NAEP Technological Literacy Framework Feedback Opportunity

November 19th, 2009

I’ve mentioned before that I’ve been serving on the NAEP Technology Literacy Assessment Planning Committee. (Post: NAEP Technology Assessment 2012)

Now it’s your turn.

The current draft of the framework is available for public review and feedback at www.naeptech2012.org. You can download the framework from the Outreach section of the website and provide feedback using the online survey link.

In addition to feedback on the framework as a whole, the project is asking for specific input on a title for the assessment. It has been suggested that “Technological Literacy” may not appropriately represent the contents of this framework. The Governing Board will be considering a title change on top of all the other feedback from this survey and other public meetings held this past year.

There has been some controversy over the content and name of the assessment. In K-12 schools, the most common use of the term “technology literacy” is for computer, information, and digital media literacy. This test covers much more. (Post: THE Journal: NAEP Gets It One-Third Right)

The NAEP Technology Literacy Framework defines technology as anything in the “developed world” – meaning forms of engineering, medicine, and other scientific and mathematical disciplines beyond the traditional science and math covered in their respective NAEP frameworks.

There is, in my opinion, a huge potential for confusion with the current title, since “technology literacy” in most K-12 schools, districts, and state department of education offices means something very different than the definition found in this assessment.

While it would be wonderful if K-12 schools actually taught engineering concepts and post 19th century math, it’s a rare occurrence. That combined with the fact that “technology literacy” has multiple meanings will cause confusion over this assessment. The last thing I want is for kids (and teachers) to be blamed and falsely labeled over silly semantics.

A name change, such as calling it a “Technology Assessment”, or “Technology and Engineering Assessment” might be a small step towards avoiding this inevitable confusion.

Comments and suggestions on the framework (and name) are being accepted through January 15, 2010. The National Assessment Governing Board is scheduled to take action on the recommended framework in March 2010.

Voice your opinion!

Sylvia

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Celebrate creativity and innovation at NYSCATE

November 16th, 2009

The New York state educational technology conference, NYSCATE (Nov. 22-24) always has a top lineup of speakers and keynotes. This year is no exception. The featured keynote is Sir Ken Robinson, a world-renowned advocate for creativity and innovation in learning.

I’ll be there as well, participating in the Constructivist Celebration, two sessions, and a panel. My Monday session is on teacher professional development in a “technology ecology,“ and on Tuesday the topic is games in education. The panel will tackle an intriguing question – What does it mean to be literate in the 21st century (and what does Web 2.0 have to do with it?)

In a special Sunday session, we will explore the second year outcomes of the NYSSTL program (New York State Student Technology Leaders). In more than 30 middle schools in New York, this innovative model for student-centered technology is showing that students can be 21st century leaders. The session will showcase video by two teachers who are working side by side with these student leaders.

Continuing in the creativity theme, if you are anywhere near Rochester on Sunday, Nov. 22 — don’t miss the Constructivist Celebration @ NYSCATE — it’s back and better than ever! Gary Stager and award-winning children’s book author Peter Reynolds will host a full-day workshop at the Strong National Museum of Play. This is the perfect place to explore creative, playful, constructivist learning with computers. The $100 registration fee includes lunch, creativity software from your favorite companies, and new this year, a free TechYES Mini-kit. TechYES is our middle school project-based technology literacy certification program. This is hundreds of dollars worth of the best creativity software and tools PLUS a great day of tinkering with technology.

And a note for you Stager fans, this will be your only opportunity to hear the always entertaining and thought-provoking Gary at this year’s NYSCATE.

The theme of creativity resonates strongly throughout NYSCATE, and the best way to encourage creativity is to allow (and teach) children to be creative problem-solvers in their own lives, both personal and academic. At Generation YES, we are sure there is no better way than to invite students to become leaders and allies in the effort to improve education with new technology.

As you can tell, I’m excited! NYSCATE is one of my favorite education technology conferences of the year and I can’t wait. If you’d like to hear more about what’s going on there, or meet me at NYSCATE, I’ll be there Sunday –Tuesday (Nov. 22 – 24).

Sylvia

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Speak Up 2009 – add your voice!

November 11th, 2009

Speak Up 2009 will be open until December 18, 2009!

