EDU 6240 article: blended learning in math classroom

As a mathematics teacher I am very interested in transforming my classroom to a blended learning environment and found this article to help convince me it is the way to go.  This article compared fractional computation and problem solving in 335 middle school students with disabilities who exhibited low performance in math.  Some were taught in the business as usual (BAU) approach while others were taught in the blended learning approach which they described as enhanced anchored instruction (EAI).  The blended learning approach proved to perform better.  The study focused on fractions and problem solving because they were the most missed topics on standardized tests for students.
The five EAI units included computer-based interactive lessons, video-based anchored problems, and hands-on applied projects.  They covered the topics of ratios, number systems, probability and stats, and geometry.  The article went into much detail as to the implementation of each of these EAI methods.  I found it quite interesting how the methods all focused on content that was related to a specific word problem based situation and open-ended question and was delved deep into for multiple days.  The business as usual approach spent only a couple of days on a particular topic until they moved on to the next concept without delving deep into the idea.
The article goes on describing the tests and results in detail and concluded that students receiving EAI instruction outperformed BAU students in 3 of the 4 tests.  They concluded that professional development for teachers is key in making these strategies work and students need to know both the how and why of computing.
I liked how this article took a very challenging population in their study and pushed them to take assessments that involved no calculator.  At first glance many teachers would probably think no way that these students could do it and lo and behold they were able to with a lot of work through the different type of instructional strategy.  I was also very encouraged to work on spending the time to create more blended learning type of activities for my students to see how much more improvement can be made.  I believe students have become so media and device focused as of late that instead of trying to take it away from the students, why don't we try and show them how to use it a much more effective way and enhance their learning because of it.

http://web.a.ebscohost.com.library.aurora.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfvie
wer?vid=8&sid=2935711d-5627-410c-9766-aa05cc037cad%40sessionmgr4006

Bottge, B.A., Ma, X., Gassaway, L., Toland, M.D., Butler, M., & Cho, S. (2014). Effects of

Blended Instructional Models on Math Performance. Exceptional Children, 80(4),

423-437. doi:10.1177/0014402914527240

EDU 6220 Implementing Tech Article

This article talks about the barriers that are out there when trying to integrate effective technology in the high school classroom.  The three big barriers ‘were: 1) schools and school districts did not leverage the opportunity to revisit their existing vision(s), 2) schools and school districts did not use data to make changes, and 3) limited access to technology.’ (Daniels, Jacobsen, Varnhagen, & Friesen, 2013)  A research study found that there was more increase in student learning from a blended learning environment instead of a traditional teaching environment.  Most of the time technology is simply put into a school, it has limited effect in student learning.  Data was collected in this study that provided 24 school districts with technology to better understand it’s effectiveness and use.  The focus was made primarily on the technology tool itself instead of the human infrastructure.  Technology was thought of as a solution.  The observations made pointed out that teachers used the technology as more of a substitute than a redefinition of learning.  Not all educators are attuned to demands of a knowledgeable society.  The 21st century system requires innovation and creativity from all employees.  Teachers do not have the background knowledge or know the skills needed to effectively prepare the 21st century employee.  

I found that this article pointed out the largest problem with technology in schools, that just having the technology available will solve all our teaching problems.  Teachers are not trained nearly enough to be able to effectively use the technology we have in front of us.  Many of us are bogged down by our curriculum and set to reach certain state standards by the end of a school year.  It becomes very difficult for me in my content area of mathematics to really be able to let my students out there to investigate on their own the larger understanding of mathematical thinking.  I think it would be a great start to create an online type of scavenger hunt for a unit of study and see what knowledge students are able to bring to the table to help them solve a particular situation.  Taking the time to develop a particular unit of study and willing to let it fail would be very useful in figuring out how to best utilize the technology we have at our fingertips.  

Daniels, J.S., Jacobsen, M., Varnhagen, S., & Friesen, S. (2013). Barriers to Systemic, Effective, and Sustainable Technology Use in High School Classrooms. Canadian Journal Of Learning And Technology, 39(4).

Tech Trends Article 3

EDU 6250 Article 3

This article talks about the use of 1-to-1 devices in Maine that has been there for a decade already and some issues they have come across.  They give Apple laptop computers to 7th and 8th grade students in the state at a cost of $11.5 million a year and have not seen a large return on investment.  There has not been an increase in Standardized test scores for them and they are questioning the effectiveness of the devices.  There is not much to show how much the program has helped.  They are worried the devices have just been used to replace other educational tools and used for word processing, presentations, and online research.  Michigan State recently conducted a study related to the efficacy of 1-to-1 devices (first of it’s kind) and found it led to increased student achievement and modest boosts in students’ ‘21st-century skills.’  There have not been many other states that have taken up this initiative on the state level because many school districts are taking it into their own hands to put laptops in students hands.

Maine is still considering what they will do with the devices and how they will progress moving forward.  They are considering using cheaper devices due to the much more affordable availability, giving the devices to students at a younger age, and possibly shifting resources away from devices and into professional development and training. The governor recognized how easy it was to take things for granted in a program and take the time to stop and reflect now on what has been done.  

