Universal Access to Technology

Universal access is a new way of thinking to me. I have been familiar with differentiation and making modifications to the current curriculum. However, I never thought before of having the curriculum designed in such a way as to be readily available to all learners. I had just always figured that I would need to make adaptations to it to make it accessible to all my students. Furthermore, I never had to think too much in terms of universal access for technology integration because of the over 140 students I've taught in the past six years, I have had relatively very few with special needs. In all, I've had six with learning disabilities, one hearing impaired, and two with autism. However, after reading the articles on all the technology available to help students with theses disabilities, I've come to realize that there was perhaps potential for these students to learn the same material as their peers and gain greater knowledge and understanding. Fortunately though, at the time I had these students in my classroom, I feel the accommodations and support given met their existing education needs as laid out in their IEP's.

I feel the concept of universal access will be especially useful when it comes to the "slow learner." Slow learners are those that struggle with basically all areas of the classroom curriculum, but since they are low across the board, they do not receive LD services. (According to tests, there is not a discrepancy between their performance in class and their expected potential.) Having the technological tools to assist these students will hopefully help them see that they too have strengths that they can perform well in. I especially like the idea behind Thinking Reader and how it is a constant companion to struggling readers.

As far as ensuring technical resources are available to all, I must honestly say I haven't done much in that area. Other than making sure students have equitable use of the computers, I haven't gone further in this endeavor. Fortunately, the readings and previous classes in CTER have helped me understand that not only are additional resources available, but they may also be a neccessity for schools to provide it's students in order to comply with the 1997 IDEA ammendments. Now, with my newfound knowledge, it is my responsibility to ensure my students receive the necessary accommodations as required by law.

Technology Standards for Educators and Students

"In considering technology standards for teachers and students, are we reaching these standards -- or are the standards beyond what we could achieve?"

Upon reading the technology standards for teachers, I came to realize how much the CTER masters program through UIUC has taught me about becoming a better educator. I am able to confidently say that I feel I meet the general technology standards for all teachers. However, I don't feel this was always the case. It is because of the education I have received that has brought me this far. Furthermore, the emphasis my school district places on technology and professional development opportunities has prepared me to abide by the technology standards.

On the other hand, if I did not have the opportunity or chose not to participate in a masters program in technology, I feel I wouldn't be meeting those standards. If I didn't have a school district that emphasizes technology integration and provides the necessary support and teacher training, I feel I wouldn't be meeting those standards.

Therefore, in regards to the average educator, I can understand why he/she might not be able to state with confidence, like I am able to, that he/she is meeting the technology standards. After all, if a school district does not provide the time, support, and financial assistance to its teachers to better prepare them for a changing and diverse student population, then how will these educators ever be brought up to speed on what are the most recent standards in education?

Fortunately, I do not feel the technology standards, as they are presently written, are out of the reach of an average educator. It will just mean taking a lot of professional development courses, practicing patience, and being persistant in furthering one's own life long learning.

Are We Responsible Users of Technology

As an educator, do I model fair use and copyright guidelines to my students? That is a question that plagued my mind as I read the articles for our reading assignments. My first response was an emphatic YES! However, upon further reading and reflection, I discovered I have not been a perfect model to my students. For example, there have been the math workbook pages I've quickly copied when a student left their workbook at home. These workbooks are consumable, and I suppose that by copying a page, I was breaking copyright guidelines. In addition, I learned that some of the links I have included on my websites are in violation of copyright guidelines. Why? Because they are links that delve further into a website instead of linking more directly to the homepage. I always thought I was just helping the user of my website out by providing them with a more direct link to the important information. However, now I realize that by not linking to the homepage, I may be preventing the Internet user from viewing who the original site creator was (since this is usually addressed on the homepage).

Furthermore, I learned from my readings that the copies I've made of student work is also a copyright infringement. I haven't always asked students for their permission if I could make a copy of their writing. For example, a few years ago my students each wrote a story that got published into a book. However, before their stories were submitted to the publishing company, I first made copies of a few of the stories and passed them onto a theatric company who later came to the school and put on skits about the stories that were submitted. Since it was a surprise for the students whose stories were chosen, I never told the students which stories I had submitted. Fortunately, the students never complained about their stories being acted out in front of the entire school. But what if they had complained? That's a bit of a scary thought.

