School 2.0: Technologists
"You have the knowledge to construct the technology platform. Be a translator. Help transform your community by bridging others into the technology conversation."
-School 2.0
Technology Specialists know how to use the technology and can help teachers and students learn to use it effectively, we need to be voices of questioning and different thinking when it comes to School 2.0. Be supportive of people that have questions and want to learn. Invite other people (from the School 2.0 map) to join this ongoing discussion and include them in the future of learning.
posted by Tadge @ 9:12 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
Initial thoughts
Challenge to keep current in all different areas. One person might be spread too thin.
Structure now and what will we need for support.
Data assessment.
One tech to run it.
How to get everyone on board. Implementation over time. This is a conversation about change. Changing the core teaching practices, very different then just the technology. Also changing the communities perception of what school is and what it should be? Where is the text book.
Optimism
More students engaged in their learning is a possibility. Choices will be available in School 2.0, so we need to motivate students or change the perception of what schools is.
Structured choices of how to learn. Students are also overwhelmed with choices and things to do. How do we structure choices so that we don't overwhelm students, but also allow them to achieve at their level.
How do we meet all the learners needs? Students are media involved. Media rich environment is where students learn.
Dilemma how do we use the technology for learning and not personal entertainment. Students are connected to technology all the time and will move to the technology.
Part of the change is looking at time, and flexibility. What does it look like with 24/7 on line and at school?
Expectations for teachers and how do we help and support them to make it easier for them to achieve their goals.
Scheduling format isn't necessarily the support this. What about the interoperability of things.
Schools will follow the state of change slowly. However the technology will enable students to learn at anytime, and will allow them to move on their own. Equity is the norm, so all will get the same.
Will the student that excels at the standards be the one that moves or will it be someone that has an interest or outside drive.
Teachers are isolated and sometimes the technology may be available, but not used.
What is the base classroom? How will this facilitate what is going to occur?
What about the need to be on campus, do the walls necessarily need to be there.
How do we help students to turn it off? How do we help them manage being connected to their students network. How do they deal with and function in an environment without connectivity. Learn how to adjust and problem solve.
Goes back to work ethic and time message. How to we teach students to learn about these things. How do we also help teachers learn about how these things can help them. What do teachers need to keep a stable environment.
How does it look comparing a person in the workforce and a typical teacher and what they have access.
What are peoples roles and how they use the technology.
What is the support at the State and National level? What are the expectations of what students are assessed on. If I am assessed on penmanship should I teach my students penmanship.
How do we enable parents to use technology that is at their disposal. Communicate goals and shifts that are taking place.
What is Cyber ethics? We need to teach students what is right and wrong. Modeling what is right and wrong. "Gracious Professionalism"
Combating perceived anonymity. does this change the mandatory curriculum? Due to the use of the Internet and resources.
65% and above is okay. But in business 65% isn't acceptable. Developmentally how can we help students. What is it that we consider valuable. Connecting motivation to outcomes.
How do we build in what students already have? Students already have phones how could it be structured that they can use it. How can things get access to their school work in an anytime anywhere scenario.
We need to have a coherent plan about what is out there.
How do we keep teachers up to date on the skills that they need. Time for sharing.
Phew... there is a lot to think about here. I see some major topics around accountability as well as changing the face of teaching emerging from these notes.
I'm wondering if during this discussion you chatted about what a technologist's role is. As we see in across many school systems this role takes two faces, first a technician and second a teacher. Should the "technologists" be more technical or more pedagogical?
Brian,
I would think that as a general piece that a technologist needs to span that divide. There needs to be a technologist in the school that can talk wires and hardware, but there is another technologist that needs to be able to talk about the learning that is occurring while students are engaged in learning with technology. Having someone in both of these roles is important, as well as having these two people engaged in an open conversation. The vast array of technology that is out there, and how it can be used is too much for a single person to know. Having discussions around the needs of teachers and the concerns of a technology department are important things to have. The reason for these conversations to occur can be seen in the following example. A technician might not see a sound card as something that is needed for the use of a computer with relation to using a computer for basic word processing and other common tasks. However a teacher sees this as necessary since they may want to engage students in the use of listening for learning. A lack of communication in this instance may make the computer useless for a teacher on some levels. So to answer your question in relation to "Should the 'technologist' be more technical or more pedagogical?" I would say yes. There needs to be a teacher that is comfortable with technology to be able to talk to the technician who is worried about wires, as well as a technician that is open to creating an environment that allows the teacher technologist to give their input on what should constitute useful technology for the classroom.
Tadge
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