Use of cell phones in class

Cell phones come with increasing capacities for doing useful information gathering in science classes. For the present unit, I taught students the skills of planning an investigation in which they measure the change of some populations across some sort of gradient. I gave them a recipe lab to meaure how the density and species of plants changes as one gets further from the trunk of a tree. The students then individually found a gradient on campus that they chose to investigate and developed a lab to sample this.

I thought this would be an ideal opportunity to investigate the variety of ways cell phones could be used in the lab. The plots the students were studying varied from the berm by the parking lot in front of the school, to the weeded area by the Suriwan Gate, to the slopes and drainage ditches on the cross country path around the soccer and baseball fields. I would not be able to be in constant contact with all of the students, so I gave them my cell phone noumber and asked them to call me when they had questions or concerns. I also suggested they use the cell phone to take pictures of the individual species of plants they were sampling and the calculator to do their averaging. I suggested students could use the angle function on some phones to measure the slopes of their plots. Now that I look back on it, those with GPS functions should have included the locations of their plots and used the compass on their phones to lay out the transects of their investigations.

Within five minutes, while I was working with one student, another student 150 metres away had a question that required my going to her plots. I was able to help her move to another, more suitable location early in the class period, reducing frustration and lost class time.

Students also used LoggerPro interfacing during this lab to measure the temperature and light intensities at various locations in their plots. This was done to either ensure these variables were maintained as relatively constant throughout their plots, or showed the values of the independent variable they were studying. (A student might check how the shade of trees affects the plant life. By measuring the light intensities at different locations under a tree and away from a tree, students plot the change in plant species' populations against light intensities.)

To use the light and temperature probes outside, students needed to put batteries in their LoggerPros, open the software on the computer and run the program for the appropriate probes, and use and care for the computers outside. It was a joy to watch students using a computer like they normally would use a clipboard and notebook to gather data and make observations.

The ISB TAIL standards - developing a project

On the back channel chat following Kim Cofino’s “Going Global: Culture Shock, Convergence and the Future of Education” (see wiki), the keynote speech for the K12Online09 Pre-Conference, “Seamus” (obviously Jim Fitzgerald) wrote (so I learned) that David Warlick says in his "What Difference Might One 'S' Make" blog, "I would suggest that students simply learn to apply computers to solve problems or accomplish goals….Students would simply learn how computers can help them do interesting things, and then gain the skills and confidence required to teach themselves, with the guidance of their teachers, the applications to make it happen.”

Basically, our assignment of developing a unit that includes the ISB21 Technology and Information Literacy Standards is an application of this having students develop skills and do interesting things learn and demonstrate learning. With the smorgasbord of tools, information, ideas, and means of communicating digitally we were exposed to in this COETAIL course, the challenge of the project is not to develop something that is large enough to encompass a lot of the TAIL standards, it is develop something that will help students gain skills, be interesting, and be the right tool for student learning, rather than a digital add-on.

I find the TAIL standards mimic a lot of the learning reflected in our quality science curricula. Gathering data, evaluating processes and information, planning investigations, conducting research, using digital tools and digital resources, constructing knowledge, and practicing ethical standards are all monthly challenges in the IB science courses. But I feel the Effective Communicator and Creator Standard 1: "Communicating ideas, knowledge, and understanding to audiences ranging from local to global" is one I seldom have my students address. The challenge for me in this project is to see if I can include this in my project.

Along with Tech initiatives, our school and the Environmental Systems and Societies course appear to be developing globalization and environmental awareness standards. Without stating what they are, I would also like this project to include these initiatives.

Reflections about NETS Student and ISB TAIL standards

Looking over the International Society for Technology in Education's (ISTE) National Educational Technology Standards and Performance Indicators for Students (NETS-S) for 2007, especially after comparing them with the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) Standards for the 21st-Century Learner, what is initially apparent to me is how different it is from what was considered 'computer education' in the early 80's. Back then, geek-type students enrolled in the courses to learn about flip-flops, bits and bytes, Boolean functions, making graphics, and learning to program in BASIC (Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code). The curriculum was designed to have students complete set assignments, in class where they had access to computers, under the supervision of a teacher, in preparation for writing programs to do simple operations, like putting numbers in squares. Note all of this was to help the students be prepared.


Thanks to Hanan Cohen for the Flickr image of the old computer.

The NETS standards of the past two decades reflect a different world which is designed for all students (and teachers and administrators). The standards are relevant for every day life operations on a variety of platforms for a variety of functions and for a variety of possible future needs. (These standards are robust in that they are relevant even though the future technological needs cannot yet be defined.) The 'operations' that are to be learned (the curriculum) to meet these standards are dynamic with time and development of new technologies. The assignments to meet these standards are open and go well beyond the use of computers by a few to the infusion of computers into practically everything. The performance that indicates proficiency of these skills is often done not only without supervision of a teacher figure, but also often in collaboration with many peers (and colleagues of many ages and cultures) scattered across the globe. The skills involve a mixing of many technological developments for the demonstration of mastery achievement.

