Executive Summary
Currently educators are preparing students for their future jobs. Did you know that “the top 10 jobs in 2010 did not exist in 2004”?(YouTube) We are preparing students for jobs that do not exist and more importantly it is pointed out that these jobs will include technology that has not even been created yet. In order to prepare students for these jobs educator must teach the students adaptability keep them up on current changing technologies to prepare them for their future jobs, whatever they may be.
Current students are said to be digital natives. They have grown up with increasing technology including cell phones, internet access, texting, facebook, and personal computers (Prensky, 2001). How can educators teach the students to get the most out of the technology available making it beneficial for every student? “The idea is simple: technology has changed the way people think, work, and learn. And if technology has changed the way people learn, maybe the next step is for it to change the way teachers teach” (Prensky, 2001).
At Exeter, there can be some improvements to implement across the district to help the students get the most out of the internet. Many of the changes include educating the teachers about technologies that the district has available as well as many of the issues that they need to be aware of while using the internet with their students. The four main issues addressed in this brief include Access, Copyright, Accuracy and Validity, and Privacy and Security.
Access, the Digital Divide, and Special Populations
The idea of access and the digital divide is much broader than some may initially think. While there may be many students that have access to computers and the internet, they may not be benefiting from that technology, most likely because they have not been taught correctly how to use the technology in meaningful ways. The digital divide website explains the digital divide well stating "Digital Divide refers to the gap between those who benefit from digital technology and those who do not” (www.digitaldivide.org).
The digital divide has increased the education gap between low income populations and the rest of the population. Districts that are wealthy are getting the newest technologies, preparing them for future jobs that will no doubt require extensive use of technology. As that goes on, poorer districts do not have the fund to gain these new technologies. Without these funds, the students are being prepared for their futures using outdated technology and are not acquiring many of the skills that will be needed in the workforce in years to come.
At Exeter Township, there is not a glaring traditional digital divide; the vast majority of the students have computer and internet access available to them at home. We have decent technology given the Classrooms for the Future Grant, which equipped many classrooms with interactive white boards, lap top carts, wireless internet, etc. To close the digital divide at Exeter, we do not need to throw tons of money into the technology, but rather need to provide teachers with the much needed training on the current technology, as well as open up the technology for students to use before and after school. Educators at Exeter need to teach students the application of the technology that can help them in everyday life or prepare them with the technological skills that they may need in future jobs.
What can we do as a district?
1. Invest in more teachers training to equip the teachers with the needed time and understanding of the importance of technology as well as the uses of technology that can benefit their students, preparing them for their future jobs. Many of the current teachers would be considered digital immigrants. Many believe that they think differently and need to be taught the importance of technology in this ever changing world, but also need to have the resources and skills needed to include the technology in meaningful ways in the classroom. “Digital Immigrant teachers assume that learners are the same as they have always been, and that the same methods that worked for the teachers when they were students will work for their students now. But that assumption is no longer valid. Today's learners are different" (Prensky, 2001). Due to the changing in the learning styles and methods of current students, teachers need to be equipped to best educate these students using the technology that is available.
Technology coaches are currently used through the Classrooms for the Future Grant. Their job is to educate the teachers that are receiving the new technology (laptops, digital cameras, internet, video cameras, and interactive whiteboards) to prepare to incorporate that technology into their daily teaching. A technology coach should be made available for training in small groups or individually multiple times throughout each school year for each teacher. This time should be used to teach the educator ways to use technology in the classroom and to work with the educator to create activities that would be beneficial to their students.
Pros- When the teachers become more educated on the technology that is being added to the classroom environment they will be more comfortable to try new things with that technology. They will be able to assist the students through activities that teach them to problem solve while incorporating technology that will be essential for them to understand when moving into the ever changing work force. This will help students to realize the beneficial ways that the can use technology, such as the internet, rather than just playing games and activities that do not benefit them in the long run.
Cons- The training will require the district to pay for subs while the teachers are working with the technology coach. They will also need to pay the salary of the technology coach once the Classrooms for the Future grant is finished.
2. Open up the media center for more time, before and after school, to allow students to come into to work on the applications and projects that they may be working on for school. The media center also needs to have an adult that is very current on technology to help the students when they have questions or to help by giving them resources and ideas using the newest technology.
