10/28/2017 2 Comments Final thoughts...After spending eight weeks reading, analyzing, and synthesizing a plethora of sources on the topic of technology in education, I find myself rejuvenated and excited to bring my new found knowledge to my colleagues. There are several takeaways I am grateful to have gained, but I am also still left with several ponderings. Although I considered myself a technology enthusiast at the beginning of this course, I have since found that I am a skeptic of some things still, such as adaptive learning technologies.
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10/13/2017 1 Comment Is adaptive learning the ideal?After considering several sources of research, I am able to acknowledge both the pros and cons of both adaptive learning and personalized learning, and I could still be swayed to see both sides of either argument. I can see how some may view adaptive learning and personalized learning as mutually exclusive, but I also understand how they are similar. In fact, one source refers to adaptive learning as a technique for providing personalized learning.
You can see some of the main differences, as well as some similarities, in the chart below: Now, I am certainly not one to speak against individualizing instruction or utilizing technology in the classroom. I do, however, believe there is a time and place for everything and do not believe that an entire class should be focused around any one specific software. Teachers spend at least four years being specially trained in their field of expertise, and I think bringing in a software such as Knewton, discredits the role of the instructor. Knewton also emphasizes the fact that no two students are. I don’t think many people would disagree with this idea, but I also don’t think many people would agree that each student needs his or her own, highly unique instruction and assessments. In my experience, students learn best when they co-construct meaning together. Students enjoy learning when it is presented as a social process rather than an isolated one. Some people are concerned about students who struggle with learning concepts at a quick pace, but adaptive learning technologies make it so the student can earn at his or her own pace. Adaptive learning technologies also offer interactive problem solving support. This feature allows students to see the reasoning behind their mistakes and offers explanations to increase understanding. A question that remains is: how does the computer know if the student is simply having an “off” day and is in need of a five minute break rather than to be shown solutions to the problem in front of him or her? A teacher, after building a relationship with the student, is able to know when a student just isn’t in the headspace to learn and needs a break. A computer program cannot afford such a connection and can therefore, end up imposing more stress on the already stressed student. Knewton also explains that their software allows for the “rote” learning to be completed at home, but what about the students who do not have the necessary technology or internet access at home? What about the students who do not have the home support necessary to complete their lessons? We have all had students who would not do homework regardless of the amount of home-school communication provided by the teacher. Are these students now missing out on the instruction? Or, if they are simply “catching up” during the school day, what are they missing out on then? There is research to demonstrate improvements on test scores, which offers anecdotal notes from professors, but I would love to read some anecdotes from students who have used adaptive learning technologies in their educational career. Adaptive learning technologies, while they may have some positive aspects to them, seem to take the fun out of learning and teaching. Sure lesson planning takes time, but it is part of the career I chose and I enjoy the process. My lessons are never the same from year to year because as John Dewey said, “If we teach today’s students as we taught yesterday’s, we rob them of tomorrow.” I fully understand that adaptive technology is uniquely teaching each student with a variety of methods, but who is to say that the student can take that knowledge and apply it to a broader context? Strong teachers incorporate the Bloom’s taxonomy hierarchy into their lesson objectives. How can an adaptive technology learning software encourage or assess a student’s ability to create, design, assemble, or construct something with the knowledge he or she has just remembered and possibly analyzed? Additionally, today’s Common Core State Standards mandate real-world application of skills. Having lessons and assessments be mainly computer based, would hinder the ability of achieving these national standards in all classrooms. The presentational standards would also be hard to achieve. Personalized learning would allow for the Common Core State Standards to be met because teachers could incorporate presentations and real-world applications into their objectives. However, teachers who utilized personalized learning reported major challenges, such as not having enough time to craft customized lessons for each student. Rather than investing in an adaptive learning software, or spending hours a day creating a completely individualized lesson for every child, every day, I would rather engage my class in project based learning. Project based learning would ensure that students are working together to co-construct meaning and then use real-world application of their skills. It would also accommodate the opportunity for students to present their work, achieving part of the purpose of the Common Core State Standards. My question for supporters of adaptive learning is: Do you think their are students who try to beat the system by underperforming just to have easier problems, rather than challenging themselves? If so, what do you suggest teachers do to motivate this group? 10/8/2017 1 Comment Summary of the critiquesThe Wordle below was created using input from Twitter users as well as published critiques about the book Learning Transformed: 8 Keys to Designing Tomorrow’s Schools, Today by Eric Sheninger and Thomas Murray. The words opportunity and evidence are the largest on the Wordle because they were personally contributed by the two co-authors of the book, Eric Sheninger and Thomas Murray. You can read my critique of the book here. To see my thoughts on the authors' next steps, click here.
10/8/2017 0 Comments Prediction of Future plansIf the authors of Learning Transformed: 8 Keys to Designing Tomorrow’s Schools, Today were to take their book further, I predict they would work with schools to implement specific innovative changes into their districts. I have created a sample Professional Learning advertisement that they might use to showcase Key #6 for schools. The acronym DISC represents Design, Implementation, Safety, and Connection. These are the four main areas Sheninger and Murray will use in this specific learning series.
