- As the project began, the school network was locked down like Fort Knox.
- The computers go into deep freeze when dormant for 10 minutes.
- Deep freeze does not allow for new applications to be permanently downloaded. The process to fix this requires shutting down, turning off deep freeze, rebooting.
- Most Web apps require users be over 13. Students turn 13 in 7th grade.
- This is not a laptop school, but we managed to gather up 24 laptops - just enough. Three have gone down since the project began so some students are working on desktops in nearby rooms.
- We were using NoteFish as a web-clipper and note taking program. We upgraded to the latest version of FireFox. Guess what? Not compatible with NoteFish.
- 7th graders can be notoriously disorganized. This can be a problem when you're trying to manage numerous online accounts and passwords.
- Occasionally, key Web apps go down. The probability of this is positively correlated with the importance of the activity.
- Today as I arrived on campus, the power went out. No power, no network. At the same time 7 visitors arrived from a community leadership group made up of local business people who came to observe the class.
Happily, the power came back on within a few minutes. The students accessed the agenda on the teacher's blog from their Symbaloo account and plowed right to work on their individual scientific inquiries. The adults in the room were mesmerized. I didn't let on, but I was also mesmerized and smiling inside with pride for the kids. I have no regrets about the technical difficulties. There is always a work around. Sometimes the kids are the ones who figure out the best alternative plan. My only regret is that more students are not empowered to learn this way.
7 comments:
It's always a great idea to keep in mind the hurdles that the k-12 environment poses. I would love to hear more about the non-technical hurdles. Any further insights that you could post?
Hi George,
I will post more details once I sift through all the data. The research question focuses on the processes students go through when building a personal learning environment. I'm not focused on other obvious implications such as teacher role and disposition; however, I can already see where this is critical to a successful facilitated networked learning experience. What has been most interesting is observing the differences in how students approach the construction of PLEs, how they are influenced by technology and others in the classroom, how they multitask while they work (varies by student), Internet search behavior, and how they synthesize content. It's not a surprise that students identified as advanced are also successful networked learners. What is most interesting to me is the level of engagement of struggling students and those identified as easily distracted in the traditional setting. At this point, I have not done enough data analysis to go into detail, but I'll try to post more as this unfolds.
Hi Judy,
Thank you for your comment. My opinion of the value of any Web application has more to do with the way it is applied in the classroom rather than an assessment of the tool itself. For example, there are a lot of lectures and videos available online for educational purposes. Just listening or just watching is a passive learning approach. So, the important question is what the teacher or learner plans to do with it. Flash cards are usually a knowledge-level learning technique often used for memorization. I believe the more you involve your students in the creation of the flash card content, the more active and valuable the learning experience. If used as part of a larger unit plan that also offers evaluation and synthesis of content, this tool could be helpful. Used by itself, I see it more as a study tool for test-taking. But, you may have more creative plans for it. It's really about learning and the instructional design, not the tools.
I got turned on to you web site by your video regarding the networked student.
I just want to say "SPOT ON". Keep up the awsome work.
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Hi Wendy,
I am burning with curiosity about this 7th grade science class. What individual scientific queries were they investigating? Was the majority of the class curriculum independent research? Were 100% of the students successful in creating a functional PLN?
I am a middle school math teacher, beginning a new position in a private school. Nothing like this is happening in our school. The "shared teacher file" for forms and handouts is the newest cutting edge technology right now. Dr. Strange's EDM class is preparing me to introduce my students to the world of information available to them, but I am still a little baffled about incorporating it into the curriculum as it stands right now. To use a fishing analogy, I need to feed my administrators and fellow teachers just enough line to get hooked, and then slowly drag them into the 21st century boat with me. Please keep posting and sharing what is happening with your middle school students. Thank you for inspiring me,
Kimberly Tharp
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Kimberly Tharp EDM 310
I would like to wonder what you think of this online quiz that I'm going to use for my online education platform. Your right that k-12grades to have some hurdles they have to jump that are non-technical, I just want to see what you think of the quiz.
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