Try This!

How did the OLPC people do this?

Update on the OLPC Program

I just watched this short TED video with an update on the One Laptop Per Child project. It is worth watching.

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/nicholas_negroponte_takes_olpc_to_colombia.html

In a more personal report I had time during the week before Winter Break at school to upgrade both laptops that we have to the newest "build" or operating system and software. It was pretty easy. Build 8.2 is great! In the short time that we had to explore it both Linda, the librarian and I liked it. We are leaving both of our laptops next to each other in the Library to give kids a chance to explore and use them. They have a record feature so that everything you do on them is recorded, so we can go back and see what they have tried. Fun!

Teachers and Technology

I just commented on Jen Waggoner's blog and I thought it was worth sharing (or at least I worked hard on the wording), so I am putting it here.

The gap between my Personal Learning Network and most teachers is why I returned to working at a school instead of consulting and speaking at conferences. It just seemed that there was always only one or two teachers in most schools that were really using technology. The rest of the teachers see that one or two teachers as the "techies" on campus and don't worry about learning new things too much. This has been going on for 20 years. There has got to be some way that all or most teachers can be learning and moving in a direction of understanding the importance of technology. Since I have been working in an Elementary school for the last year and a half I realized that the teachers at my school are excellent teachers and hard workers. They do not (as a whole) see a positive trade off to using technology. It seems like too much time and work to be worthwhile.

So there are at least two things that I am convinced of:

1. most teachers are excellent educators and really hard workers
2. technology constantly changes (even I get frustrated and I do it all the time!)

I am seeing that there are teachers who have embraced the 21st century skill of being flexible when there is a tech glitch and there are teachers who have not. Those who have not are really frustrated when things do not work and do see value in learning more.

Also there is SO much technology. Maybe it is because I am in a wealthy district, but the teachers do their grades online, do lesson planning online, use United Streaming, regularly use email to communicate with parents, keep up an assignment page online and most have a website. On top of that they can choose SO many things to use Wikis, blogs, podcasting, online projects, digital cameras (comic life), Kidworks Deluxe, keyboarding, and so much more. What they do not do for the most part is allow the kids to lead and learn. So my goal is to help them to see how amazing they already are and find the ways to use technology to move them along.

Reading and Technology

This morning I started listening to a new biweekly podcast about Literacy done by Dr. Betsy Baker from the University of Missouri. Each show she interviews researchers in the area of literacy about what they are finding. It is called The Voice of Literacy.

Today I listened to interviews of Julie Coiro and Robert Slavin. My drive is about 30 minutes, so I am guessing each show is around 10-15 minutes... just enough time to get a person thinking. Dr. Coiro does research on the process of reading online and how that differs from reading offline. She said that reading online is qualitatively different than reading offline. Students (and teachers!) need to learn how to effectively read online. Dr. Slavin does research on effective instruction. He said that what is surprising to him is how little effect technology has on learning according to research.

I am thinking that our rationalization for integrating technology in schools has been all wrong. We have been searching and searching for proof that technology makes learning more effective. The rational is to prove effectiveness in order to get funding for equipment. I think that actually technology adds new and different challenges to learning. In the same way that technology does not create less work, but makes more things possible so that people work MORE; technology actually adds a layer to teaching in order for it to be effective. Teachers and students need to learn how to read a whole new way. There are skills that are required which do not always correspond to being a good reader offline.

Different literacy skills and also valuing connections and working with people in other places and times have become important for success in our world. The recent presidential election highlighted how much things have changed. Being able to communicate through video, and texting; being aware of your digital footprint are new skills that are necessary for success in our world.

Technology and Literacy

If you are interested in keeping up with Literacy Education and how technology interfaces with it you might want to check out a new podcast by Betsy Baker, Associate Professor of Literacy Studies at the University of Missouri-Columbia.

http://www.voiceofliteracy.org

I often enjoy listening to podcasts as I commute to and from school. It is hard to find time in the day to read blogs and just in general to keep up with all of the new info that is available. That time in the car is often really valuable.

Technology Changes Brains

This morning I awoke to my normal Monday ritual of reading the Tech Monday section of the Austin American Statesmen and "Lo and Behold" there was an article about Technology rewiring our brains! Dr. Gary Small of UCLA has come out with a book, "iBrain, Surviving the Technological Alteration of the Modern Mind". According to the article his point is that, "When the brain spends more time on technology-related tasks and less time exposed to other people it drifts away from fundamental social skills..."

Wow! I have said that the brain is changing for years. It is interesting that they are focusing on social skills. I think that they are probably important, but I think there are all kinds of ways that our neurons are firing differently.