Virtual Technology: 

Bringing the World Into the Special Education Classroom

http://web.a.ebscohost.com.library.aurora.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=3&sid=a149366e-cc41-40e6-a252-e936217828d6%40sessionmgr4009

The article, Virtual Technology: Bringing the World Into the Special Education Classroom, began by introducing the reader to the different types of virtual technology that are available to use in the classroom. The differences between the different types of virtual technology from augmented reality where the user controls an avatar character to interact with a virtual world (think: Oregon Trail) all the way to full immersion experiences where the user dons a headset and hand controllers in order to experience the digital world in the first person. The different equipment needed for each type of virtual experience was explained as well as some of the software that is available that could be used in an academic setting. It was then explained how beneficial this technology could be when used for students with special needs. Field trips can be extremely beneficial for students, allowing them to develop much more concrete understanding of concepts taught in the classroom by allowing students to experience them and interact with them first hand. Unfortunately, once the experience is over, there is no way to revisit the content without going back to the site. The article explained that with virtual field trips, students are able to experience a field trip and then revisit as many times necessary. For students who are heavily impacted by physical or cognitive impairments, very practical virtual experiences are available through programs such as Virtual House or Virtual Supermarket. In the Virtual Supermarket program, the users are able to push a cart through isles and select products. Once finished shopping, the user must bring the items to the cashier and select the correct amount of money to complete their purchase. One can clearly see the benefits from this type of practice for real world life skills of interacting with others, decision making, proper behavior in public all without the added stress of making mistakes.
One of my good friends is a special education teacher in our district who works with students who are very impacted either physically or cognitively. Each year he and his coworkers bring their students to a local convenience store in order to work on proper behavior in a public setting, making decisions, interacting with people in the store, interacting with employees at the store and the process of paying for the goods they are purchasing. I don’t think that he would trade this experience for anything, but I was struck with how beneficial the Virtual Supermarket virtual reality program would be for his students in order to practice these skills before the actual experience takes place. I also thought that virtual technology would be extremely beneficial for general education students, especially at the elementary levels who have difficulty focusing on the important content involved on field trips or are not ready for the physical endurance needed for an all day field trip. Many times after a field trip when we are debriefing or discussing what we learned on the trip, my students are unable to discuss the content either because they didn’t see the content that I was hoping they would experience or because they simply don’t remember it. I would love to be able to use virtual technology to experience the trip before an actual field trip in order to “front-load” my students with information and allow them to plan on where to focus their attention during a field trip. Virtual technology would also be an excellent tool to revisit the field trip site to experience the material at my students’ own paces and as many times as needed to develop a full understanding of the content.

Smedley, T.M., & Higgins, K. (2005) Virtual technology: bringing the world into the special education classroom. Intervention in school & clinic. 41(2).

RSA: virtual field trips

Virtual Field Trips

Bringing "out there" into the classroom

        Field trips are an excellent opportunity for students to learn in a unique environment. Students are able to completely immerse themselves in their environment, using the sights and sounds to build on what they have learned in the classroom. Shrinking school budgets could spell an end to these wonderful learning opportunities for our students, but it doesn't have to. Meyer (2016) explains that virtual field trips allow students to visit far away places and interact with experts in real time without ever leaving the classroom.
        Discovery Education offers virtual field trip packages such as a look at president Lincoln's assassination, exploring the Holocaust through a trip to Auschwitz, or a trip under the ocean. Each of these virtual field trips also includes prepared materials and classroom activities. Another option for virtual field trips is provided through Google Expeditions. This is a more affordable option that still provides 3D field trips using cardboard headsets powered by a smartphone. Another manufacturer of virtual field trip experiences is NASA with their NASA's Eyes computer simulations which provide students with a field trip experience that would otherwise be completely out of their reach. The last option that the article addressed is to construct your own virtual field trip. Although this option would be the most labor intensive for teachers, it would also allow teachers to truly connect the virtual field trip experience with their district's curriculum, their classroom activities, and even to the individual students.

