Mobile Devices in the Learning Environment

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Using Kathy Schrock’s site to identify 3 great uses of iPads for learning

In viewing Kathy Schrock’s site, I discovered that there are a large number of ways in which students can use iPad to learn and in my research, I also viewed many videos showing how engaged students were as they were learning, how excited they were and also how using this tool, students who were failing in a particular subject discovered that through visualization or using another form of intelligence, they too can use iPad to learn.

So to name three of the many ways in which students can use iPad to learn, are:

Using Popplet to share ideas
Using Pro Keys to play and record music
Using Math Board to learn a number of Mathematical problems

Why iPad and Other Similar Devices have the Potential to Transform the Educational Environment?

Based on my research and viewing the many videos with students from Pre-k to college level, I believe that iPads and other similar devices have the potential to transform learning in the educational environment.

In viewing one video, the teacher assigned students to work in pairs. As students reported to school, they would retrieve their iPads, and then go to their desk to get started on the assignment that was displayed on the Smart board by the teacher who had used Todo for iPad—a personal planner or task manager. Students were using 21^st Century Skills to complete their work. They were communicating, collaborating and sharing ideas with each other. Afterwards, they would submit their assignments to the teacher’s email. The teacher would now have enough time to grade students work and give the students immediate feedback which students have come to expect. At this point, instead of grading papers, teacher s were receiving work via email and this extra time has allowed the teacher to be more efficient and more productive in being more of a facilitator in the classroom by answering any questions students may have during the rest of time. In this case, iPad has certainly changed the way teachers teach.

In another video, students in Pre-K were learning to write and the teacher started out by having them write their names first and then taught them about shapes and the definition of ‘before’ and ‘after.’ Students understood the concept and they were having fun while e engaged in the learning process.

Finally, there was a medical student who described how accessible and beneficial the iPad was to him during his medical studies. This student spoke about the number of textbooks that he would have had to purchase if iPad had not transformed the learning environment by compressing and placing them on software applications that he is able to download on his iPad and have at his fingertips when needed. Not only is he able to retain a wealth of knowledge as a college student, but knowing that this tool has the capability to hold so much information, he feels confident that he has access to all this wealth of knowledge anytime and anywhere with the use of his iPad when needed.

Why are these 3 Uses of iPad Worthwhile?

Using Popplet to share ideas
Using Pro Keys to play and record music
Using Math Board to learn a number of Math problems

Popplet is a worthwhile tool because it helps students to reinforce the 21^st Century Skills. With this application, students can share visual ideas, use it to collect ideas that inspire them, record their thoughts, explore ideas and create galleries.

Pro Keys has many musical capabilities and features. It functions as a keyboard as well as a drum pad. This tool is perfect for upcoming singer/songwriters who can make, play and record their music together.

Math Board is a great mathematical tool that helps students in the elementary grades learn. Teachers can control the range of numbers they want to focus on as well as the number of problems to solve within a certain time limit.

In conclusion, the many applications that are accessible with iPad have transformed learning in the classroom and have gotten students excited and engaged about learning. Using iPad has proven to be advantageous as it is cost effective, kid friendly, great for visual learners, has a lot of information that you can put your hands on at any given time and it certainly has transformed the way how everyone looks at learning.

Reasons Why I think Brooklyn High School of the Arts is a Transformative Program

Programs in the NYC DOE Innovative Zone (iZone) 6uLj5viqw6w

Describe one of the programs in the iZone 360 page and give reasons why you think it is transformative in 1-2 paragraphs.

Prior to joining the 1Zone 360 program, students at Brooklyn High School of the Arts were only interested in one aspect of learning: performance in the arts classes. Realizing this lack of interest in academics, the principal, Margaret Lacy-Berman discovered an engaging solution at iZone360 which has made an immense impact in the BHSA classrooms.

Using Project Based Learning, Brooklyn High School of the Arts was redesigned to integrate technology in the curriculum, centered on the needs of students. This tool motivated students to learn.

