How are Apps Affecting Student Learning?

This must-read article explains how digital media is affecting American youth.  Kathy Davis got the opportunity to work with Howard Gardner, best known for his theory of multiple intelligences.  Their project focused on apps.  Davis and Gardner authored the book, The App Generation: How Today’s Youth Navigate Identity, Intimacy and Imagination in a Digital World. Many students do not take the necessary "downtime" to reflect, take a walk, think about what happened and what might happen next. What was noted, however, is the increased creativity in the visual arts, but which declined in language arts. 


Is the 'App Mentality' Killing Students' Creativity?  Frank DiMaria 6.16.15. THE Journal, Transforming Education through Technology

How to Avoid becoming App-a-holics

This post describes issues that schools face with abundant technology resources for teachers and students. However, for schools beginning to provide technology options for teachers and students, this post will help in the planning stage.   In some schools the technology demands are overwhelming, not only to teachers but to students.  Read how the author and his partner developed a plan that narrowed down the technology and established 5 parameters for the apps they were allowed to adopt for teachers and for students. This is excellent advice for us all.


Whose in Control?  Minimalism in the Modern Learning Classroom.  William Tolley. 01.29.15. CTQ Center for Teaching Quality

Is Your Technology Broadening Students' Learning?

Most of us will answer that question with a resounding, "Yes, of course!  We've gone through the training and the kids are really engaged."  This article poses 6 questions that perhaps you have not considered, but assumed was occurring because the students were so engaged.  Please read for interesting insight into what we want the technology to do but the result falls short.  The author, Alan November, asks, " Think your school is innovative with tech? Answer these questions and prepare to reassess."


These 6 questions determine if you're technology rich, innovation poor.  Alan November. 1.13.20. eSchool News
http://www.eschoolnews.com/2015/01/13/questions-innovation-303/?

Effect of Internet Filtering in Schools -

Teachers often complain that websites have been blocked in school so that students cannot access them.  Censorship varies according to school/district criteria.  Obviously we don't want our students exposed to pornography, but other overzealous filtering can have an effect that divides the 'haves' from the 'have-nots.' Such filtering takes away the opportunity to teach students the critical thinking skills they'll need to discern the good from the bad.  Excellent!  Worth your time to read.


What's the Impact of Overzealous Internet Filtering in Schools? Kathy Baron.  6.26.14. Mind/Shift
http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/06/whats-the-impact-of-overzealous-internet-filtering-in-schools/

Some Skills Taught Better Through Gaming

Gaming offers the excitement of competition and a clear promise of rewards for accomplishments. It can also help prepare students to win in the real world.  What skills are we talking about?  Dian Schaffhauser explains 5 gaming skills in detail.  Each skill has at least one game example you can try to see if it would work in your situation.

1. Connecting Physical Experiences with Learning
2. Rising to the Competition
3. Working as a Team
4. Grasping Systems Thinking
5. Compromise and Ileration

Perhaps other skills come to mind when your students play digital games.  Share them with us in Comments below.


5 Skills That Games Teach Better Than Textbooks. Dian Schaffhauser. 11.5.14. THE Journal - Transforming Education Through Technology
http://thejournal.com/Articles/2014/11/05/5-Skills-That-Games-Teach-Better-Than-Textbooks.aspx?Page=2

You are Better than "Digital Natives"! '!

It's time to dispel the notion that those "digital natives" in your classroom are better with technology than you are.  A recent study of middle school teachers from New York and Utah discovered through observations and teacher focus groups that students use technology differently than their teachers.  Students are fluent in using technology for entertainment and communication.  Teachers, on the other hand, use technology to solve problems.   Teachers help students in using technology to develop sophisticated thinking.  Excellent article and one that should make you feel a whole lot more confident!


Report:  Teachers Better at Using Tech than Digital Native Students.  Dian Schaffhauser.  10.22.14. THE Journal - Transforming Education Through Technology
http://thejournal.com/articles/2014/10/22/report-teachers-better-at-using-tech-than-digital-native-students.aspx

Jump In & Learn a New Tech Tool!

I love this article.  William Gibson states, "The future is already here - its just not very evenly distributed."  How true.  You can't wait until things stabilize.  They won't.  "The only way to make sense out of change", says Alan Watts, " is to plunge into it,  move with it, and join the dance."  This article is about how to do that.  Excellent!  An article not to be missed.

