Clif’s Notes

Developing Educational Technology Courses

As I’ve previously mentioned, I’m teaching a special topics course this summer titled Teaching and Learning with Web 2.0. I’ve enjoyed engaging with many people from around the world on the topic and content of this course and encourage anyone with an interest to join the fun.

Kimberly McCollum left the following comment regarding one of my previous posts on this topic.

I also teach a course about technology in k12 education, so I [am] really interested in your curriculum. What is the balance between pedagogical theory and tool training in your course? Also, with so many tools out there, how did you decide what will be included or excluded from the course?

I think Kimberly has asked some very important questions – questions that many others will be facing in the very near future – and I’d like to start a dialogue here. Here is my slightly edited reply to Kimberly’s inquiry.

Wow, these are good questions that do not have simple answers.

This course will primarily focus on teaching and learning with the understanding that the technology is meant to enhance learning. You can look at the draft version of the Course Topics and see that we’ll begin by looking at various instructional models, rationale for networking, the principles of web 2.0, related current topics and issues, and more before we ever look at any specific tools.

We’ll survey a variety of Web 2.0 technologies and the learners will have some flexibility in which tools they choose to use (For example, for the social bookmarking unit the learners could choose to use Diigo, Del.icio.us, etc.). Again, the tools are not the primary focus as many will be vastly upgraded or obsolete 18 months from now. The idea will be for the learners to become familiar with each general group or genre of tools and begin developing strategies for integrating them with teaching and learning in their own classrooms during the coming school year.

I’ve tried to group the tools according to use in the classroom. For example, I’ve grouped everything related to audio together. This class does not seek to be on the bleeding edge of innovation so we’ll look at tools that have examples of being implemented in classrooms and have at least a small community of edu-users. I intend to allow for some flexibility to allow for emergent learning opportunities as learners discover topics and technologies of particular interest to them individually.

The number of groups of tools that can be studied will likely be more than we can study in the course, so I anticipate that we’ll all learn some of the most common tools together (blogs, wikis, microblogging, etc.) and then I’ll allow the learners to customize their learning by picking 4 or so of the remaining half dozen groups as they deem most appropriate for their needs, interests, personal/ professional development, etc.

As we survey all these tools, we’ll always bring the conversation back to the educational merits each brings to the design of instruction. I do not believe in using technology for the sake of using technology, nor do I wish for anyone to leave my class with that misconception.

I encourage you to join in the development of the content through the course wiki and welcome your input, suggested resources, ideas, engagement before, during, and after the course.

Those are my thoughts at this point. I still have just over a month until the course begins, so let’s discuss this more.

• How would you balance the "pedagogical theory and tool training" in a course like this one?
• How would you suggest organizing the content?
• With which technologies do you think it is most important for educators to be familiar?
• What suggestions for improvement can you offer?

Related Resources

• Course Resources
• Teaching and Learning with Web 2.0 (Introductory Post)
• Traditional Approaches and Digital Alternatives
• Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy
• Teach Web 2.0
• MSU Grad Students Technical Tools
• OpenPD
• TechnoThursdays

• Teaching and Learning with Web 2.0
• Teaching and Learning with Web 2.0
• Greetings from Selmer, TN
• PD for the Holidays: Web 2.0 Tutorials for Teachers

Integrating 2.0 Tools Meaningfully

UPDATE:
Technical difficulties interfered with this interactive activity. I apologize for the frustration this caused many of you. Here’s an example of a successful live blogging session.

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This is cross-posted from the PIDT Blog.

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In keeping with the principles of Web 2.0 I encourage the participation of everyone with an interest or expertise in this topic. You may contribute to the discussion and fun by using the resources below.

All the best,
Clif

Resources

• Clif’s Notes
• Teaching and Learning with Web 2.0
• Presentation Notes via PIDT Wiki

• Teaching and Learning with Web 2.0
• Teaching and Learning with Web 2.0
• Virtually Participate in PIDT
• Educational Resources and PLN

Newsletter on Educational Technology

Throughout the years many of the preservice and in-service teachers in my classes, workshops, and presentations have requested that I start an email newsletter. They indicate that in addition to this blog they would like to receive occasional emails sharing rich resources related to technology integration. I’m excited to announce that I have answered these requests.

