I am going to start this post by saying that in all honesty, I am not a big fan of social bookmarking sites.  I’ve tried to use sites like Diigo before, but I find I quickly forget about them and go back to my tried and true ways of bookmarking for personal use and for sharing with students.

I am a Google Chrome user which makes bookmarking on multiple devices very easy.  By syncing my Google Chrome account on my 3 different computers, my iPhone and Chromebook, I always have access to sites I have bookmarked for work and home.  I also use the Google Chrome extension TeamSync Bookmarks which I use to share information with family members.

To share websites with students I usually use 2 different methods.  In Google Classroom there used to be a resource section where I would add links to websites I felt were of value.  With the recent update of Google Classroom, I will instead be creating a Bookmark Topic in the Classwork section of the platform and share bookmarked sites there.  The 2nd way that I share bookmarked information is through embedded Google Sheets on websites I have created.  I enjoy using this method when sharing information with colleagues as it is easy to organize and I can very easily add new material from a variety of devices.

I found this first image using Google Images’ advanced search tools and selecting ‘Labeled for Reuse’.  When I clicked on the image it redirected me to the Wikipedia Commons website.
By Kathy Schrock [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

This second image I searched for directly on the Wikipedia Commons website.By Dyuti mukh [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], from Wikimedia Commons

I added both of these images to this blog post by embedding them with the HTML Code provided when I clicked on the ‘Use this file on the web’ button.  The usage rights for both images are as follows:

You are free:
to share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work
to remix – to adapt the work
Under the following conditions:
attribution – You must attribute the work in the manner specified by the author or licensor (but not in any way that suggests that they endorse you or your use of the work).
share alike – If you alter, transform, or build upon this work, you may distribute the resulting work only under the same or similar license to this one.

I have recently changed districts within my community and it has been very interesting to see the differences between both the type of technology in classrooms and how it is used.  For hardware, my previous board mainly used Apple computers, Promethean interactive whiteboards, Chromebook carts within Div II to Div IV, and iPads in Early Learning and Div I.  My current board uses mainly PC computers, Smartboard and Epson interactive whiteboards, Dell Laptops and full PC labs in Div III and IV, Chromebook carts in Div II and III, and iPads in Early Learning and Div I.  It’s been interesting making the switch away from the hardware I became comfortable with over the 15 years I was with my original district.  Just using a PC computer vs an Apple has been an especially challenging, and at times frustrating, endeavor.

As for how technology is used, both boards really aim to use technology to encourage student engagement, adapt resources for students with special needs, as well as create environments where students are empowered to be active participants in their learning.  In the early years, young students are often using iPads as part of their balanced literacy program and teachers are using interactive whiteboards as a way to promote engagement in whole class activities.  Once students reach Division II there is an increasing use of GAFE tools.  Teachers are using Google Classroom to deliver content, communicate with students and manage assessment.  Students are also able to use tools such as Read&Write, Texthelp PDF Reader, and EquatIO in order to make resources more accessible.

Lastly, we are beginning to see more STEM type technology available in both districts.  At the elementary level,  there are coding clubs where students are participating in the Hour of Code and Code Academy.  Elementary students are also working with Dash, Dot and MiP robots.  At the secondary level, there are also coding clubs where students are working on advanced coding skills and both districts have active robotics programs.  High schools are also using tech in engineering simulation and health science labs as well as in Career and Technology Studies classes to simulate real-world job experiences.

Overall, I think both districts in my community have good forward momentum when it comes to providing and using technology.  Teachers are seeking out and participating in increasing amounts of professional development which focus on the use of tech in the classroom.  Also, both boards consistently send tech leaders to provincial tech engagement sessions and conferences such as the Google Summit and Convergence.  The one area I feel we need to continue to focus on is digital literacy skills.   Like most boards, we continue to deal with the challenges facing today’s youth in regards to social media and online content and having the tools and skills to support students navigate these waters is increasingly important.

1. Describe and discuss one or two elements from the Bates or Watters chapters that allowed you to think deeper about your past or present teaching.

Seymour Papert’s question “should the computer program the kid or should the kid program the computer?” (as quoted in Watters, 2014, p. 11-12) really got me thinking about when I first brought one-on-one technology into my classroom.  I remember having this dream of using tech as means of students interacting with the world around them.  Maybe one student could find a pen pal in the Ukraine and learn about what holidays they celebrate there.  Maybe another student could follow an astronaut’s trip to space and write about it.  Maybe a third student would use it to record his deepest thoughts.  I really had this dream that tech would be the answer to successfully and impactfully differentiang learning in my classroom.

The real world intervened in my dreaming however.  Just like Papert stated in his book, The Children’s Machine, “Progressive teachers knew very well how to use the computer for their own ends as an instrument of change; School knew very well how to nip this subversion in the bud.” (as quoted in Watters, 2014, p. 12), I could dream all I wanted, but I still lived and worked in a world where FOIP, curricular expectations, standardized testing and old-school thinkers existed.  So instead of creating this student-centered learning environment I dreamed of, I downloaded sight word apps and math games or had students use voice to text to write their stories.  Now don’t get me wrong, did it help with student engagement and offer accommodations for students, absolutely, but that vision I initially had, never really materialized.

Now when looking at Bates work, it made reflect on the definition of the word technology.  According to Merriam-Webster technology is “a capability given by the practical application of knowledge.”  So according to this, the answer to Bates’ question under the picture of Moses “Are the tablets of stone an educational technology?” is yes.  Using the knowledge, and ability garnered from that knowledge, Moses was able to chisel his teachings in stone and educate those around him.  So it makes me think, technology is always evolving, going from a chisel, to a pencil, to a typewriter, to a computer or even to an iPad and it’s going to continue to evolve.  It is our role as educators, to find meaningful ways to incorporate these technologies into environments where students are challenged and engaged in a manner that promotes growth.

Watters, A. (2014). The Hidden history of ed-tech. In The Monsters of Educational Technology, pp. 7-31.

“Technology.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/technology.

Bates, A.W. (2015). A short history of educational technology. In Teaching in a Digital Age. Victoria: BCcampus.

I have chosen to use Feedly as my RSS Reader.  I have been using it for a while and really like how Google Chrome has the Feedly Notifier Extension (here) which notifies me when I have new content to read.  I use Feedly for school, work and home.  Here are a couple examples of things I follow:

1. School
   • I follow all of my classmates WordPress Blogs
   • I follow blogs written by professors.
2. Work
   • My Superintendent’s twitter feed
   • Edmonton Public Schools – Technology Help Youtube Channel
   • Texthelp for Education
   • Edutopia
3. Home
   • CBC News
   • iheartorganizing.com blog
   • Specific Kijiji searches

By using Feedly and more specifically the Feedly Notifier extension, I find the time I spend surfing online becomes less of a time suck and instead I can quickly access the information I need or I am interested in.