Curriculum Chat

Transforming Curricula Through Multimedia Tools

Our guests answered questions about how to incorporate multimedia tools into the core subject areas of science, math, social studies, and language arts curricula appropriately, effectively, and seamlessly.

Live Chat: Transforming Curricula Through Multimedia Tools

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Tuesday, June 14, 2011, 12 p.m. EDT
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Transforming Curricula Through Multimedia Tools

(06/14/2011)

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9:27

edweekbryan:
Good morning, ladies and gents. We’ve now opened the chat up for questions, so please, submit any questions that you have down below. We’ll be back at 12 p.m. EDT sharp, with Al Byers and Glenn Wiebe, so be sure to join us then!

Tuesday June 14, 2011 9:27 edweekbryan

11:57

edweekbryan:
Hey there, folks. We’re just a few minutes away from getting started with Al Byers and Glenn Wiebe. Keep those questions coming in, and we’ll get rolling right at noon.

I’m now turning the chat over to Katie, our moderator for the day. Take it away, Katie!

Tuesday June 14, 2011 11:57 edweekbryan

11:58

Moderator: Katie Ash:
Great! Thanks Bryan.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 11:58 Moderator: Katie Ash

11:58

Moderator: Katie Ash:
Welcome everyone.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 11:58 Moderator: Katie Ash

11:58

Moderator: Katie Ash:
I’d like to start by asking my guests to introduce themselves.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 11:58 Moderator: Katie Ash

11:59

Glenn Wiebe:
Good morning! It’s a great day.

For the last 11 years, I’ve worked at ESSDACK as a social studies curriculum specialist – helping schools and teachers find ways to improve student learning. Before that, I taught five years at a small liberal arts college and nine years in large suburban middle school.

While at ESSDACK, I’ve had the chance to act as director on two federal Teaching American History grants and have spent time facilitating a variety of technology integration training.

The great thing about all of this is that it’s given me the opportunity to see a lot of great classroom instruction and talk to a lot of great teachers. And I try to share as much as I can at:
www.socialstudiescentral.com
historytech.wordpress.com

Tuesday June 14, 2011 11:59 Glenn Wiebe

12:00

Al Byers:
Hello all. I’m Al Byers, Assistant Executive Director of e-Learning and Government Partnerships at NSTA. I’ve been here just over 9 years and prior to this did a stint at NASA as an Aerospace Education Specialists, and prior to that was a 6th and 8th grade physical science teacher. Looking forward to the discussion!

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:00 Al Byers

12:00

Moderator: Katie Ash:
Excellent! As you can see, we have two very well-informed guests here today who will try to answer as many questions as we can about incorporating multimedia into a variety of subject areas.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:00 Moderator: Katie Ash

12:00

Moderator: Katie Ash:
We’ve got a lot of questions lined up, so let’s go ahead and get started.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:00 Moderator: Katie Ash

12:01

Moderator: Katie Ash:
I wanted to start with a question I think comes up often when we talk about technology in the classroom.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:01 Moderator: Katie Ash

12:01

[Comment From PaulaPaula: ]
We have things like Airliners (portable screens about the size of a clipboard that you can write on and that will show up through a projector), clickers which allow the kids to enter responses to a quiz, etc., and of course, someone always comes up with a method to use cell phones. How do you keep the technology from becoming a toy? I want to use these, but I already “lose” my kids to details whenever I try using something as simple as patty paper and compasses. It takes 20 minutes just to explain how to use those simple tools, and I only have a 48 minute class.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:01 Paula

12:01

Moderator: Katie Ash:
How do we keep technology from becoming a distraction vs. a learning tool?

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:01 Moderator: Katie Ash

12:02

Al Byers:
Wow great question Paula. I think we both may have a “take” on that...cont

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:02 Al Byers

12:02

Glenn Wiebe:
Great question, Paula. I think its important as teachers not to get caught up in the “shiny” syndrome.

