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**﻿ FHPS Instruction Office / December 7, 2010**
A couple of weeks ago I had a discussion with a good friend of mine about technology. She asked me a question that made me pause and think. The question she asked was, "What are your five beliefs about what technology does for learning?" My first response was that I believed technology enhanced student learning and engagement. She asked to see the data(1) that supported my belief. It hurt, but I had to admit I did not have any data that I could quickly identify. Not one to give up after one try, I then stated that, "Technology is necessary for students to acquire 21st Century skills." My friend was quick to point out that 21st Century skills, such as collaborating, creating, and communicating don't require technology. Technology can facilitate and expedite these activities, but 21st Century skills are not technology dependent.(2) Having failed a second time, I gave up and tried to change the subject.

Since that conversation, I have been asking others to share their five beliefs about what technology does for learning. The responses I have received have continued to make me think. And that is the purpose of this Wiki. If possible, I would like you to share your five beliefs about what technology does for learning. What you share will be available for all of us to see and provide comment. To get us started, I have listed a few examples of what others have shared about their top five beliefs.

We will continue this discussion over the next few weeks. We will then compile the responses and use them as a way to help develop our technology goals, which is the first step in building a working technology plan for FHPS.

__Example 1 of five beliefs: __
1. Research shows that the biggest impact on learning is when the classroom size is less than 17 students. We should look to deploy technology in ways that could decrease class size or allow teachers to work in small groups.

2. Engaged learners spend more time on task, thus increasing learning. We should look to deploy technologies that will individualize instruction and stimulate both analytical and creative thinking.

3. Learning must be individualized by content, pace, and by learning modality. We should look to deploy technology with limitless avenues for learning.

4. What we teach, must be evaluated as we evaluate our methods. Technology should be challenging the rote memory content that we are forcing our students to absorb. Instructional time should be focused on higher-order thinking opportunities.

5. Educating our students requires team work with the home, business community, and the teacher and student. We should be looking at technologies that create opportunities for communication and collaboration.

__Example 2 of five beliefs: __
1. I believe learning can be more engaging with the use of technology especially when it gives learners options/choices that recognize their learning style. 2. I believe educators and students are inherently honest and respectful with regard to resources. In the same light, I believe when mistakes are made that everyone learns from the consequence of a poor decision whether it be intentional or inadvertent.
 *  Using web pages, Moodle, Google, Glogster, Discovery Streaming, Video-on-Demand, and many, many other Web 2.0 sites
 *  Use of YouTube, Facebook, and other instructionally appropriate resources
 * Consequences should be applied regularly to all

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3. I believe a wide variety of technology tools should be used when instructionally appropriate.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Clickers, iPods, cell phones, cameras, video cameras, personal tech equipment, Wii, etc.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">4. I believe educators are responsible for monitoring students use of technology in school as well as guiding them about appropriate, legal and ethical use of technology.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Educators need to be aware/taught about appropriate, legal, and ethical uses
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Monitor web sites accessed when in computer labs
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Monitor student activities while using technology

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">5. I believe our students (and perhaps our youngest teachers) view and utilize technology differently than our veteran educators. As such, both groups can learn from each other and should be open to each other's ideas about how technology can enhance the learning experience.

__<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">﻿Example 3 of five beliefs: __
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1. Technology extends the classroom beyond the four walls: 24/7 learning with global possibilities.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2. Technology engages students and can be used to extend their learning to higher level thinking. Rote learning can be replaced with technology, but then the information from a computer can be used to make the student think/analyze/apply to a higher level thinking.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3. As educators, we need to teach our students how to properly use technology both for learning and personal use.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">4. Technology enhances both learning and collaboration for learning.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">5. Technology allows students to differentiate their learning based on their interests and personal learning styles.

__<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Example 4 of five beliefs: __ <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1. Instructors can use technology tools to free up more time. More time to develop engaging lesson plans, PBL projects, and differentiated learning ideas. After all, it's the content, not the fun technology tools that eventually wins the day. There are several action research experiments that have found that new technology tools eventually lose their novelty. To students the new tools become, quite simply, tools with which to get something done. Perhaps that's why the Dixon Ticonderoga with the eraser attached doesn't get the "ohhs" and "ahhs" it once did (although I still find it to be the "Cadillac" of wooden pencils).

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2. Technology tools have the capability to reduce the cognitive load of tasks. Writing comes to mind immediately. It's almost criminal that we still make children draft stories on paper and pencil. If the idea is for students to revise, revise, revise until a polished piece is produced yet we make them endure the tedious task of revising by rewriting their piece over and over when it could be done so much simpler with word processing software. Do professional writers still draft with paper and pencil?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3. Technology tools have the potential to open communication to everyone at anytime. Last year my students got to have a Google video chat with a NASA rocket scientist who was at home at New Mexico. They also were able to experience a museum tour via Google video chat. I can send data and information regarding student progress to parents immediately--or later if I choose. I don't have to rush to get the information compiled by the end of the day so I can send it home with their child. Additionally, collaboration is so much easier. I'm not limited to the talented minds in my own building, but rather I have the minds of the world at my fingertips through the use of technology.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">4. Technology tools are efficient at facilitating the authentic real-world learning opportunities that teachers and students crave. Students can post videos, writings, musings, engineering prototypes and more through various Web 2.0 tools. Peers around the world have the opportunity to comment, improve, and bounce back ideas and thoughts to the creators. Imagine high school engineering students being mentored by professionals.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">5. Research DOES support the proper use of technology in the classroom and technology DOES support best practices. There is ample research that maintains that when student interest is high they are more engaged. There is a large body of evidence that suggests that learning is enhanced when students are given choice. There is strong evidence that suggests when students are allowed to learn through their strengths, they learn better. Technology let's us do these things and more.

(1) A handful of the multitude of research articles supporting technology in the classroom. --Jason Kornoely

(2) Rebuttle -Jason Kornoely I don't understand her argument here. Why does something have to be dependent on technology in order for technology to be useful? To get a message to my wife, I don't have to depend on the phone, but the phone sure makes it easier, quicker, and more efficient than driving over to her school to tell her we need onions for the chili tonight...Isn't that what technology is supposed to do for us--make our lives easier? Technology tools in the classroom are **T-O-O-L-S** for learning.