Technology Guidebook for Educators

Technology Guidebook for Educators

Table of Contents

What is Technology Integration? 5

Bloom’s Taxonomy and Digital Learning 7

Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy 11

Evaluating the Integration of Technology 11

Technology Use vs. Technology Integration 11

Technology Integration Matrix 12

Education 2.0 versus Education 3.0 13

What do you want to do with Technology? 14

Resources to Facilitate Educational Technology 15

Learn it in 5 15

The Networked Teacher 15

History of technology in education 16

8 W’s of Information Age Inquiry 16

Student Engagement 16

Digital Resources 17

Classroom Management 17

Class DoJo 17

Collaboration, Communication, and Creativity 17

AudioBoo 17

BuzzMob 18

Edmodo 18

Ipadio 18

LocaModa 18

Padlet & Linoit 19

Posterous 19

Popplet 20

Wideo 22

Content Area Resources 22

3rd World Farmer 22

City of Materials 23

IWitness 23

Mission US: Flight to Freedom 23

Mission US: For Crown or Colony? 24

Tiki-Toki 24

Electronic Searching Tools 24

Gooru 24

Instagrok 25

Miscellaneous Resources 26

I-nigma 26

Scvngr 27

Organizing and Keeping Notes 27

Evernote 27

Remind101.com 27

Polling and Surveys 27

Cel.ly 27

Infuse Learning 28

PollCode 28

Poll Everywhere 28

Socrative 29

Survey Monkey 29

Presentation Tools for Students and Teachers 29

Air Sketch 29

Educreations Interactive Whiteboard 30

LiveSlide 30

Narrable 30

Prezi 31

Slide.ly 31

Vimeo 31

Vittle 32

YouTube for Schools 32

Resource Collections 32

CK-12 32

Curriki 33

Graphite 33

Learn Zillion 33

Tumblr 34

Virtual Field Trips 34

Moscow-Vladivostok: virtual journey on Google Maps 34

Steele-Carlin’s virtual field trips blog 34

Writing Resources 35

Ask, Act, Achieve 35

BoomWriter 35

PicLits 35

Spelling City 36

Teen Ink 36

Unit Plan – Information and Technology Literacy 37

Description 37

Key Concepts 38

Unit Plan 39

APPENDIX: Resources for Unit 1: Information and Technology Literacy 41

Concept 1: Safe, Ethical, Responsible Use of Technology 41

Concept 2: Legal Issues in the Use of Technology 41

Concept 3: Digital Etiquette and Cyberbullying 42

Concept 4: Learning and Collaborating with Technology 44

Note: All sources are referenced within the document. Additional information for some resources can be found in the Reference section.

What is Technology Integration?

One of the biggest challenges facing educators is distinguishing between using technology and integrating technology. The key to integration is that technology must become a tool that is as commonly and easily used as a pencil or eyeglasses. This section features resources that specifically define technology integration. Models of technology integration include the SAMR and TPACK models. These are explained on the Edutopia website.

The SAMR (Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, Redefinition) model, created by Dr. Ruben Puentudura, guides the process of reflecting on how we are integrating technology into our classrooms. The ultimate goal of technology integration is to completely redefine how we teach and learn, and to do things that we never could before the technology was in our hands. For more information, you can watch a series of podcasts by Dr. Puentudura (49), visit his blog (50), or read Dr. Puentudura's paper on the model (PDF) (51) (Edutopia, 2007).

Image © 2012, by Dr. Ruben Puentudura

The TPACK (Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge) framework lays out the knowledge that educators need in order to successfully integrate technology into their teaching. The TPACK website (53) provides a large collection of free resources for teachers and other instructional leaders (Edutopia, 2007).

A search for technology integration or educational technology reveals mountains of information. Some wise words about these topics are sprinkled throughout this guidebook.

