Education in 2025

Education in 2025 will be vastly different from education today. I see my classroom set up the same but each student has their textbook in their laptop- I no longer need that bookshelf. I see my students doing simulations on their computers to gain background knowledge at their own pace rather than passively sitting in their desks taking notes as a class. My students are collaborating online rather than frantically copying homework problems before I get to their desk. My students don’t need to bring their textbook, notebook, binder, or calculator every day. I don’t have stacks of paper on my desk to grade nor do I have a paper grade book to write the scores in. I don’t have post-it notes, extra pencils, jumbo pink erasers, or five million red pens. However, I do have computers, Pasco/Data Studio hardware, interactive textbooks, web 2.0 tools, and students that enjoy participating, collaborating, and creating. 

In the future I will keep all of my old labs that serve their purpose- but make the reports collaborative in a wiki. I will keep my old presentations- but record my voice over them and make them accessible to my students. I will keep my grading scale (92% tests, 8% everything else)- but modify my assignments and tests to better suit my learners. Examples of modifications include more computer-based simulations, collaborative problem-based projects, and discovery learning opportunities. I will focus more on problem-solving skills, the ability to communicate, technology skills, and creating a personal learning network. My job will no longer be to transfer the ever-changing science knowledge into my students and to test their ability to regurgitate the content; my job becomes empowering my students to discover and decide on their own and to prepare them to be contributing members of a technological society. 

Other than a large amount of professional development to prepare teachers for the technology available in the future, the biggest change I see for teachers and schools comes from the availability of data. I believe that the advancements in data collection and organization will enable politicians and administrators to make more informed decisions regarding student learning and teacher performance. This data collection and organization will lead to better allocation of resources and more effective teacher preparation and professional development.

There are two videos below that summarize what I believe will be the future of education. The first is of the “Science Storms” exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. The exhibit is interactive, exciting, truly engaging, and sparks curiosity in everyone present (especially with the giant Tesla coil hahaha.) All of the technology in the world can’t compare to the awesomeness of live demonstrations. I hope my classroom is even more interactive and exciting in the future- just as this exhibit is now.  The next video is an advertisement for interactive textbooks by McGraw-Hill. Notice how the books are available on cell phones too- not just computers! A year ago (and again last month) I sent information and the free trial to my department chair of the Kinetic Physics books that I got to try at the NSTA conference in 2010. We haven’t adopted them yet, but I’m excited because the change has to start at some point. Maybe it will start with me :D 

AllState. (n.d.). The Future of Science Education. Retrieved October 5, 2011, from YouTube.com: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_kEREMJbyk

MHEducation. (n.d.). McGraw-Hill Connect: Connect, Learn, Succeed. Retrieved October 5, 2011, from YouTube.com: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhpHEi8ILtc

Technology Acceptance in Schools

I’ve been having a hard time deciding what the topic of my last blog post would be. I’m sitting here at the car dealership waiting on my oil change to be completed. While I sit here typing I am also looking around at the people in the waiting room with me. It’s Saturday afternoon and it’s packed with people.  I see three other people on their laptops. There are two women reading from their Kindles. Four people are playing on their phones; one is an older man- probably in his 50’s. There’s an old woman in her 70’s with a Jawbone in her ear (it may be one of those hearing aids designed to look like a Jawbone but I’m going to assume that it’s linked to her cell phone.) There are only four people reading the magazines provided or watching the football game on TV.  I sit here saddened by the fact that the waiting room at the Hyundai dealership contains more technology than most classrooms in America.

The most depressing thing here is that the dealership provides free WiFi. In my district, there is WiFi, however it is only for the administration and they refuse to give the password to the teachers or students. Another science teacher paid about $900 for his new iPad but he can’t use it at school without paying for his own internet. Same for me with my new Sony Net Book -  I have to pay to use my cell phone as a Verizon wireless hotspot because the district does not give teachers the password.  We as teachers want to provide a better learning environment for students and often we’re willing to buy the materials out of our own money. I’m sure in the future they’ll provide the tools to help us but not in the previous few years. 

