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The Myth of Technology and Collaboration…

Technology and collaboration are two things I emphasize within my classroom.  As a student teacher, I have repeatedly been informed that technological and collaboratively rich environments are necessary to achieve high levels of learning.  This is a lie.   Alright, I won’t be that blunt.  It is not a lie, but it certainly is a half-truth. You can’t just throw a web-quest at everyone or add another worksheet and say, “Ready, set, collaborate.”  But this is the message that comes in the University classrooms filled with teacher’s ready to experiment the latest and greatest tech fads on students.

As I find out my balance of technological integration and collaboration I want to avoid this myth.  Successful collaboration means, “Making decisions, sharing information, peer teaching, and making compromises on differing perspectives” (Skio, 2016).  Too often I have a great idea for a graphic organizer and I have the groups work in “teams” thinking I’ve just set them up to collaborate.  The truth is I have just allowed for a divide and conquer in which they will all split up the sections and then share the answers.  Don’t get me wrong.  Collaboration is not a bad thing, it’s great.  But often I mislabel collaboration.

A study by Deanna Kuhn looked at the effects of thinking together and independently on Project Based Learning (PBL).  One of my favorite types of instruction is PBL. Many have argued that collaboration within PBL has resulted in higher levels of assessment as compared to other instructional strategies.  Kuhn concluded it was not collaboration rather the engaging problem that derived the higher scores.  I must admit this is very disappointing.  

These articles has helped me realize it’s not enough to group individuals together and call it collaboration.  Students must learn the skills of intellectual collaboration.  These skills are developed over time through practice, trial and error, and having effective collaboration modeled. 

Let me clarify a few things before you think I am completely bashing collaboration.  I love collaboration.  I just don’t do it well.  I also think tests don’t accurately measure collaboration and social skills that are gained from this type of interaction.  It’s very difficult to capture the critical thinking skills and development of collaboration on a test. 

Moving along to technology, I tend to agree with this article written by Mate Weirdl that great teacher’s matter more than technology but that does not mean technology is all bad.  While calculating equations and solving problems develops essential critical thinking skills I wonder if the material is transferable to real life.  In Pre-Calc (the highest level I ever got in Math L) we regularly had problems out of a book that I learned to complete but could not apply this to anything outside of the book.  Using computers to do project driven real experiments and problem solving can help to showcase how you use the material and make it more meaningful to students. 

Education News written by Jace Harr mentions an LA Times column focuses on Moderation by Joy Resmovits.  Joy argues students should use computers for only certain activities that really benefit learning.  Joy is right.  There are times when we use computers to practice route memorization and drills and come away with lower test scores than had a teacher been able to teach the student about problem solving themselves. But, I don’t think the issue is the computer.  The issue is completing drills on a computer.  Just like doing repetitive timed math tests in Middle School where students don’t learn how to multiple rather they practice route memorization of multiplication tables.  A computer is no different if you are using a computer to practice route memory, the results will be abysmal.  Instead, computers should be used for the same high level teaching practices that excellent educators use which focuses on higher level thinking. 

I have much more to learn on how to integrate technology and collaboration in the classroom.  But one thing is certain just because I call it collaboration or utilize technology for all my instruction does not mean I am practicing good teaching and it does not mean students are flourishing. I utilize student self-evaluation on assignments including collaborative projects.  Too often the students are the only ones doing the self-evaluation when I need to practice it myself.  As educators we dream of these amazing assignments, but there are times these ideal assignments fail.  We need to have the guts to self-evaluate and admit our failed attempts. 

Teachers Playing Copycat

I often get so tired of hearing my children verbally copy one another.  Much to my frustration they can play the copycat game for what seems like an eternity.  

While we as teacher’s don’t play the verbal copy cat game I am afraid we often infringe on copyright laws.  Whether we know it or not its still against the law. 

One of the big questions teachers as is, How do I know if the material is copyrighted?

According to Bright Hub Education unless the material states that it is not copyrighted it is.  Over a decade ago one could look at the page and see the “all rights reserved” not on the bottom signifying it as copy written.  Those days are long gone.  The instant a piece is made the material should be considered to be copy written.

The Copy Wright Act created in 1976 was made to encourage more creators of content and literary pieces for the greater good of society.  There are five exclusive rights to the creators of their work:

1. The right to reproduce (make copies).
2. The right to create derivative works (supplemental pieces based on the original).
3. The right to sell, lease, or rent copies of the work to the public.
4. The right to perform the work publicly.
5. The right to display the work publicly.

With that being said it seems like all educators are in violation when they show education films, distribute photocopies or articles, or use images in their presentations.

