In Conclusion - Balancing Smart Play while Embracing Technology

July 19, 2017

Upon the conclusion of EDU 614, I have a new outlook. I entered this class as an educator that may have reminded some of my great grandmother. 

"When I was young, we didn't have computers, or the internet, and we did just fine in school." 

Much of that is true, however my responsibility as an educator necessitates that I prepare today's students to become active participants in a diverse, innovative, global, and technological society. I cannot ignore the need or benefit of technology in the classroom. 

Though I have developed this new recognition and appreciation for technology over the past month, I put forth the argument that the inclusion of technology should be managed quite differently in the early grades, than in later school years. True, students need to begin learning "how" to use technology and devices in elementary school, as the need for those skills will only increase and become more complex as they age. However, it is the use of computer applications in place of tactile lessons that I cannot embrace entirely. When given the choice between picking up and building with Tangrams for a lesson on shapes vs. playing a shape game on a tablet, I will choose the former every time for my students. 

As I outlined in my teaching philosophy post, engaging as many senses as possible of the young child is one of the essential components to learning. Combining that with peer collaboration leads to optimal education. If an application can offer that, then I will embrace it in the classroom. Otherwise, just because I can use technology, doesn't mean I should. As an early childhood educator, my teaching with, and choice of, technology will need to be deliberate and intentional as technology rapidly develops and becomes more accessible to schools and educators. 

In addition, I've gained a new appreciation for the technology capabilities that are available for classroom organization and curriculum planning. I am confident that the applications I discovered for community communication, administrative tasks, and trouble shooting will benefit my teaching team immediately. Streamlined communication and documentation saves time, allowing educators to devote more time and attention to their students and their work/life balance. A win-win for all.

In short, technology is here to stay, so those of us that grew up in a different generation need to adapt, embrace, and appreciate what technology brings to our teaching, our students, and our future, doing so with an analytical discernment and a thoughtful, positive outlook.  

My Philosophy - Collaboration and The Five Senses for Learning

July 18, 2017

My Education Philosophy (in a nutshell): 

            Wonder, work together, and figure it out.

To influence and shape the growth and development of a child is a significant responsibility. The impact, whether positive or negative, contributes to the long term growth and development of our democratic society as a whole. Educating children is to prepare them with the gifts of knowledge, creativity, and critical thinking skills so they may take on an active and informed role in a future, democratic, and global society.

All students can learn. Students enter school with different backgrounds, values, tendencies, disabilities, and group learning experiences, but all have the capacity to learn and achieve. Educators must strive to foster a growth mindset through a combination of self-guided exploration, interactive modeling and direct instruction. The Responsive Classroom approach to classroom management is one model that is effective in creating an optimal learning environment for students, because it emphasizes the value of each person, gives students a voice in the governence of their learning, and holds them accountable through personal reflection, rather than authoritarian rule.

Students need to move and touch and hear what they are learning. In order to truly absorb new knowledge and skills, an emotional connection and interest needs to be established during the learning process. Teacher-directed learning is a piece of the learning process, but should not be the only approach. Providing students the opportunities of inquiry, tactile exploration, collaborative group work, and the ability to pursue further discovery where their interests lie, with teacher guidance and assistance, is imperative for optimal academic growth. Intentional lesson planning and teaching, with an emphasis on critical thinking, is an essential piece of education. Technology can greatly enhance the learning process, yet it is important for teachers to ensure the incorporation of technology has a purpose and reason for it's use. The utilization of technology must be intentional, and for the objective of bolstering peer collaboration and critical thinking opportunities.   

Measuring a student’s development must be included in one’s intentional teaching pedagogy. Tracking progress via the collection of data provides actual proof of progress and deficiencies. Technology can increase the ease of data collection and analysis to track student progress. 

Recognizing the potential and value of collaborative learning, respecting one's peers, taking chances and making mistakes to advance one's learning, and attending class as an active participant demonstrates that one has accepted and embraced their role of student. Once students grasp and embrace their role as individual learners and contributing members of a larger community, they are prepared to progress through the graded education system.

The responsibility of a teacher is immense, yet incredibly worthwhile. Devoting time, passion, and intentional, thoughtful effort to the teaching profession is necessary to truly bring about success. An educator is not a lecturer, nor a sheep-herder, but an informed guide and cheerleader for young minds. Education is not a career to take lightly, as the resulting “product” is vital to the progress and growth of our global society. Recognizing the student as an individual, establishing and fostering relationships with them and amongst their peers, and discovering and meeting the needs of their emotional-being and personal learning style doesn’t just benefit the student; it benefits us all.

