Main Ideas: Chapters 9 and 10

Chapter 9: Powerful Learning First, Technology Second

       Children have the opportunity to both learn and teach others before they even go to school. How? They have this opportunity now thanks to technology. As I mentioned in the introductory paragraph in my blog about chapter 1 (see blog entry Main Ideas: Chapters 1 and 2) people often associate the word innovation with technology even though they don’t necessarily go hand in hand.

So, what does technology do for us in regards to innovation and an innovative mindset?

•          It invites us to move from engaged to empowered.
• ·       It provides opportunities to go deeper into our learning with the abilities to consume and create.
•          “To teach is to learn twice.” – Joseph Joubert (p.218) It gives us the ability to connect and share with an audience and therefore the opportunity to “learn twice”.

21^st Century School or 21^st Century Learning?

       The point the author makes with this subtitle is that a school can have all the latest technology and be very modern which makes it a 21^st century school. However, that doesn’t mean that the school is offering 21^st century learning. To paraphrase the example the author provides to illustrate this point further, he equates computers to $1000 pencils if the students are only using this technology to access the same information that existed in their textbooks and just handing in the assignments with it.

•  There needs to be a shift in mindset on teaching and learning also or the installation of high-tech devices into a classroom is only cosmetic.
•   We need to focus on the learner and not just the learning in order to embrace the opportunities to educate and empower the students in powerful ways.
• Technology gives us the power to accelerate, amplify, and recreate learning.

Is Technology “Just” a Tool?

        The author points out that using the word “just” when referring to technology as a tool makes it seem optional. However, technology can be transformational and it provides opportunities that didn’t exist before. Think about the following:

“Technology should personalize, not standardize.” (p. 223)

The author says the possibilities are endless to do so. What do you think? What are some ideas you have as an educator to make technology transformational for your students?

Learner-Centered Decisions

Food for thought: Ask yourself how many times you have done what is easy, known, or comfortable even though you have the best intentions and desire to teach the way your students learn? Be honest with yourself here and don’t be hard on yourself if the answer is more times than you would like to admit.

Ideas and reasoning behind learner-centered decisions:

1. There is a necessary shift in thinking needed regarding the learning opportunities technology provides for students.
2.  Educators need to start experimenting with technological devices, programs, applications, and/or tools to see firsthand how learning experiences change and how they can then create new, different, and better opportunities for the students.
3.  Not understanding the potential of a device just leaves educators continuing with traditional learning but at a higher cost.

*The author makes a strong case for “learning leaders”. When educators learn about new technology, the idea is that these individuals help lead others while at the same time they have the opportunity to change their own mindsets about what learning could look like in today’s classroom (meaning putting themselves in the students’ shoes as learners). Educators should internalize their learning and share it with their colleagues.

Changing Course: How to help guide the work of IT departments when making decisions about students

1. What is best for kids?

This should be a question that guides everyone’s work not just the IT department. For example, locking or blocking students’ access to many social media sites on school computers does not teach the students how to navigate a confusing and fast-paced world.

2. How does this improve learning?

For whatever technology or software being used, either educators or the IT department needs to be able to explain or show how it is essential for learning.

3. If we were to do ________, what is the balance of risk vs. reward?

Often times the leaders or IT departments look at risk assessment and try to keep the risk low or non-existent. However, the possible reward associated with doing something is very rarely assessed.

4. Is this serving the few or the majority?

Anytime a new policy or procedure is implemented for the entire school, we must make sure it does not punish everyone for the mistakes of a few. (Think cyberbullying as one example of the mistakes of a few.)

Chapter 10: Less is More

"In a world where we suffer from information overload, less is definitely more.” (p. 238)

Food for thought: How do you feel when you receive a very long email? Do you feel excited to have to read through it? Do you end up just skimming it? How do you feel when observing a very long presentation with many slides? Are you able to pay attention throughout? Do you even want to?

*Quality should always trump quantity. However, in many cases, schools inundate teachers with new initiatives and a bunch of organizational objectives. The result of educators feeling overwhelmed by the number of requirements they have to meet is that the focus of the classroom usually becomes making sure to cover curriculum rather than focusing on the learning and exploring concepts in depth.

*Less is more is a good rule for leaders to follow so that you inspire innovation and deep learning rather than promoting confusion and burnout with your teachers.

*Leaders should avoid giving your educators too many options without a clear focus. Sometimes the more choices you provide (referring to technology here), the less teacher will do with each one. The teachers that do try to use all the options usually just skim the surface and the tools and ideas then make little impact on the learning experiences for the students.

The author references the TED Talk by Barry Schwart titled “Paradox of Choice” in which the speaker explains how living in a world with so much choice can make us miserable and the perils it leads us towards. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VO6XEQIsCoM)

*We need to change the mindset that every new idea, including good ideas, must be immediately implemented.

*Instead of trying to do everything, we need to focus on what we want learners to know and do.

A scale of educational technology: (To note: this is similar information to that of SAMR that we talked about on the first day of class.)

Literate	Adaptive	Transformative
If I am literate… I am able to manipulate a device. I know how to turn it on for example.	If I am using a device in an adaptive way… I am doing something with new technology that I used to do in a low-tech way. I am taking notes on the iPad for example.	If I am using a device in a transformative way… I am doing something with the device that I could not do before. I am connecting with people around the world through a blog for example.

*Present fewer choices…provide enough time for exploration and collaboration to allow new and better ideas…move to the point where technology becomes transformative.

A Focus on Creation

“Creativity is where we start to think differently, and innovation is where creativity comes to life.” (p.245)

•        The first goal is getting students to see themselves as creators because the real learning begins when students create.
•       What we learn is not as important as what we create from what we learn.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPbjSnZnWP0)

•         We are less innovative when our learning is thinly spread over a bunch of initiatives.

*Offering less choices doesn’t mean that educators should hold back students by only allowing them to explore designated tools or resources. You still have to encourage and model constant exploration to encourage powerful learning.