Adobe Education Leaders

DU CourseMedia™ Released!

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:28:55 -0800

The University of Denver Center for Teaching & Learning has (finally) released the DU CourseMedia™ Course Media Management System. This has been a focus of my work for the past 5 months or so and is one of the major CTL projects for 2009. Some may recall the mention of the DUVAGA system from time-to-time. CourseMedia™ is DUVAGA reborn.

DU CourseMedia™ was developed by the Center for Teaching and Learning at the University of Denver as a course-based media presentation tool for organizing and presenting high quality images and videos to system participants. Although it was initially built with the needs of faculty in the school of art and art history in mind, DU CourseMedia™ is now used by faculty in many other disciplines in approximately 250 courses each term.

Through DU CourseMedia™, instructors have access to over 50,000 art and world history images and over 2000 library reserve videos. DU Course Media™ allows instructors to create online galleries that can include streaming video, images, text slides, discussion boards, quizzes, and voice narrations.

Some of the highlights of the new release are as follows:

Complete overhaul of how media objects are accessed
Entire media galleries can now be shared across permitted websites
Gallery object functionality is raised one level to become more accessible for users
The new Media Viewer is written from scratch with the input of DU faculty, staff and students
The Media Viewer is a Flash application written upon the Flex framework
The VPS Projection System, an application which runs upon the Adobe AIR runtime has also recieved a number of updates

I'll be presenting on DU CourseMedia™ at the Adobe Education Leader Institute this summer.

To see an overview of the new features, you can check out a screencast produced by Alex Martinez, ColdFusion developer for the CTL.

A screencast specific to the Media Viewer was also authored by Jenn Light.

This article was originally posted at In Flagrante Delicto!

Nothing to Fear but Fear Itself

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 12:06:58 -0800

It’s the first day of English class. You’re sitting in the third row, near the middle, minding your own business. Your teacher hands out a contract and announces that each student, and their parent or guardian, must sign and return it. The agreement reads something like this:
“I understand that my access to pencils is dependent upon my commitment to use pencils appropriately. I understand that the purpose of pencils is educational. Specifically, I will not use pencils for any commercial purposes, to infringe on any intellectual property rights, to distribute chain letters, or to libel or defame any person. I will not attach any peripheral equipment to my pencil without school permission. I understand that should I break this agreement, my access to pencils will be revoked and disciplinary action taken.”
You immediately realize that you are already in violation and surreptitiously remove the Hello Kitty eraser head from the top of your pencil, praying that no one has noticed, and trying your best to look innocent.
Sounds pretty silly, doesn’t it? But substitute the word “computer” for “pencil” and you have a reasonable facsimile of the acceptable use contracts routinely distributed in classrooms from coast to coast.
Responsible use documents began appearing back in the mid-90’s, when it became apparent that the World Wide Web was becoming a permanent fixture in the classroom. It seemed prudent to administrators, school attorneys, and educators to set some perimeters for this learning tool. Then they installed filters on school networks to contain the information available on school sites (Although resourceful students quickly learn how to navigate around them---Last month, I witnessed a fourth grader circumvent a district filter by deftly redirecting his search through google.ca instead of google. us.) Inadvertently, those perimeters fueled the fear for many classroom teachers. They proceeded with caution. A couple of years ago, the National School Board Association released a report proposing that, perhaps, fears of the Internet use in school were overblown.
Even though it’s decidedly uncool to admit it, there still lingers a fear factor when it comes to computer use in schools, generated in part by the long list of don’ts, administrative cautions about inappropriate sites, lurking strangers, our litigious society, and other calamities astir when students access the Internet in school. Those cautionary tales are often compounded by the teacher’s self perceived lack of “tech savvy.” The fears simply outweigh the benefits for some educators. I encountered this recently, while working with faculty members and students in a large middle school. “I’m still afraid of the Internet,” confided one teacher. “I don’t want to be responsible for all of the things that can go wrong when students are unleashed. I know I can’t watch them all every minute.” I pointed out that students are using the Internet anyway. A recent study in the UK indicates that students are averaging a whopping 31 hours a week on the Internet, mostly for socialization and entertainment. The MacArthur Foundation’s Digital Youth Project details how students learn and interact through the World Wide Web. Other teachers pass the buck. “If my kids need to use the Internet, I send them to the media center and let the media specialist deal with it,” another teacher told me.” That’s part of her job.”
That fear is certainly not confined to the United States. A quick Google search reveals that teachers in the UK are struggling with the same issues “afraid of technology, while underestimating the impact of students’ experience in technology outside school” while the Director of Education in Saudi Arabia is implementing teacher training programs designed to “break the technological fear barrier.” There’s even a guy on the Internet who promises to eliminate fear of computers by rerouting your bioenergy system---at a thousand dollars a pop.
There is a less expensive solution available.
It’s occurred to a number of folks that, if our students are spending massive amounts of time on the Internet anyway, perhaps we are all better off embracing the truth of that, and teaching them how to become responsible digital citizens. Mike Ribble and Gerald Bailey quantified and elaborated on the concept of digital citizenship by developing and describing nine themes of effective digital citizenship. These educators from Kansas State University’s College of Education spell it out plainly: Kids are not simply not going to become responsible and thoughtful users of technology unless we teach them how to be. ISTE supports this with a student NET standard cultivating responsible digital citizenship. And the new NAEP standards coming down the pike for 2012 remind educators that the time to take that leap is now.
There are a number of excellent sites that provide balanced information and training for educators and administrators to pass on to students. One of my favorites comes out of the UK. Digizen points out that digital citizenship “isn’t just about recognizing and dealing with online hazards. It’s about building safe spaces and communities, understanding how to manage personal information, and about being internet savvy - using your online presence to grow and shape your world in a safe, creative way, and inspiring others to do the same.” The site provides a range of information, ideas, and resources on just how to develop that in your home and classroom. Another excellent resource, Digital Citizenship, builds on Ribble and Bailey’s nine themes of digital citizenship education and pairs them with helpful links. The United State government developed a kid friendly site on cyberethics. Netsmartz provides games, activities, and videos that promote cybersafety. Students themselves are getting in on the act: Minor Elementary School in Lilburn, Georgia has developed a webquest on "safe surfing".
Like any true change, digital citizenship is a learned and gradual process. It begins with awareness, follows with education, application, and lots of practice, and culminates in fluent use, evidenced by the choices that students make about the ways they access and use technology.
Are Internet safety issues real? Of course. Responsible teachers and parents must work together to find the delicate balance between censorship and information, common sense and fear. Surprisingly, the “what ifs” we fear most—online predators, stalking strangers, explicit sites—take a backseat to the single greatest Internet threat facing students today. Art Wolinsky, of Wired Kids, (who, by the way, originally came up with the clever substitute-pencil-for-computer illustration at the top of this blog) talked to me recently about Internet safety. “The greatest threat to students on the Internet is cyberbullying, “he said. He went on to tell me that a whopping 85 percent of students reported either participating or being the victim of online bullying. “It is need for education on all fronts. It is education, and intervention, that is most needed, and will do the most good.”

