Integration Technology PlanUsing Personal Learning Environments in the 8th Grade U.S. History Class

Vision for Integration:Integration will enhance the growth of 21st Century skills, strengthen the core curriculum and motivate all participants to become successful members of the global community.

Mission for Integration:Technology integration will provide a digital environment for all members of the classroom community that

offers a variety of resources to address the needs of different learners is available when and where learning takes place promotes self-reliance and responsibility supports transparent, clear communication, interaction and feedback allows for enhanced collaboration fosters advancement in creativity and critical-thinking skills encourages growth in digital citizenship

Class SloganSuccess, it’s in your hands!

BackgroundWhen La Reina began talking about one-to-one integration I was intrigued. However, as the process continued, frankly, I became confused. Why a one-to-one iPad initiative?

So I asked myself, what do I want to accomplish with one-to-one iPad integration? And then I made a list of all the skills I wanted to support using iPad technology.

But I still did not have a clear vision of iPad integration for my classroom. My list seemed too specific because I could support those skills without an iPad and if I was just going to replace paper-pencil activities with the iPad that wasn’t effective integration as identified by the National Educational Technology Standards which states,

"Effective integration of technology is achieved when students are able to select technology tools to help them obtain information in a timely manner, analyze and synthesize the information, and present it professionally. The technology should become an integral part of how the classroom functions -- as accessible as all other classroom tools."

So I asked myself, what do I really want to accomplish? What is my vision for integration no matter what the device? How would I achieve my vision for integration?

The ResearchThe difference between vision and mission statements, according to Jennell Evans, CEO of Strategic Interactions, is that a vision statement defines the desired future or why and a mission statement offers an explanation of what will be accomplished, who will be involved and how the vision will be reached.

In supporting the entire classroom community, I thought that I would like to accomplish two

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Integration Technology PlanUsing Personal Learning Environments in the 8th Grade U.S. History Class

overall goals with integration: first, to support student learning and second, to make teaching easier and more effective.

Therefore, my vision for integration includes enhancing growth in 21st Century skills strengthening the core curriculum motivating all participants to become successful members of the global community

Next, I examined learning and found that it is anytime a person engages in any activity where they have opportunities to

Gain knowledge Exchange information Apply understanding Evaluate significance Create personal meaning

Then I looked at what learning is for 21st Century students. I asked myself, what skills are necessary for a 21st Century learner?

Both the Partnership for 21st Century Learning and the U.S. Department of Education have identified four skills that are essential for 21st Century learners. They are

Communication Collaboration Critical-Thinking Creativity

To this I added two more skills essential for Junior High Students. They are

Digital Citizenship Self-Reliance

Thus, both my vision and mission for integration were born.

Vision for Integration:Integration will enhance the growth of 21st Century skills, strengthen the core curriculum and motivate all participants to become successful members of the global community.

Mission for Integration:Technology integration will provide a digital environment for all members of the classroom community that

offers a variety of resources to address the needs of different learners is available when and where learning takes place promotes self-reliance and responsibility supports transparent, clear communication, interaction and feedback allows for enhanced collaboration fosters advancement in creativity and critical-thinking skills

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Integration Technology PlanUsing Personal Learning Environments in the 8th Grade U.S. History Class

encourages growth in digital citizenship

But I still had questions. How will I implement this in my classroom? How will I use technology to accomplish these broad goals? How will I enhance, strengthen, motivate and support the education process in my classroom through technology integration?

As I looked through the tens of thousands of apps available on the iPad, I tried to envision how each would support my vision and mission for technology integration. I quickly came to realize that some apps support creativity, some critical-thinking and still others, collaboration. But using a different app for every part of my vision and mission seemed fragmented. I wanted to find an approach that was truly integrated and student-centered.

According to the Stanford Research Institution International Report, 2000, technology integration must be a “coordinated approach,” one that offers opportunities for members of the classroom community to engage, connect, collaborate, and interact in real world contexts. Guiding students into learning opportunities that offer them resources to gain knowledge and feedback from experts around the globe, will support life-long learning.

