Unveiled: the newest big project from Google - Google Wave. The actual demo starts at about 8:00
Though 5414 class is over, I can't seem to get myself out of a Flat World way of thinking (which is probably a good thing). I think I understand what Friedman was saying on a new level, maybe the level that he hoped his less-informed readers would reach. After hearing about Google Wave, I realized something. This system is faster than anything we've seen before. It's faster than meeting, than phone conferencing, it's faster than email, instant messanging, and Google Docs - because it includes all of those processes at once. AND it has PLAYBACK! (seen at 13:00-14:00)
Now, I don't think that I had an epiphany, per se, while watching the Wave demo. But I think I felt my new paradigm clicking into place. Everyone is going to be using this stuff! With Wave, Google is giving people a new type of integrated platform for people to use for collaboration. Google strives for products that offer seamless integration for collaborative use. Think about it: I can work with someone from Korea using Google applications, including Wave. I can also see the building in which they work using Google Maps. And they don't even have to have mastered English, since Google will also translate my words for them.
Okay, maybe not yet. But I can see it coming, and it will be here very soon.
I got really excited when I thought about how I could use this in teaching. GW could easily replace Moodle, but it could also be used in ways that I can't think of right now (I'm way too excited). For instance, here's an idea of how Wave could work in teaching:
1. Assign kids any kind of group work. Literature circles, projects, etc.
2. Kids work together from anywhere with an internet connection, since Wave (like other Google Apps) doesn't need to be downloaded onto a computer - it's accessed through one's web browser. Not only can they create Word, PPt, and Excel-like documents, they can also create photo albums, videos, Podcasts...and they can do so easily.
3. Students can chat with me, their teacher, while they're working online to get feedback.
4. I, the teacher, can see which students contributed which content, and assign points as needed (if points are involved).
That doesn't sound nearly as cool if read outside the context of the demo. Watch the demo.
Friedman was right when he said that we are only now going to see the real capabilities of the Internet. Maybe I'm too underqualified to make this claim, but I think that Wave is part of a new generation of collaborative software. As ideas, software, and hardware move forward, the tools that we have available for us to use will be increasingly faster, more integrated, more seamless, and more interesting. More so than Wave, even. Imagine this. Google (just making a prediction, here) comes out with a product similar to Kindle. They release it along with an application called Google Quotes. While you're reading from your Google-Kindle, you keep Google Quotes open on your laptop. While you read, you can highlight sections of the book, article, or paper that you're reading, and using a "throw" button, send it to your laptop by means of a Bluetooth infrared device. The selection shows up on Google Quotes along with a complete citation. Imagine how much faster research would go with a tool like that!
Everything will probably go faster. I mentioned something similar in a previous post of mine. Because we won't have to spend so much time working and waiting with our "thought-supporting" tools, we'll be able to spend more time thinking. We'll be able to think and learn more efficiently. Maybe - maybe - this means that we'll learn more in less time, counteracting educational inflation to a certain extent.
I should close with some values-related thoughts. Should we be teaching our students this stuff? I think that the argument for teaching students the basics of computer design and web editing is a sound one. Using computers and the Web without understanding the basics of their designs is a bit like driving a car and not knowing how gasoline, oil, and transmission fluid help keep it running. Do we need to teach Wave, or teach using Wave? If collaborative apps are becoming increasingly intuitive and seamless, will they some day be so intuitive and seamless that we won't need to teach them?
My stance today is - we need to use technology in education. And I think we need to use technology to make drastic changes in education, much like technology is creating drastic changes in the global marketplace and in our personal (and interpersonal) lives. If the last great revolution was industrial, this one is digital. Our current educational model is industrial; we now need a digital one.
The thing is, there are lingering industrial pressures. We want to be efficient in our education systems; we want the most capable students for the least cost (that's always what it always seems to comes down to - cost-effectiveness). How do we do this today? Is 1 teacher:30 students in a classroom the most cost-effective?
And, since I really don't believe what I said about everything reducing to cost-effectiveness: simply put, is our current model the most effective? A simply put answer is "I don't know!" Because I have nothing with which to compare our current model. We need to open up our schools to the type of innovation that is now happening in the business world. Only then will we develop a new type of education that fits this new, flat world.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
Faster, Smoother, Stronger! Better?
This is my last "official" post for EDUC 5414: Technology for the Administrative Tasks of Teaching. Since much of what we examined during class were values regarding technology use, not the tech tools themselves, I want to continue with a discussion I felt we never really had the time to explore in class.
To begin, scroll through these quotes from The World Is Flat (apparently a major invoker of thoughts for me).
The World Is Flat is a lengthy book, and it's possible that I'm pulling these quotes too far away from their original context for them to be taken at face value. But I don't believe that's the case. When I read these quotes, I see a common theme - competition. When I read Friedman's book, I see the same theme. In one way, I see the world that Friedman describes as a fast-paced, hyper-competitive, hyper-connected place. I think it's wise for societies to step back and think along the lines of "should we?" whenever they're about to adopt policies that might drastically change the way governments, businesses, organizations, and individuals work. Take the industrial revolution, for example. Could the industrial revolution have started with cleaner coal if more questions had been raised before its widespread adoption? If so, would we be facing the environmental issues that we currently do?
So, regarding the Flat World, Globalization 3.0, etc., I have some concerns. I also have some answers to those concerns.
Educational Inflation
Educational inflation is the idea that we have to run faster to stay in the same place (Romer, p. 387). Fifty years ago, a high school degree got you to the same place, wage-wise, as an associate's or bachelor's degree does today. I don't think that's a completely accurate comparison, but that's the underlying idea of educational inflation. Yet a bachelor's degree still takes about four years, and it also costs relatively more money than it did thirty years ago. If these trends continue - and based on what Friedman has presented, they probably will - could a person have to obtain an associates's degree simply to maintain an unskilled hourly wage position? I don't see how we can avoid this scenario. People are going to try to be more attractive to employers than other potential employees. There will always be people who are willing to push beyond average.