Transformation was clearly seen by the teachers and the principal. The teachers noticed that students were fully engaged causing teachers to spend less time on disciplining students and place more emphasis on responding to students individual questions. Furthermore, teachers’ time were also wisely spent on sharing suggestions and giving feedback to individual students. Along with how pleased the teachers were, the principal noticed that attendance had increased, the level of motivation to learn had increased and because of this successful framework, the school has made plans to extend the use of project-based learning throughout its curriculum.

As one of the model design partners in the iZone360 programs, Brooklyn High School of the Arts redesigned the school’s environment starting with the transformation of the school day from many days that lacked learning and no growth to one where the classroom was innovatively disrupted and transformed. The redesigning of the learning environment started with changing the school day from a stagnant classroom to one that was engaging and challenging. Students would spend most of the school days using the 21^st Century Skills communicating effectively with their peers in their core subjects in conjunction with their performing arts classes.

Another transformation that Brooklyn High School of the Arts made was to integrate project- based learning assignments in their curriculum. This activity was the key and stimulant to teaching and learning appropriately as students would get to brainstorm, participate in an activity with their peers by sharing ideas and taking on roles to complete specific tasks. These activities allowed students to use problem solving skills, critical thinking abilities in answering questions that are used in the global community daily.

Immediately, the principal and teachers noticed the immense improvements in the students learning. They noticed how they were very engaged and this remarkable difference carried over into their attendance which showed much better results than previously and students were more engaging as they would spend more time interacting effectively with each other. These students continued to show how eager they were to learn in this transformed environment.

Reasons Why I think iLearnNYC is transformative

Image representing Skype as depicted in CrunchBase — Image via CrunchBase

Programs in the NYC DOE Innovative Zone (iZone)

iLearnNYC is using an innovative approach to learning which has transformed the traditional classroom environment to a blended model framework. Learning is tailored to meet the needs of individual students instead of using a one size fits all approach to learning. Teachers are provided the tools and resources to foster learning. In this environment, students are encouraged to use the 21^st Century skills. They share their work by communicating and collaborating online with their peers, as well as with their teachers, their parents and other subject matter experts through video conferencing.

Students are encouraged to learn at their own pace and share their work with a partner school; for example, students from East Bronx Academy School can participate in reading a book on Shakespeare with iSchoolNYC and then viewing each other’s performance of the dramatization of Shakespeare via Skype. In this program, students have flexibility in their class schedule because in classes like AP History, students do everything as a class, but in Psychology or a foreign language class, students work at their own pace which allows them to find the right method that works best for them.

In my own perspective, because learning is personalized and meeting the needs of individualized learning, iLearnNYC is transformative and has changed the way how students should learn by combining traditional approach with online blended learning.

Chicago’s VOISE Academy HS and Chicago International Charter School

How have the schools innovatively and transformatively addressed the items in the table?

Rethinking / Transforming / Changing: VOISEAcademy HS

Blended learning methodology graphic (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Student Role	Students enter school with a 4^th grade reading level and 5^th grade math level. They are encouraged to learn at their own pace, assigned mentors to guide them along in their learning process and they receive individual instructors based on their need.
Teacher / Staff Roles	Teachers familiarize students with key concepts to get them engaged on an online module. At times, teachers extend themselves in helping students on weekends with unfinished assignments.
Leadership Role	The district has placed an emphasis on high expectations for all students to learn, believing that they all can achieve regardless of their previous educational circumstance or their economic conditions. Unlike other high schools in Chicago, these 151 freshmen came from crime-ridden or poor neighborhoods were enrolled in a transformative blended learning program: a Flex Model approach with teachers leading instruction 20% of the time and the 80% is through online instruction in a student-centered learning environment. With expectations being set very high, there is low tolerance for excuses and students are given enough support and encouragement to work hard and develop good study habits which was not expected of them before.
School Scheduling (Creative Use of Time)	Students follow a daily class schedule centered on a traditional calendar.
Budget	$7427/pupil
Learning Environment	Students spend 80% of their time receiving online instruction in a Flex Model setting in addition to teachers providing 20% individual face-to-face support.