Over the years, the annual Speak Up project has collected and reported on the views of over 1.5 million K-12 students, teachers, administrators and parents representing over 18,000 schools in all 50 states.

Speak Up data represents the largest collection of authentic, unfiltered stakeholder input about education, technology, 21st century skills, schools of the future and science/math instruction.

Sign up now for student, parent, teacher surveys. This won’t take long and EVERY VOICE COUNTS.

Sylvia

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Students are not the enemy part 2

November 7th, 2009

The response to the last post Students are not the enemy has been pretty overwhelming.

The NYSCATE wiki for this presentation: The Enemy Within: Stop Students from Bypassing Your Web Filters has been edited by several people with very cogent comments asking the company and presenter to rethink a declaration of war on students.

My original posting was not a criticism of NYSCATE – which is one of my favorite ed tech conferences. Vendor-led sessions are a fact of life at any conference, often informative, and NYSCATE does a good job of identifying them as such.

A quick search on the Google reveals that this company has a whitepaper with the same title which can be found on several security industry websites. It’s also been a session (same title and description) at more than one ed tech conference in Texas.

So it’s clear in this case it’s not just a matter of a single regional company representative clumsily trying to come up with a catchy title for a session. This is a well-thought out marketing plan from this company.

Perhaps conferences should read ALL session descriptions a little more carefully to make sure they promote the values of the organizing body.

Because really, this attitude does not start with companies. Sales 101 is about reflecting the language and attitudes of your customers. They wouldn’t be saying it if they weren’t hearing it. Sales 102 is creating a climate of need, fear-based if necessary, that if you don’t have whatever they are selling, something horrible will happen.

Teachers, tech directors, and superintendents talk about what they want and need, and companies simply take those problems, what marketeers call “pain points” and find ways to frame their solutions with that language. Marketing is about talking your customers language, so when you hear language like this, as Pogo said, “We have met the enemy and he is us.”

Sylvia

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Students are not the enemy

November 6th, 2009

The upcoming NYSCATE conference includes this session.

The Enemy Within: Stop Students from Bypassing Your Web Filters

So this session (by a security software vendor) sets up students as the  enemy. The job is not to educate the people who come to this session or help schools provide the best educational Internet experience (by those same evil students.) No, the idea is to create a climate of fear, demonize students, and imply that there is a war between students and IT administrators.

And why not? You need weapons to fight a war. Fear the children, buy our stuff.

Kids are not the terrorists, kids and teachers are being terrorized by outrageous IT policies and vendors eager to stir up fear to make a profit. Sad.

Sylvia

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Whole Child – Free e-book download

November 3rd, 2009

From ASCD -

What does it mean to “support the whole child?” How important is it to hold high expectations for students? ASCD’s newest e-book, Supporting the Whole Child: Reflections on Best Practices in Learning, Teaching, and Leadership, addresses many of these questions and is available for download free of charge starting today, and running through November 17, 2009.

This third in a four-book series exploring whole child education features articles from Educational Leadership magazine and other ASCD publications that focus on supporting students by differentiating instruction, using scaffolds and interventions, being inclusive and positive, and responding to 21st century learning challenges. Authors include Carol Ann Tomlinson, Thomas R. Guskey, Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, and Robyn Jackson.

With the right supports, students are capable of doing more than even they think they can. Share this opportunity with colleagues, family and friends committed to educating the whole child. Download today!

Want more? Purchase the first e-book in the series, Engaging the Whole Child, and the second, Challenging the Whole Child, for $7.95 ($9.95 for nonmembers) each and share your thoughts on what “support” looks like in the classroom, school, and community on the Whole Child Blog.

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Relevant research: Combining service-learning and technology fosters positive youth development

November 2nd, 2009

In an ongoing effort to promote youth empowerment in education, we’d like to offer this research synopsis. This one pulls together several of our favorite subjects: youth development, project-based learning, and technology.

Best Practices for Integrating Technology and Service-Learning in a Youth Development Program by JoAnn R. Coe-Regan, PhD and Julie O’Donnell, PhD, MSW.

