Education Votes

Education Votes What mushrooms is Mayor Bloomberg eating? I am disappointed that he gives so much money to Johns Hopkins University, including supporting teacher training programs, and then says this. What the feathers??

Blog Challenge Question 8: How are schools changing to meet the needs of 21st century learners?

One hundred years ago, “the three R’s” served well enough for one to provide for one’s family and to be an active citizen. With the rise of manufacturing, in addition to those basic skills, employers looked for workers that could perform one task repeatedly and accurately. Now, 21st century businesses seek employees who can problem solve, communicate effectively, and engage in ongoing decision making based on critical thinking skills and an understanding of complex systems (Hannifin, 2006). In the information age, the possession of knowledge is a difference maker in an increasingly literate society..

The three R’s are no longer enough.

A Nation at Risk, published in 1983, asked for widespread educational reform efforts across the country.

Each period of history is defined by both the tools that exist and the ways in which those tools are used. The transition to a new century gives us pause to define how learning—and perhaps the learner—has changed.

This learner, often referred to as the “21st Century Learner, is the “millennial, whose orientation to technology is innate and who views technology not as a way to do something better or more efficiently than it was done before, but as the only way to do it”. In order for the 21st century learner to succeed in the information age, schools are faced with the challenge of preparing them for an increasingly complex life and work environment.

Students will need such skills as flexibility, adaptability, self-actualization, resilience, accountability, responsibility, and the ability to work with and respect others. Continual learning will be an essential part of life in the 21st century as well as the ability to innovate, solve problems, think critically and creatively, and communicate and collaborate. Critical attributes will require students to discriminate, evaluate, and synthesize information in print, media or information and communication technologies. For more in depth information on 21st century student outcomes and standards, professional development, curriculum and instruction, and assessment see www.21stcenturyskills.org .
Schools and school districts across the United States have begun to promote 21st century skills by:
Revising content standards, curriculum and assessments to align with 21st century skills
Developing a 21st century credential for high school graduates
Training administrators to understand 21st century learning
Offering on-line professional development courses and self-assessments in 21st century skills for teachers.

Specific initiatives include:

High school journalism students in Maine worked with students in Alabama via videoconferencing to create a news magazine television show about their regions. See http://www.mainedistancelearningproject.org/pages/success/gardiner_journalism.html .

Teachers and students at the Consolidated High School District 230 in Orland Park, Ill are experimenting with instant messaging and chat applications to develop proficiency in core subjects and 21st century skills. See https://my.cosn.org/mycosn/resources/CoSNIMminireport.pdf .

Middle school students participating in the Technology Immersion Pilot in Texas are using laptops after school to communicate, solve problems, and access, manage, integrate, evaluate, and create information in all of their subject areas. See http://www.txtip.info/

School districts in Missouri and eight other states use eMINTS to access professional development classrooms focusing on blended instructional strategies, higher order thinking skills, and cooperative learning.

Other districts have begun to develop a collective vision for 21st century learning that can be used to strengthen American schools.

If you were to create a vision statement for your school that meets the needs of the 21st Century classroom, what would it look like?

Consider the following questions to create your statement:

What will students be able to do in the 21st Century classroom that they were not able to do before?

How does the 21st Century Classroom provide educational opportunities for all of your students?

What best practices are addressed and how are they addressed in the 21st Century Classroom?

Bill Gates in his now famous book The Road Ahead stated, “empower people of all ages, both inside and outside the classroom, to learn more easily, enjoyably, and successfully than ever before. Improving education is the best investment we can make because downstream benefits flow to every part of society.”

Blog #7

Question 7: How are teachers using integrating technology tools with research-based strategies for increasing student achievement? Address the differences that occur in technology rich classrooms as contrasted with traditional classrooms.