As in let’s use the latest, shiny object to teach kids. I’m a big believer intechnology but it has to fit the curriculum and instructional style of the teacher to be effective.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:02 Glenn Wiebe

12:03

Glenn Wiebe:
Tech needs to be part of your instructional design and part of that will include teaching kids how to use the tools effectively.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:03 Glenn Wiebe

12:03

Moderator: Katie Ash:
Absolutely, Glenn.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:03 Moderator: Katie Ash

12:03

Al Byers:
...I think you hit the nail on the head. Technology will always be changing, and may even shift before it gets legs, or has research behind it to support its efficacy. Glenn is talking about what we call in the research a “novelty effect” that wears off soon after it’s used as well. Goal might be to look at affordances that certain technology provides to facilitate learning most effectively and let that be a guide.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:03 Al Byers

12:04

Glenn Wiebe:
I agree with Al, don’t use tech unless it will help kids learn what you want them to learn

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:04 Glenn Wiebe

12:04

Moderator: Katie Ash:
Absolutely. For one of my most recent stories, I was talking to art teachers about the technology they used in class, and they emphasized teaching “techniques” vs. tools, since the tools and software change so quickly.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:04 Moderator: Katie Ash

12:05

Al Byers:
...cont...so don’t select a technology looking for a solution, but look at what you are attempting to facilitate learning, and then see where technology may assist. Some research is making this clearer! Right on Glenn

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:05 Al Byers

12:05

Moderator: Katie Ash:
Definitely.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:05 Moderator: Katie Ash

12:05

Moderator: Katie Ash:
Let’s move on to a question from Patrick.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:05 Moderator: Katie Ash

12:05

[Comment From PatrickPatrick: ]
How do I bridge the resistance gap of budgetary restrictions? What case studies can I point too? What is the group’s opinion of using OER (Open Educational Resources), does it diminish credibility or engage the leadership on the merits of it’s functionality? Patrick

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:05 Patrick

12:05

Moderator: Katie Ash:
This is something I think is on the minds of many folks considering the economic climate.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:05 Moderator: Katie Ash

12:06

Al Byers:
Glenn...I’ve got a take..want to “go first”?

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:06 Al Byers

12:07

Glenn Wiebe:
Al may be better positioned to answer this but OER - the idea that open source materials can improve education - I think is a postive way to go. It can help save money, it’s customizable to specific situations and maybe more importantly, it can be put teachers and students in charge of their own learning

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:07 Glenn Wiebe

12:08

Al Byers:
Patrick--I couldn’t agree more. We’ve had funding at NSTA from the Hewlett Foundation--which is a big proponent of the OER movement. In essence it is about empowerment on one side--unrestricted access to content, but just because you have access to the entire library from MIT, and work through the readings on a syllabus--it doesn’t provide access to the instructor or a degree to validate you’ve learned anything...cont

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:08 Al Byers

12:08

Moderator: Katie Ash:
And there are lots of resources available online for free that may not necessary be “open.” For instance, I spoke with Glenn for a story about using technology in social studies, and many of the folks I talked to remarked on the vast amount of primary sources now available for free on the web.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:08 Moderator: Katie Ash

12:09

Glenn Wiebe:
I think that ownership of the “stuff” of academics by the people who are actually using the stuff can be very powerful. Of course, there needs to be some way to “moderate” the content so that it is historically accurate for example but I think OER is a movement that is not going away

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:09 Glenn Wiebe

12:10

Al Byers:
..cont...Katie is right...there are “degrees” of open. Does it include the ability to “mash” the content, and create derivative works--with attribution to the source entity that put the content up. Many projects now moving there--good stuff like Phet site (simulations), or Teacher’s domain, etc. Don’t want to be negative. Challenge is in how the host institution maintains the content and its “quality”. Don’t want some folks saying that F doesn’t equal MA!

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:10 Al Byers

12:11

Moderator: Katie Ash:
Definitely - that is a huge concern with open resources and the content available on the web today. Who is overseeing it? How can we be certain of its quality, especially if it has the ability to be edited by anyone, like Wikipedia?

