http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/techlp/techlp058.shtml

http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/techlp/techlp058.shtml

Educational Technology Enthusiasts

Below is an article from Education Week on, "Getting Real about Educational Technology".

Well, I couldn't resist. This article and the blog responses on the Education Week website is a subject I feel should be looked at closer. Please click on the Education Week link, read it, and come back to my blog or read it right here - I copied and pasted it for your convenience. Although, missing from here but not from the Education Week website, are the blog responses.

I have been teaching technology to educators since 1988, that's 25 years, for those who didn't feel like doing the math. I guess you could say that, there are varying degrees of technophobes but, mostly one should say that there are varying degrees of people, diverse in many ways. BTW, (by the way) that's a good thing, right? Not everyone likes to play video games - personally I truly dislike them. Just because I dislike video games doesn't mean I dislike technology or that I am a technophobe. I love technology, I love using it everyday, I just don't play video games.  I enjoy Facebook and various aspects of social networking but, I am not there every minute. I like conversing with people from all over the world. On Facebook I friended a person from Germany by the name of Michael Haack; how could I resist. Some may call me a techno-nerd or ridiculous or even try to scare me about my digital footprint. Personally I enjoy our conversations and trying to read his german even though he is willing to scribe everything in english. I enjoy chatting with teachers from around the country, catching up with old friends and reading different viewpoints on various topics. I like to shop on line but, I also like to shop in pretty villages or to pick out my own veggies and fruits instead of Peapod picking them out for me.

People are not technophobes or technonerds, people are individuals with different interests and we should respect that whether it's technology, playing golf, or gardening. After all, isn't technology a tool and isn't a tool by definition: 

tool |to͞ol|

noun

1 a device or implement, esp. one held in the hand, used to carry out a particular function: gardening tools.

• a thing used in an occupation or pursuit: computers are an essential tool

Let's stop labeling everyone and let's use our technology tools to unite our abilities, not create a divide.  Let's not create a stigma whereby: people are afraid to say what they like or dislike, or what is relevant or not relevant regarding technology.  And that goes especially for technology in education.

Education Week

Published Online: April 15, 2013

FIRST PERSON

Getting Real About Educational Technology

By Kyle Redford

Premium article access courtesy of TeacherMagazine.org.

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Educational-technology enthusiasts are regularly making a case against teachers who refuse to get on the tech bandwagon. They quickly dismiss anyone who does not wholeheartedly embrace every element of this new educational frontier. They raise questions regarding the professional flexibility of these "resisters." I actually have a different complaint: I am beginning to lose patience with the simplicity of the conversation around classroom technology.

When it comes to discussing the potential of technology in the classroom, I am neither cheerleader nor denier, yet I am wary of being labeled a technophobe when I occasionally express skepticism about the educational value of a computer game or an app. To think critically about technology is not an automatic dismissal of its potential value. Why are we looking at educational technology as a monolith—something that teachers have to absolutely embrace or reject?

I can't be the only teacher encountering dilemmas related to the uses of iPads in the classroom. For example, the other day, my class was sprawled across the room writing essays on their iPads during Writer’s Workshop. I was conferencing with individual writers while trying to keep an eye on the others. With a small class of generally independent and invested 5th graders, this is not typically too much of a problem. However, something about the way a group of boys had gathered on beanbags in the class library exuded odd energy, so I moved in to investigate. As I approached, it was clear that they were nervously scrambling to close out of something on their devices. One student, less nimble than the others, could not move quickly enough to hide what had been distracting this group for the past 25 minutes: Minecraft. After questioning, I found out that they had been lured down the rabbit hole of an engaging session of dopamine-rich computer play, all of them so wired and distracted that they had pretty much forgotten they were even at school. And this was not the first time: We had been through this game of cat and mouse just the day before.

Inevitable Trade-Offs

First let me explain. These kids are not troublemakers. They are not bored. And they are not lazy. They are all highly intelligent, curious, earnest, hard-working students. They were devastated to be caught ... again. They were worried about the consequences, but they were also horribly ashamed. Two cried. One boy said, "Take the iPad away from me. I can't handle it." A few others blamed Minecraft, complaining that it was so addictive they couldn't resist it, even knowing that playing it would get them in trouble.

As frustrated as I was, I knew that we teachers had our fingerprints on this problem as well. Why did I expect 10- and 11-year-olds to resist the Siren song of the iPad's distractions when my adult colleagues and I are struggling with the same compulsions?

It is time to end illusory thinking connected to educational technology. I do not have anything against Minecraft. I acknowledge its potential for inspiring creativity, engagement, and collaboration. But I also want to talk about real trade-offs. My students need to learn how to write and, as their teacher, I need to stop suspending disbelief about the distracting allure of games on their learning devices. Is it fair to put dessert on their lunch trays and then tell them that they can only look at it and smell it, but they cannot eat it until they get home (assuming their parents permit dessert)? By having these apps on their iPads, I am concerned that I am setting them up for unnecessary failure and shame.

