Data, Data, Everywhere, but what the heck do we do with it?

 (Anonymous, 2012)

 What is "data"?  

After a fast Google search I came up with the following definition:

 But how does knowing what data is translate into becoming better teachers who run more efficient and successful classrooms?  How can we use data to improve our teaching?

     I think by now, my third post, it should be obvious that I believe in experiential teaching and learning.  It seems to me that to expect students to stick their noses in books and remember a whole bunch of facts and information that they have never used and can't see themselves using in the future is no way to capture and keep their attention, curiosity, and imaginations.  Without attention, curiosity, and imagination not a whole lot can be gained because as soon as the class is over, the information disappears.  This is sort of the case with all the data schools collect on students. (Please bear with me as I build my case)  

     Ever since No Child Left Behind (NCLB) the entire Educational system in the USA and everyone involved in any way with education has been compiling miles and miles of data on each and every child that has walked through the door.   The thing is, they never really bothered to teach the teachers how to make use of all that information in order to improve the student's educational experience.   What good is all that information if nobody ever uses it to our best advantage?

 (McCaan & Cohen-Kabaker, 2013)

      It is not enough to have the information, we must also know or have some idea about how to take those facts and figures and apply them, but who has access to this data and how are they using it? 

(Ed.gov, n.d.)

     All of this sounds nice, but it doesn't give us much to go on.  Teachers need to be proactive about data.  They should get as much information as they can about each student and then figure out how it applies to what they are doing in the classroom and what the goals for  each child are.  It may be that the goals completely change, particularly if the child has had a complicated history and is having a hard time in the class.  Researchers have shown important increases in student learning when teachers:

• Clearly define the purposes of each lesson that they teach; 
  
• Use lessons to collect evidence on how students learn; and 
  
• Use collected evidence and promptly re-direct students as needed.
  

 (Dwyer, n.d.)

     I suppose it seems easy to say, but what about in practice?  It's a little bit off topic, but I remember when I was a beverage manager way back in the 1980's.  We didn't have any Apps and fancy computer programs to keep track of all of our data.  Everything was done with a trusty pen or pencil and we created our own graphs and charts by drawing them.  I worked for a big, name-brand hotel and it was my first big job.  This job was an open canvas (as are most students), because the entire staff of the previous management had been fired and I was part of a brand new crew.  There were no systems in place and everything I did I sort of made up as I went along.  (Including learning how to make drinks believe it or not). My boss believed in my ability to think outside the box and to trouble shoot the problem and come up with viable and successful solutions.  I didn't know anything about "data" per say.  I did know that I needed to see what was wrong in order to fix it, so I went from the ground level up and counted everything, scrubbed down everything, and tore everything apart and reorganized it from swizzle sticks to the Grande Marnier I had my grubby little hands on it.  I made lots and lots of notes and then I wrote a few more and eventually, I came up with a plan.

     The first thing I did was develop a working copy of a system and a plan and I carted it all into my boss's office and laid it all on the line.  From there, she and I developed a way of managing things that worked--for both of us and everyone in between.   I would have really loved to have had Excel Spread Sheets and Power Point to make my presentation, because it took hours to draw out a fancy presentation that made me look smart and someone she could trust.  We actually had fun revamping her beverage department and if I had had one of the modern Point of Sale (POS) systems and Beverage Accounting systems like they have now, I am sure I could have done an even better job.  (Yes I do have a point to all of this).

     In the classrooms of today, the demands are so many, the classrooms are so full, and the data is so enormous that it seems like there is no way for a decent teacher to do much with it, however, I believe that there is no way a decent teacher can do without it.  We are speaking about the psychology, mindsets, learning styles, and the future successes of students all being tampered with by one "system" and a whole host of "educators".   The best way to do a good job is to have a solid knowledge of the students teachers are intending upon making a "difference" for.   They need to roll up their sleeves, dig into the pile and see what they come up with.  I highly suggest reading an article called "Three Ways Student Data Can Inform Your Teaching".  I don't have enough room to go into it all right here, but here is an excerpt of the second "way":

It's difficult to find the time to do it, but if you haven't before, trust me it's well worth it. Much information is found in a student's file. Just from trekking to the counseling office, sitting down with a cup of coffee after school and reading through files belonging to students I had deeper wonderings about beyond the data in hand, I've discovered over the years, to name a few, some of the following:

• A girl who often missed class was homeless
• Several students identified as gifted but inaccurately placed in my general education English class
• A boy struggling to fit in had recently been diagnosed with schizophrenia
• More than a dozen students who never wore eyeglasses in class (or contacts, I checked) had prescriptions