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:11 Moderator: Katie Ash

12:11

Al Byers:
We at NSTA have close to 1,800 free resources, such as science objects, and are migrating that content into an “open” non-proprietary system that permits mashing by districts--hope to be done by Dec 2011/Jan 2012.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:11 Al Byers

12:11

Moderator: Katie Ash:
Excellent! Sounds exciting, Al. I can’t wait to check that out.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:11 Moderator: Katie Ash

12:12

Moderator: Katie Ash:
Here’s a question from Julie.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:12 Moderator: Katie Ash

12:12

[Comment From Julie MuellerJulie Mueller: ]
I am interested specifically in the integration of mobile technology, for example, iPads, iPods, smartphones, etc. What are your experiences with students bringing their own mobile devices and using them as an individual learning tool?

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:12 Julie Mueller

12:12

Glenn Wiebe:
Katie, good question. I think a lot of the responsibilty falls on the teacher and school district a bit. I think that organizations like the National COuncil for the Social studies for example, need to start taking some ownership in this

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:12 Glenn Wiebe

12:12

Moderator: Katie Ash:
We just talked about staying away from the “shiny syndrome.” Do iPads, etc, fall into this category?

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:12 Moderator: Katie Ash

12:13

Glenn Wiebe:
Yes, iPads are VERY shiny but . . .

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:13 Glenn Wiebe

12:13

Glenn Wiebe:
I also think that they can shiny, good things if used correctly.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:13 Glenn Wiebe

12:14

Glenn Wiebe:
We just spent about 1.5 hours this morning working with a group of social studies teachers about good ways to use them as learning tools. The biggest thing I think teachers have to start to understand is that mobile devices of all kinds change the way we can teach . . .

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:14 Glenn Wiebe

12:14

Al Byers:
Julie--I love it. Large national surveys like Project Tomorrow validate that more and more kids are gaining access to these devices. It is not really about any one device, but what “attributes” does it afford to facilitate learning...and with netbooks and iPads, there is a convergence occurring. It is just a tool. If it has a long battery life, is “affordable” and permits the access to collaboration and/or creation of content, it may be of value...some technologies--analog are now ubiquitous and we don’t think twice about them...pencils, etc. So there is a “tipping point” eventually where it is just another way to consume media.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:14 Al Byers

12:15

Al Byers:
I’d like to offer one more comment...cont

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:15 Al Byers

12:15

Glenn Wiebe:
the learning can be anywhere / anytime. I agree with Paul, our kids use these as extension of their bodies and we need to find ways to incorporate learning into that world. For example . . .

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:15 Glenn Wiebe

12:17

Glenn Wiebe:
I can give a history lesson once and kids get it once. But I can create a PDF or ePub document and now that lesson lives in their iBooks app forever. Mobile devices are a way that we can extend the learning for a lot of different groups of kids.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:17 Glenn Wiebe

12:17

Moderator: Katie Ash:
While Glenn and Al are finishing up their responses, I wanted to let everyone know that OER stands for open educational resources. That is a question it seems we have gotten from a few folks.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:17 Moderator: Katie Ash

12:17

Al Byers:
...That said, I do think that Glenn is on to something. We had some NSF funding that asked how would the learning paradigm change if there was ubiquitous access to the Internet, with portable devices, and features like GPS awareness...there are cool ways to enhance learning. For example physical probes hooked to smart phones, where students could collect data “in situ” in their school yard stream, and have location sensitive data pushed to them live.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:17 Al Byers

12:18

Moderator: Katie Ash:
To build on what you were saying, Glenn - whenever I read about mobile devices, I always here about their potential to extend the learning day and make learning anytime, anywhere. It sounds like that’s what you were touching on.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:18 Moderator: Katie Ash

12:18

Moderator: Katie Ash:
hear*

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:18 Moderator: Katie Ash

12:19

Glenn Wiebe:
Katie, yes . . .

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:19 Glenn Wiebe

12:20

Glenn Wiebe:
there are some practical problems with mobile devices in schools . . . whose mobile device to we use, which wireless access points can kids use, etc but I think these things can really change education for the better

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:20 Glenn Wiebe

12:20

Moderator: Katie Ash:
Yes, there are plenty of questions still being asked about it, and we will have to see how those challenges play out in schools.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:20 Moderator: Katie Ash

12:20

Moderator: Katie Ash:
Here’s an observation/question from Nikita.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:20 Moderator: Katie Ash

12:20

Al Byers:
Mobile: heard someone say, not about anytime, anywhere, but now all the time, everywhere!