Presentations isn't just for the business world!

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 22:46:44 -0800

Wow- Adobe Labs keeps coming up with new tools that free education to focus on the CONTENT of learning, not the tools and limitations of shared resources. With just five minutes of playing with Presentations in the Adobe Labs I could see numerous classroom applications.

I work in a high-poverty school that shares just a few technology resources among a large list of classrooms. The Presentations tool has many of the same attributes of Buzzword in that I can have students collaboratively work on a project. With just one laptop or computer in the classroom or if I have the entire set of laptops from our cart, students can focus on the content of the presentation. We don't have to worry about WHERE the original file is saved, which laptop it was saved to, or trying to access a server that the updated files might or might not have been saved to.

Adobe has just helped the collaboration process- this tool is easy enough to use that with just some basic training students can start the creation process.

Connect Pro and SMART Board Integration

Sun, 07 Jun 2009 21:39:07 -0800

One of the challenges I tried to overcome for the past couple of years was how to help a math teacher use Adobe Connect Pro. The white board inside Adobe Connect Pro is not designed for a math teacher’s extensive use of a mouse and the amount of time they spend drawing out equations would make any math teacher’s hand ache. They would prefer using a dry-erase marker. At the same time, most of the students won’t be sitting in front of a computer to watch a math teacher draw out the equations. On the other hand, I tried document cameras, web cams, and HD Camcorder’s plugged into a Connect Pro Meeting Room’s Camera and Video Pod with a FireWire connection. The big challenge here is frame rate. The hand motions always look blurred and lagged behind a person’s voice. The solution is to integrate SMART Board technology with a Connect Pro Meeting Room. Basically, a math teacher uses a SMART Board to draw out equations just like if they were using a white board with dry-erase markers. It is a simple set-up and integration with Adobe Acrobat Connect because all a math teacher needs to do is open up a Connect Pro Meeting Room and begin a ‘Screen Share’ and ‘Recording’ of their desktop. The image which is being displayed on the desktop is of the SMART Board, so every hand motion is in synch with the voice and it looks seamless and transparent to the students. They are just watching their math teacher draw out equations on the board just like any other day in the classroom, however, a recording of every move and teacher’s voice is being made possible by Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro in the background. And students who had trouble on particular day and/or where just plain sick can now watch the recording of the lesson from home as many times as they would like through a simple hyperlink found on the teacher’s website. The teacher could also be sick the next day and could make a recording of their lesson from home and give it to the sub for the day and not even come into work, just kidding!