Pros- This will help to close the digital divide and negate any access issues that may be present in the district. If students are given access before and after school, those that do not have access at home will be given the chance to work on their technology skills. Those students that do not have computer access at home could stay after school and work on projects and then go home on the activity bus. The adult can also work extra on students that seem to have difficulties with technology and teach them the skills needed to successfully complete the projects. They can also teach them real life application of the internet and computers.
Cons- There is a small cost involved in opening the media center for these extra hours. The district will have to pay the adult to work the media center for the extra time. It would be beneficial for the district to use a teacher that is very technologically savvy and pay them hourly for the extra time that they put in to work in the media center.
Copyright
Could you be the next teacher to end up in a lengthy court case, facing huge fines for doing something that you never thought to be wrong? With the huge influx of technology, especially the internet, we have been on information overload. At a click of the mouse it is very easy to find endless information, not to mention pictures to copy and paste into anything we wish. But is it legal?
All of the copyright laws can be confusing and unclear, but as educators we need to do the best we can to not only guide our students towards following these laws, but also ourselves. The Fair Use guidelines do protect educators to some extent when using information for the sole use of education, but there are still many guidelines to follow. Linda Starr outlines some of the issues about how teachers often misinterpret the Fair Use law as a reason to be able to use any copyrighted information as long as it is in an educational manner (Starr, 2004). Students are sent mixed messages on a regular basis when different teachers ask differently of them when it comes to citing information and what they may use. We need to come together as a district and make sure to follow the copyright laws and consistently enforce those laws for not only the students, but also the faculty.
What to do?
1. Educate teachers on the copyright laws; the importance of abiding by these laws for themselves and their students: This could be done as yet another professional development day, or simply by giving the teachers the information about copyright. The information should not only include the laws and the interpretation of the laws, but also examples of individuals that have run into legal battles because of not abiding by these laws. This is suggested on the Education World article, District Liability and Teacher Responsibility ( Starr, 2004).
Pros: By equipping the teachers with the information on the copyright laws and their consequences, the responsibility is placed on the teacher to be aware of what they are using in their classroom that could be illegal. This should decrease copyright infringement in the school. This will really benefit those that do not really understand the copyright laws that have to do with the education field. There are many common misconceptions that could be corrected.
Cons: It will take some time for the teachers to read the information given to them and to make sure they understand the copyright laws. If the information is presented in a professional development day, it will cost the district. Some school employee will need to take the time to put this presentation together for the teachers.
2. Create a district wide copyright policy for teachers and students.
A district wide policy will help to show consistency, and the importance of copyright laws, to both the teachers and the students. There should be accountability for the teachers coming from administration as to their following of the copyright policy in their classrooms.
Pros: Students will know what is expected of them to protect from copyright infringement, and it will be consistent in all of their classes. They will not see copyright as a certain teacher’s interpretation, but rather as an important issue that is consistently enforced throughout all of their classes regardless of the teacher or subject.
Cons: It will take some time to put together a district wide policy and the administration will need to enforce the policy so that it is taken seriously by the faculty and students.
Accuracy and Validity
Do your students find the sources that they need on Wikipedia or other sources that you do not believe are very reliable or accurate? Students are very often misinformed and have the misconception that if something is posted on the internet it can be trusted as both accurate and valid. This misconception can cause the students to be misinformed about the topics they are researching and can learn untrue information. It can be very difficult to correct this learning with proper information. As teachers we need to teach students how to evaluate websites to be sure they are using accurate and valid information every time they are completing research on the internet.
When reviewing website there are 3 main categories to look at to evaluate the accuracy and validity; content, credibility, and technical aspects (Schrock, 2009). The students must be taught to look at who is publishing the page and evaluate is they are credible, especially in the content that is being presented. What authority do they have to be publishing the given information? Second, they must look through the content that is presented. Does there seem to be any biased information? Does the author cite where they got the information for their publishing? The last thing that students should look at is the technical aspects of the site. Is the site organized? Does it look professional, like time has been put into it? Basically this will lead away from quickly made sites that probably do not have much information or knowledge backing the claims on the site.
What to do?
1. Common evaluation of internet sites- First, the district should come up with a common form of assessment of web pages. An example that could be used as a template was created by Kathleen Schrock (http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schrockguide/pdf/evalhigh.pdf ). This should be dispersed throughout the district to all of the teachers so that they can teach the students how to correctly evaluate internet site.