        I have been at the same school for eight years which has given me a unique view of how much our school and district have changed. For the first seven years, each class was provided with a budget that permitted two field trips. With shrinking budgets and increased cost of the field trips, we were only allowed to go on one field trip last year and we have the same budget for this year. The more I learn about virtual field trips, the more I think this may be a feasible option for schools in the future. I will be the first to support the importance of providing our students with field trip experiences. Nothing can take the place of supporting what has been taught in class with a field trip. My students love their animal unit and are completely engaged with every lesson I can throw their way. However, the real learning comes only after our field trip to the zoo. Seeing the animals move, developing an understanding of their true size, and getting to hear the animals provides my first graders with a depth of knowledge that I could never provide in the classroom. Upon return, each of my students can talk at length and in-depth about the characteristics of animals from each kingdom and provide support by accessing their personal experiences. The experience is truly powerful for them. However, from a first grade teacher's perspective, field trips are the absolute worst (second only to parent-teacher conferences). The stress of keeping track of 28 first graders (and some of their parents), organizing the trip, the bone-jarring bus ride, the cost, and so many other factors literally keep me up for several nights leading up to the trip.
        On the other hand, the cost of a set of virtual reality goggles and the equipment that goes along with it costs around $10,000! Yikes! I can't imagine trying to get that purchase past a school board or budget committee...Unless you take into the account that it's $500-$1,000 just for the cost of transportation and admission for a class of 30 students. You could also make the argument that the students safety is not a factor when it comes to virtual field trips as it is on a traditional field trip. Students not only get to fully immerse themselves in their virtual trips, but they can also visit places that are completely impossible to reach on a traditional field trip such as places on the other side of the Earth, inside the human body, or a journey into the farthest reaches of our solar system. I, for one, wouldn't mind it a bit if I never had to take another hour long, ear-splitting, headache-causing, spine-shrinking bus ride.

In closing, consider this...we have 11 first grade classes in our district. If it costs around $500 for each field trip we take (and that's a low estimate) and each class takes two field trips, it costs about $11,000 for our field trips each year. A Google Excursions kit of 30 sets of goggles, a teacher tablet, charging station, and subscription costs just under $10,000.

Meyer, L. (2016). Students explore the Earth and beyond with virtual field trips. T H E Journal, 43(3), 22-25.

RSA: Revamping Tech PD

RSA: Revamping Professional Development for Technology Integration and Fluency

        In her article Revamping Professional Development for Technology Integration and Fluency Sandra Plair calls for improvements to the professional development available to teachers for technology integration. Despite writing the journal almost ten years ago, many of the same concerns that she voiced are still shared by teachers today. Many times the pressure to incorporate technology in education brings about rapid adoption of the newest technology tools in districts where teachers have no experience effectively using the tools for instruction. Teachers either don't understand how the new technology fits into their existing curriculum or they don't see the implementation of these devices and programs as part of their content responsibilities. Unfortunately, the problems worsen when only short periods of training (which are much more sales pitch than training) are provided for teachers with little to no continued support afterward. Plair points out that many teachers leave these trainings not knowing how to bring what they have learned into their classroom, not understanding how to begin using the new technology tools, or discontinue use of the technology tool when problems arise and they have no support for how to trouble shoot.
        Technology directors are overwhelmed with questions and are unable to provide support to each teacher or are unable to provide support specifically for each teacher's class or content area needs. The answer, Plair suggested, could come in the form of technology "knowledge brokers" or technology coaches who would be able to serve as an intermediary between technology directors and classroom teachers. In order for Plair's vision to work, these technology coaches must be allowed to keep up on current technology trends by reading current literature and by attending seminars. These technology coaches also have to be available to address technology questions, there when teachers are initially implementing tech-heavy lessons, and available in a timely manner when problems arise.