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:20 Al Byers

12:20

[Comment From Nikita GanatraNikita Ganatra: ]
As stated before, technology tools ought to be used as a means to an end and not an end in themselves. What are some ideas to use multimedia tools to facilitate content area literacy as well as technology literacy

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:20 Nikita Ganatra

12:21

Moderator: Katie Ash:
The idea of using technology to increase digital literacy, as well as enhance curricula, was something LOTS of people talked to me about for the multimedia report we just released.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:21 Moderator: Katie Ash

12:22

Glenn Wiebe:
Mmm . . . most of my experience is with social studies so I’ll use a social studies example . . .

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:22 Glenn Wiebe

12:22

Moderator: Katie Ash:
Here is the URL for the multimedia report I keep referring to: http://www.edweek.org/ew/collections/multimediareport-2011/index.html

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:22 Moderator: Katie Ash

12:23

Glenn Wiebe:
We just found a web site called TripLine last week that uses Google Map technology. Rather than have kids create written / text based reports of the trip of Lewis and Clark, why not have them use Tripline to created multimedia, map-based software to really document the trip?

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:23 Glenn Wiebe

12:24

Al Byers:
Nikita...with respect science and mathematics, digital literacy is part of knowing which tools to use to remain competitive on both a personal and national level, shifting toward critical thinking skills. The organization--Association for Educational Communication and Technology (AECT.org) has a handbook that provides many chapters about how technology can facilitate learning when embedded appropriately to support learning. Gets at something called TPACK. Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge...for science there are many areas that facilitate this natively..cont

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:24 Al Byers

12:25

Glenn Wiebe:
Their experience becomes richer, they use a variety of research techniques, they’re working in groups, they’re sharing their work across a variety of social media - it just creates a learning situation very different than a traditonial classroom based learning envionment

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:25 Glenn Wiebe

12:25

Moderator: Katie Ash:
I think this idea also relates to the concept of college and career readiness. The students who are currently graduating, and will be graduating in the next decade, are going into careers that make use of technology everyday. Incorporating it into schools can help them prepare for how they may use the same technologies in the work force, and especially in college.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:25 Moderator: Katie Ash

12:25

Al Byers:
..cont:
Simulations that allow students to make predictions, conduct investigations into real-world, localized authentic problems/challenges, vary parameters to see relationships between causal variables/outputs. Remote labs, etc.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:25 Al Byers

12:26

Glenn Wiebe:
I like Al’s comment about selecting the right tools for the task at hand. This is something we don’t address much in schools . . .

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:26 Glenn Wiebe

12:26

Moderator: Katie Ash:
Absolutely - I think this comes right back to what we started this conversation talking about - creating real, authentic learning opportunities for students.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:26 Moderator: Katie Ash

12:26

Glenn Wiebe:
it should be our job to help kids make decisions about what and how they learn

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:26 Glenn Wiebe

12:27

Moderator: Katie Ash:
Definitely.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:27 Moderator: Katie Ash

12:27

Moderator: Katie Ash:
Here’s an interesting question from Pamela.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:27 Moderator: Katie Ash

12:27

[Comment From Pamela AuburnPamela Auburn: ]
Sometimes it is hard to know what is going on in the minds of my students. Are they “engaged” or just point and clicking. How do I know? How can we use technology to support inquiry?

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:27 Pamela Auburn

12:27

Al Byers:
...right on...using collaborative tools bridging distance comparing baseline data, engaging kids in learning that emulates how we do it in real life!

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:27 Al Byers

12:28

Glenn Wiebe:
Pamela, I think it starts with what Jay McTighe calls the “end in mind.” . . .

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:28 Glenn Wiebe

12:29

Glenn Wiebe:
What do you want kids to learn? What problems do you want them to solve? THEN . . you start asking questions about what tools are avaliable to help them solve those problems.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:29 Glenn Wiebe

12:29

Glenn Wiebe:
Those tools may involve technology, they may not.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:29 Glenn Wiebe

12:29

Moderator: Katie Ash:
Good point, Glenn.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:29 Moderator: Katie Ash

12:30

Al Byers:
Pamela. You are right on the money. It is not about “click-next”...For one, there are a series of “formative probes"---questions to help make students’ thinking visible to meet them where they are, uncover preconceptions, and facilitate differentiated learning opportunities to address these issues. From a technology point of view, work by folks like Chris Dede at Harvard are using immersive environments with embedded assessments that engage kids with avatars doing real work challenges, exploring their strengths and weaknesses. See: http://www.ecomuve.org/

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:30 Al Byers

12:30

Al Byers:
sorry for typos...

