Mitigating #EdTech Issues in the Classroom

With all the promise that educational technology holds, several pitfalls are always on the minds of educators. The top two issues that commonly come up in my talks with educators are the technology (Internet, hardware, devices, apps) not working or off-task behavior on the part of students.  While there are some serious challenges that can derail any lesson, there are some strategic ways to mitigate them ground in instructional design. Here are some of the most commonly implemented strategies, which I will describe in more detail in this post.

• Classroom Management
• Pedagogically sound lessons
• Monitoring
• Accountability for learning
• Feedback
• Assessment

Classroom Management

It is tough to argue the fact that many learners will quickly go off and remain off task if a classroom is not managed effectively. The key above all else is to build positive relationships with kids. One great way to do this is to co-construct rules with them as well as ramifications if they are not followed or broken. Addressing issues immediately as they arise, re-directing adverse behaviors, and utilizing positive reinforcement at opportune times all aid in creating a classroom conducive to learning.

Pedagogically Sound Lessons

If you are a reader of this blog, then you know that this is one area that I focus on extensively with my writing. Instructional design is one of the best deterrents to off-task behavior. If a student, or adult for that matter, is bored, then we better accept what might happen. It is critical to get kids so immersed in their learning that they don’t think about surfing the web aimlessly, texting their friends, or accessing social media. Sound pedagogy consists of effective instructional strategies that involve all learners, a focus on higher-order thinking skills, scaffolding techniques, construction of new knowledge, and relevant application of thinking. Mitigating edtech related issues rests on authentically engaging as many learners as possible.

Image credit

Monitoring

If kids are given a task to complete on a device, whether independently, in cooperative groups, or as a part of many different blended learning models, sitting or standing in the same place in the front of the room might lead to unintended consequences. During situations like this is when I commonly observe kids focused on anything but the learning at hand. It is vital to move about the room to not only look at what is on a learner’s screen but to also be in a position to either re-direct any off-task behavior or provide needed guidance. 

Accountability for learning

When I say accountability, I am not talking about grades. I can go on and on about the fact that many grading practices are outdated, ineffective, and do not adequately reflect what a student has learned. What I am referring to are specific strategies that keep kids focused on the task at hand while ensuring that his or her part in the learning process is completed. Some ways to accomplish this include assigning equitable roles to each individual student in a cooperative group, handing in an assignment, developing performance tasks where a product is created, or using digital tools in a way where every student can report out using his/her real name.

Feedback

Continuous feedback is essential on so many levels. It helps to justify a grade, establishes criteria for improvement, provides motivation for the next assessment, reinforces good work, and serves a catalyst for reflection. Blended learning strategies lend themselves to providing continuous feedback during class time, which in turn helps to keep kids on task. Keep in mind that it doesn’t have to be just a teacher to teacher pathway. Creating opportunities for learners to give each other peer feedback is just as valuable.

Assessment

I would be remised if I didn’t include this strategy.  Assessment determines whether learning occurred, what learning occurred, and if the learning relates to stated targets, standards, and objectives. For many learners knowing that they will ultimately be assessed based on the activities and tasks they have engaged in increases attentive behavior. A variety of strategies beyond traditional tests can be used, such as performance-based activities, portfolios, and rubrics.

The reality is that no matter how well you implement the above strategies, the chances are that a few students might still go off task.  I am a realist. It is extremely challenging, no matter how great the lesson is, to engage each and every learner. What I do know is that the strategies listed above will help to mitigate common issues that arise when technology is utilized in the classroom. So, what did I miss? Please share any other successful strategies that you have successfully implemented.

Share:

Buncee and Immersive Reader: A Winning Combination for Assistive Learning

I am a huge fan of Buncee. The following is a guest post by Rachelle Dene Poth (@Rdene915), Spanish and STEAM Teacher at Riverview High School in PA.

For several years, Buncee has been one of my favorite creation tools; both for personal use and for classroom instruction. While there are many digital tools to choose from when it comes to teaching and having our students create, Buncee’s versatility and ease-of-use make it a go-to tool for all creative needs. Now, Buncee’s recent integration with Microsoft’s Immersive Reader makes the platform even more accessible for students of diverse ages, backgrounds, and abilities to learn 21st-Century Skills and express themselves. What my students love the most is that Buncee offers something for everyone, and I love that they love it.