To read my critique of the book, click here. To see a summary of critiques, click here. 10/8/2017 0 Comments Critique of Learning Transformed: 8 keys to designing tomorrow's schools, todayTom Murray and Eric Sheninger’s new book Learning Transformed: 8 Keys to Designing Tomorrow’s Schools, Today published by ASCD on June 6, 2017 is a must-read not only for school administrators, but teachers too. Murray and Sheninger recognize the flaws in current practices of public schools today. They aim to help school leaders shift their thinking to be more mindful of the times in order to innovate schools and move away from the “cells and bells” mindset. The authors successfully identify weak areas in public schooling, provide research to confirm their assumptions, supply case studies to demonstrate successful changes, and offer ideas for future improvements. Among the many areas of education highlighted throughout the text is the detriment of a one size fits all approach in education for both the students and the teachers. Teachers constantly encourage their students to “show, not tell” when writing descriptive stories. Murray and Sheninger apply this strategy to their own writing. Readers are not merely told what is flawed in public schools and how to fix it. They are shown specific examples and strategies that have worked for other districts in various parts of the United States from Massachusetts to Washington. The case studies throughout the book not only provide qualitative and quantitative data to support their strategies, they are also engaging and encouraging to read. Sheninger and Murray recognize that teachers should have a voice and a choice when it comes to their professional learning opportunities, their classroom structure, and their daily schedules; and throughout this text, they offer ways to implement that idealism into schools. The book is strategically divided into eight chapters, one for each of the eight keys. Each chapter includes strategies for success as well as vignettes from various districts to illustrate the strategies in action. The case studies examined in the text are uplifting and empowering, but still demonstrate the need for growth in some schools. This realistic view makes it easy to relate to the districts who are trying new approaches, and makes it seem possible to make a change. Chapter one, Creating a Culture of Innovation, explains that many teachers teach the way they were taught. This chapter emphasizes that teaching should be about making a difference in the life of each child in the building to prepare them for their futures. Chapter two, Redesigning the Learning Experience, offers a thought provoking quote from Weston Kieschnick which reads “There are two types of schools: Those that prepare kids for the future, and those that allow adults to live comfortably in the past.” This chapter provides ways to create more student centered learning which would create more engaged students who have more ownership of their learning, ultimately resulting in more learning. The case study in chapter two is important because while it highlights the amazing benefit of redesigning the learning it experience, it recognizes that change is a process. Chapter three, Ensuring a Return on Instruction, discusses how to get our students to “enjoy learning for the sake of learning.” The case study in this chapter illuminates the potential benefit of a 1:1 environment, when implemented correctly. Sheninger and Murray reiterate the fact that it is not just technology that is improving learning; it is the intentionally designed pedagogy with purposeful use of technology which increases return on instruction. Chapter three also details innovative practices such as portfolios, teacher evaluations, and collaborative leadership. Chapter four, Designing Learner-Centered Spaces, correlates research on flexible seating and other innovative learner centered strategies such as movement breaks with student achievement rates. Chapter five, Making Professional Learning Personal, differentiates between professional development and professional learning. The authors provide research to highlight the correlation between the amount of professional learning for teachers with the increase of student learning. This chapter also describes the importance of involving teachers in the learning process. Chapter six, Leveraging Technology, begins with a quote from Seymour Papert which reads, “Nothing could be more absurd than an experiment in which computers are placed in a classroom where nothing else is changed.” From selecting the appropriate devices to ensuring the cyber safety of all students, Murray and Sheninger use this chapter to guide school leaders in effective ways to properly introduce technology into schools. Chapter seven, Collaborating and Engaging with the Community, includes reasons to and strategies for collaborating with the families of students as well as members of the community. This chapter reminds readers of one of the initial purposes for schools--a center for the local community to come together. Chapter eight, Leading the Charge, informs leaders how to take the research and strategies throughout the book and apply them to their districts. Readers are reassured that the authors understand change is an uncomfortable process. Readers are also assured that the authors don’t expect, nor encourage, leaders to take all of the strategies from the book at once. In fact, they assert that leaders must “be careful not to immerse themselves, their teams, and their students in an alphabet soup of initiatives.” Learning Transformed: 8 Keys to Designing Tomorrow’s Schools, Today makes for an excellent PLC book study read. Whether reading independently or as part of a group, readers of Learning Transformed: 8 Keys to Designing Tomorrow’s Schools, Today are encouraged to utilize the free study guide to facilitate their reading and to use the hashtag #LT8Keys to continue the conversation on Twitter. Changes to public schooling can, and should, be made. And as Murray and Sheninger repeatedly remind readers throughout the book: “You are part of the solution.” To see a summary of other critiques, click here. To see where I think the authors will take their ideas next, click here. |
Amanda GOddardESL Department Head ArchivesCategories |