Pros: With district wide use of this evaluation, the students will learn that they must always evaluate sites for accuracy and validity before using them and believing the information presented. This should lead them to evaluating websites even when they are using the internet for personal reasons. The creation of the common evaluation will cause consistency throughout the school so that the students know what to expect.
Cons: As with any policy, it will be difficult to implement this evaluation in every classroom. There will always be some teachers that are stuck to their old ways and do not use the new evaluation. Administration will need to check on the classrooms to be sure it is being implemented when using the internet. The district will also need to find someone that is willing to work on the common evaluation and then the support from the rest of the teachers with the implementation of the evaluation.
2. District wide use of evaluation- That evaluation should then be used by all teachers with their students, every time the students are expected to research on the internet. With district wide use of this evaluation, the students will learn that they must always evaluate sites for accuracy and validity before using them and believing the information presented.
Pros: With district wide use of this evaluation, the students will learn that they must always evaluate sites for accuracy and validity before using them and believing the information presented. This should lead them to evaluating websites even when they are using the internet for personal reasons. The creation of the common evaluation will cause consistency throughout the school so that the students know what to expect.
Cons:As with any policy, it will be difficult to implement this evaluation in every classroom. There will always be some teachers that are stuck to their old ways and do not use the new evaluation. Administration will need to check on the classrooms to be sure it is being implemented when using the internet. The district will also need to find someone that is willing to work on the common evaluation and then the support from the rest of the teachers with the implementation of the evaluation.
Privacy and Security
Privacy is an up and coming issue for both students and teachers with increased use of internet in the classroom. With the increasing monitoring systems that schools can use to monitor student and teachers computer access, schools need to find the balance between too much security and empowering students to make their own decisions. Exeter has a pretty good filter that prohibits the students from getting to websites that would be inappropriate. Many times you hear the students complaining about the filter. They believe that they are responsible enough to decide what they should be looking at online.
After discussing the issues behind security and privacy on the internet in the modern classroom I have two suggestions for Exeter to empower teachers to better educate and guide students on the use of the internet.
What to do
1. Give the teachers the information on security and privacy issues that students and the school deal with when using the internet. I thought it very interesting the facts about teachers that were included at http://staysafeonline.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=67&item=45. It basically stated that more than half of all teachers not comfortable with understanding these issues or teaching students about the problems that they will face on the internet. So this session or information should be the basics of internet issues. I know that my district has a good AUP, but most of the teachers do not really know what it entails. GetNetWise.com also has some great resources about the threats involved online for different age groups.
Pros: Educating the teachers is the first step towards teaching students to use technology properly, especially when it comes to such important issues as privacy and security. When teachers are aware of all of the tools available to them they will be better equipped to use the technology in their classrooms which will benefit students as they will be most assuredly working in a technology centered world in the future.
Cons: As with the rest of the suggestions for use of the internet and it’s implications in the classroom, this will require time. An individual will need to put time into planning the best way to educate teachers in both of these areas and then the teachers will need to take the time to learn and practice the new information.
2. Teach the teachers to use the software available to them, Sync Eyes. We are able to view the student computer screens and control their computers if need be. I know that I am one of very few teachers that use this software because most of them are not aware of it. It also has very good uses in the classroom such as displaying one of the student’s computers for the rest of the class, chatting with students, or syncing all students to a particular internet resource.
Pros: Educating the teachers is the first step towards teaching students to use technology properly, especially when it comes to such important issues as privacy and security. When teachers are aware of all of the tools available to them they will be better equipped to use the technology in their classrooms which will benefit students as they will be most assuredly working in a technology centered world in the future.
Cons: As with the rest of the suggestions for use of the internet and it’s implications in the classroom, this will require time. An individual will need to put time into planning the best way to educate teachers in both of these areas and then the teachers will need to take the time to learn and practice the new information.
