Global Isolation?

They - whoever 'they' is -  say that we are now only three people away from any person in the world. I know a teacher who has a friend who knows batman. 1 - 2 - 3 Voila. I was thinking about various things I've heard and realized it's true for me for several famous people. I happen to be three people away from Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams, and two people away from anyone who worked on the first Hobbit movie. There's my claim to fame.

But does it really mean anything? I don't actually know any of these people, so can I really say I'm connected to them? I don't know their favourite food, the name of their dog, or whether they like tea or coffee better?

I wonder if maybe in this time of global community we are actually becoming more isolated. We think we are more connected because we can message someone in China, but in actuality we spend more time in front of a screen than in front of other human faces, using memes to communicate emotion, emojis replacing words, and sarcasm as the universally accepted mode of communication.

Don't believe me? Look at the comment section on YouTube, Yahoo answers, or pretty much any other site. Trolling is becoming a revered skill. (Trolling: to submit a deliberately provocative posting to an online message board with the aim of inciting an angry response.)

How does this impact the classroom? First of all, if this is how students are communicating out of class, a school will be hard pressed to mitigate the effects of this in the classroom. The aura of bravado and sarcasm can directly influence the atmosphere in a class - perhaps this "global community" is harming our local community.

Secondly, a question. How ought a teacher, wanting to use technology in the classroom, incorporate some of these media while trying to reduce the negative effects (cyber bullying, for one)? I think the answer to this lies in the parameters set around technology use, and the way that it is presented to the students. A teacher who carefully thinks through the platform they will use (blogs, facebook, twitter, class website) will analyze the pros and cons of these platforms, and in this, will be able to come up with appropriate boundaries for students, to minimize the cons. Secondly, if the use of technology is modeled well by teachers, and the parameters set have a distinct purpose that students can understand, they are more likely to follow them. Perhaps the parameters can be brainstormed together (depending on the atmosphere of the class and maturity of the students)? Students are also more likely to follow the procedures set if they are made aware that the technology is a privilege, not a right, and that their use and access to technology for education will be increased or decreased depending on how responsibly they use it.

One final thought, back to the global isolation - while technology can be a great resource, it is still important that students are having those face to face connections, to promote true and authentic interaction that is not just electronic.

P.S. Remember how I said in the second sentence that I was three people away from batman? 

No joke, I just found out that I am, in fact, three people away from this guy...

                                       

Sticky Questions - Electronic Communication

With all of this talk about using technology in the classroom, what about the use of different platforms for communication?

When I first became aware of the issue of technology in the classroom, I took for granted that social platforms would be off limits for teacher and student relationships. Apparently, it's not so black and white. In my Education and Law class this semester, I've been looking at student teacher boundaries, including the use of electronics. Ontario legislation has not regulated teacher's electronic use in terms of legislation including copyright, pornographic images, and confidentiality, to name a few - the same restrictions placed on non-educators. However, the more specific teacher behaviours online, such as professional ethics in using facebook with students, for example, are not defined.

In 2011, the Ontario College of Teachers put out a Professional Advisory on the Use of Electronic Media and Social Media. In this advisory, the OCT lays out several guidelines for electronic use:

This advisory allows teachers and students to maximize the potential of technology - some classes use twitter or facebook pages to communicate, others stay away from social media sites and use other technological platforms - but gives teachers guidelines. No facebook friend requests. No personal content. Professional tone. Accountability by parents. However, the part of this policy that struck me the most was "model appropriate behaviour." This one struck me because it goes beyond curriculum and beyond what you can legally get away with. It goes to the heart of what a teacher should always keep at the forefront of the profession - the wellfare of the student. By not only following the 'rules' but also by showing proper and responsible use of technology, teachers can guide students to healthy technology habits that they will use for years to come.

So what should tech use look like in the classroom?

The International Society for Technology in Education has outlined 5 standards and performance indicators for educators of this century, which the new element of technology in the classroom. Out of the five, the standard that grabbed my attention most was the fourth: an educator should promote and model digital citizenship and responsibility.

Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility

Teachers understand local and global societal issues and responsibilities in an evolving digitalculture and exhibit legal and ethical behavior in their professional practices.