Clif’s Newsletter on Educational Technology focuses on the effective integration of technology with teaching and learning. Subscribers of this free service will receive occasional emails providing valuable resources and information about lesson plans, activities, technologies, research, etc., related to educational technology.

OPEN TO PUBLIC
Subscription to this newsletter is open to everyone. You are encouraged to share this with everyone with an interest in education (teachers, administrators, homeschooling families, friends, classmates, co-workers, etc.). Everyone is invited to receive this free newsletter.

PRIVACY POLICY
Your email address will never be shared with others. You may unsubscribe at anytime.

MANAGING SUBSCRIPTIONS
You may subscribe or unsubscribe to this newsletter as you wish.

• Notes from Clif
• Technology Integration Showcase
• Developing Educational Technology Courses
• Educational Resources and PLN

Teaching and Learning with Web 2.0

I’m teaching a special topics seminar this summer for graduate students. The topic will be Teaching and Learning with Web 2.0 Technologies. I began preparing for this course in June 2007 and I’m very excited about it. While we’ll consider common trends and issues and survey many of the popular tools and services related to Web 2.0, the heart of the course will be learning to effectively integrate Web 2.0 technologies and principles with teaching and learning. The focus will be on K-12 education but accommodations can be made for individuals from other fields (health, corporate, military, higher education, etc.). This draft version of the Course Topics provides an overview of the likely curriculum.

While the dominate driving force in the development of the curriculum and resources has been the upcoming class, I always planned for this to be a relatively open learning community. In keeping with the principles of Web 2.0 I encourage the participation of everyone with an interest or expertise in this topic. You may contribute to the discussion and fun by using the following tag/keyword: idt7078

Related Resources

• Course Wiki
• Google Reader Shared Items
• Diigo Group
• News Notes on This Topic
• More Coming Soon

• Teaching and Learning with Web 2.0
• Developing Educational Technology Courses
• Integrating 2.0 Tools Meaningfully
• Games and Simulations in Education: A Resource List for Newbies

The Future of Educational Technology

Here at the end of the semester we’ve been reading about and discussing the future of the field in our introductory course.  We’ve considered the works of David Merrill, Brent Wilson, Karl Fisch, and current media (journals, news, blogs, etc.).  During our past class meeting I even tweeted the topic and we received great feedback from the Twitterverse. The students are enjoying the topic and appreciate considering a variety of perspectives. So, I ask you - my online friends, colleagues, students, blog readers, parents, and visitors - what do you think is the future of educational technology?

• U.S. Secretary of Education Requests Feedback on Technology in Education
• Teens Talk about Educational Technology
• Teaching, Learning, Technology and the Future
• Write Elected Officials about Educational Technology Funding

1 Thing Teachers Should Know about Teaching with Technology

GUEST BLOGGER
Jethro Jones

Part of the ongoing 1 Thing series.

Being a humble teacher, I often have car troubles because I don’t drive a very nice car. In fact, I am pretty lucky that the car still runs. I needed to put in a new battery a couple weeks ago, and instead of grabbing a hammer and pounding on it until the cables came off, I dug around the toolbox until I found a socket wrench.

For educators, technology is a big toolbox with tools that range from a pencil and paper to a wiki to a Skype video call. Tools are still tools. If a tool doesn’t work for the job, you can’t force it. As teachers, we must use the tools that work for our situation. Don’t try to force technology on the students if it is not improving their learning! They need to learn. Our tools should help them learn.

Photo Credit: PPDIGITAL Creative Commons License

• Web 2.0’s Potential Impact on Teaching and Learning
• 1 Thing Teachers Should Know about Teaching with Technology
• Teaching and Learning with Web 2.0
• PD for the Holidays: Web 2.0 Tutorials for Teachers

1 Thing

I’ve added a new feature to Clif’s Notes called 1 Thing. This special section is an area where guest bloggers can communicate “1 thing” they would like to share, suggest, say, demonstrate, etc. about a particular topic. This section will forever be a work in progress, so feel free to suggest guest bloggers and topics anytime. You can easily access this section by clicking on the 1 Thing link in the main menu.

