Technology Integration Reflection

Over the past few weeks my opinion about technology integration has not changed significantly; however, I have made substantial growth in my ability to engage students through technology.  When I came to the class I brought with me an idea that there should be greater integration into the classroom because today's students have become wired to learn in a way that is different from the way that I learned in school.  As a teacher I knew that I needed to be able to meet those needs and make sure that students are prepared for lives in a digital world.  The unfortunate limitation of my technological ambition for the classroom was that I could not answer the question, how do I actually incorporate lessons for digital learners.

Now, I fell that I have grown significantly in my ability to create a classroom atmosphere that utilizes technology as a special education teacher.  Before that class I knew about digital stories and virtual field trips, but could not figure out how to actually implement them into my classes.  I could tell you what I though was a great idea about how to use technology, but there was no way I could follow through.  Over the course of EDU 533, I have utilized such resources as Quizlet, Glogster, iMovie, Prezi, VoiceThread, and currently run a blog that provides digital lessons to support my students when they are outside of the class and are struggling with a new concept.  This summer I am creating virtual mini lessons to assist my incoming students with their summer math packet and lessons.

As a special education teacher I have struggled with how I could engage my students with technology, but felt it was more difficult because I did not have one core subject.  Now, I have used that weakness as a strength and I am beginning to use digital techology for all core subjects that I support.  So, my opinion has not really changed, but now I have the tools to back up my opinion, which for me is even more important than my opinion.  I now feel much more confident in my ability to create lessons, using technology, across the curriculum to support students with specific needs.

Avoiding the Digital Abyss

Technology provides endless resources to teachers, but some teachers who are not yet competent at utilizing technology may feel overwhelmed by the quantity of resources.  However, teachers need to learn how to harness the opportunities that are afforded by technology in order to prepare students for life in the digital world.  If students are not given the access that they need in order to be digitally competent, then the students are not being a prepared; therefore, expanding the digital abyss between teachers and students.

Rebecca Mullen, a language arts teacher at a rural middle school in Illinois, discusses three different types of technology that can be quickly accessed and incorporated in the classroom to help enhance lessons and engage students.  Mullen (2008) discusses the use of blogs, digital stories, and Youtube as resources that are easy to understand and access and reflects on how she incorporates them into her classroom.  Blain, a student of Mullen stated that "students should be able to use modern technology in the classrooms because that is the world we are growing up in and it is a skill to know how to use the latest technology" (Mullen, 2008, p. 66).

Since Youtube is a resource that allows teachers to access a wide variety of videos on just about any topic, teachers can quickly utilize videos to enhance their lessons.  The website makes it easy to plan by allowing users to save lists of videos that will be used in classrooms.  Some of the material that is posted on Youtube is very inappropriate for school, so Mullen shares some safer alternatives such as SchoolTube and TeacherTube.  Mullen (2008) gives an example of how she used Youtube to help students understand the meaning of nostalgia.  Since middle school students are much younger they may have difficulty understanding the meaning and feelings associated with nostalgia.  So, Mullen took an inventory of television shows that students watched when they were little and then found them on Youtube.  This allowed for Mullen to enhanced her vocabulary discussion.

As a way to enhance writing activities, Mullen uses digital stories.  According to Mullen (2008) digital stories are the same writing assignment that has a different end product.  Students have to brainstorm, compose, and edit their scripts, then record their story and add pictures using programs like Microsoft Movie Maker, iMovie, or Photo Story 3.  This allows the student to practice the writing process, but they walk away with a video that they created, which is an entirely different product.

Mullen (2008) also discusses how she incorporates blogs into the classroom.  Since blogs are a highly effective way to communicate they can be used is several ways.  Teachers can post their homework and create authentic learning experiences on blogs.  Blogs are also a useful way to allow for learning past the classroom.  For example, teachers can post podcasts on a blog to help enhance student understanding and engagement.