I feel like a hypocrite when I question the idea of continuously "pushing beyond average." But I wonder about implications for our lives when it's possible that so much of our time will be spent just keeping up with the rest of the workforce. Will the Flat World allow people the time to enjoy genuine quality in their lives outside work - the other parts of life that are important and enjoyable? My mother, for instance, works a decently-paying job at Cargill Kitchen Solutions. She has worked there for more than ten years, and for most of that time she has not had an "eight hour workday." For most of my time in middle and high school, I was only able to spend time with my mom from 6:00 PM until 9:00 or so, when she fell asleep. She was the primary breadwinner since my dad had started a business; she couldn't do much about her situation. Though I believe that kind of situation to be fairly commonplace, I don't want it to be so. But I feel like the flattening of the world might make it the new normal.
Then again, maybe not. Some people value money and high-prestige jobs more than anything else in life, which is fine, but most people don't. I would bet that most people would choose to scale back on their professional commitments if not doing so meant sacrificing too much quality time with families, hobbies, etc. Given this, though the widespread adoption of flat-world practices might rocket competition forward, there might be a time when the fuel starts to fizzle out; in other words, people will be unwilling to invest more time in order to get ahead.
Once again, however, maybe not. Probably not, in fact. I already touched on this idea in another post, but I think the more likely scenario is that it will simply become easier to obtain degrees. Advanced Placement courses are one example of this development. We now see them offered in more schools, in greater numbers, and in more diverse subjects.
Another factor that pushes against the kind of Flat World that worries me - hypercompetitive, hyperconnected - is value. We discussed this briefly one day in class: people value different things. Speaking in generalities, products from China are attractive to people who value low cost, while products from the USA are attractive to people who value companies who compensate their employees well. These conflicting values will always be available on the market, there will always be work available for both companies.
Friedman spoke about "fat" and "walls," terms he used to represent the structures that slow collaboration and productivity. I think it's human nature to desire some fat and walls. They provide comfort and security. Most of the quotes I listed above hint towards a world where economic security is a thing of the past, but I don't think economic security is a dichotomy - there, or not there. We might feel insecure here for a while, but in China and India, people will feel more secure. I think that the global marketplace will eventually balance out, spreading wealth equally, everywhere.
Who knows how long that will take, though.
To begin, scroll through these quotes from The World Is Flat (apparently a major invoker of thoughts for me).
The World Is Flat is a lengthy book, and it's possible that I'm pulling these quotes too far away from their original context for them to be taken at face value. But I don't believe that's the case. When I read these quotes, I see a common theme - competition. When I read Friedman's book, I see the same theme. In one way, I see the world that Friedman describes as a fast-paced, hyper-competitive, hyper-connected place. I think it's wise for societies to step back and think along the lines of "should we?" whenever they're about to adopt policies that might drastically change the way governments, businesses, organizations, and individuals work. Take the industrial revolution, for example. Could the industrial revolution have started with cleaner coal if more questions had been raised before its widespread adoption? If so, would we be facing the environmental issues that we currently do?
So, regarding the Flat World, Globalization 3.0, etc., I have some concerns. I also have some answers to those concerns.
Educational Inflation
Educational inflation is the idea that we have to run faster to stay in the same place (Romer, p. 387). Fifty years ago, a high school degree got you to the same place, wage-wise, as an associate's or bachelor's degree does today. I don't think that's a completely accurate comparison, but that's the underlying idea of educational inflation. Yet a bachelor's degree still takes about four years, and it also costs relatively more money than it did thirty years ago. If these trends continue - and based on what Friedman has presented, they probably will - could a person have to obtain an associates's degree simply to maintain an unskilled hourly wage position? I don't see how we can avoid this scenario. People are going to try to be more attractive to employers than other potential employees. There will always be people who are willing to push beyond average.
I feel like a hypocrite when I question the idea of continuously "pushing beyond average." But I wonder about implications for our lives when it's possible that so much of our time will be spent just keeping up with the rest of the workforce. Will the Flat World allow people the time to enjoy genuine quality in their lives outside work - the other parts of life that are important and enjoyable? My mother, for instance, works a decently-paying job at Cargill Kitchen Solutions. She has worked there for more than ten years, and for most of that time she has not had an "eight hour workday." For most of my time in middle and high school, I was only able to spend time with my mom from 6:00 PM until 9:00 or so, when she fell asleep. She was the primary breadwinner since my dad had started a business; she couldn't do much about her situation. Though I believe that kind of situation to be fairly commonplace, I don't want it to be so. But I feel like the flattening of the world might make it the new normal.
Then again, maybe not. Some people value money and high-prestige jobs more than anything else in life, which is fine, but most people don't. I would bet that most people would choose to scale back on their professional commitments if not doing so meant sacrificing too much quality time with families, hobbies, etc. Given this, though the widespread adoption of flat-world practices might rocket competition forward, there might be a time when the fuel starts to fizzle out; in other words, people will be unwilling to invest more time in order to get ahead.
Once again, however, maybe not. Probably not, in fact. I already touched on this idea in another post, but I think the more likely scenario is that it will simply become easier to obtain degrees. Advanced Placement courses are one example of this development. We now see them offered in more schools, in greater numbers, and in more diverse subjects.
Another factor that pushes against the kind of Flat World that worries me - hypercompetitive, hyperconnected - is value. We discussed this briefly one day in class: people value different things. Speaking in generalities, products from China are attractive to people who value low cost, while products from the USA are attractive to people who value companies who compensate their employees well. These conflicting values will always be available on the market, there will always be work available for both companies.
Friedman spoke about "fat" and "walls," terms he used to represent the structures that slow collaboration and productivity. I think it's human nature to desire some fat and walls. They provide comfort and security. Most of the quotes I listed above hint towards a world where economic security is a thing of the past, but I don't think economic security is a dichotomy - there, or not there. We might feel insecure here for a while, but in China and India, people will feel more secure. I think that the global marketplace will eventually balance out, spreading wealth equally, everywhere.
Who knows how long that will take, though.
The Need to Connect With Parents
It is an unfortunate reality, but reality nonetheless: many teachers do not like dealing with their students' parents and guardians. The relationship between teacher and caregiver is complicated and can be difficult for both sides to negotiate. Having never been a parent, I can't speak to the frustrations that parents experience when dealing with teachers, although I'm sure I could name a few (when will those grades be up?! I know that teachers get frustrated with "helicopter" parents who check grades on Infinite Campus four times a day and/or send emails to said teacher on a daily basis. When a teacher sees parents or guardians making decisions about their child that the teacher feels are ill-informed or ill-conceived, that can be another source of frustration. Then, of course, there are the caregivers that "just don't seem to care." Most parents and guardians don't fall into these categories, I think. And most teachers do their best, considering their schedules, to keep their students' families well-informed about their classrooms; it's part of the job, to a certain extent.