Example of Connect Pro and a SMART Board

Adobe Connect Pro
Smart Boards

My Connect Card
My Connect Room

Google wave

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 20:47:07 -0800

Google is showing off an interesting opensource collection in wave.google.com

A Software Vendor Is Coming To Your School To Give A Presentation

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 19:04:41 -0800

The Decision Makers Can’t All Make It - What Can You Do?

A simple solution, use Adobe Acrobat Connect Professional to set-up a
Meeting Room to capture a vendor’s audio and presentation. These presentations
are traditionally done with a computer, screen and projector. Basically, the set-up
of an Adobe Connect Pro Meeting Room does not influence this traditional presentation
set-up for the vendor. The Meeting Room is used to capture a screen share of the desktop
of the vendor. All one has to do is start sharing the vendor’s screen in the room and start
the audio capture and recording. Some potential issues are getting permission from the
vendor to record the session, I would suggest letting the vendor know a long way
in advance the recording will be only used for internal school district use.
Another issue is how to get the questions from the presenter into the recording?
I would just ask the vendor to repeat the questions back into the microphone or headset
so the questions and answers make it back on the recording.
Once the vendor’s presentation is complete, all you have to do
is email the rest of the team who could not make it with the link to the recording so they can
watch the vendor’s presentation at their own timing. The hope is with Adobe Acrobat Connect Professional and the rest of the team to make a smart decision on the purchase
of the new software on the re-review of the the presentation from the vendor.
This creates a larger opportunity for a group process even though one person
may have been only present at the vendor’s original presentation.