WORK CITED:
(2008). Internet in the Classroom. Retrieved August 2, 2009, from StaySafeOnline Web site: http://staysafeonline.info/content/in-the-classroom
(2008). What are the Risks for Children Online?. Retrieved August 2, 2009, from Get Net Wise Web site: http://kids.getnetwise.org/safetyguide/danger/
EdHUb, (2008). Classrooms for the Future. Retrieved July 5, 2009, from Classroom for the Future Web site: http://www.edportal.ed.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/classrooms_for_the_future/475/overview__background,_purposes,___outcomes/202800
Prensky, Marc (October 2001). Digital Natives Digitial Immigrants. On the Horizon, 9, Retrieved July 1, 2009, from http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf
Starr, Linda (2004). Education World. Retrieved August 2, 2009, from District Liability and Teaching Responsibility Web site: http://www.education-world.com/a_curr/curr280b.shtml
Starr, Linda (2004). Education World. Retrieved August 2, 2009, from Is Fair Use a License to Steal? Web site: http://www.education-world.com/a_curr/curr280b.shtml
http://www.youtube.com/user/xplanevisualthinking. Retrieved June 28, 2009, from youtube Web site: http://www.youtube.com/user/xplanevisualthinking
Schrock, Kathleen Critical Evaluation of a Website. Retrieved August 2, 2009, from Discovery Education Web site: http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schrockguide/pdf/evalhigh.pdf
Ushering the Second Digital Revolution. Retrieved June 28, 2009 from Digital Divide website: http://www.digitaldivide.org/dd/index.html
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Privacy and Security
Privacy is an up and coming issue for both students and teachers with increased use of internet in the classroom. With the increasing monitoring systems that schools can use to monitor student and teachers computer access, schools need to find the balance between too much security and empowering students to make their own decisions. Exeter has a pretty good filter that prohibits the students from getting to websites that would be inappropriate. Many times you hear the students complaining about the filter. They believe that they are responsible enough to decide what they should be looking at online.
After discussing the issues behind security and privacy on the internet in the modern classroom I have two suggestions for Exeter to empower teachers to better educate and guide students on the use of the internet.
What to do
1. Give the teachers the information on security and privacy issues that students and the school deal with when using the internet. I thought it very interesting the facts about teachers that were included at http://staysafeonline.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=67&item=45. It basically stated that more than half of all teachers not comfortable with understanding these issues or teaching students about the problems that they will face on the internet. So this session or information should be the basics of internet issues. I know that my district has a good AUP, but most of the teachers do not really know what it entails.
2. Teach the teachers to use the software available to them. In my district it is Sync Eyes. We are able to view the student computer screens and control their computers if need be. I know that I am one of very few teachers that use this software because most of them are not aware of it. It also has very good uses in the classroom such as displaying one of the student’s computers for the rest of the class, chatting with students, or syncing all students to a particular internet resource.
Pros: Educating the teachers is the first step towards teaching students to use technology properly, especially when it comes to such important issues as privacy and security. When teachers are aware of all of the tools available to them they will be better equipped to use the technology in their classrooms which will benefit students as they will be most assuredly working in a technology centered world in the future.
Cons: As with the rest of the suggestions for use of the internet and it’s implications in the classroom, this will require time. An individual will need to put time into planning the best way to educate teachers in both of these areas and then the teachers will need to take the time to learn and practice the new information.
After discussing the issues behind security and privacy on the internet in the modern classroom I have two suggestions for Exeter to empower teachers to better educate and guide students on the use of the internet.
What to do
1. Give the teachers the information on security and privacy issues that students and the school deal with when using the internet. I thought it very interesting the facts about teachers that were included at http://staysafeonline.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=67&item=45. It basically stated that more than half of all teachers not comfortable with understanding these issues or teaching students about the problems that they will face on the internet. So this session or information should be the basics of internet issues. I know that my district has a good AUP, but most of the teachers do not really know what it entails.
2. Teach the teachers to use the software available to them. In my district it is Sync Eyes. We are able to view the student computer screens and control their computers if need be. I know that I am one of very few teachers that use this software because most of them are not aware of it. It also has very good uses in the classroom such as displaying one of the student’s computers for the rest of the class, chatting with students, or syncing all students to a particular internet resource.
Pros: Educating the teachers is the first step towards teaching students to use technology properly, especially when it comes to such important issues as privacy and security. When teachers are aware of all of the tools available to them they will be better equipped to use the technology in their classrooms which will benefit students as they will be most assuredly working in a technology centered world in the future.
Cons: As with the rest of the suggestions for use of the internet and it’s implications in the classroom, this will require time. An individual will need to put time into planning the best way to educate teachers in both of these areas and then the teachers will need to take the time to learn and practice the new information.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Accuracy and Validity
Do your students find the sources that they need on Wikipedia or other sources that you do not believe are very reliable or accurate? Students are very often misinformed and have the misconception that if something is posted on the internet it can be trusted as both accurate and valid. This misconception can cause the students to be misinformed about the topics they are researching and can learn untrue information. It can be very difficult to correct this learning with proper information. As teachers we need to teach students how to evaluate websites to be sure they are using accurate and valid information every time they are completing research on the internet.