Given what I've recently learned about the status of the American education system (compared to the education systems of competing countries), I think it actually needs to be more of the job. We, as a society, keep putting additional responsibilities upon schools. What is the primary responsibility of a school? To instruct. Aside from instruction, schools are also expected to provide meals, athletic facilities, theaters, school dances, counseling, etc. A situation in which schools offer these things is completely fine and often necessary. The problem I often see occurs when school activities - including instruction - no longer have a presence at home. Learning, and the values that come with it, then become the domain of solely the school. I think that most educators (and Thomas Friedman) would agree: that is a bad situation for a 21st century student. Even with a nine-hour school day (after-school activities included), kids spend most of their time at home. Children really are learning all the time; where are they really doing most of their learning?
Some teachers, parents, and guardians like to blame other parents and guardians for this issue, saying that some families simply don't care about supporting their children's education. I don't support this stance. Thankfully, I have met few families who literally don't care about their children's future. When caregivers make poor decisions regarding their children's education, I think it is usually because they simply lack the information to do so. It is a teacher's job to stay up-to-date on what resources students need to succeed, but parents might not know where to look for that information, or they might not even know that they should be looking in the first place.
Unfortunately, our society can no longer afford to have uninformed parents if we are to keep up with the impassioned workforces of the "flattened" world. If we want intelligent, hard-working, creative students and workers, I think that starts with intelligent, hard-working, and creative parents. Friedman takes a harder stance than I do regarding this issue, but let's take a look at what he has to say:
Essentially, what Friedman and his sources say is: "We as a country need to do more, and that won't happen on the scale we need unless parents start doing more." I agree. But imperatives alone generally don't get results. Imperatives combined with resources and plans tend to fare better.
Questions of the Day:
What do parents need to support their children's education?
How will these needs be met?
I want to start this section by discussing the imperative that parents will need. It needs to be an imperative monstrous in scale and voice, for it needs to reach every parent's ears, eyes, and fingers. I think the only way we're going to establish the need for this type of reform is by having President Obama deliver a Kennedy-styled "Man on the Moon" speech to the whole nation. Friedman discusses Kennedy and the moon mission frequently throughout his book, and he is right to do so; yet, of all the sectors in need of reform, I think education (and parenting in support thereof) are most in need of it, and therefore most deserving of a Moon Speech. This speech will need to address much of the economic information Friedman discusses in The World is Flat, as well as the actions parents can take to safeguard their children's futures to the greatest extent possible.
One of the actions the President should discuss is how parents should better inform themselves by accessing the resources provided by their schools. I know that earlier in this post I said that schools are continuously asked to do more, but schools doing more isn't the fundamental problem - the problem is when schools are the only ones doing more, and they aren't given the needed additional resources to compensate. Having educational resources, of which information about supporting education at home is one part, at school makes sense. If reforming education from the home up means that schools have to do more, then so be it as long as the schools get adequate funding to do so.
Parents should easily be able to obtain the information they need to make well-informed decisions about their children's education. We need a national imperative to to accomplish this, but we also need plans. Districts are the implementors of policy in the American education system. I think each district should develop a plan for informing the decision-makers in their students' lives not only about what's happening with at school, but also about what should be happening at home to support the learning that happens at school.
So, I have now discussed the imperative we need and the type of plans we need in order to get parents and students to the same place that Friedman is - the flat world. I'd like to now explore some specifics that I've been milling in my mind since I first read chapter nine of The World is Flat, "This Is Not a Test." This is where technology comes in. I think that many of the technology tools that I've learned about during the past four weeks have great potential to help answer the question of "How will the needs of parents and guardians be met?" Here is a list of the ideas that I've brainstormed over the past few days.
What do parents and guardians need to support their children's education?
- Services currently provided (meals, counseling, materials, space, transportation)
- Information about the role of education
- Information about the current and future socioeconomic environment (The Flat World)
- Information about what students will need to do in order to succeed
- Information about expectations - workload, behavior, assignments, attendance, cheating, etc.
- Expectations for parents?
- Information about what parents/guardians can do
- Information about individual classes (topics to be covered, grading policy, etc.)
How will these needs be met? (These are just ideas)
- Information available by newsletter and DVD
- Lessons and assignments that require adult involvement, especially on the secondary level - Google docs would be a fun one!
- More counselors that can facilitate communication and collaboration between home and school
- Actively trying to bring adults into the classroom - in person, by webcam?
- Welcome collaboration between the home and school - online forums?
Conclusion
I know that many, if not all, of my ideas might fall flat when proposed to a district committee. However, I'm excited by the idea of using some of the ideas I listed here in my own classroom someday. Maybe I'll start the storyboard for my DVD this summer!
Given what I've recently learned about the status of the American education system (compared to the education systems of competing countries), I think it actually needs to be more of the job. We, as a society, keep putting additional responsibilities upon schools. What is the primary responsibility of a school? To instruct. Aside from instruction, schools are also expected to provide meals, athletic facilities, theaters, school dances, counseling, etc. A situation in which schools offer these things is completely fine and often necessary. The problem I often see occurs when school activities - including instruction - no longer have a presence at home. Learning, and the values that come with it, then become the domain of solely the school. I think that most educators (and Thomas Friedman) would agree: that is a bad situation for a 21st century student. Even with a nine-hour school day (after-school activities included), kids spend most of their time at home. Children really are learning all the time; where are they really doing most of their learning?
Some teachers, parents, and guardians like to blame other parents and guardians for this issue, saying that some families simply don't care about supporting their children's education. I don't support this stance. Thankfully, I have met few families who literally don't care about their children's future. When caregivers make poor decisions regarding their children's education, I think it is usually because they simply lack the information to do so. It is a teacher's job to stay up-to-date on what resources students need to succeed, but parents might not know where to look for that information, or they might not even know that they should be looking in the first place.