The definition of a traditional classroom is a lecture-based lesson that transfers knowledge from the teacher and textbook to the student. The process is static and fails to engage the student in the learning process. On the other hand, a technology rich classroom aims to create ‘authentic learning’ (Castellani & Jeffs, 2001), promoting student engagement and active learning. Through the use of compatible technologies that support Internet educational sites, teachers can help students who have experienced academic failure and become successful readers when using electronic text. In schools where teachers have access to technology in their classroom, students have the flexibility to learn and demonstrate their knowledge in a variety of way through Universal Designs for Learning (UDL). UDL provides students with curricular flexibility in the ways that information is presented (such as e-text) or in the ways they respond (using a variety of software such as Inspiration). The challenge is to assist teachers when choosing technologies that have proven results based on research. Several resources, such as NIMAS and CITEd Research Center, can help teachers to find reputable software programs and select appropriate technology tools based on a growing body of research.

Although research is still sparse when it comes to evaluating the benefits of non-traditional learning that uses technology, there is solid evidence that progressive methods of education do work when properly implemented. Technology by itself does not improve the learning environment. The most critical element in teaching is a highly qualified and prepared teacher. An effective “educational environment should be grounded in the pedagogic fundamentals and enhanced with complementary technology” (Lightfoot, 2005).

Checkering and Gamson (1987) developed seven “best practices” for all classroom teaching. These are:

1. develop reciprocity and cooperation among students;

2. encourage contacts between students and teachers;

3. use active learning techniques;

4. give prompt feedback;

5. emphasize time on task;

6. communicate high expectations; and

7. respect diverse talents and ways of learning.

These seven components need to be present in the learning environment, whether traditional or technology-rich classrooms. Instruction that uses technology as an added component is designed to enhance, not replace, teaching methods. Although few classrooms remain “traditional” since the requirement of NCLB, which requires schools to give disabled students access to the general curriculum through assistive technology. In order for educators to understand best how to identify the benefits from technology, it is important for teachers to realize that computer-based technology includes a variety of applications and uses. Thus, technology needs to match the learning goals of students.

Teachers in technology-rich classrooms are able to harness technology offered through the Internet and a variety of software tools in order to help students gather, create, communicate, share, manage, and store information that can fit their needs. New technologies, especially the Internet, have brought individuals together from around the globe and made possible their regular interaction, exchanging ideas, projects, and collaborating with instant speed. The ‘millennial’ generation grew up with the Internet, easily adapting to new multimedia technology that is constantly hitting the market with new gadgets (like iPods and MP3 players) and other software. The troubling phenomenon is that schools have not been able to keep up with the technology explosion. Although the Web 2.0 (Solomon & Schrum, 2007) has revolutionized the way that many classrooms function, many challenges are still present for either traditional or technology-rich classroom, both failing to prepare students for the workplace (U.S. Department of Education, 2004). However, from the federal government to the individual school districts, technology environments need funding in order to train and provide educational opportunities to all students (www.NACOL.org).

The first challenge is to have adequate computer-to-student ratio so that all students have easy access to technology. Even in technology rich-classrooms, researchers found that a limited number of students have access to computers (Sivin-Kachata & Bailo, 2000), usually the computer ratio in elementary schools is 20:1 and at the high school level is 30:1. If we are moving towards reforming the audio and face-to-face style of traditional classroom teaching, then we need to make the equipment accessible. Second, professional development aimed to increasing the teachers’ skills, continues to deliver “traditional staff development model, which is a one-day session or a four-hour lecture right after school” (Solomon & Schrum, p. 101). Fullan and Stiegelbauer (1991) stated that districts have wasted money in professional workshops that offers technology training with no follow-up in skill implementation. Instead, educators need to have “an entire year of intensive staff development” (Solomon and Schrum, p. 101), choosing one topic and developing in-depth understanding. Although school systems like to believe that many classroom are now integrating educational technology into the curriculum, research have found that many teachers do not utilize technology to its full potential because the lack of technical support available to them (WestEd, 2002). Even teachers who enjoy using computers will stop using technology if the equipment or program becomes unreliable.

