Be a Facilitator!
A collection of my facilitator thoughts brought to you by Web QR and viewers like you!
The SAMR spectrum
Sources:
Be an Equity Designer!
I absolutely love educational technology. I get really excited about all the opportunities and tools that exist online. But working through the resources regarding the equity-enhancing qualities of using technology in schools left me with more questions. Really, one big question: What about my students?
Issue 1: Instead of teaching digital citizenship, we've banished cell phone use to only lunch and recess.
Pros: BYOD can cause equity issues. I know that a number of my students do not have cell phones or tablets or laptops. And other students only have dumb phones.
Cons: Uh... It's technology's world and we're just livin' in it. Students need to become literate digital dudes.
Issue 2: ACCESS
Pros: Sometimes, I have access to enough Chromebooks for each of my students to indulge in some rad digital math lessons.
Cons: This is not always the case. And even when we do have enough devices, connectivity issues abound.
Issue 3: Attendance
Pros: I could just make all my resources and most of my assignments available digitally. Students who are absent from class could keep up in real time.
Cons: Internet and device access is not a given in our area. So, what's the point in putting in that effort if the student won't be able to see the information until they return to school anyway?
Issue 1: Instead of teaching digital citizenship, we've banished cell phone use to only lunch and recess.
Pros: BYOD can cause equity issues. I know that a number of my students do not have cell phones or tablets or laptops. And other students only have dumb phones.
Cons: Uh... It's technology's world and we're just livin' in it. Students need to become literate digital dudes.
Issue 2: ACCESS
Pros: Sometimes, I have access to enough Chromebooks for each of my students to indulge in some rad digital math lessons.
Cons: This is not always the case. And even when we do have enough devices, connectivity issues abound.
Issue 3: Attendance
Pros: I could just make all my resources and most of my assignments available digitally. Students who are absent from class could keep up in real time.
Cons: Internet and device access is not a given in our area. So, what's the point in putting in that effort if the student won't be able to see the information until they return to school anyway?
^^^my current feels about technology^^^
Tech Tool Eval: piazza
I've been searching for a (FREE) forum for students to collaborate and discuss. I required that the forum contain a good equations editor - preferably in LaTeX - and that the service have course management features similar to Google Classroom. A quick Internet search landed me with piazza. The service seems to be designed more for college courses, but it checks all my boxes! Piazza offers a Q&A discussion board, a Resources section with editable categories, and course management and data features.
When posting on the discussion board, users have access to a LaTeX-based equation editor. My favorite part of this feature are the visual buttons - students can select math symbol buttons which are translated to LaTeX in the editing window. I love this as a support for students who are learning to code!
When posting on the discussion board, users have access to a LaTeX-based equation editor. My favorite part of this feature are the visual buttons - students can select math symbol buttons which are translated to LaTeX in the editing window. I love this as a support for students who are learning to code!
My goal is to finish setting up a course for my Algebra I students. I would like to pilot the program with students during Spring 2020. I am ecstatic to create a space for digital collaboration for my students that WORKS for math classes. We currently "use" Google Classroom, but it's difficult to ask and answer math questions in plain text. I can't wait to see students asking and answering questions in stylistic math!
Up to Code
SAMR Rating - Modification. Students will now have a space for digital access to curriculum materials AND a space to hold rich math discussions. Instead of waiting to ask homework questions during class, students can interact with each other and myself at anytime, anywhere. This will increase the amount and depth of material we can cover. Bonus! Students gain experience with the markup language LaTeX. LaTeX is used by STEM researchers for typesetting documents that contain mathematics and graphics.
TPACK Rating - TPACK. Another excellent source for collaboration, piazza definitely supports my own pedagogical ideals. Piazza gives me a platform for enriching students' content knowledge and concept attainment. Piazza also serves as a technological upgrade to our current course management system.
ISTE Standards - piazza meets the following standards:
Colorado TQS - Using piazza with students will allow me to continue developing Quality Standards IIa and III.
SAMR Rating - Modification. Students will now have a space for digital access to curriculum materials AND a space to hold rich math discussions. Instead of waiting to ask homework questions during class, students can interact with each other and myself at anytime, anywhere. This will increase the amount and depth of material we can cover. Bonus! Students gain experience with the markup language LaTeX. LaTeX is used by STEM researchers for typesetting documents that contain mathematics and graphics.
TPACK Rating - TPACK. Another excellent source for collaboration, piazza definitely supports my own pedagogical ideals. Piazza gives me a platform for enriching students' content knowledge and concept attainment. Piazza also serves as a technological upgrade to our current course management system.
ISTE Standards - piazza meets the following standards:
- 1d - "Students understand the fundamental concepts of technology operations, demonstrate the ability to choose, use and troubleshoot current technologies and are able to transfer their knowledge to explore emerging technologies."
- 2b - "Students engage in positive, safe, legal and ethical behavior when using technology, including social interactions online or when using networked devices."
- 2c - "Students demonstrate an understanding of and respect for the rights and obligations of using and sharing intellectual property."
- 5 - "Students develop and employ strategies for understanding and solving problems in ways that leverage the power of technological methods to develop and test solutions.
- 6 - "Students communicate clearly and express themselves creatively for a variety of purposes using the platforms, tools, styles, formats and digital media appropriate to their goals."
