Using Social Media to Improve a Teacher's Practice

Artifact: The Inspired Classroom

ISTE Standard 5 focuses on teachers using digital tools to constantly improve their teaching. This includes participating in professional collaboration with other teachers (Standards).

The article I found regarding this standard is “Tech as a Tool for Teacher Collaboration” by Elizabeth Petersen (2010). In the article, Petersen details her use of Twitter and other social media sites to create what she called a personal learning network (PLN), which allows for her to collaborate with teachers from all around the world (2010). The video “Twitter for Teachers” explains the process of building up a PLN, beginning first by finding one respected person in the field of education and then searching out the people they follow, in order to find educators with similar interests (Hill 2010).

Social media and PLN’s have several convenient advantages for teachers’ professional collaboration. Twitter has the advantage of having a long stream of useful ideas from teachers all around the world, and the added advantage of being able to dismiss or ignore ideas that are not interesting with little effort (Hill 2010). Petersen added that another benefit she gained from online collaboration was the ability to put together presentations with teachers and educators she met through the PLN (2010). Through social media, ideas may be effectively shared between teachers, who may then produce collaborative projects of their own.

These features of technological collaboration apparently meet ISTE Standard 5 very well, since the tools take full advantage of technology in meeting teachers through the internet and can effectively produce results, such as Petersen’s presentation, which seem to me to be an indication of successful collaboration. It is possible that some version of Twitter or other social media sites specifically designed just for teachers and educational purposes may have additional benefits that the originals not have, but even without additional benefits, social media as it exists apparently has the opportunity to meet ISTE 5 and offer teaches the chance to find ideas that will improve their practice.

Sources:

Hill, P. (Producer). (2010, August 27). Twitter for Teachers. Video retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tT6N_8wcn4

Petersen, E. (2010, November 6). Tech as a Tool for Teacher Collaboration. The Inspired Classroom. Retrieved from http://theinspiredclassroom.com/2010/11/tech-as-a-tool-for-teacher-collaboration/

Standards for Teachers. ISTE. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/standards/standards-for-teachers

Checking Sources

The fourth ISTE standard deals with the responsible use of technology in the digital world (Standards). Teachers are expected by this standard to ensure that all students have access to technology when possible and that they know how to use it in a way that does not steal intellectual property, allows for more cultural growth through technological communication with other cultures, and deals with other users in a respectful and safe way (Standards).

 

One particular advantage of using technology is the autonomy it affords students for their learning process. An article for ISTE advises teachers to put the “admin rights” into the hands of the students; by this, the authors mean that students should have the ability to download or update software on their learning devices without needing to ask anyone for permission (Lindsay & Davis 2010, 15). According to the authors, this gives the students the chance to learn in their own way and develop their technical skills while practicing responsible technological use (Lindsay & Davis 2010). However, in order for the autonomous use of technology to be beneficial, students must learn how to use technology safely and effectively.

 

One area in which technology, specifically the internet, can be both helpful and unhelpful for students is the area of research. There is a vast amount of data on the web, and it is almost a certainty that any research will unearth some false or misleading information. One highly important skill for students is to learn how to sort through information in order to be certain of using only the accurate information to inform their research.

 

When I began researching methods of checking for accuracy online, a number of fact-checking websites were the quickest search results. However, I do not believe a fact-checking website is the best way for a student to verify information. First, fact-checkers may be incorrect themselves; secondly, an instant answer from an outside source takes away the chance for a student to critically analyze the data on their own. Instead of using a fact-checker, Edutopia has an article suggesting one method of analyzing sources that teachers could share with their students, called the WWWDOT method (Duke 2016). The acronym stands for a process that advises students to check Who wrote the information, Why it was written, When it was written or updated, Does it meet the student’s needs, how it is Organized, and what To do for future analysis, such as cross-referencing the information with another website or an expert (Duke 2016).

 

I think the order of steps in WWWDOT can be particularly useful; if a student can quickly identify an untrustworthy author, then they can avoid spending a lot of time cross-referencing the information. There are probably more suggestions for flags and indicators a student could look for to test the veracity of a website (I would suggest checking to see who published the website, and not just who wrote it), but the WWWDOT method seems to cover important information, and it also encourages the students to think critically and analyze their sources for useful and accurate information.

