We have an opportunity to dramatically affect the quality of K-12 financial education by providing teachers with the subject matter expertise they need throughout their careers."

Increasingly, states are pushing economic education. The number of states that require students to take a personal finance course, or instruction as part of an economics class, increased to 13 in 2009 from seven in 2007, according to the Council for Economic Education. Although states are setting up financial education guidelines, an overwhelming majority of teachers who participated in the NEFE survey said they didn't feel qualified to offer instruction at the level of the standard set by their states, the researchers said.

Recent economic events have made it clear that financial literacy is vital to both the global economy and as a factor for personal success. How can these important life-lessons be incorporated into the classroom without professional development for the teachers who are expected to help the students?

Join the Campaign! Tweet and Blog for Ed Tech May 12

Funding for Classroom Technology is in jeopardy!  Join ISTE members and education technology advocates from across the country for a day of blogging and tweeting in support of 21^st century learning.

President Obama’s budget provides no funding for education technology.  The Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) program, which was funded at $100 million in 2010, is rolled into a the new program “Effective Teaching and Learning for a Complete Education.”
Without funds specifically set aside to pay for education technology the administration’s messaging about the importance of technology for classroom teaching and learning rings hollow. If education technology is so important, why has the proposed 2011 budget eliminated funding for the only dedicated ed tech funding program?

Although the President has recommended to eliminate funding for EETT, Congress does not have to agree with this recommendation.  ISTE is urging congress to fund education technology at at $500 million for next year. To get this issue on congress’ agenda we need to tell  policymakers that we are not going to take the loss of EETT quietly.

On Wednesday, May 12 we are going to flood the Web with messages in support of funding for education technology. We’ll provide some Twitter messages to get you started, but we’re asking for a major effort from all the ed tech bloggers, tweeters, Facebookers and Ning-regulars out there to write in support of dedicated federal funding for education technology.

Keep watching ISTE Connects for information on how you can help secure $500 million for ed tech in 2011. Together we can make our voices heard!

http://www.isteconnects.org/2010/05/06/join-the-campaign-tweet-and-blog-for-ed-tech-may-12/

"I Remember", by Intel

Most of those things don't seem very long ago, do they? Are you keeping up?

New Content Alert: Safari 4, Word 2010, iPhoto '09, PixWriter 3, Read:OutLoud 6, more

New and expanded tutorial series
Safari 4
As stated by Apple®: "It’s a browser. It’s a platform. It’s an open invitation to innovate. Safari® continuously redefines the browser, providing the most enjoyable way to experience the Internet."

View 2 free tutorials

Word 2010
Microsoft® Word 2010 offers the best of all worlds: enhanced features to create professional-quality documents, easier ways to work together with people and almost-anywhere access to your files. Use this introductory level tutorial series to watch, listen, and learn the basics of how to create high-quality documents that you can be proud of.

View 2 free tutorials

Social media in schools: The Meltdown

Social media addiction. Crackdowns on abuse. Passion for progress. Differing opinions have come to a head this week between those who would retain or recover pre-information-age social qualities and those who believe online social tools are an inevitability to be harnessed and prepared for. As with most things in life, education would seem to be the solution.

First, there's clear evidence that parents are largey unaware of the activities of even middle-school students. Many deny that their children participate in social media. Many simply don't know how pervasive social media are in their childrens' lives, both at home and at school. Before progress can be made with the students themselves, parents need to understand the reality of this modern age. They need to become involved and foster responsibility and safe behavior.

Next, the schools. There's still a harsh divide between classrooms that embrace technology as a learning tool and those that consider it a nuisance. Consistency must be attained with regard to expectation and enforcement. Not every classroom should directly utilize web-enabled devices, but the policy must be in place and understood.

Finally, the students themselves need training. They know how to use the technology, at least superficially, but they often don't have the mental maturity to make the right decisions. Bullying, inappropriate language or photos, and other abuse are sustaining and can be damaging to both mental health and reputation. What's online stays online for a long, long time. Children can't usually appreciate the permanence of their actions.

How this will all play out isn't entirely clear. What is clear is that we must all educate ourselves and be aware of what the children in our care are up to. The challenge is nothing new. Only the details are.

I welcome your comments.

Update: CNN did a story on Principal Orsini. Watch the video here.

Back by popular demand: Training & Staff Development for 21st Century Teaching at Lincoln Public Schools (Just Enough, Just in Time, Just for Me)

The first run of this webinar went very well and provided such valuable information that we've decided to do it again.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010 | 12 pm PST / 3 pm EST

Click here to register for this FREE event

In order for students to have 21st century skills to succeed and compete in today's global workplace, districts first need to develop those skills in their teachers. How do you build a professional development program that creates a solid understanding of the skills and develop the ability to integrate them into the classroom?

Join us as a panel from Lincoln Public Schools shares best practices and collaboration between departments to create a successful training and staff development program to help their teachers – and students – succeed with 21st century learning.

Read about the presenters

iPads in the classroom?