Dave Forrester
My Connect Card

The Long Climb of Technology Infusion

Fri, 29 May 2009 16:20:01 -0800

There's always gonna be another mountain…we’re always gonna want make it move.”
Mylie Cyrus’ new tune (that’s right…..I’m quoting Hannah Montana….have I been working in elementary schools too long?) may have been targeted at tweens, but it could become our official Educator’s Anthem. After all, relevant education must keep in tandem with the times and culture. It’s no news that today’s teachers continually face new challenges. In the 21st century, that often means committing to the long upward climb of technology competency—acquiring skills, keeping abreast of new resources, and figuring how to apply them in the classroom to power up student learning.
One of the Everests looming on our horizon is the technology requirement that is being added to the national cocktail of standardized testing. Technology competency testing is on its way down the pike. NAEP is set to release a trial run this fall, targeted to be finalized by 2012. The goal is student demonstration of problem solving in technology rich environments. Wow. That sounds exciting. Rigorous academics combined with rigorous creativity and rigorous thinking skills. That’s substantial education! The directive is clear: infusion, not inclusion. (That’s edutalk for shaken, not stirred.) But, what, exactly, is the difference?
Most of today’s classroom teachers are comfortable with technology inclusion. It’s been around since Bank Street Writer introduced us all to the magic typewriter. Walk in most classrooms today, and you will see students using software programs to supplement or extend learning in some way. That’s inclusion. But try to place these activities on the New Bloom’s Taxonomy and you may find that they fall squarely on the bottom every time. Too often, the fingers may be moving, but the mind remains at rest.
Infusion is another paradigm altogether. It uses technology as a tool for critical and creative problem solving and communication. The word may conjure up images of students physically immersed in the Cone of Learning, Vulcan style (you had to See the new Star Trek movie to pick up on this visual), but it really means bringing technology into partnership with traditional programs. Learning is still curriculum based, but creative technology applications are woven through the curriculum. The students become active shapers of this form of learning. The teacher acts as a frameworker and manager, using multiple literacies to weave together standards and disciplines, identifying and applying appropriate tools to ensure relevant information literacy, integrating information and research skills to solve problems, and designing rubrics collaboratively with students so that all learners can effectively access the learning process. That’s the kind of stuff you find at the pinnacle of Bloom’s pyramid.
It sounds great, and it is. But it leads us to our next question: How the heck do we teach teachers how to do this? We are coming up on thirty years of technology instruction for teachers and technology resources for the classroom. The inclusion piece is firmly in place. The idea of infusion is still a long way away. Technology coaches Melanie Holtsman and Dayle Timmons have a few suggestions.
Melanie and Dayle are leading the climb at Chets Creek Elementary School in Jacksonville, Florida. Together, they share the role of campus technology coach. Dayle works with K-2 teachers and Melanie focuses on the intermediate grades. Their mission: to infuse technology into the elementary classroom.
I’ve been following Melanie’s blog for a while, and decided to visit the campus a few weeks ago. Evidence of technology infusion is everywhere—from the Principal’s Book Club project to the second grade weekly news show. “We’re making strides with students,” explained Melanie, “but we are most excited about the changes we are making with teachers, because that’s where the real change happens.” Melanie was interested in the possibilities of technology in the classroom, and began following a blog by a classroom teacher in New Zealand. “She just talked like a teacher: here’s what I did, here’s how I did it, and this is what I learned. It encouraged me to think that I could do these things, too. Things turned around for me when I made the transition from thinking of technology as a “cute” add on to the curriculum to a way to make learning more purposeful,” she explained. “And the big surprise was that these activities weren’t necessarily harder. It takes as much time—maybe even more---to find and print a black line activity on Native Americans as it does to find a You Tube Interview with a Native American chief, describing his life and culture in today’s context. I made the connection with working smarter, not harder.”
At this point, relates Melanie, she decided to become a risk taker. “I began to make what I was doing transparent. I wanted other teachers to see that using technology—rethinking the role of technology in learning—actually made things easier for the teacher.”
“Teachers have so much on their plates,” added Dayle. “They work on a ‘need to know’ basis. So, we invite them to join us in learning projects. We don’t say ‘Here’s something you have to learn.’ We show them what’s in it for them—we spell out how it grabs students and engages them, how it addresses critical and creative thinking skills, and how it meets multiple standards.”
The technology coaches use a range of 2.0 technologies to introduce their teachers and their classrooms to learning through technology. “We introduce an idea, and say ‘This is an opportunity’. Everyone who participates moves forward a little bit—some teachers make leaps. We have a core group of teachers who’ve kept with it, and they are growing into team leaders for technology infusion. Teachers at Chets Creek are very open about sharing what they know with their colleagues,” Melanie says. “Teaching and learning are always about collaboration—you rise and fall with your team. We are always trying to encourage each other to think bigger about what we are doing in the classroom. Collective wisdom causes you to think deeper.”
Chets Creek accomplishes a great deal with a modest array of hardware. Every classroom is equipped with two desktop computers, a document camera, an LCD projector, and a DVD player. Each teacher has a laptop computer. The media center has the standard rounds of desktop computers for student research and the electronic catalog system. “We do a lot with free applications,” explains Melanie. “We want teachers to have a feeling for the range of resources out there.” For example, the faculty keeps a free blog site. Teachers attending state, national, and international conferences are asked to take along their laptops, and use them to share ideas, lessons, and reflections with teachers back home. Melanie and Dayle showed teachers to use Voice Thread to collaborate on a digital story to share with the student body. They used Vimeo to host classroom videos on a wide range of subjects (Our teachers love flip cameras,” says Melanie. They are so easy to use. And so inexpensive!”). Glogster becomes the tool of choice to communicate through imagery and text.
The greatest change brought about by technology infusion? “Teachers get excited about learning,” says Melanie. “When that happens, it rejuvenates the whole system.”

Teachers to Tech Support-We are Not the Enemy!

Thu, 28 May 2009 15:28:24 -0800

In my role at my tiny school district in the central valley of California I find myself in a rather unique position. I wear the hats of classroom teacher (computer lit) and tech support and coordinator. I am also an Adobe Education Leader and in that role I have the opportunity to travel throughout the United States as a trainer and presenter. Whenever I am out of my district training I am often engaged in a discussion about one of the most basic frustrations teachers have around the country (these are teachers trying like mad to integrate technology into their curriculum.) Their frustration source-none other than their own district and school technology administrators and tech support personnel!

Why is it that we have become enemies? Teachers all over the United States tell me that they are constantly locked out and filtered out from most, or all, of the fantastic new free web 2.0 tools that are currently available. Not only are the newest and greatest unavailable, they are frustrated because they can’t even install a simple Flash or Java upgrade themselves. In their efforts to regulate and “keep safe” their networks, administrators have made decisions that often ignore many of the very reasons their networks exist-to facilitate learning and prepare our students for their future. Today’s digital natives are already exploring and using Web 2.0 tools outside schools. Isolating them from these tools at school not only sends them the message that we are outdated and irrelevant, it give them further excuses to tune out, or as they tell me often, to power down, when they enter a traditional classroom.

As a person who also is responsible for most of the tech support for our district I also understand the need to protect the network’s integrity as well as filter inappropriate websites at our district. I’ve had a few issues to deal with over the years that have cost me some time and been frustrating. But I view my job as a facilitator; in a position to use technology as a real innovator that can move our education system toward a student centered, collaborative and participatory environment that supports authentic, real world learning. All my teachers have administrative rights on their “teacher” computers, and you know what, they handle that responsibly, because they are professionals. Instead of locking down their computers, I spend time educating and guiding them so they know what and how to download safely and avoid problems.