Community-based programs that are meant to promote youth development have been around for quite awhile. Numerous studies indicate that youths benefit from these programs in many ways: a more positive self-image, a reduction in risk taking behavior, improved school behavior, etc. Because research illustrates the success of after-school programs, federal funding has increased from $40 million to $1 billion in recent years. A ubiquitous and recurring challenge these programs face is how to recruit and retain teens despite the potential barriers of boredom, family responsibilities, and spending social time with their friends.

In 2006 the YMCA Youth Institute of Long Beach, California developed a service-learning program to help overcome these barriers which “…uses technology as an integral mechanism for promoting positive youth development and enhancing the academic success and career readiness of low-income, culturally-diverse high school students.” (Coe-Regan & O’Donnell, 2006)

The YMCA Youth Institute research is unique in the fact that it focuses on the mutually supportive benefits of technology and service-learning. It also supports the idea that effective technology learning is more than skill acquisition, but is built into collaborative, authentic projects.

Overall, the study found that service-learning which emphasizes technology not only increases positive youth development, it also retains and sustains the service-learning program. Participants were particularly attracted to learning new technology skills and saw this as increasing the likelihood of being successful in life.

The participants spent the entire year working in teams to develop projects including digital storytelling, graphic design, 3D animation, and how to troubleshoot and use computer networks. Additionally, curriculum was developed to link the project content to school content standards.

Coe-Regan and O’Donnell identified five best practices to implementing a service-learning program that emphasizes technology to enhance positive youth development.

  1. Focus on under-served youth. The study found that ‘nesting’ such programs in low-income, diverse communities helped youth connect with a wide range of other cultures as well as helping reduce the ‘digital divide’ that many youths must overcome to be competitive in the 21st Century job market.
  2. Use collaborative, project-based techniques to teach technology. The study found that using projects to teach technology not only increased interest, but participants also gained better planning and problem-solving skills than traditional, specific skill acquisition. Youth also gained more confidence by learning from ‘trial and error’ and from working in teams to develop ‘real world’ solutions to problems as they arose.
  3. Emphasize the usefulness of technology skills in the workplace/higher education. It was found that many youths are well aware of the expectations teachers and employers have in regards to technology competency. Therefore, participants had an authentic desire to learn about new technology. It was found that the program retention increased due to the youth’s determination to succeed in college and the marketplace by developing their 21st century skills.
  4. Stress the importance of service to the community. The study found that 90% of participants found their service learning experience to be positive. Many of the youths continued their service learning beyond the program by participating in internships, volunteering, or helping teachers in their school with technology.
  5. Focus on personal growth and development. “The data suggested that this technology program appeared to have the ability to do more than simply influence technology outcomes. Many participants mentioned the technology skills when asked about the overall general knowledge and skills, but the majority of participants talked about other things they learned about themselves and life skills that went beyond technology skills and knowledge. These included: developing leadership skills, making friends, getting along with others, speaking in front of others and voicing their opinions, balancing life and gaining the motivation to continue with their career goals.” (Coe-Regan & O’Donnell, 2006).

Overall, the study found that service-learning which emphasizes technology not only increases positive youth development, it also retains and sustains the service-learning program. Participants were particularly attracted to learning new technology skills and saw this as increasing the likelihood of being successful in life.

Reference: Coe-Regan, JoAnn R, & O’Donnell, Julie. (2006). Best Practices for Integrating Technology and Service Learning in a Youth Development Program. Journal of Evidenced-Based Social Work, 3, 210-220. Retrieved from EBSCO Host Database.

(This synopsis was written by Steven Hicks, Generation YES grants and special projects coordinator.)

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Students as Agents of Change

October 28th, 2009

AALF Articles – Students as Agents of Change.

The Anywhere Anytime Learning Foundation (AALF) is a great resource for articles, research and resources about schools going 1:1. This month’s newsletter featured a short article by me about students as agents of change in laptop programs.

Most laptop programs start with a philosophy of putting power into student hands – but amid all the excitement of selecting hardware and planning the logistics, this can get lost.

Keep student empowerment front and center by focusing on Students as Agents of Change.

Sylvia

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The Technology Ecology

October 26th, 2009

Today I’m heading to Denver for the T+L conference. T+L is the Technology + Learning conference of the National School Board Association. This year it’s in Denver, Colorado, October 27-29.