• THE CHALLENGE to All Educators
• THE CHALLENGE to All Educators
• Educational Resources and PLN
• Social Bookmarking (with del.icio.us) in Plain English

Teaching and Learning with Squidoo

*DISCLAIMER: I’ve hesitated to share this resource because of the advertising and economics tied to it. I have given it a quick test and think that all of that stuff remains invisible. I’m sharing this resource because, in the right context, I see true potential in its integration with teaching and learning.

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Have you seen Squidoo? I would roughly describe it as a means of mashing up information from a variety of resources into a lens (as in the eye of a giant squid; fancy word for webpage). This is accomplished through customization and pulling together a good number of RSS feeds, favorites, bookmarks, page rankings/voting, etc. Lenses are ranked, money is given to daily winners, etc.* You can actually earn money for charity or for yourself just by using the service.* I have browsed through many of the existing lenses and been impressed by their quality. I am guessing that the whole free market competition model encourages quality effort as those with lenses with the highest use and approval are rewarded. Most of the ones I reviewed were by doctors, therapists, professors, etc. and all seemed well-credentialed. It is likely that you will find some lenses that you can use in your own classroom.

I haven’t completely made up my mind about what I think of Squidoo (I found it very, very late last night) but it has certainly given me some things to consider. Ideas for integrating it with learning and instruction have flooded my mind. In the right context it would be an interesting tool for teachers and learners to use for webquests, research, scavenger hunts, presentations, cooperative learning, online classes, a Web 2.0 activity, etc. Additional ideas and strategies are very end of this post.

There is also a section called Hey Monkey Brain where students can pick, research and debate a topic. Again, in the right context this feature has several positive educational implications.

I joined and threw together my own lens on the topic of educational technology. Take a look…

• My Squidoo Profile: http://www.squidoo.com/lensmasters/clifsnotes
• My Ed Tech Lens: http://www.squidoo.com/clifsnotes

You can setup your own free account using here.

Integrating Squidoo

I thought it might be helpful to all of us if we brainstormed ways to integrate the use of Squidoo with teaching and learning. Here are some of the ideas (classes, lesson topics, activities) that came to me.

• Business
• Economics
• Research
• Writing and editing
• Information design
• Current events
• Math/ science/ health news and research
• Travel planning/ virtual field trip scenarios
• Marketing
• Student designed and developed webquests
• Homework helper
• Tips for parents
• Book reviews
• Debate/ critical thinking/ persuasive writing
• Newsletters
• Service learning/ moral education
• Instructional design/ lesson planning
• Online/ web-enhanced learning
• Focus on composers, painters, or sculptors
• Communicate information and resources to teachers about particular special needsMuch of the above can be modified for use in foreign language classes

• Newsletter on Educational Technology
• Teaching and Learning up in the Air
• Teaching and Learning in the 2.0 Era
• 6.3 Earthquake in Nevada

Suggested Reading

Sickness has finally made its way into our home. All but one of us have been sick since the weekend and I am not that lucky one. As a result, I have had lots of time to grade, plan and read. I though I’d share these particularly interesting posts with you this evening.

Be Good to the Lunch Ladies

Web 2.0 Is the Future of Education

Student Voices on Cyberbullying

RE Social Network Sites-An Open Letter to the Superintendent

New Voicethread Export Feature

Blogging with Students

• Daily Blog Post 06/29/2008
• Suggested Reading
• Suggested Reading
• Suggested Reading

Twitter in Education

If you’ve spent much time in the blogosphere in the last six months you have likely heard about Twitter. I have mentally been writing this post for about ten days. I want to provide my critical review and share the pros and cons as I see them. I realized that many people have already covered the bulk of this information and I just found it unnecessary for me to fully cover this topic with my own original post. Therefore, here are a few BIG points that I briefly want to make followed by valuable resources to further pursue this topic.

