Flipped

Fulton, K. (2012).  Inside the Flipped Classroom.  The Journal.  Retrieved from http://thejournal.com/flipped

Summary

Byron High School in Minnesota has "flipped" its math curriculum.  Students watch lecture videos at home, and work on problems in class with the help of the teacher.  By watching the lecture at home and doing "homework" in class, the students can show the teacher how well they've understood the concepts.  The math teachers at Byron High School did not intend to flip their classes.  They needed to update their textbooks but didn't have the budget to do it.  Since the old textbooks didn't match well with the math standards, the teachers had to get creative.  They decided to develop their own curriculum.

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Originally, they thought they could get all of the material from the internet, but they discovered that it wasn't exactly what they wanted. The teachers worked all summer, using Kuta, a program for generating worksheets and Moodle, a free online learning management system.  On Moodle, each class got a website with lessons, homework, quizzes, and answer sheets.  They also asked the district to allow the use of YouTube.  They created video lessons that were embedded in their websites for students to watch at home.

With the changes, students take more responsibility for their learning.  They work at their own pace. Since they work on problems in class, the teacher is available if they get stuck on anything.  Students who are absent don't fall behind because they can watch the videos, and learn concepts at home.  Parents or grandparents can also watch the lecture video and help their children if there are questions.

Reaction

Flipping the classroom seems like one of the best concepts I've heard about in education lately.  It makes sense to have students get an introduction to a concept at home, and then come to school to dig in and really work on mastery.  Math seems like the most logical subject to "flip", but I think it could work well in other areas of the curriculum too.  For science classes, introduction to a concept at home would increase the understanding for students going into a lab.  Flipping also allows the teacher to get a real understanding of how well students are understanding concepts because they are getting more time to do the work in class.

I see some downsides to flipping classes.  First of all, it requires students to be motivated to watch the lessons outside of class time. If a student doesn't watch, then they come to class totally unprepared and behind the rest of the students, so the teacher would have to spend time catching them up.  Also, not every student has the same access to the internet to watch the videos.  This could make it hard for some students to stay on top of their work, or at least make it harder for them to view the lectures.  Flipping classes isn't a method every teacher or school should implement but in some cases it's an exciting change to learning.

Too Many Gizmos?

Welsh, P. (2008).  A school that's too high on gizmos.  The Washington Post.  Retrieved from 

   http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/08/AR2008020803271.html

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Summary

T. C. Williams High School in Alexandria, VA was brand new in September 2007.  It was one of the most expensive high schools ever built, and much money was spent to make it one of the most technologically advanced.  Teachers have access to nearly any technology they could want, whether it helps teach students or not.  Which is exactly the problem.  Teachers have been told they cannot use traditional methods of teaching, and teachers now feel that they are being measured by how paperless they can be rather than how well they can teach.  Teachers are expected to change how they teach, even if they don't need to, to fit the new technology into their lessons.  This expectation to use technology is not only affecting the older teachers, who we refer to as "digital immigrants". Younger teachers complain that the technology is there to make the school look "cutting edge" rather than help kids learn optimally. Sadly, human interactions are also suffering at T. C. Williams because of technology. Because of the large amount of e-mail interaction teachers compare T. C. to a correspondence school "where all communication is faceless".  Technology is good when it enhances learning, but at T. C. WIlliams High School it has become a distraction as well as an obstacle to relationships.

Reaction

The situation at T. C. Williams High School is a sad one.  With so much money being spent on technology, it should improve the education of students.  There is so much great technology available to help teachers more effectively reach kids.  But technology for the sake of making administrators look good is a mistake.  Teachers need to be free to incorporate technology into their lessons when it improves the way they are teaching.  Once it becomes a hassle and a burden to them, it's no longer an advancement.  Too much technology can even become a hindrance, if it obscures the lesson that is to be learned.