        After reading this article, I felt like many of my past concerns with professional development had been validated. Too many times, new programs or technology devices are shoved at use with little or no training. If training is provided for new technology, continued support is hardly ever successfully provided. In the past, our in-school technology teacher served as a coach. Even with his vast knowledge of what technological tools are available for educational uses and how to use the technology, he had a very hard time explaining how to implement the technology in my classroom or how to fit it into our current curriculum. With a shrinking budget, we no longer have a technology teacher for each school. In fact, our technology teacher is spread between three elementary schools which makes our teachers' in-class technology questions difficult to address. I'm truly hoping that after completing our MAET program, I will be able to partially satisfy the role of a technology coach for my grade level team. By having a general understanding of how to use the technological tools in an elementary setting and a good understanding of our content area information, I may be able to better support elementary teachers successfully integrate the technology into their current teaching practices. 

Plair, S. K. (2008). Revamping Professional Development for Technology Integration and Fluency. Clearing House, 82(2), 70-74.

overhead projector infographic

https://magic.piktochart.com/output/23378342-overhead-projector-infographic

RSA: Tech in the Classroom - Yesterday & Today

Technology in the Classroom - Questions From Yesteryear Persist Today

    d          Although the article Power Point, Technology and the Web: More Than Just an Overhead Projector for the New Century was written in 2003 and focused on technology that has since become nearly obsolete, many of the questions, issues and uses of technology discussed in the article are still viable today. The article was written by a college level history professor who was obviously an advocate for the use of technology in the classroom both by the professor and by the students. Although clearly an advocate of technology use in the classroom, DenBeste warned that the use of technology in the classroom must be purposeful, meaningful and useful for both the teacher and student. DenBeste warned that many types of classroom technology (specifically Power Point presentations) can be very time consuming to employ. He also discussed the issue of student access to technology and explained that many students did not have personal computers or access to Internet in order to easily use them for their own education. He also discussed the lack of familiarity with computers among some students in order to effectively use them for their education and expressed concerns about content area teachers being responsible for teaching how to use technology rather than their content areas. This issue is certainly still relevant today. 

                    After discussing the pitfalls of technology use in the classroom, DenBeste went on to explain some of the benefits. Being a history teacher, he was especially enamored with the use of online resources providing students with primary sources of information. He was very careful to explain that students had to be shown how to evaluate the accuracy and validity of these online resources. DenBeste went on to describe how Power Point could be used both by the teacher and students as a means to present information. Finally, discussion boards were discussed as a means for collaboration and discussion among students. DenBeste explained that these discussion boards allow students who were typically shy an unwilling to participate in in-class discussions a means to express themselves and contribute to class discussions without the discomfort of speaking in front of their peers. He explained that these discussion boards provide a sense of community and interconnectedness among class members. 

                      As I read this fourteen year-old article, I was shocked with how little the issues concerning technology use in the classroom have changed. Power Point, a new program at the time, is still commonly used (along with programs like Google Slides and Prezi) and has changed very little. Although there are several new programs and devices, it seems to me that the underlying questions of how and why the technology is being used in the classroom are still extremely important and should be considered before implementation in our classrooms. It seems that sometimes the pressure to use technology in the classroom results in meaningless tech use that doesn't result in improved student learning. I was also intrigued with the concern that DenBeste expressed with having inequity among students in regards to access to technology. Although this issue has less of an impact today than it did in 2003, the difference in access to technology from school to school and student to student is still struggled with today. The familiarity with technology is also something that was mentioned in this article and is still pertinent today as well. An issue that is rarely discussed in this area is who does it fall on to provide our students with direct instruction on how to use technology such as programs and devices? It seems that although the use of technology is becoming much more commonplace in education today, careful thought and planning to make technology use in the classroom meaningful and purposeful is still as important today as it was in the past.   

                   

DenBeste, M. (2003). Power Point, Technology and the Web: More Than Just an Overhead Projector for the New
          Century?. History Teacher, 36(4), 491-504.