1. There is value in the networking and real-time interaction that you can get using Twitter. Many educators and academics find this to be an effective strategy for dealing with the isolation that can come from working in the classroom or office. Imagine encountering technical difficulties during your lesson and having a means of receiving assistance within minutes. Consider the ability to receive assistance from others during a teachable moment in which you don’t know the answer to a student’s inquiry. Individuals like @nlowell, @sbrandt, and @room214 have provided me with much needed real-time assistance.
2. I admit that it is possible for Twitter to be used in non-productive ways. I do not care about the weather, meal plans, funny cat stories, or work schedule of individuals that I do not know (in real life or virtually), but I solve this issue by simply dropping them from my follow list. On the flip side, I don’t mind if individuals that I know/ respect do this. Hearing @mguhlin share about events at work or @berniedodge describe the weather in San Diego helps me know them a bit more and adds an additional layer of community within my online network.
3. The message to take away is that your experience with Twitter will be what you make it. You should customize and use it on an ongoing basis to meet your specific needs and interests.
4. Join my Twitter network by using the link in the Navigation menu to the right.

Resources

Here is a great introduction to Twittering.

This video provides a full overview for setting up and using Twitter.

Using Twitter with Learners

Twitted, Tweets and Young Learners

Twits Are (Not?) for Kids

Twitter - Meaningful or Trivial - Up to the Writer

Tips for Using Twitter in the Classroom

Plan, Tweet, Teach, Tweet, Learn, Smile

Twitter for Academics

Will Twittering Catch on with Teachers?

• More on Twitter
• Why Twitter?
• Games and Simulations in Education: A Resource List for Newbies
• THE CHALLENGE to All Educators

Review and Feedback Requested

Michael M. Grant and I are in the early stages of working on a book chapter about the use of Web 2.0 technologies in teacher education. Below is the outline in its current form. We would appreciate your review and feedback.

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WEB 2.0 IN TEACHER EDUCATION: CHARACTERISTICS, IMPLICATIONS AND LIMITATIONS

We have arrived at the time in teacher education, both preservice and in-service education, where a large portion of the learners is deemed digital natives. In their personal, professional and academic lives these individuals are plugged in. Differentiation is central to both Web 2.0 and education. In Web 2.0, small, niche applications address individual productivity needs. In education, differentiated learning calls for instruction that is tailored around the individual. Teacher education needs to accommodate for these trends.

Many Web 2.0 applications are content independent or can be repurposed to most instructional needs. Like the variety in these applications, theories of learning and instructional models are primarily content independent. So it is left up to the preservice and in-service teacher to match learner characteristics, content, pedagogy and technology. This chapter will concentrate on the use of Web 2.0 technologies in contemporary constructivist and cognitivist learning environments. In particular, we will first examine the tenets and applications of constructivism and cognitivism. Then we will present the characteristics of Web 2.0 tools to support teaching and learning in these environments. Finally, we will identify the limitations and challenges that exist with using these tools.

Constructivitst and Cognitive Instruction

Constructivist learning is epitomized by key interactions with others and the environment (Driscoll, 2005) and meeting the needs of the learner at their instructional level. Constructivism is often associated with independent learning, self-regulation, and student-centered learning.

Cognitivist learning emphasizes strategies to meaningfully encode and decode new knowledge and skills into and from long-term memory (Driscoll, 2005). Instruction based in cognitivism supports schema construction (Ausbel, 1980), sequencing of content (e.g. elaboration theory, Reigeluth, 1999) and efficiency of learning, such as automaticity.

Web 2.0 to Support Teaching and Learning

There are several characteristics of Web 2.0 that support constructivist and cognitivist teaching and learning.

Shallow Learning Curve

These tools typically have a shallow learning curve, or low threshold, (Alexander, 2006) as there is an emphasis on the tools being simple and intuitive. Because of the low threshold, learners are able to focus on the content and not the tool. The cognitive load is very low. Additionally, less curricular time is dedicated to teaching/learning the tools, so the return on investment for any tool is high. For example, Trailfire affords a browser plug-in to quickly create self-instructional units.

Variety of Tools and Models

There is also a wide variety of tools increasing the likelihood that users can find a tool that uses a user interface similar to their own mental model. In contrast, all-in-one suites like Microsoft Office and course management systems like Moodle and Blackboard, require that teachers and learners adapt to one model of accomplishing tasks. While all tools do this to some degree, using the smaller, niche applications indicative of Web 2.0 allows learners to selectively adopt tools that are most intuitive, easier or faster.

