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2 Learning & Leading with Technology | November 2010

Learning & Leading with

Technology (L&L, ISSN

1082-5754) is published

eight times a year by the

International Society for

Technology in Education

(ISTE), 180 W. 8th Ave.,

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Subscriptions are $54

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Education, Education

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Abstracts.

contentsFEATURES

Member of:

PAGE 10

Find out how one school system achieveddistrictwide technology integration through anongoing professional development program that

encouraged its teachers to learn and lead together.

Culture of CollaborationBrenda McCombs

Taming the ChaosDoug Johnson

PAGE 20

Is technology diverting your students attentionaway from classroom instruction? Learn touse those entertaining devices to engage andchallenge young minds.

Taming the Chaos

Lessons from New ZealandArlene Borthwick, Mike Charles, and Sarah McPherson

PAGE 14

Members of ISTEs Special Interest Group forTeacher Educators share perspectives on educationthat sparkle!
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Editorial

Editor ....................................................Kate Conley

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Columnists

Connected Classroom ................................ Glen Bull

Research Windows ......................Dale Niederhauser

Voices Carry ...................................Hilary Goldmann

Curriculum Specialists

Computer Science ........................ Chris Stephenson

World Languages ............................Kathryn S. LandICT ....................................................... Julie Lindsay

Language Arts .................... Julie Dueld, Lisa WahlMathematics ................................ Margaret L. Niess

Physical Education and Health ........... .... Ken Felker

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Social Studies ..................................... ...... Judy Britt

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November 2010 | Learning & Leading with Technology 3

Volume 38 Issue 3

Science

30 Looking for Wateron Mars

Brian Grigsby

Tip

33 Stop Making StudentsType Nonsensical URLsAdam Bellow

Multidisciplinary

34 Save the Worldwith Web 2.0Lauren Cifuentes, Zahira Merchant,

and Omer Faruk Vural

LEARNING CONNECTIONS

LEADING CONNECTIONS

4 ISTE at a Glance

Issue Oriented

5 Communicatingand Collaboratingfor Student SuccessAnita McAnear

Point/Counterpoint

6 Is It Time to Switchto Digital Textbooks?Meg Griffin and Michael Cady

8 Readers Respond

9 ISTE News

As I See IT

24 Tech Integration fromthe District PerspectiveLenny Schad

Bloggers Beat

27 What Do We MeanWhen We Say21st

Century Learning?Diana Fingal

Connected Classroom

28 The Always-ConnectedGenerationGlen Bull

46 Coming Next Issue

Student Profiles

47 Austin and Daniel Straub:Technology Is Not JustFun and Games forThese TeensDiana Fingal

ISTE in Action

48 Celebrating theFirst Class of ISTEsEmerging LeadersJennifer Ragan-Fore

Buyers Guide

42 Handheld GPSReceiversMaureen Yoder

English Language Arts

36 I Can See Me: Webcamsin the Classroom

Timothy J. Frey, Abby L. Houlton,and Elizabeth D. Gruis

Multidisciplinary

38 Teach Your Studentsto Share Using iCyteDavid Huston

Geography

40 Scribble Maps HelpsStudents VisualizeTheir WorldWanda Hill

PRODUCTS & SERVICES

44 Whats New
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The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE)is thepremier membership association for educators and education

leaders engaged in improving learning and teaching by advancing

the effective use of technology in PK12 and teacher education.

Governance |www.iste.org/boardEach year ISTE members elect outstanding educational leaders to a board of directors

that governs the organization with guidance from ISTEs strategic plan (www.iste.org/

strategic-plan).

Membership | www.iste.org/join

ISTE membership is a powerful and convenient way for teachers, administrators,

teacher educators, media specialists, technology coordinators, and other education

professionals to connect with peers, share the challenges and excitement of teaching,

and be part of a dynamic community that is leading the transformation of education.

ISTE 100 |www.iste.org/iste100ISTE 100 corporate members are select, forward-thinking corporations that share

ISTEs commitment to advancing education and work closely with educators inpursuit of that goal.

Ways to Connect

Special Interest Groups (SIGs) | www.iste.org/sigs

ISTE members can network with like-minded colleagues worldwide through SIGs

focused on groups such as administrators and teacher educators, or on topics

such as telelearning and handheld computing.

Affiliates |www.iste.org/affiliatesThe ISTE Affiliate Network connects nearly 90 regional organizations from around

the globe that share ISTEs vision, provide year-round professional development, and

connect ISTE to its members in a grassroots, tangible way.

ISTE Community Ning |www.iste-community.orgThe ISTE Community Ning is a year-round social network for members, affiliatedorganizations and groups, and educational leaders.

ISTE Connects |www.isteconnects.orgISTEs official blog provides a gateway to learning about and engaging with the world

of ed tech.

ISTE Island in Second Life |www.iste.org/secondlifeISTEs Second Life space is a venue for educators to network and learn from each other

about real-life education opportunities and best practices in Second Life.

Facebook |www.iste.org/facebookISTEs Facebook page features updates on current programs and projects and offers a

venue for online communication and collaboration among the ed tech community.

Twitter | www.iste.org/twitter

ISTEs official Twitter stream, @isteconnects, provides updates about ISTEs activities

and the field of ed tech to the greater education community.

Linked In |www.iste.org/linkedinThe ISTE Linked In group is a profession-focused network for educators to discuss

current trends, exchange ideas, and connect about career opportunities.

ISTE Wikispaces |www.iste.wikispaces.netISTEs wikis are a means for members to communicate, collaborate, and participate in

ISTE-related projects.

AdvocacyAdvocacy Toolkit |www.iste.org/advocacy/toolkitISTE has compiled a collection of stories, templates, starter kits, and other resources to

help you to make the case for ed tech.

U.S. Public Policy Objectives |www.iste.org/advocacy/public-policyISTE bases its public policy priorities on our members commitment to provide students

with the skills and tools they need to succeed in the 21st century.

Ed Tech Action Network (ETAN) |www.edtechactionnetwork.orgETAN provides an opportunity to make your voice heard by sending letters to national,

state, and local policy makers.

Publications

Learning & Leading with Technology (L&L)|www.iste.org/LLISTEs magazine provides practical ideas and forward-thinking examinations of

technology use in PK12. L&L is delivered to all members eight times a year.

Books and Courseware |www.iste.org/bookstoreISTEs materials are written by teachers, teacher educators, technology specialists,

and educational leaders at all levels who believe deeply in the potential of technology

to transform the learning environment.

ISTE Update|www.iste.org/updateISTEs monthly e-newsletter keeps members up to date on activities happening

throughout the organization.

Journal of Research on Technology in Education

(JRTE)|www.iste.org/jrteISTEs quarterly, peer-reviewed journal publishes high-quality research about the trends

and challenges of learning and teaching in the 21st century.

Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education

(JDLTE, formerly JCTE)|www.iste.org/jdlteISTEs SIG for Teacher Educators quarterly, peer-reviewed journal provides educational

technology research to educators of preservice and inservice teachers.

ISTE Daily Leader|www.iste.org/conference/dailyleaderProduced onsite each year at ISTEs conference and exposition, the Daily Leaderprovides attendees with the latest conference news and exhibit hall coverage.

ISTE Initiatives & Projects

ISTE Conference & Exposition |www.iste.org/conferenceISTEs annual conference and exposition (formerly known as NECC) is the place to

be for educators intent on being at the forefront of improving learning and teaching

by advancing the use of technology.

NETS |www.iste.org/netsISTE unveiled its updated NETS for Students (NETSS) in 2007, NETS for Teachers

(NETST) in 2008, and NETS for Administrators (NETSA) in 2009. The standards, now

used in every U.S. state and many countries, are credited with significantly influencing

expectations for students and creating targets of excellence related to technology.

Research & Evaluation |www.iste.org/researchISTEs Research and Evaluation Department advances learning and teaching by

developing, implementing, and disseminating cutting-edge research on educational

technology integration in education systems.