In addition, one key thing that happens in schools is relationship building.  Relationships between teachers and students, staff members, and administrators affect everything that happens in a school.   So much learning happens at school that is about the interactions between people.  If technology is being used to communicate instead of face-to-face interactions, the chance to relate to one another is lost.  With it, social learning is lost.

I am a supporter of technology when it improves a lesson, and I hope to be able to incorporate technology often into my teaching.  I just hope I'm never put into a situation where using technology becomes a burden and negatively affects what I am trying to accomplish.

Assistive Technology

Stanberry, K. and Raskind, M. H. (2009).  Assistive technology for kids with learning disabilities: an

   overview.  Reading Rockets.  Retrieved from http://readingrockets.org/article/33074/

Summary

Assistive technology (AT) for kids with learning disabilities is any equipment, device, or system that helps the student work around their limitation(s), while allowing them to use their strengths.  AT is not meant to replace remedial methods of working with disabilities, but it is an additional component that can lead to success for students with learning disabilities.  AT can also help students feel more independent, because they can accomplish more in school without help.  Some learning problems that AT can address are listening, math, organization and memory, reading, and writing.

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There are many types of AT tools, usually computer hardware or software.  Some types of assistive technology can be found on the internet.  While I will not be able to list all of them here, I'll describe a few.  Audiobooks allow a user to listen to text instead of read it. These help students who struggle with reading, allowing them to keep up on reading assignments.  Electronic math worksheets help a user organize and work through problems on the computer screen.  This alleviates the need for pencil and paper, which helps students who struggle with aligning math problems.   Graphic organizers and outlining programs help students who struggle with organizing their thoughts and ideas before a writing project.  Also for writing, proofreading programs help those who struggle with spelling, grammar, and word usage.  Speech-recognition programs allow a user to verbally dictate ideas, while their words appear on a computer screen as text.  This is helpful for students whose verbal skills exceed their writing skills.  This is a a small fraction of the tools available to help students with learning disabilities.  A more extensive list can be found at the Reading rockets website.

Reaction

I feel excited about this article because my attitude about students is that everyone has something they are good at, and if you can find it, you can build them up.  Students with learning disabilities likely spend a lot of time focusing on what they are not good at.  Assistive technology is a way to help them use their abilities and skills to take the focus off of their struggles.  Every student deserves a chance to shine, and I am glad to know there are so many tools available to help work around disabilities.  As a future teacher, I have spent time worrying about how I'll be able to help students who struggle because of their shortcomings.  This article gives me hope that it won't be as hard as I have envisioned, and that most, if not all, disabilities can be overcome.  Additionally, many of these technologies can also assist students who don't have learning disabilities, but who may just need a little extra effort to do well in particular areas.

  

Laptops for All

Furger, R. (2001). Laptops for all: using technology to go beyond traditional curriculum.  Edutopia. 

   Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/laptops-all

Summary

    This article describes the Mott Hall School, a math, science, and technology middle school in New York City.  Every student and teacher in the school has a laptop computer, as well as access to other types of technology.  The students learn primarily through project-based work.  Science classes use computerized probes to record and chart data, students create models of kites in Excel spreadsheets, and others create digital photo albums.  Rubrics help students understand what they will learn and how they will be evaluated.  The rubrics make the project goals clear, and help students and families understand how core standards are being met through the projects.  Both students and staff work collaboratively to refine the use of technology.  The success of this school has been used as a model for technology and project-based learning in other schools.

Reaction

   The use of technology and project-based learning noted in this article makes education exciting for me.  Students in schools today are "digital natives", growing up with technology all around them. Giving them access to use and master new forms of technology while learning the core areas of traditional studies makes it more applicable and real for them.  Project-based learning also allows teachers to cross disciplines within one project, which integrates the knowledge. While I am excited by the idea of every student having access to technology, the reality is that budgets are tight.  Access is not equal for every student. Schools need funding to offer access to technology for all students. With the heavy focus on standardized tests, money and resources may be used on test prep rather than how to integrate technology into the curriculum.