Unfortunately, our society can no longer afford to have uninformed parents if we are to keep up with the impassioned workforces of the "flattened" world. If we want intelligent, hard-working, creative students and workers, I think that starts with intelligent, hard-working, and creative parents. Friedman takes a harder stance than I do regarding this issue, but let's take a look at what he has to say:
[Parents] need to know in what world their kids are growing up and what it will take for them to thrive. (p. 394)
...if we don't start to reverse [a national sense of entitlement], our kids are going to be in for a huge and socially disruptive shock from the flat world. While a different approach from politicians is necessary, it is not sufficient. (p. 395)
"Public education is producing these remarkable students - so it can be done. Their parents have nurtured them to make sure that they realize their potential." (David Baltimore, p.396)
Our children will increasingly be competing head-to-head with Chinese, Indian, and Asian kids, whose parents have a lot more of Hattie's character-building approach than their own American parents. (p. 397)(
Essentially, what Friedman and his sources say is: "We as a country need to do more, and that won't happen on the scale we need unless parents start doing more." I agree. But imperatives alone generally don't get results. Imperatives combined with resources and plans tend to fare better.
Questions of the Day:
What do parents need to support their children's education?
How will these needs be met?
I want to start this section by discussing the imperative that parents will need. It needs to be an imperative monstrous in scale and voice, for it needs to reach every parent's ears, eyes, and fingers. I think the only way we're going to establish the need for this type of reform is by having President Obama deliver a Kennedy-styled "Man on the Moon" speech to the whole nation. Friedman discusses Kennedy and the moon mission frequently throughout his book, and he is right to do so; yet, of all the sectors in need of reform, I think education (and parenting in support thereof) are most in need of it, and therefore most deserving of a Moon Speech. This speech will need to address much of the economic information Friedman discusses in The World is Flat, as well as the actions parents can take to safeguard their children's futures to the greatest extent possible.
One of the actions the President should discuss is how parents should better inform themselves by accessing the resources provided by their schools. I know that earlier in this post I said that schools are continuously asked to do more, but schools doing more isn't the fundamental problem - the problem is when schools are the only ones doing more, and they aren't given the needed additional resources to compensate. Having educational resources, of which information about supporting education at home is one part, at school makes sense. If reforming education from the home up means that schools have to do more, then so be it as long as the schools get adequate funding to do so.
Parents should easily be able to obtain the information they need to make well-informed decisions about their children's education. We need a national imperative to to accomplish this, but we also need plans. Districts are the implementors of policy in the American education system. I think each district should develop a plan for informing the decision-makers in their students' lives not only about what's happening with at school, but also about what should be happening at home to support the learning that happens at school.
So, I have now discussed the imperative we need and the type of plans we need in order to get parents and students to the same place that Friedman is - the flat world. I'd like to now explore some specifics that I've been milling in my mind since I first read chapter nine of The World is Flat, "This Is Not a Test." This is where technology comes in. I think that many of the technology tools that I've learned about during the past four weeks have great potential to help answer the question of "How will the needs of parents and guardians be met?" Here is a list of the ideas that I've brainstormed over the past few days.
What do parents and guardians need to support their children's education?
- Services currently provided (meals, counseling, materials, space, transportation)
- Information about the role of education
- Information about the current and future socioeconomic environment (The Flat World)
- Information about what students will need to do in order to succeed
- Information about expectations - workload, behavior, assignments, attendance, cheating, etc.
- Expectations for parents?
- Information about what parents/guardians can do
- Information about individual classes (topics to be covered, grading policy, etc.)
How will these needs be met? (These are just ideas)
- Information available by newsletter and DVD
- Lessons and assignments that require adult involvement, especially on the secondary level - Google docs would be a fun one!
- More counselors that can facilitate communication and collaboration between home and school
- Actively trying to bring adults into the classroom - in person, by webcam?
- Welcome collaboration between the home and school - online forums?
Conclusion
I know that many, if not all, of my ideas might fall flat when proposed to a district committee. However, I'm excited by the idea of using some of the ideas I listed here in my own classroom someday. Maybe I'll start the storyboard for my DVD this summer!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
K-12 Education: Changes to Expect
Thomas Friedman in The World is Flat gave a depressing analysis of America's economic future: compared to other developed and developing countries, we're not doing so well. Of course, those who have been paying attention already knew the statistics. For me, the most troubling numbers emerge from the field of education. I am biased as an educator, I suppose. However, an educated workforce is a productive and inventive workforce, one that gets to enjoy the benefits of global economic leadership. Craig Barrett, former chairman of Intel, echoes my thoughts in this matter:
In other words, if we invest less into our people than other countries are investing in theirs, we will eventually fall behind. That is exactly the process that is occurring at this point in history. American students increasingly lag behind other countries in test scores, not just in science and math, but also in literacy and composition (p. 353). Proportionally and numerically, we graduate far fewer science, mathematics, and engineering majors than European and Asian frontrunners. There are "gaps" between the emerging American workforce and those developing in Europe and Asia in other productivity-related areas: ambition, funding for research, and infrastructure (p. 343-365). The only thing that has thus far sheltered American citizens from feeling the real effects of these trends is the fact that we have been so far ahead of the world in terms of resources (financial and otherwise) that we've been essentially untouchable. Think of the hare and the tortoise. Remember the part of the story when the hare thinks he can stop to nap and still win the race? The U.S. - representing the hare, obviously - has essentially been napping. What makes our race different from the story's is that while we've been napping the tortoise has strapped on rocket boots. Emerging economies are quickly catching up to us.
I think of the processes involved in global markets the same way as I think of the processes involved in biological evolution. In biological evolution, changes in the environment prompt species to evolve in order to become more fit for survival against their competition in that environment. The environment in which America has thrived is changing; therefore, our country will have to evolve in order to survive and compete.
My question is this: What "adaptations" will educators make in order to help America become better suited for survival in the new global economic environment? I have my own desires regarding what I'd like to see American educators doing, but first I'd like to explore what changes I think we can expect to see in the near future based on what we know about the current economic trends presented in Friedman's book.
Blended Instruction
Clayton M. Christensen, professor at the Harvard Business School, believes that more than 50% of all high school instruction will occur online by 2019 (Trotter, 2008). We've discussed the benefits of blended instruction - teaching that takes place both in a classroom and online - several times in class. Classrooms that have taken a blended approach report that learning is enhanced through the combination of face-to-face and internet time. Blended classrooms outperform both "pure" physical classrooms and "pure" online ones. There are many likely reasons for the academic success of blended classrooms. Online, instructional time isn't interrupted by phone calls, student behavior, or announcements. In a classroom, a teacher has to manage a group of 20+ individuals at once; online, the ratio can be as low as 1:1. This allows teachers to provide more personally tailored instruction for each of their students. Online classes allow students the flexibility to work when they feel most engaged and interested.