Image © 2012, by TPACK

Wise Words about Technology Integration

Using technology to enhance the educational process involves more than just learning how to use specific piece of hardware and software. It requires an understanding of pedagogical principles that are specific to the use of
technology in an instructional setting
(Diaz & Bontembal, 2000).
When you go to the hardware store to buy a drill, you don’t actually want a drill,
you want a hole, they don’t sell holes at the hardware store,
but they do sell drills, which are the technology used to make holes.
We must not lose sight that technology for the most part
is a tool and it should be used in applications
which address educational concerns.
(Fletcher, 1996, p. 87)
Technology integration is the incorporation of technology resources and technology-based practices into the daily routines, work, and management of schools… This definition is not in itself sufficient to describe successful integration: it is important that integration be routine, seamless, and both efficient and effective in supporting school goals and purposes. Integrating technology is what comes next after making the technology available and accessible. It is a goal-in-process, not an end state.
(U.S. Department of Education, 2002)
We are stuck with technology when what we really want is just stuff that works. We notice things that don't work. We don't notice things that do. We notice computers, we don't notice pennies.
We notice e-book readers, we don't notice books.
Douglas Adams

Bloom’s Taxonomy and Digital Learning

Countless electronic resources help educators blend pedagogical principles and educational technology. The connections using Bloom’s taxonomy are particularly interesting as they are applied to new ways of learning. Several outstanding examples are featured in this section. All sources are noted below images.

prairieinspiration.wordpress.com

www.robeson.k12.nc.us

The Robeson wheel above specifically distinguishes between higher order and lower order thinking skills. This is helpful for educators who would like to evaluate the use of technology in schools.

Allan Carrington, from University of Adelaide, created another great wheel to check out. This resource can be found at http://intertecheducation.edublogs.org/2013/05/25/pedagogy-wheel-for-ipads-in-education/ . The Padagogy Wheel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. A video introduction of the wheel as well as a pdf version of the graphic can be found at the same website.

Kathy Schrock’s website for Bloomin’ Apps features a variety of graphics charts showing iPad Apps (see below), Google Apps, Web 2.0 Apps, and Android Apps to support Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy. She has also posted charts for Bloom’s Taxonomy and PowerPoint as well as Bloom’s Taxonomy and Pinterest.

http://www.schrockguide.net/bloomin-apps.html

Read more in The top 10 iPad apps for special education (Palmer, 2013)

Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy

Andrew Churches (2009) has developed a document titled “Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy” with detailed directions for incorporating technology at each level of the taxonomy. Churches has included rubrics specific to websites and apps with exemplars, connections to other taxonomies of learning, rubrics to measure e-collaboration, data analysis, podcasting, and digital publishing, among others. Find the link in the reference section.

Evaluating the Integration of Technology

Technology Use vs. Technology Integration

Adito Rao’s (2013) created a chart on his TeachBytes blog to illustrate the difference between using technology and technology integration.

Technology Integration Matrix

The Florida Center for Instructional Technology developed the Technology Integration Matrix which provides five levels of Technology Integration (entry, adoption, adaptation, infusion, transformation) and five characteristics of learning environments (active, collaborative, constructive, authentic, goal directed). Each cell provides a description of the intersecting level of technology and characteristic of the environment. Within each cell, there is a link to more information for math, science, social studies and language arts. This chart is a comprehensive resource with resource links for each level of technology integration.

http://fcit.usf.edu/matrix/matrix.php

Education 2.0 versus Education 3.0

The chart below, originally designed by Dr. John Moravec, depicts the changes surrounding technology as we have evolved as a wired world. Med Kharbach (2012) of the Teachbytes team explained, “We have been educated in a 1.0 education model, we are teaching in a 2.0 model but our students are living in a 3.0 model. These three models chronicle the major paradigmatic shifts that education has witnessed over the last century. They also represent, in an ironical way, the huge abyss between the actual needs of our students and what is actually being delivered to them in schools” (par. 1).

What do you want to do with Technology?

This simple chart clearly highlights the do’s and don’ts of educational technology. Ferriter (2013) created the chart to emphasize that technology itself does not motivate students. He explained, “Instead, they're motivated by opportunities to make a difference in the world; they are motivated by opportunities to ask and answer their own questions; and they are motivated by opportunities to learn together with like-minded peers” (Ferriter, 2013, par. 5). He compared this kind of thinking to saying that kids are motivated by their shoes or socks. You can read his blog at

http://www.teachingquality.org/content/technology-tool-not-learning-outcome (Ferriter, 2013).

Resources to Facilitate Educational Technology

Learn it in 5

At the award-winning Learn it in 5, you'll learn what Web 2.0 is as well as how to use strategies for using Web 2.0 technology in the digital classroom - all in 5 minutes or less. These step-by-step how-to videos walk teachers through Web 2.0 technology, demonstrating how to use Web 2.0 applications like blogs, social networks, podcasts, interactive videos, wikis, slide sharing and much more. This resource has been created by Mark Barnes. Be sure to check out the Digital Strategies blog. The site also features 3 credit online courses for educators. The home page has new developments in technology organized in libraries on the side. There are so many resources here and many videos to learn how to use new technologies. The videos were produced by technology teachers for the purpose of helping teachers and students move into 21st century classrooms. http://www.learnitin5.com/ Read more at http://www.learnitin5.com/#ixzz2YsRsOVDm

The Networked Teacher

Image by Silvia Rosenthal Tolisano

History of technology in education

This simple you tube presentation shows the development of tools for literacy from primitive cave drawings to our modern day tools. http://youtu.be/UFwWWsz_X9s (SMARTEduEMEA, 2011).

