Acceptable Use Policies

This week in Capstone, we have been studying and reviewing different school system's AUPs.  It was interesting to examine my school system's AUP in a more critical light and from a different perspective than that of an employee.  What I found most interesting was the differences in AUPs from system to system.  Some were very general and focused only on violations related to email and other Internet filtering issues.  Some only generally referenced the new and emerging web 2.0 tools that students and teachers are now actively using.  While many outlined the ways the AUP could be violated, only some were specific in what the retributions would be if the AUP were violated.
I believe that the AUPs are worthwhile and necessary in ensuring that the proper and legal use of technology and online activity; however, what I keep coming back to is the limitations to fully integrating the myriad of available tools and resources that some of the filtering and AUPs cause.  After collaborating with my colleagues in the Capstone I class, I feel incredibly lucky to be a part of my school system because we do have a wide variety of technology options available and while filtering can sometimes be an issue, there are many sites and resources open to us that are not available in neighboring systems.
This does bring up what is becoming an age-old argument-- that of filtering the information so tightly that students do not have the opportunity to make positive choices because they are never faced with the choice.  I realize that school systems are required by law to filter Internet access, but are we doing an injustice to our students?  We talk about Internet safety; we are required to infuse it into our curriculum.  But in a closed, sheltered environment is much of that conversation trite and unreal?  If the students never have a chance to practice the skills we tell them are necessary to be good "cyber citizens," then what kind of education are we really providing them?  Certainly not a "real-world" experience that is definitely one of the current buzz words and rightfully so.
Similarly, the other CRS's throughout my division and I have been waging a long battle to have student email access.  The filter blocks all webmail, and their active directory accounts have an email account, but it is disabled.  We have been given a variety of reasons why, but it seems archaic to promote "21st century" skills of communication and collaboration when a student cannot electronically converse with their teachers in school, using school system provided resources.
I'm curious when these kinds of disparities will begin to fade.  I know we have come quite a distance, but it seems we still have a substantial journey ahead.

Chickens and Eggs, Teaching and Pedagogy

I just happened upon a fabulously interesting article from the THE Journal while doing some research for my Capstone course. The article discusses this premise: "Why is a generation of teachers more knowledgeable about technology than any before it arriving in classrooms with little understanding of how to teach with it?"  Quite the quandry, it would seem, but the article makes a very good point-- without the the content knowledge, the technology is rendered useless in furthering student learning.  Fortunately, many teacher prep programs across the country are coming to this understanding, and instead of focusing on how to use specific technology applications, the focus has shifted instead to excellent teaching strategies that take advantage of education, following the TPACK method, which stands for technological pedagogical content knowledge. 

The article states it best: "TPACK says that you have to know three things to use technology well. You first have to know the content. It's going to be hard to teach calculus if you don't know calculus yourself. You also need to know the pedagogy associated with that content-- the instructional strategies that will be effective. Finally, you need to know the innovation or technology that you're going to then use."

What I like about this explanation is how it points to the inherent simplicity coupled with the awesome power that comes with being an educational professional. Statements like this quickly quiet those who say anyone can teach or teaching is for those who "can't."  There isn't anything quite the same as an educator who is intentional and committed and passionate and knowledgeable about their content and pedagogy.  When the content and pedagogy is supported by technology, they become unstoppable in the classroom, bringing student learning to greater heights. 

Diversity and Technology

When I was a classroom teacher, I spent time in professional development sessions about multiple intelligences and differentiation, and I knew what it meant to do that for non-technology activities.  Interestingly, I haven't really thought about varying technology activities to serve a variety of students, but after reading this and this, I see that there is a much broader view of technology integration in terms of providing all students with options that fit their learning styles, working strategies, and strengths and weaknesses.