Technically, we’re not supposed to allow the students to use their cell phones in school. District policy states that cell phones are off and out of sight. I’m lucky that I’m at a district where the administration supports us if we’re using cell phones for educational purposes. I know of many other schools where the teachers must stringently enforce the cell phone policy.  I allow my students to use their smart phones in the laboratory as scientific calculators, magnetic field detectors, stop watches, compasses, and levels among other things. I really don’t understand why students aren’t supposed to use them at other schools. I get the fact that they can be a distraction but the benefits far outweigh the pitfalls. In just a quick Google search I found a multitude of free Android Apps that I am going to install on my phone that I think could be awesome in school! Right now I’m downloading Evernote on my cell phone which is an application that allows you to type notes, take pictures, and record audio files that can be synchronized with a desktop for free! That would have made my life so much easier when I was in school! I also found GTasks- a simple calendar/ to-do list that can sync with your home computer through your Google account. There is no need for my school to purchase the massive paper calendars for students anymore! I imagine that most students lose or throw away those planners by the end of the first quarter of school. Even traditional cell phones without the internet are capable of handling a to-do list or calendar… we should be teaching students how to use those effectively! It would save schools money! 

My district is very good about changing the lists of websites blocked if we can show how we’re going to use them in the classroom and why it’s educationally beneficial. However, there are many schools that are not so cooperative with the teachers. Just in this one course, I’ve learned of so many Web 2.0 tools that I’m sure are permanently blocked at other districts. In my district, Facebook is blocked from students but not for teachers (we shouldn’t be on it anyway during the school day but it’s nice they trust us.)  As teachers, we can get to YouTube, Twitter, blogs, and almost any other site that could be educational. Students can’t get to those sites but teachers can. I can’t even imagine how frustrated I would be if I couldn’t use the endless resources online in my classroom. Below is a fun representation of some of the Web2.0 tools that can be used in education (Grey). As a science person, I appreciate that it’s in the form of the Periodic Table. 

We as educators should be the gatekeepers of knowledge- the ones that know of and are aware of all the technological innovations that make everyday life better. As I sit here, I am saddened that the everyday people in the waiting room here have more tools and probably skills than most teachers. It’s not that we don’t want to have that technology and awareness of resources; it’s that our hands are tied. We want to bring education into the technological era but we can’t. Below is a nice image that I found of what the typical teacher should be in 2011 (What does a CFF Teacher Look Like?). Unfortunately a lot of those influences are not present in most school districts. My district is far more progressive than most districts (even without WiFi) so if anyone is looking for a job and is willing to move to the south suburbs, I’ll let you know of openings :D  

Grey, W. (n.d.). Periodic Table of the Internet. Retrieved September 11, 2011, from Flicker.com: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dullhunk/2053007240/

No Wireless Tower Clip Art. (n.d.). Retrieved September 11, 2011, from Clker.com: http://www.clker.com/clipart-no-wireless-tower.html

Parkin, L. (n.d.). Cell Phones in School. Retrieved September 11, 2011, from http://parkin09.wikis.birmingham.k12.mi.us/CellPhoneTeacher

Sadhu, V. (n.d.). 6 Ways to Open Blocked Websites. Retrieved September 11, 2011, from http://tipsforsocialmedia.blogspot.com/2011/08/6-way-to-open-blocked-websites.html

What does a CFF Teacher Look Like? (n.d.). Retrieved September 11, 2011, from Emmaus High School: http://www.eastpenn.k12.pa.us/teacherpages/CFF/Technology%20Resources.html

Podcasting in the Physics Classroom

Since starting grad school, I’m beginning to realize that a lot of problems we face in the classroom can be reduced, if not solved, through technology. For example, students that are forgetful or disorganized can use the schedule and files that I post on my website to keep up with the demands of my class. Another problem in education is the communication (or lack thereof) between teachers and parents. Since my school has adopted Skyward and School Fusion, parents and I can easily connect to express concerns and relay information. Now I’m thinking that chronic absences can be less of a problem utilizing vodcasts in my classroom.

