Online Professional Development

     My principal has asked me to compile a mini-course that encourages educators to use technology in the classroom.  Completion of the course will earn you 5 PGPs toward licence renewal.  The goal of this course is to 1) inform teachers that education needs to change, 2) show educators how other teachers are using technology to make learning fun and relevant and 3) encourage teachers to improve at least one of their current lessons by infusing useful technology.

     To access the lesson, please follow the link below.  My hope is that you gain knowledge and resources from this lesson.  Please feel free to leave comments about your favorite parts and/or suggestions on how to improve the lesson.  Thank you.

http://pdballinger.weebly.com/

Emerging Technology In Education

"Teaching will become a job, not a profession. Young people will typically spend a year or two as teachers, then move on to other, more rewarding careers. Federal and state policy will promote online learning, and computers will replace teachers. Online class sizes will reach 1:100, even 1:200; the job of monitoring the screens will be outsourced, creating large economies for state budgets." 

-Diane Ravitch

     When I first read the quote above, I felt saddened and afraid. I felt afraid because if this scenario would come to fruition, I would lose my job. Also, when I thought of some children growing up without teachers, I felt sad. Teaching is not just bossing kids around and lecturing to classes. Mentoring and creating positive relationships with students is a large part of teaching. Many people forget that teachers offer much more than content area knowledge. I was fortunate enough to have parents that cared, made sure I did my homework and made me feel that I was important. Unfortunately, all students do not have parents who take time out of their day to do those things. These students need teachers to take interest in their lives so they are more likely to succeed. Teaching and mentoring go hand and hand, and they are much more genuine and effective in a small classroom.

     Technology should not be seen as a threat to teaching.  The two need to work together. Additionally, the two need each other in order to be relevant in the 21st century. Teachers need the speed and eminent amount of information technology offers and technology needs teachers to teach digital citizenship and facilitate learning.

     In the very near future, I think we will see all students with an ipad or small lap-top throughout the school day. Many classes will spend over half of each class on the ipad or computer because they will replace books.  I think that classes that integrate technology will be collaborative, project-based and better prepare students for the work force. Lastly, making teachers irrelevant is a disservice to the students and will ultimately hurt society. Technology and teachers are not enemies and neither of them are going away. We need to learn how to combine the two for the benefit of students.

Video That Teach Problem Solving Skills...Then and Now

Part I

Below you will find six games and two articles.

I played the first three games as a child. I spent hours in front of a computer screen because these games were fun.  Little did I know, these games were teaching me problem solving skills.  My parents did not see it that way...they thought I was just wasting my time.

The second three games also teach problem solving skills.  As I played them, (for research purposes) I realized that they are not too different from the games I played as a child.  Not only are the games fun and have much better graphics, they are readily available to the public and increase problem-solving skills.

The last article shares problem solving games that are not video game based.  While computers and video game consoles can be great learning tools, it is important for students to be mobile and not become zombies in front of a screen.

I hope you have a couple of hours to enjoy all of the games and articles!




Part II

For this part of my project, I took a trip down memory lane.  I chose to play the original Super Mario Brothers and write my experience below.  Enjoy!

According to my research into video game based learning, Super Mario Brothers is a "complex game."  It is not trivial, it requires multiple skills and takes hours to master. It is similar to Sonic the Hedgehog (actually Sonic is Sega's Mario) in that it is a "cultural model" because you are  the good guy defeating the evil Bowser.  Lastly, my research tells me that Mario Brothers in not a "serious game" because it does not take on any serious issues like how to lead an army or build a town.

Super Mario Brothers is a side scrolling game in which two Italian plumbers avoid, jump on or throw fire balls at mushroom shaped bad guys, square spikes with faces and mean turtles.  The goal of the game is to save the princess from the evil turtle shaped, spiked back, two leg walking, boss named Bowser.  All of this sounds ridiculous... and it is, but Mario and Luigi was the first of it's kind and they are still the most popular franchise in gaming.

As a child, I played and watched my siblings and friends play a lot of Mario.  I played it on the regular Nintendo, Super Nintendo, Game Boy, Nintendo 64 and on the Wii.  The main reason I selected the original Mario Brothers game for the assignment is nostalgia.  I can still remember waiting for my turn to play and playing with my friends for hours and hours.  I also chose this game because I want to know what Mario taught me.  I played Mario and other games for fun and because it was a social event. Little did I know all that I was learning.

