Synthesis of My Master's Degree in Edcational Technology
Being Good Enough to Lose My Job!
That totally does not make sense! Generally, the more you improve yourself, and the more education you have, the higher up in a company you move. I am a middle school technology teacher or a “computer teacher”. Ideally, I should not have a job… well at least not as a computer teacher that is! Technology is a tool that can empower kids; they can ask questions, explore options, look at various perspectives and make choices about what they will learn, create and develop.Thus, in my opinion, there really should not be “computer class” except for the advanced fun stuff; technology should be integrated as a tool in all courses and at home. This concept is the basis for the TPACK framework: technology does not have to be taught in isolation, it should be integrated into the curriculum in a way that is meaningful; instruction (pedagogy), technology, and content all need to be considered when planning a lesson according to Mishra and Koehler (2006). My ultimate goal when I began the Master or Arts In Educational Technology Program (MAET) at Michigan State University (MSU) was to engage and empower all of my students so they wanted to take control of their learning, to facilitate this I needed to become the best technology educator possible! Technology is a tool that opens a door to a wealth of information, opportunities, tools and connections. It can make a difference. Thus my quest began to be the best computer teacher possible by enrolling in the MAET (Master's in Educational Technology) program through Michigan State University, even if it means losing my job as a computer teacher!
When I began the educational technology program, my focus was on learning new tools and sharpening my skills. However, what I quickly realized it is not about the tools! Throughout the MAET program I looked at the complicated process of teaching utilizing technology. TPACK (technology, pedagogy and content knowledge) is a framework for understanding the complexity of teaching with technology. To be good at instructional design requires understanding of content, knowing how to present the content in a way to engage students and utilizing technology in a meaningful way. Dr. Punya Mishra and Dr. Matthew Koehler (2009) shared,
The fact that a technology is innovative and popular does not make it an educational technology. We hear common refrains: “Technology should not drive pedagogy,” or “Technology is just a tool, a means to an end, not the end itself.” But these technologies have the potential to fundamentally change the way we think about teaching and learning.
This has resonated with me throughout the MAET program and I have applied it to my instructional practices. One example of this using Minecraft or Pokemon Go. These programs are very popular right now for Middle School students and I know using them would motivate my students! How it would motivate them, I am not sure yet. I also do not know these tools well enough to incorporate them into the curriculum. After I understand Minecraft and Pokemon Go, do research, find others who are successfully using them in the classroom environment, and I have figured out ways to utilize it to teach my content they may be awesome! Right now if I just implement these for novelty’s sake, I will be losing valuable instructional time.
Reproduced by permission of the publisher, © 2012 by tpack.org
During our readings in CEP 810: Teaching for Understanding with Technology I began thinking about the process of thinking. Roger Schank, stated that the thinking process has not changed in 50,000 years.“What has changed is how we find evidence, how we interpret the evidence we have found, and how we find available explanations from which to choose.” The internet allows us to find evidence more quickly and in the comfort of our own home. In addition, we are able to find MORE information due to the internet, but that does not mean that all of that information is reliable, thus not everyone is an expert just because they have access to more information. Therefore, one thing that I continually stress to my students is the type of information that we are seeking is not as important as being able evaluate, analyze and create new information. They need to learn how to problem solve, think, work independently, work collaboratively, and adapt to new tools and new ways of learning rather than just memorize information. I am working on structuring each of my courses emphasizing these skills.
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In addition, I analyzed the thinking process of a fish! In the picture book, “Fish is Fish” by Leo Lionni we see a simple process of thinking. Fish is learning throughout the book. As people gain knowledge, I recognize that everything we do builds upon past learning. Building this storage system in our brains contributes to how we think, thus creating preconceived ideas about how the world around us develops. Students come to me with various levels of technological expertise, preconceived notions about learning and technology, with various cognitive abilities and with different background experiences. It was in CEP 810, that I was first introduced to Universal Design for Learning (UDL). This is a framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people. However, in CEP 820: Teaching Students Online I really learned how to implement the UDL concepts, structure lessons and create activities to meet the needs of all learners. I now create my online courses providing different opportunities for learners to obtain information as well as share information. Last year I had a special needs student that had difficulty with literacy. To help with understanding, I created my online lessons using self-created video tutorials. To help with online reading he used a Google Plugin called, SpeakIt. Finally, he could choose how he wanted to share what he learned with me; using Google Docs he could speak into a microphone and it Google Docs wrote what he said. He could record his voice using Audacity or he could create a video. Not only did these options apply to my special needs students, but others as well.
You are all that you can do, and all that you can do is mirrored in what you create”. This is a quote from Robert and Michele Root-Bernstein’s book, Sparks of Genius: The Thirteen Thinking Tools of the World's Most Creative People. (2013).
Root-Bernstein shared a common set of thinking tools which are at the heart of creative understanding: rethink thinking,observing, imaging, abstracting, recognizing patterns, forming patterns, analogizing, body thinking, empathizing, dimensional thinking, modeling, playing, transforming and synthesizing. It's from this book that I found the insight to foster creativity in my students! The course, CEP 818: Creativity in Teaching and Learning, centered on identifying and learning how to create lessons to teach creative thinking. Everyone thinks, but not everyone thinks equally as well. There is a difference between knowing and understanding, illusions and reality. It is important that students learn how to imagine, visualize, and are able to feel things in their mind with various disciplines. With this in depth understanding students can apply what they have learned.