Low Cost and Community

Web 2.0 technologies are available at little or no expense making them widely accessible. There are typically active online support and development communities associated with these tools. Assistance is available when users encounter difficulties and developers consider user feedback in updating the technology. This mutually beneficial relationship leads to more user-friendly versions of and experiences with the tool. With low costs, learners are able to try multiple tools, while there is little time lost. Additionally for the teacher, it is easier and more accessible to use a variety of resources, such as embedding external media (i.e., YouTube, TeacherTube) or extending learning opportunities (e.g., external blog conversations). These opportunities align well with constructivist learning. Lastly, all of these advantages reduce Tier I digital divide issues. These tools are accessible but they are dependent on reliable networks, which continues to be an issue in many schools (Grant & Hill, 2006).

Limitations and Implications

While the read-write Web offers significant promise for teaching and learning, there are pressing challenges that must be addressed.

Immature Applications

Many of the applications of Web 2.0 are immature and recent innovations within the last two years. These applications are still susceptible to flaws and down time, as well as a lack of features. For example, easy Web site authoring Weebly conspicuously is missing copy-paste features. This leads to frustration on the part of teachers and learners.

Uncertainty of Applications

There is an uncertainty to the longevity of these applications. It is impossible to determine which ones will last, so teachers and teacher educators are reticent to recommend or rely on tools that do not have at lease some reputation, which can be difficulty to determine.

Number of Applications

Unlike the browser and search engine wars, which time has distilled to a few, there are currently a massive number of Web 2.0 applications to review and select. While a few tools have garnered widespread audiences and users such as Blogger, Wikipedia, del.icio.us, and flickr, the litany of other tools has yet to be accepted or refuted.

Unconsolidated Services

A challenge to using Web 2.0 applications is their dispersement across the Web and different developers. In other words, their services are unconsolidated. The strength of all-in-one suites is their centrality and consistency across applications. Web 2.0 applications still require that each teacher and learner invest in learning a new interface, which contributes to extraneous cognitive load. Sending teachers and learners to different sites may be overwhelming or disorienting, particularly for novices.

Security

Security for student information and security of intellectual property remains an issue on the Web. Encouraging students to use blogs and other Web 2.0 tools requires significant investments in preparing students for protecting their privacy. Additionally, we must continue to teach children to respect information literacy (i.e., accuracy, authenticity, reputation) and copyrights, as well as avoid plagiarism, even though much of the content available on social software and networking sites is public (Anderson, Grant, Speck, 2007).

REFERENCES

Alexander, B. (2006). Web 2.0: A new wave of innovation for teaching and learning? Educause Review, 41(2), 33-44.

Anderson, R.S., Grant, M.M. & Speck, B.W. (2008). Technology to teach literacy: A resource for K-8 teachers. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall.

Ausubel, D. P. (1980). Schemata, cognitive structure, and advance organizers: A reply to Anderson, Spiro, and Anderson. American Educational Research Journal, 17(3), 400-404.

Driscoll, M.P. (2005). The psychology of learning for instruction (3rd ed.). Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.

Grant, M.M., & Hill, J.R. (2006). Weighing the rewards with the risks? Implementing student-centered pedagogy within high-stakes testing. In R. Lambert & C. McCarthy (Eds.) Understanding teacher stress in the age of accountability (pp. 19-42). Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishing.

Reigeluth, C. M. (1999). The elaboration theory: guidance for scope and sequence decisions. In C. M. Reigeluth (Ed.), Instructional design theories and models: A new paradigm of instructional theory, Volume II (pp. 425-453). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

• Developing Educational Technology Courses
• An Introduction to Online Word Processing
• PD for the Holidays: Web 2.0 Tutorials for Teachers
• Daily Blog Post 06/29/2008

Teaching, Learning, Technology and the Future

Let’s discuss the following quote in regards to teaching, learning, technology and the future.