When reviewing website there are 3 main categories to look at to evaluate the accuracy and validity; content, credibility, and technical aspects. The students must be taught to look at who is publishing the page and evaluate is they are credible, especially in the content that is being presented. What authority do they have to be publishing the given information? Second, they must look through the content that is presented. Does there seem to be any biased information? Does the author cite where they got the information for their publishing? The last thing that students should look at are the technical aspects of the site. Is the site organized? Does it look professional, like time has been put into it? Basically this will lead away from quickly made sites that probably do not have much information or knowledge backing the claims on the site.
What to do?
1. Common evaluation of internet sites
2. District wide use of evaluation
First, the district should come up with a common form of assessment of web pages. An example is found at http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schrockguide/pdf/evalhigh.pdf. This should be dispersed throughout the district to all of the teachers so that they can teach the students how to correctly evaluate internet site. That evaluation should then be used by all teachers with their students, every time the students are expected to research on the internet. With district wide use of this evaluation, the students will learn that they must always evaluate sites for accuracy and validity before using them and believing the information presented.
Pros:
With district wide use of this evaluation, the students will learn that they must always evaluate sites for accuracy and validity before using them and believing the information presented. This should lead them to evaluating websites even when they are using the internet for personal reasons.
Cons:
As with any policy, it will be difficult to implement this evaluation in every classroom. There will always be some teachers that are stuck to their old ways and do not use the new evaluation. Administration will need to check on the classrooms to be sure it is being implemented when using the internet.
When reviewing website there are 3 main categories to look at to evaluate the accuracy and validity; content, credibility, and technical aspects. The students must be taught to look at who is publishing the page and evaluate is they are credible, especially in the content that is being presented. What authority do they have to be publishing the given information? Second, they must look through the content that is presented. Does there seem to be any biased information? Does the author cite where they got the information for their publishing? The last thing that students should look at are the technical aspects of the site. Is the site organized? Does it look professional, like time has been put into it? Basically this will lead away from quickly made sites that probably do not have much information or knowledge backing the claims on the site.
What to do?
1. Common evaluation of internet sites
2. District wide use of evaluation
First, the district should come up with a common form of assessment of web pages. An example is found at http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schrockguide/pdf/evalhigh.pdf. This should be dispersed throughout the district to all of the teachers so that they can teach the students how to correctly evaluate internet site. That evaluation should then be used by all teachers with their students, every time the students are expected to research on the internet. With district wide use of this evaluation, the students will learn that they must always evaluate sites for accuracy and validity before using them and believing the information presented.
Pros:
With district wide use of this evaluation, the students will learn that they must always evaluate sites for accuracy and validity before using them and believing the information presented. This should lead them to evaluating websites even when they are using the internet for personal reasons.
Cons:
As with any policy, it will be difficult to implement this evaluation in every classroom. There will always be some teachers that are stuck to their old ways and do not use the new evaluation. Administration will need to check on the classrooms to be sure it is being implemented when using the internet.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Copyright
Could you be the next teacher to end up in a lengthy court case, facing huge fines for doing something that you never thought to be wrong? With the huge influx of technology, especially the internet, we have been on information overload. At a click of the mouse it is very easy to find endless information, not to mention pictures to copy and paste into anything we wish. But is it legal?
All of the copyright laws can be confusing and unclear, but as educators we need to do the best we can to not only guide our students towards following these laws, but also ourselves. The Fair Use guidelines do protect educators to some extent when using information for the sole use of education, but there are still many guidelines to follow. Students are sent mixed messages on a regular basis when different teachers ask differently of them when it comes to citing information and what they may use. We need to come together as a district and make sure to follow the copyright laws and consistently enforce those laws for not only the students, but also the faculty.
What to do?
1. Educate teachers on the copyright laws; the importance of abiding by these laws for themselves and their students: This could be done as yet another professional development day, or simply by giving the teachers the information about copyright. The information should not only include the laws and the interpretation of the laws, but also examples of individuals that have run into legal battles because of not abiding by these laws.
