Research+Review

Research Review-- This page is to be used for posting our comments/ review of the articles.

1/28/2012

Blended Learning - The articles that I read for my research review spoke on the idea that a blended learning is a model that is gaining in popularity and even necessity. Blended learning is the idea of combining face-to-face time with a teacher (in what is referred to as brick and morter education) with online education. While the teacher and the brick and morter concept allows for motivation of students and social interaction that is necessary for overall student development, online learning allows students to learn at a pace specific to their needs. The ideal blended learning environment would place the student at the center of an individualized instructional program that aligns with the core curriculum standards. The program might consist of taking virtual field trips, reading books, educational video games and online educational video instruction as well as teacher demonstrated knowledge and quality instruction on the online instruction. Blended learning models typically incorporate 6 different aspects;

Face-to-Face Model = Teacher instruction on the curriculum and expectations of online learning. Rotation Model = Rotation between face-to-face instruction and online learning. Flex Model = Used primarily for drop-outs and credit recovery. Online Lab Model = Entire course within a brick and morter setting supervised by teachers with online instruction. Self Blend Model = Supplemental online courses to the brick and morter instruction. Online Driver Model = Online platform and teacher with optional/mandatory face-to-face check-ins.

It is best to start a blended model with a specific goal in mind usually to implement one of the above models. The goal can be anything from offering online instruction for students with behavior problems, or for students in remote locations, or even students needing credit recovery. Once the goal has been outlined funding becomes a key ingredient to the success of the goal. Funding can come from restructuring of other programs/resources, restructuring of staff (which can decrease the teacher to student ratio and enhance student learning by teacher availabilty), or federal/state/district funding. Some funding can come from offering adult education at a fee to help offset the cost of the online instruction program or districtwide fundraising efforts.

Another best practice is to start small by narrowing down the goal that has been set. For example, should the district decide to implement a credit recover program, it can start by offering an online driver model application for summer school. A separate article in my packet included information about cloud computing and sharing resources and goals with other districts in an effort to offset the cost and resources needed for implementing the defined goal. Another article spoke of the concept of reducing costs by requiring student owned devices to participate in certain online offered instruction while another opted to offset the cost by refurbishing donated computer/electronic devices that students in a technology program repaired/refurbished and then re-sold at discounted prices. This concept allowed one set of students to learn a skill while allowing another set of economically challenged students to obtain needed devices for online learning participation.

Another article spoke about the idea of BYOD (Bring your own device) as a way to offset school costs by replacing school-bought computers/electronic devices with parent-bought computers/electronic devices. The final article did not appear to be related to blended learning specifically but did address the idea of student's having to quickly "unlearn" concepts as fast as they "learn" new ones. With the ever changing and ever growing world of technology it becomes important for students to be able to "unlearn" obsolete technology while simultaneously learning new advances in technology. By embracing technology in the classroom it allows students to "unlearn" and quickly "learn" these technologies and adjust better to the changing environment they will face as adults.

Paula Eby & Kevin Marconett

2/5/12

The article I read was about the security measures school districts need to take to protect themselves as the use of technology in classrooms increases. Establishing a simple firewall to keep content from sites known to be inappropriate may have been adequate in the past, but if school districts want to give its students and staff members the benefits of using some of the newest and potentially most effective tools, a simple firewall will not suffice. One good example of such a tool is YouTube. Not long ago, YouTube was used almost exclusively for entertainment purposes, and a prudent step in any responsible school district's security plan was to block its content. Recently, however, this site has become home to a large volume of informational videos that could very effectively supplement teacher instruction and enhance student presentations & research. While much of its content continues to be of limited educational benefit, put too great a strain on network resources or expose the network to viruses and malware, providing access to YouTube clearly has many benefits as well. The same could be argued for other popular applications such as Facebook, Wikis and Twitter. Of course as these types of problems emerge, so do a number of vendors offering flexible online security solutions, such as McAfee. There will never be a perfect solution, however. As we discussed at our first meeting, perhaps the best stance a district can take is to make technological tools available and take reasonable steps to ensure they are used responsibly. When individual staff members or students demonstrate a refusal to stay within the parameters that have been set, the priviledges of those particular individuals are simply taken away.