Always keeping a finger on the pulse of their community’s needs, the Buncee team consistently listens to their community and refines the platform based on this! Their integration with Immersive Reader is a perfect example of this.

Immersive Reader: It’s About Opportunities For ALL Students 

This summer, Buncee integrated with Microsoft’s Immersive Reader, increasing accessibility for students and offering a robust environment to build literacy skills. Immersive Reader is a full-screen accessibility tool, supporting the readability of text in Buncees for language learners and their families and students with dyslexia or visual impairments. Any text added into a Buncee can be translated and read aloud in over 60 languages.

There are many ways Immersive Reader can enhance learning opportunities for students. It can help to build their confidence and create an inclusive classroom environment. Educators can use this integration to create lessons, make interactive flashcards for students, and communicate with families. Inclusive learning and providing for students and families from different backgrounds is something that the Buncee and the Microsoft team are definitely passionate about, making this integration a natural fit.

Imagine the possibilities for reaching students and their families of non-native English speaking homes, or supporting students who are just learning to read. The use of Immersive Reader in Buncee enables students to do more than just create multimedia content, it helps them improve reading and language learning skills as they engage with the content in authentic and meaningful ways. 

How Does Immersive Reader Work in Buncee? 

There are several ways to help students build their skills through the different options available within Buncee and using Immersive Reader. Getting started with Immersive Reader in Buncee is easy.

By clicking on the Immersive Reader icon when viewing a Buncee, a personalized reading and learning experience for students appears. Immersive Reader accesses the text in the Buncee, offering a multitude of options. Families can access these features at home as well, without having to log into or need any specific account. 

Navigating the Immersive Reader Functionality In Buncee

I decided to create a Buncee using some of the new 3D objects and also explore the options available through Immersive Reader. For first time users, it is easy to figure out how to adjust the settings. 

First, I clicked on the speaker symbol at the bottom to listen to the text read aloud. Students could use this as a way to practice their own pronunciation, especially when using it for language learning, by repeating after the speaker. Students can also build listening comprehension skills by focusing on written words and making connections with the audio. 

 

By clicking on text preferences, I can choose the text size, increase spacing, and select from three choices in font style. These are great options to help with readability for students. There are also 21 color choices for the background on the screen. I find this to be very useful, especially as someone who can be sensitive to certain colors when reading. I've also had students experience difficulty with reading on certain colored backgrounds, so this is a definite plus. 

The grammar options enable you to break words up by syllables and also color code the different parts of speech. Being able to use the color codes to help with the identification of nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs will help students to build their grammar skills. These labels can be turned on or off, which means that families can work with their children and use it as a teaching tool for review. 

Just to experiment, I turned everything off except for the verbs. Displayed on the screen were the two verbs in the sentence both highlighted in red. I then selected a different color for each part of speech, I chose purple to identify nouns and green for the adjectives. I was amazed at how quickly this could be set up and the possibilities for helping students with reading comprehension and language skills. Using this as a way to further engage students with identifying parts of speech and making the visual connection is another option for more interactive learning.

Under reading preferences, you can focus on one line or on the entire text.

When you focus on a line, it closes the screen down to that one specific sentence, which you can also make narrower or thicker depending on your choice. 

There are more than 60 languages available for translation. I decided to try French first, and when I clicked on a word, it showed me the word in French and in English. I also explored other languages, including Spanish and was impressed with how much it offered to reinforce the content and to provide a more personalized learning experience for students. There is also a picture dictionary to visually reinforce vocabulary acquisition. You can choose the voice and speed of reading, so it provides a great way to reinforce speaking skills as well as listening, reading and writing. 

In his book, Digital Leadership, Eric Sheninger talks about the critical competencies needed by learners for success in today’s world. These competencies are in alignment with the ISTE standards for students and teachers and can be addressed through the use of Buncee. Now with the Immersive Reader integration, the possibilities to address these standards are open to all learners. Beyond the potential for creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and communication, students using Buncee can build skills in digital media literacy, entrepreneurship, technological proficiency, and digital citizenship. Students have the opportunity to use technology as a tool for solving real-world problems and making real-world connections. We have to look beyond simply using digital tools to engage students in learning and instead, empower them through opportunities to apply what they have learned in unique ways. 