According to “Leadership for Web 2.0 in Education: Promise and Reality” published in 2009 and sponsored by CoSN “In order to be competitive and responsible economically, politically, environmentally, and socially, U.S. youth must graduate from school ready to thrive in those realities, one of which is the participatory culture of Web 2.0 technology”*. The current findings suggest that we aren’t even close to having the educational mindset to affect our school cultures to align teaching and learning to the needs of 21st century learners. In President Obama’s inaugural speech he said, “…everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act – not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth…we will transform our schools and college and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And this we will do.” I’m glad that our President is so optimistic and I try to stay optimistic too, but until all the stakeholders that support education embrace the need to utilize technology in new ways no real change has a chance.

This issue came to light again this week when the list serv that I belong to (tech administrators for our county) started a new thread concerning Facebook and communicating with students outside of “work”. The implication was that this was immediately a bad thing, and should be monitored, banned, blocked, etc. I found it incredible that no one on the list expressed any value in using Facebook as an educational tool. The originator of the thread expressed his plan of action to issue an “Official recommendation that the district discourage the use of Facebook or any other social networking site to communicate with students out side of work”. His main concern was the hypothetical case that someone might post something that did not positively reflect the teacher or the district. Wouldn’t that be great, if we could prevent all criticism of our districts? Educators everywhere are using blogs and other tools to communicate with their students and avoid the roadblocks the tech guys have laid down-are we going to ban those too? I argue that, again, instead of banning, we educate our professional teachers to use the new tools with caution, embracing their positive potential with careful respect for possible misuse.

Perhaps the cause of this enormous rift in mind set between the techies and the teachers has to do with the fact that most tech support and tech administrators are not educators. I find it interesting in my list serv that the tech personnel refer to our environment as “work”, not school. I know I am at work everyday that I teach students, but I always refer to my workplace as “school”-where teaching and learning is taking place and where I am doing my best everyday to meet the complex needs of my clients, my precious students. The stakes are too high for us to continue down this road. We must ensure communication and respect between teachers and tech administrators. We must work toward the same goals because, as our Presidents so eloquently expressed during he inauguration speech, “we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age.” I just hope we don’t have to fight the tech administrators the whole way toward this goal…

Come on tech guys, can’t we all just get along?

*http://www.cosn.org/Default.aspx?id=85&tabid=4189

New exam study guides for Adobe Associate Certification (ACA)

Thu, 28 May 2009 14:50:07 -0800

Adobe just released free exam study guides to prepare students and educators for the new Adobe Associate Certifications. In addition, Adobe Press has released three new offerings in the Learn by Video series.

The free exam study guides include:

- Web Communication using Adobe Dreamweaver CS4
- Rich Media Communication using Adobe Flash CS4
- Visual Communication using Adobe Photoshop CS4

Versions for the older CS3 are also available.

The Learn by Video series includes:

- Learn Adobe Photoshop CS4 by Video: Core Training in Visual Communication
- Learn Adobe Dreamweaver CS4 by Video: Core Training in Web Communication
- Learn Adobe Flash CS4 Professional by Video: Core Training in Rich Media Communication

See details>

Create Stunning (Online) Presentations

Thu, 28 May 2009 06:16:40 -0800

The Adobe Lab gurus are pretty smart cookies. They have just released a slick online presentation program that will allow you to:

create your own professional presentations online using built-in tools and layouts.
Simplify working with others on presentations. Create, revise, and collaborate on the same presentation at the same time -- all online. No need to e-mail attachments back and forth or track down who has the latest version.
Meet your deadline with ease. With simultaneous editing, no one is locked out of the presentation while others make changes.
Access your presentations from anywhere. Your presentation is always available online so you can do last minute tweaks, present it from wherever you are, or deliver it offline by exporting to Adobe PDF.

The free service “behaves like a desktop presentation application but operates inside a web browser.”

Check out this article for additional information...

Go to Adobe Labs to Check it Out!

Captivate vs. Presenter – Everyone Can Win With Both Of These Powerful Adobe Products

Thu, 21 May 2009 18:38:53 -0800

I remember when I discovered Adobe Presenter. I thought it was the coolest product just like when I discovered Dreamweaver, Fireworks, and Flash years ago. I still think it’s becoming the Harry Potter of the software world. The ability to take a Powerpoint presentation and voice over it with a simple microphone or headset and then publish it to a website or Connect Pro Server was a ground breaking moment for me. And then knowing people can access me and the information I had presented on twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week pushed my ability to communicate with others in a non-linear, futuristic way. At the same time, Adobe Captivate became a new curiosity for me. I did not understand the differences between the two products until a few months ago. I have provided a detailed description about the differences between the two products in a link I have included at the end of this blog post. Basically, one should use Adobe Presenter for ‘informational presentations’ where no software training and/or interactivity is being used. One can use Adobe Captivate for trainings which require ‘highly interactive or branched scenarios’. I believe the ability to use branched scenarios within Adobe Captivate to be extremely powerful for the end user. The ability to survey and/or quiz individuals, then lead them down different learning pathways to be truly remarkable in such a simple, but robust product. I would invite everyone to check on my links and examples of products produced by both software applications. Enjoy!