Effective IntegrationTerry Heick of Teach Thought has offered his ideas of an integration model. It includes 4 stages of integration; Directed, Access, Mobile, and Self-Directed.

Eighth grade students begin their digital learning journey within stage one, directed integration, by building an online presence or Personal Learning Environment.

According to the Horizon Report 2012 published by New Media Consortium, one of the mid-term emerging technologies is the Personal Learning Environment or PLE. PLE”s are “personal collections of tools and resources a person assembles to support their own learn.”

At the eighth grade level, a PLE is a digital place where students organize, create, collaborate and communicate. It is a place where they manage their own learning. It is structured to build responsibility and self-reliance. It fosters appropriate digital citizenship.

Next year in the eighth grade U. S. History class, I plan to have students build their own Personal Learning Environment in the form of a Google Site.

Why Google?Google is comprehensive, connected and truly integrated. This supports building a community of learners.

Google offers a seamless approach to technology integration, one that is student-centered, open-ended and supportive of learning and teaching through a variety of connected applications.

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Integration Technology PlanUsing Personal Learning Environments in the 8th Grade U.S. History Class

Google is cloud based and collaborative in nature. It offers two-way communication.

Google is available across platforms and therefore nullifies compatibility issues.

Google will allow for a guided and graduated release of responsibility with the model show me, help me, let me.

Google will support scaffolding of the learning as students establish routines and organizations for long-term independent success.

Google will eliminate the digital divide and offer interfaces that are readily recognizable to most users.

Using Google as a learning portal is a portfolio based approach to successful technology integration not just technology use. This is student-centered, student-created and student-controlled learning. This application is an adjustment to the pedagogy to address the real needs of student in 21st century learning in a digital age.

Called by some the Googlio movement, this shift in thinking brings 21st century learning and teaching in alignment with 21st century tools and supports 21st Century students as they become life-long learners.

My proposal is that the eighth grade History classes establish teacher and student Google sites to begin the process of building Personal Learning Environments to support the class vision and mission for integration for the next school year.

Access to the teacher Google site will be placed on the new teacher page, of the new school sponsored website, for ease of access and transparency.

Annotated Bibliography

Boss, S. (2011). Technology integration: A short history. Edutopia. Retrieved from

http://www.edutopia.org/technology-integration-history

According to Harold Wenglinsky, research scientist, in the 1998 Educational Testing Service

study, the benefits for educational technology integration is strong if the technology used is

challenging. Conversely, using technology for basic skills, drills and tasks that do not require

critical thinking can be harmful. Technology must be used for higher order thinking and

authentic research not just rote activities.

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Integration Technology PlanUsing Personal Learning Environments in the 8th Grade U.S. History Class

According to the SRI International report of 2000, successful technology integration offers active

engagement, collaboration, frequent and authentic feedback, and connection to the global world.

They were also quick to point out that access to technology does not automatically lead to gains.

Technology integration must be part of a connected and coordinated approach to education.

Dabbagh, N., & Kitsantas, A. (2012). Personal learning environments, social media, and

self-regulated learning: A natural formula for connecting formal and informal

learning. The Internet and Higher Education, 15(1), 3-8. Retrieved from

http://www.sciencedirect.com.libproxy.boisestate.edu/science/article/pii/

S109671611000467

This is an interesting article that supports the integration of PLE into the educational setting.

This article points out the need for pedagogical shift. Incorporating PLE’s is student centered

and empowers students to support their own success.

The article also establishes scaffolding for the inclusion of social media in the PLE. The levels

are identified as: managing information, interaction and collaboration, and collection and

management of information.

Drexler, W. (2010). The networked student model for construction of personal learning

environments: Balancing teacher control and student autonomy. Australasian

Journal of Educational Technology, 26(3), 369-385.

The author proposes that a teacher is better equipped to instruct students using PLE”S if they use

a PLE themselves. Although a teacher PLE is more complex that an eighth grade students PLE,

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Integration Technology PlanUsing Personal Learning Environments in the 8th Grade U.S. History Class

there are some correlations.