 

References:

 

Duke, N. K. (2016) “Evaluating Websites as Information Sources.” Edutopia. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/evaluating-websites-as-information-sources-nell-k-duke

Lindsay, J. and Davis, V. (2010) “Navigate the Digital Rapids.” Learning and Leading With Technology. Retrieved from https://canvas.spu.edu/courses/16860/files/415845?module_item_id=121326

Standards for Teachers. ISTE. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/standards/standards-for-teachers

 

Using Technology to Assess More Criteria

ISTE Standard 3: Model Digital-Age Work and Learning

ISTE Standard 3 requires teachers to be proficient in their own technological skills, both in improving student learning and in communication with parents (ISTE).

According to Kathryn Kennedy from the School of Teaching and Learning at the University of Florida, recent years have shown an increase in the demand for online classroom options (2010). Kennedy also indicates that the most effective use of online learning seems to be the hybrid class, which is partly face-to-face and partly online. The advantages gained from online learning include a more flexible schedule and a learning experience tailored more specifically to the individual student’s needs (2010).

 The degree to which online hybridization will characterize my future class will likely be determined by my superiors, but even with a largely face-to-face class, some benefits of technology may still be integrated to make the classroom more personalized. However, before the teacher can meet a student’s learning needs, the teacher needs to know what those needs are. One digital tool that might help with assessing a student’s progress and academic needs is TeacherEase, specifically its online report card. According to the website, the program allows for two different varieties of grading, traditional and standards-based. Without debating the merits of the two types of grading, the value of the TeacherEase system is that it offers both choices. I do not know exactly how it works, since the demo appears to be mainly for current teachers, but I think the fact that it allows for multiple grading methods indicates that technology facilitates more methods of assessing student progress than paper does. Technically, I suppose teacher findings in different areas could be recorded on paper, technology allows for more information to be stored (assuming the program works correctly), whereas paper takes up space and can get lost. Furthermore, while I do not know specifically what features TeacherEase offers, something similar to TeacherEase might have the option of customizing the electronic report to show the information in a way that is most meaningful to the teacher (or parent or student), an option that paper does not offer. While gathering information to reflect on and analyze is still the teacher’s task, I think TeacherEase or similar online programs can be truly transformative in the ability to record and store additional data for teachers to reflect on and use to meet each student’s academic needs.

In addition to improving the particular student’s classroom learning, TeacherEase and similar programs allow for better communication with parents. The TeaherEase Report Card site mentions having the option of letting parents visit the report card. This technology, whether through TeacherEase or something similar, might allow parents to comment on the grades, facilitating easy communication between the teacher and the parents. In this way, because it is quicker and more direct than other communication, it might also prove to be transformative in how much the parents are able to see for themselves. Because of benefits to teachers gathering information and to parents looking at that information, online information systems might prove to have some of the benefits of online learning through the data stored and its accessibility.

References:

 

Kennedy, K. (2010). Cross-Reference of Online Teaching Standards and the Development of Quality Teachers for 21st Century Learning Environments. Distance Learning, 7(2), 21-28.

Standards-based Report Cards. Common Goal Systems, Inc. Retrieved from https://www.teacherease.com/standards-based-report-cards.aspx

 

Standards for Teachers. ISTE. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/standards/standards-for-teachers

EDTC 6433 Module 2: ISTE Standard 2 - Student Blogging as Assessment

ISTE Standard 2: Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments

 

Article: Learning is Messy

 

The second ISTE standard deals with the mechanics of a classroom; specifically, how technology is used to instruct and test (Standards). This standard requires teachers to use technology to find ways of instructing students by the methods they learn best by, and to help them explore topics that interest them. Teachers are also required to use technology to create many different ways to assess student learning (Standards). For a history class, technology might be used to provide an alternative to the traditional written test.