Journal Response: Supporting Striving Readers Through Technology-Based Instruction

Supporting Striving Readers Through Technology-Based Instruction

     

     The article Supporting Striving Readers Through Technology-Based Instruction focused on a case study attempting to determine whether or not the use of digital, technology based teaching techniques and materials improved the reading proficiency of children. The participating reading specialists were observed during the capstone semester of their masters program. Data was collected via observations, student performance (progress monitoring and assessments), and self-evaluation and questionnaires. 
     Notable uses of technology during the case study were Flip video cameras for recording readers theatre and to document student reading, online resources to support vocabulary and to practice word skills, word processing programs for written responses, and multi-media programs which were used to create projects to foster comprehension. Teachers recorded their results in a portfolio which included an overview of the instructional activities and assessments used, daily lesson plans, reflective journal entries, and progress monitoring results for the students. Teachers were also observed and interviewed. 
     The results that were shared suggested that the students were more motivated and engaged when technology was used in lessons. Teachers reported that the students showed improvement in their reading, especially in regards to their fluency. The teachers also noted that because of the use of the Flip cameras to record and play back their students' reading for them, the students were able to become more aware of their reading and were able to set reading goals for themselves. 

     Although I was impressed by some of the uses of technology to support reading instruction, I wasn't impressed with the means of data collection as both the observations made by the professor on the teachers' performance and the teachers' observations and data recording were very subjective. Many of the uses of technology in this case study are simply slight alterations of teaching techniques that are typically used in reading instruction. As long as it's done with purpose and meaning, I certainly think there are benefits to implementing the SAMR framework to current reading instruction practices. Whether or not the technology has a direct positive impact on student reading performance or not, it would certainly add a new twist to reading instruction and would probably result in more motivation and engagement among students. 

Laverick, D. M. (2014). Supporting striving readers through technology-based instruction. Reading Improvement, 51(1), 11-19.

Journal Response: Integrated Elementary Technology Education

Integrated Elementary Technology Education

     After our class discussion about SAMR and reading an article about a fourth grade 1:1 classroom and the tasks that they were accomplishing using technology, I began to wonder when the students began to develop these skills or if they were all taught during their fourth grade year. The article, Integrated Elementary Technology Education explains how direct technology education can be incorporated into what classroom teachers are already doing in the classroom rather easily. The added responsibilities of the classroom teacher would simply be planning technology activities, instructing students on the safe use of tools, devices and materials, and acting as a facilitator and resource to help guide students. 
     The article goes on to say that the teacher will need to incorporate technology into their lessons with one of the two categories of technology activities; technology learning experiences and technology design problems. Technology learning experiences provide the students with understanding of technology and develop their technological awareness. Students are directly taught about technology and its uses. For instance, students could watch film, read literature, or go on a field trip to learn about technology and how it is used in areas. This could also be a lesson where students are directly taught how to use a certain type of tech device or program. In the second type of lesson, technology design problems, students are posed with a problem and given parameters outlining how and with what tools they can use to come up with a solution. This type of technology lesson would allow students to improve their problem solving skills while also learning how technology can assist them in the process. 
     
     As a primary elementary teacher, I'm beginning to realize that I may be letting down the intermediate elementary teachers in regards to preparing my students with the skills they need to effectively use technology to problem solve, communicate, record and present information. A conscious effort needs to be made by primary elementary teachers to modify their existing lessons and when planning new lessons to use the SAMR framework to incorporate technology into my lessons. Many times in primary elementary classrooms, the only use of technology occurs when the teacher is using it to present information to the students. Students need direct instruction on how to use the available tech devices. Once the students have been taught how to use these devices and programs, an effort needs to be made to allow time for the students to use the devices themselves to gather information, solve problems and present their findings. 

Ortega, C., & Ortega, R. (1995). Integrated elementary technology education. Technology Teacher, 54(5), 11.

Journal Response: How could open resources change schools?

How Could Open Resources Change Schools?

