Pedagogy: reinvent classrooms using simple technology

This year's Horizon Project report identified the emerging trends, but what does that mean to a middle school or high school teacher and class? I think these trends translate into tools .... opportunities for engagement. How? Let's start with a basic approach:

Grassroots video:
Most schools have some video equipment that can be used by any class. At the very least students have cellphones with a camera that does rapid photos or a video. Teachers, put together a simple assignment - to start with - that students capture and bring back to class. The way they deliver it to you will vary, the simplest might be they email you the files and then you display them using a LCD projector connected to your computer.

English class: have them capture a conversation of language you are studying in class
Science class: capture an example of characteristic that describes a living thing

Collaboration webs:
Since we are just beginning, let's start with a blog. Many blogs are free to teachers and classes. Teachers can post a weekly assignment where student log into the blog and study a web site or web pages(s) to reveal solutions to the assignment. Students record their findings in the blog under the appropriate weekly assignment.


Mobile broadband:
Set up work or a specific assignment that requires students to use a cell phone. Here is a math class example, divide the class into groups of three or four students. Have the groups arrange a time after school to work on an assignment. Give each group a different problem to solve. Have the individuals in each group assign them self a number - 1, 2, 3 4 and so forth. tell the groups to start with #1 and have that person do the first step of the problem and call student #2 with the answer. Then #2 will use that answer to do step two and then call #3, who will complete step three and then call #4 and so forth. This process continues until the problem is solved. The last student in the group brings the solution and to class for discussion.

Data mashups:
In this trend the students can compile data from different sources in a PowerPoint file, or a free goggle application, to substantiate an investigation. For example in a history class studying World War II, have students break into groups and give each group a different concept or subject to study about the war or events leading up to it. The groups compile that information, text and images, into the PowerPoint file/presentation. The finished presentation is saved as self running presentation that anyone can view.

Collective intelligence:
Publication of data takes place here, which is accomplished in a blog that we discussed earlier or in the PowerPoint presentation file that gets distributed. Another way to accomplish this is to collaborate information by using an application like Google docs. In that application a document/file can be shared with with multiple people who all have access to edit the content. Google docs are available for free to people who have an email account with Google: gmail.com.

Social operating systems:
This may be the most difficult one to establish with one class. Since the theme is connecting people with common interests, the first step is establishing those common interests among students, then producing a medium where the individuals can communicate with other students having similar interests. A tool to facilitate the communication is a blog, wiki, or a monitored forum and all of those are free.

Here are resources for free tools:

Google Apps
Documents
Slides
Norton
Spyware
Screensaver
Google Earth
Web Page

Blog
www.blogger.com
www. edublogs.org

Wiki
www.wikidot.com
pbwiki.com

Forum
www.makeforum.org
www.forumer.com

Pedagogy: reinvent secondary education with emerging trends

Like it or not teaching never stays the same. Sure the methods do: collaboration, engagement, and assessment to name a few. But, you have to admit that collaboration, engagement, and assessment today mean different things than they did 30 years ago or even 10 years ago. For example, today students can be engaged by collaborating in an online project together to study significant concepts in any content area. That material will also include an assessment where the teacher grades student responses and then send the feedback directly to the student – all done online.

The recently released Horizon Project report has identified the emerging trends, which are essential to reinventing the classroom. I think teachers will do well to gear up by using these trends in their teaching. In fact, teachers must begin integrating these trends in order to keep pace with student interest and also to better prepare students skills for well meaning careers. The trends are….

Grassroots video: this is easy to do since even a simple cell phone now produces a decent video clip.

Collaboration webs: this is already available in online projects that are free: TELS and WISE.

Mobile broadband: there is one cell phone per every six people on the planet … that is a lot of phones. Yes, imagine the interest in class of allowing students to use cell phones to complete an assignment.

Data mashups: compiling data from different sources into one application doesn’t require extensive resources or programming.

Collective intelligence: an example of this is your class assembling what they have learned and publishing it.

Social operating systems: networks created around people versus the networks today created by focusing on content.

In the next couple of days I will review my ideas on how to put these trends to work in a classroom. What are yours?

Teachers Using Technology - What ya doing?

Well, it has come across my email waves that there are a multitude of questions about "how" to set up a web site and then "what tools" are available to do that with.

For me, I am used to creating web sites with Dreamweaver since my days as a Project Manager with IBM and American Express. However, in this myriad of emails crossing my screen I see there is much confusion and doubt about what direction to use in moving forward. I will offer my tips .......

In my high school science class I have found a web site and blog to very useful in 1) administering class work and 2) in stretching student skills to expand what they can do with technology. For example, we use a blog with a once a week assignment. they have to go to the blog I created, for free, and read the weekly assignment and then post an assignment. BTW, I work in a school where 90%+ are on free lunch program so there are not a lot of computers at home. :-)

The students have given me much positive feedback about the blog this semester so I will keep it going for next semester too.

Free web site hosts - place where teacher can establish web sites, blog, or wikis for FREE:

Web Sites:
1. Create Google web site - free account required
2. Microsoft Web Site = use Internet Explorer - free account required

Blogs:
1. http://teacherlingo.com/
2. http://www.blogger.com
3. Edublog

Wikis:
1. http://www.wikispaces.com/

If you know of more. help us all and post them in your comment. These resources mentioned have extensive help files, if you have questions let me know and I'll do my best to answer them.

Cheers, steu