Professional Development Services |www.iste.org/profdevISTE provides a continuum of high-quality professional development opportunities keyed

to the NETS and organizational development services to improve learning and teaching

in PK12 education.

Webinars |www.iste.org/webinarsISTE offers popular webinars about strategies for integrating technology into curriculum

and other schoolwide activities.

at a glance

Learn more at www.iste.org

http://www.iste.org/strategic-planhttp://www.iste.org/joinhttp://www.iste.org/sigshttp://www.iste.org/affiliateshttp://www.iste.org/advocacy/public-policyhttp://www.iste.org/advocacy/public-policyhttp://www.iste.org/conferencehttp://www.iste.org/researchhttp://www.iste.org/strategic-planhttp://www.iste.org/webinarshttp://www.iste.org/profdevhttp://www.iste.org/researchhttp://www.iste.org/netshttp://www.iste.org/conferencehttp://www.iste.org/conference/dailyleaderhttp://www.iste.org/jdltehttp://www.iste.org/jrtehttp://www.iste.org/updatehttp://www.iste.org/bookstorehttp://www.iste.org/LLhttp://www.edtechactionnetwork.org/http://www.iste.org/advocacy/public-policyhttp://www.iste.org/advocacy/toolkithttp://www.iste.org/http://www.iste.wikispaces.net/http://www.iste.org/linkedinhttp://www.iste.org/twitterhttp://www.iste.org/facebookhttp://www.iste.org/secondlifehttp://www.isteconnects.org/http://www.iste-community.org/http://www.iste.org/affiliateshttp://www.iste.org/sigshttp://www.iste.org/iste100http://www.iste.org/joinhttp://www.iste.org/strategic-planhttp://www.iste.org/board


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For a variety of reasons, the category of

communication and collaboration appearsto be the easiest of the NETS to meet. Car-

olyn Sykora, project manager for ISTEs NETSSeal of Alignment program, says that manyeducators focus on communication and collabo-ration early in their professional development. Itappears to be an accessible and tangible standardto unpack.Educators and students use theseskills in their personal lives and in their profes-sional or academic careers.is makes design-ing learning activities to build communicationand collaboration skills easier than those tied to

other NETS. New tools also ensure that activitiescan be creative and fun as well as ecient, eec-tive, and relevant to other content standards.

A districtwide focus on communication andcollaboration seems to pay obig. Some type ofcommunication and collaboration plan appearedin almost every submission for the Sylvia CharpAward for districts that were innovative and ef-fective in applying technology. Applications fo-cused on a range of communication approaches,from administrator blogs to professional learn-ing communities and online interactive commu-nication systems for parents.

In her article A Culture of Collaboration(see page 10), Brenda McCombs illustrates howimportant collaboration is to a digital age educa-tion and what fantastic learning gains happenwhen both students and staare focused onsharing what they know.

Kannapolis City Schools is a model of commu-nication and collaboration. Administrators creat-ed a vision and communicated it to teachers, who

then collaborated to develop lessons. Teachers

assisted each other to develop technology skillsand modeled the use of digital age tools for com-municating and collaborating. Lesson planningwas student centered and focused on developinghigher-order thinking skills using digital agetools. A little mandating also helps, but teacherswent far beyond the required 10 minutes of techuse a day.

If you are looking for resources to improveyour communication and collaboration plan,check out the four webinars produced for theISTE/TIE Colorado Leadership Bootcamp

(http://sites.google.com/site/leadershipboot-camp/pre-conference-events). e purpose ofthe bootcamp was to build understanding, fa-cilitate conversations, and develop a frameworkfor change around communication and collabo-ration practices as described in ISTEs NETS.e four virtual events that occurred before thebootcamp are archived and available for viewing.e webinars cover how to amplify, customize,and maximize personal learning networks aswell as the policy strategies and challenges thatcome with using tools for communication andcollaboration.

Sharing assessment data through your districtcommunication and collaboration channels isgood. But, as education and parenting expertAle Kohn reminds us, keep the communicationand collaboration focused on students desire tolearn byguring out what motivates individualstudents and encouraging curiosity as well asdiscovery and understanding. Resist turningchildren into data.

Communicating and Collaboratingfor Student Success

By Anita McAnea

SUEORIENTED

Anita McAnear is

L&Ls acquisitionseditor and program

chair for ISTEs annua

conference and exposi-

tion. A former middle

school math and

language arts teacher,

McAnear has been

with ISTE since 1983.

Communicating and Collaboratingfor Student Success

ISUOR
http://sites.google.com/site/leadershipbootcamp/pre-conference-eventshttp://sites.google.com/site/leadershipbootcamp/pre-conference-eventshttp://sites.google.com/site/leadershipbootcamp/pre-conference-eventshttp://sites.google.com/site/leadershipbootcamp/pre-conference-eventshttp://sites.google.com/site/leadershipbootcamp/pre-conference-events


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Yes

POINT/COUNTER

POINT

It is time to re-examine our think-ing about students needs and how we can bestserve them. Digital books are excellent resources,

as are online databases and authoritative infor-mation sites. However, a digital textbook is onlybetter than a standard printed one in that it canhelp lighten students backpacks. In terms of themost ecient delivery of education, it is a weaksolution. We are already failing to meet studentsneeds by spending a semester reading through acommercially produced, static, printed textbook.Putting that same textbook in a digital format isnot an improvement.

A major criticism of the standard classroom text-book is that it seldom pro-

vides fascinating reading. Infact, it usually provides a veryuninspiring experience forstudents. I have never heardstudents suggest that text-books gave them a passionfor the subject or encouragedthem to become lifelonglearners of history, literature,or science. Sadly, a textbook

No

Every day, educators must choosethe tools they will use to teach their students.Pencils, highlighters, Animoto, Glogsterthe op-tions seem endless. So should we use e-texts ortraditional texts?e larger question is how our

students will be writing and reading in their fu-ture. What tools most closely resemble the toolsthey are likely to use? Are we educating studentsfor their future or for our past? When the ques-tion is framed this way, the answer becomes clear.Education denitely should be making the moveto digital texts now.

One reason for moving to e-texts now rather thanlater is student engagementand buy-in. Digital readerswill engage todays studentsand connect education to

their everyday lives. Get-ting some students to open atextbook or even rememberto bring it home can oen bemore than half the battle. Butmany of those same studentsare accustomed to travelingMeg Grifn

Michael Cady

Is It Time to Switch to

Digital Textbooks?


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to ask is: Are we using textbooksdigital or paperbecause they are themost ecient way we have to help ourstudents learn, or are we using thembecause we are most comfortable withthem? We ask our students to learnsomething new every day, and that iswhat we should be doing right alongwith them.

Michael Cady teaches IB History and isthe International Baccalaureate coordina-

tor at Ironwood High School in Glendale,

Arizona, where he tries to keep up with his

students and the continuing progress of edu-

cational technology. He has been a classroom

teacher for more than 36 years.

is oen the learners rst contact withour subject, and if it is not engaging, italso becomes the last.

Textbooks are commercial prod-ucts. ey are designed to be soldto large school districts, and theyseldom make fascinating reading forour students. At the same time, everyonline and brick-and-mortar book-store in the country sells hundreds ofgood reads about, for example, U.S.history. Would any history bupaymore than $100 to buy a typical highschool history text when faced with somany more interesting and aordablealternatives? I dont think so. We needto do better. We need to give studentsthe best of what we have, and I dontbelieve the textbook is our best, espe-cially for todays students.

I began my teaching career in aworld where the most technologicallyadvanced tool we had was a slideprojector that beeped when it wastime to move ahead on the lm roll.

We have much better tools availableto us today, and we should use them.Its time to move into the digitalworld, but putting a lot of energyand expense into a digital version ofa textbook is, at best, only a halfwaymeasure. Anything that we can dowith a textbookdigital or paperwe can accomplish in a more engag-ing and ecient manner with more

creative educational tools and onlineresources.

Of course, using more online data-bases and resources may require somechanges on our part. We need to seri-ously consider such questions as: Howcan I teach without a textbook? Howwill I know what to teach? How willthe students do their homework? Butthe most important question we need

with their digital appendages, includ-ing cell phones, cameras, iPods, MP3players, and video cameras. Imaginestudents having their textbooks withthem wherever they go.

