It's Not About the Tool...And, And, And...

The title of this post was inspired by a conversation lead by David Jakes this past weekend. I'll write more about that presentation in a future post.


It's Not About the Tool!
This fall, Will Richardson kicked off our district back to school gathering challenging the staff in our district to "Redefine Awesome!" He pointed out that,

"The great thing is.."We now have an easy connection between one's passion to learn and the resources to learn it."

"Unleashing student passion for learning" is one of the cornerstones of our district technology plan, along with "Empowering great teaching! Even the wording speaks more to educational philosophy and pedagogy, rather than "let's get some cool tools!"

To me, the focus of this document, and for that matter the National Educational Technology Plan, which I'm a big fan of, is on LEARNING, not on the tool! The learning is the most important part. If it can be done more efficiently with a pencil, or a portable slate, then use it! It's about the learning!


And...
Earlier this fall, Dean Shareski was struggling with the phrase, "It's not about the technology." He created this slide to prove his point.

As much as I appreciate Dean's idea here, I would not want to subject ANYONE to ME playing a cello! I believe ANY tool, in the hands of a good teacher will have a positive educational impact, just as any tool in the hands of an ineffective educator will not.  Dr. Robert Marzano said as much at the 2009 TIES Conference Keynote. Still, Dean's point is that in the hands of a skilled person, the tool IS important! Besides, great teachers deserve great tools for instruction, just as students deserve great tools for learning!


And...
Last November, voters in our district supported our technology plan by passing a referendum that dedicates funds for technology in our district for the next 10 years. Our next task is to define what a 21st Century Classroom will look like. We are working to define the standard tools that every teacher will need. In November/December, we sent out a survey for staff, seeking their input. The survey results indicated that:

• Teachers were unsure about some of the tools available to them
• Teachers tool preferences varied by grade level
• Teachers tool preferences varied by subject area

And...
So on Wednesday of this week, we are inviting staff to come test drive some tools that may or may not become part of that digital classroom at a Technology Fair. Hopefully staff will get some hands on opportunities with specific tools for interaction, communication, creation and presentation to empower their teaching and unleash student's passion for learning. We will also be broadcasting some of the events happening with Digital Learning Day, as a way to showcase how the tools can be used to transform learning here in Edina.

Chromebook Event: About the tool...Notes

It didn't recognize my camera on the USB, but the memory slot worked!

On January 30, I attended a Google Chromebook event at the University of Minnesota.
The presenters, Jaime Casap and Dana Nguyen talked about the "paradigm shift" that the Chromebook represents. Here are some of my notes. For today's session, I was using a Samsung device. Jaime noted that as new manufacturers start developing Chromebooks, they will continue to have a screen, keyboard, and camera. This device had 2 USB 2.0 ports, a 4-1 memory card slot, and a mini-VGA port. Note: This post is not an endorsement of the product, just my notes on the presentation!

• Boot in 8 seconds (They are working on it to be faster!)
• 8 hour battery
• Wi-Fi w/ optional 3G
• Everything in the Cloud
• Management is easier, as Web based console for users
• Automatic Updating
• Integrated Security
• 3 Year extended warranty
• After 3 years, schools get new devices, plus get to keep the old...

The Web has come a LONG Way! Not that long ago, the connections we had at work were better than we have at home! (CyberMonday evolved because of that.)
Today, you can "Hangout" with people anywhere, Read eBooks, Learn from watching video, and collaborate on projects.
Today, we don't learn with a manual, we watch Youtube, or ask friends on social networks. 
Today, we use devices to create content, not just consume. (Read: Take that, Apple!) Teacher Web creation and collaboration is evident by Web pages, Moodle Courses, Screencasts, assessments, presentations, etc.
The Google folks argue that Budget, Management and Scalability get in the way of devices being ubiquitous. Obviously, if your district is already using Apps for Education, there are certain benefits.


The device was designed to take advantage of how the Web is now.

• Web Based Management
• Customized from the cloud
• Security Built-In (No Malware)
• Forever Fresh
• Web Based Management
• Customized from the cloud
• Security Built-In
• Forever Fresh

Management Console is built in to the Google Apps for Education Domain Management. When districts purchase Chromebooks, the Chrome OS settings are added to the domain. Different settings can be set up by school/organizations within the domain.

Proxy settings can be set up that work either at school, or can be set up at home. The policies are stored in the cloud as opposed to the device, at the account level. Screens can automatically be locked on idle. The policies can be set as low as 30 minutes to as high as 24 hours. 

You can also customize so that certain pages always load on start-up!