I think another factor will drive the widespread adoption of blended instruction, and that is cost. As broadband infrastructure spreads, households (and districts) will find it increasingly cheaper to access high-speed internet. The computers needed to access the broadband network will also become cheaper. Eventually, it might simply become more cost-effective for districts to host many of their classes online. Imagine a school where the students only visited the campus three days a week, and received instruction online during the other two days. Teachers and administrators could potentially work from home. With a system like this, the district could potentially save money on energy, busing, and maintenance bills. Obviously many operational sticking points would have to be resolved before a system like this could be implemented (were is the orchestra going to practice?), but how is that fundamentally different from education now? There are always points of contention; there is also always pressure to reduce operating costs.
Individualization
In The World Is Flat, Friedman often discusses how current technologies empower individuals. Web 2.0 and other tools allow individuals to "globalize" themselves: their work, their beliefs, and their ideas. These same tools also allow institutions and corporations to specialize, or "individualize," their services, advertising, and products. I believe that K-12 educational institutions will soon start taking advantage of "individualizing" tools on a massive scale. I already touched on how teachers can customize their instruction to each one of their students using the power of blended instruction, but this is only one way the internet can help make K-12 education more flexible and student-centered. Let's look at it from an administrative perspective.
To begin, think back to the discussions about electronic medical records that I know you've been hearing and reading about lately. What benefits do electronic medical records offer? There are a couple main ones. First, electronic medical records could theoretically be accessed quickly by any doctor worldwide. Second, these records would exist and be edited in one location - online. The information would therefore be easily transferrable from one doctor or hospital to another doctor or hospital.
Now, imagine a similar system for student records. The Infinite Campus system already does this to a certain degree, allowing teachers within a district to access a student's attendance, academic, and medical records online. Teachers can even access information about students' families and bus routes. Great - that's all useful stuff. But what if we took it further? Imagine a statewide or nationwide archive that tracked this information from kindergarten on, creating individual files for each student. Additional data, such as interests, work samples, hobbies, learning styles, graduation plans, test scores, and even teaching preferences, could also be archived and available for a student's teacher to access. Theoretically, a teacher could learn a lot about new students before even meeting them, which would make transitioning between classrooms, grades, and schools easier for the students. It could also make instructional planning easier for teachers.
I think that individualization will also allow more flexibility in the courses students are able to take. For good or ill, I think we will start to see "testing out" options available for students, at least on the high school level. There were most definitely some required courses in my high school curriculum that were a complete waste of my time - 9th Grade Computing and Technology, for instance. It would have been nice if I had been offered the option of testing out of that course, which presented material I had already mastered, and instead taken something like 10th Grade Biology. To some degree the possibility of "testing out" worries me; the ability to score well on a test about a subject does not always indicate the ability to think deeply and creatively about it. However, "testing out" of a required course could mean providing a portfolio to the appropriate authorities, and it would provide advanced students with the ability to avoid taking courses that won't further their understandings and skills.
Recommendations
At this point I've discussed what changes I believe we can be reasonably certain will affect K-12 education in the near future. Here's what additional changes I'd like to see implemented in K-12 ed. on a large scale.
1. Interdisciplinary Collaboration
I know it's hard to plan, but I think interdisciplinary instruction is simply one of the most powerful tools teachers possess for increasing their students' abilities. Friedman believes that the ability to innovate is to a significant degree grounded in the ability to think and create across disciplines. Interdisciplinary instruction also tends to be authentic; if a student uses math to gain insight about a social issue, they are doing what professional analysts do daily. Plus, interdisciplinary tasks are so much fun! I still vividly remember the big inter-classroom projects that I worked on in high school.
Life Skills
In 8th grade I was required to take a class called "Life Skills." It was essentially the 90s version of home ec. Supposedly I learned how to cook and how to sew. If you were to examine my cooking and my clothing at this point in time, you would quickly understand that I did not gain anything lasting from that class. Sewing in class? Honestly? I like sewing, truly I do, but I don't believe it's a skill that I need to make my life function.
Here are some real life skills:
- The ability to examine and critique one's own values and thinking
- The ability to see connections between ourselves and other individuals and communities
- The ability to draw logical conclusions through rigorous questioning and (re)searching for information (Friedman 2007)
Thirty years ago, the socioeconomic evolutionary forces looked and acted differently than they do today. Today's "life skills," the skills that will enable a person to function on a day-to-day basis, involve the processing of information. Do I, a student, really need to spend a semester learning how to make various egg recipes when I can get cooking information from Google within minutes? Isn't it more important for me to learn how to critique and interpret information that I find on Google, since that's what I'll probably be doing every day in the future?
In the next century it will be more important for students to think than sew. My last thought is that our national education system needs to update its curriculum in order to support students' cognitive growth. We need more technology classes, certainly, but teaching students how to use technology is not enough. Current collaborative technologies are simply ways in which ideas can be transfered. We need to make sure that our students can come up with good ideas.
Sources Cited
Friedman, T. L. (2007) The World Is Flat A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century. New York, NY: Picador.
Trotter, A (2008 October 17). Disruptive Innovation. Digital Directions, 2, Retrieved July 16 2009, from http://www.edweek.org/dd/toc/2008/10/20/index.html
Standard of living is related to the average value add of your workforce, and that is related to the average educational level of your workforce. If you downgrade the average educational level of your workforce, relative to your competition, your standard of living will decline. (Friedman p. 372, emphasis added)
In other words, if we invest less into our people than other countries are investing in theirs, we will eventually fall behind. That is exactly the process that is occurring at this point in history. American students increasingly lag behind other countries in test scores, not just in science and math, but also in literacy and composition (p. 353). Proportionally and numerically, we graduate far fewer science, mathematics, and engineering majors than European and Asian frontrunners. There are "gaps" between the emerging American workforce and those developing in Europe and Asia in other productivity-related areas: ambition, funding for research, and infrastructure (p. 343-365). The only thing that has thus far sheltered American citizens from feeling the real effects of these trends is the fact that we have been so far ahead of the world in terms of resources (financial and otherwise) that we've been essentially untouchable. Think of the hare and the tortoise. Remember the part of the story when the hare thinks he can stop to nap and still win the race? The U.S. - representing the hare, obviously - has essentially been napping. What makes our race different from the story's is that while we've been napping the tortoise has strapped on rocket boots. Emerging economies are quickly catching up to us.