The abyss between teachers, school systems, and students needs to be closed if students are going to be prepared and digitally competent in the 21st Century.  There are so many opportunities for learning that teachers and students have access to; however, so many of these resources are blocked and shut down by administrators.  Digitally competent teachers need to educate and push to have more access to technology or schools will never be able to close the digital divide.

Mullen, R., & Wedwick, L. (2008). Avoiding the Digital Abyss: Getting Started in the Classroom with YouTube, Digital Stories, and Blogs. Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, 82(2-), 66-69.

Fix the School, Not the Child

The edtechtalk.com discussion Fix the School, Not the Child with "Innovative Educator" Lisa Nielsen examines the problems of standardized assessments in schools in the United States and how parents can become empowered to take control of their child's education.  Nielsen draws on a vast amount of educational experience including work as a literacy and technology coach and library and media specialist. She is an "innovative specialist" based out of New York City who maintains a blog called the Native Educator and regularly writes for the Huffington Post.  The discussion focused on an ebook that she published, which is available for free on her blog, call Fix the School, Not the Child.

Nielsen got the idea for Fix the School, Not the Child after watching the movie "Race to Nowhere".  She was surprised by the movie, which is dedicated to a girl who committed suicide after perceiving herself as a failure in math.  The movie outlines the pressure placed on students to be the best to get into the top colleges, but results in some students becoming mentally and physically ill.  Nielsen discusses how the movie brings to light the problem with testing and student pressure, but she felt that the movie did not address how parents could be empowered to reclaim ownership over their child's education.  The idea of parental empowerment is the main idea of Fix the School, Not the Child.  


Fix the School, Not the Child  provides parents with twenty ways that they can take control.  The main point that the discussion comes back to is that students should enjoy what they are learning, learning how they want to learn, and that parents need to be able to find their voice in their child's education.  Nielsen discusses that some child should opt out of testing and this can only be done through parental involvement. She argues that the tests are not fair or equal and do not measure different learning styles and that students should have a choice in taking the assessment.  Nielsen points out that some students may enjoy the structure of the test and it is appropriate for their learning style, however there are many other students who need to demonstrate their knowledge through another vehicle.

The problem of student boredom seems to be growing at an explosive rate.  Many students are bored and are simply completing high school because they have to complete high school.  This ties in with our country's obsession with a piece of paper, or, as Nielsen points out, we are simply "paper trained".  However, some students have opted out and have created learning path plans.  Nielsen discusses a girl who "opted out" of high school and created a learning plan that included mentors, blogs, learning resources, how she would spend her days, and why the school is not giving her what she needs. The student is states, "I left school because my light was growing dim".

Another problem with schools and boredom that many parents may not understand is that education has evolved to include more math, more testing, more pressure and less opportunity for choice and electives. The choice needs to come back to the kids in school and maybe opting out is one of the choices that needs to be made.  There is a growing underground homeschool education movement going on right now in the United States.  Perhaps more and more students and parents are going to become empowered to find another path that is more suited for their child's interests and strengths.

Public education policy makers need to realize that while all students need to be held accountable, different measures need to be used to demonstrate that students are indeed successful.  How is a student which a deficit in reading going to demonstrate math understand when he or she cannot read the word problem?

While Nielsen makes the argument that we need a more student center and personalized approach there appears to be no change in sight when it comes to standardized tests.  Does exempting a child from standardized assessments benefit or hurt the student?  Only time will tell.

Digital Storytelling Assignment

For the Digital Storytelling assignment, I wrote a short story titled How Isolot Spilled the Seeds.  This is a quick story about how the moon came to be and how the "seeds of life" were planted on Earth.  I chose to use iMovie to create a short video that includes text and narration.  All photographs and music are permissible and licensed through Creative Commons.

Living in a Digital World

Is it good or bad to be so connected?  Digital Nation does not necessarily answer the question about whether or not it is good that the next generation of learners and leaders are so connected.  However, the video did present both positives and negatives to our worlds ever growing connectedness.