Devices must connect to the Web in order to "ping the server" and be updated.

For 1:1 programs, you can set up devices so that only the assigned user can log-in. 

The management console has been updated a few times, and is continually being improved based on user input. 

Pricing for the Wi-Fi only device with 1 year purchase is $449, with a 3 year subscription it's $20/month. For the management console, there is an additional $5/month cost per device after the first year.

For the Wi-Fi plus 3G, it's $519 for 1 year purchase, or $23/month with the 3 year subscription.

Schools can get a cart and cloud printer with the first 30 you purchase.

After 3 years, what happens to the management console? Google says that they will give a 6 month warning notice when the OS will no longer be supported.



They finished their presentation with a video that showed how one student's experience with the device.

Next, Nguyen showed some features of Chrome, such as enabling "Instant" for faster searching, adding other search engines such as Amazon, Wikipedia and Youtube with shortcuts for searching. On a chromebook, you can highlight text and use a "2 finger click" to search in a new tab! 
You can also "Bookmark all tabs" if you want to save tabs that are open. 
She flew through a wide variety of great shortcut features, like "Pinning Tabs", the new calculator feature in the "Omnibox." 
Finally, she showed us the translate tool, which she claims is now "80% Accurate!" and "20 Things I learned.com" 


A question from the audience asked whether 1:1 programs can handle Docs if the student doesn't have Internet access. Casap said that one option is to give students w/o access a 3G device.


We then went into a Hangout with Richland School District in North Carolina, where they will be implementing a 1:1 program with 19,000 Chromebooks! They are going from 200mb to 500 mb bandwidth, and they have 26,000 students. We also talked with Leyden School District, who have implemented Chromebooks and are very pleased with their implementation. Easy, equal access for everyone is essential!
It was a good discussion about "making the device disappear" and other Best practice for a 1:1 initiative. Bryan Weinert, the Technology Director pointed out that since so much is via the Web, and the Chromebook was designed as a Web tool, that it feels like a perfect fit. They are also looking at "OpenClass" as a potential Learning Management System. Right now, 80% of students have Internet access, but they are not providing devices/access for students without.


Casap asked them to discuss the Professional Development issues with Chromebook implementation. The folks in North Carolina focused on blended learning opportunities for staff in cloud based options. Weinert, met with his staff for 30 minutes, showed them how the lock worked on the cart, how to log in and off, and that was about it. Instead, they've focused on Google Apps, Web 2.0 tools and good instructional design for how they can use the tools in the classroom. He did say that the management console is essential to the instructional process. Mainly so they can run the device through district proxies for filtering, manage apps/extentions, and provide a safe environment for their students.

Offline syncing works with Gmail and calendar, but it's currently only view only in Docs. 
The "ScratchPad" app can do basic word processing and sync. 



Aside from struggling a bit with the trackpad, as an experienced Chrome user, I felt fairly comfortable using the device. A fairly short learning curve. I think it's an interesting model, but I'm not sure some districts would consider $20/month/student "sustainable." Still if you consider that other 1:1 programs purchase devices with a similar lease, they may be close. Perhaps if districts can get their textbook cost down, it might become a viable learning tool.

Parenting in the Digital Age

Today I was invited to speak to a group of parents about "Parenting in the Digital Age." Principal, Dr. Beth Russell and I had a great conversation about Online Safety, Cyberbullying, and developing a positive digital footprint. The parents asked some great questions, and Dr. Russell provided examples of cases of cyber bullying at South View, and how the administration has handled them.

A Cool Moment in Class!

Today I received this e-mail from Peter Grimm, one of our Project Lead the Way teachers at South View Middle School:

Mike,

Wanted to share a cool “cloud computing” moment from class.  My students are writing scripts for a video they are shooting in my class.  A young lady was sick today, and she had all of the work saved in her google docs.  Before the cloud, the girls in class would have been sunk, as the sick girl had their rough draft as well.  Anyway,  From home, she and the other girls in her group who were in class did a conference session on google docs, while using their cell phones on speaker phone.  It was kind of cool to watch –  they were very productive, and they didn’t lose a work day.  They had the google doc on 1 computer and their video footage on another, and they were editing and re-writing, and working virtually.  It’s fun when it all works!

Peter

It was a great example of:
a) Teacher Reflection
b) Anytime/Anywhere Learning
c) Student Collaboration
d) Bring Your Own Device
e) Sharing


Grimm noted that for their next project, students will be collaborating with students from across from the country via Google Docs and Skype on a design project. 
What a great example of "Redefining Awesome!" It is definitely my #EduWin of the day!