I learned to play by watching my older brother play.  He and his friends played a lot and occasionally would let me in on the action.  When I did get to play, I learned through trial and error (mostly error).  The game challenged me because it was nearly impossible to beat.  The quickness of the game challenged me.  As a youngster, I had to learn how to keep up with the fast paced turtle shells and the jumping hammer brothers.  That challenge contributed to my competitive nature.  I believe that competition helped me with my school work because I wanted to be recognized for being good at things.

Through this activity, I learned that I spent a lot of time as a child playing video games, and I enjoyed it very much.  I also learned that video games contributed to my good hand-eye coordination.  I often think about how 'kids these days' are playing too many video games.  But as I look back on my childhood, I wonder where I would be without games like Mario Brothers. 

One thing that I have learned from this research on video games is how many things video games can and do teach.  The readings and my reflections have helped:

• my hand/eye coordination
• my reaction time
• expand my creativity
• my problem solving skills
• challenge myself
• teach me perseverance
• learn how to focus on one thing
• situational awareness
• collaborate with others
• me realize that video games can and will be an important part of education in the near future

Pencil Me In Book Review

This week I am going to write a reflection on Pencil Me In: A Journey in the Fight for Graphite, by John T Spencer.  

This book chronicles the trials and tribulations of a young forward-thinking teacher by the name of Tom Johnson.  It is set in the 1890's when pencils were being used in the work-place, but not in schools.  Tom's goal was for every student to have a pencil and use it in a meaningful way because, at that time, pencils were the way of the future.  Tom's older and pencil-immigrant colleagues were not fond of his teaching style at first, but they eventually warmed up to this new form of education.

John T. Spencer uses the pencil as a metaphor for the computer.  Re-read the above paragraph.  Change the date to 2012 and every time you see the word pencil, substitute it for computer.  The book is really about integrating technology in the classroom.  It has nothing to do with the transition from slate to pencil and everything to do with education moving from pencils and factory settings to computers and more meaningful learning.  The point of the book is to highlight how education is always going to change and every change is going to be met with resistance.  Although these changes can bring about problems, the pros immensely out weigh the cons.  

I found this book funny, interesting and motivational.  I liked the way Spencer took a step back and wrote about technology 100 years ago.  By doing this, he was able to comically communicate his thoughts to the reader without sounding like he was lecturing them on what was best for the classroom.  Additionally, by using the pencil/computer metaphor, Spencer calls attention to the fact that schools have transitioned multiple times. From one room school houses to larger schools as well as from slates to pencils and education has not come crumbling down because of these changes.  Soon, schools will make the transition from pencils to computers and books to e-readers and again, education will not collapse.  In approximately 100 years, education will change from computers to ________.  And when this huge change comes, there will be resistance but hopefully some leaders will look back on the change from pencils to computers and say, "you know, that change was a no-brainer and this is too."

I would recommend this book to any educator, no matter what age or subject they teach.  This book drives home the fact that as teachers, we must constantly change our teaching style to make our class relevant.  Technology is the way of the future so jump on board.  I am going to leave you with a few of my favorite excerpts from the book.  Hope you enjoy. 

"The district office classroom visitors...take notes on whether I use my SmartChart or how many students have pencils and whether or not they keep the pencils well sharpened.  I want to scream at them, 'It's  not the chart that makes them smart!  It's not the pencils even!  Yes, I love pencils, but it's their minds.  Stop for a minute and observe.  Really observe.  Set your papers down and listen to the conversation.  It's beautiful, folks.  Ad you can't see it, because you suffer from the same technophilia tunnel vision that I slip into when I'm not careful.'" page 38-39

"'Welcome to the edu-factory,' he responds. 'It's a model forged by factory reform.  We're running a faster society where some day a family of five will have to earn two incomes to fill their homes up with cheap plastic crap make by kids like you,' he says" page 52

"Yet, as long as we limit the thinking to simply 'pass the test,' we miss out on the power of the human mind" page 80 

Free Mobile Learning Apps

This week's blog focus is mobile learning in the art classroom.  In the near future, all cell phones will be smartphones and nearly everyone will have one.  The 2011 Horizon Report suggests that because of recent growth in capabilities and ownership, mobile devices will soon be used in the classroom.  Below is a list and links to some helpful apps for the art classroom.  And the best part is...THEY ARE FREE!