Share:

The Pedagogy of Blended Learning

Blended instruction is what the teacher does with technology. Blended learning is where students use tech to have control over path, place, and pace. - Eric Sheninger

I remember back in 2012 when we began to implement blended learning strategies at my former high school.  At the time the flipped approach was all the rage and best suited for the resources we had and the age group of our kids. The goal was to make the learning experience more personal for our students while better meeting their individual needs in the process.  In our case, this meant better using time during the school day to transfer the balance of power from instruction (teacher-centered) to learning (student-centered).  A great deal has changed since 2012 when it comes to blended learning. As technology has evolved so have many of the opportunities inherent in this strategy.  

Image credit: http://www.staloysiusla.org

As I work with more and more schools on blended learning, there is always a focus first and foremost on ensuring that sound pedagogical design serves as a foundation. Herein lies the impetus of the work at Wells Elementary school the past two years. For the purposes of this post, I am going to highlight strategies, elements, models, and supports (tools). Please note that this list is by no means exhaustive or indicative of a be-all or end-all approach.  Since my items are (or should) be common knowledge, there won’t be much elaboration.  Hyperlinks will be used in the cases where I feel additional context and information is beneficial. 

Strategies

Below I identify some strategies that are widely accepted when it comes to sound pedagogy.  As you either create or evaluate blended activities are these included in some form or another?  If not, think about where there is an opportunity for growth. 

• Small-group instruction while the rest of the class is engaged in other activities
• Checking for understanding
• Differentiation 
• Assessment (formative and summative)
• Feedback

Elements

The real power of pedagogically-sound blended activities is to empower kids to take more ownership over their learning while making the experience more personal in school. Many of these elements require increasing student agency, incorporating flexible learning spaces, and creating tasks that involve the purposeful use of technology to collaborate, communicate, and create. You will also notice that some are interchangeable. For example, many quality blended activities allow students a certain level of choice over their learning path. Keep in mind that one element might support or enhance another.

• Path
• Pace
• Place
• Choice
• Voice
• Advocacy

Models

There are many mainstream models out there that can be used to blend effectively. HERE are a list and description of 12 that are very popular. In theory, these sound great but implementing them into practice is an entirely different animal. Below are some of the most popular models I see being actively utilized with a high level of efficacy in schools.

• Station rotation
• Choice boards
• Playlists
• Flipped classroom

Below are some images to provide more insight as to what each of these looks like in practice. 

Station Rotation

Choice Board w/ individual learning targets

Playlist

Flipped classroom

Solutions

There is no shortage of tools available that can be used as part of the models listed above when a sound pedagogical foundation is in place. The key is not to get caught up in the blended instruction piece and move towards blended learning.  Popular tools that I have seen effectively utilized by kids include Go Formative, Flipgrid, Edpuzzle, and PlayPosit. These are all fantastic options that can be aligned with the strategies listed above. If you are looking to spread your wings, check out this list crowdsourced by Tom Murray. When it comes to differentiation and summative assessment I recommend the integration of adaptive learning tools. Yes, there is a cost to these. However, learners can be pushed based on ability level and the data gleaned can be used during small group to provide targeted instruction. 

It is important to remember that technology only has to be a small component of an effective blended learning activity when considering the strategies, elements, and models listed above. Autonomy is emphasized to better democratize the experience where learners explore and demonstrate high levels of understanding related to concepts and constructing new knowledge.  As for the technology part, when it is all said and done it’s what the kids do with tech to learn in ways that they couldn’t without it. Blended makes this a reality. 

Share:

Utilizing Augmented Reality as an Impetus for Learning

Technology continues to make inroads in classrooms across the world at a dizzying pace. This makes complete sense as every learner in our classrooms at this point have known nothing but a digital world. In many cases, they’ve grown up with access to incredibly immersive technology practically since birth. As a result, it can be difficult at times to compete for attention using traditional teaching methods like whiteboards, worksheets, and extended direct instruction. When the experience is mostly passive relying on strategies that might have worked well in the past, it’s no surprise that classroom engagement learning to meaningful learning has been negatively impacted. In Learning Transformed, Tom Murray and I showcased some compelling data from Gallop that emphasizes this point. 