First, I think that there are many great uses for technology in school, which is what needs to be harnessed to make sure that these connected learners are being engaged and prepared for future jobs.  I was excited to see the journalist's son using Edublog at such a young age as I though that I was doing a good job with the use of blogs in my class.  He already knows how to blog and navigate around the site to complete homework assignments.  This is an example that proves the point that students need to have access and utilize technology in their classes.

Digital Nation also showed how the teacher from New York was using the social network sight Ning to create an interactive learning environment for her students when reading and teaching To Kill a Mockingbird.  What a great way to engage students in the book, which helping them to understand the viewpoint or each character.

Also, the use of technology, along with consistent administration, at another New York school was the key to helping students turn around and increase attendance and achievement.  With a great deal of fear that surrounds how to use the internet and technology in the class, the principal of the school showed that using technology is a learning experience and the laptops are patrolled to ensure that students are staying on task. I believe that whether or not students are using technology there are going to be distractions and that even though there are distractions with technology the entire network cannot be eliminated.

There were many other positive uses of technology that were discussed in Digital Nation and some of them I never considered.  The first use was that presented by IBM and having virtual office meetings with individual avatars for each member.  I though that it was a fantastic way to communicate and save money.  Second, the use of technology to help treat veterans with PTSD.  Finally, I think that my view on social relationships changed a little bit after learning about the relationships developed through gaming.  However, I still have some reservations into the depth of the relationships, but I am open to more understanding.

With all of the great uses of technology, Digital Nation presented some of the negative sides to technology.  Are students and the future leaders too connected?  Are they too distracted?  Is their multi-tasking beneficial or are they becoming confidently mediocre.  The UCLA study into multi-tasking was an eye opener into the reality of multi-tasking.  The researchers found that the multi-taskers were significantly slower, were slower thinkers, and were "terrible at every aspect of multi-tasking.  Despite the results of the study, many of the study believed that they were proficient at multi-taskering.  I have to admit that as I become more aware and in tune with different types of technology, I feel that I need to be multi-tasking more and more in order to keep up with...well nothing.  I think that because I have all of these tools that I need to be constantly checking them.  Is this an efficient use of technology?

Another "side effect" of technology was see in the South Korean PC Bons and was evident in the addiction of Yung Il.  I believe that more and more students are facing addiction because of the rewards inherent in the games and lack of breaks from gaming.  However, I thought that it was fantastic that the school in South Korea focused on internet safety and etiquette before learning how to use the technology.  

Overall, there are many positives to technology, however there are some potential hazards and consequences.

Inactive Whiteboards (IWB) and the First Year Experience

Interactive whiteboards are beginning to become more and more accessible to both teachers and students, however, they have not yet become commonplace in the classrooms of our students.  In the article Interactive Whiteboards and the First Year Experience: Integrating IWBs into Pre-service Teacher Education,  professors at several Australian universities have begun to develop a year long course which teaches aspiring teachers how to effectively utilize IWB technology in their classes to create a more interactive environment.  While the participants in the program began to understand how to utilize IWBs to influence pedagogical practices, they also began to see the challenges the teachers and schools face when trying to effectively use technology.

After reading the article there were many parts of the article that stuck on and interested me.  First, when technology is introduced into a classroom, teachers need ample training, professional development, and adequate time to practice and plan lessons.  Over the course of the study, there appeared to be three different types of teachers: those who fully integrated technology, those who used IWBs as glorified whiteboards, and those who did not touch the technology.  Unfortunately this seemed to influence how the students would integrate technology into their university classes.  However, I feel that there is a great point being made here and that has to do with sufficient professional development.  During past research I have discovered that the schools that were the most successful in incorporating new policies and practices were the schools that had adequate professional development that was revisited periodically in order to strength skills.  

The next part of the article that I felt was interesting was the idea that simply having access to technology does not mean that the class is going to become interactive and that technology is fully integrated.  While this relates to my previous example, teachers who are not accustomed to technology need to receive the proper training in how to use the technology.  This may mean changing lesson plans and adopting a completely different teaching practice, but it is necessary in order properly teach our students who thrive in the world of technology.  