Perhaps a more educationallycompelling reason is that e-textssupport differentiation and move uscloser to individualized education. Adigital text can easily allow for text-to-speech, pronunciation guides,and vocabulary support for studentswho are reading below grade level.For English language learners, adigital textbook can couple transla-tions or language support with theEnglish text. And for gifted students,

digital textbooks provide opportuni-ties for enrichment and self-exten-sion. In all of these examples, stu-dent learning and ownership of theirlearning are increased. How can webetter achieve the goal of inspiringlifelong learners than by instilling

pride and self-determination fortheir learning?

Finally, a text that is interactiveand up to date is innitely more ap-pealing than a dusty old tome. Tra-ditional texts are necessarily linear,even with graphics. For many of ourstudents, this type of text creates dif-culties in reading, comprehension,and motivation. Interactive text,however, allows for more chunkingof information and greater graphic

scaolding of comprehension as wellas active audio and visual support.Updates are also as close as the nextupload. No longer do districts haveto wait until the next edition is avail-able. How many classrooms still havescience textbooks that count Pluto

as a planet? Changes in science andhistory occur in seconds. Changes intraditional texts take years.

Obviously, digital textbooks are closerto our students future than not. Arethere concerns with moving to digitaltexts? Of course. But there are legitimateissues with traditional texts as well. In-stead of using these concerns as reasonsfor not moving forward, let us discoverthe solutions. It is time to move forwardand adapt. If not now, when?

Meg Griffin is a fourth grade teacher in

the Central Bucks School District in Bucks

County, Pennsylvania. She is also the chair

of the Discovery Educator Network Penn-

sylvania Leadership Council. She presents

frequently at national, state, and local edu-

cation conferences.

Its time to move into the digital world, but putting a lot of energy and

expense into a digital version of a textbook is, at best, only a halfway

measure. Anything that we can do with a textbook we can accomplish

in a more engaging and efcient manner with online resources.

A text that is interactive and up to date is innitely more appealing than a

dusty old tome.... Interactive text allows for more chunking of information

and greater graphic scaffolding of comprehension as well as active audio

and visual support.

POINT/COUNTERPOINT |

To contribute to this and future discussions, go

L&Ls group page on the ISTE Community Ning

at www.iste-community.org/groups/landl.
http://www.iste-community.org/groups/landl


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READERSrespond

Is It Time to Switch to Digital Textbooks?Most respondents believe the benefits of replacing paper textbooks

with their digital counterparts outweigh issues of effort and cost.

POLL RESULTS

Train for the Future, Not the Past

Keeping technology out of the hands ofstudents and encouraging print-basedresources is like training students forlife 20 years ago. By incorporating theintegration of online resources, stu-dents have opportunities to explore

many dierent aspects of a lesson ortopic, empowering them to take con-trol of their own learning. Movingto online textbooks requires a trans-formation in teaching and learning,however. It would have to be part of awhole reformation as opposed to sim-ply trading in large paper volumes for auser ID and password.

Julie Morgenthal

Technology Director

Phoenix, Arizona

To Each His OwnI think students should have the op-tion to choose. I have talked to kids1618 years old who spend half theirwaking hours texting friends or onMySpace and Facebook. Most stillprefer to have an actual book for read-ing or studying.

Lori Reed

Comment on ISTEs Facebook page

Anytime, Anywhere

e real beauty of an electronic book isversatility. It can be read on desktops,laptops, mobile phones, and e-readers.By trading in our heavy textbooks, weencourage publishers to commit to thetransition and expose our students tonew forms of media and technology.

Elayne Evans

Graduate Research Assistant

Western Oregon University

Monmouth, Oregon

Set Learning Free

Textbook alternatives are a way to freeteachers from a script and bring in moreworthwhile models of pedagogy. Accessto information and knowledge, in com-bination with the ability to collaborateand create, is the tenor of student voice.

Yancy UngerLearning Technologies

Indiana Department of Education

Bedford, Indiana

If You Cant Beat Them, Join Them

If students are told they can use theirdevices in the classroom as part of theclassroom experience, we might beginto put a dent in the text/e-mail/Face-book action that goes on whether wewant it to or not. And if students are us-ing a medium with which they are very

familiar, they would likely be more opento reading about a subject with whichthey are not particularly familiar.

Christina M. Homann

Adjunct Instructor

Royersford, Pennsylvania

Slow Reading Movement

ere are two reasons people read: togain information and to enjoy the ex-perience. Should we forfeit the bookexperience, as we relegate culinaryappreciation to something children

acquire a taste for on their own later inlife? Reading a book is as useful as learn-ing to handwrite thank-you notes, sentthrough regular mail. Its inecient, feelsarchaic, and costs money, yet it redeemsboth the writer and the reader by what isimplicit in the medium.

Steve Covello

Graduate Student in Instructional Design

Syracuse, New York

Progress and Productivity

e expense of going digital is the trade-

oyou must make when contemplatingany change, especially in education.Look at the move from [slate] boardsand chalk to paper and ink pens, orfrom slide rules to calculators. We areteaching digital natives who have noproblems with any technology we givethem. But our students keep falling fur-ther down that list in the world commu-nity rankings, which makes no sense.Lets make them productive citizens inthe world they will have to work in.

Kathy MalaskaTechnology Trainer

Swedesboro, New Jersey

The Time Has Finally Arrived

I have worked in soware developmentfor educational publishers for over 19years and have built several platformsto augment textbook study. Most of themajor textbook companies have oeredthese products without much adoptionsince 2001. e issue was device re-lated.e PC is designed as a produc-

tivity device rather than as a [content]consumption device. Until recently,devices were not sophisticated enoughto support the rich pedagogical experi-ence of the four-color textbook. Butthis all changed with the Apple iPad.For the rst time, I feel that we have aroad to the completion of this vision.

Jonathan Stowe

CEO and Cofounder, Floa

L&L wants your opinion!

Send comments [email protected].

Participate in our reader poll atwww.iste.org/LL.

Yes

75%

No

25%
http://www.iste.org/LLmailto:[email protected]


11/52

newsSIGMS Releases Advocacy Statement

ISTEs Special Interest Group forMedia Specialists (SIGMS) has

released an advocacy statementto provide information about therole that librarians play in pro-moting the use of educationaltechnologies in schools.e statement is available on

the SIGMS wiki at http://sigms.iste.wikispaces.net/advocacy.e SIGMS Executive AdvocacyCommittee drew up the documentat the request of the Ed Tech Action

Network (ETAN) to help librarians and other library stakeholders advocate

for adequate technology in schools.


ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/MORDOLFF

ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/LIS

AFX

ISTE Books Going Global

Indonesian publisher PT Indeks has purchased Malay language rights to twoISTE titles: Global Education and Web 2.0 How-To for Educators. e translationswill be published within the next year.

Additionally, these three ISTE titles will soon be available in German: Web2.0: New Tools, New Schools; Reinventing Project-Based Learning; and Safe Prac-tices for Life Online. Web 2.0: New Tools, New Schools is also available in Korean.

School 2.0 Site Adds New Resources

ISTE has added approximately 230new resources to the eToolkit on theSchool 2.0 website (http://etoolkit.org),which is designed to help with strate-gic planning related to eective educa-tional technology integration.e site now has more than 700 free

resources in ve sections:

e Learning Ecosystempresents a variety of education and managementscenarios for using technology throughout the education enterprise.e Leadership Resourcessection is designed to help leaders create their

education visions.e Reflection Tool has a needs assessment for three roles: principals (based

on the Consortium for School Networkings standards).e Bandwidth Plannerhelps schools and districts plan bandwidth needs, de-

mysties bandwidth for nontechnical educators, and bridges the knowledge gapbetween educators and technologists to improve strategic technology planning.e Transformation Toolkitprovides meeting facilitation techniques, templates, and

activities that enable a broad range of stakeholders to engage in conversations that

support strategic planning for education and technology.