I admit that I've been skeptical about the usefulness of the iPad to those of us who like to create content and share information as well as take it in. Sure, it's been billed as a game-changer, but it's also been described as a consumption-only device, not having much ability to store files or spread them around. Many a blog post and Twitter tweet express concern about Apple's tight control over usability and content.

At least one school is working around those concerns to bring relatively inexpensive (yet highly engaging) devices into their classrooms.

The iPad was announced many weeks before its release, so we know many of the features and even several of the applications that would be available. We also worked closely with Apple. We developed a staff development program with Apple. Teachers in this project will receive 5 days of staff development from Apple.

The iPads can be used [to create] wikis, blogs, keynote presentations. We can do much with on-line research.  (Libraries in small schools have virtually disappeared.) We have found many cool applications to enhance the curriculum in our classes. (Try the programs Star Walk or The Elements. Cool music programs that allow students to record music, electronic books, drawing applications, Numbers offers much flexibility for spreadsheets.)

It's clear that committed, innovative educators are making the most of their dwindling dollars. When Apple and third party application vendors realize the impact they'll have on teaching (and they probably already have), this really could be a game-changer.

We haven't had the resources to enhance out technology program for many years.  I don't believe there is a "perfect" solution for technology in any district. For some it may be SMART Boards, for others laptops, others netbooks. For GFW, it will be iPads.  It's not the device. It's how the teachers will use their device to improve instruction. I hope it can work in our district.

Read more on Blue Skunk 

Update: Read a related article from WCCO

Transparent technology, understanding, and innovation

There's a debate ongoing over whether technology in schools should really be invisible. One blogger argues that technology should never be a hurdle to leap before learning, and one says it's critical to understand how technology works to alter our living environments.

I'm not sure either perspective is quite right. For every learning scenario, there will be a limit to how much effort we can (or should) make to understand the technology at hand. It would create an infinite comprehension loop if we were to try and evaluate every learning tool we use. 

For example, I've seen interactive whiteboards (IWBs) in use by talented math teachers, instantly drawing graphs and calculating formulas far more quickly and clearly than was previously possible. They bring to life concepts and approaches to learning that I couldn't have imagined in my schooling. There's no doubt in my mind that they enhance learning of the subject at hand.

In the math classroom, during a math lesson, the IWB shouldn't be noticed. It should be invisible in order for the math lesson to be as effective as possible. On the other hand, science classrooms should be brimming with opportunity for students to learn the details of IWB design, manufacture, and function.

Rather than thinking of technology as a monolithic "thing in schools", it should be evaluated in isolated scenarios, with the prime learning objective of the moment kept firmly in front of our minds.

At times, we need to employ tools that have functions only others understand in order to efficiently share information and ideas. At other times, we need to understand them ourselves in order to innovate and create to our potential. Neither is inherently an incorrect solution.

Are we hearing the voices of students?

As our world has changed, so has education. Through the years there have been several different stages in education, always adapting to the latest technology and theories of the time. Today another change is on the horizon.

There are many views on the changes that need to take place to meet the needs of 21st century learners. Experts advise on various levels of education, recommending changes to the system which may revolutionize education. Politicians try to facilitate that change. Educators, from special education teachers to university professors, are on the front line trying to facilitate the change. Administrators hold the task of trying to balance the needs of everyone.

In these conversations we rarely hear from those who are affected the most: the students. It is their future, their education, and their needs which need to be met. It’s important to listen to their voices as we try to prepare the next generation for their futures.

Take a minute to listen to some of those voices.

Dan Brown’s video is a link to a treasure trove of 21st century students and how they view education. The comments and video responses show what young adults think of education and give their vision on how it can be changed to meet their needs. I highly recommend Dan’s follow-up video as well.

There is a conversation happening about what students need from education. Are we listening?

Feds release new national ed-tech plan

Although funding concerns remain, the National Ed-Tech Plan is a promising start, ed-tech advocates say.

The new National Education Technology Plan, released March 5, sets an ambitious agenda for using technology to transform teaching and learning, ed-tech advocates say–and a call to action that is long overdue.

The plan, called “Transforming American Education: Learning Powered by Technology,” calls for engaging and empowering learning experiences for all students; standards and assessments that measure key 21st-century skills and expertise; a shift to a model of “connected teaching,” in which teams of interconnected educators replace solo classroom practitioners; always-on connectivity that is available to students and teachers both inside and outside of school; and a rethinking of basic assumptions, such as seat time, that limit schools’ ability to innovate.

 Read more at eschoolnews.com

Free 21st Century Teaching Webinar (Just Enough, Just in Time, Just for Me)

Tuesday, March 30, 2010 | 1 pm PST / 4 pm EST

Click here to register for this FREE event

 

In order for students to have 21st century skills to succeed and compete in today's global workplace, districts first need to develop those skills in their teachers. How do you build a professional development program that creates a solid understanding of the skills and develop the ability to integrate them into the classroom?

Join us as a panel from Lincoln Public Schools shares best practices and collaboration between departments to create a successful training and staff development program to help their teachers – and students – succeed with 21st century learning.