Captivate Example
Captivate vs. Presenter pdf

My Meeting Room
My Connect Card

Redefining the Role of the Teacher

Tue, 12 May 2009 05:19:09 -0800

"The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot
read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and
relearn."—Alvin Toffler

Today’s educators teach in times that are both exciting and demanding. Many of us have witnessed—and have contributed to—significant shifts in education. Sometimes, we find that those shifts push us outside our comfort zones.

Without doubt, digital media plays a key role in the shaping of this new world. It brings a universe of information to our doorstep at the stroke of a key. It enables connection and collaboration, on a global scale—any time, and anywhere. It has created a whole new breed of learners and communicators, many of whose interests and focus lay beyond the classroom walls. And it holds deep implications for the future form, and role, of educators.

The Digital Youth Project, an in-depth study commissioned by the MacArthur Foundation, takes a close look at the way that students communicate and learn through digital media. That study, and its corresponding book, Hanging Out, Messing Around, and Geeking Out: Kids Living and Learning with New Media, spell out a serious disconnect between the 20th century lens through which many educational institutions view the instructional process, and the world that exists “beyond the bell” for today’s students.

This conceptual, informational age, and the children who have been born into it, casts a new light on the role of the teacher. Long accustomed to our traditional role as the “Purveyor of Information”, we suddenly find ourselves displaced in that particular arena. We just don’t have a corner on that market any more. Our job description has changed. The plain truth is, that, in order to remain relevant, our role must be redefined. But how? The answer to that seems to be organic in nature—a grassroots response of educators who are meeting their students where they are, who are making learning and communication relevant within the context of the world as it is today, and who keep an eye forward to the ultimate goal of developing true Digital Citizens.

So, what are savvy teachers doing today to acknowledge their interests and learning preferences, to hone into the ways that they perceive and use the world of information and to prepare them for responsible participation in a 21st century world? That’s a big question. And the models for that are everywhere.

Through my work, in schools of every configuration and level, I begin to see a few ubertrends of forward thinking educators:

Teachers as Frameworkers: These educators do a great deal of planning, organization, and management up front. They feel that it frees them up to work alongside their students as coaches and guides. These teachers are very likely to be open to learning alongside their students. Robert Miller, 4/5 grade teacher at Port Orange Elementary, in Port Orange, Florida, is an excellent example of this.

“I spend a tremendous amount of time on planning and management,” Robert says. “You have to have a well planned infrastructure. After you have established that, you have to be willing to take the risk of turning learning over to the students. I give the objective, describe the outcome, and we work together to establish the criteria. After that, I grow, observe, amend, and expand with them---managing, editing, and learning alongside their experiences.”

Teachers as Connectors: These teachers embody pure genius when it comes to bringing a world of learning to the doorsteps of their students. The process can be as simple as finding, and persuading, the right speakers, mentors, and specialists to participate in the life of the classroom, to creating and participating in connective software and Nexus points that broaden the view and knowledge base of students. New breeds of educators, like Roxana Hadad of Northwestern University’s Collaboratory Project, specialize in their role as edu-connectors.

“I’m not really a teacher by trade,” Roxana said. “I see myself as someone who uses available technology, in combination with sound pedagogy, to connect students, teachers, the community and industry. I try to encourage collaboration in a way that's beneficial to all parties that are involved. Technology alone does not initiate collaboration. One has to create an environment that promotes critical observation and discussion. The goals have to be clear to everyone, with an understanding that we will only get to where we want to go with conversation.”

Teachers as Enablers: Magda Kahn, ESL instructor at Groves High School in Garden City, Georgia, was inspired by a digital storytelling workshop offered by the Massie Heritage Center in Savannah, Georgia. Ms Kahn quickly admits that her technology skills were basic. “I learned a great deal by working through the digital storytelling process myself,’ she says. “ I began to understand the power of technology and its relevance to learning. My big challenge was finding a way to translate it to the classroom.” She identifies two hurdles: her lack of technical expertise, and the constraints of current educational requirements.