Pros: By equipping the teachers with the information on the copyright laws and their consequences, the responsibility is placed on the teacher to be aware of what they are using in their classroom that could be illegal. This should decrease copyright infringement in the school. This will really benefit those that do not really understand the copyright laws that have to do with the education field. There are many common misconceptions that could be corrected.
Cons: It will take some time for the teachers to read the information given to them and to make sure they understand the copyright laws. If the information is presented in a professional development day, it will cost the district. Some school employee will need to take the time to put this presentation together for the teachers.
2. Create a district wide copyright policy for teachers and students.
A district wide policy will help to show consistency, and the importance of copyright laws, to both the teachers and the students. There should be accountability for the teachers coming from administration as to their following of the copyright policy in their classrooms.
Pros: Students will know what is expected of them to protect from copyright infringement, and it will be consistent in all of their classes. They will not see copyright as a certain teacher’s interpretation, but rather as an important issue that is consistently enforced throughout all of their classes regardless of the teacher or subject.
Cons: It will take some time to put together a district wide policy and the administration will need to enforce the policy so that it is taken seriously by the faculty and students.
All of the copyright laws can be confusing and unclear, but as educators we need to do the best we can to not only guide our students towards following these laws, but also ourselves. The Fair Use guidelines do protect educators to some extent when using information for the sole use of education, but there are still many guidelines to follow. Students are sent mixed messages on a regular basis when different teachers ask differently of them when it comes to citing information and what they may use. We need to come together as a district and make sure to follow the copyright laws and consistently enforce those laws for not only the students, but also the faculty.
What to do?
1. Educate teachers on the copyright laws; the importance of abiding by these laws for themselves and their students: This could be done as yet another professional development day, or simply by giving the teachers the information about copyright. The information should not only include the laws and the interpretation of the laws, but also examples of individuals that have run into legal battles because of not abiding by these laws.
Pros: By equipping the teachers with the information on the copyright laws and their consequences, the responsibility is placed on the teacher to be aware of what they are using in their classroom that could be illegal. This should decrease copyright infringement in the school. This will really benefit those that do not really understand the copyright laws that have to do with the education field. There are many common misconceptions that could be corrected.
Cons: It will take some time for the teachers to read the information given to them and to make sure they understand the copyright laws. If the information is presented in a professional development day, it will cost the district. Some school employee will need to take the time to put this presentation together for the teachers.
2. Create a district wide copyright policy for teachers and students.
A district wide policy will help to show consistency, and the importance of copyright laws, to both the teachers and the students. There should be accountability for the teachers coming from administration as to their following of the copyright policy in their classrooms.
Pros: Students will know what is expected of them to protect from copyright infringement, and it will be consistent in all of their classes. They will not see copyright as a certain teacher’s interpretation, but rather as an important issue that is consistently enforced throughout all of their classes regardless of the teacher or subject.
Cons: It will take some time to put together a district wide policy and the administration will need to enforce the policy so that it is taken seriously by the faculty and students.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Access, the Digital Divide and Special Populations
Currently educators are preparing students for their future jobs. Did you know that “the top 10 jobs in 2010 did not exist in 2004”?(YouTube) We are preparing students for jobs that do not exist and more importantly it is pointed out that these jobs will include technology that has not even been created yet. In order to prepare students for these jobs educator must teach the students adaptability keep them up on current changing technologies to prepare them for their future jobs, whatever they may be.
Current students are said to be digital natives. They have grown up with increasing technology including cell phones, internet access, texting, facebook, and personal computers (Prensky, 2001). How can educators teach the students to get the most out of the technology available making it beneficial for every student? “The idea is simple: technology has changed the way people think, work, and learn. And if technology has changed the way people learn, maybe the next step is for it to change the way teachers teach” (Prensky, 2001).
Access, the Digital Divide, and Special Populations
The idea of access and the digital divide is much broader than some may initially think. While there may be many students that have access to computers and the internet, they may not be benefiting from that technology, most likely because they have not been taught correctly how to use the technology in meaningful ways. The digital divide website explains the digital divide well stating "Digital Divide refers to the gap between those who benefit from digital technology and those who do not” (www.digitaldivide.org).
The digital divide has increased the education gap between low income populations and the rest of the population. Districts that are wealthy are getting the newest technologies, preparing them for future jobs that will no doubt require extensive use of technology. As that goes on, poorer districts do not have the fund to gain these new technologies. Without these funds, the students are being prepared for their futures using outdated technology and are not acquiring many of the skills that will be needed in the workforce in years to come.