Read about the presenters

A good report on what teachers are doing to modernize classrooms

Free Training Opportunity – ISTE Webinar

With the phrase “21st century skills” popping up all over the place, it is impossible not to notice that 21st century skills is a hot topic in education. What seems to be the consensus now is that even though it is clear that these skills are important, many schools are still struggling to create 21st century-ready students. To help, Atomic Learning and ISTE have partnered to lead a discussion on 21st century skills professional development strategies.

Professional Development Strategies to Create 21st Century Teachers
February 16, 2010
1 PM Pacific/4 PM Eastern

Why professional development? It’s simple really. 21st century-ready students start with 21st century-ready teachers. This webinar will discuss strategies and resources districts can use to address 21st century professional development and the integration of crucial 21st century skills in the classroom.

Hope you can join us!

Update: Here are the resources mentioned in the webinar. 

(Thanks to Jennifer, guest contributor)

Technology for technology's sake

One of the themes that I regularly encounter in my social media wandering is that technology should never be employed simply to be "high tech". Doing so misses the whole point, which is to engage students and enable them to learn in new ways and collaborate on a higher level. Putting a whiteboard on the wall or a laptop in a student's hands accomplishes virtually nothing without proper technique.

Here's a funny representation of tech for tech's sake. Believe it or not, some classrooms aren't far from this scenario.

Atomic Learning is dedicated to helping you put the technology you choose to employ to good use. Find out about some of our technology integration resources here.

Free ebook from Atomic Learning: Integrate Assistive Technology in General Education

Assistive technology can be tremendously beneficial to all educators, not just those in special ed environments. Atomic Learning is committed to integrating assistive technology into the classroom, and we offer this guide in the spirit of that mission. 

Click here to view this ebook.

Digital Workshop from PBS - 21st Century Schools: Learning in the Digital Age

This project by PBS and the MacArthur and Park Foundations aligns well with recent posts on digital learning. It starts this evening.

More and more educators are tapping into the power of digital media and technology for teaching and learning. The variety of information resources available online is simply staggering. Explore how teachers and students are using the power of social media to promote students' active engagement, critical thinking and literacy skills.

• New Forms of Learning. It doesn't need to happen in school. Because it's visual, interactive and social, learning can happen anywhere with digital media as people collaborate and share about a wide range of topics and issues that matter to them.
• Technology and School Improvement. Technology may transform schools by promoting student engagement and creativity. But critics fear that too much focus on technology takes attention away from what's really needed to improve schools: capable, well-trained teachers; student-centered learning methods; and smaller class sizes.
• Hope, Hype and Reality. Are today's learners really different from previous generations? Compelling images of students using digital technology are impressive, but the research evidence on the impact of technology on learning is more mixed. And it's sometimes hard to separate the scholarship from the marketing hype, given the deep investment of technology companies in promoting the idea of technology's transformative potential.

Get the entire project
Watch the full show 
Visit the digital_nation - life on the virtual frontier homepage

HP and Intel's Digital Learning Environment — Las Vegas, NV, 2/25/10

Atomic Learning is a partner in this series of interactive events. Join us February 25 in Vegas!

Thursday, February 25, 2010 Loews Lake Las Vegas
101 Montelago Boulevard
Henderson, NV 89011

HP, Intel, and our partners have joined forces with Tech & Learning to bring you the new 2010 HP & Intel Digital Learning Event Series.

These unique, interactive forums are one-day events held throughout the United States. Each Digital Learning Event is an immersive experience that provides K-12 decision-makers with state-of-the-art technology solutions delivered in hands-on learning environments.

More on teaching with iPods: Preserving tradition and culture

In a recent post I mentioned how the public often reacts strongly to the idea of new technology being used in the classroom. Perhaps one mistake we make is to not reassure them that good ol' fashioned teaching is still taking place, and that these new tools are only augmenting the traditional education they're afraid of losing.

One school in Minnesota is doing it very well:

A charter school on the White Earth Indian Reservation is using traditional culture and language to get kids and parents excited about education.

The aging brick school building sits across the road from a small housing development in Naytahwaush, a remote reservation village of about 500.

For generations, this school was part of the Mahnomen school district. School officials from 20 miles away made decisions about the classes and the kids.

Now, it's a charter school designed around community, culture and language. The school Web site hosts video language tutorials produced by third-graders.

It seems that the dedicated folks running the Naytahwaush Community Charter School in a remote northern Minnesota village are on the front line of teaching, just as they are down in St. Paul:

Teaching the public to look ahead

Anyone who has attempted to pass a public funding referendum for education knows how difficult it can be to convince John and Jane Q. Public of the merits of certain types of teaching. We're facing a revolution in teaching methodology, largely due to emerging communications and collaboration tools. But it's a tough sell.

An article posted last month on the Twin Cities Pioneer Press website has generated over 150 comments, the majority of which are critical and even hostile toward those teaching with iPods. The story takes place at Somerset Elementary, where math, spelling and other topics are taught interactively using the devices:

For fourth-grader Gabe Rivera, running vocabulary drills and solving mathematical problems on his classroom iPod Touch is a fun way to learn, in part because it's "something that is more newer than paper."