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:30 Al Byers

12:31

Moderator: Katie Ash:
In many ways, it seems that supporting higher-order thinking skills in curricula is pretty similar with or without technology.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:31 Moderator: Katie Ash

12:31

Al Byers:
Right on Katie!

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:31 Al Byers

12:31

Moderator: Katie Ash:
Shifting focus a bit -

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:31 Moderator: Katie Ash

12:31

[Comment From GuestGuest: ]
I’ve seen many creative uses of technology to help facilitate learning in the upper grades, not nearly as much at the primary level. Any ideas?~Molly

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:31 Guest

12:31

Glenn Wiebe:
Love Chris Dede’s stuff! There is also some cool stuff going on at the University of Wisconsin Madison with video games and 3D environments

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:31 Glenn Wiebe

12:32

Moderator: Katie Ash:
I’m not sure if either of you are well-qualified to address this question, but I understand what Molly is saying.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:32 Moderator: Katie Ash

12:32

Moderator: Katie Ash:
It seems that there is a focus on the higher grades with technology moreso than the primary grades. Do either of you feel that way, or do you think this is changing?

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:32 Moderator: Katie Ash

12:33

Glenn Wiebe:
I wish some of my elementary tech integration buddies were here right now! They’ve got some ideas of using tech to help younger kids

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:33 Glenn Wiebe

12:33

Glenn Wiebe:
One example that comes to mind right away is . . .

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:33 Glenn Wiebe

12:33

Al Byers:
Molly. Nothing comes to mind immediately, but let me think a bit. I’ve seen much at the middle level (grades 5-8), but you are correct. Many of the “multimedia” I see at the lower levels is more “arcade like” games that provide practice in basic skills.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:33 Al Byers

12:33

Glenn Wiebe:
something called Dragon Dictation. It’s an app for mobile devices that records your voice and then types what you said out in text.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:33 Glenn Wiebe

12:34

Glenn Wiebe:
younger kids are using this because they struggle with writing and typing. Teacher has the kid say it rather than write it so that their ideas are more easily collected

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:34 Glenn Wiebe

12:35

[Comment From MollyMolly: ]
It has been my experience that school districts want to be integrating technology into the primary grades, but when it comes to professional development, the focus is strongly on intermediate and beyond...

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:35 Molly

12:35

Glenn Wiebe:
that’s mostly a collection tool and they student still needs to develop the idea etc but the burden of “storing” their thinking becomes easier

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:35 Glenn Wiebe

12:35

Moderator: Katie Ash:
The issue of professional development is huge here.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:35 Moderator: Katie Ash

12:36

Glenn Wiebe:
I agree with Molly. We see lots of school spend money on the technology but not on the training of teachers to use the technology. Not sure if there’s an easy answer for that

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:36 Glenn Wiebe

12:37

Moderator: Katie Ash:
Yes, I hear that as a challenge for many school districts.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:37 Moderator: Katie Ash

12:37

Al Byers:
Agreed. We work with many districts across the country, and I hear many times what Glenn is saying, e.g., we’ve had interactive white boards for 3 years, and no one has told me how to use it!

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:37 Al Byers

12:38

Moderator: Katie Ash:
I think it’s important for administrators to keep in mind as they are budgeting for new tech. It’s not just the hardware and software - it’s all the other stuff too! I.E. maintenance, tech. support, professional development...

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:38 Moderator: Katie Ash

12:38

Moderator: Katie Ash:
And it’s not just the teachers who may not know how to use the technology..

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:38 Moderator: Katie Ash

12:38

[Comment From Erik PalmerErik Palmer: ]
Too many times I see tech tools used before kids are ready to use them. Example: a teacher has students make a podcast and posts the podcast on the blog or wiki or web page and all of the students speak very poorly and the podcast is dull or worse. How do we make sure the tools aren’t used until the students are ready to use them?