I think we (I am definitely included in this club) get caught up in the excitement of using technology and trying something new in our classrooms, and we forget that all of our students come to us with a diverse set of needs that do not end when a computer is introduced.  A visual learner will be a visual learner in any situation whether there is a computer in front of them or not.  And what is even more important is that technology can provide a learner with an experience, personalized to their needs, to a much higher level than without.  It is important for us to tap into this in the classroom.

Eduscapes has a great Technology and Multiple Intelligences page that is full of links to a variety of resources.  A great place to start is about half way down the page where the nine different intelligences are listed.  The link for each intelligence contains a list of different technology tools and resources that target the intelligence.  For examples of specific lesson ideas that target each intelligence, take a look at this page to get ideas.

Not every lesson or project can target all student diversities each time, but having an awareness of how technology can be used in ways to help students learn better, only benefits the students as a whole.

ISTE NETS-T Certification

I started working on my NETS-T Certification in October-- that may explain the frenzied look in my eyes most days.  But so far, I feel that I have learned more about effective technology integration than I did in all of my master's degree coursework.  I know that from the sweat and tears (and there have already been tears), I will come out on the other side, a better teacher.

I am going to be putting some reflective posts up as part of the class.  I first thought it would be best to do that in a separate space, but I think it would serve a better purpose to keep those posts here.

Coffee, Cookies, and Conversation

My goal after the new year is to begin a conversation that starts with a cup of coffee and some cookies. I have often held optional training sessions that look familar-- a small group of teachers in my lab, sitting at a computer, looking at the projector, maybe leaving with a new idea from what I had to offer.  But lately, I have been feeling like there is a need for something more.  Something more meaningful and more regular and when you add coffee and cookies to the mix, so much more comfortable!

My thought is to start a learning series that is established through educational professionals in the building sharing conversations.  It will not be a vent session or a formal training session.  I envision it more like a coffee house (minus the trendy couches and jazz music... well, we may be able to do something about the music...).  I would like to see us sharing with each other about what has worked and what has not worked in our classrooms.  I would like to share great technology ideas (minus the "training" feel) and other effective classroom strategies (such as Kagan, etc.) so that we can begin to grow together effectively as a building and become better educators.

I feel something like this could complement the PLC process that is in its early stages quite nicely.  Through the conversations had in this learning series, I can see the beginnings of the conversations that would occur in our PLCs. It will be interesting to see if this informal environment of teachers gathering to share best practices and enjoying professional conversations would generate more interest than any of my former optional training sessions. 

I'm hoping to get this off of the ground in January!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vizzzual-dot-com/2849856597/sizes/s/#cc_license

Introducing the Tech Center Technology Wiki!

Yesterday the Tech Center Technology wiki that I mentioned earlier made its debut at the Tech Center. It will always be a work in progress, but it has enough information to be useful to any technical and career education teacher. Check it out and forward it along to those who may find it useful. My hope is that one day it becomes a collaborative effort from many different schools, so we can continue learning from each other and exploring new worlds!

Tech Center Technology Wiki

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kassarar/ / CC BY-ND 2.0

Technology Wiki

I am in the process of creating a wiki that will house information about technology tools and how they can be used at not only the Tech Center, but also any technical school. I began the school year by sending out a tool of the week to my teachers via email, but I wanted a way to showcase several tools in one place, so teachers could browse and find ideas that would pertain to where they were at that point in time. Also, emails get deleted, ignored, or lost, so I thought this would be a great way to present the information permanently! In the wiki, I give specific ideas for each program area to hopefully get thinking going for how a tool can be used. I know I didn't see how technology tools could be used here initially, so by providing concrete ideas, I hope to stimulate creativity. My longterm goal is for this to be a tool for my teachers and any career and technical education teachers to use as a resource. It's only in the beginning stages now, but I am very hopeful that it will be a useful tool in helping me integrate technology. I also see that it could be a collaborative effort across the building and across different schools. I would like other schools and educators to be contributors by reflecting on what has worked, what needed tweaked, and suggesting new tools and ideas.

I will post the link soon, so be on the lookout!