As I have written extensively in the past the digital world that we are now all apart of provides so much promise with paired with sound pedagogy. Instead of fighting the use of tech in the classroom and schools’ educators should not only embrace it embrace but look to expand their toolbox to better empower learners. With so many options to choose from it can be both exhilarating and frustrating at the same time. It seems that every day I’m introduced to a new tech tool that promises to change education.  While the premise of many possesses potential, the challenge is to determine which tools are or will have a real impact on education. Research has shown that educational technology has the most effect on learners when it is part of an interactive experience, uses to explore and create as opposed to drill and kill, and consists of the right blend of teachers and technology. 

To improve outcomes student agency has to be at the forefront. I’ve always preferred tools that let students take control of their learning by turning passive consumers into creators because it allows them to tap into their imagination, while the learning happens naturally. I was blown away when I discovered Metaverse and seeing it utilized in a classroom during a recent coaching visit. It is a platform that makes it easy for anyone to create augmented reality experiences without having to code. I have not seen any other tools come close when it comes to ease of use and student engagement.

So, what is augmented reality (AR)? Using the camera on a mobile device (phone, tablet) AR overlays images/media over the real world. It is a social experience, as opposed to virtual reality (VR) where a single student would wear goggles that would obstruct them from their surroundings. AR might have started out as a novelty but has now become a fantastic way to engage students through authentic learning experiences. There are many reasons to incorporate AR in the classroom. A short list includes letting students experience characters/imagery that would not otherwise be accessible (historical figures), new places (enhanced field trips), added interactivity to classroom materials, gamified learning, and more immersive opportunities aligned to the curriculum.

As mentioned previously, I was first introduced to Metaverse during a coaching visit where students were creating AR projects for their peers to review ELA concepts. Since then it’s been fascinating to see Metaverse being embraced by educators in large numbers. What sets Metaverse apart from other AR tools is that anyone can create their own experiences quickly and easily. Metaverse consists of two components; Metaverse Studio where experiences are built in and the Metaverse app (iOS, Android and Chromebooks) where the can be subsequently viewed. Experiences are created by combining components on a storyboard (think digital Lego’s). Building your first AR Experience takes minutes. Here’s a quick tutorial.

Whether you are an educator or a student there are so many tasks you can create in Metaverse including:

• AR quizzes
• Games
• Choose your own adventure
• Field trips
• Digital breakout puzzles (AR Breakout EDU)
• Scavenger hunts/tours (experiences can be placed at GPS locations, similar to Pokemon GO)
• Audio games
• Interactive stories

Metaverse is free for anyone to create and view AR Experiences (you can create as many as you like). The collections feature is a premium addition to Metaverse Studio that is geared towards teachers who have students creating their own experiences. For more information check out the Metaverse blog to see what teachers are creating and check them out on Twitter. 

Share:

Backchanneling: The Why, How, and What (Best Tool)

As I wrote previously, digital tools can support and enhance discussion among learners and adults.  As a supplement to traditional discussion strategies technology can serve as a catalyst to increase engagement by getting more people actively involved during lessons.  It can also take conversations to new levels of interactivity and expression.  Below are some of the ways I highlighted that digital discussion represents an improvement over traditional pathways:

• Allows creativity in responses (video, images, online research citations)
• Provides an avenue for open reflection
• Affords more people an opportunity to answer and ask questions
• Better meets the needs of shy and introverted students
• Can extend conversations and learning beyond the traditional school day 
• Welcomes participation from others beyond the physical location
• Can be used to show parents and stakeholders the learning that is taking place
• Works to create a culture grounded in trust and responsibility

Backchanneling is a conventional digital discussion strategy that has gained popularity since the rise of social media.  So why and how should one incorporate backchanneling during workshops, presentations, faculty meetings, after hours, or in classrooms? Backchannel Chat has some good answers to both of these questions below:   

A backchannel is a conversation that takes place alongside an activity or event. Backchannels or back-channeling is common at conferences where attendees use tools like Twitter to discuss the various presentations in near real time. This gives the audience a real voice and helps to include and engage the audience in ways not seen before. 

