Just like any other activity, technology used in meaningful ways, and in balance with other pursuits, can be a powerful tool for teaching, learning, and communicating.  None of the above programs talk about technology being bad for children, however, they do advocate for making good parenting choices about how much screen time we allow our children to participate in each day.  They also encourage appropriate and relevant use of the technologies at our disposal.  This is an absolutely essential message parents should listen to and heed, and one that I make constant connections with.  The number one thing I argue with my own two teenage boys about at home…???? If you guessed that it’s how much screen time they are logging each day, you are correct!  My husband and I work hard to monitor time spent on screens of all types, help our sons make good choices about the types of technology they are using, and ensure that they are enrolled in other activities that promote a balance between entertainment, educational use of technology, and other “non-technological” activities.  It is an ongoing process, but a valuable one.

Anything not done in balance with other activities can easily be considered “bad” for you.  I rarely hear anyone insinuating that reading is a poor choice for entertainment or leisure; however, if someone were to spend all their time with their nose in a book and avoid participating in any physical activity or interaction with other people, it most certainly would not be good for their health or development.  Technology is much the same.  Is a gaming system inherently bad?  Not at all.  Is making a choice to play video games for 10 hours straight every Saturday and Sunday a poor choice?  Absolutely!  Is limiting gaming time to a reasonable amount each day and providing other opportunities to engage in physical activities and other pursuits reasonable and healthy?  You betcha!

As Technology Coordinator, I advocate for the effective, engaging, collaborative use of technologies in the classroom.  I see people using it in amazing ways every day to make activities, lessons, and units more meaningful.  Technology is not being used for entertainment in schools, but as a powerful tool for locating, working with and presenting information and for collaborating with other students and experts across the globe.  Here is just a sampling of some of the things I see happening on a fairly regular basis in SD73 schools:

• Teachers presenting engaging lessons using interactive learning objects and multi-media on a SMARTboard
• Students requesting more questions on a quiz because they enjoy submitting their answers using response “clickers”
• Kindergarten students interacting and learning with their “weather buddies” in El Paso, Texas
• Teacher-Librarians using current, relevant subscription databases and online resources to teach information literacy and research skills to students – and teaching them how to use a wide variety of interactive presentation tools to share what they’ve learned in their research
• Grade 7 students participating in a videoconference with the Canadian Space Agency to learn about Mars rovers
• Students Skyping with an author to learn more about their books and their writing process
• Teachers sharing classroom information, links, podcasts, assignments and more with parents and students via their blogs and class websites
• Resource room teachers using iPad apps to help students with special learning needs
• High school teachers using collaborative tools like Google Docs and Quizlet to help their students work together online and review/learn content.

These are just a few of many examples I can share to demonstrate how technology is being utilized for relevant, positive purposes in our schools.  Integrating these tools into our instruction helps teach students how to leverage available technologies to access information safely and purposely, and create and participate in powerful, meaningful projects and collaborations.  In my professional role I do, and will continue to, promote and support this kind of use of technology in schools, and, as a parent, am delighted that my sons’ teachers are learning about and using these types of tools in their classrooms.

We often hear people state that “everything in moderation” is the key to success.  This applies to food, work, leisure activities and more.  Our children’s use of technology is no different.  “Technology” is not bad for our kids – it’s all about the balance!

When chatting with students upon to return to school this week, many of them tell me they received Christmas gifts that are technology-related (computers, iPod touches, gaming consoles, cell phones, etc.).  My own two sons are no different.  Many of these wonderful tools have Internet access through WiFi, etc. Our children are considered “digital natives” as they have grown up using this technology on a regular basis and can’t imagine a life without instantaneous access to online information and entertainment. As parents, sometimes we feel that 8 year olds know more than we do about cyber space, and we’re not sure where to start in terms of keeping our children safe online. Here are a few key tips:

• Make sure computers and internet-accessible devices are always placed or used in high traffic, public areas in your home so you can observe your child’s online behaviour and be close at hand should there be a question or problem.

• Make it a household policy that your elementary-aged children never sign up for accounts or provide personal information on websites Most sites require that students are a minimum of age 13 to create accounts on their sites – this includes social networking sites such as Facebook (refer to their terms of use). Anyone with these types of accounts has had to check a box to confirm their age or enter birthdate information that expressly states that they are over the age of 13. If you have evaluated a site and have decided it would be safe to allow your child to use, it may be wise to create a family account with a parent’s email address that you will let your child use. That way you always have the ability to login and check on account activity.