“My philosophy (about technology inclusion) is ‘We’re all in this together’,” she explains. “If I’m trying to take my students through a step in the technological process, and I get lost, I ask them to help me through it. I have to be willing to learn with them. Sometimes, I will ask each student to identify a function on the toolbar or menu, spend some time exploring it, and prepare a short expository presentation on that skill. That way, my students meet the ESL goals of written and oral language, while we all become more proficient at technology.”

When we embrace the notion that how we teach is as crucial to the learning process as what we teach, we naturally begin to expand and reexamine our roles as teachers. As we reach into the world of our students, the everyday business of teaching and learning transforms into a shared, creative journey. And isn’t that when teaching, and learning, really start to matter?

Is Piaget Déclassé?

Sat, 09 May 2009 12:31:50 -0800

Let’s face it. We love technology. We just do. It’s captivating, creative, and, yes, it’s hip. Most of us who bother to read posts like this one dedicate some time and effort to building our geek cred. If some technology is good, more must be better. We know what it adds to the learning arena. If it empowers high school students, engages middle schoolers, powers up cross curricular learning for elementary age students, it must do phenomenal things for babies and toddler, too. Right?

Many parents think so. Technology and digital media for babies is big business, infused into the earliest lives of our children. Consider the popularity of Baby Einstein videos or the wealth of software developed specifically for babies and toddlers. They have their own hardware, too! Check out the Comfy Easy PC Keyboard for babies, marketed through Baby Genius. Does this early exposure work? Are kids getting smarter, faster?
Not necessarily, say Dr. Dimitri Christakis and Frederick Zimmerman, both of the University of Washington. Their research doesn’t bear up the benefits of toddler targeted technology. In fact, their study indicates that too much early exposure to these tools actually delays language development and over stimulates the babies, making it difficult for them to concentrate later on in life. The researchers worry that parents might believe that these products serve as a valid replacement for human interaction.

"Babies require face-to-face interaction to learn," says Dr. Vic Strasburger, professor of pediatrics at the University Of New Mexico School Of Medicine. "They don't get that interaction from watching TV or videos. In fact, the watching probably interferes with the crucial wiring being laid down in their brains during early development."
So, when do we begin to infuse technology into the world of learning? Susan Haughland, a researcher with the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, believes that preschool is the best time to introduce the computer.
“Computers in the preschool and kindergarten classroom have great value when they are used in a developmentally appropriate way,” said Susan Haughland from the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory. Compared to children in a similar classroom without computer experience, three-and four-year olds who used computers with supporting activities had significantly greater gains in verbal and nonverbal skills, problem solving, abstraction, and conceptual skills.”

If you want to know the secret of life, or just about anything else, ask a kindergarten teacher. I found several with plenty to say about the meaningful integration of technology into the kindergarten schoolscape.
“Technology is integral to the kindergarten classroom,” explains Patricia Kershner, a career kindergarten teacher, “because that’s the way today’s world works, and the job of the teacher is to prepare them for that world.” Kindergartners learn by experiencing a concept in many formats, she explains, and often need to work with a concept over and over in order to really understand it. “ It’s (technology) not a substitute for doing, or for sensorial experiences, or for good teaching, but the right computer activities can supplement and enrich students in unique ways. The computer has the added advantage of providing visual and auditory information and improves their eye-hand coordination. In the right context, it is also a forum for social and creative expression.” It comes down to knowing your students, she adds.

Colin Lankshear and Llana Snyder, authors of Teachers and Technoliteracy (Allen and Unwin, 2000) agree. “The role of the teacher is to move students from information to knowledge,” they write. Technology and digital media can contribute to this. “But,” they advise, “We have to make sure that technology serves educational needs and not the other way around.”

So, maybe Piaget, with his classic developmental stages and his concrete-to-abstract philosophy, has something of value to contribute to technology education in the elementary school. But just how do we approach technology education from a developmental perspective?

I like to provide physical models for my young students. For example, I press a jewelry box, with many drawers, into service to illustrate the drives of a computer. Fixing an image of a computer to the back of the box, I label each one of the drawers on the front face accordingly: desktop, peripheral, A Drive, C Drive, D drive, H drive. I print out a series of miniature photos and documents, and place them into the various drawers of the jewelry box. Using the drawers as an analogy for computer drives, I am able to show my students how the files can be moved from one drive to another, how files are integrated, and so forth. It isn’t high tech, but it’s effective—and it helps my students make that leap to the abstract functions of computer use and management.

