What's the internet?

This video, from and episode of the "Today Show" in 1994 is a clear picture of how far technology has come. Take a moment today to consider all the changes we've seen in the 17 year span since this aired. Special thanks to the Oakland Press for featuring this information on their website this afternoon.

The next wave of chalkboards.....

Remember chalkboards? In the 8^th grade, I was the lucky student who got to stay after school to wash them for the teachers. As an added bonus, on Fridays, I’d get to clean the erasers by hitting them against a brick wall behind our school.

When I began teaching in Lake Orion, my classroom had been updated to move from chalkboard to white board. My former students can tell you that I went through my fair share of dry erase markers writing notes, examples, and even drawing some rather mediocre pictures.

The next generation of boards are interactive. They are synced to computers and offer a variety of tools for educators as they teach classes. A recent study by the Marzano Research Lab is a clear indication that interactive white boards generate growth and improve student learning.

A few items to read about interactive white boards:

A 1 page summary of the Marzano Research 

A link to download the full report 

A story from Mississippi 

According to the ISTE

The International Society for Technology in Education has recently published their "priority list" for 2011. This group, which represents countries, individuals, and corporations with a mission of "advancing excellence in learning and teaching through innovative and effective uses of technology."

This year, their goals include:

1. Dedicated Ed. Tech Funding leads to student success:
While policymakers have set aside funds for school technology, this money has often been diverted for other uses. Ensuring that the technology budget is used for technology is a major initiative this group plans to take on.

2. Technology in education remains the backbone of school improvement:
This group will continue to advocate for education technology as the backbone to state and federal initiatives.

3. Broadband for all is a national priority:
Closing the digital divide by ensuring access to the internet for all students is vital to our national interest.

In addition to writing about their goals for the year, they also state that "education technology is the strongest investment policymakers can make in our classrooms."

Check out their work for yourself at:

The International Society for Technology in Education

ISTE goals for 2011

A website, a news development, and a report

A variety of topics for your reading pleasure today, including:

Scholastic publishes a great website for kids and adults, and gives us an idea of what the textbooks of tomorrow may look like. The link will take you to some science information available to teachers and students.

The "Science Book" of the future 

GM is adding a new, high level position. Today’s Free Press had a story about the new key task at one of the big three, a Technology Chief.

Move quickly, and stay ahead in technology 

The MacArthur Foundation published a report in 2008 detailing the findings of the Digital Youth Project. The link will take you to the executive summary, which contains information about youth media use, as well as the need for schools to integrate technology. 

The Digitial Youth Study, Executive Summary 

What do THEY say?

An interesting piece came my way recently that focused on student responses to the need for technology in classrooms. Their words are powerful and thought provoking.

http://www.edutopia.org/ikid-digital-learner-technology-2008

According to an expert.

Bill Daggett, the CEO of the International Center for Leadership in Education, is a sought after speaker and consultant for K-12 education. His research is focused on building relevant instruction for students, and hinges on the belief that technology must become more prevalent in our schools. He argues a clear case for more instructional technology in a recently published White Paper.

Preparing Students for their Technological Future 

If your interested in learning more about Bill Daggett, here is a link to his biography:

http://www.leadered.com/aboutdaggett.html

Art in a digital world

Perhaps one of the best things about working in a school is the opportunity to see student artwork. With technology, this can be available to everyone. Jessica Kropog, art teacher at Waldon Middle School, has started a page to showcase some of her student's work.

Take a minute to check it out, it's guaranteed to brighten your day.

https://sites.google.com/a/ms-lakeorion.org/waldon-ms-student-art-gallery/

Last Sunday’s Free Press included an article about job growth in Michigan over the next decade. Health Care, Alternative Energy, Film, and Customer Service Representatives are only a few of the sectors where technology is critical and growth is expected. The following chart outlined some of the Bureau of Labor Market and Strategic Initiatives statistics:

   

A link to the article:

http://www.freep.com/article/20110109/BUSINESS06/101090528/1019/business06/Finally-Help-wanted-firms-hiring-in-Mich.

This announcement of expected job growth in Health Care connects well to something from last week’s Oakland Press. A Medical School is on the way to Oakland County.

http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2011/01/05/news/local_news/doc4d254003e506f437628762.txt

There is also an example of the automotive expansion in Commerce Township, where wireless charging, the next wave of efficiency in the cell phone market is being developed.

http://www.freep.com/article/20110111/NEWS09/101110316/1322/Oakland-Co.-firm-innovator-in-wireless-charging

These new reports are an indication of the future of our area. Retooling factories to build subcompact cars (See Tuesday’s post) and meeting the demands of job sector growth, will require us to incorporate technology into our classrooms to ensure our graduates are prepared for whatever career path they choose.

Some software students may see in the future

If our upcoming bond election is successful, it will put us in a position to utilize some exciting technology. While bond money can only be used for hardware, today’s post is an example of some software options that are, and could be available to our students.

