“The application of software, hardware and devices should be as customary as a chalkboard, pencil and paper were years ago. To prepare students for the challenges ahead they need to be using the resources that will prepare them for college and/or careers and they need to use their problem solving skills, presentation skills, and communication abilities to develop as "solutionists" in a global world.”
— (School Principal, Wisconsin)- taken from Tomorrow.org.
Technology use among students is continuing to rise. Many schools have adapted daily use of technology in the classroom, going beyond just using a computer as a word processor. Some current trends related to technology in the classroom include: the flipped classroom, creating a portfolio, digital production, interactive multimedia, and communicating through social networking media. Let’s take a look at a few.
Electronic portfolios have now moved beyond the University and into the world of the K-12 classroom. An electronic portfolio is a purposeful collection of student work that exhibits the student’s efforts, progress, and achievements in one or more areas. The collection must include student participation in selecting content, the criteria for selection, the criteria for judging merit, and evidence of student self-reflection (Brown, 2011). There are three different types of portfolios that many K-12 students have experienced: the working portfolio, the display portfolio, and the assessment portfolio. A working portfolio consists of projects in progress or current completed projects. A display portfolio consists of a student's best work. The last portfolio, an assessment portfolio consists of work which indicates that the student has met the learning goals and objectives for a lesson or unit.
Social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, have gone beyond status updates to providing K-12 students, parents, and teachers, a safe and effective learning environment. Edmodo is another one of these websites. According to Courtney Williams from District Administration Online, “Teachers can customize the classroom experience online and give students the necessary tools to collaborate in the classroom with edmodo, while students discuss topics relevant to the class, share content, and ideas with classmates. [Furthermore] Teachers can assign and grade assignments, monitor student discussions, and post files or comments to groups” (Williams, 2012).
Another rising social networking site is Pinterest. "Pinterest is a pinboard-style photo-sharing website that allows users to create and manage theme-based image collections such as events, interests, and hobbies. Users can browse other pinboards for images, 're-pin' images to their own pinboards, or 'like' photos" (wikipedia.com 2013). Teachers can use Pinterest to share ideas and information. The latter are only two out of many. Pearson school systems list four ways educators can use Pinterest, while TeachThought list thirty-seven ways to use it.
Additionally, Prezi has taken the "boring" slide to slide presentations to the next level. Teachers can now create interactive presentations that are engaging and appealing to students. Per the Prezi website, "Prezi’s zooming canvas opens up the classroom to active learning and interactivity, making lessons understandable, memorable, and fun" (prezi.com 2013). One teacher indicated the Prezi technique of changing perspective is the essence of teaching. The fifth grade teachers at Collegewood Elementary have implemented the use of Prezi's with their students. Instead of the old famous american reports, students are now using Prezi's to present their research as well as strengthen their presentation and public speaking skills.
The following video illustrates how Prezi can enhance teaching.
Outside technology is also prevalent in the lives of K-12 students. Much like the social networking mentioned above, there are other everyday technology uses that students and parents would like to use in relation to the classroom.
The website eschoolnews.com, published an article titled, “Ten facts about K-12 students’ technology use.” The results they provided were based on research, which was conducted by the nonprofit organization Project Tomorrow. Project Tomorrow has devised an online surveyed called “Speak Up,” where students and teachers can speak about their technology use, as well as their opinions and feelings about technology use in the classroom. The survey took place during the fall of 2012, with the results recently released earlier this year. There were more than 364,000 people—students and parents—who were surveyed for this research. The following are the 10 facts they concluded:
1. Students say they use the Internet to help with homework at home.
More than half of students in grades 6-12 say they do this at least weekly; for 29 percent of high school students, it is a daily event—and 68 percent say their primary internet access is through a 3G or 4G mobile device.
2. Students want to learn any time, any place—and at their own pace.
Forty-one percent of students who have not taken a fully online class would like to take a virtual class; they see the No. 1 benefit as being able to learn at their own pace.
3. A majority of students support the “flipped classroom” model.
Six out of 10 students say it would be a good way for them to learn.
4. A growing number of students are asking for digital texts—but print is still the preferred method of reading.
One-third of students in grades 6-8 say their preference is to read a digital book for schoolwork; 44 percent of students say they want to read on a digital reader.
5. More students are learning via YouTube. Twenty-nine percent say they’ve used an online video to help them with their homework.
6. Students would like to be able to text their teachers for help.
Thirty percent of students say that being able to text their teacher during class (and getting a personalized response) would help them be more successful in science.
7. Students are experiencing gaming at a younger age.
Three-fourths of students in kindergarten through second grade are using computers and mobile devices to play educational games on a regular basis.