From a child's cumulative files you can sometimes see a dramatic grade change somewhere along the road during their school journey. Perhaps prior to eighth grade, the child was an A student, then from there, D's and F's. You can express this concern, sharing this data with them. Students may then share with you a reason: parents divorced, they moved to a new city/community. I had one student share that she just gave up on school when her dad went to prison.
You then have an opportunity to provide empathy, acknowledge their hardship, and then set some goals together for the child to improve academically.  (Alber, 2011)

Another suggestion I have is to be creative and be flexible.  Just as we are nothing like the random human sitting next to us at the DMV,  our students are each their very own little (or big) humans.  It's important that we don't come up with a style of teaching that fits our comfort levels and assume it is going to work for every student.  When something isn't working, it's time to go digging and we should always be willing to change and adapt to any situation.  A successful teacher should be daring and keep their own notes and data so we can sit in the office of our own boss's someday and make a logical case and prove why we are not only right, but have taken the time to care about the work and know what we are doing--and perhaps most importantly of all, can be trusted because as educators, we bothered to know what we are talking about.

     Teachers also need to know everything they can about the students individually so as to understand how best to capture their attention and hold it.  Remember the part in the beginning where I said, "Without attention, curiosity, and imagination not a whole lot can be gained because as soon as the class is over, the information disappears" ??  Understanding data and the needs of my boss was how I was successful at that job managing a bar when I didn't even know how to mix a drink.  I captured her attention and was able to hold it because I knew what she needed and could anticipate what she wanted and expected from me.  I knew what her department's shortfalls and limitations were and I had discovered the strengths and developed a workable plan.  With all the tools at our disposal and at the touch of a button, we really have no excuses not to go the extra mile.  Understanding students' needs and how to teach them is not about the collection of data or information about them, it's all in how you use it.  Their futures depend on it.

Victoria

 

(Image creator unknown) 

References:

Alber, R. (2011, Dec. 06). Three Ways Student Data Can inform Your Teaching. Edutopia. 
     Retrieved 
     from  http://www.edutopia.org/blog/using-student-data-inform-teaching-rebecca-alber

Anonymous. (2012, Oct. 30). Beyond Infographics: 12 ways to Visualize Data.  The kdmcinfo  
       weblog: UC Berkely Graduate School of Journalism. (Illustration #1). Retrieved from    
       http://multimedia.journalism.berkeley.edu/blog/2012/oct/30/beyond-infographics-12-ways-  
       visualize-data/

Dwyer, C. (n.d.).  Using Classroom Data to Improve Systematic Feedback to Students to Improve 
     Learning: The Sooner the Assessment the Better for Teacher and Student. American   
     Psychological Association.  Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/education/k12/classroom- 
     data.aspx

Ed.gov. (n.d.) Using data to Influence Classroom Decisions. Retrieved from http://www2.ed.gov
     /teachers/nclbguide/datadriven.pdf

McCaan, C.  & Cohen Kabaker, J. (2013). Promoting Data in the Classroom: Innovative State 
     Models and Missed Opportunities. New America Foundation: Education Policy Program.  
     Retrieved from http://education.newamerica.net/sites/newamerica.net/files/policydocs
     /Promoting%20Data_FINAL_FOR_RELEASE_0.pdf

Technology in the Classroom: When is Enough, Enough?

      It could be said that when it comes to technology I am a little behind the times.  A more accurate statement would be I am not even trying to keep up.  I have my computer, a cell phone and DVR as well as a few other odds and ends, but on the whole I rarely ever use the few gadgets and devices I own to their fullest potential.  For instance, I own a Kindle Fire, but have never actually used it.   I could be enjoying all kinds of perks from the comfort of my sofa, but instead I plug along on my trusty old desk-top computer from the confines of my broken down desk chair until my derriere falls asleep and I just can't feel my legs anymore.   It isn't that I dread learning something new or that I have a problem with technology; it is actually more of an attitude that "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" and I also hate wasting my energy learning something new when I already have something that solves my problems and suits my needs, but this is in my personal life.