In an educational context, a backchannel can provide quiet students with a place to ask questions without speaking up. A backchannel is a place that teachers can share supporting resources such as video's, links and photos. Teachers can ask questions and watch the response of students to determine if they understand the concepts being discussed. Students can search the backchannel for notes and resources without having to scribble personal notes on paper.

Image credit

With the why and how in place the final step is to focus on what tool is best to use to facilitate a backchannel.  In many cases, especially during conferences, presentations, and workshops, Twitter is the preferred medium for this.  The issue with Twitter though is that not everyone might be signed up to are comfortable with using this tool. In the case of classrooms, this issue is prevalent as well as the fact that some schools still block Twitter while age restrictions can prohibit younger learners from leveraging the benefits of a backchannel. So, what is the right tool that is free, accessible with an Internet connection, can work on any device, and is easy to set up?

In the past TodaysMeet served as the de facto tool to use to set up and facilitate an active backchannel in all contexts.  However, like many tools, we have come to love this one no longer exists.  The lesson learned here is never fall in love with a specific tool, but instead, focus on an improved learning experience our outcome that is provided. In this case, it is the backchannel experience.  After trying out many different tools I have settled on Padlet as my recommended application for backchanneling. Say what?

I know what many of you are thinking. Isn’t Padlet a tool for sharing responses in a digital Post-It note format? This is in fact how many of us have come to know and use the tool predominantly in the past. You can still use it this way, but as I was setting up a Padlet for one of my recent presentations, I stumbled upon the backchannel feature. When this option is enabled your board becomes a real-time, threaded conversation just like you would have seen in TodaysMeet. Once your board is set up create a shortened link with, share out with your audience, and in a snap, you have a backchannel set up. Other tools that can be used include Mentimeter and Tozzl.

Whatever tool you decide on keep in mind the improved outcome you are attempting to facilitate with backchanneling. Whether it be asking questions, enhanced collaboration, reflection, or more transparent engagement the key is putting the goal front and center and selecting a tool last. 

Share:

Why Learning and People Should Come First

I was recently working on my slide deck for a three-day workshop that will take participants on an immersive experience into digital leadership and learning.  My primary objective for all multiday workshops is to illustrate the vital role that technology can play in improving teaching, learning, and leadership.  Most of the first day is spent on emphasizing the importance of a pedagogy first, technology second mindset. The bottom line is that if we don’t get the instructional design right first, then the chances of technology improving learning outcomes is slim to none.  

Throughout my slide deck are numerous questions to get participants to reflect on their practice and think strategically about changes that they or their school(s) need to make.  After having attendees discuss in groups their responses to each question I have them report out their thoughts using a variety of tools. For the most part, my integration of technology into workshops is to foster greater collaboration, showcase how to increase engagement authentically, formatively assess, and creatively showcase what they have learned.   In some cases, I will directly train educators on how to use various tools, but learning to use the edtech tools is the easy part.  Integrating them to support high-level learning and having evidence to support this is the challenging work. 

Image credit: https://cft.vanderbilt.edu

As I line up my reflective questions, I also determine which tools I am going to have participants use to share out.  My favorite and most reliable tend to be TodaysMeet, Padlet, Mentimeter, and AnswerGarden.  For the first day of this particular workshop, I had also planned to use Tackk and ProConIt, two lesser-known tools that I have been using for the past couple of years.  As I went into both accounts, I was shocked to learn that Tackk had suddenly shut down on September 30 and when trying to access ProConIt an error message notified me that the site was not working.  A few days later I still have not been able to access ProConIt successfully.

Fortunately for me, I was able to swap out both tools for others that are similar.  The lesson learned is valuable for anyone using technology to support professional practice.  How would you manage if one day you walked into your classroom or school to discover that Google Classroom, Seesaw, or any other tool that was thoroughly embraced no longer existed? Technology comes and goes.  Sometimes it doesn’t work the way we want, in some cases, it fails to load, and then there is the chance that the tool ceases to exist.  