In an article for the New York Times, Matt Richtel (2012) describes three methods of teaching writing to students: assigning a traditional term paper, assigning a number of blog posts over the term, or both. According to Richtel, a blog post “gives the writer the immediacy of an audience, a feeling of relevancy, instant feedback from classmates or readers, and a practical connection to contemporary communications” that term papers do not offer (2012). Conversely, writing a paper trains writers in creating an argument and adequately supporting their conclusions. A class that uses both traditional writing and blog posts ideally offers both the exercise in critical thinking and the contributory nature of blogs (Richtel 2012).

One teacher who used a blog to recognize his students’ work is Brian Crosby, who published some of his students’ projects on his blog “Learning is Messy” and so gave them the opportunity to interact with their peers in other classrooms as well as experts (Dean Hubbell Pitler & Stone 2012). Interestingly, one video deals with the topic of bullying, a problem his students faced that year that the video helped to resolve (Crosby). In addition to improving their classroom, the video earned recognition and multiple awards (Crosby). Although not strictly academic, this is an example of students receiving recognition for their work. Recognition can dramatically affect student motivation in a positive way (Dean et al 2012), so blogging can be a useful tool for improving student learning.

The method of combining writing and a blog post probably makes the most sense for a history class, as it gives students a chance to thoroughly analyze a topic and then summarize it with their sources online. However, instead of handing in a paper to be summarized for the website, students might also have the option to turn in drawings, videos, or other types of media that are most relevant to their research topic and that can be displayed in entirety online. In this way, students have the opportunity to present their findings in the most practical method and post their findings in a place that will open the door for further discussion with likeminded students or experts that they would not otherwise be able to work with.

This project could also be turned into an assessment if the project instead covers topics taught in class; possibly, it could take the place of a test or final exam. Rather than sit for a test, students could produce a project in some technological format, such as a video or a computer drawing, and submit that as evidence of what they learned. Feedback from experts may have a particular impact if this project is treated as an assessment, as it will provide feedback from someone other than the teacher. My original question for this module had to do with improving students’ attitude about history class, and while this does not answer the question directly, the possibility of having a creative assessment might encourage students who do not like traditional tests to have a more positive attitude about history class.

Blog posting might raise some concerns for a classroom, particularly if parents do not  feel comfortable having their children posting on a website the entire world can see, or students themselves are uncomfortable posting their schoolwork online. Furthermore, a teacher hosting a classroom blog would have to oversee the posts very carefully to make sure no information is false and no content is inappropriate. Finally, depending on what media students use to present what they have learned, technology may play a very limited role. In order to fully meet ISTE Standard 2, student blogging will need a little more adjusting so that technology is present in all stages of teaching or a project. However, student blogging offers students the chance to present what they have learned in a medium they choose and then receive recognition for their hard work.

Sources:

Crosby, B. Student Videos. Learning is Messy. Retrieved from http://www.learningismessy.com/student-videos/

Dean, C.B., Hubbell, E. R., Pitler, H., and Stone, B. (2012). Classroom Instruction That Works: Research-Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement (2^nd edition). Denver, CO: McREL, and Alexandria, VA: ASCD. Print.

Richtel, Matt. (2012, January 20). Blogs vs. Term Papers. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/22/education/edlife/muscling-in-on-the-term-paper-tradition.html

Standards for Teachers. ISTE. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/standards/standards-for-teachers

EDTC6433 Module 1: ISTE Standard 1 - Technology in History Class

The first ISTE standard requires teachers to “facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity” by combining the knowledge of their subject, their job, and technology (ISTE 1). In other words, teachers must be able to use technology in such a way that students have an enhanced learning experience. Technology cannot be used simply for the sake of being technology, but rather to specifically improve the way in which students learn. SAMR provides four levels of integrating technology into the classroom, where the lowest level has technology merely replacing other tools and the highest level has technology transforming the activity the students perform in a manner that only technology is capable of (Romrell, Kidder, & Wood 2014). The Technology Integration Matrix goes further and measures technological use in five stages as it applies to five aspects of learning: active, collaborative, constructive, authentic, and goal-directed. It looks at what tools are used, how easily students use them, and who students use them with (Technology Integration). From looking at both of these models, it appears to me that technology that enhances a student’s learning will provide a wide array of learning methods that cannot be gained without technology. This strikes me as particularly difficult for a history class because, while technology might be helpful in acquiring knowledge, most knowledge about historical events and trends can be gleaned from books or lectures, and does not necessarily require technology. However, technology might be used to expand students’ learning experience by adding more to the learning experience than simply collecting and retaining facts.

Technology can certainly be used to expand the knowledge students of history have access to. One article found by my classmate explains how the use of the Internet allows students to be exposed to more than one viewpoint on the same topic, which can be used to allow for students to engage in debate over a specific topic. However, in addition to providing more sources of knowledge, the article also explains how the Internet allows for students to gain knowledge from visuals (Shively & VanFossen, 2009). For example, the Smithsonian’s History Explorer website has videos of historic inventions such as the cotton gin, as well as a 3-D digital tour of a gunboat from the American Revolution. These resources allow for students to see items instead of merely reading about them. In particular, the video of the cotton gin may be useful because it is a clear demonstration of “the impact of the cotton gin on cotton production in the U.S.” (Cotton Gin Video, 2012). Even further than expanding access to knowledge, the Internet can allow students to apply their knowledge. Alexandra Pickett mentions in her article “50 Alternatives to Lecture” the use of quizzes or “self-tests” (7), and one online quiz-like resource is the Go Back In Time game, which requires students to match artifacts, including one audio clip of a song, to a specific time period.

These are examples of technology providing a learning experience that books and lecture cannot offer as thoroughly. The video allows for students to actually see the difference the cotton gin made rather than simply hearing about it, a feat which would be impossible without video and the internet unless a teacher had access to their own historical cotton gin. The 3-D boat tour allows for students to tour a specific boat that they otherwise could not do if they were not located near that boat. Both of these resources offer knowledge in a way that a textbook cannot. The game offers a chance to apply knowledge already acquired, and implements an audio artifact, which a textbook cannot give. The quiz goes farther and allows students to apply their knowledge in a challenge, and while a teacher could just print out pictures of most artifacts, the audio artifacts would not usable without some kind of technology. Presumably, then, technology used appropriately is able to provide useful learning experiences in addition to greater access to information.

There are some drawbacks to these specific resources. The first is that they are largely solitary activities, but with a little modification, they can be turned into experiences the entire class can participate in. Another drawback, however, is that, while they provide additional information, they do not really modify any activity; even in the online quiz, the activity’s modifications are slim. Possibly an additional way to use technology to really transform activities might be to find a way to go through the 3-D tour of the gunboat with an expert connected on the Internet, so students can ask questions live; similarly, an expert online presence can also make the quiz and its artifacts more of an engaging experience. While the additional information available is impressive, more can be done to truly transform historical learning through technology.

 
The video of the cotton gin may be found here, from YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzHD7_dWEik&list=UUcBeQ2q6YyOpOaUREG-Z3pg&index=7&feature=plcp

References:

Cotton Gin Video. (May 5, 2012). Smithsonian’s History Explorer. Retrieved from https://historyexplorer.si.edu/resource/cotton-gin-video

Interactives and Media. Smithsonian’s History Explorer. https://historyexplorer.si.edu/interactives

Pickett, A. M. (No year given). 50 Alternatives to Lecture. Retrieved from SPU https://canvas.spu.edu/courses/16860/files/415877?module_item_id=121255

Romrell, D. Kidder, L. & Wood, E. (2014). The SAMR Model as a Framework for Evaluating mLearning. Online Learning Consortium. Retrieved from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1036281

Shiveley, J. M., & VanFossen, P. J. (2009). Toward Assessing Internet Use in the Social Studies Classroom: Developing an Inventory Based on a Review of Relevant Literature. Journal Of Social Studies Research, 33(1), 1-32. From EBSCOHost.

The Technology Integration Matrix. (No year given). Florida Center for Instructional Technology. Retrieved from https://fcit.usf.edu/matrix/matrix/