I think of the processes involved in global markets the same way as I think of the processes involved in biological evolution. In biological evolution, changes in the environment prompt species to evolve in order to become more fit for survival against their competition in that environment. The environment in which America has thrived is changing; therefore, our country will have to evolve in order to survive and compete.
My question is this: What "adaptations" will educators make in order to help America become better suited for survival in the new global economic environment? I have my own desires regarding what I'd like to see American educators doing, but first I'd like to explore what changes I think we can expect to see in the near future based on what we know about the current economic trends presented in Friedman's book.
Blended Instruction
Clayton M. Christensen, professor at the Harvard Business School, believes that more than 50% of all high school instruction will occur online by 2019 (Trotter, 2008). We've discussed the benefits of blended instruction - teaching that takes place both in a classroom and online - several times in class. Classrooms that have taken a blended approach report that learning is enhanced through the combination of face-to-face and internet time. Blended classrooms outperform both "pure" physical classrooms and "pure" online ones. There are many likely reasons for the academic success of blended classrooms. Online, instructional time isn't interrupted by phone calls, student behavior, or announcements. In a classroom, a teacher has to manage a group of 20+ individuals at once; online, the ratio can be as low as 1:1. This allows teachers to provide more personally tailored instruction for each of their students. Online classes allow students the flexibility to work when they feel most engaged and interested.
I think another factor will drive the widespread adoption of blended instruction, and that is cost. As broadband infrastructure spreads, households (and districts) will find it increasingly cheaper to access high-speed internet. The computers needed to access the broadband network will also become cheaper. Eventually, it might simply become more cost-effective for districts to host many of their classes online. Imagine a school where the students only visited the campus three days a week, and received instruction online during the other two days. Teachers and administrators could potentially work from home. With a system like this, the district could potentially save money on energy, busing, and maintenance bills. Obviously many operational sticking points would have to be resolved before a system like this could be implemented (were is the orchestra going to practice?), but how is that fundamentally different from education now? There are always points of contention; there is also always pressure to reduce operating costs.
Individualization
In The World Is Flat, Friedman often discusses how current technologies empower individuals. Web 2.0 and other tools allow individuals to "globalize" themselves: their work, their beliefs, and their ideas. These same tools also allow institutions and corporations to specialize, or "individualize," their services, advertising, and products. I believe that K-12 educational institutions will soon start taking advantage of "individualizing" tools on a massive scale. I already touched on how teachers can customize their instruction to each one of their students using the power of blended instruction, but this is only one way the internet can help make K-12 education more flexible and student-centered. Let's look at it from an administrative perspective.
To begin, think back to the discussions about electronic medical records that I know you've been hearing and reading about lately. What benefits do electronic medical records offer? There are a couple main ones. First, electronic medical records could theoretically be accessed quickly by any doctor worldwide. Second, these records would exist and be edited in one location - online. The information would therefore be easily transferrable from one doctor or hospital to another doctor or hospital.
Now, imagine a similar system for student records. The Infinite Campus system already does this to a certain degree, allowing teachers within a district to access a student's attendance, academic, and medical records online. Teachers can even access information about students' families and bus routes. Great - that's all useful stuff. But what if we took it further? Imagine a statewide or nationwide archive that tracked this information from kindergarten on, creating individual files for each student. Additional data, such as interests, work samples, hobbies, learning styles, graduation plans, test scores, and even teaching preferences, could also be archived and available for a student's teacher to access. Theoretically, a teacher could learn a lot about new students before even meeting them, which would make transitioning between classrooms, grades, and schools easier for the students. It could also make instructional planning easier for teachers.
I think that individualization will also allow more flexibility in the courses students are able to take. For good or ill, I think we will start to see "testing out" options available for students, at least on the high school level. There were most definitely some required courses in my high school curriculum that were a complete waste of my time - 9th Grade Computing and Technology, for instance. It would have been nice if I had been offered the option of testing out of that course, which presented material I had already mastered, and instead taken something like 10th Grade Biology. To some degree the possibility of "testing out" worries me; the ability to score well on a test about a subject does not always indicate the ability to think deeply and creatively about it. However, "testing out" of a required course could mean providing a portfolio to the appropriate authorities, and it would provide advanced students with the ability to avoid taking courses that won't further their understandings and skills.
Recommendations
At this point I've discussed what changes I believe we can be reasonably certain will affect K-12 education in the near future. Here's what additional changes I'd like to see implemented in K-12 ed. on a large scale.
1. Interdisciplinary Collaboration
I know it's hard to plan, but I think interdisciplinary instruction is simply one of the most powerful tools teachers possess for increasing their students' abilities. Friedman believes that the ability to innovate is to a significant degree grounded in the ability to think and create across disciplines. Interdisciplinary instruction also tends to be authentic; if a student uses math to gain insight about a social issue, they are doing what professional analysts do daily. Plus, interdisciplinary tasks are so much fun! I still vividly remember the big inter-classroom projects that I worked on in high school.
Life Skills
In 8th grade I was required to take a class called "Life Skills." It was essentially the 90s version of home ec. Supposedly I learned how to cook and how to sew. If you were to examine my cooking and my clothing at this point in time, you would quickly understand that I did not gain anything lasting from that class. Sewing in class? Honestly? I like sewing, truly I do, but I don't believe it's a skill that I need to make my life function.
Here are some real life skills:
- The ability to examine and critique one's own values and thinking
- The ability to see connections between ourselves and other individuals and communities
- The ability to draw logical conclusions through rigorous questioning and (re)searching for information (Friedman 2007)
Thirty years ago, the socioeconomic evolutionary forces looked and acted differently than they do today. Today's "life skills," the skills that will enable a person to function on a day-to-day basis, involve the processing of information. Do I, a student, really need to spend a semester learning how to make various egg recipes when I can get cooking information from Google within minutes? Isn't it more important for me to learn how to critique and interpret information that I find on Google, since that's what I'll probably be doing every day in the future?
In the next century it will be more important for students to think than sew. My last thought is that our national education system needs to update its curriculum in order to support students' cognitive growth. We need more technology classes, certainly, but teaching students how to use technology is not enough. Current collaborative technologies are simply ways in which ideas can be transfered. We need to make sure that our students can come up with good ideas.