When I first read this article, I was initially shocked by the results.  Why would any school not want to be equipped with 1-to-1 technology?  There are so many avenues people can take it to improve student learning, but then again, there could be too many avenues.  There is so much out there right now that many people tend to feel overwhelmed and inundated with the possibilities.  I think that having the devices is the right start for education, but needs to be revamped quite a bit.  Educators need to focus on a few key aspects to improve learning and put it into practice.  Once they have mastered a particular use of the device they can branch out to keep improving.  I think this article shows how important it is to have good professional development, training, and time to implement the training.  Technology has moved incredibly fast and it is time for us to catch up to it and understand the best use of this amazing resource at our fingertips.   

Herold, B., & Kazi, J. (2017). 1-to-1 Computing Under Microscope in Maine Schools. Education

Digest, 82(5), 48.

Tech trends article 2

EDU 6250 Article 2

This article describes some of the many obstacles we may come across with our advancements in educational technology.  It focuses on factors that are more in the educational environment control.  Assuming we are prepared with computers, networks, and software, there are many other factors to take into consideration when preparing for utilizing technology.  Labs, classrooms, and other facilities must be well designed to get the most out of the A/V equipment.  Some factors to think about are lighting, room darkening needs, and noise abatement for good acoustical qualities.  One also needs to think about the maintenance needs of these rooms with all of the technology in them.  The more technology in the room, the more dust seems to accumulate.  Maintenance needs to be regular as to not interrupt classroom time.  Batteries must be replaced, spare bulbs must be readily available, and dusting must happen regularly.  Some labs are too cluttered with technology and don’t have room for people to work.  There are also labs that are outdated and need to be updated.  All classrooms will need to be equipped with technology in the near future and only then can faculty needs be met.

Another issue is the training of faculty to use the technology.  From basic software to realizing the capabilities of technology, faculty need training in these areas.  Students and faculty lack the basic skills of acting for the camera and speaking for the microphone.  Teachers also don’t use technology because of inadequately equipped rooms.  Those that do have technology don’t always have the resources to perform their tasks.  Another issue technology brings is the issue of copying and plagiarising digital material.  

I like how this article brought out points that one doesn’t typically think about.  There are so many maintenance needs when it comes to being able to utilize technology.  As a teacher that has access to technology I have always taken it for granted that everything such as the ELMO projectors, LCD projector, and network are going to work.  You make it engrained in your teaching that it will work and then some get frustrated when it doesn’t.  We had a huge overhaul in our building to meet networking needs this year and it has made a world of difference and increased the seamlessness of instruction for me as an educator.  Thank goodness for a great maintenance staff.  

The idea of faculty not being trained in utilizing the technology has also resonated with me.  When we first moved to google in our district, I was very ill-equipped with using the technology and saw it as more of an annoyance to use the technology.  It wasn’t until I took a couple classes that moved slow enough for me to gain an understanding of how I could use these tools that it was actually effective for me.  This year is the first time I have felt comfortable using the many features of google and been able to enhance the organization and instructional capabilities in the courses I teach.  

T.W. (2005). Low-Tech and Non-Tech Obstacles to Information Technology. Eduexec, 24(10),

1-7.

Calculator Equipment Review

The Calculator

Tech Trends Article 1

This article describes 5 Educational Technology Tools that the author finds to be on their way out and cooling down in the educational world.  The author focused on the following: bans on cell phones, Common Core, flipped learning, homework and grading, and the use of tablets.  Besides these topics the author points out that arts education and blended learning are going into hibernation along with 1:1, gaming, and growth mindset.

The ban of cell phones has become a ludicrous idea in the classroom.  This is the tool we use today to find information at our fingertips.  It doesn’t make any sense to not use it in the classroom.  The concept of Common Core is also slowing down just like all of the political buzzwords.  The politicians are not supporting it and most states are doing away with it.  The flipped classroom is slowing down much due to the uncertainty in it’s effectiveness.  They point out that there is conflicting research on how well it works.  Some studies show it works well, some show it is not statistically significant, and others show it actually hurts a student’s learning.  Another problem is that not every student has access to the technology for this means to be effective.  

Another idea cooling down is homework and grading.  This is due to the fact of busy schedules for students and parents affecting time constraints, and also parents ability to be able to help students at home.  Grading has changed with the move to developing understanding and progressing through formative assessments and being graded on more of a final product.  Tablets have also gone cold because they are not so exciting for students any more.  Students want the next big thing.  Other ideas mentioned were one to one devices along with gaming and growth mindset.  

The first thing I thought about when hearing about these ‘cooling off’ ideas was how I am just starting to try them out myself.  My school just went 1 to 1 this year and now that every student has accessibility to the web I am trying out many of the new google tools and starting to try the blended classroom.  I would never go to a completely flipped classroom, but the blended classroom has already allowed me to provide so much more accessibility to students and be much more productive during class time answering questions.  

I would agree with these experts that these technologies are slowing down, but I like the term being more like hibernation.  I find that there is so much out there with technology and it is growing so fast that there is not enough time for many teachers or school districts to keep up with it for many reasons and many outside of their control.  This is why I think many schools and teachers just need time to catch up to be able to get the most effective use of the technology in their classroom.  As the flipped classroom research pointed out, it can go very well, stay the same, or actually hurt student’s learning based on how the technological idea is used.  

Schaffhauser, D. (2017). 5 Ed Tech Trends on the Way Out in 2017. T H E Journal, 44(2), 14.

Multimedia Lesson Plan, parabolas

check out the multimedia lesson plan