     The use of open resources could have many positive impacts on education. Immediately, the cost of textbooks would be eliminated. Textbooks are extremely expensive and schools, therefore, tend to use textbooks that are out of date and inaccurate. Moving away from textbooks would provide students with up to date information and access to current affairs. Using a digital database of resources would allow students to gather information from many sources rather than getting all of their information from one source which tends to be the case when using textbooks to educate. Another benefit of the use of open resources is its relevance to real-world applications that students will face later in their academic careers and work career allowing students to practice the collection, evaluation, and interpretation of information from the Internet and other digital resources. Finally, the use of open resources allows for student centered instruction and the presentation of information in a way that suits each individual student's learning style. 

     That being said, one can also see some negative impacts of moving away from the use of textbooks towards the use of open resources. For instance, in order to provide an equitable education, all students would need the same access to computers and devices. Schools would either have to allow students to use their own devices (a BYOD program) or provide all students with devices which can be restrictively expensive. Also, although more uncommon, many students still don't have computer access or Internet access at home. Teachers would have to be provided with professional development on how to teach using technology and how to use the devices and programs that may be used. Students and parents would have to be given guidance and instruction on how to gather and evaluate information independently. Finally, who is in charge of selecting or creating the databases of information that would be available to the students? After all, information that is pertinent and important to one area or school may not be as valuable in another area or school. 

ScreenCast: image background removal

Literacy Instruction With Digital and Media Technologies

An Introduction to transitioning to a 1:1 Elementary Classroom

     The journal Literacy Instruction With Digital and Media Technologies documents how the author, Todd Wright, implemented the use of technology for literacy instruction in his fourth grade classroom. Although the examples of instructional methods using technology described in the article focus on literacy, the bulk of this article focused on the journey of Fernley Elementary from a school that relied solely on books and paper for instruction to reaching their goal of 80% of instruction being supported with technology in their fourth and fifth grade classrooms. 

     The journal began with a look at the typical daily schedule for literacy instruction for the students in Todd's 1:1 fourth grade classroom. The students began the day by independently logging in to their class website to gather the assignments and agenda of tasks for the day. The students then complete an independent vocabulary activity finding the definition of vocabulary, using them in writing using word processing programs and drawing pictures of the vocabulary using a drawing app. The students then respond to a mini lesson provided by their teacher in a blog and respond to their classmates comments as well. During literacy rotations students were able to work in small groups with the teacher's guidance and were expected to complete independent tasks related to the daily literacy lessons on using their computers. The students continue using their laptops to complete blogs, complete writing assignments, and complete their nightly homework. 

     The description of the fourth graders' use of technology to complete meaningful tasks independently was very impressive; but how did they get there? The students at Fernley Elementary began receiving direct instruction on the use of technology in kindergarten during their weekly technology class in the school's computer lab. Students were taught how to gather and evaluate information from the Internet, how to write using word processing programs, and how to create multimedia projects. The school also began using two mobile laptop carts to allow more exposure to the laptops in the classroom. By the time the students reached fourth grade they were proficient and confident enough in the use of technology that they were able to successfully complete the independent tasks already identified.

     I am always amazed when observing or reading about 1:1 elementary classrooms. After all, my six and seven year-old first graders are still working on letter sounds and tying their shoes! Although first graders are coming into the classroom with an impressive understanding of how to casually use technology because of video games, cellphones and tablets, they aren't yet prepared to use technology in an academic setting in meaningful ways. This article really impressed upon me how important it is to provide students with direct instruction on the use of tech devices and their application in an academic setting at an early age. I think too often in elementary classrooms the extent of the students' use of technology is limited to academic games because they can be independent and successful. More time needs to be spent planning meaningful use of technology in the primary classroom that will help lay the foundation for the skills that they will be expected to have and the tasks they will be expected to accomplish later in their academic careers. 

Barone, D., & Wright, T. E. (2008). Literacy instruction with digital and media technologies. Reading Teacher, 62(4), 292-303.

Robertson, C., & Green, T. (2012). Interactive whiteboards on the move!. Techtrends: Linking Research & Practice To Improve Learning, 56(6), 15-17. doi:10.1007/s11528-012-0607-z

Journal Response: Interactive Whiteboards on the Move!