I’ll be doing a new session on Wednesday, Oct 28th at 3:30 PM called, “Engage Them! Project-based 21st Century Technology Literacy Curriculum”. It’s about several ideas:

  • How to develop an engaging technology literacy curriculum for the 21st century, with students in mind and with students involved
  • The difference between technology literacy and fluency
  • Developing a “Technology Ecology”
  • Why projects and technology go together
  • Showing videos of students who are doing these things in their own schools

I’m not sure I’m the first one to use the term “Technology Ecology”, but I’m starting to really like it. The big idea of this talk is that technology isn’t a subject as much as an ecology – an overarching web of opportunities that can support all kinds of subjects and areas of personal interest. So when we talk about technology curriculum, we need to stretch our minds a bit and imagine new possibilities and connections.

I think a school with a technology ecology is one that is constantly asking the participants to do more with technology, challenging the status quo, and always trying new things. A curriculum that embraces this mindset would reach outside class walls to ask students not to just learn to use a word processor, but to to create word processed documents that were meaningful and useful to the student, or perhaps to the school. Why make just movies in technology class when you could make movies that satisfy a history assignment, or help younger kids learn math, or introduce new students to your school. An ecology that looks for authentic projects and embraces the potential of youth to do important things and make important contributions, using the digital tools that they know and love.

After this session, I’ll post more about it here.

Generation YES is a co-sponsor of the T+L conference, and we’ll be down in the co-sponsor booth area, number 118. So if you miss the session, come by and say hi!

Hopefully there will be a T+L Tweetup too – if you’d like to connect, please follow me at smartinez

Sylvia

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Dr. Gerald Bracey can rest in peace – the rest of us need to get busy

October 22nd, 2009

The previous post (Jerry Bracey – Rest in Peace) contained the sad news of the passing of Dr. Gerald Bracey. People have written eulogies extolling his tenacity in unveiling the truth about school and educational policy as he saw it, and how he never let up in exposing it when he saw research being used inconsistently, or worse, with intent to deceive. Dr. Bracey was not just a curmudgeon, in 2003 he won the American Educational Research Association’s “Relating Research to Practice” award for his scholarship in the field of education research.

If you read any of the remembrances, you will find many links to his publications and thoughts. Some are available online, some are in journals and books.

I thought it would be helpful to create a short list of some places to find his important work.

Gerald Bracey on Statlit.org – This website features authors who write on statistical literacy in a wide range of fields. The page on Gerald Bracey includes his famous “32 Principles of Data Interpretation” starting with, “Do the arithmetic” and “Show me the data”.

Education Disinformation Detection and Reporting Agency (EDDRA) – This is Gerald Bracey’s own website, “… dedicated to analyzing reports, dispelling rumors, rebutting lies about public education in the United States. It represents an on-line version of the work I have been doing since 1991.” The website links to many of his annual “Report on the Condition of Public Education” with his Golden Apple awards, plus “Rotten Apple” awards given to those who “represent the worst in public education.”

Articles on the Huffington Post – Dr. Bracey’s most recent and most political articles can be found on the Huffington Post. In dozens of extremely readable articles he calls out politicians, business leaders, educators, journalists, and others who skew statistics to make the their pre-determined “education solutions” seem research-based. If you want a quick taste, try Nine Myths About Public Schools, where he takes on merit pay, global competitiveness, high-stakes tests, and much more in a few short paragraphs.

Gerald Bracey at EPIC/EPRU - A few dozen research papers tackling current educational issues such as charter schools, NCLB, vouchers, high-stakes testing, and more.

Finally, a word about The Education and the Public Interest Center (EPIC). EPIC is housed at the University of Colorado at Boulder and partners with the Education Policy Research Unit (EPRU) and the Commercialism in Education Research Unit (CERU) at Arizona State University to produce policy briefs and think tank reviews. From the website, “These centers provide a variety of audiences, both academic and public, with information, analysis, and insight to further democratic deliberation regarding educational policies.”

EPIC and EPRU also created the Education Policy Alliance, a nationwide network of university-based research centers and organizations.

If you want to stay up to date on well-researched, timely information and analysis of education policies, you should definitely consider subscribing to their email newsletter (signup box at the bottom of this page.)

Dr. Gerald Bracey created a legacy that must not fade away. Those of us left must take up the mantle, stand on his shoulders, and continue the work.

Sylvia

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