Academic institutions are increasingly engaged in incorporating technology into the curriculum (Lightfoot, 2005); however, merely adding technology into instruction does not improve the learning environment. The solution to the challenges is to introduce technology into the classroom only when it addresses the seven components of best practices and are technologies that are known to be effective when used in instructional settings. Since all United States (US) schools are moving towards implementing technology-rich classrooms, the following recommendations are suggested:

• Provide adequate computer-to-student ratio.
• Extend the school-year for all teachers to eleven months so that effective professional development in technology can take place during the summer (see www.techlearning.com).
• Allow teachers to have access to on-site technical support.
• Integrate technology within the curricular framework, rather than an add-on.

Blog Challenge Question # 6

BLOG Challenge Question 6:

Which Web 2.0 tools do you believe will have the greatest impact on schools?

Hello everyone. Mark, Pam and I are going to attempt to give you a brief overview of Web 2.0 tools in as few words a possible. Please review some of the tools and tell us what you think! We have two important questions for discussion at the end of this blog.

Web 1.0 refers to the World Wide Web before Web 2.0. It includes most web sites in the period between 1994 and 2004 (e.g., Britannica on-line). These offline, application-based web pages were static with no collaboration among users. Content was generally copyrighted and usage required a license or a purchase. Web 1.0 has been retroactively named after the introduction of the term web 2.0

Web 2.0 is a category of new internet tools and technologies created around the idea that people who consume media, access the internet, and use the Web should be active contributors rather then passively absorb what’s available. The term became notable after the first O’Reilly Media Web 2.0 conference in 2004. Web 2.0 includes but is not limited to Blogs (e.g., does this term sound familiar?), social networking applications (e.g., Facebook, MySpace), RSS or Really Simple Syndication (e.g., really brief overview of your favorite websites), and Wikis (e.g., public spaces that allow people on the internet to collaborate and/or share information).

According to Gwen Solomon and Lynn Schrum, the possibilities of using Web 2.0 tools in schools are unlimited. However, different computer-enhanced learning tools are better suited for different purposes. We believe the following Web 2.0 tools with noted benefits for administrators, teachers, and students, will have the greatest impact in educational environments. Consider the Web 2.0 tools below and let us know if you agree that they will have a significant impact at the elementary level.

PODCASTS
A podcast is a way of distributing music or speech multimedia files over the internet for playback on mobile devices such as iPods, MP3 players and personal computers. Podcasts can be downloaded automatically and accessed using current devices. Podcasts can be an effective tool for :

Replaying the audio of traditionally delivered information
Pre-teaching and vocabulary development
Professional development training sessions and lectures that need to be readily accessible at all times
Learning new material, subjects that are difficult to comprehend and foreign languages
Meeting the needs of students who require multiple input strategies or alternative methods of expression
Providing auditory input and repetition.
Presenting lectures, books, and magazines using an auditory format
Empowering parents and community members by providing information about educational issues, concerns and current initiatives.

See and/or visit Podcasts for Teachers (www.idiotvox.com/Education/PodCast_Review_Podcast for Teachers_ _ 13037.html).



WIKIS
A wiki is a web page that allows readers including administrators, teachers, and students to share and collaborate with others in writing, editing, and changing the Web page’s content at any time. Wikis can be set up on a school district’s server or accessed through a commercial service using a Web browser and an internet connection. Wikis keep track of contributions and changes to content. Popular Wiki sites dedicated to businesses and education are Jotspot, Pswiki, and Wikispaces. Wikis can be an effective tool for:

Collaborative authoring and planning
Collaboration and problem-solving
Peer editing during the writing process
Creation of electronic portfolios
Continuous exchange of feedback.

Visit Peanut Butter Wiki (www.pbwiki.com) or Wikispaces at (www.wikispaces.com).