Thankfully, educators have a special exception to the Copyright Act called the “fair use rule”.  It allows for limited use of someone’s work for things such as research, teaching, and scholarship.  Before we teachers go crazy thinking we now have the green light to use everything we see.  We must proceed with a yellow light and have caution. 

The term “fair use” is pretty blurry and is considered on a case by case basis.  The Court looks at four factors:

1. The purpose of the use: if it is for non profit educational purposes you are generally ok.
2. The nature of the copyrighted work.
3. The amount or portion of the copyrighted work used.
4. The effect of the use or the potential for the copyrighted work.

Perhaps the most important question for educators is about photocopying.  There are specific guidelines for that as well from House Report 94-1476, which helps to clarify the minimum standards of educational fair use.

Here are a few of the highlights:

• Teachers can do most anything they want if they are making a single copy to use for classroom purposes.
• Teachers can make multiple copies of poems that are less than 250 words, writing that is less than 2,500 words (or an excerpt).
• Teachers can only copy one diagram/picture from a single work.  This appears to be an issue that most teacher’s do not follow albeit unknowingly.
• Mass copies can only occur up to nine time per class during their term. 
• Copying should only be done if it would be unreasonable to take the time to get the permission to use the work.

In the upcoming years the issues of making multiple classroom copies will fade being replaced by use of the author or illustrators online work.  As schools continue to move towards a one to one device ratio I expect further clarification on what students can use during their presentations.  I have been able to find a website called Teaching Copyright that could be used as an excellent tool to help teach students appropriate lessons about thy copyright laws.  If I was in a project driven classroom where I knew the students were going to be utilizing pre-existing information without the teacher being able to control what was copied or not; I might teach a lesson or two to cover myself and to properly inform the students how to document the use of information and what fair use is.

For those teachers that absolutely love an authors works it would be worthwhile to share a letter to the author informing them of your love for their works and requesting permission to use it in your classrooms.  Not only have you gotten permission but you may have started a relationship in which you could further utilize the author for things like a skype session with students to ask questions at a later time.

For further information on Fair Use and Copy Right laws check out this excellent resource which was the primary website use to research the topic of fair use).

To tech or not to tech, that is the question

Recently, I went on a School Tech Hunt.  

Every classroom was set up with a teacher laptop and projector.  Some more tech savvy teachers were provided with a few speakers to help support the lackluster sound coming direct from the project.  Others were forced to repeatedly say "shh" while watching an instructional video so the students could hear the verbal content.  VHS was still used in a few of the Social studies classes mostly due to older primary source films being produced on VHS. 

A number of technological pieces were introduced to the district this fall. These recent additions includ: document cameras, Chromecast, and Apple TV.  My estimation is that about 30% of classrooms have document camera's, with even less for Apple TV and Chromecast.  Obsolete materials have been placed in a separate storage area or discarded.   There are two computer labs that are used intermittently by students.  I did not observe any Flip Classrooms, Cinematography supplies, or tech applications being used. 

I remember the old M-DOS computers from Elementary School where I would visit a classroom to play computer games for 30 minutes a week.  I recall High School where "cutting edge" overhead projectors where pens were used to write on a plastic sheet and project notes to students.   So much has changed now.  Technology connects us globally.  However, as I have observed it is up to the teacher to determine how to implement and support the technology in the classroom.  A number of teachers feel scared and uncertain about how to implement the technology.  Without the proper training teachers can feel lost amidst a sea of ever evolving technology. 

Learn on Your Own...
You are the only one who knows exactly what you need to be successful in the classroom.  As I seek to become a teacher I have worked on networking with top educators. One common shared element about professional development is the lack of quality Professional Development provided by the School Systems.  Seeing the divide a number of educators seek out their own ways to develop and learn on their own.  I hope to do the same and have searched for blogs that will help me in the field of Social Studies and Education.

Diane Ravitch was a leader for President Bush's Education Reform.  Since then she has changed her view of education.  A recent pet peeve of Diane's is the lack of alternative assessments for children that quality with IEP's.

History Teach is a blog created for social studies teacher's to inspire and integrate technology. One notable recent blog includes ideas for Social Studies Simulations and video games.

Social Studies and History Teacher's Blog is filled with resources to utilize during instruction. Additionally, Historical based games, and Power Points are available to quick use for teachers.

Teaching the Civil War is an interactive blog heavy on content.  Timelines and presentations from the land where the battles were fought help to provide a greater depth of the battles that have shaped whom we (the United States) are today.

Speaking of History is a place to discuss, ponder, and reflect history with Dr. Eric Langhorst a teacher at Discovery Middle School in Missouri where he is considered one of the top educators in the State.  Dr. Langhorst is has been given multiple awards for his teaching.