Accuse me of being a tech resister, a slow adopter, or an "old school" educator for raising these questions. But I am not afraid of technology. In fact, I am a big fan of educational technology's potential to help my students explore ideas or express themselves more creatively, efficiently, or effectively. Several of my dyslexic students have recently mastered speech-to-text software, and it has transformed their ability to demonstrate their understanding and align their oral and written expression. They are now passionate "readers" because of the accessibility of audiobooks and they connect with their favorite children's authors through Twitter. As a professional, I am grateful to social media for making educational conversations, resources, and professional development opportunities more accessible.

Critical Thinking, Without Fear

But we need to stop oversimplifying the role tech plays in our students' lives. A deeper, more thorough, look at tech's benefits and trade-offs is needed. What are we potentially sacrificing when we do not carefully guide our children's use of their devices? Student engagement is an empty notion if we are not asking how they are being engaged. Are outcomes enhanced because of the addition of a specific technology, or hindered? We should be filtering our use of technology through this kind of inquiry. As a teacher of 26 years, my central question has always been: "What is the most effective way to teach this material?"

Daniel Willingham, a cognitive scientist from the University of Virginia, recently did a survey of the research looking at the learning benefits of gaming. Considering this is relatively new territory, it is not surprising that the conclusions raised more questions than they answered. I am not arguing that we have to wait until we know all the answers to explore the benefits of gaming in the classroom. But we owe it to our students to have more honest conversations about the accompanying untidiness.

Technology in the classroom is here to stay. Consequently, it is time for educators to begin to have more sophisticated conversations about best practices and to explore the inherent challenges. The learning potential of educational technology is infinite, but as with every learning tool, platform, or approach, educators need to sift through the tensions and talk about the challenges and trade-offs. It's time to give educators encouragement to apply critical thinking to technology without the fear of being labeled a Luddite.

Communicating With Respect

Respect: verb [ with obj. ]

admire (someone or something) deeply, as a result of their abilities, qualities, or achievements: she was respected by everyone she worked with | (as adj. respected) : a respected academic.

• have due regard for the feelings, wishes, rights, or traditions of: I respected his views.

Freedom in America means that we are to be respected for our traditions and views and that our rights are to be protected. How fortunate we are and how important this freedom is. Yet our human side allows our traditions, views, and rights to sometimes become compromised.   The human side of us can sometimes feel so crippled that we begin to agree with all the negative comments, we begin to believe that who we are is not really all that important or what we are doing is not all that exemplary. We become enslaved into the expectations of the world, real or imagined. Don't let yourself fall into that abyss. If you listen to all those voices you will become increasingly confused. Follow your heart and do what you know is right, you know what it is; don't let others convince you otherwise and don't let others persuade you that what you do is not important enough to warrant their respect. What an awesome obligation, to educate the children of our future.  No one should undermine that task.

Communication: Using Your "Words", (Vocabulary)

After a great deal of contemplation, I finally came to the realization that, we are always telling our children to use their "words".  Well what if we took that one step further, and asked them to find new words that work better? We would definitely need to provide them with some skills for finding these new words. So the digital person I am, I head straight for the Internet and this is what I find. Here is hoping that what I found, brings you some help and peace of mind in this non compos mentis educational cycle we are in now.  Hmm....non compos mentis...I'm using my "words", LOL. What am I talking about?

Non compos mentis is a term meaning "not of sound mind". ^[1] Non compos mentis derives from the Latin non meaning "not", compos meaning "having (command of)", and mentis (genitive singular of mens), meaning "mind". It is the direct opposite of Compos mentis (of a composed mind).  ~ Thank you wikipedia!!!

See below for another fine example of the importance of vocabulary:  from Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus

convince

verb

1 he convinced me that I was wrong: make certain, persuade, satisfy, prove to; assure, put/set someone's mind at rest.

2 I convinced her to marry me: persuade, induce, prevail on/upon, get, talk into, win over, cajole, inveigle.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORD

convince, persuade

Although it is common to see convince and persuade used interchangeably, there are distinctions in meaning that careful writers and speakers try to preserve. Convince derives from a Latin word meaning 'to conquer, overcome.' Persuade derives from a Latin word meaning 'to advise, make appealing, sweeten.' One can convince or persuade someone with facts or arguments, but, in general, convincing is limited to the mind, while persuasion results in action (just as dissuasion results in nonaction): the prime minister convinced the council that delay was pointless ; the senator persuaded her colleagues to pass the legislation.

These notes show fine distinctions in meaning between closely related synonyms to help you find the best word.

Last but not least...
Excellent Resources for those concerned with language, especially in education:

21 Literacy Resources For The Digital Teacher

The following digital tools show promise to support word learning, review, and play with language.
 http://www.teachthought.com/featured/21-literacy-resources-for-the-digital-teacher/

Common Core ToolKit

Top tools to help you become an expert.

1. Common Core Cheat Sheet:
Keep this guide handy to refer to key acronyms, terms, anchor standards, and more - all related to the Common Core.
2. Common Core Resources:
Use this tool to help you dig deeper into the Common Core - enjoy quick access to the best Common Core resources.
3. Common Core Webinar:

(45 minutes): Do you need to go deeper fast? Discover the top 10 implications the Common Core will have on literacy instruction, text selection, and more.

