Digital Portfolio

In order to demonstrate completion of all MD400 projects as well as mastery of course content, I have created a digital portfolio.  These portfolios help to showcase student work and development as well as extend lessons learned in the classroom to include a much more vast digital world.  Further, this allows for ongoing conversation between students, teachers and even parents based on student work.  The digital portfolio not only provides a place to display student work, but student reflection is an integral component in order to take the information to the next level and encourage higher-order thinking skills. 

My digital portfolio is in the form of a website which contains the projects required within the course, resources helpful to the study of technology integration in the classroom, and my own philosophy of education.  Some of the projects I created include a 2.0 wiki site, a Photoshop image, an Inspiration concept map, a photo story, a non-linear PowerPoint and a podcast.  Each of these projects has a page devoted to it on the website so that a reader can view my reflection and the completed work.

Please feel free to check out my digital portfolio and let me know what you think!

Computer Delusion

"We need to teach the whys and ways of the world.  Tools come and tools go.  Teaching out children tools limits their knowledge to these tools and hence limits their futures." - Todd Oppenheimer

Without computers in the classroom, would there still be learning?

The above quote concludes and summarizes Oppenheimer's article The Computer Delusion, which I found to be very interesting.  More and more schools are spending their minimal funds on new technology, but at the expense of teachers and important programs.  While technology use in the classroom can be beneficial if used appropriately and in conjunction with a highly qualified teacher, it should not replace programs (such as art, shop or music) that also provide valuable learning experiences.  Schools are decreasing their spending on books and field trips, which are also necessary learning tools.  Young students require hands-on sensorimotor learning in order to retain information and learn creativity, fluency and innovation.  While some students will grow to need computer skills in the workplace, many others will need the project-oriented technical training provided by these programs.  How can we prioritize computer and technological skills over all else?  It should not be an either-or equation, but rather technology should enhance what is being learned and taught.  Rather than being "the school that business built," we as educators need to strive to be what the students need from us: a guide to information and knowledge, not a director towards the computer screen.

iConn

iConn promotes digital equity by bringing the library to you!

There is an amazing website called iConn which helps to provide digital equity within the state of Connecticut. Part of the Connecticut Education Network, iConn provides free online access to reliable information resources to students, faculty and residents of CT.  The goals of the iConn system include allowing universal access to information resources from home or school, preparing students to function in an information-driven society and supporting information needs of CT residents.  With these goals in mind, iConn allows students and teachers, regardless of financial means, access to information and library resources, which aids in closing the digital divide.

Some databases that I found particularly helpful for use in both my professional and academic life include:

• Kids InfoBits: articles intended for an audience of K-5 students that can be searched by young children
• Academic OneFile: articles from various academic libraries that are particularly helpful for older high school or college students
• PowerSearch: articles from newspapers, magazines and journals - great for writing papers!

• Books & Authors: collection of books and reviews that can be searched by teachers or students to find "just right" books
• Discovering Collection: allows students to search a research topic to find relevant book, journal and multimedia resources

Information Problem-Solving Skills

According to Big6, students must be taught skills in order to utilize information to problem-solve and make decisions.  With an abundance of digital information available at our fingertips, students need to understand where to find credible information, and how it can be used.  The Big6 is an information and technology curriculum aligned with state and national standards in education.  Able to be used with various grade levels and ages, information problem-solving skills are taught within six stages: 

1. Task definition: identify information needed
2. Information-seeking strategies: select information sources
3. Location and access: locate sources and find relevant information
4. Use of information: engage with information
5. Synthesis: organize and present relevant information
6. Evaluation: judge the product and process of information problem-solving

So why should we teach our students information problem-solving skills?  First, students learn through doing.  In order to learn and remember important skills, information needs to be presented in a relevant, hands-on manner, which includes using a problem-solving technique.  In this way, educators can facilitate student learning by teaching methods of obtaining and using information: more the how than the what.  Furthermore, teaching information problem-solving skills allows for students to retain these methods to be used in various settings and for multiple purposes. This generalization of knowledge is an assessment tool in and of itself, as it allows student to showcase use of a skill, rather than reproduction of specific information one time.  Lastly, information problem-solving allows students to develop creative skills by not only generating new ways to solve a problem as well as higher-order thinking skills, since they will be evaluating their choices and critically thinking about information and its sources. These skills apply real-world benefits to classroom instruction.