TIES 11: Keynote Gabe Zicherman Gamification

Gabe Zicherman, the author of the Gamification Blog and books like Gameification by Design was a last minute fill in for Keynote speaker, Jane McGonigal, who was ill and unable to attend TIES 2011.

Zicherman got the audience hooked, with pics of Atari and Oregon trail (Jane has Dysentary!)
In 1987, Carmen San Diego was the most important game.
"Civilization took up about 8,000 hours of my life in grad school!"
A game that teaches something without intending to.
The dominant narative today is divided into "Games/Screens are Evil vs. Games can Fix the World!"
Is it possible both are right?
Who NEEDS the help games can provide? NYT article on kids being too hyper. Zicherman argues that maybe it's the adults!
Doesn't teach kids to be patient and wait, de-habituated to how the real world works!

"Do our kids have ADD or are our schools too slow?"

Students do a lot of reading still, but the modality is different!
Multitasking to the Max -World of Warcraft
6 different activities required to be successful in the game.
Neuroplasticity-Juggling increases grey matter in the brain.
Increasing fluid intelligence.
Exponential increase in learning
Flynn Effect: Rising IQ since 1990-

• Chrystalline Intelligence, stable or falling (decreasing)
• Fluid Intelligence rising and quickly

Games are wired to produce pleasure. Dopamine is released when we are challenged and achieve.
Kids that are naturally predisposed to unacceptable behavior can be trained to be even worse. This is important for educators to remember.

"Collective change is exponential - Individual change is linear!"

Game designers work with a construct of desire for mastery.

• Desire
• Incentive
• Challenge 
• Achievement/Reward
• Feedback
• Mastery

The red text above occurs in social interaction.

Gamification is the process of using game thinking and game mechanics to solve problems and engage users.

It's NOT about making everything into a game!
He shared the example of Ananth Pai, from Parkview/Centerpoint Elementary, who took his 3rd graders to grade-level by utilizing games. Students said, "It's fun and it's social!"
Decoding JAY-Z with Bing! All 300 pages were placed around New York, and the winner received 2 free tix to every concert for life!
It took 30 days, and the winner hired people to assist! The prize cost him nothing, but it seems like an incredible prize!
Speed Camera Lottery in Sweden. The ticket is based on how much money you make! Everyone who drives at the speed limit is entered in a lottery for the cost that others pay.
Car dashboards for Hybrids-Honda Insight, Nissan Leaf, Toyota Prius, and Ford Fusion have feedback on how ecological you are being. The Leaf even has incorporated Facebook into it!
Ripple and DueProps- Routine tasks get virtual points for jobs well done.Feedback goals & 360 employee engagement. Any time an altruistic reward is introduced, the behavior is messed up. It uses Karma rather than money and is more successful.
iCivics, developed by Sandra Day-O'Connor
Online college courses have games integrated (See Chart)

We have to avoid being all enthusiasm and no substance!

NYT Inflating the Software Report Card. Important to be data-driven. We need to vet in a systemic way.
Bartles Player types 4 core types of players.

• Killers- Win/Lose I've got to win, you've got to lose, and I need attention for it! This behavior cannot be stopped! It CAN be redirected.
• Achievers- Important to know that not everyone can win! Sometimes we focus too much on them. 10% Everyone likes acheivement, but most don't want to put in the effort.
• Socializers- 80% of the population
• Explorers-Enjoy the process of discovery

What motivates people to play games?
If we know what motivates students, we will know how to define fun!
Some people might try to "out-collaborate" others.
SAPS model. In order of stickiness and cost. Status access and power are more important than stuff!

1. Status
2. Access 
3. Power 
4. Stuff

Our fun future:

• Faster Paced
• Rewards Everywhere
• Collaborative play
• More Global

Zicherman thinks that "The Kids Are All Right!" Education has never been an apolitical profession! There has always been conflict about how best to teach, but somehow, we all turn out ok!
His key is that it isn't as important to see how games can affect learning...IT'S US! GO PLAY!!!

TIES 11: Jennifer Magiera Defining the Digital Classroom

Chicago teacher, Jennifer Magiera wrote a grant for 1:1 iPads in her 4th and 5th grade classroom said that rather than Automating, you have to demolish what you've been doing in the classroom and start over.
One transformative lesson far outweighs

She focussed this talk on Differentiation and Assessment
Assessment
Who has to do state tests?
District wide
Common Core State Standards
Bubble tests are now on the iPad
Slate routines-RTI with time stamped images of student work
Fluency Snapshots-She uses audio and picture along with Dibles with more evidence. Students can also do self checks.
Google Tools for Formative and Summative Assessment!