Tell Us What You Think

Have you checked out the new ISTE websiyet? e site launched in September withimproved navigation, more interactivity, anan updated look and feel.e website allows you to engage with

education leaders worldwide on ISTE Conects, nd NETS resources, easily access aISTE communities, learn more about IST

authors in the books section, comment onarticles published in L&L, share informa-tion with your friends, and purchase morresources, such as webinars, in our store.

Wed love to hear what you think andhow the site can be even better. Go to wwiste.org and take a look at the site and thee-mail your comments to [email protected].
http://sigms.iste.wikispaces.net/advocacyhttp://sigms.iste.wikispaces.net/advocacyhttp://etoolkit.org/http://etoolkit.org/http://etoolkit.org/http://www.iste.org/mailto:[email protected]://www.iste.org/http://www.iste.org/mailto:[email protected]://www.iste.org/http://sigms.iste.wikispaces.net/advocacymailto:[email protected]://www.iste.org/http://etoolkit.org/http://sigms.iste.wikispaces.net/advocacy


12/52

Culture of Collaboration


By Brenda McCombs


13/52


In 2003, the graduates of Kannapo-lis (North Carolina) City Schoolsreceived an abrupt introduction to

the realities of the 21st century whenthe textile mills that had been themainstay of our community for 100

years disappeared, along with theguaranteed jobs for all residents witha will and a strong back. It was oneof the largest mass layos in NorthCarolina history.

We were one of the lucky towns,however. Billionaire David Murdockpurchased the site of the CannonMills plant at auction the followingyear and began developing the NorthCarolina Research Campus, a private-public venture created to foster col-

laboration and advancements in theelds of biotechnology, nutrition, andhealth. Our economy was restored,but it was entirely dierent from theone we had known and required avery dierent skill set.

As a result, we were forced torethink the future for our children.How could we prepare our studentsfor success in the 21st century?

It All Starts with PD

We knew we would need help to an-swer that question. So three principalsand I (the district technology direc-tor) attended a nine-day leadershipseminar at the North Carolina De-partment of Public Instruction withfunding from an IMPACTgrant (oneof the competitive Enhancing Educa-tion through Technology grants) wereceived in 2008. We learned aboutbeing change agents, facilitating col-laborative planning, implementingexible scheduling, using alternativeassessments to evaluate both teach-ers and student work, and identifyingWeb 2.0 tools for administrative andinstructional tasks.e most potent part of the pro-

gram, however, was the discussiontime, when we were able to shareour visions, ideas, fears, and plansfor the future of our district. From

these discussions arose a passionatedetermination to create a technology-

infused environment where studentsactively engage in their learning. Andcollaboration, we knew, would have tobe a big part of the equation.

As a rst step, we implemented astrategic plan that began with a dy-namic professional development (PD)program for our teachers and admin-istrators that would ultimately lead tounprecedented collaboration amongboth staand students.e PD program itself was a model

of collaboration. We created an initialplanning team ofve to six teachersfrom each school who were not onlytechnology users, but also teacherleaders. We trained these tech-savvystamembers, whom we dubbed theVanguard Team, at a faster pace andused them as a test group to determinewhich topics were valuable for the PDprogram, which topics didnt need tobe included, and which sessions wewould need to revise before we pre-

sented them to the rest of the sta.We tapped the Vanguard Team to

become trainers for the other teachersduring a summer PD program and toassist their colleagues throughout theschool year. Team members providedengaging, hands-on sessions in whichthey modeled the skills they wereteaching. Each Monday, the otherteachers entered the workshop grum-bling under their breath about how itwas a waste of time and not very use-ful in their particular situations. Butby the end of the week, the VanguardTeam had invariably won them over,and they were ready to begin teachingin a whole new way.

On the rst day of the PD program,each teacher received a laptop, projec-tor, interactive whiteboard, and ashdrive to ensure equitable access.eyimmediately began networking their

laptops with DVD players, interactivewhiteboards, projectors, document

cameras, and Flip cameras so theywould be more comfortable helpingeach other with basic technical support.rough discussion and role play,

they discovered what collaborationlooks like both in their own plan-ning sessions and in student-centeredlearning.ey also learned about theirprincipals expectations for technol-ogy use and built their curriculumframework by composing questionsthat would encourage their students to

use higher-order thinking along withdigital resources, such as videos andwikis. ey discussed how assessmentwould change in a technology-infusedclassroom and explored using studentresponse systems to get immediatefeedback.

Later in the week, the teachersselected an educational technologytool or topic from a menu of options,such as teaching with Web 2.0 tools,working with PhotoStory3 and MovieMaker in the classroom, or designinga webpage to organize class resources.e Vanguard Team encouragedthem to come up with something thatwould wow their students on therst day of school.

By Friday, they had a vision for en-gaging their students attention and aplan for how they could immediatelyimplement strategies in their class-rooms. As we moved into the schoolyear, this exciting initial planningmodel helped maintain the digital ageenvironment that the principals hadrst envisioned.

Living the Training

e Vanguard Teams next task was tohelp our teachers understand how tofunction as a collaborative profession-al learning community throughout theyear. ey encouraged each teacher

Collaborative planninghas become a cornerstone of our districts

approach to instruction.


14/52


to prepare at least one lesson collab-oratively with another teacher whowas not in their subject area and thencome up with one curriculum objec-tive to share (e.g., I create PowerPointgames, you do student response quiz-

zes, and we share both).e high school teachers designed a

joint activity that involved integratingthe 2008 presidential election into ev-ery subject area using technology-richactivities centered on the needs andabilities of the students. For example,the English as a second languagestudents researched online what theywould need to do to become a citizen,then worked together to create visualpresentations. Students enrolled in

science classes conducted online re-search to determine the candidatesstands on environmental issues. ecareer technology education classesused computer-aided design (CAD)soware to create voting booths, andthe art classes made campaign postersstating their candidates position oncultural arts. Aer a mock election,the math classes compiled the votesand analyzed the demographic statis-tics that the voters provided. Students

and staalike were engaged in thisschoolwide activity, and administra-tors noted that the students were moreinterested in the real-life elections as aresult of this collaborative project.

During regular daylong collabora-tive planning sessions, teacher leadersprovide mini-lessons that highlightnew technologies they have used intheir classrooms since the last plan-ning session. Others share successesand challenges they have experiencedwhile making the transition from merelecturers to facilitators of classroominstruction. Some teachers have evendeveloped their own online profes-sional learning networks and connectwith educational consultants throughSkype, Twitter, and Facebook to bringnew ideas to the group. rough thisprocess, we have all become less isolat-ed and more comfortable with sharing

teaching strategies and asking eachother for suggestions.

All teachers have implemented newtechnologies, but some have becomemore procient than others. For ex-ample, some teachers have mastered

the use of student response systems,but others still need professional de-velopment to see the possibilities forcollecting immediate student dataand to use clickers to collect it. Weaccomplish this with a new kind ofteacher leadership in which the tech-savvy help out the not-so-savvy. eteachers have compiled lists, bothformal and informal, of the teacherleaders who can be called on to assistwith the use of a new technology in a

classroom for the rst time, and theyplan these co-taught lessons duringtheir planning sessions.e teachers are on re about using

their newfound skills and have greatlyexceeded our request that they usetechnology for 10 minutes a day. Eventhe new stamembers who missedthe initial summer technology train-ing have done amazingly well, becausethey have learned on the job with as-sistance from the Vanguard Team and

other teacher leaders.

Tools That Make a Difference

It is now an expectation that every-one shares all resources, instructionalplans, and insights. During the col-laborative planning sessions, teachersuse Google Talk and Skype for instantmessaging and giving immediatefeedback. Between sessions, we keepup the collaboration via Google Talk,Skype, and on Nings, and we docu-

ment all resources on wikis and blogs.Most staare now comfortable withall of these tools aer using themthroughout the year.