• If your older child is using a social networking site, consider creating your own profile and have them “friend” you. Remind them that everything they post is part of a permanent “digital footprint” that they are leaving on the web, and that it is possible for people to see the information that they are posting – sometimes even those that they do not know. (Check out this great post for activities you can do with students (and yourself) to assess your digital footprint).  It is also imperative that you and your child are mindful of security settings – make sure only your “friends” can view photos, see personal information or read status updates.  Consider creating limited profiles if you don’t want all your “friends” to have access to all images and information you post.  While you’re at it, have a good discussion about what an online “friend” is!
  

• Talk to your kids. Ask them about what they can do online, what sites they’re interested in, and who they’re communicating with. Discuss what to do if they access information online that makes them feel upset or uncomfortable.

• A good, comprehensive list of Internet safety tips for parents can be found here:  http://www.netsmartz.org/safety/safetytips.htm

The Internet is a fantastic resource and is an incredible way of connecting, communicating, and finding excellent information. The good far outweighs the risk of any bad. Addressing Internet safety issues should not be done in a way that makes anyone feel afraid or upset. Nevertheless, just as with anything that may have associated risks… from using playground equipment at school to cooking simple snacks at home… education is key to ensuring our kids feel safe and comfortable using all types of tools – including computers, the Internet, and the wealth of resources available through the use of these tools.

There are many terrific Internet safety resources available freely online. Some are informational and great for teachers and parents; some are games and activities that you can use with children. I have compiled some of the best resources I have found and put them into a wiki site. You can access them at:http://surfsafely.pbworks.com/

Are there any other great Internet safety activities that you can recommend?  What has worked for you as a parent and/or educator?  Please feel free to share by posting a comment!

I have been participating in and presenting a lot of workshops on different Google apps and tools lately.  They are certainly things that I, myself, find useful in both personal and educational settings, and I’m really excited to be sharing them with other interested educators in our school district.  I also love that they’re FREE!!! After reading Jeff Utecht’s blog post about how Google is taking over his life (in a good way), I was inspired to do a post about some of my favourite Google tools as well.

Last week I presented to some videoconferencing and rural teachers about  using Google docs in the classroom.  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Google docs, and am very excited about the possibilities of using them with students and teachers in useful, collaborative ways.   Due to the fact that multiple people can collaborate on a Google doc, in real time and at the same time, it makes it a wonderful tool for connecting students, classrooms, and teachers to work together on projects.  This can be done on a local or even global scale because Google apps are hosted on the “cloud”.  This means that you can access your account and shared documents from pretty much any computer (including tablets, smart phones and other devices) with Internet access and a web browser – regardless of your location in the world.

I have been using Google forms on a regular basis.  Forms are part of the Google docs suite, and can be used to make questionnaires or quizzes.  The link to the quiz can be shared with others, and once they fill out their information and click “submit”, Google puts that information into a nicely organized spreadsheet for you to view.  Entries are date/time stamped.  I find this an extremely useful tool for accepting registrations for workshops and pro-d events, and I think they’d be awesome for quick quizzes and other snapshot assessments to inform and guide instruction in a classroom setting as well.

I love Alan November’s model of a classroom community and can see how Google docs and other Google tools could contribute to terrific learning environments that follow this structure.  Have students take turns at different roles during class. Make them contributors to a classroom community.  Teach them to integrate 21st Century Skills effectively!  Here are some of my ideas for how they could be used:

Are there ways that you are using Google tools effectively in your classroom?  Would you like to learn more about them?  SD73 teachers: please contact me at the HGEC for more information. I’m happy to help!

I particularly liked George’s comment about the “disconnect between what we are saying and what we are able to do”.  I think this all relates very well to my previous post about teaching the skill of technology.  He also poses some interesting questions about similar plans rolled out in other provinces, and how they have often failed to come to fruition.  I wonder what elements of the system are creating the disconnect between a good “plan” and the ability to follow through with it successfully.  What do you think?  Please watch the video and share any comments that you may have on the topic!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Yesterday, I came across Jeff Utecht’s awesome blog post which took this idea even further.  Jeff talks about how we are well into the 21st Century, and that any “21st Century skills” we should be focusing on as a result should be well-embedded into our curriculum by now.  Good point – we are only months away from being 12 years into the 21st Century.   1.2 decades.  Hmmmm….

