Today in class we had another online presentation but this
time by Alec Couros. The main take away I got from this were his five points on
where to start with integrating technology and the internet with the classroom:
1.Communication: embrace new communication tools (edublog,
kidblog, and quadblogging are a few examples)
2. Expression: experimenting with new forms of expression (kid snippets and
other mashups/parodies)
3. Identity: reach digital citizenship
4. Networks: connect and learn via social networks (skype,
twitter, and facebook are a few examples)
5. Transparency: make learning visible. Couros spoke of the
concept of “thinning walls” which is educators moving away from a closed
private education to an open public education.
A few other ideas that really stuck with me were:
-Some of our best colleagues are people we have never met.
-Wherever you are someone is always watching and recording. The
common citizen is a tool of surveillance now.
- It is important to teach students how to navigate and the appropriate
use of technological and internet tools.
Couros also
spoke about technology and the internet in general. Apparently the average age
of children who are starting to network online is eleven years old. I don’t
find this surprising at all. I remember being that age and MSN was the big deal.
Being able to instant message online with friends was exciting. He also
mentioned that it is quite often for grade three and four students to already
be introduced to and using social media.
Some changes
with technology that have made all that possible is that it has become
affordable. The ownership of a smart phone is greater than that of a regular
cell phone. The ability to share anything anywhere is a reality. Another change
is the fact that one to one classroom experience is becoming a thing of the
past. Professors and students are being able to use the internet to connect and
share information because everyone has a device they can use. The neat thing
about that is that everyone can be doing the same thing but doing it in
different ways that suit their learning. Schools are moving away from a no cell
phone policy to a “BYOD” (Bring your own device) classroom environment.
Oh, the good old days of MSN Messenger!! And it feels so long ago ha!
ReplyDeleteNice post, Alaura! I love, and agree with, the main ideas that you pulled from the presentation. My favourite is "Some of our best colleagues are people we have never met". It is so mysterious and exciting and goes to show the rapid growth, development and importance of online sharing.
Hey Alaura! Great post. I think it's great that schools are shifting to a BYOD classroom environment. By banning them, how are we supposed to "teach students how to navigate and the appropriate use of technological and internet tools?" In my last placement, the class had an ipad and 5 netbooks, and were allowed to use their own devices when working on research projects. This provided many opportunities to help students find credible sources of information when navigating the web.I think this is an important skill for students to learn and I'm happy that we are able to teach them. :)
ReplyDeleteHey Alarua, reading your blog made me wonder how much classrooms are going to change in our first few years of teaching.
ReplyDelete"Professors and students are being able to use the internet to connect and share information because everyone has a device they can use."
It seems that lap tops and notebooks are getting closer to replacing pencils and paper, it crazy to think about what classrooms will look like 5 to 10 years from now.
Great post...
I loved MSN it is how I asked my fiance out to the spring bling (he went to a different high school). Your posting was very interesting but I wonder how do we accommodate students who don't have a device or access to internet at home. I am teaching in a rural community and this is the case out on the farm. However, they do have internet access. Some school connections and lap tops are terrible and take forever to work. So I guess I am struggling with how to make technology work for these students.
ReplyDeleteJen Falk
"Teach long and prosper"- Star Trek
Haha oh MSN. I remember getting home after school, and the first thing I would do was sign into it. The best part was, all my friends would be on it too, without fail. Funny how it soon died out after Facebook became so big (I don't think I've used MSN for about 8 years now). Now, I find myself not even using Facebook anymore because of Twitter (haven't signed it Facebook for at least 5 months). Who knows if the same thing will happen to Twitter, but when we start teaching it'll be amazing to see what other form of networking device will be at the top.
ReplyDeleteHey - I enjoy the discussion here, funny when we consider online tools how quickly they change ... bu the key thing - sharing and connecting are the common thread from msn to twitter. Jen, you have some valid concerns that we need to talk about.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I do think the classroom walls are thinning, as Alec pointed out, I still think we are a few years away from having total connectivity throughout Canada. There are many students and communities that aren't connected all the time. Access to technology is becoming more affordable, but I still think there are many families that can't afford it. As Jen mentioned, there are also issues with connections in schools. I experienced a lot of frustration during one of my placements because the server was constantly down and the internet was slooooowwww. The students were also frustrated.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I didn't really like hearing that 11 year olds are using social networking sites. My 10 year old keeps asking me if she can have Facebook and I keep telling her no. Honestly, I don't want her to have it because it will be one more thing I'll need to monitor. Pretty sad, eh?
Hi! I agree that devices are the new tools of choice in classrooms, and students have great opportunities to use them for learning!I also have spent time in schools where many families cannot afford smartphones, ipads, etc. I am happy when I see schools provide these tools for student use, as I would hate to see the opportunities overshadowed by issues of equal access and ability to practice and use these tech tools.
ReplyDeleteI really like your acronym! It truly is a bring your own device classroom (and society for that matter) now. But there is nothing wrong with that. As teachers, we must be able to change on the fly and go with the new trends that come out. Luckily, we have much more guidance on these type of topics than pre-service teachers from ten or twenty years ago had, and hence we have the knowledge to be able to make it work in our classroom much more effectively.
ReplyDelete