GAMES and SIMULATIONS

Educational games and computer simulations available on the Web generally include the use of multimedia. Robert Marzano (1998) found that “the use of computer simulation as a vehicle with which students manipulate artifacts produced the highest effect size of 1.45 (n=1) indicating a percentile gain of 43 points (p.91). Interactive multimedia applications for elementary students in language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, the arts, and problem-solving are available without costs or by subscription. Popular sites have features that include standards-based activities, teacher guides that highlight learning objectives and progress summaries, resource links for teacher, students, and parents and message centers for users. Quality simulations can be an effective tool for:

Generating mental pictures and images to represent and elaborate on knowledge
Reinforcing skills taught in the classroom
Interactive, socially reinforced learning
Parental participation in the learning process.

Visit iKnowthat.com (www.iknowthat.com) or Knowitall.org (www.knowitall.org ).

ADDITIONAL TOOLS

Additional tools that can be used in conjunction with Web 2.0 tools to increase participation of traditionally excluded users include:

TALKING WORD PROCESSORS

An tool specifically designed to help Microsoft Word users with reading and writing difficulties reads text aloud and helps construct words and sentences. It also has advanced spell checking and word prediction of miss-spelt or unfinished words, a word wizard to search for forgotten or related words, a pronunciation tutor, a text reader, and a document scanner. Visit www.texthelp.com. and www.donjohnston.com.

These are effective tools for:

Students in K-12 grade with limited reading skills
Students having difficulties expressing their ideas in writing
Students who need to write and work independently
English language learners
Parents with reading and writing difficulties

While many of us in the web 1.0 generation are just getting used to setting up an e-mail account on Google and finishing up our latest Powerpoint presentation.

I did an old fashion thing with a new twist the other day. In the past when I wanted to learn about something new I would go to the library and check out a book on that topic. So, the other day I went on Amazon and did a search for web 2.0. I was amazed at the amount of books that are out on the topic.

As Monique noted in her opening part of this blog, Web 2.0 technologies are already changing the playing field for education. As noted on Pam’s section for Web 2.0 tools the one constant is that our students are no longer content receivers. They are now content providers and BIG TIME!

As you’ll see here in the secondary setting these technologies are creating huge changes in how educators and students receive and respond to information. In fact, our students control the information. I encourage everyone to check these tools out during your “free-time”.

Web 2.0 Tools in a Secondary Setting

As Pam noted in her elementary school section of Web 2,0 tools, this generation is full of innovative and creative tools such as Podcasts, Wikis (collaborative publishing), Games and Talking Word processing.

Writeboard

Writeboard is a collaborative writing tool where users can write, share, revise, and compare their documents online with others. It is not an advanced system featuring a WYSIWYG editor, Ajax, and flashy effects, but that’s what I like about it. Writeboard is a personal favorite of mine and as a matter of fact I am using it right now for this very post. It includes version control with text comparing and is great for essays and write-ups of any kind.

Check it out: http://www.writeboard.com/

Fleck

Fleck is a really cool tool that allows you to annotate websites without ever having to download any sort of software. A student could add post-its all on their favorite web pages or web pages that they are using for research. A student can then send them to their peers or look at them in list form on a personal web page.

Check it out http://www.fleck.com/

School 2.0

School 2.0 is a fascinating brainstorming tool designed for schools and communities to help envision the future of education. The School 2.0 site states, “While School 2.0 depicts a variety of educational and management scenarios that utilize technology, the examples, information and ideas included are designed to serve as prompts for discussion and should not be construed as a recommendation of any particular technology or scenario.”

Check it out: http://etoolkit.org/etoolkit/

For our blog discussion, we pose the following two questions,

"What do we do when we keep offering 2.0 services like Blogs and Wikis, and the students just walk away?"

Terence K Huwe (2008, January). The Joy of Finding Out What People Don't Want. Computers in Libraries, 28(1), 26-28

and

"Are there additional tools you believe will have a significant impact on schools?"