Sources Cited
Friedman, T. L. (2007) The World Is Flat A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century. New York, NY: Picador.
Trotter, A (2008 October 17). Disruptive Innovation. Digital Directions, 2, Retrieved July 16 2009, from http://www.edweek.org/dd/toc/2008/10/20/index.html
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Analysis Project 1: How will the "flat" world change teaching?
I think these are some of the most profound words from Thomas Friedman's book, The World is Flat:
We discussed in class on 7/9/09 how "Web 2.0" is simply a tool; Friedman calls it a platform. Yet it is a revolutionary tool just like nuclear power, electricity, steam engines, sails, and even the wheel were revolutionary tools: each of these inventions significantly changed social landscapes around the world in their time. Whenever one of these inventions became established as a "platform" upon which a new form of society could be built, people were essentially forced to reexamine and restructure their lives to a great degree.
To summarize the main theme of the texts and discussions from EDUC 5414 thus far: we're in for a period of global adjustment, and that's a mild way of phrasing the idea. Though I have many questions about how this adjustment will affect me personally, I have one main concern as a (future) educator: How will this new global platform change what my students (and I) need to know in order to genuinely participate in society?
There's no way to predict the future with 100% accuracy, but Shelly, Cashman, Gunter and Gunter (2008) offer several great answers to this question. For one, students will need to know current technologies so that they may easily become comfortable with future technologies (p.11). This means that teachers today have to incorporate today's technology into their teaching, so that students may gain competency with the foundation on which tomorrow's technology will be constructed.
I agree with Shelly et. al., though I think it's appropriate to voice a cautionary note regarding the use of technology as a teaching Band-Aid. Tony Lockhart, Director of Technology and Operations at Marshall School in Duluth, MN, clarified for me how the potential of technology to improve instruction depends upon the potential of the teacher to appropriately use the technology to that end. "Technology can't make a teacher good, but it can make a good teacher better." (2009) This seems to be common sense, but as we discussed in class, many pieces of expensive technology are being provided to teachers who either lack the ability or the desire to utilize the tech tools in their teaching. A SMART board does not an Erin Gruwell make. However, the pressures that lead schools to install modern technology into potentially unprepared classrooms are not going away. Instead, they are increasing in force.
This leads me to the main question of this analysis post. Do we really need to provide students with constant exposure to advanced technology in order to prepare them for the future? I don't know if we do, and here's why.
The Partnership for 21st Century Skills identified many outcomes that the Partnership believes should result from K-12 education today (Shelley et. al., p.14). These include:
1. Core subjects and themes: English, reading, language arts, science, mathematics, foreign languages, civics, government, economics, arts, history, geography, health awareness, and financial and civic literacy. Wow - talk about despecialization! But I'll have to save that for another analysis post.
2. Learning and innovation skills: creativity and innovation, critical thinking and problem solving, and communication and collaboration.
3. Information, communications, and technology literacy.
4. Life and career skills: flexibility and adaptability, initiative and self-direction, social and cross-cultural skills, productivity and accountability, leadership and responsibility. (Shelley et. al., p. 14-15).
If these are the goals for student learning in the 21st century, I don't believe we need technology to achieve them. However, I do think that we will need to spend more time in school teaching values and effective "habits of mind" (Costa and Kallick 2000). Yes, I believe technology can make teaching easier, even when it comes to values and habits of mind. But I am concerned that in our eagerness (or nervous hurriedness) to compete globally on the new "flat" platform, these very important needs will be lost amongst the push to appear competitive and effective through new technology. Technology is a tool that is constantly changing; it seems like as soon as I master one program, a new version (or new program entirely) is released and quickly becomes an industry standard. I think it's okay for us educators to lag to some degree.
Costa, A and Kallick, B. "Describing 16 Habits of Mind." (2000). Retrieved July 10, 2009 from http://www.habits-of-mind.net/pdf/16HOM2.pdf.
Friedman, Thomas L. The World Is Flat A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century. New york: Picador, 2007.
Lockhart, Tony. Lecture. Marshall School, Duluth. 7 July 2009.
Peterson, Craig. Lecture. University of Minnesota Duluth, Duluth. 8 July 2009.
Shelly, Gary B., Thomas J. Cashman, Glenda A. Gunter, and Randolph E. Gunter. Teachers Discovering Computers: Integrating Technology and Digital Media in the Classroom, Fifth Edition Integrating Technology and Digital Media in the Classroom (Shelly Cashman Series). Boston: Course Technology, 2007.
Wealth and power will increasingly accrue to those countries, companies, individuals, universities, and groups who get three basic things right: the infrastructure to connect with this flat-world platform, the education to get more of their people innovating on, working off of, and tapping into this platform, and, finally, the governance to get the best out of this platform and cushion its worst side effects.(2007)
We discussed in class on 7/9/09 how "Web 2.0" is simply a tool; Friedman calls it a platform. Yet it is a revolutionary tool just like nuclear power, electricity, steam engines, sails, and even the wheel were revolutionary tools: each of these inventions significantly changed social landscapes around the world in their time. Whenever one of these inventions became established as a "platform" upon which a new form of society could be built, people were essentially forced to reexamine and restructure their lives to a great degree.
To summarize the main theme of the texts and discussions from EDUC 5414 thus far: we're in for a period of global adjustment, and that's a mild way of phrasing the idea. Though I have many questions about how this adjustment will affect me personally, I have one main concern as a (future) educator: How will this new global platform change what my students (and I) need to know in order to genuinely participate in society?
There's no way to predict the future with 100% accuracy, but Shelly, Cashman, Gunter and Gunter (2008) offer several great answers to this question. For one, students will need to know current technologies so that they may easily become comfortable with future technologies (p.11). This means that teachers today have to incorporate today's technology into their teaching, so that students may gain competency with the foundation on which tomorrow's technology will be constructed.
I agree with Shelly et. al., though I think it's appropriate to voice a cautionary note regarding the use of technology as a teaching Band-Aid. Tony Lockhart, Director of Technology and Operations at Marshall School in Duluth, MN, clarified for me how the potential of technology to improve instruction depends upon the potential of the teacher to appropriately use the technology to that end. "Technology can't make a teacher good, but it can make a good teacher better." (2009) This seems to be common sense, but as we discussed in class, many pieces of expensive technology are being provided to teachers who either lack the ability or the desire to utilize the tech tools in their teaching. A SMART board does not an Erin Gruwell make. However, the pressures that lead schools to install modern technology into potentially unprepared classrooms are not going away. Instead, they are increasing in force.