Bill Lauson


 * Policy setting - Feb 6, 2012**

The policies that the School Board will set are very important for enabling and setting the future direction of initiatives undertaken in this exercise. These policies will ultimately guide and shape the implementation of any technology initiatives made in this area. Be very clear what the goals of the initiative are, state clearly and often what the guiding policies are. Encourage and LISTEN to the participation of stakeholders in the project. For example; It would be of benefit to be clear about general guiding principals that serve as directives and mandates when implementing any initiative under the policies, such as (example only):

1) It is the intent of the School Board that the main focus of technology adoption is through the unfettered access to publicly available information on the Internet. It is the position of the board that such legitimate access by students in schools furthers educational goals under this initiative. 2) The general position shall be that unless explicitly prohibited by board policy or statute, technology implementation and use at Valley View Schools is permissive as opposed to restrictive.

IOW the policies should state that the field is open for implementation, work should be done to identify specific cases where technology usage is restricted as opposed to policies that seek to list permitted activity.

Neil Paton

The School Board should encourage hardware that meets specific minimum requirements and not worry about models of a specific type - at any given time they can make recommendations on models that currently meet specs, these would change over time.
 * Hardware - obsolete next week - Feb 6, 2012**

Neil Paton

by Susan McLester
 * February 7, 2012**
 * Online Identity Management**


 * **Identity Management and Access Management Solution Program (similar to a "Cloud") Specs- IAM**
 * Identity Management= manages the resources one can access
 * Access Management= program that allows access to the resources
 * Both programs go hand-in-hand
 * Less chance of a security breach
 * Stores district data in one place with only one username and password per person
 * Without a single identity management program, access to important resources of data remains scattered throughout the internet.
 * Student and teachers are being given too many usernames and passwords.
 * In small districts the problem can cause an IT overload.


 * **Saving Money and Time**
 * Program provides a cloud in which district-issued, personal devices and software are managed by a provider in the cloud
 * More devices, less work
 * Frees IT personnel
 * Online storage for district-issued materials- only one copy needed to share (saves money)
 * K-12 to college students in same cloud
 * Access to college courses and libraries
 * State-wide connection


 * **Federated/Local IAM**
 * Federated= connected across states and nations
 * Local= communities can agree to share resources to reduce costs

Kari Borland

==I have found the same thread through out all the information. Technology needs to be in the hands of our students. According to Tech.edu “Almost all students (94 percent) report using tech to complete homework, while fewer than half of teachers (46 percent) incorporate it into assignment.”(2011) “One student stated “technology will play a major role in my future if I am exposed to it now, I will be able to adapt to it later.” Tech.edu (2011). == ==Burlington Massachusetts public schools, found when they provided each high school student with an Ipad, the learning environment changed. Teachers were now able to use digital media in lesson plans, while preparing students for the future. Burlington also found, teacher support to be the most critical factor in the success of technology. Helping teachers feel comfortable allowing collaboration time and providing ongoing guidance are important through the process.==

February 8th, 2012 (Heather Keating)


 * As funding dries up, schools turn to free digital tools.**

CK12.org Khan Academy Google Arts Project PrimaryWall.com Awwapp.com ScribbleMaps.com Bounceapp.com

"When it's free, it's great when it's here" but as I know all too well, free websites disappear suddenly and frequently. A New Jersey High School ran a pilot last year allowing Seniors to use their cell phones for classroom instruction. It was so successful, the school opened it up to all high school students. " The big disconnect is that schools do a very good job of creating an environment that's the exact opposite of what our learners are accustomed to." Those who don't have a cell phone can partner with another student or participate in a group learning session. Students can work on assignments anyway in the building however, certain websites are blocked. Teachers use a program called Poll Everywhere which turns a cell phone into a student response system. A more stimulating and engaging learning environment for students, however technology is not a replacement for a skilled teacher.
 * High School Pupils Bring Their Own Devices- "District Administration" February, 2012 Sherry Parr**