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:38 Erik Palmer

12:39

Moderator: Katie Ash:
I think there is an idea that because students are “digital natives” they know exactly how to use every piece of technology they encounter.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:39 Moderator: Katie Ash

12:39

Glenn Wiebe:
Exactly Katie!

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:39 Glenn Wiebe

12:39

Moderator: Katie Ash:
But the more I talk to teachers, the more I hear that student knowledge of technology can be extremely limited, especially when it comes to using technology for academic purposes.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:39 Moderator: Katie Ash

12:40

Glenn Wiebe:
I’m not sure I buy the “digital native” stuff as much anymore. I think kids can be incredibly savvy in some tools but have no clue about other things, especially as Katie says, academic use of tech

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:40 Glenn Wiebe

12:41

Moderator: Katie Ash:
Definitely. There is a learning curve for everyone!

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:41 Moderator: Katie Ash

12:41

Al Byers:
Erik--I think you strike a chord with may in the audience. There need to be “rules of engagement” established for one, and secondly, again, what is the purpose of the podcast? Beside the value of learning how to create one (pretty simple with today’s record/post tools), are there rubrics established to student-student evaluation of the podcasts.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:41 Al Byers

12:41

Glenn Wiebe:
I taught a college level social studies methods class the last few years and these students were not tech savvy when it can to integrating (or even knowing about) educational uses and software

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:41 Glenn Wiebe

12:42

Al Byers:
Agreed Glenn. They may be savvy in the social media tools, but not in excel or other “productivity” tools used for solving problems.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:42 Al Byers

12:42

Moderator: Katie Ash:
Here’s a question from Lauren that seems up your alley, Glenn.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:42 Moderator: Katie Ash

12:42

[Comment From LaurenLauren: ]
I work with history teachers at the elementary, middle, and high school level on a Teaching American History Grant that focuses on incorporating academic literacy strategies into classroom lessons. We focus on helping students read and make sense of primary sources and dense textbook language. I am looking on putting together “Media Literacy” trainings--What technology resources would be helpful for these US History teachers?

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:42 Lauren

12:42

Glenn Wiebe:
Al is right. There needs to a clear timeline of use - why do you want to use tech, how will it be used, appropriate use of the tool, evaluation of the tool’s use

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:42 Glenn Wiebe

12:43

Glenn Wiebe:
Anything by Sam Wineburg is awesome

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:43 Glenn Wiebe

12:44

Moderator: Katie Ash:
You may also want to check out the resources Glenn mentioned at the top of the chat, Lauren. I’m sure there is quite a bit of info there.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:44 Moderator: Katie Ash

12:44

Glenn Wiebe:
there are a couple of great web sites . . .

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:44 Glenn Wiebe

12:44

Glenn Wiebe:
http://teachinghistory.org/

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:44 Glenn Wiebe

12:44

Glenn Wiebe:
http://historicalthinkingmatters.org/

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:44 Glenn Wiebe

12:44

Glenn Wiebe:
and yet another one at stanford http://sheg.stanford.edu/

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:44 Glenn Wiebe

12:45

Glenn Wiebe:
all of them help teachers figure out ways to use the “stuff” of history to encourage high levels of thinking skills by students

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:45 Glenn Wiebe

12:45

Glenn Wiebe:
he’s also written a great book every history teacher should read titled . . .

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:45 Glenn Wiebe

12:46

Glenn Wiebe:
Thinking Historically and Other Un-Natural Acts

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:46 Glenn Wiebe

12:46

Al Byers:
Just for the science folks in the audience:
http://ilabcentral.org/
http://phet.colorado.edu/
http://learningcenter.nsta.org/scienceobjects.aspx
http://www.concord.org/research/modeling-simulation
http://wise.berkeley.edu/
http://courseweb.unt.edu/gjones/museum/index.html

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:46 Al Byers

12:46

Moderator: Katie Ash:
Excellent! Lots of great resources.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:46 Moderator: Katie Ash

12:46

Moderator: Katie Ash:
I want to talk about another issue that comes up a lot when we talk about tech in the classroom: equity.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:46 Moderator: Katie Ash

12:46

[Comment From GuestGuest: ]
The “any time, anywhere learning” you’ve been talking about assumes that all students have Internet access. What are some successful approaches that have been used to provide Internet access to students who do not already have it at home? And what kind of bandwidth is required to ensure that online learning is meaningful?