Blog # 5: In what ways can Web 2.0 Tools impact communication and learning among students, including students with disabilities?

I apologize for the delay in this posting. I became a new uncle last night, so my Saturday was fairly consumed. You'll see a slightly different tone in our post this week, but we wanted to take this in a more conversational direction.

Imagine this… your typical high-school cafeteria. There’s the jock table. There’s the table of the kids playing Yu-gi-oh or the new trend to take its place. There’s the bad boy table. There’s usually a popular girl table, the Goth kid table, the various club tables, and finally – there’s the special ed table. You can spot it right away. They usually have an inordinate amount of adults sitting with them or at least hovering in the near distance. There will be a lunch room administrator watching them as intently as the “bad boys” table filled with repeat rule offenders. There’s usually not a lot of interpersonal communication between the kids. There’s usually the kids – maybe with CP or other physical needs – who are more focused on the actual mechanics of eating to worry about small conversation. Then there are the others – kids with milder disabilities who have been relegated to the table. They all have that tell-tale look of misery – don’t make eye contact with anyone else at the outside tables for fear of being associated with the “speddies” and unable to socialize with their table-mates for fear of losing their order in the social caste as at least above “that kid.” It’s seen over and over again. Even in full-special education schools – a pecking order will exist. There are variations to its form, but the basic message is maintained: we are different based on our appearances, outward behaviors, our groupings – by choice or not. Yet lest we forget the message of The Breakfast Club, we can all find some common ground if only given the chance. But that was a movie, and in real-life, kids rarely afford one another that chance…until now.

Let’s take another scenario… A group of kids – the jock, the popular girl, the bad boy, the drama queen, and the student with disabilities are all engaging in an ongoing online conversation over IM about their shared interest in anime. They don’t really know one another…they give fake name, fake identities, fake bios, but their conversation is genuine. For once, students are able to move beyond the superficial to engage the core of each others’ personality to find commonality. Is it Utopia?

No, not really. It’s an illusion. The moment one of the disenfranchised reveals their true identity, they are out of the make-believe club house and back to the hard knocks of being an outcast. This phenomenon is so common it has its own name – cyber bullying. And we begin our conversation about the advent of Web 2.0 tools here as a bit of a reality check – technology is fantastic and holds great promise, but it is nothing without accounting for the human factor. And that is the greatest challenge of all.

Video mail, blogging, student created and controlled wikis, all the things listed in Solomon and Schrum, can be an equalizer for communication and access to learning, but they only get the student so far. For example, a student with a writing disability could do a video podcast or Webinar if that was an easier modality for them. That is akin to the old oral report alternative used in classrooms for generations, and it could be argued that learning this computer skill allows the student to be more competitive in the work force than simply presenting an oral account of the assigned reading, but the student who is able to master that tool is probably not the one you need to worry about. In fact, students with disabilities who effectively learn to use any of the 2.0 systems – web publishing, multi-user environments, powerful search engines – are probably doing okay. These are complicated applications to master! There is a motivation issue, and the use of the computer for all students is more authentic to their everyday lives than traditional curricula. But we will quickly see the procrastination that exists when asking a student to turn in a five pager on the Gettyburg Address will exist if that same topic was allowed to be a Webinar, designed webpage, or other innovation medium. Now if we say, turn in a critical analysis of the video-game Halo3 explaining the levels of societal oppression represented in the storyline and compare that to real-life historical accounts, we may get a little more traction. But that’s not technology…it’s pedagogy, and effective teachers have done that long before there was a thought of the computer.