Finally, there are probably numerous times that I've violated copyright law. I only say that after I read the copyright reading assignments. In a few of the readings it mentioned that not all material needs to have or will have a copyright date or symbol on it. However, this does not mean the material is safe to be copied. That is because it is not a requirement that copyrighted material be marked as such.

Fortunately, after the readings, I have come to realize that I need to treat all material as copyrighted material (unless it is government documents). This new insight will better prepare me for the next time I choose to use a copy machine or create something on the computer. Although technology is a powerful tool that has made it quite easy to use other people's material, such a tool also requires great responsibility in how it is used.

Digital Storytelling in the Classroom

From my research of digital storytelling, I found it to be a meaningful tool to be used in the classroom. First of all, the website http://tellingstories.org/index.html, is just one of many resources out there that could be used by teachers to hook students into learning about world events. This website with digital stories makes the difficult content understandable to students since they are told from the perspective of one who witnessed and experienced those events. Listening to a person recount their experiences helps students make real world connections to something that ordinarily they would just read about in a textbook. Furthermore, the viewing of poignant stories facilates meaningful classroom discussions.

Secondly, the use of digital storytelling in the classroom is an effective way to appeal to diverse learning style and creativity in students. When work involves a tangible product at the end of a project which can be published for public viewing, student interest in writing, attention, and motivation increases. Furthermore, student involvement in the creation of a digital storytelling requires problem solving, collaborative group work, leadership, and the use of higher order thinking skills. Students must research information, interview resources, organize their ideas, and write a script -otherwise known as the planning stage. They must use technology in new and creative ways to produce a project and present the project to an audience. Finally, they must evaluate their project by assessing its effectiveness in delivering a message.

With all that is entailed in the creation of digital stories, it is no wonder I consider this integrated approach an effective tool for the classroom that can be used as an assessment piece to demonstrates student learning.

Embracing New Literacies Fostered by "Digital Natives"

Marc Prensky's article, "Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants," was quite an eye opener for me. Prior to reading it, I had considered myself a digital native. Sure, the Internet was not available when I was born, but in elementary school, we had a computer lab to go to and a robot that visited our classrooms on special occasions. However, upon reading parts in the article like, "The 'digital immigrant accent' can be seen in such things as turning to the Internet for information second rather than first, or in reading the manual for a program rather than assuming that the program itself will teach us to use it," I realized I am part of the "Digital Immigrant" group (Prensky, 2001). Further on in the article, Prensky truly convinced me of my standing in the digital world when he said digital immigrants "[print] out your email ..; [need] to print out a document written on the computer in order to edit it (rather than just editing on the screen); and [bring] people physically into your office to see an interesting web site (rather than just sending them the URL)" (2001).

Upon facing the awful truth of my status, I was able to look back at what Prensky's and Roblyer were trying to teach me. That the teaching strategies and methods I am using in my classroom are outdated and need some major reforms if I hope to reach these different learners in my classroom. After all, these learners have different brains than I and my older counterparts have. They are much more in the realm of being visual learners and people who construct their knowledge rather than being a sponge who waits for the knowledge to be soaked up when dropped upon them. Therefore, to reply to the question, "are we as educators prepared to embrace new literacies fostered by "digital natives", the answer should not be a yes or a no, but rather a "we better be"! Unfortunately, the fast changing world of technology and slow moving world of educational reform does not lead to quick transitions.