According to Wikipedia, a vodcast (or video podcast) is “a term used for the online delivery of video on demand video clip content via Atom or RSS enclosures.” (Video Podcast) A vodcast is different from a podcast because podcasts are most commonly audio files while vodcasts contain the video component as well. I originally heard of vodcasting through professional development training at school. We watched a video of Jon Bergmann and Aaron Sams discussing how they “flipped” their classroom and the wonderful results that followed. Basically what they do is place their lectures online for the students to watch for homework then work on more challenging tasks at school such as problems, laboratories, and activities. It is called “flipped” because what is traditionally done at school is now done at home and vice versa. Below is a graphic that describes “flipped” classrooms. (The Flipped Classroom Infogric) To view the entire graphic, click here. 

There are several benefits to vodcasting. First of all, students that are absent won’t miss the direct instruction that everyone else received. Next, it gives students the opportunity to absorb information without the distraction of their peers. Lastly, the lower levels of thinking are done at home in short bursts while the higher levels in Bloom’s Taxonomy such as analysis, application, and synthesis are done at school with the help of the teacher. Vodcasting also allows teachers to differentiate their instruction and provide a student-centered classroom. Below is a video of Aaron Sams describing how he uses vodcasting in his classroom and why it is beneficial to him.  (Learning4Mastery)

The biggest downfall that I can see with vodcasting is that not all students have the internet availability necessary to view the vodcasts nightly. To get around this, I could give students passes to the library to view the vodcasts during their homeroom time or study hall. 

There are quite a few resources available for teachers interested in vodcasting. There is “The Flipped ClassNetwork” which is a social network that teachers can join that provides links, videos, forums, and information on conferences. You can join that site through Google Groups as well. Here is the “Educational Technology Network” site that provides a ton of the technical aspects of vodcasting. I Googled “Flipped classroom blog” and found a ton of blogs that I could subscribe to… too many to list here. The first one that shows up is from Jonathan Bergmann but I wasn’t too impressed because he doesn’t post that often (I suppose he is too busy teaching and expanding the minds of adolescents so I’ll forgive him for not posting frequently (: ) You can also follow Jonathan Bergmann on Twitter (Jonbergmann) but I couldn’t find Aaron Sams. 

Learning4Mastery. (n.d.). The Flipped Classroom. Retrieved September 11, 2011, from YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2H4RkudFzlc&feature=player_embedded

The Flipped Classroom Infographic. (n.d.). Retrieved September 11, 2011, from KNewton: http://www.knewton.com/blog/knewton/2011/08/29/flipped-classroom-infographic/

Video Podcast. (n.d.). Retrieved September 11, 2011, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_podcast

Experience with Wikis

I really enjoyed creating the Wiki page for many reasons. First of all, it was really easy to create my own page. I wrote everything in Microsoft Word first for spelling and grammar check then was able to paste it into the wiki and reformat it without much difficulty. As with any process, there was some time necessary to learn how to center photos, justify text, add captions, create an organized table of contents, and create a discussion area. After the initial time investment, the page came together quickly. 

Writing collaboratively gave us the ability to create an awesome resource of instructional design models & theories that would have been far too difficult for one person to create (within 10 weeks while working full-time jobs.) It is actually amazing to step back and see what all my classmates and I have created in a short period of time. The only weaknesses that I can see with writing collaboratively though the use of a wiki is that when two people are modifying the same document at the same time, saving the changes becomes an issue. I had this happen while working on the Kirkpatrick/Hamblin page; I’m not sure what happened to the other person working on the page but I can only hope they had their work saved on Word or another program first. I didn’t receive a notification or anything when another person began to edit the document. 