Resources:
Gutmann, A. (2003). The Authority and Responsibility to Educate. A Companion to the Philosophy of Education. 397-411. 

Kohn, A. (1991). Caring Kids: The Role of Schools. Phi Delta Kappan, 72 (7). 496-506.

Online:

https://www.wired.com/2013/10/free-thinkers/

https://www.ted.com/talks/sugata_mitra_the_child_driven_

 

Troubleshooting

July 12, 2017

As I've mentioned in past blogs, we utilize very little technology in our early childhood classroom of a private, parochial school. For obvious reasons, troubleshooting isn't used too often because we have so few devices, and the desktop computers we do use are in the school office or at home. One area I can always use the help in troubleshooting, whether at school or at home, is simply reconnecting to the internet. We use Cox Communications at school so I went to the site and found a clear and detailed breakdown on trouble shooting internet connections. I tried this at home and it worked there as well, though our modem is a bit more complex and reliable. I've never had a situation at school where Solution #1 didn't take care of the problem. 

Troubleshooting Internet Connection Problems

Solution #1 - Unplug the modem, then plug it back in

If you were able to surf the web but now you can’t, this may resolve your issue.

1. Close your Internet browser if it’s open.
2. Unplug the modem’s power cord. Not sure which is the power cord? Look here to view ports and plugs.
   
   
3. Count to 15, which lets the modem power down.
4. Plug it back in.
   
   
5. Wait two minutes for the modem to initialize the connection.
6. Open your web browser. Then try to open a reliable web page, such as www.google.com.

Still not connected? There’s a slight possibility a temporary service interruption has occurred. Find out with Solution #2. Otherwise, go to Solution #3 to restart all Internet connections.

Solution #2 - Check for a temporary service

• There may be an outage in your area. Wait 15 to 30 minutes and try to get on the Internet again. Orcontact us, a recorded message plays if a known outage has happened.
• You can also check for outages using Cox Connect. See Cox Connect Features for more information. 
• In some cases, service may be interrupted due to non-payment. If you think this may have happened, again, contact us, and follow the prompts to hear or pay your account balance.

Still not connected? Go to Solution #3.

Solution #3 - Restart all Internet connections

If you are installing a modem that is purchased from somewhere other than Cox, refer to our Cox Certified Cable Modems page to make sure your modem is compatible with our network.
 

Be sure to turn OFF your equipment in a specific order, then turn them back ON in the order below.

1. Turn off the computer directly connected to the WiFi device.
2. Unplug the modem’s power cord.
3. If a router is connected, unplug the router’s power cord. Not sure if you have a router? See configurations with and without a router for clarification.
4. Check for loose cables: See Ports and Plugs images for guidance.
   1. Check the coaxial cable.
   2. Check the Ethernet cable.
5. Plug back in the modem.
6. Plug back in the router, if you're using a router.
7. Wait two minutes for the modem to initialize its connection.
8. Turn on the computer.
9. Open your web browser. Then try to open a reliable web page, such as www.google.com.

Still experiencing Internet connection problems? In some cases, refreshing your computer's Internet signal may help. Proceed to Solution #4.

Solution #4 - Refresh your computer's Internet signal (IP address)

When your computer connects to the Internet, it is assigned an Internet Protocol address (IP address), usually a different address each time you connect. If you're experiencing slow or no signal, the problem may be resolved by refreshing your computer's IP address.

• For Windows operating systems, see Setting Up an Internet Connection in Windows 7 and Windows Vista.
• For Mac OS X, see Managing an Internet Connection in MacOS.

Our Youngest Global Citizens

July 12, 2017

One aspect of the MA Social Science Standards that always surprises me is the lack of emphasis on global awareness and cultural requirements in the early childhood grades. Our students are always eager to learn about other places, traditions, and people, yet in theory, educators could focus solely on the United States, it's people, and it's ecosystem and still meet the state criteria. Thankfully, my team of teachers go above and beyond in our quest to educate the whole child, to expose them to culture around the world, and to help them grow as respectful, contributing global citizens.

For the Global Citizens' assignment, I was able to locate technology that would connect our young students with students, teachers, and scientists from all over the world while meeting an early childhood science standard. It is:
PreK-ESS2-1(MA). Raise questions and engage in discussions about how different types of local environments (including water) provide homes for different kinds of living things.