• Her Website has much of her work. (It includes a "Mood Checkin" so she knows whether their ready to learn!
• She has her form set to automatically color code on assessments students complete w/ Google Forms.

Differentiation
How do we have accountability for the kids. She has been able to get the kids to connect with each other to be successful.

• Connecting is a way to differentiate! She uses Skype in the Classroom to do this.She does a "Mystery Skype" with other classrooms to ask "20 questions" about their city for Social Studies.
• Meta-Math Meetings- Friday sessions where they talk with others about why they got certain questions wrong for students in another class.
• KidBlog at the end of science experiments. Asking big questions.
• Edmodo- The kids like that it looks like Facebook, and she likes it because she can personalize instruction for the students. She told the story of a student who wouldn't talk, who was brilliant in Math. In Edmodo, within 12 minutes, he had 60 comments that were meaty, and now he has the confidence to participate in face-to-face sessions.
• Flipped classroom, videos based on how they did on the exit ticket. She thinks it's like being a "cloned teacher!" 
• Project Based Learning with Augmented Reality- Johnny Kissco, Chemical and physical weathering of playground equipment. QR codes during
• Paperport Notes-PDF Annotation
• Differentiated response options
• Audio, video, Kinnesthetic, Poplet, screencasting w/ Screenchomp and Showme, ExplainEverything

For Special Education, she has 12 students w/ IEP's in her classroom. She screencasts the assessments and that allows her to individualize.

Apps
She is now using only free apps.
She has them on her "Teach Like it's 2999" blog.

If you have money to burn, eSpark Leanring can assess students to find out the apps they need.

 How are YOU going to redefine learning for your students?

TIES 11: Creating Student Centered Mobile Learning Networks using Facebook, Twitter and Cell Phones

Mike Slowinski, from West De Pere High School in Wisconsin shared how he is integrating social media collaboration in his session on "Creating Student-Centered Mobile Learning Networks Using Facebook, Twitter, and Cell Phones."
He used the analogy of Frutios vs. Fruitloops to demonstrate that students prefer using certain tools, and while "walled garden" type products may look and taste like more popular sites, when push comes to shove, students want to use the tools they're comfortable with.

He started in their district with Facebook

• Dual Identitiy (Social-Social vs. Professional-Social)
• Professional Account (WDP-FirstnameLastname)
• Symbolic Picture
• Limited to School Activities

 Students were asking questions outside of class all the time. Facebook message/Inbox was used a lot. Students didn't have to put out perceived "dumb questions" in class, and allowed organic questions. Also posted on Wall.

Twitter Integration
Some students may not log in to Professional-Social at home, so a few students felt it was less invasive to follow the teacher on Twitter.
Facebook Twitter App was used to post Tweets to his Teacher Facebook wall.

http://www.freefoto.com/preview/04-19-76/Cell-Phone

Cell Phone integration, so that students were able to receive Twitter updates via their cell phone.
Results:
Less missing work, students engaged, reminders around 5:30 were good prompts.
Facebook Pages/Groups for parents as well. Mike posted video updates, that parents could then view on their wall. They found it more personable, and parents felt that they knew him better come conference time.

He created pages for clubs, and then was able to create events for different activities. This helped with planning.

His West Depere Library page allows him to communicate about new apps or other activities, and students can "like" the page with their social account, as long as their privacy settings are set to Friends Only.
He also reverses the process with Facebook posting to Twitter.

After showing some sample activity pages on multimedia research on an artist and the book "1984" in which he included collaboration with students at Kent State University and the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire,  Slowinski showed how he created an LMS workflow for "The Facebook Classroom.
Students used the notes feature to blog, and incorporated pages for the
Slowinski incorporated PollEverywhere for cell phone integration, and kept his cell phone use to texting as opposed to advanced features on Smart Phones, which most students didn't have. Anticipatory set, quick surveys and exit cards were some of the ways he incorporated them.
He embedded a poll on the controversy over "race-based mascots" in a neighboring district and solicited community response on his Website. He also uses Google SMS and ChaCha.
Hashtags on Twitter are another method of incorporating cell phones into the classroom through backchannelling. His Twitter feed is embedded on his Website.
Slowinski identifies the following benefits to his methodology:

• Differentiation
• Increased student motivation
• 21st Century Literacy
• Collaboration
• 24/7 classroom

He feels this provides more authentic learning in his classroom.
Doug Johnson noted that Facebook wants everyone to only have one account, and Slowinski acknowledged that he is probably in violation, but feels the benefits outweigh the risks.