             Interactive whiteboards have become very popular in the last ten years and can now be found on the walls of many classrooms. In this article, Robertson and Green claim that although it seems that interactive whiteboards are regarded as a valuable teaching tool, they aren't without their drawbacks. Because traditional interactive whiteboards are quite large and are typically mounted to the wall, teaching and learning are limited to one area of the room. Teachers are unable to provide support or review student work without leaving the front of the room where these devices are located. Not to mention that the cost to outfit a classroom with one of these devices is typically around $1,000 to $2,000! 
              This article considered another type of device designed to help with the shortcomings of the traditional interactive whiteboards. Mobile interactive whiteboards are devices about the size of a tablet that allow the teacher to move anywhere in the classroom while still maintaining control of their classroom computer and their projected lessons. Teachers can use these mobile interactive whiteboards to add notes, model strategies and show student work in real time. Another benefit of these devices is that the cost, typically $250-$400, is much more affordable than a typical stationary interactive whiteboard. 
               This article went on to list some of the additional benefits of using mobile interactive whiteboards based on reports from teachers that have used them in their classrooms. The first major benefit that was reported was instructional pacing and time management. Rather than having students move to the interactive whiteboard at the front of the room, the teacher can allow students to work independently at their desks and bring the mobile whiteboard to the students to show their work. Another benefit that many teachers reported was the ability to maintain handwritten notes on their lessons. One teacher reported that she valued being able to look at notes that she had included with her lessons a full year later allowing her to quickly remember which parts of her lessons were successful and which parts needed some fine tuning. Finally, many teachers reported that they had to take far less time creating lessons with SMART Notebook or other interactive whiteboard programs. Instead, they allowed their observations of student work and questions from their students to guide their instruction and add slides, websites, and demonstrations based on student need as their lessons progress.
                
                As I was reading this article, I kept thinking that I had to have one of these devices. The traditional interactive whiteboard is used for instruction for most of the day in my first grade classroom. Primary students, who haven't had much experience with the interactive whiteboards, are extremely motivated and excited to use these devices throughout the entire school year. Whenever the interactive whiteboard is used for instruction students are engaged and jump at the chance to model their thinking or answer questions using the SMART Board. That being said, bringing the whole class to the front of the room for instruction on the whiteboard creates some problems in regards to space (27 squirming bodies on a small carpet is never easy to manage) and pacing (only one student can answer or demonstrate their thinking at a time). At times, especially when teaching math, I try to allow the students to remain at their seats to work independently with materials while we post questions and show work on the interactive whiteboard. This provides the opportunity for all students to remain engaged while still allowing students to go to the interactive whiteboard to demonstrate their strategies and thinking. Unfortunately, this trip to the front of the room takes time and frequently kills any instructional momentum that we had before stopping for the demonstration. I also use the whiteboard a lot to model strategies and procedures while my students try them at their desks. The only issue with this is that the teacher has to remain at the front of the room with the whiteboard rather than providing support for students who need it, checking student work and providing feedback to individual students. 
                 This article does a fantastic job of making these mobile interactive whiteboards seem like the answer to all of the issues that I have with the interactive whiteboard in my classroom. These small tablets would certainly provide the students with the same exciting and engaging instruction as a typical interactive whiteboard. The mobile interactive whiteboard would allow students to remain in their seats to work with materials while still allowing the students to demonstrate their thinking on the projected lesson for their peers to see. However, rather than having to stop instruction to allow students to approach the interactive whiteboard, the mobile interactive whiteboard can be brought to the student allowing for better pacing and more purposeful use of student demonstration. Perhaps the most exciting aspect of using these mobile interactive whiteboards for instruction would be that the teacher would be allowed to maintain proximity to the students when they are working. This allows the teacher to provide timely feedback to individual students and would allow the teacher to adjust instruction, demonstrate strategies, and correct misconceptions for the students all while still interacting with the students rather than returning to the front of the room to manipulate the typical stationary interactive whiteboard. 
                 Alas, it seems that these devices are too good to be true. I talked with the technology specialist at our school and evidently, we already have two of these devices! How is it that I had no idea about them? According to our tech specialist, these interactive whiteboards are extremely "finicky" and would be very difficult for my younger students to manipulate (the slate remains blank meaning the operator has to track their work on the projected lesson rather than on the interactive whiteboard that they are writing on). He did say that our devices were purchased many years ago and the technology may have improved. However, I did a quick search for the devices and didn't see many companies who offered the mobile interactive whiteboards as they are described in this journal. 