This leads me to the main question of this analysis post. Do we really need to provide students with constant exposure to advanced technology in order to prepare them for the future? I don't know if we do, and here's why.
The Partnership for 21st Century Skills identified many outcomes that the Partnership believes should result from K-12 education today (Shelley et. al., p.14). These include:
1. Core subjects and themes: English, reading, language arts, science, mathematics, foreign languages, civics, government, economics, arts, history, geography, health awareness, and financial and civic literacy. Wow - talk about despecialization! But I'll have to save that for another analysis post.
2. Learning and innovation skills: creativity and innovation, critical thinking and problem solving, and communication and collaboration.
3. Information, communications, and technology literacy.
4. Life and career skills: flexibility and adaptability, initiative and self-direction, social and cross-cultural skills, productivity and accountability, leadership and responsibility. (Shelley et. al., p. 14-15).
If these are the goals for student learning in the 21st century, I don't believe we need technology to achieve them. However, I do think that we will need to spend more time in school teaching values and effective "habits of mind" (Costa and Kallick 2000). Yes, I believe technology can make teaching easier, even when it comes to values and habits of mind. But I am concerned that in our eagerness (or nervous hurriedness) to compete globally on the new "flat" platform, these very important needs will be lost amongst the push to appear competitive and effective through new technology. Technology is a tool that is constantly changing; it seems like as soon as I master one program, a new version (or new program entirely) is released and quickly becomes an industry standard. I think it's okay for us educators to lag to some degree.
Costa, A and Kallick, B. "Describing 16 Habits of Mind." (2000). Retrieved July 10, 2009 from http://www.habits-of-mind.net/pdf/16HOM2.pdf.
Friedman, Thomas L. The World Is Flat A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century. New york: Picador, 2007.
Lockhart, Tony. Lecture. Marshall School, Duluth. 7 July 2009.
Peterson, Craig. Lecture. University of Minnesota Duluth, Duluth. 8 July 2009.
Shelly, Gary B., Thomas J. Cashman, Glenda A. Gunter, and Randolph E. Gunter. Teachers Discovering Computers: Integrating Technology and Digital Media in the Classroom, Fifth Edition Integrating Technology and Digital Media in the Classroom (Shelly Cashman Series). Boston: Course Technology, 2007.
EDUC 5414 Technology for the Administrative Tasks of Teaching
So, I have moved on to my next class this summer: Technology for the Administrative Tasks of Teaching. I love this class because I'm getting the opportunity to ask serious, philosophical, value-based questions about the current and future relationship between technology and different parts of society: business, private life, communication, education, government, etc. If you know me, you know I like the serious stuff.
Can "serious" and "stuff" be used seriously in the same sentence?
...
Anyhow. One requirement for this class is posting analyses of our readings and discussions from class on our blogs. I hate complicatedness (I'm allowed to create new words at 12:23 AM) so, unlike some of my classmates, I'm just going to use the good ol' Veggie Burger Blog to host my homework. It seems appropriate to post ramblings about technology here anyway.
Can "serious" and "stuff" be used seriously in the same sentence?
...
Anyhow. One requirement for this class is posting analyses of our readings and discussions from class on our blogs. I hate complicatedness (I'm allowed to create new words at 12:23 AM) so, unlike some of my classmates, I'm just going to use the good ol' Veggie Burger Blog to host my homework. It seems appropriate to post ramblings about technology here anyway.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Final Exam Question
A question from my Teaching With Technology final exam, and my response.
"Traditionally teachers have used quizzes, paper and pencil tests, and written assignments to find out what students have learned. How can technology be used to provide new options for assessing student learning? Please give specific examples."
There are so many options! Students could turn in wiki articles instead of written reports, blogs instead of papers; students can record their discussions via podcast, video, or forum; students can create movies through xtranormal, presentations using Google Docs. Quizzes themselves take on more meaning when the students have encountered content through a multimedia WebQuest compared to a textbook (not to say textbooks shouldn’t be used – but I think giving students more options to work with would keep them more engaged). Consider two scenarios: one student is asked to write five reports using MS Word, while another student is asked to present the same reports using MS Word, PowerPoint, Wikispaces, Xtranormal, and Inspiration. Which student would you want to be? Heck – which teacher would you want to be? Gosh, it makes me want to start writing grants this very minute!
"Traditionally teachers have used quizzes, paper and pencil tests, and written assignments to find out what students have learned. How can technology be used to provide new options for assessing student learning? Please give specific examples."
There are so many options! Students could turn in wiki articles instead of written reports, blogs instead of papers; students can record their discussions via podcast, video, or forum; students can create movies through xtranormal, presentations using Google Docs. Quizzes themselves take on more meaning when the students have encountered content through a multimedia WebQuest compared to a textbook (not to say textbooks shouldn’t be used – but I think giving students more options to work with would keep them more engaged). Consider two scenarios: one student is asked to write five reports using MS Word, while another student is asked to present the same reports using MS Word, PowerPoint, Wikispaces, Xtranormal, and Inspiration. Which student would you want to be? Heck – which teacher would you want to be? Gosh, it makes me want to start writing grants this very minute!
Web Tools
I have a feeling that I'll be spending a lot more time online now that I've learned to use more digital tools. I find creating websites to be positively addicting.
Speaking of tools, I learned about these cool websites today:
Moonfruit - Build your own website
Dimdim - online meetings
Twist - see trends in Twitter
Gosh, I usually consider myself to be pretty up with the times...but I've learned so much about technology and the internet in the past two weeks, it's completely changed my self-perception. Apparently I'm not nearly as nerdy as I thought I was, and it's kind of disappointing!
Speaking of tools, I learned about these cool websites today:
Moonfruit - Build your own website
Dimdim - online meetings
Twist - see trends in Twitter
Gosh, I usually consider myself to be pretty up with the times...but I've learned so much about technology and the internet in the past two weeks, it's completely changed my self-perception. Apparently I'm not nearly as nerdy as I thought I was, and it's kind of disappointing!
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
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