Art Puzzle HD Lite
This app will help your art history instruction.  The program will force students to look critically and piece together famous paintings like the Mona Lisa and Starry Night.  This is only for the iPad.

Glow Draw!
Teach color theory with this app.  The black background in Glow Draw! shows students that colors like yellow, which do not show up well on white paper, really contrast with a black background.  This is only for the ipad.

Doodle Kids HD
Help your students learn about geometric shapes with this fun app.  This app allows you to draw complicated things using geometric shapes like circles, ovals and squares.  This is for the iPad.

Adobe Photoshop Express
Teach composition and introduce your students to the world of photoshop.  This app allows you to edit your photos by cropping and putting them into frames.  This application is supported by all devices.

Finger Sketch Paint
Students can create quick gesture drawings or very clean fine art pieces with this app.  This program allows students to create using different colors and brushes.  Below are some examples of artwork created with this app.  This is for the iPad.

PhotoPad
This app is similar to Photoshop Express.  It allows users to crop, re size, zoom-in and draw on photos.  It can be used to critique photos or teach composition.  This app is supported by all devices.

 JabberPad
Students can collaborate on drawing and other projects using this app.  This program allows users  to create with different colors on an interactive whiteboard.  This is for the iPad.

Colors! Lite
Teach how to plan out pieces of art using this app.  Users can choose different brushes and brush angles along with every color of the rainbow to create.  This application is supported by all devices.

Draw Free
Use this fun app to create 2-D works of art.  Different sizes and colors can be used to make a work of art.  Check out the artwork below that was created with Draw Free.  This is for the iPad.

Software for Art Educators

This week, I will be exploring computer software for the iGeneration art student.  Below is a presentation (made with Prezi) that highlights a few programs that should be an essential part of every art classroom.

Software for the Visual Arts Classroom on Prezi

I have used most of these 19 web-based and traditional pieces of software.  They were selected because art students can use them to create, manipulate and/or promote their artwork.  These technologies fall into three different categories: photography, video and web software.  Although I believe that art will always be a subject that allows students to use their hands, more and more artists are using technology in one way or another to create.  I have compiled a few categories for these programs.  Below are the categories and a brief description of each program

• Photo Editing Software
• Adobe Photoshop
• The premier software for photo manipulation.  There is no limit to what you can do with this program.  The only downfall is that it is extremely expensive.
• Adobe Illustrator
• The best of the best when it comes to creating anything with words and pictures.  Also extremely expensive, but you get what you pay for.
• Instagram
• Web-based software that allows you to "filter" your photos.  Very popular with social media.  Not nearly as useful as photoshop or illustrator, but it is free.
• Gimp
• Download-able software that is very similar to photoshop only not as user-friendly.  The best thing about gimp is that it is free.

• Photo Sharing Software
• Picasa
• Download-able software that allows users to organize, edit and share photos.  Picasa also allows users to comment and critique other's photos.
• Flickr
• Web site that allows users to share and comment on photos.  Flickr users can join communities and connect with other who are interested in similar style and subject matter.

• Video Editing Software 
• Adobe After Effects
• Very sophisticated software that allows users to edit their videos.  After Effects is the industry leader in video editing.  It is also the industry leader in price and, like all adobe programs, it is very expensive.
• iMovie
• User friendly way to compile, edit and upload videos.  iMovie is not as comprehensive as After Effects, and it comes with iLife.

• Video Sharing Software
• YouTube


• Extremely popular site that allows everyone to share their stories though video.  One hour of video is uploaded to YouTube every second.  YouTube also allows users to comment and do a small amount of editing to their videos.  YouTube is free to use.


• Vimeo
• Website that is very similar, but not as popular, as YouTube.  Free and allows users to watch and comment on others videos.

• Video Creation Software
• Voki
• Free software that allows users to create videos by constructing, manipulating and giving voice to avatars.  The bare-bones version of Voki is free.
• Xtranormal
• Storytelling website that allows users to control avatars motions and voice.  Upgrades cost, but he basic program is free.