Ever heard of Wolfram Alpha? It's free, web based, and for iPhone, iTouch, and iPad users, there's an application. Ask it any fact based question, or take a minute and type in a math problem:

http://www.wolframalpha.com/

How about Xpert Space? Take a minute and see the textbooks of the future, with multiple reading level options, as well as further resources for kids who want to learn more. This software (and others like it) can personalize instruction:

http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/digital_curriculum/expertspace/index.htm

These are two of many options that are on the market today, as these technologies begin to emerge in schools. Imagine the options that are being designed that will debut sometime soon.

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Have a great day!
John

Presenting the Sonic

As the North American International Auto Show kicks off in Detroit, Chevrolet is showcasing the “Sonic,” a new subcompact sedan/hatchback that will begin production at the Orion Plant in August. A recent report in the Free Press indicated that the anticipated number of cars produced (between 60,000 and 70,000) may not be enough to meet consumer demand.

While there has been controversy over some of the details of GM’s plans at the Orion Plant, the fact remains that retooling for a new, energy efficient car of the future has come to Lake Orion. In fact, the Sonic will be the only subcompact car built in the United States in the year 2010.

There are plenty of links today about the Chevrolet Sonic – a sign of private sector technology at the Orion Plant.

The Sonic:

http://www.chevrolet.com/sonic/

Details about possible demand for the Sonic:

http://www.freep.com/article/20110109/BUSINESS0101/101090514/1205/BUSINESS0101/GMs-new-CEO-Akerson-eyes-long-term-prize

The only subcompact built in the United States:

http://www.freep.com/article/20110110/BUSINESS01/301100007/1331/BUSINESS01/Sonic-to-be-only-subcompact-built-in-U.S.

Will you remember?

Growing up, my parents had a large collection of records. I can still remember them playing albums on vinyl as I brought home CDs. At our house, we characterized this as a "generation gap."

Reading this article, which predicts things that will become obsolete in the lifetime of children born in 2011 indicated to me that I've moved to the other side of the "generation gap" my parents and I used to talk about.

http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/111745/things-babies-born-in-2011-will-never-know?mod=family-kids_parents

Trends for 2011

In addition to publishing a weekly newspaper, Education Week operates a website that features a plethora of information about what is going on in education. Their digital education blog (http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/DigitalEducation/) included a recent article on the trends in education technology for the year 2011. They present an overview, along with several deeper resources you can read about. Below, I’ve provided a quick reference guide of the 5 trends identified, as well as the questions most asked about them.

According to Education Week, the “hot trends” we should all be watching and thinking about in Education Technology for the year 2011 include:

-         Blended Learning (when schools offer online content to supplement traditional classrooms, does it have a positive impact on student performance?)

-         Federal Involvement (much has been said by the department of education about broadband access in schools, what will the impact of the new Congress be on this initiative?)

-         Budget Savings (while technology presents a huge upfront cost, does it end up saving money over the long term?)

-         Mobile Learning (will the use of smartphones and handheld devices expand educational opportunities?)

-         Mergers and Acquisitions (big investors in education seem to have found interest in technology, how will this impact classrooms?)

If you’re interested in reading more, here’s a direct link to the blog post:

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/DigitalEducation/2010/12/five_ed-tech_themes_for_2010.html

Bonus iPad coverage

I received an article via e-mail today about a school's implementation of the iPad that I thought would be worth sharing.

http://www.techradar.com/news/computing/apple/the-school-that-gives-every-student-an-ipad-915539

Apple's iPad, the next big thing?

Apple launched the iPad in April of 2010. Immediately, educators began talking about possible uses for this technology to increase student engagement. With a history of programs and tools that have helped education such as iMovie or the iPod touch, the iPad has the potential to be a “game changer” for K-12 education. With the potential to not only read books, but also to download some of the Applications that are specifically designed for education, this technology tool has loads of potential.

e-school news provides a nice overview of the potential uses for the iPad in schools:

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2010/04/05/ipad-app-store-has-wide-selection-of-education-options/

A recent article from the west coast debates the use of iPads:

http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_16860666

Yesterday’s New York Times profiled a High School pilot program:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/05/education/05tablets.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1294229032-+Iqq103UO24O+sIB1SzmDg

CEOs, Politicians, and policymakers take on education

At a summit in early December 2010, leaders from across the political and business spectrum came together to discuss the common theme of technology. Some of the thoughts they expressed:

William Simon, CEO of Wal-Mart (US division):
We can't even imagine what education or technology will be like in 10 years," said Simon. "Students need to be not only trained in that, but they need to be taught how to learn."

Arne Duncan, US Secretary of Education:
"Five years from now education is going to look very, very different," Duncan said. "Paper is going to disappear. I think we're on the cusp of that."

Mortimer Zuckerman, chairman of Boston Properties and editor-in-chief of US News and World Reports:
"If we can find a way to get the best teachers and the great teachers using technology to spread their capacity and their talents and their teaching skills to more and more schools I think we have a chance to [make significant improvements],"

There are links in the article about iPad use in MBA programs, Wal-Marts partnership with American Public University, as well as more commentary from Mort Zuckerman.

http://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/2010/12/03/executives-policymakers-want-more-technology-in-classrooms.html