     What about in the classroom?  Today's classrooms are a far cry from the old days when the students followed along while the teacher read aloud from a weighted text book, or just sat patiently, trying not to fall asleep while the teacher painstakingly scribbled out their thoughts and meanings with alabaster chalk on dusty old slate chalkboards.  These days, most classrooms don't even have chalkboards and textbooks are swiftly being replaced by E-books.  One interesting topic to this regard is the 'Technology Integration Matrix' or TIM.   The graphic they use to describe this system or "matrix" is pretty straightforward and states that there are five main attributes which are: Active; Collaborative; Constructive; Authentic; and last but not least, Goal Directed.  According to the website, the meanings of these attributes are as follows:

1. Active: The Active attribute makes the distinction between lessons in which students passively receive information and lessons in which students discover, process, and apply their learning.  
2. Collaborative: The Collaborative attribute describes the degree to which technology is used to facilitate, enable, or enhance students' opportunities to work with peers and outside experts.
3.  Constructive: The Constructive attribute describes learner-centered instruction that allows students to use technology tools to connect new information to their prior knowledge.
4.  Authentic: The Authentic attribute involves using technology to link learning activities to the world beyond the instructional setting. 
5. Goal Directed: The Goal-Directed attribute describes the ways in which technology is used to set goals, plan activities, monitor progress, and evaluate results.

Of course, this is a super simplified explanation and if interested, you may want to check out the website yourself at The Technology Integration Matrix website  produced by the Florida Center for Instructional Technology College of Education, University of South Florida at http://fcit.usf.edu/matrix/index.php. It's a nice website and the idea is very well presented. 

     The more I learn about how technology is being integrated into classroom management systems, the more I am wondering how my own teaching style will make use of all the new theories, ideas, and innovations for the modern classroom.  It has been at least twenty years since my own kids were in school and this was well before the days of the internet.  It is certainly a far cry from the days when I was sitting in a classroom staring at the back of my teachers head and wondering how long it would be till lunch.  Cutting edge technology back then was found in pocket calculators and if you managed to afford a solar calculator you had something very special.  I don't really want to discuss the actual gadgetry for this post though, because what I am pondering is "why" I will use technology, not "what" type of technology I will use.  I think the gadgets will present themselves as the need arises, but to choose the correct devices we have to figure out what our goals or outcomes should be.  To figure all of that out, it is my humble opinion that we have to start by identifying where we stand on the integration of this technology to our own personal educational belief systems and teaching styles.  I am only just realizing how "old school" my thinking really is and it is going to be a hard thing to give up quite a few of my traditional favorites, such as pen and paper, and hard cover books.  I won't miss seeing kids heavily burdened by cumbersome book bags strapped to their backs though.   I suppose with every thing I let go of, there will be at least one reward.  Such is the way of life.

     Technology goes back a long way, all the way back to the time of rocks and sticks being used as innovative communication devices.  If you didn't like someone you could take a rock and bonk them on the head to deliver the message and if you wanted to describe some cool thing you found, you could draw a picture of it in the dirt with a stick.  We usually think of technology as a thing of the future, but even a lowly graphite pencil was once a cutting edge device.  The following TED video is pretty interesting and describes what I mean far better than I could:

To figure out where we are headed, it is usually best to know from whence we came, which is why I wanted to quickly discuss how far we have come.  I also feel that while innovations and inventions are good, we can't really turn our backs on everything we know because a whole lot of it is very effective.

     In an article found on Edutopia.com called 'Why Integrate Technology into the Curriculum?: The Reasons Are Many: There's a place for tech in every classroom' it says:

Learning through projects while equipped with technology tools allows students to be intellectually challenged while providing them with a realistic snapshot of what the modern office looks like. Through projects, students acquire and refine their analysis and problem-solving skills as they work individually and in teams to find, process, and synthesize information they've found online.

I agree with this, certainly, but only as part of the equation.  The thing we have to be wary of is leaning too hard on devices and losing our ability for doing tactile work and for critical thinking in an organic and primitive way.  In other words, we have to make sure we don't get our heads so far up in the "Cloud" that we can no longer think for ourselves.  What if some major cataclysmic event happens, such as a solar flare and we no longer have access to this internet we have all become so dependent on?  My entire teaching style and attitude about education is a practical one.  Even the wealthiest socialite can suddenly find themselves penniless and without means.  Modern humans need practical skills and the ability to use their hands and minds in a very real sense, because even if our heads are in the virtual Cloud for a majority of our lives, there is a very real, very organic life going on all around us and we cannot forget that there are things in the woods that WILL eat us.  To my way of thinking, we should use caution with technology and make sure that students aren't completely relying on electronics and the internet to do all of their living for them.  These things should enhance our lives, but not define them and I feel we are dangerously close to the latter.

So, that is why if I had to pick an attribute of the TIM, I would have to say namely I would be an Active/Infusion style teacher, as shown in the following section of the matrix:

My reason for my choice is relatively straightforward: I think that technology and the ability to be up to date in technological skills and aptitudes is important.  I also think that if a certain type of technology, such as a Kindle or the Internet can make life easier, it's a good thing, but when it comes to students, we can't allow them to turn to the machines and devices for every project or lesson.  They do get intellectual stimulation via the internet and by watching videos or whatever the case may be, but watching a video of river rafting will never replace actually feeling the spray of the water on your face and feeling your tummy turn as you feel the waves drop underneath you.  We have to make sure as teachers, that we never allow the Cloud to replace life and life experience otherwise, the education we are passing out will only be a virtual one.

Victoria



References:


Edutopia Staff. (2014, March, 17).  Why Integrate Technology into the Curriculum?: The Reasons Are Many: There's a place for tech in every classroom. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/technology-integration-introduction

Fish, M. (2011, Dec., 15).  Technology Integration – What does it really mean?. (Illustration #1) Retrieved from http://www.coetail.com/marypkfish/2011/12/15/technology-integration-what-does-it-really-mean/

Florida Center for for Instructional Technology College of Education. (2011).  The Technology
Integration Matrix. University of South Florida, Retrieved from: http://fcit.usf.edu/matrix/index.php

Tedx Talks. (2012, Nov. 21).  A different way to think about technology in education: Greg Toppo at TEDxAshburn. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/technology-integration-introduction

Solving Environmental Problems Using Modern Technology in Education

The Classroom of the Future 

      There have been a lot of conversations happening about the direction public education has taken in the USA lately, particularly since the Common Core curriculum and President Obama's Race to the Top have been enacted.  Ever changing and evolving, the technology used in our classrooms has also been a hot topic: whiteboards, the internet, i-Pads, computers, readers like the Kindle, ThinkPads, digital cameras, social networks like FaceBook and media sites like YouTube are all becoming integrated into the average classroom.  Another hot button topic is the greening up of our schools and classrooms in an effort to be more environmentally conscious but something that is rarely explored is how these new innovations and trends in education will effect the planet on a grander scale than simply how much paper each classroom is recycling.  I think it's a subject worth exploring.

     In the following video called, "The History of Technology in Education" we can see the evolution of education and witness how the changes of taken place and also get a sense of where we are headed.  It's interesting to see how experiential instruction was during the early years of man and ever so slowly it has evolved.  First it moved far away from experiential learning and went to demonstrative instruction, but finally the wheel has turned enough that we have realized that humans learn by doing and education is slowly going back to teachers who have students interacting and participating in the entire process.  If nothing else, this idea of allowing students to participate will help to keep them engaged and tuned in to what is being taught.  

     Obviously the internet was a key development that had a huge impact by allowing students to interact with others across the world in order to develop a wider world view and also to access an unlimited supply of data and information, but another exciting, more recent improvements has come the form of interactive SMART technology that lets students participate and respond in real time.  There is also a growing trend in public school systems that are adopting distance learning for students who may be unable to physically attend regular classes, might have social or mental issues preventing them to successfully acclimate into a mainstream classroom environment, and a great many other types of students with varying circumstances such as those which are home schooled yet able to "borrow" their equipment from the local public schools' and use their curriculum as well as having the public school district's teachers overseeing their progress instead of having to figure everything out privately.  In a lot of ways, distance learning acts like a sort of safety net for students who might otherwise drop out or fail so I feel it is an excellent option and improvement.  

  
     The 2010 National Education Technology Plan called Transforming American Education: Learning Powered by Technology outlines a vision "to leverage the learning sciences and modern technology to create engaging, relevant, and personalized learning experiences for all learners that mirror students' daily lives and the reality of their futures. In contrast to traditional classroom instruction, this requires that we put students at the center and empower them to take control of their own learning by providing flexibility on several dimensions."The plan also calls for "connected teaching" in which educators connect to "resources and expertise that improve their own instructional practices and guide them in becoming facilitators and collaborators in their students' increasingly self-directed learning." (Boss, 2014)

     In an interesting TED Talk called Can technology Change Education? Raj Dhingra
not only believes technology is good, but it can save money and open doors for poorer communities and children who would have been left out in the past.  In his talk he discusses the Firefly project in Turkey and says:

"[. . .] technology can change how we do school so more than 1.6 million children that are getting access to learning that didn't have access to learning before and that's been transform because of technology so what it teaches me is you can actually dream big and make a big impact you may (sic) don't have a lot of money I think that's a lesson away from here so you can achieve a lot with small amounts of money if you think (sic) care from you how to spend it."

Programs such as Firefly can have a major impact on the future of our planet if only by giving the opportunity for students who would have been left out to add their unique perspectives and ideas on global issues.  By allowing the poorest students a chance to learn of the problems and weigh in with their own brand of solutions, we may very well end up finding solutions that we could have never found in any other way.