We are also using Google Apps,such as Calendar, Docs, Forms, andSites, to improve communicationwithin the school district as well aswith students and their parents. Forinstance, teachers wanting assistance

from the Vanguard coaches sign upon a Google Form. And several ofour schools have schoolwide iGooglepages where teachers can access allimportant and relevant information(laptop schedules, announcements,

etc.) in one spot.We have increased our focus on

the use of student data in planning-session discussions, and we have ex-panded the use of student responsesystems in many classrooms to produceinstant, accurate feedback as one sourceof data for the planning sessions. Teach-er leaders provide assistance for thosewho need further help with this newformative assessment style. We also useSurveyMonkey to gather information

from teachers and administrators aboutPD topics, which we then use for plan-ning and validation.

Keeping It Going

We were oto a good start. But howdo you keep the passion for student-centered learning owing? Becausewe have administrative support andconsistent and adequate funding forPD, we will be able to hire substitutesand continue the daylong collabora-

tive planning sessions even aer thegrant expires.

Aer more than two years of thisprogram, collaborative planning hasbecome a cornerstone of our districtsapproach to instruction. ough wehave always valued teamwork, we havenow created signicant time in ourschedule to allow for lengthy, ongoing,frequent, and well-supported plan-ning. We also trained three teachers tobe academic coachesa technologycoach, a media coach, and a literacycoachwho serve as models for ourstaand encourage, support, and ad-vocate for teachers as they implementtechnology-rich strategies.

Stamembers have fully embracedour new culture of collaboration, andeven those who once complainedabout mandatory PD have come tocount on the planning days.

Students are so excited about what they can accomplish nowthat they want to incorporate technology into everything they do.


15/52


As the teachers engage in this new21st century style of collaboration,they have become better educatorscollectively, and their students haveenthusiastically met the new instruc-tional challenges we are giving them.Students are so excited about whatthey can accomplish now that they

want to incorporate technology intoeverything they do. ey insist onsharing it with their peers and anyoneelse who is willing to observe it. Bothstaand students exhibit a markedsense of pride and enthusiasm to trynew things.

Big ImprovementsThis table shows the percentage of students performing at grade level before and after we

implemented our professional development program.

Grade Reading Math

Before After Before After

Fifth 40.7% 61.4% 48.3% 67.2%

Sixth 45.9% 62.4% 55.4% 70.0%

Seventh 45.6% 58.0% 65.4% 83.1%

Eighth 45.4% 62.6% 56.3% 73.7%

And the results are evident in morethan just their attitudes. By the endof the rst year, test scores rose dra-matically. In our middle schools, thepercentage of students performing atgrade level in both reading and mathincreased an average of 17% (see BigImprovements). Our district has also

met 80 out of 81 of our adequate year-ly progress results for 200910.

Although our grant funding willend in December 2011, we are con-dent that we will be able to maintainthis systemic change. Seeing the dif-ference this has made for our students

is all the proof our teachers needto maintain the strong professionallearning community we have builttogether.

ResourcesGoogle Apps for K12 Education: www.google.

com/a/help/intl/en/edu/k12.html

IMPACT Grant information: www.ncwiseowl.

org/impact/igrant/

Kannapolis City Schools Training Materials:

www.kannapolis.k12.nc.us/impact/instruc-

tional_design.htm

North Carolina Research Campus:

www.ncresearchcampus.net

Brenda McCombs is the direc-

tor of technology for Kannapo-

lis City Schools. She has taught

for the North Carolina Teach-er Academy and has presented

at state, regional, and interna-

tional conferences. She is also

a certied Mimio Master and Palm Education

Training Coordinator as well as a Sallie Mae

First Year Teacher award winner.

NETST Certification is an online professional development

program developed and accredited by James Madison Univer-

sity and fully aligned with ISTEs National Educational Tech-

nology Standards for Teachers. You can now demonstrate

mastery of technology integration and obtain graduate credit,

at your own pace, within a virtual community of practice.

Also available for licensing by schools/ districts

Since 2003, many districts have integrated our NETST Certifi-

cation into their PD and recertification programs.

Where do you stand? Take our free surveys at

jamesmadisoneducation.com

Phone: 1-877-343-2302 (toll free)

Email: [email protected]

Integrating

21st Century Skills

Through

NETST Certification

Are you NETST Certified yet?

James Madison University, JMU and the James MadisonLogo are registered tradmarks of James Madison Univeristyused under license.
http://www.google.com/a/help/intl/en/edu/k12.htmlhttp://www.kannapolis.k12.nc.us/impact/instructional_design.htmhttp://www.kannapolis.k12.nc.us/impact/instructional_design.htmhttp://www.ncresearchcampus.net/http://www.google.com/a/help/intl/en/edu/k12.htmlhttp://www.ncwiseowl.org/impact/igrant/http://www.ncwiseowl.org/impact/igrant/http://www.kannapolis.k12.nc.us/impact/instructional_design.htmhttp://www.ncresearchcampus.net/http://jamesmadisoneducation.com/http://www.google.com/a/help/intl/en/edu/k12.htmlhttp://www.ncwiseowl.org/impact/igrant/mailto:[email protected]://jamesmadisoneducation.com/http://www.ncresearchcampus.net/http://www.kannapolis.k12.nc.us/impact/instructional_design.htmhttp://www.kannapolis.k12.nc.us/impact/instructional_design.htmhttp://www.ncwiseowl.org/impact/igrant/http://www.google.com/a/help/intl/en/edu/k12.html


16/52


The SIGTE study group. Front row (left to right): Sarah McPherson, Holli Buck, Arlene Borthwick, Linda Forrest, Karen Gotimer,

Ginger Seeley, and Jos Hernndez; second row (left to right): Matt Tippen (CORE Education), Ann Cunningham, Mia Kim Williams,

Eleanor Binstock, George Lipscomb (standing), Mike Charles, and Alexis Torres.

British author Matt Ridley re-minds us that innovation is acollective enterprise that relies

on exchange and that the process ofcumulative innovation is achievedthrough a global exchange of ideas.

It was in this spirit that we travelednearly 8,000 miles for the opportu-nity to swap ideas about learning andteaching with our fellow educators inNew Zealand. While we were there, wevisited schools in Auckland and Christ-church and had the opportunity totalk with administrators, teachers, andstudents. We also participated in theLearning@School Conference in Ro-torua and met with teacher educationfaculty from the University of Auck-land and the University of Canterbury.

In late February, 13 members of

ISTEs Special Interest Group

for Teacher Educators (SIGTE)

participated in a global exchange,

traveling to New Zealand on a

SIG-sponsored study tour hosted

by CORE Education (www.core-

ed.org), a nonprot research and

development organization that

supports the use of educational

technology across New Zealand

through professional development,consulting, and education events.

The SIGTE study group included

teachers, university faculty, and

corporate employees from the

United States and Puerto Rico.

This article is the rst installment

of a three-part series presenting

lessons they learned from their

colleagues down under.

Lessons from New Zealand

competencies were in the teachingand learning we observed in everyschool.ese key competencies are:

inking Using language, symbols, and texts Managing self Relating to others Participating and contributing

At Fendalton Open-air (Primary)

School (www.fendalton.school.nz) inChristchurch, we were immediatelyimpressed by a graphic of the key com-petencies (see Taking Action to Make aDierence on page 16) displayed withthese elements that Fendalton added:

inker Communicator Team player

Reecting on our learning from thevisit, we identied three key themes:

21st century skills in the New Zea-land key competencies

Learning communities, literacydevelopment, and technologyintegration

Distributed leadership for achiev-ing student, sta, and community

learningIn this article, we focus on our rst

theme. In two upcoming issues ofL&L,well share more about the others.