This leads to the question why aren't educators prepared to embrace these new literacies if research shows that it is best practice in teaching and it is what students need to learn? Is it a lack of time to learn these new literacies, or is it a money thing? Perhaps. Is it the lack of sufficient teacher inservices and training? Maybe. Or is it just that the trickle down effect hasn't yet reached the educators of our youngest learners? Hmmm.. if that were the answer, that would be to say that all college professors are embracing the new literacy. And yet, there are many out there who still base all learning opportunities on the trusty old textbook. So if college professors haven't all embraced these new literacies fostered by their "digital native" students, where does it all begin? Must the preschool teacher be the first to embrace it, or the elementary school teacher? Is it the middle school teacher's responsibility or is the high school's? Or is it the college professors responsibility to embrace the new literacy since he/she is the one who instructs the future elementary/middle/high school teachers? So who will it be that starts the trend in recognizing the different learners that the technology age has create and that these students need new approaches to learning? Whoever it is, by the time everyone else gets on the bandwagon, we might be past this technology age and into a new and unknown age of the future.

Role of Media and Technology in Education

It seems obvious to me that media and technology are critical in education. The use of symbols and print (media) are necessary for students to learn. Technology is needed for this print to be viewed by the masses. Furthermore, technology allows for a more cost efficient and motivating way for students to not only learn from, but also with it. Another benefit of using technology and media is the ability to not only read new and current information, but also provide one's own insight to the discussion. The web is a perfect example of this read/write community.

I checked out the following websites to view their value for my WebQuest: http://tlpearl.wikispaces.com/ ; http://pbwiki.com/ ; http://pages.google.com/ . I found these sites to be very valuable for my students to help them communicate to each other, keep track of the research and information they've gathered, and to help me determine the progress they are making on their WebQuest project. Although these sites are helpful in these areas, I also recognize that it will add to my job of educating the students on how to use these technologies. Fortunately, one of the reasons I might choose to use these is because the technology aspect can be a motivating factor for my students. Sure, they could just print out the words on paper, but when you add technology to the media, students become more motivated to do the work.

Blended Learning in the Elementary Classroom

My personal favorite definition of blended learning is "the effective combination of different modes of delivery, models of teaching and styles of learning" as stated by Chris Procter's white paper, Blended Learning in Practice (2003). When face to face meetings are combined with online options in such a way as to supplement and enhance the material to be learned, students not only learn more, but their interaction during and satisfaction of the learning process improve.

As a third grade and previous fifth grade teacher, I can confidently say blended learning is a critical component in the elementary classroom. Blended learning supports differentiated instruction which is crucial when trying to reach and interest all learners. It requires educators to decide on using the right tool for learning, in the right situation, and for the right purpose. Because differentiation is involved, teachers must look at their students' learning styles, interests, and abilities to help them determine the content, activities, products, and learning environments students should have access to in order to meet their diverse needs.

Besides blended learning being associated with differentiation, it is also a proponent of flexible learning for the student. When blended learning is used in an educational setting, students have the flexibility to make choices in regards to when and where they will study, what learning styles they will use and their personal preferences as far as what at pace they want to proceed. The content, process by which they receive that content, and product they produce to show their learning also become flexible entities. Furthermore, the teacher is no longer seen as the source of all knowledge, but a facilitator of the learning process. Students are guided in the direction of seeking out and discovering appropriate resources, completing tasks, and deciding their own learning outcomes.

The way blended learning looks in my elementary classroom might be quite different from its application in a middle or high school classroom. As an elementary teacher, I incorporate blended learning by integrating technology into lessons. At times I might use a CD-ROM for students to practice skills or show a video to best explain a concept. In the case of the CD-ROM, it might be chosen because it can provide more immediate feedback for the student in comparison to a worksheet that would need to be graded by a human. At other times, I use audio cassettes or online stories for students who have trouble reading text and need to practice following along in a text. Finally, I utilize the Internet when topics or questions are brought up in science or social studies. For example, the FOSS website provides an opportunity for students to ask a scientist a question.

A final way I incorporate the idea of blended learning in my classroom is through the use of a classroom website and email communication with parents. Besides having parents learn information in the classroom during Parent Night, they can review classroom policies and procedures described on the website and be updated on the latest homework and newsletter by visiting my classroom website. I also use email communication to answer parent questions and respond to their concerns. I would consider these forms of "blended" communication to have an impact on not only parent learning, but also student learning since the homework posted on my classroom website provides students with important information.