Digital Divide

After reading Warren and Tillberg's article Striving for Digital Equity as well as Alec MacGillis's article Law, software fuel new "digital divide" I've learned a bit more about the utilization of technology in schools. Some school districts are able to afford both highly qualified educators and technological resources to enhance their teaching.  However, some school districts are not as fortunate economically.  Many of these less fortunate school systems have made decisions to spend their funds on computers and software intended to "drill" students with knowledge needed to increase performance on tests mandated by No Child Left Behind (2001), sometimes at the expense of lower class sizes, highly qualified teachers and constructive learning experiences.  This creates a sense of "digital divide" between the have's and have not's.  In order to remediate struggling students, these computer programs provide rote practice on skills that are on the annual test, but do not reflect real-world knowledge.  Although many see the digitial divide in terms of access to technological resouces, it is important to view how the resources are being used: as a replacement for effective teaching, or as an enhancement to what highly qualified educators can provide.  Software can replace a teacher in terms of "drill and kill" practice, but cannot replace lessons on creativity, critical thinking and problem-solving. 

The digital divide's implication for educators is in how we select and attain appropriate technological resources, effectively use and implement the technology, and the quality of the content within the resources.  It is important for teachers to evaluate the needs of their students and choose technological resources that will enhance their learning, motivate the students and provide culturally relevant content.  A few solutions to overcome barriers and strive for digital equity include:

• Constructively using creative media that is culturally relevant to students
• Using financial resources to hire highly qualified teachers and lower class sizes
• Providing professional development opportunities to teachers on how to select and use technological resources
• Utilizing "open-ended" resources that allow for creative expression and problem-solving, rather than "drill and kill" software

Podcast

Using my Educational Philosophy and the program Audacity, I created a podcast.  A podcast is a digital media file that one can create to play for a listener.  It was very easy to create.  First, I read my Educational Philosophy into a microphone.  Then I downloaded a non-copyright music track entitled "In Your Heart."  When saved as a .mp3, the audio track and music can be played together!

In the educational setting, podcasts can be used for a multitude of purposes.  For instance, a teacher can read a story into a podcast for students to listen to on the computer, which would benefit either very young learners or students with learning disabilities or a visual impairment.  Another way to use a podcast would be to digitally record directions that students must follow in order to complete a computer-based project.  Or even instructions for parents on a class blog!  Simple and easy to use, students can be taught Audacity in order to create their own oral presentations.

Click here to listen to my podcast!

Non-Linear PowerPoint

Many of us are familiar with creating PowerPoint presentations.  They are a great tool for presenting information, but are not generally interactive.  As many PowerPoint articles note, presentations can get bogged down by constant bullet points, a lack of information, flashy graphics and "sales pitch" language. Though helpful to the presenter, PowerPoint slides can be a distraction to the audience. 

However, if you create a Non-Linear PowerPoint, you can allow individuals to interact with the information presented and provides a hands-on feature to the presentation.  Similar to a website, PowerPoint has the capability to connect information via hyperlinks in text or pictures.   This makes PowerPoint less of a distraction, and more of a learning tool for the classroom. 

I created a Non-Linear PowerPoint to teach a lesson on rhyming to young children.  First, I created a PowerPoint presentation to present slides for what a rhyme is and to teach four word families (-at, -an, -ig and -ug).  Then, I created two brief quiz questions regarding the information presented. 

Next, to make the Non-Linear PowerPoint, and thus allow the user to interact with it, I had to switch to "kiosk mode" and create hyperlinks.  I chose to link the first slide to the following four informational slides, so that the user could easily navigate through the slides in whatever order they choose.  Then, I added pictures on each of those pages that linked to either the home page or the quiz.  Next, I created slides as either "Good job!" for a correct quiz answer or "Try again!" for an incorrect answer.  That way, a person could read the information, take the quiz and return to the home page as desired.

Click here to view an attachment of my Non-Linear PowerPoint!

I found it really interesting that PowerPoint was able to be used interactively, as I had never before utilized that option.  Instead of solely presenting information to our students, in a lecture format, this allows teachers to create motivating lessons that get students involved in their own learning.  In this format, students can direct themselves through the lesson by clicking the appropriate text and pictures, then quiz themselves on the information learned.  And the best part is that a Non-Linear PowerPoint can be created for any subject or grade!  I think Non-Linear PowerPoint slides can be useful for my students, despite their young age, because they can manipulate the slides to play a game (they won't know it's a quiz!). Using the SmartBoard with PowerPoint would allow them to click on images to learn a variety of facts, including rhyming!