The point is, advances in technology are wonderful, and they can help students to adapt to their environments in some cases, but many times, the kids who need the most help are the ones who are getting as equally left behind with the technology craze as they were with the traditional curriculum. I viewed a Myspace page for a student I used to teach; A young man with a diagnosis of emotional disturbance. He was an average kid, loved video games, was isolated from most of his peers, and was fairly computer savvy. His page was dark… it was angry. He posts numerous blogs. They are mostly rants filled with spelling and punctuation errors. Some were unintelligible. He doesn’t use any real photos, there are pieces clipped from video games and movies. He has a modest number of “friends” by Myspace standards – about 322 – but from their meager comments, none truly know this student. Most have pseudonyms as well, so I couldn’t say positively that none were classmates of this young man, but even if they were, there wasn’t enough of a bond to truly converse. They shared angry postings replete with numerous obscenities and condemnations of “punks.” I read his page, and I felt sad. He’s three years out of high-school. He claims to be unemployed and still living with his grandmother. Most of his messages yearn for a girl, so I suspect he has no companion. He didn’t do college and he has no real future prospects. This wasn’t a young man with a cognitive delay, nor was he a student who just needed a voice device to assist with reading or to keep him organized. He was an average student with poor grades, modest ambitions, but capable of carrying on a decent conversation if you could get him to talk. He was complex, and for all of our technology, and our upgrades, we haven’t built a program that can compensate for the complexity of the human condition. So we can move forward with our tools, and they will make classroom applications more engaging, perhaps more in-line with the demands of future employers, and they may help some students with disabilities compensate for some of their deficits, but until we address the fundamental needs of these students – from a whole learner perspective and in a societal context – it will all be just another thing tried with no real effect.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go twitter.

Blog Challenge Question # 4

From Angela and Matilde

What are the potential benefits of emerging technologies, such as gaming and simulated learning environments, for students with disabilities?

Historical Perspective: Educational Gaming and Simulation

The use of games and simulation in education has been used in all educational, business, and military settings (Dempsey et al., 1997). As noted by D.R. Cruishank (1980), there are two types of games:

• Non-simulation games – participants solve problems in a school subject such as mathematics or spelling that makes use of principles of that subject or discipline.
  
• Simulation games – participants are provided with a simulated environment in which to play; games are intended to provide students with insight into the process or event from a real-world perspective which is being simulated.
  

Games were used to make decisions on marriage, career exploration, hiring decisions or admission to college (Ifill, 1994). The focus for simulation gaming has changed since the 1970’s and has expanded the use of simulation and games for training and education.

Technology and Education, Retrieved: 2/16/08 (http://.cofc.edu/~seay/cb/simgames.html)

Learning with Games and Simulation
Computer games and simulations can be defined as interactive multimedia with dynamic elements that are under user control. They range from games that require simple, repetitive actions, such as Tetris®, to complex digital worlds. Unlike much of the multimedia, games and simulations are highly interactive, with many user controlled features (Rieber, 2005). Researchers have studied and found that educational games and simulations effectively support learning.

Multimedia Game Formats: Benefits for students with disabilities and diverse learners

Epistemic game is a game simulation of professional training that supports students with disabilities in their transition process by providing an experience for participating in a structured environment. It is a variation of the educational multi-user virtual environment (MUVE). The focus is to help students learn to think like professionals. For example, Shafer (2006) described science.net, (developed by researchers David Hatfield and Alecia Magnifico) as a way for students to learn real-world experiences as journalists while learning to apply many skills of a professional journalist. In this game, students are journalists reporting on current scientific issues in a weekly online newspaper. The students learn scientific skills and the skills of journalism, such as conducting an interview and organizing information for reporting and copyediting. Shafer (2006) has suggested that this technology might be valuable for students with disabilities where school internships are impractical and unavailable.

Shafer, D.W. & National Center for Technology (2006). Epistemic games as career preparatory experiences for students with disabilities. Journal of Technology, 22(3) 57-69. http://www.cited.org./index.aspx?page_id=159)

Augmented reality simulations and games integrate a fictional story into the real-world environment. Students actually gather information from the environment through digital devices (e.g. handheld technology). An example of an augmented reality simulation is Environmental Detectives, an outdoor game in which players try to uncover the source of a toxic spill. Working in teams and using handheld devices with Global Positioning Systems (GPS), the students interview virtual characters, conduct simulated environmental measurements and analyze data. Although there is a lack of research reported on use of augmented reality simulation and games with students with disabilities, the implications are that high school students, including students with disabilities, have a real-world experience of using handheld devices such as cell phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs) for accessing information. Therefore, the successful use of a learning game, such as Environmental Detectives, would help students with applying skills such as gathering data from the actual environment and applying the information to real-world experience.

