educators + technology = ?

I am going to continue along the thread of thought I started last week and choose technologies that enhance a teacher’s ability to create relevant and meaningful lessons.  

#1 comes from Jane Dewitt’s post Social Networking in the Classroom  (January 26, 2013).

Technology Integration in Education

http://www.technologyintegrationineducation.com/

Of special interest to me are the article written by educators for educators.  Within these there is an excellent article talking about how to take your students from simply copying sources from google searchers to students who know and understand the value of crediting sources.  A great way to introduce students to the importance of ethical digital citizenship.

#2 comes from Shelby Lyn Richardson’s week 7 post (February 25, 2013).

Brainpop.com

http://www.brainpop.com/technology/computersandinternet/digitaletiquette/

A great way to share the importance of digital etiquette from a site that is designed to appeal to many demographics. Meanwhile their section on lesson plans and teaching tools is a wonderful place to wander around for inspiration.  Or, search for that specific topic you had in mind but didn’t know how to incorporate the technology.

#3 comes from Erica Roark’s post Open education technologies and resources (February15, 2013)

MERLOT

http://www.merlot.org/merlot/index.htm

This is a site that has been set up for teachers and students since 1997 and contains a wealth of resources for teachers to use in their planning and preparation. These allow teachers to simply use new technologies as an inexpensive means to accessing subject resources through to offering online, peer assessed materials for working with technology.

There are many big shifts on their way in education.  With emerging technologies we can see a process of continuous creating and sharing content, individualized and collaborative learning, active participation by all (students, teachers, administration).  These technologies demand educators reexamine content and curriculum, and open ways for us to shift our thinking as to how best to meet our students needs (Richardson, 2010).   There are many ways to look at pedagogy and new technologies and how they interact with each other.  A useful guide is to remember we need a repertoire of teaching practices that allow us to combine the best of face-to-face teaching with the best of asynchronous learning (Dede, 2011).

How to do this?.

Teachers should reach to the new technologies for support, inspiration, and their own education.  Good teachers collaborate (Brookfield, 2006) and these sites are great examples of this process in action, in real time.  Finding ways to proactively use the same technologies our students are using to learn to supplement our professional development is something we can all attempt ... and perhaps at the same time have as much fun as our students are having.


References
Brookfield. S, D.  (2006.  The skillful teacher: On technique, trust, and responsiveness in the classroom (2nd. ed.).  Jossey-Bass, CA: San Francisco.  

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011). Adult learning in the information age.  Dr. Chris Dede. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Richardson, W. (2010). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

digital citizenship, ethics, and netiquette + adult learners = ?

Digital Citizenship
Defintion - “Digital citizenship can be defined as the norms of appropriate, responsible behavior with regard to technology use” (Ribble,2013).

Digital Citizenship - California School Library Association
http://ecitizenship.csla.net/











This is an online tutorial with six modules designed to teach the basics of digital citizenship.  The modules cover a number of areas and are for teachers working with younger students in California.  However there is a lot of really good information and each module contains resources for teachers to modify for their own teaching situation.  A set of lessons as this is very valuable:

• to help with introducing the idea of digital citizenship to my adult student.
• to teach how learners can use the internet to become engaged civically.
• for creating awareness of the effects (positive and negative) of participation in the digital community.

Ethics
Definition - “Ethics is a set of moral principles that govern the behavior of a group or individual. Therefore, computer ethics is set of moral principles that regulate the use of computers” (TechTerms, 2013).

Digital Ethics
https://sites.google.com/a/vsdb.k12.va.us/vsdb-technology/cyber-safety

Digital Ethics

This is a great resource it contains a succinct list of sites for teachers to access to teach the concepts related to digital ethics.  Any of these resources could be used to teach adults:

• how to use internet resources ethically.
• how to teach their children ethical use of the internet.
• to teach teaching ethical, courteous, and productive behavior while using the internet.

Netiquette
Definition - “Netiquette, or net etiquette, refers to etiquette on the Internet. Good netiquette involves respecting others' privacy and not doing anything online that will annoy or frustrate other people” (TechTerms, 2013).

The University of British Columbia - Communicating online: Netiquette.
http://ctlt.ubc.ca/distance-learning/learner-support/communicating-online-netiquette/

This site contains a clear list of rules or guidelines to consider when communicating online.  These guidelines would be great in any classroom to:

• create a discussion about what netiquette your class is going to abide by.
• discussion about the effects of personalities on communication in the online environment.
• how cultural differences affect how we send and receive online communications.

References
California School Library Association. (February 1, 2011).  Digital Citizen.  [Weblog].  Retrieved from http://ecitizenship.csla.net/

Digital Ethics. (n.d.). Digital Ethics.  Retrieved from https://sites.google.com/a/vsdb.k12.va.us/vsdb-technology/cyber-safety

Techterms. (2013).  Computer ethics.  Retrieved from  http://www.techterms.com/definition/computerethics

Techterms. (2013).  Netiquette.  Retrieved from http://www.techterms.com/definition/netiquette

Ribble, M. (2013). Nine elements: Nine themes of digital citizenship. Retrieved from http://www.digitalcitizenship.net/Nine_Elements.html

The University of British Columbia. (n.d.). Communicating online: Netiquette.  Retrieved from: http://ctlt.ubc.ca/distance-learning/learner-support/communicating-online-netiquette/

open and distance education technologies + Adult Ed = ?

Distance Education Technology

Definition - Where the learning environment includes a learning group with teacher, students, and resources separated by combinations of geography, time, and intellect.  All linked together through technologies,both instructional and communication (Simonson, 2012).