How to Integrate Tech When It Keeps Changing.  Todd Finley. 8.27.14. edutopia
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/integrate-tech-keeps-changing-todd-finley

Ideas to Consider in Picking Games

This is an excellent article with some good advice.  I laughed to myself when I read that game creators do not consider the time it takes to play.  This is the #1 concern for teachers!  There is only so many minutes in a given period to play.  The author describes short and long form games.  Please do not miss the embedded links, especially MindShift's Guide to Game-Based Learning.  This is the most important part of this article.  Many excellent thoughts and examples for you to consider when choosing games for your students.

Need Help Picking the Right Learning Game?  Some Things to Consider.  Jordan Shapiro.  8.29.14.  MindShift
http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/08/need-help-picking-the-right-learning-game-some-things-to-consider/

Gaming - A Better Learning Experience

For a long while "educational" games were more fun than educational.  Times have changed and you should take a second look at what gaming can do. True game-based learning uses intrinsic experiences and moves away from a more simple extrinsic rewards-based system. Today, game developers identify the concept or content students should learn and in conjunction with 21st century skills, such as problem solving, collaboration, and communication.  Excellent article that should persuade you to re-examine gaming.

Games:  The new learning experience.  Laura Devaney. 8.18.14.  eSchoolNews
http://www.eschoolnews.com/2014/08/18/games-learning-experience-346/?

Screen Time? How Old? How Much? What Kind?

We all have questions about screen time, not only for our students in class but for our children at home.  The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children younger than 2 years old get no screen time at all.  For older children 1-2 hours of electronic media per day.  In school, teachers need to ask themselves how and when electronic media is used.  Justification for its use needs to be determined and then to leverage the efficiency of digital tools that best serve our young learners.
This is a most interesting article and should be read by all teachers because we are all required to use digital tools in our classes.  Just how, when, and why are important questions to answer.

Screen Time That's Valuable For Young Kids.  Jordan Shapiro.  8.8.14.  MindShift
http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/08/screen-time-games-learning-thats-valuable-for-young-kids/

Khan Academy Doesn't Have to be "Boring"

Teachers who use Khan Academy in their classes should read this article.  If not thought through students will say, " Oh, those videos are so boring!  Not again, please!" 
Read this article to get fresh insight in how you can use KA more effectively.

Revisiting Khan Academy with a Clean Slate.  Eric Patnoudes.  8.8.14.  EDTECH - Focus on K-12
http://www.edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2014/08/revisiting-khan-academy-clean-slate

How Can You Minimize Digital Distractions?

Digital devices are keenly interesting to young people.  They love nothing better than to try this and then that, fingers and thumbs flying at numbing speeds.  We do know that unless you restrict how and when students use their devices in class, distractive behaviors will result.  Here's what you can do......

How to minimize digital classroom distraction.  Kyle Albert.  8.14.14.  eSchool News
http://www.eschoolnews.com/2014/08/14/digital-classroom-distraction-043/

Gaming's Learning Benefits

Interestingly, earlier today I posted an article that questioned whether digital tools affected attention.  This article, conversely, describes the benefits from playing educational games in the classroom. The author, Laura Devaney, compares gaming to museum visits.  Both experienceas she claims are: interactive, open-ended, varied and age-appropriate, and provide immediate feedback.  All of this is in the context of FUN.  Excellent article.

4 Ways games make it 'OK to play'.  Laura Devaney, 8.4.14.  eSchoolNews
http://www.eschoolnews.com/2014/08/04/games-ok-play-239/2/

Technology - Tool for Learning or Distraction to Police?

This article raises an important issue - distraction of digital tools that effect attention.  If we as teachers are to foster deeper learning, we need to give students sustained practice and awareness of focus.  Many students are living in the world of multitasking, multiple-screens, headphones, games, social media and apps - all at once.  Some students, depending on their family's economic status, may not have the means to own these devices, but they have them on their wish-list.  The author of this article, Paul Barnwell, is determined to provide more technology-free lessons this next year.  How do you feel about this?  Technology has certainly opened doors, but at what cost we need to ask.  Please offer your thoughts in Comments below.

Digital distraction in the modern classroom.  Paul Barnwell. 8.1.13.  SmartBlog on Education
http://smartblogs.com/education/2014/08/01/digital-distraction-in-the-modern-classroom/?utm_source=brief

Amazing Listing of Teacher Approved Apps

Just what we were waiting for!  This article, written by tech savvy librarian Katrina Schwartz, includes a most extensive list of apps voted the best by educators across the country.   Katrina has grouped them in different categories so that teachers can best locate an app most suitable for their purposes.  I can't begin to list all the apps but here are the categories...  Search and you shall find!