• a. Advocate, model, and teach safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology, including respect for copyright, intellectual property, and the appropriate documentation of sources
• b. Address the diverse needs of all learners by using learner-centered strategies providing equitable access to appropriate digital tools and resources
• c. Promote and model digital etiquette and responsible social interactions related to the use of technology and information
• d. Develop and model cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with colleagues and students of other cultures using digital age communication and collaboration tools

Technology is a "toy" for a large majority of students right now. I believe that teachers have the responsibility to alter this perception of "toy" and change it, or add to it, "tool." Often on the internet, there is an 'anything goes' perception. Intentional instruction and modelling by teachers ensures that students can process through what is good and bad about the internet and technology use in general, and find what is appropriate. 

They will learn that hiding behind their username does not mean that they can do as they please - there are still issues of intellectual property, documentation, digital etiquette, and more than that, legal and ethical decisions. Through the guidance of strong educational leaders, they will learn that technology is an incredible tool for finding information, for networking, and for building global community and collaboration.

As part of this, the ISTE also set out several essential conditions that must be present for effected technological education to take place. Out of the fourteen conditions, three in particular resonated with me.

Equitable Access 
Robust and reliable access to current and emerging technologies and digital resources, with connectivity for all students, teachers, staff, and school leaders 

Student-Centered Learning Planning, teaching, and assessment centered around the needs and abilities of students  

Engaged Communities
Partnerships and collaboration within communities to support and fund the use of ICT and digital learning resources

All three of these necessary aspects of a classroom are based on respect. Equitable access ensures that if you are asking students to do something with technology, you first ensure that all students have the access they need. This respects the socioeconomic diversity that is often seen in a class. Secondly,  student-centered learning focuses on the needs of the students. I believe this is especially important in technology because, as mentioned in my last post, technology can sometimes become the end, rather than the means. Student-centered learning ensures that the focus is kept on the purpose of schooling: to guide students in learning. Finally, engaged communities, which will come with time and that mutual respect for everyone in the community, allows each individual to learn, grow, participate, and contribute to their digital learning.

These standards and critical components give teachers in the classroom a guideline for the effective use of technology with students. With these guidelines, teachers can cultivate a respectful and engaging atmosphere regarding the opportunities afforded through today's technology.

Technology in Education: My Approach

Passionate. Dedicated. Excited. Competent. Personable. These are words I hope can be used to describe me as a person and as a professional. I am a fifth year student here at Redeemer University College, finishing up my final semester of my Bachelor of Education. I have already completed my Bachelor of Arts Honours in Psychology and History.

As a professional about to enter the workforce, I am so excited about the opportunity to enter a classroom and build a classroom community that will work together to learn about the world around them. I am particularly interested in diversity, in collaborative learning, and in differentiated learning. These, in a sense, are all related to the concept of classroom community. Diversity - whether it be ethnic differences, learning difficulties, language differences, or physical differences - are part and parcel of a Canadian classroom. Teaching students to appreciate this will allow the teacher and the students to utilize strengths to improve the areas where growth is needed. Collaborative learning is a specific way in which to use each student's differences to work together to create something special. Differentiated instruction is an important part of this - a teacher must honor where a student is in their educational journey in order to help them progress at their own level.

I believe technology can be a useful and expansive tool in all of this. This century, this decade, has seen immense technological changes that I believe will continue. This change is having a profound effect on education and educators must learn to be a wise and prudent user of this tool. To this end, I am taking EDU 331 Digital Technology for Learning. I think technology has so much to offer both educator and student, but I also believe that it can, in some instances, be a hindrance. I am looking forward to learning myself and gaining more experience in how to distinguish the difference.

Technology should be used in education to build collaboration and aid learning. It must be the means
and not the end, or it will distract from the true goal of guiding students to be educated and contributing members of society. Will technology be part of their lives? Yes. Increasingly so. However, it will be a tool... for their jobs, for their collaboration with coworkers, for their communication with family and friends. It must be used in the classroom in a way that reflects this truth and points them towards a good approach to technology. As Ron Canuel in "Technology in Education: Research Says!!" says that it is easy, in evaluating technology in the classroom, to miss the forest for the trees. He says that rather than focusing on technology as producing or not producing results, educational researchers and teachers should see technology as part of a totality of factors that come together to promote student learning. Teachers should recognize that technology can be used, in combination with other teaching tools, collaboration, other instruction strategies, and classroom environment, to promote student engagement and ownership of their own learning.