The future is already here - it is just unevenly distributed. — William Gibson (Attributed)

• Technology Integration Blogs
• 1 Thing Teachers Should Know about Teaching with Technology
• Teaching and Learning in the 2.0 Era
• 1 Thing Teachers Should Know about Teaching with Technology

Clif’s Blogroll

• A Day in the Life
• Among the Wildflowers
• And Yet It Moves
• Around the Corner
• AT Cubed: Assistive Technology Tools, Tricks, and Tips
• Be a Techie - Using Music and Technology Together In Education
• Beth’s Thoughts on Technology in the Classroom
• Bit by Bit
• The Blue Skunk Blog
• Chalkdust 101
• Changing High Schools
• Classroom 2.0
• Classroom Blogging
• Cloudy Tag Thoughts
• Common Craft
• The Connected Classroom
• Cruel Shoes
• Daddy Brain
• Dangerously Irrelevant
• Designed to Inspire
• DogEared Book Blog
• Dr. Z Reflects
• dy/dan
• edtech VISION
• EdTech Workshop
• EdTechRoundUp
• EduTechie
• Effective Design.org
• The Elementary Teacher
• The Fischbowl
• The Four Eyed Technologist
• From Toy to Tool: Cell Phones in Schools
• Geek of the Week: Tools for Teachers
• Have a Good Life
• H I T
• ICT in My Classroom
• Ideas and Thoughts
• Infinite Thinking Machine
• Injenuity
• Innovative Educator 2.0
• International Edubloggers Directory
• John Connell
• KidCast
• Learning Is Change
• Learning Is Messy
• Light in the Woods
• Moving at the Speed of Creativity
• Moving Forward
• My State of Flux
• The Open Classroom
• Open Thinking & Digital Pedagogy
• Opening Doors to Digital Learning
• Parents As Partners
• The Playground
• Random Ramblings
• Rick West
• Spotlight Blog
• Stephen’s Untold Stories
• Steve Hargadon
• The Strength of Weak Ties
• Successful Teaching
• Teach42
• TeacherJay
• Teachers Teaching Teachers
• TechChickTips
• Tech Learning
• Virtual High School Meanderings
• Weblogg-ed

• What Will/Should “EdTech 101” Evolve Into?
• Technology in the Classroom
• Greetings from Selmer, TN
• Do Schools Kill Creativity?

Teaching and Learning in the 2.0 Era

Many of this blog’s readers and many of my students have asked me to provide an overview of the buzz-term 2.0. As you’ll see in just a moment, it is reported to have all started with the use of the phrase Web 2.0 back in 2004 and was soon followed by phrases such as Learning 2.0, Presentations 2.0, School 2.0, Identity 2.0, and Office 2.0 just to give a few examples. All of these are ideas that represent a change/ evolution/ revolution in thinking and practice. Clearly each of these terms has really cool and innovative technologies associated with them, but we must not get distracted by the toys. I think it’s far more important that educators and instructional designers consider the philosophical, theoretical, pedagogical, and pragmatic implications of these ideas as I think each could potentially influence education in the future. I intend on posting more about this later, but for now let’s start at the very beginning. Here are introductions to the terms Web 2.0 and Learning 2.0.

Let’s Set the Scene

1. If you have access to Integrating Computer Technology into the Classroom, I encourage you to read Chapter 1, Rethinking Computers and Instruction. Otherwise, proceed to the next item.
2. Consider the information presented in the Shift Happens presentation.

Web 2.0

1. An Introduction to Web 2.0 - This post includes 2 videos that will provide you with a quick introduction to the concept of Web 2.0.
2. Web 2.0’s Potential Impact on Teaching Learning - Includes the viral video Web 2.0…The Machine Is Us/ing Us.
3. Web 2.0 entry from Wikipedia – Look over this information and become somewhat familiar with the big ideas. I’m not expecting you to become an expert on this. Spending 5 minutes here should be just fine.

Learning 2.0

1. Learning 2.0 entry from Wikipedia – This is a very quick read and provides a basic introduction to the idea of Learning 2.0.
2. Example of teaching and learning 2.0 - 13 Yr. Old CEO of Innovative Educational Gaming Company

For Your Consideration

1. Do Schools Kill Creativity?

• Teaching and Learning up in the Air
• Web 2.0’s Potential Impact on Teaching and Learning
• Teaching and Learning with Squidoo
• An Introduction to Web 2.0