Currently we take nature walks, observe wildlife, and bring the outside into our classroom. How exciting would it be for young students to share and receive information about nature and wildlife with people around the world? Comparing and contrasting the unique features from our local environments with those across the ocean is a great start to encouraging global communication, appreciation for others and their cultures, and understanding the various means of survival and habitats around the world.   

Project Noah enables young students to start this journey. As you can see in the photo above, classrooms can learn about caterpillars in Mexico, while simultaneously studying the life cycle of a Painted Lady butterfly in Massachusetts (below).   

Taking photos and collecting information can be accomplished with little teacher assistance. Photos and information from other areas in the world can be downloaded and used in science lessons with just a click of the button. 

In the post above, a student can see a photo of a living thing (in this case, a plant), the contributor, a map of where the contributor and plant is located, and a description of the plant. Questions are often included in the Notes section as well, which provides an opportunity for investigation and correspondence. 


I anticipate using some of the following questions with students: 

• Describe the ecosystem around our school.
• What creatures do we find in the ecosystem around our school?
• Describe an ecosystem that is unlike the ecosystem around our school.
• Let's use Project Noah to find creatures in that ecosystem.
• Why do you think people in arctic areas hunted seals and polar bears?  Do you hunt polar bears for your winter clothing? Why not? 
• Why do monarch butterflies migrate? Where do you think they migrate too? Can we find out on Project Noah?  Who could we ask on Project Noah for help?
• Can you help answer someone's questions about New England frogs on Project Noah?

Project Noah seems like the perfect tool to build appreciation for the world environment and to encourage budding scientists to utilize the power of global teamwork. 

This quote from one review spoke to me as an early childhood educator on a mission to incorporate technology:

"For the developers at New York start-up Networked Organisms, smartphones are the butterfly nets of the 21st Century. Their tool, Project Noah, lets people upload photos of plants and wildlife around them, creating a map of the natural world and contributing to scientific research in the process." The Wall Street Journal

Assistive Technology - Providing Access to Learning

July 11, 2017

To approach this assignment, I decided to focus on my students, past and future, with Selective Mutism. Much of the technology I discovered is applicable for students with autism disorders as well. 

Selective mutism is a disorder in which a child does not speak in specific social situations in which speech is expected (for example, school, with playmates) but speaks normally in other situations (Hung, Spencer, & Dronamraju, 2012, p. 222).

Though I have worked with students diagnosed with selective mutism, none have utilized Assistive Technology (AT) in our classroom. I suspect AT was never recommended for our classroom because of the students' young ages and first school experience, and more importantly, because progress was shown as soon as the students began seeing therapists from the Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders.  Since I may encounter different situations in the future, I am interested in learning more about AT for speech and verbal exceptionalities. I see AT supporting students during various classroom activities such as morning meeting, free choice, snack, lunch, and peer play opportunities on the playground.  AT could also assist the teacher in assessment of the student.  
I found a number or AT applications with good reviews from educators and parents:

1. Talk Tablet 
2. Proloquo2 
3. iCommunicate 
4. My Talk 
5. Voice4U

The iCommunicate application has an Introduction and Demo on You Tube that might be helpful for educators considering this application. After experimenting with iCommunicate on my own, I found the Pros and Cons listed below.  

Pros of iCommunicate:

• Can be utilized on my phone or tablet.
• Inexpensive.
• Teachers and parents can add topics and vocabulary that are applicable in the classroom. In other words, the application is fluid and can continuously be customized for the student and classroom. I was able to delete items easily as well.  
• Personal photos of students and adults, rather than stock photos, can be added for personalization and familiarity. 
• My voice, or the student with selective mutism's voice can record their voice at home, (or wherever they are comfortable) and then play it at school, so peers hear the student's voice (or the teacher's voice), rather than a robo-voice.  
• It has the ability to turn off the text-to-speech.
• All languages can be incorporated, which is beneficial for ELL classrooms.  

Cons of iCommunicate:

 The only con I can come up with (without having tried it with an actual student) is that students with selective mutism are often working on gradual steps to reintroduce communication into specific social situations. I suppose it is possible that iCommunicate could inhibit those steps. 

One of the articles below touches on research involving AT and selective mutism. I'm confident further research will come out as more technology is utilized in classrooms around the world.