- 7b - "Students use collaborative technologies to work with others, including peers, experts or community members, to examine issues and problems from multiple viewpoints."
Colorado TQS - Using piazza with students will allow me to continue developing Quality Standards IIa and III.
Next Stop: Collaboration
Check out my Padlet regarding the question How can technology and design increase our capacity to collaborate?
Padlet is a nifty little tech tool. Those of us who are familiar with falling down the Pinterest rabbit hole feel right at home with Padlet's board curation style. I enjoy the variety of file types that can be posted to each Padlet. I wish that there was some sort of webbing or linking feature to help users synthesize the ideas on their Padlet.
Padlet is a nifty little tech tool. Those of us who are familiar with falling down the Pinterest rabbit hole feel right at home with Padlet's board curation style. I enjoy the variety of file types that can be posted to each Padlet. I wish that there was some sort of webbing or linking feature to help users synthesize the ideas on their Padlet.
Exploring Digital Citizenship
Tech Tool Eval: code.pyret.org
Ahoy, mateys!
As part of the Bootstrap World (https://www.bootstrapworld.org/) learning network, I have access to a curriculum guide for their integrated computer science project for Algebra. Using the Pyret language, students build a simple video game over the course of a few weeks. Along the way, students use algebraic concepts like function and graphing in an authentic, integrated environment. Bootstrap boasts "In addition to learning programming, students who take Bootstrap:Algebra have shown improvement on standard, pencil-and-paper algebra tasks" (BootstrapWorld, links to "Assessing Bootstrap:Algebra Students on Scaffolded and Unscaffolded Word Problems", 2018, E. Schanzer, K. Fisler, S. Krishnamurthi). Bootstrap:Algebra can be used in the math classroom or in a computer science classroom. Students learn a programming language and algebraic concepts at the same time. Students work with a partner using the "driver, navigator" model - one student inputs the code according to their partner's directions.
Up to Code
SAMR Rating - Redefinition. Students design a working video game - a task that would generally be "inconceivable." The algebra work is integrated into the process, so students learn algebraic concepts in a totally new environment. With this unit, analog work will be supporting digital work - a paradigm shift.
TPACK Rating - TPACK. The curriculum encourages collaboration and problem-solving which aligns with my own pedagogical ideals. The technology and content are interwoven, they support each other. To successfully complete this unit, build a video game, the technology, pedagogy, and content must all interact.
ISTE Standards - Bootstrap:Algebra meets the following standards:
Colorado TQS - Teaching Bootstrap:Algebra will allow me to continue developing Quality Standards I and III.
Exemplar Video Game
Use this link to try out my video game. Select the run button in the upper right corner of the screen to get started.
As part of the Bootstrap World (https://www.bootstrapworld.org/) learning network, I have access to a curriculum guide for their integrated computer science project for Algebra. Using the Pyret language, students build a simple video game over the course of a few weeks. Along the way, students use algebraic concepts like function and graphing in an authentic, integrated environment. Bootstrap boasts "In addition to learning programming, students who take Bootstrap:Algebra have shown improvement on standard, pencil-and-paper algebra tasks" (BootstrapWorld, links to "Assessing Bootstrap:Algebra Students on Scaffolded and Unscaffolded Word Problems", 2018, E. Schanzer, K. Fisler, S. Krishnamurthi). Bootstrap:Algebra can be used in the math classroom or in a computer science classroom. Students learn a programming language and algebraic concepts at the same time. Students work with a partner using the "driver, navigator" model - one student inputs the code according to their partner's directions.
Up to Code
SAMR Rating - Redefinition. Students design a working video game - a task that would generally be "inconceivable." The algebra work is integrated into the process, so students learn algebraic concepts in a totally new environment. With this unit, analog work will be supporting digital work - a paradigm shift.
TPACK Rating - TPACK. The curriculum encourages collaboration and problem-solving which aligns with my own pedagogical ideals. The technology and content are interwoven, they support each other. To successfully complete this unit, build a video game, the technology, pedagogy, and content must all interact.
ISTE Standards - Bootstrap:Algebra meets the following standards:
- 1d - "Students understand the fundamental concepts of technology operations, demonstrate the ability to choose, use and troubleshoot current technologies and are able to transfer their knowledge to explore emerging technologies."
- 4 - "Students use a variety of technologies within a design process to identify and solve problems by creating new, useful or imaginative solutions."
- 5 - "Students develop and employ strategies for understanding and solving problems in ways that leverage the power of technological methods to develop and test solutions."
- 7c - "Students contribute constructively to project teams, assuming various roles and responsibilities to work effectively toward a common goal."
Colorado TQS - Teaching Bootstrap:Algebra will allow me to continue developing Quality Standards I and III.
Exemplar Video Game
Use this link to try out my video game. Select the run button in the upper right corner of the screen to get started.
Becoming an EdTech Leader
Check out and lurk or contribute to my Flipgrids about becoming an EdTech Leader. Link: flipgrid.com/ahanberry
Topic 1: EdTech Leadership - #adultingprobs
How can we as educators get out of the way and allow students to become active participants in a learning community?
Topic 2: EdTech Leadership - Tech for Equity
Let the underserved use technology to explore.
Topic 1: EdTech Leadership - #adultingprobs
How can we as educators get out of the way and allow students to become active participants in a learning community?
Topic 2: EdTech Leadership - Tech for Equity
Let the underserved use technology to explore.