Rethinking / Transforming / Changing: Chicago International Charter School

Student Role	Using the values of games, students participate in virtual worlds to create project based learning experiences. This is to use games strategy with children all background leading them to father studies in exploring subjects matters.
Teacher / Staff Roles	Since students will be engaged in PBL experiences, teachers’ role will be to assign online materials including games centered on the learning points in the lesson plan.
Leadership Role	The district’s role is to manage the schools in concert with 4 EMOs (Education Management Organizations) that it has a contract with them. Responsibilities are divided up with the 4 EMOs. The district’s mission is to change the way students learn by causing innovative disruption in education that meets the need of today’s students who will have a choice in the way they learn.
School Scheduling	(Creative Use of Time)Blended Model: Face-to-Face and online learning
Budget	Public revenue/pupil
Learning Environment	A blended learning model similar to Quest2Learn consisting of live interactions with teacher and online virtual learning.

http://www.chicagointl.org/campuses/northtown.html

http://voiseacademy.org/

Flipping the Classroom

Pros & Cons of Flipping the Classroom – Part 1, 2, 3 https://astewden.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/pros-and-cons-of-flipping-a-classroom1.docx

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0EByIRrpk8&feature=relmfu

http://youtu.be/AZyXcgAnBuo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqJPC-ryYds&feature=relmfu

The flipped classroom approach is another blended model method of learning. From my understanding, with so many students failing in the classrooms, different approaches like this are being used to customize learning to fit each student’s need. Stepping away from the one size fits all method of learning, we can clearly see that an approach like this can stimulate the learning environment to produce great results. Also, we know that everyone has different intelligence and because we learn differently, using the flipped classroom approach is a great strategy to help focus on students’ intelligence to motivate them to learn. For those students who are not being challenged in the classroom regardless of the innovative methods that are used to help them learn, for them, I would suggest that these students should have a needs assessment and start teaching them at their level of experience. In the Clintondale’s study, we are able to compare and contrast the learning outcomes of students who were learning in a traditional setting as well as in a flipped classroom environment. The result greatly improved with students benefiting from the flipped classroom approach, and even though the results of the students improving was so phenomenal, there has to be a way to still reach the 19% who failed English and the 13% who failed Math. I believe there is a way to reach them.

Describe two ways school teams can organize to innovate educational practices

School leaders working in concert with elected officials can use the following tools to institute change:

An effective leader should use the tools of power and separation to make compromises. When experiencing budgetary problems and having difficulty hiring teaches, they should resolve the issue by facilitating autonomous disruption instead of weakening the already stressful situation.

Teachers, parents and students can institute the following:

When a certain course is not being offered in the school, they should take the initiative to request help from the entrepreneurs and ensure that the school accepts it for credit.

Lastly, teachers, parents and students should continue to work on creating other tools to implement changes.

For example, parents should ask for help early in their child’s life so that they can work with the child at home and celebrate in the child’s individuality and see the child enjoying the learning experiences.

A strong and cohesive community has its advantages and we must use the influence of the community to bring about change. We must recognize that technology is not a threat to education, but tools that can be used to motivate students in the learning process and make teaching more fulfilling.

Disrupting Class – Hopeful and Insightful (astewden.wordpress.com)

The Importance of School Leadership in Transformation

Considering what Alisa Berger describes regarding curriculum, what is the role of the school leader in enahancing the motivation of students?

Alisa Berger made some very interesting points regarding the curriculum:

1. Ms. Berger believes that technology plays a crucial part in the curriculum at her school.

2. In her school, teachers use technology to transform learning.

3. iSchool has made a commitment to individualized learning where teachers engage students using the 21^st Century Skills to move them from a level of basic understanding to one that involves deep critical thinking skills.

4. Most of the school day is spent engaging students in authentic learning using deep thinking skills.

5. Students will eventually know when they have to move on to a higher order learning and the teachers will know this as well.

Although students might have knowledge on certain topics, they don’t have a deep breadth of understanding on everything; however, Alisa is thinking of ways to create a school where students spending 4 years in high school will receive more depth of knowledge and understanding on a vast number of topics.

As the Co-Principal of iSchool, it would appear that Alisa’s role has a lot to do with enhancing the curriculum to increase students’ depth of knowledge. I also believe that Alisa will design a blended learning program which will effectively transform the curriculum using technology to make an innovative and immense impact on the lives of individual students in their 4 years of high school.

Disrupting Class – Describing the problems of students’ motivation

Here are a number of factors discussed in Disrupting Class that detrimentally affects students’ motivation:

motivation-001 (Photo credit: whitehatblackbox)

Some poverty stricken students are motivated because of wealth; children should bemotivated to learn for the sake of learning
Having no choice in learning a project based activity in a student-centric environment; these poor students must tolerate the historic teaching methods of the hard coresubjects like math and science.
Research shows, that if the schools are integrated correctly, some students like Sam in this chapter, can be motivated to learn in a student-centric environment.
In a monolithic environment, students are categorized ineffectively. Instead of assessing the needs of each student, students are put in a one size fits all category and are given the same curriculum and sorted by grade levels or by the subjects that are being taught.
Except for a few students whose parents and teachers have found the answers to motivating them, a large number of students are inattentive, forget to complete homework assignments, have poor attendance and a high dropout rate. These problems indicate that students are not being motivated or challenged and are not buying into what the school is offering them.
Like marketers, educators need to see the world through the eyes of those students. If educators understood the students’ jobs, in the same way the marketers understands the customer’s jobs, then it would become clearer how to teach the students and how to motivate them.
Students have a job to do and this job has three components: a functional, a social and an emotional dimension. The significance varies from one job to another, but it is at the second level where you find all the experiences and once innovators comprehend these experiences, they will implement it in the third level. By combining these jobs together students will be motivated and will be able to produce their best in all the subjects.

Furthermore, students are motivated by things that interest them like the student Sam Spitz who was known in school as the media geek. Administration had kept a file on Sam because he had difficulty learning in school and because they did not properly assess his needs to see what had interested him to assist in motivating him. He was considered to be a student that the system had failed, but thankfully, this curious staff member recognized this student’s intelligence and decided to rectify his mis-diagnosed evaluation because students were seeking Sam’s help with their memory cards. This staff member reported what he had observed to administration. Observing Sam performed “mash ups” — uploading music to match the photos and videos on memory cards took great skill to do this, so he knew there was a way to help motivate Sam to learn in the classroom because he seeing what Sam was capable of doing for all those students, he understood that all students had different learning styles and are also motivated differently.

How can/can’t FLVS and Kahn Academy curriculum and delivery models be used within a school to enhance student motivation? (1-2 paragraphs)’

In the FLVS schools, since students are at the center of every decision, lessons should be tailored to the students’ level of learning in a blended model. Although students have limited face-to-face delivery of the curriculum, in FLVS, there should be measures taken to have more engagement with the teacher facilitating students in a student-centric environment. Also, students should have the freedom to visit the labs whenever they choose so that they can collaborate with other students on a project based learning activity.

Kahn Academy can definitely motivate students by teaching them math and other subjects. Kahn unintentionally singlehandedly started his quest to help others learn by tutoring his niece and then eventually reaching millions of people all around the world. If he can improve the learning abilities of so many, he certainly can reach these students in a structured environment similar to the 23 piloted programs in California. Students can be encouraged to work at their own pace to master the concepts similarly like Kahn’s schools. Khan has the ability to break down the most complex subject in real time with students. Using this approach, teachers can assign students to read a concept before coming to school. Then students will be able to work independently with teachers coaching them as they do their homework at school and then they will be able to do their school work at home without much difficulty.

3. Considering what Alisa Berger describes regarding curriculum, what is the role of the school leader in enhancing student motivation? (1 paragraph)

The role of the school leader is to recognize when there is a problem, identify it and begin to seek ways to resolve it. Like Alisa stated in the video, her goal is to expand students’ knowledge, therefore, she will begin implementing the necessary steps to accomplish modifying the curriculum as that is her main responsibility. She believes that will increase students’ depth of knowledge. She will also help to design a blended learning using technology to make an innovative and immense impact on the lives of individual students in their 4 years of high school.

Florida Virtual School – Some Students Take All Their Courses Online, What do you think about this Learning Model? Give Pros and Cons. (astewden.wordpress.com)
How to Raise Student Motivation? (socyberty.com)
Teachers who Inspire (themiddlegeneration.wordpress.com)

Disrupting Class Reading in Student-Centric Learning

Audrey Dennis

Professor Tsamasiros

Edit 654 – 21^st Century Instructional Modules

March 9, 2012

Chapter 5 & 6: Describe the disruptive innovation of “student-centric learning.”

There are two stages of disruption: Stage 1 – Making the product more affordable and Stage 2 – Making the product inexpensive to build and the ability to upgrade the products. As the author points out, education like the other industries will undergo a two stage disruption before it shows any sign of improvement (It is currently experiencing this form of disruption).

Well, at this point of the educational spectrum, student-centric learning is in Stage 2. In this stage of disruption, it is quite simple, less costly to build and less costly to upgrade the products; however, even though, the innovator in the Stage 1 makes the product more affordable and simpler to use, making the product is expensive and very complicated to do. Presently, businesses are customizing operating systems and some believe that this is the answer for education, specifically the answer to student-centric learning.

Give clear examples according to the reading of the benefits of “student-centric learning.”

Benefits of Student-Centric Learning

With many things to consider including costs, it is difficult to design a textbook for differentiated learners, but integrating customized software to encompass a plethora of platforms for different types of learners can be easy to design.
With the simplification and sophistication of these tools will make it easier for some individuals to make online products to teach others.
Teachers will also be able to use some of these tools to teach differentiated learners and not be so reliant on the textbooks.
Finding it expensive to pay tutors, parents will also be able to put tools together free of cost to tutor their own children.

Discuss one way you would like to enable “student-centric learning” in your work environment.

I would enable student-centric learning in my work environment for a student wanting to take a foreign language course that is not being offered at the school. This course will be developed for online tutoring and distributed through a facilitator to parents, students and teachers and mainly to that interested student. This tool will be linked to the core subjects making customization easier to do. So if other students are interested in studying foreign language like Maria who wanted to study Arabic in chapter 5, then the course would be improved and customized for the learning needs of each different type of learner.

References

Christensen, C.M., Horn, M.B., & Johnson, C.W. Disrupting Class (2011)

Innosight Institute: The Rise of K-12 Blended Learning. Retrieved from http://www.innosightinstitute.org/innosight/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/The-Rise-of-K-12-Blended-Learning.pdf

NYC DOE: Brownsville Academy High School. Retrieved from https://brownsville.diplomaplus.net/

Florida Virtual School – Some Students Take All Their Courses Online, What do you think about this Learning Model? Give Pros and Cons.

Coffee Shop, Learning Resource Centre, Edge Hi... — Coffee Shop, Learning Resource Centre, Edge Hill University (Photo credit: jisc_infonet)

The 21^st Century Skills advocates that students should be technologically prepared for living and working in an innovative and competitive society. So, as a country, if we still have intentions of competing in this global economy that emphasizes innovation, then we ought to use all the tools and resources in our educational institution to promote reading, writing and arithmetic along with the 4cs: Critical thinking with problem solving, Communication, Collaboration, Creativity and innovation. The local, state and federal governments have policies that support this approach. Therefore, I cannot support the learning approach for some students taking all their courses online because there is a guideline in place—The Partnership for 21^st Century Skills that clearly highlights the essential and necessary skills that students will need to succeed in the global economy. Students learning independently without any engagement will not be effective workers; they will not have any social skills or the resourceful tools to communicate with their peers nor will they want to collaborate or engage in projects that will need critical thinking skills and problem solving. They must be engaged in a learning approach that models what is presently going on in the world of work. Students need a blended learning approach model where they have some face to face engagement with an instructor that facilitates the learning process.

Pros	Cons
E-Learning Centers and Virtual Learning Labs have helped solved statewide teacher and budget crisis quickly	Fewer teachers are being hired and few are in the classrooms.
E-Learning and Virtual Learning Labs have helped strengthened district curriculum offerings	Students works independently with online adult supervision, and limited face-to-face delivery
I-Prep Academy – Students drop into the lounge-like setting for face-to-face support and instruction whenever they choose.	Students must fulfill certain criteria before they are admitted into the program.
E-Learning model that provided the FLVS course content, a certified online teacher, learning management system, grade book, and other tool. District provided the physical facility and on-site supervisors.	Success rate is based on student completing the program with a ‘D’ or higher.
On-site facilitators communicate with FLV students about their progress while the online instructors deliver all content and are responsible for each student’s academic success.	Students should be bearing some responsibility in their own academic success too.
Students participated in synchronous (happening simultaneously) conversation with their co-located peers and complete group projects together.	Need face to face interaction

In today’s 21^st century, we have gotten accustomed to the fact that students will take certain courses online such as AP courses, a foreign language course or credit recovery for students needing a few credits to graduate; however, to effectuate the learning process, students will need to be engaged in a blended learning model which includes student-centric learning alongside attendance at their traditional schools for a face to face workshop or tutoring. Technically, students are simultaneously taking courses online while engaging in face to face instruction in a traditional school setting, thus benefiting from a live teacher in the class room who can offer one on one tutoring or facilitate a small group workshop.

It is quite clear that the blended model is the most suitable approach to learn in the 21^st Century as it allows students to collaborate, have face to face interactions to work on projects and share ideas in addition to integrating the rest of the skills needed to be lifelong learners in the global community.

What’s good or not so good about these 6 courses? Chinese 2, Psychology 1, M/J Science 2, Computer Programming, Conspiracy Code – American History Trailer and HOPE. Write a paragraph describing where students may have difficulties in taking these courses.

Chinese 2 – Students are proficient in this course with the help of the 21^st Century Skills as well as integrating video images and audio strategies to promote understanding of the language. Full audio support is used and students get to speak with the instructor. Students could experience some difficulty with the wide and varied tasks and during the self-assessment of the character writing skills.
Psychology 1 – Students have a voice in learning and are given the opportunity to change the lesson according to their choice, hence, education is designed with learners in mind. In this course, students also get to communicate with the teacher, the community and the parents. This course is easy to use giving students a solid foundation in the field of science because they had a voice in the learning process and understanding the different concepts thus allowing them to make real world connections.
M/J Science 2 – This course involves active participation, using the 21^st Century skills with students participate in lab activities, brainstorming and working with an avatar, but in this course, students not having the accessibility to a live instructor could pose a problem in this learning model.
Computer Programming – Students learn 2 computer languages to understand the way how computer works and having much needed hands-on activity showcasing their skills in imagery, media and graphics. Students’ work is being facilitated by the teacher, but it does not appear that students use the 21^st Century skills while engaging in the different activities.
Conspiracy Code – American History Trailer – There is higher order thinking skills being used in this course such as peer collaboration, a voice in learning, engagement in the assignments, immersion in the course and reviews from the teacher. Students work at their own pace are advised by their teachers and receive feedbacks through a website interface. I see no potential problem with this course because the 21^st Century skills are being used throughout the course giving students a better understanding of history.
HOPE – Health Opportunity Physical Education – This course allows students to balance work, play and responsibilities by providing a customized workout regimen for the student. Besides exercise, this course addresses other issues like teen pregnancy, drug and alcohol addiction. The 21^st Century Skills is integrated in the course with emphasis being placed on communication, conflict resolution, and review with teacher providing feedback on students’ workout logs.

Except for 2 courses which need some adjustments, they are all excellent programs. In Science 2, integrating an avatar in the lesson is fine; however, students should have interaction with a live teacher to review work and give feedback to questions and assessments. Also, in the computer programming course, it would appear that the 21st Century Skills is not being used.

As stated earlier, students must be engaged in a learning approach that models what is presently going on in the world of work. They need a blended learning approach model where they have some face to face engagement with an instructor that facilitates the learning process.

http://www.flvs.net/areas/flvscourses/Pages/CourseTours.aspx

Using Kathy Schrock’s site to identify 3 great uses of iPads for learning

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