(http://www.cited.org./index.aspx?page_id=159)

Rationale for using gaming and simulation: students with disabilities and diverse learners

• According to a 2006 report published at the Summit of Educational Games, businesses and schools are increasingly turning to interactive worlds and simulations for training because succeeding in such games has a strong correlation with skills required to operate in a modern world.
• Games allow the participation of students of all ages, diverse learning styles, and disabilities, to be active learners interacting with knowledge instead of simply reading and listening.
• Thirty-five percent of computer and game players are younger than 18, according to the Entertainment Software Association.
  http://www.technewsworld.com/story/61702%20.html
• When using instructional materials and activities designed for ESL learners, computer simulations and games can provide a rich environment for language learning.
  (http://unice.fr/sg/resources/biblios/biblio_esl_technology_writing_a.htm
• Without transition access, students with disabilities are more likely than students without disabilities to be unemployed and receive lower pay (Shafer, 2006; Dunn, 1996; 1996; National Council on Disability, 2003).
• According to Shaffer (2006), students with disabilities may have trouble envisioning themselves as members of a profession and may develop unrealistic expectations of what will be required. The assistance of transition resources may improve their outlook on their possibilities.

Shafer, D.W. & National Center for Technology (2006). Epistemic games as career preparatory experiences for students with disabilities. Journal of Technology, 22(3) 57-69.

Examples Online resources: Gaming and Simulated Learning Environments

• River City Resources – Supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation, an interactive MUVE for middle school science students.
  
• Epistemic Games: Building the Future of Education- This weblog includes information and resources related to epistemic games, including science.net.
  
• The Education Arcade- Is developing and researching several online multi-user games. The website includes an online community with current information on various games. It is associated with the MIT Handheld Augmented Reality Simulations project.
  
• MIT Handheld Augmented Reality Simulations- MIT’s Teacher Education Program, along with Education Arcade are developing a collection of Augmented Reality Simulations using handheld technologies.
  

BLOG Challenge Question #3

……………… by Colleen and Diane

How will simulated online environments impact professional development delivery for administrators and teachers?

Foster (2007) points out how Second Life has taken college campuses by storm. Since its development in 2003, professors and college students have flocked to the virtual world of Second Life. Second Life is used to hold distance-education classes, and professors state that communication among students becomes livelier when they assume digital personalities. In Second Life, students can create digital personalities known as avatars to reflect their own personalities and interests. More than 150 colleges in the United States and 13 other countries currently have a presence in Second Life. Although some faculty and staff members are skeptical of the digital world's value, the number of virtual campuses keeps growing. The question for school districts is whether staff development provided in this manner will show promise in use for on-going staff development for teachers.

The Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), in 2007 , recommended the development of virtual environment charter schools because of the chance to both motivate students and provide access to the best teachers for students. MUVEs, according to SREB, offer great promise in credit recovery and dropout prevention.

Perhaps the reason we should use this new technology for teachers’ staff development is to more closely align the world of teachers to the way our students communicate with each other and the way they multi-task and learn. This technology has the potential to move how we teach more quickly toward how this generation of students learns best.

References

Foster, A. L. (2007). Professor avatar: In the digital universe of second life, classroom
instruction also takes on a new personality. Chronicle of Higher Education, 54(4), p24.

Southern Regional Education Board, Atlanta, GA. (2007). Five academic reasons why state
virtual schools are important to your state. Southern Regional Education Board (SREB)
4 pp.