When I consider these and consider the TAIL standards ISB has adopted from these standards, I am drawn to look over the descriptors for Effective Learners (efficiently gather, critically evaluate, effectively use information and plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using tools and resources, is see a description of the path students take through our HS Science laboratory investigations program. I am proud of what we do, but this breakdown helps me realize how much learning students get.

The HS Science program gives students a variety of lab investigations to do to prepare them in each aspect of the Effective Learners’ profile. In biology, we meet regularly to work investigations into our units. The IB program has a requirement of students independently and collaboratively plan, investigate, manage, analyze, and communicate about their research. The use of technologies for data logging, statistically and mathematically analyzing, graphing, and investigating is embedded in both these programs. Individual planning of investigations and evaluating the weaknesses and improvements of investigations is a focus in my biology classes presently.

1)This is good to think about what more areas of learning to consider for my students

2)I could assign students to do on line reading for ESS more, then report on their reading to the class. They could do this for their home country.

3)I could recommend use of Creative Commons more

4)I don’t do much in which students produce group results. This is an area to consider.

Who's responsible?......Who, me?

Answering the question ‘Whose job is it to give students technology training in a school?’, one needs to look at who does it?, who supervises it, who evaluates it, who gets given time to do it, and who gets paid to do it? I prefer to consider what is the best way to make it happen in a school.

First, the school community needs to investigate what all ‘technology training’ involves and decide to what extent it will commit energy, funds, time, and support to the students, staff, administration, and parent community getting on board. A vision, mission, and/or philosophy is then agreed upon by the stakeholders and a strategic plan is developed to get the resources to make the plan a reality.

This paragraph may seem boring or needless, but it is most essential in answering “What is the best way to make it happen?” A philosophy of parent involvement and education for parents is far from a strategy of having scheduled computer labs that all students attend on a rotating schedule. Hiring staff that are technoliterates and assigning them to train a cluster of the staff is different than bringing in presenters and requiring all staff attend PD days. And checking off each student’s computer skill ability levels is different than having students individually self monitor their technological understandings and skills and developing individual growth plans.

In a school whose focus is learning, the question might be re-phrased, “Who is responsible for the technological skills development?” I think the answer to this question needs little discussion--Everyone in the community is responsible to learn technology and support the goal of increasing the community’s technological literacy.

We all benefit from the entire community being able to effectively use PowerSchool, communicate by email, honor copyright agreements and proper referencing codes, access PantherNet information, effectively search the Web, supporting broad-band reliable access, and providing carts with computers readily accessible for student learning. Being in a department of technophiles makes my instructional environment richer and, I believe, also improves student learning.

A piece of the “Everyone” that I seldom hear this responsibility assigned to is the student. In a school priding itself in students being aware of their own learning, I advocate that students know their own strengths and weaknesses and individually develop learning plans and challenges to improve their skills. Some may find themselves learning digital photography, make podcasts, blog about a passion they have, mix music, use new data-logging probes, expand their use of other platforms, or try different avenues and levels in the communication of ideas with other students and their teachers.

Staff and the community could have similar goals to continually raise technoliteracy. In time, the community would be considered tech savvy much the same as communities are considered outdoorsy and physically fit.

Flickr image by Roo Reynolds

Which of the TAIL standards do I address?

After we studied the TAIL standards, I wondered which of them I addressed and which of them I hadn't. I discussed it with Dennis and chose to address these standards in two parts. One was to matched the TAIL standards of the activities I now do in my classes. The other was to reflect on what I learned from reviewing the standards.

I found the areas I address least were in the standards for Effective Learners. Of these, I found no activity in which I presently address standards:
EL1a inquire about their learning…,
EL1c selecting information [tech] tools based on the task,
EL2a analyze to make informed decisions, and
EL2b use multiple processes and diverse prospectives.

For the other standards, I summarized that address them the following number of times:
ECC1a - 2
ECC1b - 2
ECC2a - 3
ECC2b - 4
EC1a - 4
EC1b - 1
EC1c - 4
EC2a -5+
EC2b - 1
EC2c - 1

I investigated the spirit of the IB program more thoroughly to understand how their standards might overlap these and the goals of ISB (as addressed in a previous blog). For the use of information and communication technology (taken from the 2010 version of the Environmental Systems and Societies Guide) "teachers should attempt to expose students to a variety of ICT media, resources, software and hardware,...... calculators as data collection devices (data loggers).....electronic data measuring and recording equipment...hand-held global positioning systems. Students should...utilize the wealth of data, information, and software avialalbe on teh World Wide Web. It is important .... that students are encouraged to develop the skills necessary to evaluate this data and information critically." (page 13. As I move forward to develop my project, I would like to keep this in mind.