Concrete to abstract learning applies to software skills as well. My primary age students use a manual cropping tool—a cardboard square with the center removed—to manually isolate an area of their photo. I demonstrate the way that technology can be used to crop photos and help them make the connection between the two processes. These same students select and manipulate real objects to create collages that represent the details of a story, or that express a concept visually, and then create a scan or a digital photograph of their work. Later on, these same students learn how to create images by layering and manipulating a portfolio of imagery using Adobe Photoshop Elements. Another of my favorite metaphors is to demonstrate the notion of layering images with Photoshop Elements by showing my students a stack of clear report covers, each with an image or drawn on them, a phrase added, or a color added to the mix. As I begin to stack the images, adding more detail, students begin to make the connection to the layering process of Photoshop Elements software. The same is true for storyboarding tools and digital storytelling software. We begin with a low tech mix of index cards, scotch tape, using yellow sticky notes to edit, add, and explain. Inelegant, but effective (and inexpensive!). My youngest students manually manipulate the visual and textual elements of their story, so that they can better understand the digital manipulation of slides and video insertions in storytelling software.

Want more ideas for developmentally appropriate technology instruction? Check out these suggestions from Susan Brooks, co-founder of Internet4Classrooms. Susan Krill from Southwestern School District in Hanover, Pennsylvania, has compiled a comprehensive technology link that exposes young children to information literacy, traditional literacy and learning through technology, creating with technology and age appropriate computer skills.

I think Piaget would be proud, don’t you?

Digital Learning Environments Events Series Update-Pittsburgh

Mon, 04 May 2009 19:50:02 -0800

The fifth and final Digital Learning Environment Event was held on April 28 in beautiful downtown Pittsburg at the City Center Doubletree Hotel. The keynote speaker for the event was Holly Jobe, the Project Manager for Classrooms for the Future (CFF), Pennsylvania’s high school reform program. Holly Jobe has been involved in all levels of education. Her interests include how education technology can reform education and fully engage student in taking responsibility for learning; and educational leadership. She has served in her current position with the Pennsylvania Department of Education since 2006.

Pennsylvania’s initiative goals are to transform the way high school teacher teach and how student learn. With 20 million dollars budget the plan was to equip classrooms in all curricular areas with enhanced technology, laptop computers, and other state-of-the-art resources. CFF provided funds over three years so that all Pennsylvania high schools could participate. Now in the 3rd year of the initiative, 143,000 laptops have been distributed for 500,000 students.

The important component of professional development is being addressed as well. $6 million in state and federal funds was earmarked for teachers and other staff to receive extensive training. Training includes methods that use technology to increase student achievement and ensure that students are ready for college and other demands of the 21st century. In order to support the teachers as they learn the new technologies and attempt integration into their curriculum, the CCF initiative has initiated on-site instructional coaches in each participating school. These coaches provide support and training to ensure that all school staff acquires the understanding and skills to integrate technology into their classroom instruction, use data to make informed decisions, and promote more individualized instruction.

The specific goals of CFF are;
• Improve teaching and learning in English, math, science, and social studies.
• Change classroom practice.
• Change student-teacher relationships.
• Increase student engagement.
• Students responsible for learning.
• Students developing 21st century skills.
• Increase Academic achievement

More specific information regarding the state’s CFF program can be found at: http://www.edportal.ed.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/classrooms_for_the_future/475

As the 5 city DLE events come to a close, it is clear that the goals of Pennsylvania’s CFF are in line with the regional goals for education that we have seen demonstrated and discussed all around the country. It is encouraging to see so many committed educators embracing the need for systemic change in education. Together we can make change happen as we continue to move from the instructor centric towards the student centric model. The events have been opportunities to look at how a digital leaning environment can be the catalyst for teaching and learning in the 21st century. The hands-on opportunities have demonstrated to attendees how technology-rich learning environments not only enrich students’ learning experiences but also help them achieve their goals. Many thanks to all the partners and individuals who made this year’s DLE Events such a success!

The Why Try Organization - Helping Challenged Youth Find Success

Sun, 03 May 2009 16:22:17 -0800

School Counselors are charged with developing programs in three main domains for students. These three main domains are academic, college/career, and personal/social. I would like to bring everyone’s attention to The Why Try Organization. They are leaders in bringing systemic and sustainable student motivational programs into schools to address dropout prevention, violence prevention, drug and alcohol prevention, truancy reduction, and increase academic success for all students. The WhyTry Program is simple, hands-on and a visual curriculum which helps youth overcome and proves their resiliency. Christian Moore, M.S.W is the founder of the program, growing up in Washington, D.C. area within a family of twelve children. By an early age, Christian had been diagnosed with Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder, conduct disorder, and severe learning disabilities. Today, Christian speaks at a large number of conferences and events each year inspiring educators and students to make their lives better. The School Counselors use this program at my high school and we have seen dramatic results with helping our students in difficult situations. So check out their website and resources!

The Why Try Organization
Christian Moore, Founder of the Why Try Organization

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