Key Competencies

As we visited schools and their web-sites, we became aware of how promi-nent the Ministry of Educations keyIS

TOCKPHOTO.C

OM/ARTEFY
http://www.coreed.org/http://www.coreed.org/http://www.fendalton.school.nz/http://www.fendalton.school.nz/http://www.coreed.org/http://www.coreed.org/


17/52


By Arlene Borthwick, Mike Charles, and Sarah McPherson

Dream maker Sparkle and belonging (at the center)

Principal Paul Sibson explained thatsparkle is what makes each childspecial or unique. e school evenhas a sparkling star embedded in onearea of its playground as a representa-tion of this attribute. e key com-petencies and Fendaltons approach

to makes a di

erence learning(www.fendalton.school.nz/mad.php)through inquiry-oriented projectsreect a student-centered approach todeveloping skills akin to those in theFramework for 21st Century Learning(www.21stcenturyskills.org), includingcommunication and collaboration, ini-tiative and self-direction, and produc-tivity and accountability. For example,

Fendalton students are investigatingwhether iPads or laptops are more use-ful tools in their classrooms and whichtechnology the school should purchasefor the coming year.e government requires schools in

New Zealand to have a student man-agement system, and Fendalton createdits own. e schools website links toa video of Principal Sibson explaining

the use of learning reportsformativeassessments that students can under-stand, explain, and use for goal set-ting. e online digital format enablesstudents to share their learning, allowsfor parental feedback and involvement,and lets students comment on theirown and other students learning. isapproach gives students ownership of

their learning with informed supportfrom parents and others.

Vision for Learning

Ilam School, also located in Christ-church, is a primary school with themotto Celebrating Achievement, Cel-ebrating Diversity. e student bodyrepresents more than 30 cultural andnational backgrounds, and the schoolscharter references Te reo Mori, thelanguage of New Zealands indigenouspopulation. At Ilam School, we had alengthy conversation with PrincipalLyn Bird, who recently completed herdoctoral dissertation on student self-regulated learning.e schools vision focuses on the

development of lifelong learners who

Fendalton students participate in collaborative inquiry and action planning as part of

the making a difference approach to learning.

Fendalton Open-air School embedded

a star in its playground to represent the

attribute sparkle, an element that the

school added at the center of New

Zealands key competencies.

ISTEs Special Interest Group for Teacher Educators share perspectives on education that sparkle!
http://www.fendalton.school.nz/mad.phphttp://www.fendalton.school.nz/mad.phphttp://www.fendalton.school.nz/mad.phphttp://www.21stcenturyskills.org/http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/http://www.fendalton.school.nz/mad.php


18/52


This graphic is an adaptation of a diagram on display at Fendalton Open-air School in Christchurch that outlines New Zealands

key competencies. The two inner circles contain additional key elements added by Fendalton.

TAKING ACTION TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

RESPONSIBILITY AND RESPECT FOR OURSELVES, OTHERS, AND ENVIRONMENT

Thinker

To do

English/science/technology

Communicator

Is informativeand imaginative

Using Language, Symbols,and Texts

Uses tools for understanding the worldCan produce written, spoken,and visual texts

Interprets and uses words, numbers, images, movement,metaphor, and technologies in a range of contexts

Uses mathematical, scientific,and technological language

Uses formal and informallanguage appropriately

Dream Maker

Social studies/health/PE

Has a can-do attitude

Understands the need to balance rights, roles, and responsibilities

Managing Self

Relating to OthersParticipating and Contributing

Makes plans

Has a sense of personal identity

Sets high standards

Is resilient

Can overcome hurdles

Is resourceful

Knows when and how to makewell-informed choices

Has awareness of theeffects of words andactions on others

Acts appropriately

Participates and contributes

Recognises others points of view

Negotiates

Shares ideas

Explores new concepts

Contributes to the economic and environmental well-being of society

Knows she has a place in the world

Takes an active role locally, nationally, and globally

Responsible risk taker

Self-responsible

Intrapersonal

Persevering

Self-motivational

To be

Inquirer

Creator

Can put things into practice

Transfers ideas

Analyses

Futurist

Innovator

Flexible

English/mathematics/arts/languagesTeam Player

Openness

Values and celebrates diversity

Participator and contributor

Collaborates and cooperates

Respects

Social Studies/Health/PE

To live togetherTo know

Meaning maker

Multiliterate

Supp

ort

Sparkleand

Belonging

Fun loving Positive

Passionate Lifelong learner

Relationship

Challenge

Uses creative, critical, and logical processes to makesense of and question information and experiences

Thinking

Asks questions

Researches

Challenges ideas

Reflects on their own learning

Develops skills

Evaluates

Organises


19/52


Together, we can transform educationto ensure learning for all.

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21stCENTU

RYCLASS

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Visit solution-tree.com

to discover a network of

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Join our growing community

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the latest news you can use

in the eld.

are innovative, condent, and resil-ient. Both students and teachers areinvolved in inquiry approaches tolearning.e schools website notesthat inquiry learning provides thecontext for students to investigate

authentic problems and develop con-nections and understandings of theirworld. A recent year-long theme thatstudents identied was sustainability,with opportunities to learn to com-post, plant gardens, and test waterquality.e schools focus on learningcommunities also includes a philoso-phy of teaching as inquiry and astructured plan for teacher reectionin learning circles throughout theschool year. Key conversations revolve

around monitoring student progressusing e-portfolios that include studentwork samples and their annotations.

Students at Ilam have the oppor-tunity to become Teke Angels whoprovide technology support and fa-cilitate the CHILL (Children Leadingtheir Learning) Expo, a two-day seriesof workshops led by students. egraphic on page 18 depicting tech-nology education at Ilam addressestechnology quite broadly, including

adaptation, innovation, and systemsdesign. is broader view is similarto that of a U.S. report released by theNational Academy of Engineering in2009 that encourages integrated in-quiry learning in K12 education.

Raising Student Achievement

e New Zealand Ministry of Educationis continually seeking ways to raise stu-dent achievement and reduce inequali-ties that may exist across schools. eoutcome is that New Zealand schoolsembrace the importance of valuing andprioritizing Mori language, customs,and traditions for all New Zealanders.Teaching and learning in all schoolsinclude acknowledgment of the Morilanguage, culture, and contribution toNew Zealands heritage. At the Learn-ing@School Conference, we noted thatseveral speakers rst greeted the audi-

ence in the Mori language before giv-ing their presentations in English as anacknowledgment of the importance ofMori culture in New Zealand.

Other initiatives include the recentrelease of National Standards for Lit-

eracy and Numeracy, the ministrysDigital Strategy, and funding of broad-band Internet connectivity in schools.e standards ensure that all students(K8) will achieve academic competen-cies in literacy and mathematics. e
http://solution-tree.com/http://solution-tree.com/http://solution-tree.com/


20/52

Socially

embedded

Environmental

impact

Computer

game

software

Citizenship

Nature of Technology

Outcomes have

related physical

and functional

natures

Technology

is invention

by design

Technology

calls on a

range of

disciplinesTrial and error

modifications

can inform

future outcomes

Societys

impacts on

technology

Technology

impacts on

society

Adaptation and

innovation are

at the heart of

technology

Selected Concepts

Protocol

Design principles

and approaches

Food

Structural

The relationship of

properties and uses

Quality outcomes

result from

thinking

Control

Development

of models,

products, and

systems

Future-Focused Themes

Possible ContextsGlobalisation

Ethics

Social

cohesion

SustainabilityEnterprise and

innovation

Economy

Critical

literacy

Toys

Graphics

and design

Paper and

paper products

Electronics

Protective

clothing

Arts (e.g.,

costumes,

props)

Food

technology

Cooking

Wearable

arts

Bicultural

and

multicultural

contexts

Taonga

Information and

communication

technologyInventors

and

inventions

Sports

(e.g., clothing

and equipment)

Packaging

Traps

Bridges

Hydroponics

Biotechnology

Games

Security

systems

Recycling

Worm

farms

Power

stations

Retail (e.g.,

supermarkets,

online shops)

Excellence Integrity

IIam Values

Key Competencies

in Technology

Embedded in every

technology lesson

l texts

ology

ention

esi

nce ts

Proto

rinciples

roaches

log

ve

ic

n

ut

l

an

Socially

outcomes

sult from

thinking

trol

Develop

of models,

products, and

stems

a

ietys

ec

da

ov

e

hnInteg

c

in Technologyy

es

impac s o

tec

Struc

The relations

properti

costu

rops)

in Technology

o

n

r

o

nf

ure

olo

ridges

Hyearable

arts

al

ural

contexts


This graphic, adapted from an image provided by Ilam School, is an overview of technology as one of New Zealands eight curriculum areas.