         To my EDU2610 peers, if you have any suggestions for programs/devices that could help with the mobility issues that come with instruction using a typical interactive whiteboard, please help!    

The Future Ready Framework: Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment

Of the seven gears of the Future Ready Framework, the Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment gear is the gear that currently receives most of my attention and effort. This gear calls for curriculum and instruction to be standards-aligned. In an effort to provide and education aligned to the Common Core standards, my district has made several curricular changes recently including the purchase of new instructional programs. Unfortunately, with a surplus of new programs being adopted, it's been very difficult for the teachers to deliver the high-quality instruction that we strive to provide while we're trying to learn the nuances of these new programs.

This gear also calls for assessment that drives instruction which is something that I hold near and dear to my heart. Sometimes I feel that typical paper and pencil assessments are used as the only means of assessment at the end of every unit. The data from these assessments is entered into a grade book, but little else is done with it. With first graders, I feel that small "temperature checks" used throughout instruction is a much more purposeful and meaningful way to assess. This way you can continuously adjust your instruction depending on the results of assessments; pushing forward when students show mastery and slowing instruction or reteaching when students show a lack of understanding. Purposeful assessment leads to more meaningful instruction. 

Journal Response: Clickers to the Rescue 

Moratelli, K., & DeJarnette, N. K. (2014). Clickers to the rescue. Reading Teacher, 67(8), 586-593. doi:10.1002/trtr.1261

In this journal, Clickers to the Rescue, a fifth grade teacher tried to use technology to help improve her students' low literacy achievement scores. Each week, as part of the group's literacy instruction, they read a series of stories and were tested on their comprehension of the stories along with vocabulary and grammar skills. Almost all students, regardless of their academic abilities, were failing these weekly tests. In order to improve student engagement and the quality of the lessons, Classroom Response Systems or "clickers" were used as part of the instruction and review process for four weeks.

Clickers are hand-held devices that can be used to answer multiple-choice, true/false, or yes/no questions. Each student's response is then compiled and displayed anonymously in a graph providing students with immediate feedback on areas of good comprehension and which concepts they need to focus on. The data is also available to the teacher which allows them to see where more attention needs to be spent during instruction and allows them to track each individual's comprehension and progress over time.

For this case study, rather than relying on whole group discussion as the only means of review for their weekly assessments, clickers were used to answer questions during class discussions. Each student was expected to answer every question, which in turn improved class participation and engagement. Students who typically were off-task or reluctant to participate were able to participate in a risk-free, anonymous way while still receiving feedback about their understanding of concepts. At the end of the case study, the majority of the students had improved their scores on their weekly literacy tests.

I have been intrigued by clickers since our class discussions about the positive uses of cell phones in the classroom. I really like the idea of having the ability to quickly and accurately collect data from every student. My first grade students, however,  don't own cell phones. We have a set of clickers at my school and I've always been reluctant to use them with first graders. After reading this journal and learning about all of the educational benefits of Classroom Response Systems, I think I may give them a try.

Elementary classroom lessons and discussions can sometimes be dominated by the more confident, high achieving students making it extremely difficult to gauge the rest of the students' understanding. The clickers would be a good way to provide a risk-free way for all of my students to respond and get feedback during class discussions. I also think the clickers would be new and exciting for the first graders and would help improve engagement in lessons. Our SMART board is already used for the majority of our lessons which would make integrating the use of clickers very easy as well.