8. Use of Twitter is exploding among young people.
Thirty-four percent of high school students are Twitter users now—a three-fold increase since 2011, when only 11 percent of students acknowledged tweeting as part of their social media profile.
9. Facebook is now a regular destination for group projects.
Thirty-eight percent of students say that they regularly use Facebook to collaborate with classmates on school projects.
10. Students’ use of mobile devices continues to rise.
Students’ personal access to mobile devices has reached several significant tipping points: 80 percent of students in grades 9-12, 65 percent of students in grades 6-8, and 45 percent of students in grades 3-5 are smart-phone users now. Middle school student tablet access doubled from 2011 to 2012, with 52 percent of those students now tablet-enabled.
(eschoolnews.com 2012).
The following image is based on the information provided above:
For a more in-depth look, www.tomorrow.org, provided the key findings based on the survey explained above. One of the key findings found stated:
Social media and digital tools and resources have transcended the classroom and are emerging strongly as key components of 21st century school to home communications. 37 percent of parents wish that their child’s teacher or school would communicate with them via text messaging, less than one-quarter of teachers (23 percent) say that texting between parents and teachers is a common practice today (tomorrow.org 2012).
Over the years we have transitioned from sending notes home, to phone calls, to email, and now parents would like text messages, primarily because they are now texting and it is a faster process. Parents and teachers are bridging the gap and dismantling the idea that the younger generations are the only ones using technology as we become a more digital society.
Five years ago the following video was created to illustrate the emerging 21st century student to encourage the use of technology in the classroom.
As most classrooms have moved from this, there is still a void when it comes to students using technology.
This next video was created in 2010, titled “Rethinking Learning: The 21st century Learner.” One of the elements that stands out about this video is the fact that since many students are expressing that they have access to technology at home and in the classroom, educators are focusing on trying to bridge the gap, and linking the two together. In the future, students will be exposed on all sorts of digital media in social-life, community-life, home-life, and eventually the work force. Thus, also linking informal and formal learning through the use of technology.
Mrs. Dalesio is a fifth grade teacher. In her classroom, she is helping bridge that gap and having students create and produce work that can eventually prepare them for the future, whether it continue to be at school, home, or in the workforce.
They are taking the information and knowledge they learn at school in order to continue it at home. With use of iMovie, they may want to further produce a digital story on their life or some one else’s. The possibilities are endless!
The most important aspect of this lies within the engagement and collaboration the students have formed as a class.
Here is a video of a Prezi illustrating teaching in the 21st century indicating many of the technologies mentioned.
Resources:
Brown, M. D. (2011, june 14). Using technology | Electronic portfolios in the k-12 classroom. Retrieved from http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech111.shtml
Williams, C. (2012, April). Social learning networks for k12 education. Retrieved from http://www.districtadministration.com/article/social-learning-networks-k12-education.
(2013, February 25). Ten facts about K-12 students’ technology use. Eschoolnews.com. Retrieved April 25, 2013 from http://www.eschoolnews.com/2013/02/25/ten-facts-about-k-12-students-technology-use/?.
(2012) 2012 Congresional Briefing National Release of Speak Up 2012 K-12 Teachers, Librarians and Administrators. Retrieved April 25, 2013 from http://www.tomorrow.org/speakup/speakup_congressEd.html.
(5 May 2013)Pinterest. Retrieved May 5, 2013 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinterest#cite_note-bi-2.
(2013) Engage your class. Retrieved May 5, 2013 from http://prezi.com/prezi-for-education/.
Video:
Nesbitt, Barbara. (2007, November 28). A Vision of K-12 Students Today. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A-ZVCjfWf8&feature=endscreen.
MacArthur Foundation. (2010, December 1). Rethinking Learning: the 21st Century Learner. (MacArthur Foundation). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0xa98cy-Rw.
Dalesio, Nicole. (2012, June 13). Free Online Resources Engage Elementary Kids. (Tech2Learn). http://www.edutopia.org/tech-to-learn-free-online-resources-video.
Ball, Heaven. (2013, February 8). Prezi for Education Introduction. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WiIoSzOlS0
mathipedia. (2010, October 24). Teaching in the 21st Century. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTIBDR4Dn2g
Images:
Eveland, Dave. (2012, August 29) First Class Review. Retrieved April 27, 2013 from http://www.classroom20.com/profiles/blogs/first-class-review-28-aug-2012
(2012) 2012 Congresional Briefing National Release of Speak Up 2012 K-12 Teachers, Librarians and Administrators. Retrieved April 25, 2013 from http://www.tomorrow.org/speakup/speakup_congressEd.html.
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