Technologyis intervention by design. It uses practical and intellectual resources to develop products

and systems that expand human possibilities by investigations addressing needs and realising opportunities.

Celebrating Achievement IIam School Celebrating Diversity

digital strategy goes beyond connec-tions to include technology competen-cies for creativity and collaboration.We learned that initial expenditures

for technology focused on professionaldevelopment with a Principals Firstinitiative in 1999. Next came a programfor teacher professional development

centered on information and com-munication technology (ICT) for cur-riculum integration.e commitmentof funding for broadband throughout


21/52


learning by New Zealand students ofall ages than we might nd in manyU.S. schools. We will also share withour colleagues and students innova-tive practices we saw that addresscharacter development for learning;teacher learning circles to support stu-dent progress; and school, home, andcommunity partnerships to enhancestudent success. We found our globallearning exchange both interestingand valuable, giving us new perspec-

tives on learning and teaching.e second article in this series

will feature ways we saw technologyused to empower student voices inthe classroom, in the community, andacross the world.

Arlene Borthwick is associatedean of the National College

of Education at National-

Louis University in Chicago

as well as a past president

of SIGTE.

Mike Charles is an associate

professor in the College of

Education at Pacic Univer-

sity in Oregon and a past

president of SIGTE.

Sarah McPherson is chair

of Instructional Technology

in the School of Education

at New York Institute of

Technology and the

president of SIGTE.

For teachers. For families. For excellence.From the non-profit

TeachersFirst.comThinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

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the country is indicative of a commit-ment to globalize education for NewZealand children and their families.

Takeaways

Our school visits provided a rsthandlook at New Zealands approach toleadership, teaching, and student ex-periences to build key competencies(http://keycompetencies.tki.org.nz/In-leading). Comparing and contrast-ing what we found in New Zealand

with what we nd in U.S. schoolsleads us to consider how we mightlike to re-vision K12 and preserviceteacher education for the 21st century.In general, we noted more whole-school planning for and implementa-tion of authentic and self-regulated

Our school visits provided a firsthand look at New Zealands approach toleadership, teaching, and student experiences to build key competencies.
http://teachersfirst.com/http://teachersfirst.com/http://teachersfirst.com/http://teachersfirst.com/http://teachersfirst.com/http://teachersfirst.com/http://teachersfirst.com/http://teachersfirst.com/http://teachersfirst.com/http://teachersfirst.com/http://teachersfirst.com/http://teachersfirst.com/http://teachersfirst.com/http://teachersfirst.com/http://teachersfirst.com/http://teachersfirst.com/http://teachersfirst.com/http://teachersfirst.com/http://teachersfirst.com/http://teachersfirst.com/http://teachersfirst.com/http://teachersfirst.com/http://teachersfirst.com/http://teachersfirst.com/http://teachersfirst.com/http://teachersfirst.com/http://teachersfirst.com/http://teachersfirst.com/http://teachersfirst.com/http://teachersfirst.com/http://teachersfirst.com/http://keycompetencies.tki.org.nz/In-leadinghttp://keycompetencies.tki.org.nz/In-leadinghttp://keycompetencies.tki.org.nz/In-leadinghttp://teachersfirst.com/http://teachersfirst.com/http://keycompetencies.tki.org.nz/In-leading


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By Doug Johnson

The ability to distract has put theuse of laptops, netbooks, cellphones, PDAs, iPod/MP3 play-

ers, and portable game players on thebanned list in many schools. Educa-tors are discovering that students aremore interested in online resources,such as Facebook, game sites, chat,and YouTube, than classroom lec-tures and textbook chapters about theCrimean War, square roots, or pastparticiples.

ose darn kids are just listen-ing to the lthy lyrics of rap musicon their iPods instead of my lecture,

pretty much summarizes the argu-ment. No device, no access, no dis-traction, these schools reason.

As I have learned from my experi-ences both as an instructor and as astudent, technology can indeed be adistraction in any teaching/learningenvironment. I nd it discouraging,to say the least, when a participant in

Is technology diverting your students attention away from

classroom instruction? Learn to use those entertaining

devices to engage and challenge young minds.

one of my enthralling workshopsstarts texting or banging out some-thing on the keyboard instead of

hanging on each brilliant nugget ofwisdom emanating from the front ofthe room. But then, Ive found readingmy RSS feeds more interesting thanquite a few lectures myself. How doesthe K12 instructor compete withtablets, cell phones, netbooks, and textmessaging? How do we manage thedistractive qualities of technology in

Taming the Chaos


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3. Limit the Use of Technologies

Clear expectations of when and howstudents can use technology in theclassroom or library should be a stan-dard classroom management practice.Setting reasonable rules is a simpletask. Your technology-use rule mightread:

Student-owned technologies suchas cell phones and laptops may beused in the classroom when thereis not a whole-group activity,

when their use does not distractother students, and when studentsfollow the districts AcceptableUse Policy.

Many teachers nd it best to de-velop rules and expectations at thebeginning of the school year in collab-oration with the students themselves.

Teachers who allow students to usetheir own technologies in class soondiscover this practice actually helps

with classroom management. ElonaHarjes, who writes the Teachers atRisk blog, shares:

I have been encouraging my stu-dents to listen to music in classwhen Im not giving instructionsor explaining something. I letthem use whatever digital gadgetthey have. Students who [are]only listening to music seem lessdistracted and stay more on taskthan ones who use technology

that enables them to play gamesor text message.

4. Enhance Traditional

Practices

In her booke DigitalBackpack, Karen Henkedescribes 10 technolo-


3. Limit the Use of Technologiesschools? And moreover, how do weuse these very technologies to actually

improve learning and teaching?Let me say up front that there is no

one-size-ts-all set of practices formanaging or using student technolo-gies. Dierent sources of technology(one-to-one laptop projects, laptopcarts, student-owned technologies)will result in dierent types of access,

various levels of uniformity of applica-tions and functionality, and uncertainconnections to online resources. Dif-ferent teaching styles, age levels, and

learning outcomes will make sometechnology uses practical and othersnot so much.

Nor is there a silver-bullet solutionto students tuning out. Some of uswere distracted by doodling, the viewfrom classroom windows, and class-mates of the opposite sex even beforethere were iPads and Wi-Fi.

Just as good teachers have never re-lied on a single method, approach, ortool, todays good teachers will never

use a single technology in a singleway. Todays eective educators willuse the technology thats available tothem.

Here are ve ways that districts,schools, and teachers manage technol-ogy distractions:

1. Ban It

is has been the rst andmost common approach to

dealing with distractive tech-nologiesespecially student-owned devices. Simply createa policy or rule for the dis-

trict, school, or classroom that forbidstheir use.

Keeping technologies out of class-rooms and libraries is a temporarystrategy that is unsustainable in the

long run, however. Information/com-munication devices are getting small-

er, more aordable, and more power-ful. ey are increasingly becoming anextension of everyones brainbothadult and child.ere is a growing movement to un-

block the YouTubes, Facebooks, andgame sites in the libraries, labs, anddistricts where educators and studentshave learned the positive value ofthese resources. Where such devicesare banned, student use oen goesunderground, with kids texting from

within pockets, hiding earbuds underhair and hoods, or concealing devicesbehind books or in desks.

Parents see cell phones as toolsfor keeping their children safe andinsist their kids carry them in caseof an emergency. Parents who havepurchased laptops, tablets, and smart-phones want their children to be ableto take educational advantage of them.As a growing number of educators,parents, and students see the educa-

tional value of such devices, school-and districtwide bans are less likely tobe eective.