I am fairly convinced that I will use a wiki in my physics classes for my students to create elaborate laboratory reports. Just how Tim O’Reilly described Web 2.0 tools, using a wiki for lab reports will become richer as more people use them because we’re harnessing the collective intelligence. I can assign each group a specific part of the lab report to complete: purpose/ hypothesis, background information, procedures, data collected, data analysis, results/conclusions. My students could create an awesome lab report in one class period. I would rotate sections so by the end of the semester, all groups have completed each section of a lab report. This fits well with our understanding of Generation Z- they are creative and want to form communities online. Why not let them work collaboratively to make one giant, awe-inspiring lab report that they would never be able to do alone in that short amount of time? This could also produce dynamic reports with images, videos, discussions, and other opportunities not available in traditional lab reports… I’m excited. 

O'Reilly, T. (2009, September 30). What is Web 2.0: Design Patterns and Business Models for the Next Generation of Software. Retrieved August 22, 2011, from OReilly.com: http://oreilly.com/pub/a/web2/archive/what-is-web-20.html?page=1

Natives/Immigrants vs. Residents/Visitors

According to our readings in class, there are different ways to categorize people based on their usage of technology in their lives. In our first reading, there are “digital immigrants” and “digital natives.” A digital immigrant is someone that adapts and learns to use technology but still maintains their “accent.” This “accent” can be seen through printing out emails, needing to printing documents to edit them, checking to see if someone received their emails, etc. (Prensky, 2001) Alternatively, digital naives think and process information differently and their brains have changed because of having grown up with computer games, instant messaging, TV, video games, cell phones, and other electronic devices and forms of communication.

In the second reading, there are “residents” and “visitors.”According to David White, my students are digital “residents” because they live a large part of their lives online. They interact with their peers through social networking sites- they spend a large percentage of their days online and incorporate technology into all aspects of their lives. A “visitor” on the other hand, is someone who uses technology more as a tool to accomplish a specific task. A very nice example of the differences between “residents” and “visitors” can be seen in the Toyota Venza Commercial shown below. The teenage girl (resident) convinced her parents (visitors) to join facebook then feels bad for her parents for only having nineteen friends. You see the girl sitting alone in her room “living” while her parents are mountain biking with their friends. 

After reading these articles, I accept White’s definitions much more than Prensky’s. I grew up with technology: video games, cell phones, laptops, instant messaging, PDAs, etc. According to Prensky, I should be a digital native. However, I do double check to make sure people received my emails! I print out important emails that I keep for backup in the future, I print out important documents, I take screen clippings for proof that I submitted my assignments on-time and that they went through- I completely fit his definition of an immigrant even though I should be a native. I am a “millennial” which, according to CBS News, millennials “are tech savvy, with every gadget imaginable almost becoming an extension of their bodies. They multitask, talk, walk, listen and type, and text.” (CBS News, 2009) Being a millennial, I should be a native but I behave more like an immigrant. The majority of my coworkers are also millennials that behave like immigrants. 

I best fit into White’s category of a “resident”. As I sit here typing this, I am also listening to Pandora radio, texting my best friend, and taking far too many breaks to check Facebook. I have Facebook, 4G wireless internet, email, games, and my calendar on my top-of-the-line Android phone. I use my cell phone as a wireless hotspot so I can be on my net book in the car (while other people are driving of course.) I am a resident. I have 627 “friends” on Facebook (about 25 of which are people that I actually communicate with and see on a regular basis) and I set up a Facebook page for my cats. My cats are friends with 22 other cats on Facebook and that number is growing daily. I still print my important emails, but I am a true digital resident.