At Exeter Township, there is not a glaring traditional digital divide; the vast majority of the students have computer and internet access available to them at home. We have decent technology given the Classrooms for the Future Grant, which equipped many classrooms with interactive white boards, lap top carts, wireless internet, etc. To close the digital divide at Exeter, we do not need to throw tons of money into the technology, but rather need to provide teachers with the much needed training on the current technology, as well as open up the technology for students to use before and after school. Educators at Exeter need to teach students the application of the technology that can help them in everyday life or prepare them with the technological skills that they may need in future jobs.
What can we do as a district?
1. Invest in more teachers training to equip the teachers with the needed time and understanding of the importance of technology as well as the uses of technology that can benefit their students, preparing them for their future jobs. Many of the current teachers would be considered digital immigrants. Mansy believe that they think differently and need to be taught the importance of technology in this ever changing world, but also need to have the resources and skills needed to include the technology in meaningful ways in the classroom. “Digital Immigrant teachers assume that learners are the same as they have always been, and that the same methods that worked for the teachers when they were students will work for their students now. But that assumption is no longer valid. Today's learners are different" (Prensky, 2001). Due to the changing in the learning styles and methods of current students, teachers need to be equipped to best educate these students using the technology that is available.
Technology coaches are currently used through the Classrooms for the Future Grant. Their job is to educate the teachers that are receiving the new technology (laptops, digital cameras, internet, video cameras, and interactive whiteboards) to prepare to incorporate that technology into their daily teaching. A technology coach should be made available for training in small groups or individually multiple times throughout each school year for each teacher. This time should be used to teach the educator ways to use technology in the classroom and to work with the educator to create activities that would be beneficial to their students.
a. Pros- When the teachers become more educated on the technology that is being added to the classroom environment they will be more comfortable to try new things with that technology. They will be able to assist the students through activities that teach them to problem solve while incorporating technology that will be essential for them to understand when moving into the ever changing work force. This will help students to realize the beneficial ways that the can use technology, such as the internet, rather than just playing games and activities that do not benefit them in the long run.
b. Cons- The training will require the district to pay for subs while the teachers are working with the technology coach. They will also need to pay the salary of the technology coach once the Classrooms for the Future grant is finished.
2. Open up the media center for more time, before and after school, to allow students to come into to work on the applications and projects that they may be working on for school. The media center also needs to have an adult that is very current on technology to help the students when they have questions or to help by giving them resources and ideas using the newest technology.
a. Pros- This will help to close the digital divide and negate any access issues that may be present in the district. If students are given access before and after school, those that do not have access at home will be given the chance to work on their technology skills. Those students that do not have computer access at home could stay after school and work on projects and then go home on the activity bus. The adult can also work extra on students that seem to have difficulties with technology and teach them the skills needed to successfully complete the projects. They can also teach them real life application of the internet and computers.
b. Cons- There is a small cost involved in opening the media center for these extra hours. The district will have to pay the adult to work the media center for the extra time. It would be beneficial for the district to use a teacher that is very technologically savvy and pay them hourly for the extra time that they put in to work in the media center.
WORK CITED:
EdHUb, (2008). Classrooms for the Future. Retrieved July 5, 2009, from Classroom for the Future Web site: http://www.edportal.ed.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/classrooms_for_the_future/475/overview__background,_purposes,___outcomes/202800
Prensky, Marc (October 2001). Digital Natives Digitial Immigrants. On the Horizon, 9, Retrieved July 1, 2009, from http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf
http://www.youtube.com/user/xplanevisualthinking. Retrieved June 28, 2009, from youtube Web site: http://www.youtube.com/user/xplanevisualthinking
Ushering the Second Digital Revolution. Retrieved June 28, 2009 from Digital Divide website: http://www.digitaldivide.org/dd/index.html
Current students are said to be digital natives. They have grown up with increasing technology including cell phones, internet access, texting, facebook, and personal computers (Prensky, 2001). How can educators teach the students to get the most out of the technology available making it beneficial for every student? “The idea is simple: technology has changed the way people think, work, and learn. And if technology has changed the way people learn, maybe the next step is for it to change the way teachers teach” (Prensky, 2001).