St. Marys School District in Ohio is in the 4th year of using Smartphones in grades 3-6. The teachers created blended learning opportunities using technology to differentiate instruction and assess student learning. "The students are so engaged, it is weird how quiet it gets when they're working on a project", says a 4th grade teacher. GoKnow is the mobile learning platform used to run educational software on handheld computers. Teachers have to reinvent the way they teach. For mobile learning devices to reach their full potential, more variety in effective software must continue to be developed along with the investment in teacher training. St. Marys Schools spends $24.75 per mobile device and although they made cuts in their budget, the board of education kept them in the budget because of the increase in math scores and improved student engagement. "It has to start with a school principal and Superintendent aying I want this in my school. If you value something, you will find the money for it". Sherry Parr
 * __Mobile Devices Drive Creative Instruction- "District Administration"__**

February 8, 2012 //BYOT to School?// discussed the seven steps that should be taken for schools to implement Bring Your Own Technology [BYOT]. The following are the seven steps outlined in the article that was found in the Fall publication of Scholastic Administrator:
 * 1) Think carefully about your goals
 * 2) Survey students about what gadgets they own
 * 3) Get buy in from parents and the community
 * 4) Determine rules for personal devices, and make sure everyone is clear on them
 * 5) Test connectivity by inviting students to bring in their devices
 * 6) Ask students about their experiences with their gadgets
 * 7) Plan how you can use BYOT to develop fun, challenging activities for students

In the article //Response Systems and Assessment// discussed the use of student response systems and the importance of evaluating students during a lesson to determine where the direction of the lesson. This is an opportunity for teachers to know if they need to reteach areas or if students already understand the material expand or move on.

A //Home for Netbooks in the Classroom,// discussed netbooks instead of Smartphones and Ipads because they have a larger screen than the smartphone and it has a key board. The cost difference is another appeal for the netbook that range from $200-300 instead of $500 for an Ipad.

Aimee Vorrasi


 * On The issue of "free" Websites that disappear - Feb 8 2012:**

I suspect that if sufficient investigation is made into the reason for the existence of material placed upon the web you might find that:

1) If sites are primarily the work of one or a few collaborators they are more likely to disappear or become obsolete - function of waning interest 2) If sites are the product of numerous like minded contributors they have greater longevity 3) If sites are associated with or served by for-profit companies (perhaps as a side line service) they are more likely to endure 4) If a critical mass of users is established they are less likely to disappear 5) If content is valuable (not just flashy) they are more likely to endure

Neil Paton


 * Feb 8 - 2012 - Everyone's doing homework last minute ;-) well OK I am (nothing's changed in 30 yrs).**

//Comment: I see lots of focus on specific technology platforms I-Pad for example. These are usually very short lived (5 years ago who would have thought Blackberries would be on their way out, where's Nokia now?), but tend to have an overly strong influence on how we perceive things. I think this is a distraction and limits our perspective. Problem is that they are SO EASILY used to frame the conversation, think rather about tasks and goals under the technology initiative.//

Neil Paton

Sarah Schleehauf~
 * “3-D Technology”**
 * Digital Light Processing (DLP) uses millions of microscopic mirrors to reflect light and create three dimensional effects with a lens projector.
 * Great visual tool for ALL students to learn a concept because of the viewing dimensions of all angles; images “come to life.”
 * Students are engaged and ask higher level questions.
 * Technology can help districts cut costs by providing a valuable experience when materials have to be eliminated (i.e. animals and equipment for dissection labs).


 * “The Pen That’s Smarter Than the …Pen”**
 * Livescribe Smartpens are able to provide a “pencast”, a downloadable audio recording of spoken lecture synced with notes taking in class.
 * Great for students who are absent, re-experiencing a lesson, and helps fill in gaps for student regarding content.
 * Teachers can upload the “pencasts” to the Internet for students to download. This also allows teachers to see who is accessing the files.
 * Teachers can also see misconceptions of students based on the pencasts.
 * $250 per Livescribe Smartpen
 * “Why the Reluctance About Cloud?”**
 * Popular Cloud Apps: Google Docs, Gmail, and Microsoft Office Live Meeting
 * Vartek provides VV staff access to documents via a “cloud.”
 * Potential problems with using Google Docs for students would be that students need a Google account.