What I like most about White’s definition is that it is not age-dependent; my 65 year old mother is a digital resident as well. She set up my online banking for me, she sends me text messages and picture messages throughout the day, she is on Facebook more than I am, she sends me crazy YouTube videos, she corresponds with her friends from high school through email, she reads health journals and articles online, she knows how to share articles and other web pages with me through email or Facebook- she is a true digital resident. Apparently she is not alone: “Baby boomers see technology as a gift, not a given, so they are less likely than younger consumers to take it for granted. At the same time, baby boomers aren’t dazzled by every new gadget that comes along. Yet by embracing innovative new services and devices, and using them in unexpected ways to enhance their lifestyles and values, baby boomers are having a tremendous influence on emerging technologies.” (Baby Boomers Are Shaping the Future of Technology, AARP and Microsoft Research Shows, 2009)

 

Anyone can be a digital “resident” or “visitor” depending on their own acceptance of technology and willingness to adapt. My grandmother at 85 years old would send my brother and me emails from the nursing home fifteen years ago. I remember my brother sending her my eighth grade graduation photo with our dog’s face Photoshopped in. Growing up with technology is not a requirement to be a digital resident.

2011 Toyota Venza Commercial - Social Network . (n.d.). Retrieved August 21, 2011, from YouTube.com: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUGmcb3mhLM

Baby Boomers Are Shaping the Future of Technology, AARP and Microsoft Research Shows. (2009). Retrieved August 21, 2011, from Microsoft.com: http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2009/dec09/12-01boomertechpr.mspx

CBSNews. (2009). The "Millennials" Are Coming. Retrieved August 21, 2011, from CBSNews.com: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/11/08/60minutes/main3475200.shtml?tag=contentMain;contentBody

Prensky, M. (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. Retrieved August 21, 2011, from http://learn.education.illinois.edu/file.php/1647/Digital_Natives_Digital_Immigrants.pdf

White, D. (n.d.). Not ‘Natives’ & ‘Immigrants’ but ‘Visitors’ & ‘Residents’. Retrieved August 21, 2011, from TallBlog: http://tallblog.conted.ox.ac.uk/index.php/2008/07/23/not-natives-immigrants-but-visitors-residents/

How do we learn to teach in ways in which we never learned to learn?

I’m not sure that I didn’t learn the same as most of my students. I grew up with computers in a very technological family. My brother (that was three years older than me) set up the entire network of computers at my elementary school when he was in fourth grade. I received my own computer for my birthday in second grade and I remember having to wait for the phone to dial to load AOL. We had three computers in the house with three different phone lines and I can remember sending my mom instant messages to find out if dinner was ready. I spent the majority of my free time outside of school or volleyball playing “Gizmos and Gadgets” and other science-related computer games. I received my first cell phone in sixth grade, sent text messages in high school, and bought my first smart phone and Bluetooth in college. I can remember computer projects in elementary school, Smart Boards and laptop carts in high school, and Elmo’s and Blackboard in college.  I feel like I’m at an interesting age to be teaching- I’m about 10 years older than my students but I grew up in the time when the technologies that are widely available now were just being introduced. 

My learners are Generation Z. They are between the ages of fifteen to eighteen and born around 1993 -1996. I teach sophomores, juniors, and seniors- the majority being juniors. The school district is in a middle-class neighborhood and nearly all of my students maintain jobs outside of school. I would estimate that 90% or above have computers at home with internet access and approximately 60% or above own smart phones. By the time they arrive in my class, the students are able to make elaborate PowerPoint presentations, are masters at locating information on Google, enjoy using entertaining Web 2.0 sites, and some sustain their own web pages or YouTube sites. They have grown up with computers and other forms of technology.

My learners learn by doing. They enjoy manipulating objects and discovering phenomenon on their own with minimal guidance from me. They enjoy cooperative learning. They are willing to put in a large amount of effort in the laboratory but are unwilling to put effort into answering the lab questions. They enjoy writing lab reports on the computer using Equation Editor in Microsoft Word but it is a struggle to get them to do the same work on paper. They are their best when working in small groups with tangible objects and technology. Just as Clay Shirky stated in “How Cognitive Surplus Will Change the World,” my students like to create and want to share with each other and they will do so given the tools.  They are going to participate in activities that allow them to create and feel a sense of community whether it has just communal value or actual educational merit. 

