Uni High Technology Think Tank

On the final day of this class, I was astonished to find out that a significant number of students thought that more/newer/better technology would result in more opportunities for teachers to lecture. Say it ain't so! Here's another viewpoint from a teacher who uses student-composed blog posts -- not technology-enhanced lectures -- to enhance student learning. He explains that the method takes an extra five minutes of his time per day and that the results have "knocked his socks off." When students "watch it, do it, then teach it," then they really get it.

We discussed problems with access to technology--do all students have computers? Do all students with computers have adequate network access? Can [should?] the school "force feed" technology into the homes of the students?

Some students said computers are like cars--50 years ago, not every family had one, but now, most do. Computers are becoming more and more necessary. One way around the hardware-access issue is for schools to provide the computers (or assistance on an as-needed basis). This doesn't address the network access issue, though, or the forced-into-homes issue.

Other students commented that spending time alone working on pencil-and-paper homework is no more "family oriented" than spending equal amounts of time alone working on computer homework.

---->Ah, those musicals! (Darion/Leigh, "Man of La Mancha")

Topic of the day: Dreaming... what would the Uni of the future look like, in terms of technology? How might technology affect teaching and learning in the future?

Games? (Derivative Pong is a very rudimentary, 1-player review game for Calculus)

• Educational games make learning more fun
• Games relaxing
• Period built into schedule for game playing
• Game room in school
• Games spark creativity--especially student-formed
• Simulation games--build real-life skills, constructed learning rather than lecture/memorization
• Adventure games
• Trivia games--Jeopardy, others
• Subject aread: History-quizzing, facts; Math--problem-solving strategies; English--parts of speech; Languages--vocabulary building; Science--learning parts of the body, for example...
• Ability to check games out from library
• All-school games

Remote learning? (such as the Consumer Economics course on Compass)

• Webcam, videoconferencing
• Virtual school
• COmputer testing
• Help from teacher via chats

The classroom?

• tablet PC's for all students
• Smartboard
• Ubiquitous software
• No textbooks
• Recording studio potential
• Digital recording (audio, video, or both)
• Charging stations to keep batteries charged?
• Wireless (or plug-in) network access

The role of the teacher?

• Robo-teacher (goes against Caroline's idea about personal interactions)
• Place all handouts, assignments, etc. online
• Textbooks online
• Video footage of classes online
• Teacher moderates web forum discussing activities and homework
• Automated grading(?)
• Guide/organize student exploration & discovery
• Some students think technology would make MORE lecturing (aaaaggggghhhhhhh!!!!)

Day-to-day administration (administrivia)?

• Employee/personnel management
• Student management more automated
• PA system (limited use for Ssome Kpeople)
• Podcast news system for teachers, students
• Automated registration (like Agora?)
• Test calendar (also field trips, anticipated absences) online

What about developed technologies NOT in use (at least in the curriculum) at Uni? Cell phones, iPods, laptops, handhelds, other hardware? Wiki, chat, IM, other "software"?

Hardware	How used?
Web Cam	Remote classrooms... remote collaboration... web conferencing... sharing a class with Konan School?
Recording Studio	Performance classes
Laptops	Replace textbooks...
Game consoles	Educational games (not really developed fully... CITES putting together games for training...); DDR for PE? Learning games, game creation
Smart Boards	Notes from class recorded and transmittable; useful for collaborations
Communications kiosk	related to webcam... for
Cell Phones	Kareem claims that more cell phone use in school would lead to abuse, and reduction of face-to-face communication.
Tablet PC's	With wi-fi, useful for students and teachers
Handhelds	Data collection and portability
Computers in all the classrooms...	???
MP3 Players	Creating/listening to PodCasts
Wireless access	More ubiquitous computing

Software	What is it? How is it used?
Audio editing
Instant messaging, chatting	Distracting, not in labs at schools...
oversight/control of laboratory computers
Swipe cards for attendance?
Threaded discussions (book chat?)
Pod casts	Disseminate admin & publicity information; record and post review sessions & lectures (limited use); audio online Gargoyle sort of? Student presentations
Wikis	Collaborative learning
RSS	Comparative analysis of news sources, personal management of information
Blogging	Communication with parents, interaction & collaborative learning, linking capabilities
E Books	...to lighten studen backpacks?

Here we are!

As promised, here are some links to blogs created by teachers.

At Mabry Middle School, all teachers have blogs.

Tom McHale's American Studies and Journalism class blogs at Hunterdon Central Regional High School.

Darren Kuropatwa's various math class blogs (note the school terms in Canada are on a different schedule than we are).

Before the end of the week, everyone should check out this link to Multi-Touch Interaction Research. Be sure to watch the video that's on the right side of the page.

And purely for fun, check out this clip from the band Tripod.

What technology is currently available at Uni, but perhaps under-used? Spreadsheets? Other software? Think about the areas and technologies identified on Tuesday. What do students see as effective ways to use technology at Uni now? Chats? Blogs?

• Use more Unix?
• Use more spreadsheets--for statistical displays related; used in language classes for organizing information. Potential for use in science for data results; not a way (currently) to exploit technology in the classroom.
• Word processing: tracking changes, making changes--online submission of rough drafts, peer editing.
• Noodlebib--comfort level for teachers; share online bibliographies
• Some specialty software (Macromedia, Adobe Premiere, Finale) not used widely
• Using/making videos
• Use of web sites--course web sites, class forums (?); encourage teachers to post assignments. A possibility: post a blog

-----> One student claims that technology is not essential to learning; Mr. Smith countered with "electric lights, heat, running water, and chalkboards."

In the Classroom...

• LCD projectors for teachers showing stuff from computers, VCR, DVD, Elmo
• Microscopes, spectroscopes, other scientific tools
• Calculators in math & science
• Noodlebib, online database
• Internet
• CD players
• File servers
• Heart rate monitors
• Television
• Cameras and videocams
• Software: Geometer's Sketchpad, word processing, slide shows, social studies games, spreadsheet, iMovie, desktop publishing, browsers, webboard, web creation tools
• EFFECTIVENESS: Powerpoint helps make material interesting, keeps students involved (but there's a line concerning overuse of transitions, sounds, kitschy stuff). Noodlebib is great... some concern about HRM

In the Curriculum

• Asynchronous learning packages (Mallard, Compass)
• Use of file servers
• Many of the same tools used in the classroom, especially internet
• Library resources
• Communications tools: telephones, cell phones, instant messaging (for homework collaboration)
• Course web sites (not widely used)

Administration

• Attendance, grades, scheduling software
• Sue Kovacs' cell phone
• e-mail
• Shared servers
• Bells :( --quite some room for improvement with this one!
• phone messaging
• Principal's weblog

Extra-curricular

• Online and print Gargoyle, yearbook, www.uni.uiuc.edu
• Scoreboards
• Sports statistics
• Online chess practices
• Reading suggestions on library web site
• Book chat
• Lightboards, soundboards
• Agora stuff

Socially

• Weblogs (lots of students...)
• Facebook (online interactive yearbook)
• Chat spaces
• peer-to-peer file sharing
• Instant messaging
• Cell phones and landlines
• portable music