Journal 9

Are Schools Inhibiting 21st Century Living?
By Dave Nagel – The Journal – April 2008

This article discusses the fifth-annual Speak Up survey. The survey, given by Project Tomorrow, polled more than 367,000 parents, students, administrators, and teachers on how each group perceived local schools are doing with the task of preparing students for jobs and careers of the future. The findings revealed that while most administrators believed they were doing a good job, 40 percent of middle school and high school students believe that teachers are limiting their use of technology in schools. 45 percent of the students argued that school “security” practices limited the ability to use technology for learning to its full potential. Julie Evans, the CEO of Project Tomorrow derives that “It is our nation’s best interest that we support and facilitate student usage of technology for learning.” It is reasonable to believe that certain steps in security must be made, but schools are expected to take advantage of the powerful technological tools available in education. A variety of technologies were discussed with interest. The majority of students indicated that educational games helped them understand difficult concepts. The majority of teachers believe that educational gaming benefit students with different learning styles. Both teachers and students proved to be interested in online classes. For both teachers and administrators, the top three requested technologies are laptop programs, access to online research, and interactive whiteboards in every classroom. The technology with least priority is unlimited access to the Internet.
How would I facilitate the preparation of students for future careers using technology?
I plan to keep up on current technologies and introduce them to the students as much as I can. Even the most brief exposure to something new can benefit a student when transitioning into the post-education world. When someone is not comfortable with a certain technology, it can lead to feelings of intimidation. We can help students avoid feeling intimidated and fearful of technology by teaching the fundamentals and allowing them to grow as technology grows. In return, students can further a teacher's education by posing questions and eliciting discussions.
How does one keep the focus of educational gaming on the education and not so much the game?
I think it is important that there should be a dialog between teacher and student that re-emphasizes the lesson and explains how the lesson was supported by the game. I think that games should not be used as "baby-sitters" in the classroom. Yes, they are attention getters and intriguing which are very positive traits. However, it is important for the teacher to understand what about the game is helpful to students. Then, the teacher can use that piece of the information and perhaps incorporate that feature into the lesson - hopefully making the lesson intriguing as well.

Journal 8

Making Field Trips Podtastic: Use of Handheld Wireless Technology Alleviates Isolation and Encourages Collaboration
Learning & Leading with Technology – March/April 2008

This article discusses the benefits and future possibilities of a wireless, handheld field trip - a model designed by the authors while at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. This interactive field trip consists of a mix of podcasts, multimedia creation, Web research, and interviewing which are all centered on a common theme. The module allows a student to interact with the exhibits at the Boston Museum of Science in a guided, yet exploratory way. It is intended to increase the amount of time a student spends at exhibits as well as the depth of engagement with each exhibit. As podcasting alone is primarily a “push” technology, it tends to focus listeners inward and do not encourage human interaction. In a museum setting, when paired with a handheld computer, however, podcasting can encourage collaboration and interaction with others. It is also noted that the handheld field trip supports the National Educational Technology Standards. Since teachers create the podcast content, they can align the lesson with the national and state curriculum standards as they wish.
Other than field trips, how can podcasting help students engage with others in the classroom?
Supplementing a lesson with a podcast can reinforce curriculum and set the stage for classroom discussions. Because of the mobility of podcasts, students can use them almost anywhere. With just a little bit of effort, a student can participate in the lesson and therefore will not be without contributions to discussions.
What kind of commitment is necessary from an educator to utilize podcasting and other technologies in the classroom for the benefit of the students?
Obviously, introducing new technology into lesson planning will take a great deal of commitment. It will take time to develop a lesson that will reach students of all technological levels. It is important not to overwhelm a student and thus isolate them even more. Once a lesson plan is built, fine tuning will always be necessary depending on the individual needs of the students.

Journal 7

Envisioning the Future of Education: Learning While Mobile
Learning & Leading with Technology – March/April 2008

In this article, Mark Van ‘t Hooft, discusses the possibilities as well as the challenges of learning while mobile. Not only does the concept of learning while mobile include the mobility of technology, but also it looks at the constant mobility of knowledge across different contexts. The article describes three examples of how learning while mobile is being practiced. First, in MyArtSpace, students use mobile phones to gather and post data from field trips to three museums in the United Kingdom. In frequency 1550, students go on a GPS guided scavenger hunt for relics from the 1550’s. And, the Natural Museum of Natural Science in Taiwan allows you set a personal itinerary on their website prior to you visit. Visitors are also given a context aware handheld system that delivers content based on your location. The author also describes the challenges of participation, transparency, ethics, and fear. He recommends that schools spend more time on new literacies that are associated with the use of mobile and connected technologies.
How would I balance the teaching of new technologies with the standard literacies and competencies?
In addition to setting some time aside to guide students in technology available in the classroom, I would incorporate a sort of dual learning program. I would ask that children seek out new technologies and write about them as they would write about a current event.
What is the best way to teach the mobility of learning to those that do not have access to a lot of technology?
Again, having students read and write about new technology is a great way to expose them to it. It can help them understand the concepts of what is available and is in development. Showing live demonstrations in class or through media like Youtube. Even though the students may not have access to the latest and greatest technology, increasing their knowledge about it will help them feel more connected and give them additional confidence.