Being comfortable with technology is not the same as being proficient. I have changed computer settings, set up wireless networks, synchronized my cell phone to my computer, and have had countless other experiences with modern technology and am very comfortable doing so but that doesn’t mean that I didn’t have to read the directions. Some of my students are actually proficient with technology, having created applications for smart phones and can easily answer my random computer questions at school. They also really enjoy recording live demonstrations in my class with their cell phones and posting them on Facebook or other sites. The vast majority of my students are simply comfortable with technology- happy to use it after I have shown them what to do. They love typing equations into Excel and running the math down a column of numbers after I teach them how to do it. They also enjoy using Data Studio to graph their labs for them after I demonstrate the hardware. Basically, my students enjoy ANY technology that I show them and they understand it very quickly after some instruction. 

The approach best suited for my learners is to use as much technology, cooperative learning, and tangible objects as possible. I often have my students devise their own experiments, collect data, analyze the data on Microsoft Excel, and develop or apply mathematical equations to prove scientific phenomena. Some students require more help than others but the majority of students enjoy my labs once they understand the process. Sometimes the labs are an introduction to a unit but often they come after some direct instruction. The direct instruction, or “absorb-type activity” is usually just to orient the students with the vocabulary, principles of interest, and stir up curiosity (Horton, 2006).

We have abundant supplies and technology at my school but the biggest constraint is the students’ overall understanding of mathematics. Although my course is conceptual based, there is a large component of algebra and trigonometry. I spend a lot of time teaching students the order of operations, scientific notation, right-triangles, and how to rearrange equations. Any time that I spend reviewing math is time away from the content of my course. I don’t necessarily see a way to overcome the math barrier. I don’t mind having to teach math, especially because it is so helpful for the students when they take standardized tests; however, I get annoyed by having to reduce the depth of the topics that I want to cover because of their weakness in math. I suppose in the future I could create interactive tutorials for my students to review mathematics outside of class.

I do believe that teaching my students the mathematics, especially the pattern recognition and ability to use computers to solve complex equations is essential for my students to learn. I like that my students have to derive their own equations rather than being given them. They set up the lab, they collect the data (given computers and the necessary hardware) and they describe to me what is happening and predict what would happen given a new set of data. According to Tim O’Rilley and John Battelle, “data analysis, visualization, and other techniques for seeing patterns in data are going to be an increasingly valuable skill set.” The ways that I teach are meant for students to learn both the content and also for them to have the skills that they will need in the future job market. Below is an interesting video by Karl Fisch that I came across online. (To easily post the video here I found it on YouTube but the original is on the site I referenced below.) It provides a series of quotes from educators spanning a long period of time regarding new technologies at that time. I find it interesting because it shows that the educational system has been against technology rather than embracing it. I am VERY lucky to be teaching in a district that promotes the use of technology! In my classroom I have one computer for every two students, the latest Vernier & Pasco hardware, an Elmo, a projector, access to three different computer labs, and the district doesn’t block YouTube or other sites that can be used in education. I can’t understand why other educators are against technology- I suppose that is because I grew up with it.

Fisch, K. (2006, September 20). The Fishbowl. Retrieved August 3, 2011, from Blogspot: http://thefischbowl.blogspot.com/2006/09/what-if.html

Horton, W. (2006). E-Learning by Design. San Francisco: Pfeiffer.

O'Reilly, T., & Battelle, J. (n.d.). Web Squared: Web 2.0 Five Years On. Retrieved August 3, 2011, from web2summit.com: http://www.web2summit.com/web2009/public/schedule/detail/10194

Shirky, C. (2010, June). How Cognitive Surplus Will Change the World. Retrieved August 3, 2011, from TED.com: http://www.ted.com/talks/clay_shirky_how_cognitive_surplus_will_change_the_world.html