The final part of the article that I really enjoyed was the concept of universities changing the way they teach teachers in order to better prepare them for our "plugged in" students.  In schools there seemed to be different ideologies when it comes to technology integration, but teachers must harness the opportunities that technology provides to create more successful classrooms.  

In conclusion, IWB's are great tools that can create interactive learning environments that are engaging to a new generation of students.  However, it is extremely important that teachers get the time and training and are able to fully integrate technology.  Even though technology provides wonderful opportunities, they are only as good as the teachers who know how to effectively utilize it.


Campbell, C., & Martin, D. (2010). Interactive Whiteboards and the First Year Experience: Integrating IWBs into Pre-Service Teacher Education. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 35(6), 68-75.

EdTechTalk - Belize and Japan

Two discussions that I was able to listen to at edtechtalk.com where discussions that took place with experiences outside of the United States.  I tend to be very interested in the diverse cultures that are present around the world and often gravitate towards more worldly experiences, which I guess is why I was a sociology major my first time around.  

The first discussion that I listened to had to do with the current earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster that is unfolding in Japan.  The discussion was from Teachers Teaching Teachers and was titled A crisis that will be resolved or a crisis out of control?  Stories from Japan.  It focused on the events going on in Japan, the reality of the situation and how teachers can bring the information in their classrooms.  The participants in the discussion included Paul Allison who teaches at East-West School of International Studies in Queens, New York, two of his students, Ben Sherman (founder of the East-West School), and Alan Berman (professor at the University of Tokyo).   

Since the East-West School requires that students learn an Asian language, as well as to study that culture, the discussion focused on the validity of the information that people in the United States are getting about the true dangers in Japan due to the language barrier.  According to Berman (2011) the language barrier makes it difficult for people to access first hand accounts, which means that the media is relying on second and third hand accounts about the situation.  Berman (2011) feels that the nuclear problems in Japan is a non-issue and that the media is creating panic that is not an accurate representation of the realities of Japan.  

How does this impact the classroom?  What ways can teachers utilize the events and information for their classes?  While the participants agreed that different elements of the crisis could be utilized for different types of classes (i.e. tsunami in a geography class) there were four general ideas about how this could be used in the classroom.  First, student can be taught how to be critical of the media to become more informed and increase the validity of their knowledge base.  Next, break the event into different parts and focus on those in specific classes (i.e. tsunami in geography).  The third way that this could be used in the classroom in to begin a dialogue about innovative technologies and natural resources.  Finally, the events could be used to explore the differences between national and foreign issues before being critical of policy.  

The second discussion that I listened to was on Conversations titled Exploring New Culture - Heading to Belize.  This was a very interesting discussion because I would enjoy participating in a trip where teachers are able to experience and work with teachers and classes in another country.  This discussion focused on the experiences that teachers had on a trip to Belize through a program that has been running for 21 years through the University of New Hampshire.  The program began as a way to get experienced teachers out of their comfort zone and provide new experiences.  

The program, which is a 4 credit course, provides teachers with the opportunity to travel to Belize with their cohort to partner up with schools down there.  Participants on the trip are fully immersed in the Belizean culture and work together with teachers.  When the teachers arrive in Belize they take time to become acclimated and explore Belizean schools and villages and decide what school they would like to work at.  Then they are put up by a host village and attend school with the teacher, where they have the opportunity to teach some classes.  At the end of the full immersion program they meet up with the rest of the cohort to debrief on the group experiences.  

There is a great deal of reciprocity between both participants from learning about cultural differences to validating education.  The continued partnership allows for investigation, creation of lesson plans, and the ability to bring resources and supplies to a place that lacks some of the educational necessities.  The participants discussed many of the ways that they have been affected by the experience and how they bring it back to their own classroom.  Since a "picture is worth a thousand words" many teachers find it difficult to get their students to fully understand the differences in education, but they offered up great ideas for teaching their students.  This is also an opportunity for students to learn about a different culture and communicate with students from another country.