2. Do Business as Usual

Its tempting to allowdistracted students to bedistracted and let the chipsfall where they may. We could ignorestudents who tune out in the class-room, allow them to focus on theirFacebook pages or text messages, andlet the natural consequences of suchactions happen. Yet, ethically, wehave a professional obligation tomake sure all students are engagedin our classrooms. Besides, its hardon the ego when students who payno attention in class do well on ourtests and assignments anyway. I S T

O C K P H O T O

C O M / J O P H I L

I S T O C K P H

O T O

C O M / T A L A J

Risk blog, shares:nd districtwide bans are less likely to

distracted students to bedistracted and let the chipsfall where they may. We could ignore

4. Enhance TraditionalPracticesIn her bookBackpackdescribes 10 technolo
http://istockphoto.com/JOPHILhttp://istockphoto.com/JOPHILhttp://istockphoto.com/JOPHILhttp://istockphoto.com/JOPHIL


24/52


gies that are entering the classroomby way of our students backpacks.For each device, Henke describes itsintended use as well as its learninguse. For example, a cell phone, com-monly used to call and text friends,

can also be used to jot down remind-ers, due dates, and notes with alarms;share ideas and dras; poll groups ofstudents (locally and geographicallydispersed); access assignments in vi-sual, text, or audio formats; practicespeeches using the stop watch; andphotograph research documents thatcant leave the library.

An increasing number of educa-tional applications are being devel-oped for personal mobile devices. But

no technology or device is inherentlyeducational or recreational. Its all inhow students use that device. Savvyteachers will gure out how to changedistraction to focus by using stu-dents personal technologies to im-prove learning and teaching. One wayto make individual classroom technol-ogies less distracting and more engag-ing is to start with common classroompractices and add a technology up-grade. Nearly any common teaching

strategy or practice can be enhancedby the judicious use of technology.Here are just a few examples:

Lectures.Supplement lectures by poll-ing students with cell phone responsesystems, such as Poll Everywhere. Orrecord your lessons, post them to avideo streaming/downloading site,and allow students to view them mul-tiple times on their phones, PDAs, orlaptops. Some teachers allow students

to record their lectures and instruc-tions for later review.

Worksheets/study guides. Insteadof distributing paper worksheets,put them in Google Docs or on ale-sharing site. Students can saveand share their work online or moveit to a teachers drop box, cuttingdown on printing costs and model-ing conservation.

Learning games.In physical form,these games have long been an edu-cational mainstay (Spell Down, any-one?). Educational games accessiblevia mobile devices run the gamutfrom ashcard reviews to sophisti-

cated virtual worlds.

Manipulatives.ese have made a suc-cessful transition from cardboard andwood to digital formats, especially ontouchscreen devices. Check out Mon-tessoris iPad/iPhone math applications.

Assigned textbook readings. Supple-ment or supplant textbooks with morelively writings accessed online. E-books,both free and commercial, are increas-ingly available in the universal EPUB

and PDF formats, and students canread them on a wide range of devices.

e written expository paper. Stu-dents can share their understandingof a subject in many other ways thesedays. Videos, audio recordings, andmultimedia presentations created ondistractive devices allow studentsto display multiple talents, are morelikely to bring out creativity, and areless subject to plagiarism.

e key to any of these technology-enhanced activities is that there is agenuine benet to adding a technol-ogy component. Some may say thatthese types of uses simply maintainthe traditional model of education,but if the traditional model can bemade more engaging and more inter-active, I dont see a problem.at said, asking students to use

technology productively does noteliminate the need to monitor studentactivities.e best way to reduce mis-use of technology may still be the oc-casional walk around the desks.

5. Use the Technology

to Restructure the

Educational Process

To many progressive educators, tech-nology in the classroom has not been

the transformative agent they hadhoped for. But the increasing num-ber of technology types available tostudents in the classroom may spurchanges needed for schools to preparestudents for academic, career, and

civic success.Using the NETS as your guide, you

can turn those distractive technologiesinto teaching tools that:

Encourage inquiry-based problemsolving. Students should access infor-mation sources from within the class-room. A student can be designated asa Google Jockey to research ques-tions that come up during class dis-cussions. Whereas younger students

may research small, everyday prob-lems, older students may indepen-dently or in groups work on genuineproblems and questions related to asubject. One possible classroom struc-ture would be to allocate a small per-centage of class time to set out a prob-lem.en have small groups researchthe problem, and use the remainderof the class to discuss the ndings as awhole group.

Facilitate use of primary sources.Tak-

ing polls, conducting/recording inter-views, and shooting photographs areall good uses of those problematiccell phones.

Dierentiate instruction. Using theresults of formative tests, teacherscan give students access to learningmaterials to meet specic learningstyles (visual, auditory, verbal) and tomeet specic learning needs. Studentswho need help with a math concept,

for example, can complete an onlinetutorial/practice during class. Studentswith special needs have long had theirparticular needs met through adaptivetechnologies. Isnt it time we considerthe special needs of all children?

Ease collaboration. Accessing social/collaborative online workspaces is pos-sible when enough students can getto wikis, blogs, and websites such as


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Buzzword or Google Docs that allowsharing and joint creation of work.

My experience is that collaborativework keeps kids on task because a cer-tain degree of peer pressure is broughtto bear on slackers. Collaborative

activities do not require a one-to-oneclassroom; one laptop per team is of-ten better than one per student.e use of group editing tools,

such as Google Docs or Wallwisher,enhances whole-class collaborativeeorts, which are then projected forthe entire class to view. Online collab-orative tools enable the conversationto continue past class timeat home,in study halls, anywhere that studentshave access to an Internet connection.

Such communication vehicles havebeen shown to bring out the com-ments of shy students. And publica-tion for an audience of peers inspiresmany students to improve the qualityof their work.

Interaction with students from othercountries and cultures. Technologiessuch as Skype, chat, and e-mail allowstudents to communicate with stu-dents from around the world. Keypals

create global communities of learnerssharing observations and perspectivesof issues from dierent cultural stand-points.e Flat Classroom project is apopular and powerful eort to expandthis connectivity using a variety ofclassroom technology tools.

Charlie Roy, administrator at PeoriaNotre Dame High School, le thiscomment on my Blue Skunk blog:

One way weve used cell phonesis in our economics class duringa trading unit. We constructed amock futures pit and have cus-tomers around the world call inorders to our students using theirphones. Sans phones this wouldntwork too well. We use IM as well.

Disrupting Class: How DisruptiveInnovation Will Change the Way the

World Learns by Clayton Christensen,Curtis W. Johnson, and Michael B.Horn suggests that technology has thepotential to radically transform ourcurrent model of education. Technol-ogy will be the meteor, and many of us

educators are the unsuspecting dino-saurs. Scary stu. Yet many classroomteachers are less concerned about thedisruptive technologies of an inde-nite future than they are about todaysdistractive technologies.

Lets face itpersonal communica-tion and computing devices are hereto stay. e horse is out of the barn,and trying now to close the barn dooris futile. Instead of trying to get thehorse back in, smart educators will

gure out how to saddle and ride it.An increasing number of educatorsare writing about and sharing practi-cal strategies for using technologyproductively in the classroom. Seekout those specic projects and ap-plications and turn those distractivetechnologies into technologies thatmake your classroom more eective.

Resources

Buzzword: www.adobe.com/acom/buzzword

EDUCAUSE, 7ings You Should Know about

Google Jockeying: www.educause.edu/ELI/

7ingsYouShouldKnowAboutGoogl/156817

Flat Classroom Projects: www.atclassroom

project.org

Google Docs: http://docs.google.com

Montisorium, 100-year-old way oflearn-

ing at your childs ngertips: http://

montessorium.com

PND Trading Project: www.vimeo.com/

3513666

Poll Everywhere: www.polleverywhere.com

Teachers at Risk blog: www.teachersatrisk.com

Wallwisher, Brainstorm in-class tech uses:

www.wallwisher.com/wall/doug0077

Doug Johnson has been the

director of media and technol-

ogy for the Mankato (Minne-

sota) Public Schools since 1991

and has been an adjunct fac-

ulty member at Minnesota

State University since 1990.

He has taught in K12 schools in both the Unit-

ed States and Saudi Arabia. He is also a former

ISTE board member.

Welcome to

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