     Another interesting benefit from all of this technology is a practical one--lowered usage of resources, however the resources I am talking about are more than trees for paper and heating fuel.   For the sake of this discussion, let's pretend that all students attended schools online and were home schooled at least half of each week.   We would suddenly find a major increase in parental participation if only to form parenting co-ops to offer supervision to student's whose parents had to work.  This in and of itself would bring the community closer together.  Once again it would become an important part of every family's life to meet and socialize with others in their community.  Little by little we would see entire communities re-engaging and participating in things outside of their kid's school work.  People who would never have met in the past, would now have the potential to be friends.   When a community is united, resources are shared and single mindedness ends.   Nothing wastes more energy and resources than 5.000 individuals all working separately, but take those same 5,000 souls and have them cooperating and working together and it becomes an efficient force.

     One of the things we know we have to do is reduce the distance we are traveling.  A major solution to environmental problems is buying local from small-time distributors of goods and services.  The closer we can get to the actual maker of any item--the less energy will have been used.  This also helps save resources from transportation costs and packaging materials.  Overall, there is nothing bad to be said about doing business close to home, and nothing is closer than actually being home and having the product or service delivered via internet.  The savings is exponential and far too complicated to attempt to describe here, but if we considered the sheer volume of resources spent and energy expelled by running the giant monolithic style public schools and then think that while those buildings are full of students--the students homes are still being heated and cooled and there is a whole lot of traveling going to and from that school too: teachers, students, suppliers, even the mailman delivering the mail.  The equipment used is massive and it has to be replaced frequently which will eventually end up in landfills.  Consider that the average home already has at least one or two computers and an internet connection.  The financial savings alone would be phenomenal.  Granted, this isn't possible in every community and some areas may only be able to offer such programs to a small fraction of their best students, but every single student which does not physically attend class in an actual school building, is a savings and every savings helps (these things seem small until it all gets added up simultaneously).

     If the school districts could save money in everything from internet connections to trash collection, they could afford then to improve and innovate in other ways, by working toward some truly exceptional school sponsored programs that allow for experiential learning instead of courses stuck 100% within the confines of a classroom.  Teachers could innovate and perhaps run classes that have three days of home instruction and then two days of real world experience with very little to no classroom time required.  Instead of talking about elephants, classes could maybe go interact with elephants at the local zoo and attend a lecture from a local zoologist about the problems elephants are facing in the wild and then perhaps they could create a group project about elephants in a weekly program held by the school as a chance for these home schooled students to demonstrate to the community what they are learning.   The options are endless.

     Even if students are not taught at home and they simply utilize the internet and various types of technology from their classroom.  The teacher has the opportunity to generate communications between their students and students across the globe.  This type of global conversation is vital if the adults of the future have any hope to solving the problems they will surely face.  Making sure the humans of the planet are not only educated, but pooling their intelligence, experience, ideas, and sharing possible solutions with one another without fear and prejudice is becoming mandatory.  The educational systems of the world have an unprecedented opportunity to bring the world's youth together and not only create history, but save the future all through the technology we have readily at our disposal and most of us use every day.  How can we begin to move in that direction is a question that needs to be answered and if not this, what?  We simply can't afford to keep doing what we have been doing and ignoring the problems while simultaneously creating the problems.   Chances are that "we" won't face or solve the imminent problems of tomorrow, but we do have the perfect opportunity to get our youth pointed in the right direction and positioned to make a difference.  We have two choices, try something new or stay on this same path that is taking us over the edge--will we take a chance or ignore it and hope they figure it out when they grow up and it's too late?  Some scientists are already saying it's too late, but I tend to think right now is the perfect time.  

Resources:    

Boss, S. (2014, March, 02). Technology Integration: A Short History. Retrieved from   

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

DesiComments.com. (n.d.). Where there is unity, there is always victory. (Image #3) Retrieved from
     http://www.desicomments.com/quotes-graphics/where-there-is-unity-there-is-always-victory/

Dhingra, R. (2012, June, 15). Can technology Change Education? (Video File: 6:51). Retrieved
     from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0s_M6xKxNc

ISE. (n.d.). The Classroom of the Future. (Image #1) Retrieved from http://b.vimeocdn.com/ts/444
      /555/444555736_640.jpg

Paayas, P.  (2014, Jan. 23). Homeschooling is Fab! (and you should do it too).  (Image #2) Retrieved 

      from http://www.theprospect.net/homeschooling-is-fab-and-you-should-do-it-too-14858

SMARTEduEMEA.(2011, Oct. 03). The history of technology in education. (Video File).   

      Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFwWWsz_X9s