My Time Saving Tech - Nique

First, I must admit (embarrassingly enough) that I only knew half of David Pogue's time saving tech-niques and had to try all of those that I didn't know immediately after watching the video. This man literally shaved SECONDS off of my future tech tasks with these time savers!

My personal favorite tech time saver is "Alt + Tab" ("command + tab" for Mac users). This gem allows you to switch between two windows or apps. For instance, if you are working on your lesson plans using Microsoft Word and you are using Chrome to reference something for your plans, simply press "command + tab" to switch between the Word and Chrome windows rather than navigating between them by using your mousepad.

Another keyboard shortcut that I like using on the Mac is by pressing "shift + command + 3" to take a screenshot. I don't have a meaningful scenario for when you would use this, but I find myself using it quite a bit and thought I'd share for all of you Mac users. Enjoy!

Journal Response: Authentic Instruction with Laptop Computers in Low SES Schools

Authentic Instruction in Low SES Schools Using Student Laptops

Kemker, K., Barron, A. E., & Harmes, J. C. (2007). Laptop computers in the elementary classroom: authentic instruction with at-risk students. Educational Media International, 44(4), 305-321. 

            In many cases the education provided to students in low socioeconomic status schools is lacking instruction that requires higher-level thinking and active response, or authentic instruction. The students in these low SES schools also typically have less access to technology at school.  However, with the availability of educational technology increasing and the cost of these devices decreasing, even low SES schools are able to provide access to technology for their students. In this case study, Kate Kemker, Ann E. Barron, and J. Christine Harmes evaluated how effectively laptop computers could be used as a platform for providing authentic learning experiences to children in a low SES school.

            The case study focused on 26 students from a low SES school in South Carolina over the course of two years as the students moved from fourth to fifth grade. The teacher and students had little previous experience using technology at school. For the study, each student and the teacher were provided with a laptop and the teacher was provided with professional development on how to use the devices and software. The idea of authentic instruction is based on the belief that students’ work in the classroom should prepare them for the intellectual tasks that will be required of them as adults. To evaluate the quality of the authentic instruction being provided during this study, a rubric was used which rated each lesson in five areas including the higher level thinking skills, the depth of knowledge developed by the students, and connections beyond the classroom. A description of six lessons that and their evaluation using the rubric was included in the study. Data was also collected using classroom observations, teacher interviews and student interviews.

            The data from the study suggested that authentic instruction was taking place in the classroom during lessons that integrated the use of laptop computers. The laptops allowed the teacher to provide a student-centered learning environment with students conducting research and solving problems, which also improved student interest. The students learned to use the computers as tools for learning which allowed the focus to be placed on the lesson content rather than on the devices themselves. The students were also able to develop skills that had value beyond the classroom, as they were able to generate products and solve problems that reflected those that they would face outside of school.

I have trouble investing much confidence in the results of this study. Not only was the sample size very small, but also the methods of data collection were all very subjective. That being said, I teach at a low SES school and there certainly is a push being made to incorporate more technology into our instruction. The results of the study suggest that technology such as laptops can be used successfully as a tool to provide quality instruction that teaches problem-solving skills with applications in real-world situations.

Reading this study caused me to consider the amount of time that I spend teaching my students how to properly use the devices and software available to them in our classroom. One trend that was noted in the study was as students became more familiar with and comfortable with the technology, the focus of instruction was able to shift from simply how to use the technology to the content of the lessons. Simply because of the age of my first grade students, they have limited experience with and therefore limited understanding of how to use the devices in our classroom at the beginning of the school year. Before I can expect them to use our classroom technology in meaningful ways, I must provide them with focused instruction on how to use the devices and software and give them ample opportunities to independently use and get comfortable with it. Once students are comfortable using the classroom technology, emphasis should be put on providing them with opportunities to use the devices and software to collect and organize data to solve problems that have meaningful, real-world applications.