The following four sites are examples of what you can buy from Scholastic. What's nice is that Scholastic provides you with several samples for free!

Greek & Latin Roots – Games and other ideas.
Eight ready-to-go activity packets sharpen students’ word-study skills and boost their vocabularies. In each packet, students learn five common Greek and Latin roots and 15 new words formed from these roots. Crossword puzzles, word searches, and other fun activities provide repeated practice to make new vocabulary stick.

http://www.scholasticdealer.com/prodimages/sample/512412.pdf

Prefixes and Suffixes:
Students sharpen their word-study skills and build vocabulary as they complete fun, independent puzzles and activities that introduce 50 essential prefixes and suffixes. Activities invite students to decode and acquire dozens of words they’ll encounter in grade-level texts. 

http://www.scholasticdealer.com/prodimages/sample/519864.pdf

Content Area Words:
These ready-to-use packets include fun, meaningful activities that offer the repeated practice kids need to really learn science, social studies, and math vocabulary. Activities help teach and reinforce word meanings, usage, and word-analysis skills related to key topics. 

http://www.scholasticdealer.com/prodimages/sample/523694.pdf

No More Over Used Words:

Students build vocabulary and sharpen their elaboration skills as they complete fun, independent puzzles and activities that help them acquire high-caliber synonyms for overused words, such as said, good, and went.

http://www.scholasticdealer.com/prodimages/sample/519863.pdf

Vocabulary is essential for precise dialoguing and communication. In a global community what could be more important? Our future depends on it.

Bridging the Gap

Rob my grad. professor wrote a course description explaining that, this course is designed to help bridge the gap between content area curriculum and literacy through the infusion of ideals presented in the "Common Core".  Although, that is exactly why I enrolled in this class, I feel that we need to bridge more gaps than just the content area. We need to bridge, the texting gap, the mashing gap, the multi-sensory multi-media gap, the instantaneous messaging gap which all leads me to the communication gap. Now, the communication gap between generations has been going on for centuries but, never as demanding and bold as now with technology permeating every aspect of life. For example, tonight at my doctor's office, I saw the bookkeeper holding a bill up to a vendor via facetime. What a visual! Yesterday a student of mine explained how he created inventory for a game he plays. He used screen captures to explain every step, Finally, I understand that MineCraft game. Although, he explained everything using the auditory system for his audience, it was necessary for him to write a script so he could communicate his thoughts accurately and precisely.

Oftentimes to explain this gap, I use an example from a conversation I had with my grandmother, "Nanny", around 1963.   Now in order to make this meaningful, I must tell you that my grandmother was born in Ireland on February 12, 1888.  In the United States that year, Benjamin Harrison became our 23rd president. Our nation was young and prosperous but Ireland was quite the contrary. So my grandmother came to the land of opportunity with her family and settled in Rhode Island. As a young adult she met a sailor, married, and relocated to Brooklyn, NY. It was in Brooklyn, that she learned the importance and value of writing, as she missed her family and friends in Rhode Island. So my story goes, when the phone became very popular my grandmother would practically curse it saying, "it was the demise of writing".
How funny it would be if she could see us today, instead using our phones for speaking, we are using them primarily to write, (aka~texting).   Our adolescents are using a new form of writing, almost what secretaries used for "shorthand"; they are writing again and the communication that comes with writing is different from the communication that comes with speaking.

Background History:
The turn of the century was a tough time for the Bell Companies. Rapid expansion led to poor service and the public was becoming more apathetic with the big monopoly. As service expanded across the country, the company also had a dilemma in that technology could not keep up with the incredible growth. 

The independent companies were at the heels of the Bell Companies and something had to change. And it did.

At the turn of the century, recognizing the many public and competitive concerns, the Bell System executives looked to Theodore N. Vail to lead them once more....and he turned them down flat. Vail didn't feel it was a good time to return, so the Bell company brought in Frederick Fish, who although put in a tremendous effort, was exhausted by 1907 and retired.

The company again turned to Vail. This time around Vail was over 60, his wife and son had passed away, and he felt a real need to get back to the job of heading the Bell System. Vail immediately set to work creating his "universal service" theme, hoping to bring a telephone to everyone in the United States. He also consolidated research and development efforts into one plant at Western Electric. This was in effect, the beginning of Bell Laboratories.

Ripe for expansion, the Bell System completed the first coast-to-coast telephone line in 1915 from New York to San Francisco. Vail also used the "wireless" system to begin overseas cable installations, connecting the U.S. to other countries. ~ www.telephonemuseum.com

So....Bell Laboratories made a big come-back much like Apple, and Nanny wasn't happy, much like "our" older generation in the 20th century. This was the demise of our traditions of proper writing, proper handwriting and communicating with the one's we love.

Should I say it, no one can stop us from communicating with the one's we love. We will find a way. No one will stop us from passing our history from generation to generation. We will find a way. No one will stop us from sharing our ideas. We will find a way. It's human nature. No worries they say; and I believe that they are right. Have Faith!