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:46 Guest

12:47

Glenn Wiebe:
So these are not really tech tools but online resources and social media groups for history teachers that focus on media literacy and using the internet as a resource

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:47 Glenn Wiebe

12:47

Moderator: Katie Ash:
I’m not sure if we can speak specifically to the question, but I would like to touch on the topic of infrastructure and equity when it comes to digital resources.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:47 Moderator: Katie Ash

12:48

Moderator: Katie Ash:
It seems pretty divided in terms of where schools are when it comes to technology. Some are light-years ahead in terms of trying out new technologies, providing wireless, etc.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:48 Moderator: Katie Ash

12:48

Moderator: Katie Ash:
while others are struggling to maintain Internet access.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:48 Moderator: Katie Ash

12:49

Al Byers:
The “digital divide” is one where there are indeed still pockets of depravity, but it seems that more and “locations” are providing free wireless access (McDonalds, etc.) and access to the Internet via phones, etc. Again, I’d reference the Project Tomorrow work, but that said there are disparities that need to be resolved.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:49 Al Byers

12:49

Glenn Wiebe:
Mmm . . . can’t remember who said this but he said there is no digital divide, there is an access divide.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:49 Glenn Wiebe

12:50

Al Byers:
Glenn--well said! I like the term!

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:50 Al Byers

12:50

Moderator: Katie Ash:
Here’s a great question from Nick.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:50 Moderator: Katie Ash

12:50

[Comment From Nick ClarkNick Clark: ]
With such a focus on NCLB and Race to the Top and “teaching to the test”, is it realistic to be talking about the creative integration of tech in our curricula?

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:50 Nick Clark

12:50

Glenn Wiebe:
moist have access like Al has mentioned but not enough bandwidth to do what we what them to do

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:50 Glenn Wiebe

12:50

Glenn Wiebe:
I’ve been waiting for NCLB to appear!

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:50 Glenn Wiebe

12:52

Al Byers:
Nick--you ask a fair question. That said, I believe there are efforts afoot where the test is changing, like the updated NAEP questions, and the new forthcoming science standards, focusing on less, not more and at a deeper level, more conceptual versus recall of facts. Karen Cator, Director of the Office of Educational Technology at the US Department of Education released a great report: 2010 National Education Technology Plan that outlines how the landscape for assessment is indeed changing. Have hope!

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:52 Al Byers

12:53

Glenn Wiebe:
Not sure what Al and Katie are thinking but for me it comes down to doing what’s best for kids. We can teach to the test and have great test scores. Or we can teach our kids to be creative problem solvers. But like Al has said, there is a push to have more authentic testing methods.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:53 Glenn Wiebe

12:53

Moderator: Katie Ash:
Yes, this is a tension that I think has been around since NCLB first came out. I know a lot of people are wondering how Common Core standards may affect this tension as well.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:53 Moderator: Katie Ash

12:53

Glenn Wiebe:
read this blog to feel a bit better! http://zhaolearning.com/

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:53 Glenn Wiebe

12:54

Moderator: Katie Ash:
And while we’re on the subject of assessments, a number of folks have asked questions about online assessments.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:54 Moderator: Katie Ash

12:54

[Comment From SeanSean: ]
Is there any information on how to prepare students to take high stake assessments on-line? With Common Core fast approaching, how can we assist our students with test taking strategies, when the test is on-line?

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:54 Sean

12:55

Al Byers:
Some say it is ok to “teach to the test” as long as it is a worthwhile test, while other say we should include alternative assessments, track growth over time by individual students, etc., not a one time “high stakes” test

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:55 Al Byers

12:55

[Comment From GuestGuest: ]
Any thoughts on how to teach students how to take on-line assessments? We have noticed that students have a difficult time reading the test questions, because they tend to read as if everything is hyper-linked.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:55 Guest

12:55

Glenn Wiebe:
Not the expert on Common Core but it seems like it is an attempt to be more realistic and more authentic to where kids are heading after K-12

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:55 Glenn Wiebe

12:56

Moderator: Katie Ash:
Are teachers administering more assessments online?