• Digital Storytelling and Presentation Tools
• Video Tools
• Photo Editing
• Augmented Reality
• Reading Engagement
• English Language Arts
• Commenting Tools
• Coding
• Note taking and Organization
• Digital Citizenship
• Social Media
• Apps for Educators/Librarians
• Miscellaneous

Apps That Rise to the Top:  Tested and Approved by Teachers.  Katrina Schwartz. 6.11.14.  Mind/Shift
http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/06/apps-that-rise-to-the-top-tested-and-approved-by-teachers/

What Do We Want Technology to Do For Our Students?

This article is the first in a series by George Couros who will be presenting the "Myths of Technology."  This first post is entitled "Technology equals engagement."  Really?  We know from experience in our small group Title I classes that this can be true at first but not so later on.
What the author wants students to do with engagement is to extend that state to a state of empowerment - do something for yourself that is meaningful using the tools of technology.  Well said!  I'll be posting Couros's future myths as they come on board.

The Myths of Technology Series - "Technology equals engagement." George Couros. 4.30.14.  Connected Principals -Sharing, Learning, Leading
http://connectedprincipals.com/archives/10418

Technology Can Affect Student Writing

Technology has many advantages in schools where we use computers for many learning purposes.  However, in non-school time, many students use computers and smartphones in social media which has a non-academic writing style.  It is up to students to learn to write appropriately for a particular reading audience. Age and economic background affects writing style too.  Younger students text which is their primary form of communiction whereas older students do not.  It is up to us as teachers to inform our students of grammatical correctness in more formal writing for school essays, as an example.

OMG:  Social media may wreck your kid's writing.  Ruth Campbell.  11.24.13.  Southeast Missourian
http://www.semissourian.com/story/2027019.html

Survey Synthesizes Teachers' Attitudes About Technology

This article synthesizes 5 prominent national surveys of K-12 teachers about their practices and uses of technology.  Different kinds of technology were used and results have indicated great questions that have yet to be explored more fully.  The report is available by download by an enbedded PDF link.  Some basic concerns......How has technology impacted student achievement?  What practical ways is instruction by technolgy aligned to state standards and Common Core?  Are tech tools more effective in certain subjects which then impacts costs at the school and district level?  What role do students play and what are their reactions and opinions?  Interesting stuff with no clear answers yet.

Surveys Snythesized:  What Are Teachers' Attitudes About Classroom Technology? Tina Barseghian. 10.11.13. Mind/Shift
https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6806707884730346906#editor/target=post;postID=1416160411702999153

Does Technology Improve Learning?

Matthew Lynch's blog poses interesting thoughts about technology and learning.  He compares what was available to classrooms in 2009 to what is available now. He references Troy Williams of Macmillan at a 2012 conference that his company and others need another 3-5 years to analyze results of student achievement with and without technology.  So here we stand, hoping that technology will grab students' interest and provide stimulus to learn and achieve.
What do you think? Be sure to read the comments already posted after the article....interesting...

Classroom Technology: Does It Really Make a Difference?  Matthew Lynch. 9.20.13.  Education Week - Education Futures:  Emerging Trendes and Technologies in K-12
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/education_futures/2013/09/classroom_technology_does_it_really_make_a_difference.html?cmp=ENL-EU-VIEWS2

Are iPads Key to Teaching and Learning?

This article is not an "article" in the normal sense but an open forum where readers can ask questions, share ideas and solutions, and engage in conversation with colleagues everywhere.  Read what is already written and share your thoughts as well.

Are iPads Key to Teaching and Learning?  8.9 to 8.17,13 Education Week Teacher - Forums. 
http://www.edweek.org/forums/education-forums_education-technology_ipads-key-teaching-learning-1?cmp=ENL-EU-CMTY#plckforumpage=ForumDiscussion&plckdiscussionid=Cat%3A047dba43-3f1d-45c3-831f-9125f292c0a4Forum%3A001cd4c6-4a20-4742-ae9a-6815ffe128c0Discussion%3Ada3779bc-dd95-46bb-8be0-9864ae3edb37&plckforumpostsort=TimeStampDescending&plckforumpostonpage=1