In the classroom, we must be mindful of what is most important – the quality of the learning and the interactions between people. Both of these outcomes should never be driven by a tool, device, or program.  It is sometimes hard not to get sucked in by all the potential benefits that come with technology.  Engagement is one of them. Yes, we want kids engaged. However, it is critical that engagement leads to evidence of learning.  This point comes back to my mantra of pedagogy first, technology second. Technology should never drive our work, but instead be used strategically to improve teaching, learning, and leadership. 

Technology is not a replacement for practice supported by research and what has been found to work consistently.  The ultimate failsafe is a well-designed lesson that gets kids to think while applying their learning in a meaningful way.  This is why using a tool like the Rigor Relevance Framework to develop a pedagogically-sound foundation first will help to ensure a quality learning experience with and without technology.  It is also important to understand that technology will not automatically lead to better results. We must be mindful of not only how it will improve the task(s) at hand, but also to not rely on it to the point that we can’t move beyond a tool or program if or when it ceases to exist or work.

The same advice applies to the tools that many of us use to connect, learn, and grow.  The Personal Learning Network (PLN) is fueled by the connections made thanks to a variety of social media tools, most notably Twitter. How would you manage or cope if Twitter tomorrow decided to shut its doors?  To be honest, I think many connected educators wouldn’t know what to do with themselves. My point here is not to place all of our eggs in just one tool or platform. 

Technology has enabled all of us to do some pretty amazing things when it comes to our professional practice and will continue to do so. Just be wary of losing focus on what truly matters. Without people, the tech doesn’t matter when it comes to learning. 

Share:

Thoughts on the future of EdTech

This post was originally written as part of a 'Thoughts on the future of EdTech' blog series on the Ed Personnel Blog.

“The only constant is change.”  

- Heraclitus

There are two things that strike me when thinking about the future of EdTech. Firstly it’s the fact that we are quite simply incapable of “knowing” what EdTech might look like in the future and even what we “imagine” seems to be limited by what we already do. For instance, when educators are asked to predict the future of EdTech it concerns me that they often appear to be simply predicting current best practice becoming more widespread. Not exactly aspirational. Secondly, there is the fact that the EdTech itself is actually nowhere as interesting as the potential transformation of the wider pedagogical landscape that EdTech will make possible.

“The future is unknowable but not unimaginable.”

- Ludwig Lachman

If I were to be safe in my thoughts on the future of EdTech I would focus on how EdTech will support the shift to more widespread student centred practice. Digitally rich pedagogy, critical thinking, and increasing levels of self direction will ensure we are developing learners who can “survive” in the knowledge age (the age we live in now). EdTech has the capacity (when readily available and used effectively) to move us from having 'caged' classrooms to increasingly 'free range learners'.

Free range learners who are:

• Free to choose how they learn
• Free to choose where they learn
• Free to choose how they process their learning
• Free to choose how they evidence their learning
• Free to experience learning that is relevant and responsive to their needs not our limitations

“Unlocking the power of new technologies for self-guided education is one of the 21st century superhighways that need to be paved.” 

- Sugata Mitra

However if I were to be brave and be more brutally honest about what the future of EdTech might entail I would go further.

“If the rate of change on the outside exceeds the rate of change on the inside, the end is near.”

- Jack Welch

I believe that the future of EdTech will actually facilitate something even more exciting - the partial dissolution of what we have come to know as “school”. I suspect that if schools continue to struggle to evolve and to leverage the power of EdTech effectively and cannot change at a rate that mirrors the rate of change in wider society we will begin to see a society that questions the relevance of such a formal and seemingly inflexible structure. In fact, it is possible that we could see the whole notion of school questioned and the relevance of formal education challenged as future generations refuse to accept the glacial pace of change and instead harness the powers of EdTech to form something akin to connected home-schooling community. You only need look at the global proliferation of democratic schools and rising profile of hackschooling to get a sense that this shift has already begun. And whilst democratic schools, for the most part, still base themselves in what we might recognise as a school, I do wonder if the ubiquity and autonomy that EdTech affords learners, we may see that change as well.

The future of EdTech is one of disruption, democratization and for some, complete dissonance.

Before you dismiss this as little more than a pedagogical fantasy, I would suggest that you at least stop to consider the future of EdTech as something more than the status quo on steroids and I implore you recognise that what is really exciting is not the EdTech at all, but rather how EdTech might help to redefine what “an education” might look like in the not distant future.

Share: