tech baby, tech baby one, two…….three. our inquiry how has technology changed social science...
TRANSCRIPT
Tech Baby, Tech Baby
One, Two…….Three
Our Inquiry
How has technology changed Social Science education?Digital DivideInstructional TechniquesEducating EducatorsOnline AccessOne-to-One Computing
Digital DivideWhat is the Digital Divide?
The discrepancy between High-SES and Low-SES students’ access to technology
Coined in the 1990sIs it still pertinent?
Students Per Computer RatioSchool Type 1998 2001
High SES 10.1 4.7
Low SES 17.1 6.4
Digital Divide…Today
How Has Digital Divide Changed?Not a matter of availability to
technologyProblem lies in how it is utilized and
how teachers are trainedLow-SES schools have less experienced
and under qualified teachersLower expectation or “ban” on use of
technology at home
Problems
Misguided focusTeach for mastery of technology, not
integration into core subjectsExample:
Low-SES schools use technology for PowerPoint presentations and movie-making
High SES schools use technology for research purposes
What Does It Mean to You?
ExpectationsDon’t lower expectations based on what
may appear to be a “divide” in technologyStudents need real experience to succeed
beyond secondary education
Social Science = Research PapersTeach the proper way to research using
technology….Then teach the process for making it
“pretty”
Teacher ResourcesTechnology changes not only how we teach but what we can teach as well!Global Education
Online newspapers from other regions and countriesCollaborative or online video conferencesNews-such as having CNN on in the classroom
Teacher Resources
Using Primary Resources More primary resources are now
available than ever beforeNebraska State Historical SocietyThey are currently working on a
project to provide online access to thousands of local newspapers that they now have available on microfilm.
Educating Teachers
1. UNL Technology Services2. DVD/CD Tutorials3. Self-Help Websites4. Books
UNL Technology Training
Student WorkshopsMovieMaker, iMovie, HTML/CSS, Excel
Flash, Dreamweaver, PowerPoint, Fireworks, Access, Illustrator, InDesign, SPSS, and Photoshop for FREE!
Workshops are hands-on with each attendee on a computer. Workshop size is limited to allow for personal attention; therefore, registration is required.
Blackboard ID needed
UNL
SWAP MeetJoin the instructors of ITG on the last Wednesday of every month from 12:00-1:30 pm for the next SWAP Meet. This brown-bag event is at the Nebraska Union at 14th and R Streets (room to be posted the day of the event). This event is FREE and open to any faculty, staff or student of UNL
http://itg.unl.edu/workshops/
DVD/CD Help
“The Video Professor”Access, Microsoft Money, Quicken,
eBay, Outlook, Windows, Excel, Photoshop, PowerPoint, Frontpage, Word, HTML, Publisher, Wordperfect, Internet, Quickbooks
Send you 3 CDs “free” for a 10 day trialIf you don’t send them back within 10 days
$190.00 is conveniently charged to your credit card
Video Professor
Very helpful…but very expensive
https://www.videoprofessor.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=shoppingcart.landingPage&campaignID=201722&affid=28&pid=3&sourceid=0550000000000179600000000799X&trafficsource=2993
Self-Help Websites
Tech LearningSection for teachersHas articles, reviews of products, discussion
forum, catalogLeadership development articles, classroom
development articles, success stories from the classroom
Enter what you’re looking for into the search database and it brings up articles that may fit your criteria
7 Tips for Tech Late Bloomers
1. Assess your own level of skill and apprehension toward using technology.
2. Find what learning resources are available.
3. Plan ahead.4. Start small.5. Consider your audience.6. Have a backup plan.7. Have a way to measure your success.
Online Class VHS (Virtual High School)
Provides better educational access to students regardless of their location
Have high dropout and failure rates Digital Divide
If students don’t have computer at home, may need to provide time at school.
Counseling To succeed, students need to:
Be self-motivated Have an internal locus of control Have a good study environment Be organized Others (Age, Previous technology experience, Outside school
responsibilities, etc.) Prepare students for higher education?
Online Grading Blackboard style systems in high school Access available to teachers, students, and parents. Parental involvement in their students’ education is a key
factor in their children achieving. In this school, parental involvement was starting to decline and
this system seemed to help. Makes calculating grades easier for teachers.
Also requires teachers to update grades often to keep parents notified.
Makes teachers available more than before Parents and students are able to contact teacher anytime, which
could be inconvenient for the teacher. Still send report cards home to parents
Arguments about One-to-One
The Fear ArgumentThe Hope ArgumentThe Simple Access ArgumentThe Sophisticated ArgumentThe Equity ArgumentThe Aesthetic and Durability
Arguments
The Fear
Don’t get left behindSchools will be left behind socially and
economicallyComputing skills as important as social
skillsValidity: IT skills alone not sufficient, but
when reading literacy, mathematical literacy, scientific literacy, and problem-solving literacy all are important for digital literacy
The Hope
Better tools, better schools, and better kids
Bring higher standards, better ways of thinking, more thoughtful learners, and a stronger learning environment
Studies are inconclusive, but many talk about potential
The Simple Access
Learning on the busArguments against
Flickering mindsNot the tool, but how it’s seenInternet at home and other places
The Sophisticated
Digitizing field trips for twenty-first century learning
Access to simulations, scientists, and other experts…Historians
Group discussions from different countriesLanguage barriers
The Equity
Fair PlayHappens at local, regional and
global levelsHelps to level the playing field
socioeconomicallyEarly studies show, however, that
it is like the “Sesame Street Effect”To solve gaps change curriculum
The Aesthetic and Durability
They are so beautiful and ruggedResearch Fields- Human-Computer
InterfaceWhat balance is good for students?Who Chooses?Can we afford it?
Matt Flynn
Ashland/Greenwood Junior/Senior HighMeeting about technology
Curriculum DirectorMedia SpecialistSecondary Social Science TeacherElementary School Teacher
www.ags.org “Technology Action Plan”Modeled off other schools ideas
What Comes Next?
Technology DirectorIntegration SpecialistPositives
Don’t change curriculum/just styleAssessments graded immediatelyTabs on studentsQuestions are analyzed as wellResponsibility
The Final Countdown
Technology has created a lot of opportunities for Social Science teachers
Speeds up classrooms and flattens the world
Gives students Digital Skills