Through this course, CEP 818, and with continued practice, I am learning how to develop projects that enhance students’ creativity rather than stifle their inquisitiveness. One way to do this is to provide opportunities and resources that interest the students. If students are enjoying learning and/or creating something, their brain is engaged. With new knowledge, comes new ideas. Acting on these new ideas leads to innovation and change. Creativity is a state of mind, a way of thinking, a process by which we imagine, create, adjust, and learn that is thought provoking, continuous, and ever-changing. Whichever process the students use for generating unique thoughts, technology tools are available to support this. As I plan activities for my students I need to provide the freedom to explore, solve problems and play. I need to make sure I do not snuff out their creativity and make them conform. There is generally no one right answer to solving a problem, as an educator, I need to provide opportunities for students to come up with their own creative solutions to problems.
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Just have fun learning! What a great idea or concept. However, this is not as easy as it sounds, especially utilizing technology. Technology can be engaging and can be a motivator but it needs to be implemented in a meaningful way. In course, CEP 811: Adapting Innovative Technologies in Education, I was introduced to the concept of gamification and was curious to learn more to find out if indeed gamifying a classroom would engage students. I found that gamification isn’t just playing games in the classroom, and it isn’t just adding badges or game components. To be successful gamifying your classroom you need to know about game design, what motivates your students, how to hook them and keep them hooked. You need to know how to manage a game environment and how to effectively communicate with students to encourage them to go above and beyond. Successful gamification is not just a tracking system or “pointification”, it requires clear goals and expectations, obstacles or challenges, and collaboration or competition. Wanting to learn more I took the course MI 830: Foundations of Serious Games, I learned the principles and processes for serious game design and I worked with a team to create a serious game called Tech Trek. In Brian Burke’s book, Gamify: How Gamification Motivates People to Do Extraordinary Things (2014), he stated,
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The challenge in getting children - or most people, for that matter - to do mundane or tedious tasks is to engage them at a deeper, more meaningful level. People find inspiration in many different ways. One way to motivate people is to present them with practical challenges, encourage them as they progress through levels, and get them emotionally engaged to achieve their very best. Gamification does just that. At its core, gamification is about engaging people on an emotional level and motivating them to achieve their goals.
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I have taken this concept to heart and have gamified two of my courses based on models created by Chris Shaltry. The first game is for a computer literacy course, it is a classroom version of Monopoly. Students earn money and keep track this on a spreadsheet. They can buy and sell property, spend money in a classroom store or spend all of their money at the end of the trimester on a silent auction. In my programming courses, students can progress through various levels (Novice, Apprentice, Journeyman, Expert, Master, and Ultimate Master) as they complete projects. What is amazing is that the majority of the students really do push themselves further by "playing" my classroom games!
As stated previously, technology should be integrated as a tool in all courses and at home. Technology does not have to be taught in isolation, it should be integrated into the curriculum in a way that is meaningful. One capacity that I serve in my district is that of an instructional coach. I take this job very seriously. My main task is helping teachers find ways to engage students in learning in their classrooms. In course CEP 815: Technology and Leadership, I learned what John Dewey calls the 4 natural impulses of a child; inquiry, communication, construction, and expression. Teachers can relate to these concepts in traditional ways and connect to these natural impulses to motivate their students. As a coach, I want teachers to realize that technology is not an add on or an elective. It is a tool that can naturally motivate our students. If these 4 impulses are natural motivators, then what media (technology tools) can be used to support each of these impulses? It was during the CEP 815 course that I had an “Aha!” moment and made a deep connection, realizing how to motivate educators in my building and beyond. We divided into 4 teams and each team had to find technology that supported each of these impulses and discuss how it might be used. The result of this activity was an understanding that there is not one perfect tool to fit each impulse. Media (technology) overlaps and can be used multiple different ways. When using technology, teachers still need to focus on the educational goals of students, not technology, then find the best tool that supports these goals. If educators can see how technology naturally fits into their lessons, and realize that it can transform learning then they may not be so resistant to change and learn the tools (Dewey, J. / Bruce, B.C. & Levin, J.A., 2011)!
Information obtained from MSU Course 815 Activity Led by Jon Good, 2014
Okay… So let’s be serious! I really don’t want to lose my job! I love my job! However, I really do want students to have a deep understanding of the content they learn, knowledge of how to use tools, the ability to learn new skills, be creative, be an independent learner and problem solve! Basically, apply all they learn in the world beyond my classroom! I also really want teachers to integrate technology in a meaningful way and to emphasize the importance of being responsible, ethical and kind digital citizens. As I move forward, I will continue to learn more about myself and my craft as an educator through conferences, courses, and fellow educators who share my passion of effectively integrating technology into the classroom. I enjoy learning what motivates students and figuring out what technologies can be used to support their learning to provide deep understanding. I need to listen, have an open mind, be creative and resourceful, and be willing to constantly change and adapt to what is up and coming. “There is no end to education. It is not that you read a book, pass an examination, and finish with education. The whole of life, from the moment you are born to the moment you die, is a process of learning.” (Jiddu Krishnamuri ) What we gain over our lifetime is our skills, our knowledge, and our understanding of people and the world around us. What we gain is a lifetime of learning.
References:
Burke, B. Gartner, Inc. (2014). Gamify: How Gamification Motivates People To Do Extraordinary Things, (16). Bibliomotion Inc.
Dewey, J. / Bruce, B.C. & Levin, J.A. (2011). Media for Inquiry, Communication, Construction, and Expression.
Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. J. (2009, May). Too Cool for School? No Way! Learning & Leading with Technology, (36)7. 14-18.
Root-Bernstein, R. S., & Root-Bernstein, M. M. (2013). Sparks of Genius: The Thirteen Thinking Tools of the World's Most Creative People. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Schank, Roger. "The Thinking Process Hasn't Changed in 50,000 Years." Edge - World Question Center. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 July 2016. <https://www.edge.org/q2010/q10_13.html#schank>
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