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:56 Moderator: Katie Ash

12:56

Moderator: Katie Ash:
Or is that something that has yet to take off?

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:56 Moderator: Katie Ash

12:56

Glenn Wiebe:
most of the schools we work have practice tests and use the same format for the state assessments throughout the year - providing a bit a prep before the the actuall state assessment

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:56 Glenn Wiebe

12:57

Al Byers:
Online Assessments--tricky. I know that many espouse it value/benefits being more immediacy of feedback into the loop to improve the teaching practice and the ability to help generate a longitudinal baseline of a student’s learning over time (assuming they are in a common system), and the ability from a formative point of view to present “just-enough,” “just-in-time,” and “just-for-me” learning. But not huge ideas on how to improve online test taking.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:57 Al Byers

12:57

Moderator: Katie Ash:
This is for Jill:

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:57 Moderator: Katie Ash

12:57

[Comment From Jill DavisJill Davis: ]
Can we get a link to the 2010 National Education Technology Plan mentioned?

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:57 Jill Davis

12:57

Moderator: Katie Ash:
http://www.ed.gov/technology/netp-2010

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:57 Moderator: Katie Ash

12:58

Al Byers:
Thanks Katie---you are good!

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:58 Al Byers

12:58

Moderator: Katie Ash:
Excellent. We are just about out of time.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:58 Moderator: Katie Ash

12:58

Moderator: Katie Ash:
Al and Glenn - any parting words for our guests?

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:58 Moderator: Katie Ash

12:58

Glenn Wiebe:
Use technology for a purpose, not just because it’s “shiny”

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:58 Glenn Wiebe

12:59

Al Byers:
First, on behalf of NSTA, I would like to thank Katie and the team at Education Week for hosting exchanges like this. Finally, I think that it is important to like Glenn says, keep your mind on the learning outcome desired, and then think about what affordances different technology might be used to facilitate learning!

Tuesday June 14, 2011 12:59 Al Byers

1:01

Moderator: Katie Ash:
Great!

Tuesday June 14, 2011 1:01 Moderator: Katie Ash

1:01

Moderator: Katie Ash:
Thanks to both Al and Glenn for joining us today and for answering so many questions.

Tuesday June 14, 2011 1:01 Moderator: Katie Ash

1:01

Moderator: Katie Ash:
And thanks to all of our guests who asked such thoughtful questions as well!

Tuesday June 14, 2011 1:01 Moderator: Katie Ash

1:01

edweekbryan:
As Katie said... a huge thanks to our guests, Glenn and Al, our moderator Katie, and especially to all who joined us this past hour.

A transcript of today’s chat will be available at this same link by 2 p.m. Eastern. Thanks again for joining us, folks, and have a great rest of the day!

Tuesday June 14, 2011 1:01 edweekbryan

1:06

Live Chat: Transforming Curricula Through Multimedia Tools

Tuesday, June 14, 2011, 12 p.m. EDT
Sponsored by:

As technology becomes more ubiquitous in every classroom, teachers are no longer asking why they should use the tools, but how the tools should be used properly. Incorporating multimedia—such as images, video, and audio—into lessons can help engage students in the learning process and prepare them for a 21st-century, multimedia work environment, experts say. However, being able to determine which tools further learning and which tools are a distraction takes a deep understanding of how and when to use technology in the classroom.

Our guests answered questions about how to incorporate multimedia tools into the core subject areas of science, math, social studies, and language arts curricula appropriately, effectively, and seamlessly.

Guests:
Glenn Wiebe, social studies and technology curriculum specialist for the Educational Services and Staff Development Association of Central Kansas
Al Byers, assistant executive director of e-Learning and government partnerships for the National Science Teachers Association

Katie Ash, staff writer, Education Week and Education Week Digital Directions, moderated this chat.

Related Story:

• Multimedia Transformation: A Special Report on Multimedia in Schools (June 13, 2011)