*I wrote this post before we covered Boardmaker and Tobii Dynavox, which I now know would be applicable as well.  

Reference Articles:

Using Technology for Communication with Selective Mutism

Augmentative and Alternative Communication

The Kindergarten Scientist - Research in the Classroom

July 11, 2017

Today's class focused on Student Research and how technology can enhance that process in the classroom. I worked with Elena on two in-class assignments surrounding this topic and, as a result, profited from her knowledge as an educator and a parent.  

My current Red Room class covers the PreK/K Life Science standards on living things and life cycles in the spring. Specifically we cover : 

• PreK-LS2-2(MA). Using evidence from the local environment, explain how familiar plants and animals meet their needs where they live. Clarification Statements: • Basic needs include water, food, air, shelter, and, for most plants, light. • Examples of evidence can include plants growing in the presence of sun and water. • The local environment includes the area around the student’s school, home, or adjacent community. 

We spend two to three weeks experimenting with, observing, planting, and "researching" seeds.  We currently do not use technology - just our five senses and lots and lots and lots of books with big, colorful photos and illustrations. When pondering this assignment last week, I began looking into Pebble Go as a technology tool. I was still heading down that path until Elena and I inadvertently stumbled into a conversation involving scientific videos for children, and she alerted me that there is a You Tube channel for children. I now know that You Tube Kids exists. Sometimes it takes a village to raise teachers, as well as children. 

After I recovered from my embarrassment of overlooking the obvious, I purchased the app on my iPhone to investigate and within 30 seconds found 15+ videos that would be applicable, appropriate, and quite useful for our seed unit. 

To implement the You Tube videos into our current lesson plan wouldn't be difficult. As our lesson plan stands now, students would be introduced to seeds in our science center with many opportunities to explore with tools such as magnifying glasses, tweezers and tiny (kid-friendly) scalpels for dissection. Little teacher instruction would be given initially. Next, stories, photographs, and informational books would be introduced to the students through reading, the science center, and the classroom library. Simultaneously, our indoor sensory table would be turned into a makeshift garden, and our outdoor garden area, (aka our garden "labs") would be accessible.  These areas would be filled with various natural materials for experimentation including biodegradable planters, soil, sand, water, salt, sugar, and any other requested ingredients so students can experiment to determine (i.e. "research") what key components are needed for plants to grow.  

A formative assessment would take place with teacher questioning, verbal presentations, and/or illustrations in student science journals. At this point, the You Tube video would come in. Watch: How Does A Seed Grow?  There are other live-action videos that would be just as effective and engaging. 

With teacher-directed guidance and wondering questions, students will be able to share their video observations and ideas with partners and the class, and be given the opportunity to return to the garden labs, to experiment and observe more. This unit is one of the most exciting units for our students and I think adding You Tube Kids to the mix would make it that much more captivating.  

Student Assessment in a Low Tech Classroom

July 7, 2017

Currently 99% of our student assessment is done on paper via teacher observation.  Not only is this a negative for the environment, it requires time and effort for individualized observation, organization, storage, copying, and distribution. Finding an appropriate assessment technology app or site is a goal that can benefit our classroom in many ways.

Socrative is an assessment tool that looks like it would meet our goal. Diagnostic, formative, and summative assessment can take place in the classroom with the Socrative application, and that information is stored automatically. Socrative would reduce the need for our current system: one teacher taking notes during an activity while the other teacher leads, those notes are transferred over to a master sheet, copies are made, copies are distributed to all teachers and administrators, copies are filed, etc. etc.  

The You-Tube video: Technology in the Classroom is a glimpse into an elementary classroom where Socrative is used. Our classroom doesn't have individual iPads, phones, or tablets as the moment, so to implement Socrative, a conversation with our director and Board of Directors would be needed.  One thing I noticed, and liked, about the classroom featured in the video is that the students were working in pairs, so that social connection has not been lost. It shows me that peer teaching can continue, AND that 18 individual iPads would not be needed, as students can work in pairs or small groups. 

  

The benefits of Socrative include:

 1) A request for a smaller number of devices is obviously more appealing for a small, parochial school board with limited funding. 

 2) With all the data stored in one place, and the capability to allow access to all educators and administrators, it eliminates the need for time-consuming organization, back-and-forth communication, and waste. 

 3) The assessment becomes engaging and fun for students (with activities such as Space Race) rather than rote and required individual paper assessment.