8 W’s of Information Age Inquiry

This website presents a model of electronic inquiry. The model was developed by Annette Lamb in the early 1990s. It was published in the book Surfin' the web: Project ideas from A to Z by Annette Lamb, Larry Johnson, and Nancy Smith (1997) and in an article called “Wondering Wiggling, and Weaving: A New Model for Project and Community Based Learning on the Web” (1997. Learning and Leading With Technology, 24(7), p. 6-13). The eight W’s are watching, wondering, webbing, wiggling, weaving, wrapping, waving and wishing. These are explained on the website and links are provided for each category. Please see this resource at http://www.virtualinquiry.com/inquiry/ws.htm

Student Engagement

Would you like to know what kids say engages them in learning? Eighth-graders say they are motivated by working with peers, using technology, connecting to the outside world, observing the teacher’s passion for the subject, getting out of their seats, incorporating visuals in learning, opportunities for student choice, vary the activities, and ask students for their feedback. Review this study at http://www.edutopia.org/blog/student-engagement-stories-heather-wolpert-gawron (Wolpert & Gawrom, 2012)

Introduction to Plagiarism

This introduction to Plagiarism is a great way to help students understand how to paraphrase and cite information from sources. Register on Curriki and download this presentation at http://www.curriki.org/xwiki/bin/view/Coll_cmytko/PlagiarismPacket?bc= (Mytko, 2008)

Digital Resources

Classroom Management

Class DoJo

Class Dojo is a web-based classroom management program. Teachers set up each class or group of students and then add or subtract points any time. The program works on a laptop, interactive whiteboard, or even a smartphone, tablet or iPod touch. Students can create or change their avatars from home too. (They love that!) Teachers can enter specific positive and negative behaviors. Each click on a student’s avatar makes a beep (although you can turn the sound off if you like). The program keeps track of each student’s behaviors and creates printable reports. If parents provide their email address, they can also access Class Dojo to see how their child is doing in class. The makers of the program just created a set of resources (poster, parent letter, and images of avatars) for teachers. Teachers can use Class Dojo to record attendance, to randomly choose a student from a group or to time an activity and record the winner each time. An informative student video is nice to show students at the beginning of the school year. I used this with students in Grades 3-5 and the students really enjoyed it. It is a little too cutesy to try with students older than 5th grade.I plan next year to incorporate homework (reading) and additional behaviors into the program because it was too much to run this program and a separate homework program. The students were excited to see their points climb and we decided together on some incentives students could work toward when they reached a certain number of points. There are some nice charts on Pinterest showing some charts that other teachers have created. As with any other reward program, the students will be motivated if they have a say in the rewards. http://www.classdojo.com/

Collaboration, Communication, and Creativity

AudioBoo

The free account allows teachers to create a 3-minute Boo or audio file. Students can search and follow other Boo-ers. There are many categories This can be linked to many online platforms. Audioboo can be used to feature music or spoken words. Students can create short reports, tell stories, or record their own thoughts. This program works on IOS and Android devices or on the web. I downloaded this on my i-phone easily and listened to several audioboos. The welcome message encourages users to set up an account, so I did. I created an audioboo about RTII. The hardest part was keeping it to 3 minutes. The message can be heard at https://audioboo.fm/boos/1536191-what-is-rtii It does take a while to process the audio, but I listened to the preview and was very happy with it. It is a public message service but you can click the DM button or ask students to “follow” your messages. Audioboo can be linked to twitter, facebook, tumblr or blogger. It is possible to upgrade and create longer messages. http://audioboo.fm/

BuzzMob

This app is all about connecting with others – your students or your family... It is great for field trips, especially if someone gets lost. Teachers create a “mob” and everyone connects to the Mob by their phone. It uses GPS to connect to others. Following can be turned on and off so you do not have your students following you to the doctor’s office. One teacher uses BuzzMob to keep in touch with parents. http://www.buzzmob.com/