Jeff also mentions a shift that needs to take place – from thinking of technology less as a “tool” to use and more as a “skill” that we need to teach and that students need to learn.   We should be teaching students the skills they need to use technology – any technology they choose – in powerful ways to enhance the teaching and learning situation in their classrooms.  This makes a ton of sense…. but going back to the Richardson quote at the beginning of this post – how many teachers actually feel that they possess the skills they need to be able to teach these same skills to students effectively?  Do our B.Ed. programs focus on teaching these skills to pre-service teachers? Do our school districts provide adequate support for training teachers to make this shift?  Can our school and district technology infrastructure handle the demands that will be placed on them if all (or even many) classrooms start utilizing technology on a regular basis?  If the infrastructure can’t handle it, is there appropriate funding in place to make sure we can upgrade until we can?… and how long will it take to get there?

The last couple conferences I have attended have had a variety of options for topics.  The sessions on technology seem to be very full.  Nobody can deny that teachers are interested in the topic and are showing up to learn about it in large numbers.  Nevertheless, many seem to leave the sessions with many “That makes sense, but…” , or “I would do this in my classroom, but…” comments.  We just can’t seem to get away from the “…but” at the end of the sentence.  Some have expressed that most sessions focus on the “why” aspects of seamless technology integration, but not the “how”.  Despite terrific resources like P21.org and their document “P21 Common Core Toolkit” that outlines what lessons at a variety of grades and content areas look like when technology is a skill that needs to be taught and used, and not an “add on” to the curriculum, we still seem to be lacking a definition of what this looks like in a typical classroom.

I am left wondering, if teachers WANT to find ways to start teaching technology as a “skill”  and not just as a “tool”, why is there still such a disconnect?  As a school district, what can we do?  As a  technology coordinator, how I can I help with this change?  Your comments are appreciated.  Please join the discussion by posting your thoughts below.

I have compiled a list of terrific, interactive resources that work well on the SMARTboard (but also in the computer lab, mobile device/tablet,  or just projected onto a screen) that all have to do with the Halloween theme. Many of these are great to tie in to literature or other activities in your classrooms. For example, yesterday I read a class the book, “Pumpkin Heads” by Wendell Minor, and to follow up did a pumpkin carving activity on the SMARTboard using a site where we “carve” pumpkins electronically and light them up for Halloween.  Lots of fun!

Find the complete compiled list of interactive Halloween resources (and tons of other great stuff!) on the Smart Resource wiki.  Please consider joining this wiki and adding great sites of your own that you think would work well on SMARTboards and link to the BC Curriculum.

Happy Halloween!

There are many different types of exchange projects, but the basic premise is generally the same.  Usually two classes form a collaboration team, and each class presents to their partner class about something they’re learning.  This can be a Science experiment, weather exchange, explanation of Math topics, cultural sharing, descriptive writing, etc.   Each class gets approximately 15 minutes to do their respective presentations, and then there is a Q&A time where each group can ask each other questions about what they’ve shared.  Interaction can be increased by sharing content in the form of game show-type questions,  clues for solving a mystery topic, or by creating something together.

Even the youngest students love participating in projects where they are asked to create a project based on their partner class’ descriptions.  Examples of this are “Monster Match“, “Turkey Trade” or “Snowman Exchange” projects.  Students in each class create a 2 or 3 dimensional monster, turkey, or snowman (depending on the time of year) using a pre-set list of materials.  Each class writes a description of how to replicate their creation.  This description is shared with the partner class either by email or by posting to a project wiki.  Each class tries to replicate their partner class’ creation by following the directions that have been sent to them.  The project culminates with a live videoconference where the classes meet, compare projects and see how well they followed directions.  The results are often surprising!

Exchange projects are a great first step in trying out classroom collaboration projects via interactive videoconferencing (IVC).  If you want some support planning your project or finding a partner class match, please contact me at the HGEC and I’d be happy to help!

Coordinator Open House Invite 2011

Integration of technology into the classroom can be fun, exciting, and invigorating, but I know for some people it can also be somewhat intimidating too.  I will do my best to post “small bytes” of information that you can easily digest, process, and try out in your own teaching practice.  Start with one piece that you want to try, build your confidence, and soon you’ll be testing out all sorts of new tools and sites.  Your Ed Tech “recipe box” will grow quickly and your students will love you for providing them with a whole smorgasbord of great tools for accessing, creating, and sharing information!

I am here to support SD73 staff in my role as District Technology Coordinator.  Please feel free to contact me at the Henry Grube Center or by email at tpoelzer (at) sd73.bc.ca  I look forward to working with you!