Access, the Digital Divide, and Special Populations
The idea of access and the digital divide is much broader than some may initially think. While there may be many students that have access to computers and the internet, they may not be benefiting from that technology, most likely because they have not been taught correctly how to use the technology in meaningful ways. The digital divide website explains the digital divide well stating "Digital Divide refers to the gap between those who benefit from digital technology and those who do not” (www.digitaldivide.org).
The digital divide has increased the education gap between low income populations and the rest of the population. Districts that are wealthy are getting the newest technologies, preparing them for future jobs that will no doubt require extensive use of technology. As that goes on, poorer districts do not have the fund to gain these new technologies. Without these funds, the students are being prepared for their futures using outdated technology and are not acquiring many of the skills that will be needed in the workforce in years to come.
At Exeter Township, there is not a glaring traditional digital divide; the vast majority of the students have computer and internet access available to them at home. We have decent technology given the Classrooms for the Future Grant, which equipped many classrooms with interactive white boards, lap top carts, wireless internet, etc. To close the digital divide at Exeter, we do not need to throw tons of money into the technology, but rather need to provide teachers with the much needed training on the current technology, as well as open up the technology for students to use before and after school. Educators at Exeter need to teach students the application of the technology that can help them in everyday life or prepare them with the technological skills that they may need in future jobs.
What can we do as a district?
1. Invest in more teachers training to equip the teachers with the needed time and understanding of the importance of technology as well as the uses of technology that can benefit their students, preparing them for their future jobs. Many of the current teachers would be considered digital immigrants. Mansy believe that they think differently and need to be taught the importance of technology in this ever changing world, but also need to have the resources and skills needed to include the technology in meaningful ways in the classroom. “Digital Immigrant teachers assume that learners are the same as they have always been, and that the same methods that worked for the teachers when they were students will work for their students now. But that assumption is no longer valid. Today's learners are different" (Prensky, 2001). Due to the changing in the learning styles and methods of current students, teachers need to be equipped to best educate these students using the technology that is available.
Technology coaches are currently used through the Classrooms for the Future Grant. Their job is to educate the teachers that are receiving the new technology (laptops, digital cameras, internet, video cameras, and interactive whiteboards) to prepare to incorporate that technology into their daily teaching. A technology coach should be made available for training in small groups or individually multiple times throughout each school year for each teacher. This time should be used to teach the educator ways to use technology in the classroom and to work with the educator to create activities that would be beneficial to their students.
a. Pros- When the teachers become more educated on the technology that is being added to the classroom environment they will be more comfortable to try new things with that technology. They will be able to assist the students through activities that teach them to problem solve while incorporating technology that will be essential for them to understand when moving into the ever changing work force. This will help students to realize the beneficial ways that the can use technology, such as the internet, rather than just playing games and activities that do not benefit them in the long run.
b. Cons- The training will require the district to pay for subs while the teachers are working with the technology coach. They will also need to pay the salary of the technology coach once the Classrooms for the Future grant is finished.
2. Open up the media center for more time, before and after school, to allow students to come into to work on the applications and projects that they may be working on for school. The media center also needs to have an adult that is very current on technology to help the students when they have questions or to help by giving them resources and ideas using the newest technology.
a. Pros- This will help to close the digital divide and negate any access issues that may be present in the district. If students are given access before and after school, those that do not have access at home will be given the chance to work on their technology skills. Those students that do not have computer access at home could stay after school and work on projects and then go home on the activity bus. The adult can also work extra on students that seem to have difficulties with technology and teach them the skills needed to successfully complete the projects. They can also teach them real life application of the internet and computers.
b. Cons- There is a small cost involved in opening the media center for these extra hours. The district will have to pay the adult to work the media center for the extra time. It would be beneficial for the district to use a teacher that is very technologically savvy and pay them hourly for the extra time that they put in to work in the media center.
WORK CITED:
EdHUb, (2008). Classrooms for the Future. Retrieved July 5, 2009, from Classroom for the Future Web site: http://www.edportal.ed.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/classrooms_for_the_future/475/overview__background,_purposes,___outcomes/202800
Prensky, Marc (October 2001). Digital Natives Digitial Immigrants. On the Horizon, 9, Retrieved July 1, 2009, from http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf
http://www.youtube.com/user/xplanevisualthinking. Retrieved June 28, 2009, from youtube Web site: http://www.youtube.com/user/xplanevisualthinking
Ushering the Second Digital Revolution. Retrieved June 28, 2009 from Digital Divide website: http://www.digitaldivide.org/dd/index.html
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