World History Teachers Blog is written by a group of High School teacher's for those who teach World History.  It was developed to help provide online content and tech ideas for educators.

eLearning Blog is maintained by Ken Halla to help inform educators how to better utilize their time using tech shortcuts and also incorporate social media into their classroom.

The Learning Network is written by the New York Times in efforts to show current social issues in effort to integrate them into education.

Free Technology for Teachers is written by Richard Byrne a former educator.  He reviews new tech trends and provides feedback on Free Technology showing how it could be best utilized int he classroom.

The Innovative Educator is written by Lisa Nielsen after she found school boring and sought to change this.  Lisa has written numerous blogs and books integrating texting and cell phones.

Successful Schools is written by Scott Taylor the Superintendent of Highland Park Schools in New Jersey.  He shares successes and failures and using those learned experiences to shape a dynamic school.

Creative Minds Engage Students

Collaboration with effective leaders in Social Studies Education helps to build a teacher's personal growth. I am using a number of tech platforms to help me develop into a top notch educator. Here is who I follow:

Twitter:
@burgessdave: Teacher/Speaker who teaches how to live life with passion, enthusiasm and increased creativity.  Auto of Teach like a Pirate.
@facinghistory: Facing History and Ourselves combats racism and antisemitism by using history to teach tolerance in classrooms around the globe.
@liamBIE: Liam is an advocate for project based learning, getting students engaged, and helping them reach higher levels of thinking.
@BIEpbl: Buck Institute for Education a company out of California is dedicated to Project Based Learning and has also published Project Based Curriculum.
@Cobb_SS: Cobb County Social Studies is an innovative, creative, visual learning program in Cobb County Georgia.
@NatGeoEducation: Site from the National Geographic enterprise, emphasizing photography and data to be utilized by students and teachers.
@Ron_Peck: is an AP US & World History Teacher in Medford, Oregon whom created #sschat & EdcampSS.
@mseideman: is a history teacher in Cold Spring, NY whom emphasizes integrating technology to enhance instruction.
@isteconnects: is a community of teachers and leaders whom desire to expand the field of technology in teaching.  They have a number of conferences for educators to attend and further learn how to develop their craft.
@sstiles67: is an online facilitator from Southern Spain whom specializes in topics such as thoughtful tech use and differentiation.
@innovationhigh: Kent ISD in Grand Rapids, MI has started a school based on Project Based Learning and Collaboration.  The projects they create help change the world around them.

Instagram:
Social Studies Success: Trainer and Educator focusing on creative teaching.

You Tube:
Crash Course: Hundreds of short 8-12 minute videos based on various themes and timeframes.  These are especially useful in starting a lesson or transitioning between lessons within a unit.
Mrs. Cook's History:  Flip Class videos for World History 2 (1500-Present) which Mrs. Cook used in her own classroom.
Mrs. Ocampo's AP World History Lectures: Self explanatory Mrs. Ocampo utilizes You Tube to post all of her lectures for viewing later by students.
Khan Academy: Educator videos on a number of different content areas.
World History: Videos from the History Channel that can be used during instruction to visually back up important elements of the Unit.
World History Documentary Channel: Video Documentary's based on important people throughout History.

Pinterest:
madefromhistory: Graphic Organizer's showing a look at the cases and effects of events throughout History.
Annette Parker: AP World History teacher with an entire board of content from World History between 1750-1914.

Professional Associations

Professional Associations


Professional Organizations for Teacher's help to provide necessary support, educational training and development for teachers.

NCSS
The National Center for the Social Studies (NCSS) mission is for the National Council for Social Studies to provide leadership, service, and support for all social studies educators.

Here are the details: 
Membership is $43 for students and $53 for first year teachers.
National Conference in Washington, DC December 2-4, 2016 (No Cost has been set for the 2016 Conference)
Find NCSS on Facebook and Twitter.
Benefits of being a member includes: access to a number of journals and organizations that think, breathe, and eat social studies.  These include: Social Education Journal, Rho Kappa Honor Society, Access the US History Lesson (Lesson Planning), Collaborations with Colleagues, Annual Conferences, Newsletters, and other reading materials.

NCSS publishes a number of Academic Journals that members have access to in the form of a PDF. 

Michigan Council for the Social Studies

The Michigan Council for the Social Studies mission is to recognize and promote effective social studies in education to our members and stakeholders.

Here are the details: 
Annual Membership $40. 
Social Studies Conference (Annual) No date has been set. 
Find MCSS on Facebook and Twitter. 
Benefits of being a member include: Publications and Journals.  On a monthly basis, MCSS published opportunities for teachers and pre-service teachers that they can use to enhance their teaching, knowledge, and be involved with the community of social studies (and other disciplines too).  The journal is published three times per year.  It is include articles, book reviews, and information for educators at all levels.