• Photo Based Storytelling Software
• Prezi
• Free presentation software that allows users to apply videos and photos to tell an interactive story.  (see above) 
• Blabberize
• Fun, free website that lets users create a story by having photos talk.
• Animoto
• Website that lets users tell stories with photos and video clips.  Animoto is free and user friendly.
• Storybird
• Free site that lets users create online books to read and share.

• Website Creation Software
• Adobe Flash
• Very complex and expensive program that lets users create interactive videos for websites.
• Adobe DreamWeaver
• The best web design software there is, once again, you get what you pay for with Adobe.
• iWeb
• User friendly program that allows users to drag and drop images and create websites. iWeb comes with iLife.

More and more, technology is becoming an essential part of the classroom.  The visual arts classroom is no different.  The programs mentioned above are just the tip of the iceberg.  There are many other programs available that aid artists, and there will be more to come.  Technology is the way of the future.  Therefore, it is important for art students to become familiar with these programs early in their schooling.

How Has Technology Redefined Learning?

Above is a visual story I created that addresses how techonlogy has redefined learning.


Technology has drastically changed how we communicate, create, receive entertainment and shop.  In many ways, technology has changed learning.  In schools, smart-boards have replaced chalkboards, keyboards have replaced pencils and electronic reading devices are soon to replace books.   Having technology in the classroom gives students an infinite amount of information at their fingertips.  Technology also gives students the opportunity to collaborate with other learners in the same classroom or around the world.  Additionally, technology has changed the role of teachers.  With all of the information and collaboration available, there is no need for a teacher to stand at the front of the class and spit out facts to bored students.  Instead, students can teach themselves using technology and the teacher can help guide them through the learning process.


The Internet is an amazing tool.  Users can research and create content about anything from aardvarks to zambonis.   Pre-technology learning consisted of teachers lecturing and students reading.  Learners were limited by the knowledge of their teacher and the books available at their school or library.  The Internet contains an unthinkable amount of content that can be reached at amazing speeds.  For example, a quick google search on "aardvark" returned about 12,100,000 results in under one second.  Besides reading material, the Internet provides an endless number of videos, images and games that not only facilitate learning, but (arguably more importantly) keep the attention of the students.  The best teachers and the biggest libraries in the world cannot compete with the speed and content of the Internet.  Learning has been redefined courtesy of the vast amount of information users are able to obtain.  


Leaning has also been redefined courtesy of collaboration.  The popularity of Internet sites such as facebook, amazon, wikipedia and twitter are popular because users are encouraged to participate.    Lankshear and Knobel found that "recent years have witnessed a massive growth in social software development and availability, affording opportunities for popular participation and collaboration based on shared interests or affinities, and where participants collectively contribute to 'intelligence' and draw upon and contribute to distributing expertise, mentorship and a like." (p. 74-75)  This collaboration gives students the ability to work with students in their own school or in another country.  Before the Internet and computers were available, five students from five different countries working on a project together was unthinkable.  Now, it is as easy as logging onto typewith.me.  As an example of typewith.me, see the following assignment completed collaboratively with a group of students.  





Click on the clock in the upper right corner then the play button to see our collaborative note taking process.


The role of the teacher has also changed with technology.  As stated earlier, the Internet has given students access to an enormous amount of information and ability to easily collaborate with others.  Therefore, teachers are no longer standing in front of the class and instructing; instead, they are encouraging and facilitating learning on topics that interest the students.  As you can see in this video,, Josh Stumpenhorst, 2012 Illinois teacher of the year, is not the traditional teacher.  He uses technology to facilitate learning.  As digital immigrant teachers are fazed out by digital natives, teachers like Mr. Stumpenhorst must embrace technology and all it has to offer in the classroom.


In conclusion, technology has changed learning by giving students exceptional amounts of information and the ability to easily collaborate.  It has also changed the role of the teacher from lecturer to facilitator.  Education has benefited greatly from technology and will never be the same.


Resources:


Lankshear, C., & Knobel, M. (2011). New literacies: technologies and values. New Literacies Everyday Practices and Social Learning. (3rd ed., pp. 52-92). Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill Education