Course reflection: Another beginning...

My confidence in the production, finding, and use of video images leeped repeatedly during this course. I hoped I would learn to find good video images and maybe make a video out of slides, but now I am comfortable planning a video storyboard, getting images and video to support it, splicing and splitting, transitioning and labeling, and adding sound and my voice over the images to make a story. Yesterday I thought of sending my mother a four-minute video of us and our activities here. It took me 50 minutes from sitting to the computer until I published it on YouTube.

[A skill I developed that I didn't think about at all was editting the html of these sites to make them 'work'.]

I have made a content video about a challenging topic, productivity. I published it to YouTube and it has been viewed 80 times since then. Someone embedded it in www.encyclopedia.com and (besides my embedding it in PantherNet) it has been embedded in two other sites.

I found the discussion about preparation for keeping school functioning online if we had to close temporarily most relevant. I have challenged myself to learn all I need to to use PanthNet for my classes now and try using technologies in preparation for a school closure. I find PantherNet to be an asset for all students, especially the lesser organized students. Students seem to become increasingly dependent on this avenue of learning and are beginning to use computer malfunctions and lack of Internet access as an excuse for not preparing for class, even when it is a couple hours before due times. On one hand, we are preparing students for their future integrations with technologies. On the other hand, I fear students are leaving more to do later when they know everything is always available to them online.

I think the best demonstration of my learning is the three 4-minute story boards with video, dialogue, still images, and transitions that I made for my mother to see on YouTube. Every time I do a new one, the continuity gets better, the time to complete it gets less, I gain confidence, and I feel happier.

I'm trying to line up three images on one line below, but have not been successful.




Panther Creative Commons Flickr image from tim ellis
Pampers Creative Commons Flickr image from majorbonnet
butterfly Creative Commons Flickr image from e³°°°
bee Creative Commons Flickr image from aussiegall
bugs Creative Commons Flickr image from by Marten LaBar

What if . . . . a school had to close temporarily....?

If a school this size had to close for a week or two, what would need to be taken into consideration? I've given it some thought since this Coetail Course 3 started and during the coming days will detail some of the thoughts and concerns I've pondered during this course. I will start writing this as a series of questions I have been considering. I hope to respond to some of these questions if time permits.

What would need to be taken into consideration to optimize student learning?
If students learn in groups, how can stuff be shared by groups?
How would Face-to-Face (F2F) meetings occur?
How would group fora be conducted?
Blended classrooms – is this a skill all students should experience anyway?

Would the closure be complete or partial? Could the school be closed by division? Would the administration allow teachers to conduct courses from off-site, the Americas, Hua Hin, home, or a vacation spot and can instruction be effective from those locations?

How would teachers (and students) best communicate with each other?

Should teachers give students regualar, clearly-scheduled times when they will be available?

What would teacher of student (and supervisor of teacher) assessment look like?

Which applications would be most relevant for which courses (and communications)?
Podcast, embedded video, PantherNet chat, Wikispaces, Movie Maker, all the present applications on the PantherNet minimum list.

Would there be reliable service and access for all stakeholders?

Should teachers now be selecting units they lend themselves best to blended classroom instruction and shoule teachers be preparing for this instruction now?

Should we get the entire ISB community (students, teachers, admin, Ed Tech, Board, and parents) to buy into this concept now, so we are prepared when the day arrives? and Should we be trial running some aspects of this kind of education now?

If some teachers are not prepared to run such a class, would it jeopardize the tech savvy teachers from being able to continue with their classes?

What is the best use of time with both individual student issues and groups of students?

How can teachers protect themselves from being constantly "on call"? Would an eight-hour work day be respected by the community? Could teachers set schedules for the time they will maintain contact? Could students work on schedules from the other side of the globe?

Would it take so much time to prepare an online lesson, or gather and comment on students' submitted work, or dealing with individual commmunications that such a course would not be feasible? Would the demands on student time increase significantly?

What would be an effective activity for students to blog to the rest of the group? The assignment I gave today: Having students read three Research Questions we developed in class, individually write the dependent and independent variables, and as a group write the key and lesser controlled variables and how they would be measured and controlled, might work as an activity. Students certainly could learn from each other. But would the weaker students find this a way to lay low? And how could the teacher help these weaker students become activated to contribute *more* than they usually do? I normally would use classtime for them to share. Maybe some students would be rejuvenated to learn in this new environment.

All students are going to have to get over the concept of being right or wrong – all of us are learning. Maybe I need to break students in a bit with this learning online.