Coursera.org
https://www.coursera.org/

This is an online distance education organisation where many of the worlds most prestigious universities are offering a selection of their classes online.  There are now 33 universities involved offering 20 categories of classes.  Some courses are now being recognised as college credits.  Course duration may last from 4 weeks up to 8 week.  Participants receive a certificate of completion from the University they have been taking the course through. This ted talk given by one of the founders explains the creation and purpose of the organization, and predictions for its future use.
Daphne Koller: What we're learning from online education
http://www.ted.com/talks/daphne_koller_what_we_re_learning_from_online_education.html

I believe this use of technology is a wonderful example of what can happen when education, technology, research, and good teaching practices combine.  As Dowes (2011) points out when open educational resources (OERs) are part of a large picture that “includes volunteers and incentives, community and partnerships, co-production and sharing, distributed
management and control” then it is likely to be sustainable, affordable, and usable.  

In my advanced Adult ESL classes often the students are looking for ways not just to improve their English but to improve their education.  This site provides them with opportunities to practice participating in tertiary level education without having to pay.  Often these students are more computer literate than I am and love that they can complete a set of studies using the technology they currently own. These types of classes could be integrated into the actual curriculum of an advanced group or set up as extension classes.


Open Education Technology
Definition - Open educational resources are materials used to support education that may be freely accessed, reused, modified and shared by anyone (Downes, 2011).

The Open University - Institute of Educational Technology
http://www.open.ac.uk/iet/main/



The Institute of Educational Technology at the Open University aims to connect innovation and expertise in learning and teaching. It’s philosophy is to use this collective power to change the face of education. One aspect of this organisation is the development of OER’s through creating groundbreaking projects in this new field of education.  The link provided is the portal to all of the current projects they have running, both research and development.  I have included this as a resource as for teachers wishing to learn more about using these technologies.  There are often budget constraints that make adopting new technology into the classroom, especially when it comes to Professional Development for the teachers using the technology.  These kinds of open source Institutes can be a viable solution to this problem. Perraton’s (2010) report concludes that on the whole “the evidence on costs shows that open and distance learning can be at an economic advantage as compared with conventional education”.  

I have met Adult ESL learners that have been teachers who are required to teach their home countries curriculum subjects in English.  Open educational technologies and the associated resources are most advantageous to them.



References
Coursera (n.d.) Retrieved from https://www.coursera.org/

Downes, S. (2011). Free learning: Essays on open educational resources and copyright. Retrieved fromhttp://www.downes.ca/files/books/FreeLearning.pdf

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009b). Distance education: The next generation. Baltimore, MD: Author. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Perraton, H. (2010). Teacher education: The role of open and distance learning. Retrieved from http://www.col.org/PublicationDocuments/pub_TeacherEd_Role_ODL.pdf

The Open University - Institute of Educational Technology (n.d.). Welcome to Open Educational Resources at The Open University.  Retrieved from http://www.open.ac.uk/about/open-educational-resources/

Adult ESL + Online Game-based learning = ?

Drive through ESL

English as a Second Language, Second Life.

http://www.drive-through-esl.info/

This is a Second Life (virtual) school for online language learners.  It provides users with tutorials on how to operate in the second life environment and then gives students options of the kind of classes or tutorials they would like to be involved with.   By first offering tutorials on how to use the technology the issue of competency for ESL users is removed.  Squire (20110 points out that people are learning content through games regardless of whether they are designed for education or not.  At the very least this use of Second Life, as a delivery platform, has a curriculum that allows for progression to be monitored and learning achievements to be recognized.  You can ask questions of each other and the teacher, be part of a group at a time that suits you, practice your English (reading, pronunciation, grammar, and more).  The first lesson is free to trial and then there is different methods available to pay for lessons.

This  would be a great resource for students to continue their learning outside of the classroom.   The virtual classroom could be use to supplement lessons, provide a forum for questions to be asked outside of class time, or as a set of lessons to be completed as part of the face-to-face curriculum.

            Karma Tycoon

http://www.karmatycoon.com/

I can see this game as a way to encourage conversation with in an Adult ESL classroom.  It is a site that encourages participants to learn about social entrepreneurship,  developed by the DoSomething movement.  I believe this game would appeal to Adult ESL learner as it provides inadvertently provides information about different communities in the US.  Again it is a game slightly more focused on education outcomes and provides a teacher curriculum.

This could be set up as a project for groups of students to work on together creating a collaborative learning environment and space for communication using English.  At times these groups could come together to discuss their progress in the game and the choices that they have made.  Sometimes the most difficult part of an ESL lesson is to begin and move along free conversation.  I have a strong suspicion discussing such a game and the actions of individuals or groups in the game would provide a wealth of material.  Squire (2011) reminds his readers that games are enlivening experiences. They help to wake up our intellectual curiosity and empower us as learners.  The founding aspects of education.

Dumptown

http://www.epa.gov/recyclecity/gameintro.htm

Another game to promote conversation with ESL learners.  The aim is to "turn Dumptown into Greentown".  The topic of recycling and reusing is familiar enough with many cultures and this simple but thought-provoking game would promote conversations about recycling in different countries and the students efforts in the game.  It also has other teachable moments with learning all the names of the town buildings, terminology relating to environment issues, and the budgeting piece allows for discussion about managing money.  I have a strong preference to use a unit based curriculum founded on my students interests.  Thus finding online games which incorporate their interests would add depth to the vocabulary, grammar, and conversation skills that are learned.

Reference

Cobb, J. (2008, April 18). Mission to learn: 26 learning games to change the world [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://www.missiontolearn.com/2008/04/learning-games-for-change/

Drive Through ESL (n.d.).  English as a second language, Second Life.   Retrieved from http://www.drive-through-esl.info/.

Karma Tycoon (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.karmatycoon.com/

Squire, K. (2011). Video games and learning: Teaching and participatory culture in the digital age. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.