PLE’s are a “collection of tools.” These tools will promote gathering discipline content,

understanding context, making connections with both the material and classmates, creating

meaning, communicating in the learning environment, and becoming a supportive part of the

learning community.

The author also points out that PLE’s are built over time and must be nurtured, pruned and

revisited to support additional learning and growth. Thus as students progress form Junior High

to High School and then University, the PLE will grow and change with them. The PLE will be

adapted to fit the new need while remaining supportive of prior learning.

Evans, J. (2010). Vision and mission – what’s the difference and why does it matter?

Psychology Today. Retrieved from

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/smartwork/201004/vision-and-mission-

whats-the

difference-and-why-does-it-matter

The development of a strategic plan must consist of five core elements: vision, mission, core

values, strategic areas of focus and strategic goals.

A vision statement defines the desired outcomes and is inspirational. It should be written in two

or three short, succinct sentences that can be remembered and recited by the stakeholders. It is

the guide, the why.

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Integration Technology PlanUsing Personal Learning Environments in the 8th Grade U.S. History Class

Conversely, a mission statement will express what, who and how.

Well-established vision and mission statements outline the path for success. They keep decisions

on track to achieve results.

Johnson, L., Adams, S., and Haywood, K. (2011). The NMC Horizon Report:

2011 K-12 Edition. Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium.

The Horizon Report 2012 identifies three categories of emerging technologies. Identifying these

categories as; Near-term Horizon, Mid-term Horizon and Far-term Horizon the report seeks to

recognize technologies that will enter regular education within the next 12-months, three years

and five years respectively.

In reading through the report I was intrigued by the emergence of personal learning

environments or PLE’s. As a middle school history teacher I see the potential of this application

of the technology. Building a PLE will benefit the students as they move on to high school and

university. They will be able to organize knowledge and have access to prior learning to support

their own success. This is a gift that we can give them as they continue to learn.

According to the report, PLE”s are “personal collections of tools and resources a person

assembles to support their own learn.” My research will examine different PLE’s and the

application to eighth grade students.

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Integration Technology PlanUsing Personal Learning Environments in the 8th Grade U.S. History Class

Kleiman, G. M. (2000).  Myths and realities about technology in K-12 schools.

Leadership and the New Technologies 14.10. Retrieved from

http://www.sfu.ca/educ260/documents/myths.pdf

This is an interesting article, which discusses five myths about technology integration.

Myth three examines the Apple Classroom of Tomorrow study that “identified five stages of

instructional evolution.” These stages could be used as a starting point to build a spectrum on

which teachers could be placed given ability, pedagogy and enthusiasm.  

Myth four encourages readers to evaluate technology plans as tools to meet curricular goals not

as separate entities themselves.

Shaikh, Z.A., & Khoja, S.A. (2012). Role of teacher in personal learning environments.

Digital Education Review, (21), 23-32. Retrieved from

http://greav.ub.edu/Der/index.php/der/article/viewFile/189/383

This article address the role of the teacher in supporting the development of student PLE’s.

Teacher competency in the area of social media use is discussed. Also included are five goals of

an effective PLE. These are: (1) a PLE addresses education not merely content, (2) the support

of a learning plan, (3) control of the technology, (4) being a community of learners, (5)

comprehend the pedagogical shift.

Tu, C. H., Sujo-Montes, L., Yen, C. J., Chan, J. Y., & Blocher, M. (2012). The

Integration of personal learning environments & open network learning

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Integration Technology PlanUsing Personal Learning Environments in the 8th Grade U.S. History Class

environments. TechTrends, 56(3), 13-19. Retrieved from

http://link.springer.com.libproxy.boisestate.edu/article/10.1007%2Fs11528-012

0571-7

One particularly interesting statement made by this article is, “A PLE is more than just

technology.” This caused me to think about what a PLE for an eighth grade student would look

like. It should be a portal that provides connections to tools, people and resources that would

support success. This brings up the question, “What tools, resources and people does an eighth

grade student need to access to support their success?”

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