14 minute read
This month
Public vs. Private
‘Fast Fact’
According to its most recent data, the U.S. Department of Education says that 59 percent of teachers in traditional public schools have earned a post-undergraduate degree (including a master’s degree, an education specialist degree or certificate, and a doctorate degree). In U.S. private schools, that percentage is 48.l
“This next number goes out to all those talented, hard-working, underpaid teachers who’ll be grading our tests tomorrow.”
Public Has Our Backs, if Not Our Career Aspirations
You’d have to go back 48 years in the annual PDK Poll of the Public’s Attitudes Toward the Public Schools to top how Americans rate their local public schools today. In 2022 results, 54 percent of adults gave their community’s schools an A or B. That’s a jump of 10 points since the question was last asked in 2019. The previous high was 53, set in 2013; the long-term poll average is 44 percent.
That doesn’t, however, translate into encouraging children to pursue a career in the classroom. Only 37 percent of adults in this year’s survey would want their child to be a public school teacher, compared with a poll-high positive response of 75 percent in 1969 and a longterm average of 60 percent.l
Not ‘Fake News’ at All
From an editorial in the (Fredericksburg) Free Lance-Star:
Teaching is, and always will be, an art. The path to improved student achievement doesn’t run through more standardized tests and mindless rote memorization. Rather, students’ success is directly tied to a teacher’s imagination. To those who never have stood before a classroom, it can be hard to understand why this is so… [Teachers] can set high standards that are suitable for each student’s ability level. They can modify lessons when necessary to meet individual needs, to incorporate the skills each student brings to strengthen the classroom and to find a way for each student to have some success every day…
Teachers are the most critical individuals outside of immediate family members to helping young adults reach beyond their limited reality and into the broader world.l
The Hope We All Have
I have hope in the millions of students that are courageous and bright and that will create a better world. I have hope in the millions of educators who provide love and normalcy to an unkind world. I have hope in the transformative power of education that can move the needle towards equity and justice. This isn’t just my message of healing and prosperity; it’s our work together because we are a profession that understands the importance of potential and hope—the potential in our students, schools, and communities.l
— 2022 National Teacher of the Year Kurt Russell, an Ohio high school history teacher
“Wow! These people actually did stuff instead of just posting on social media!”
These Numbers Don’t Work…
1.7 million
3 million
6 million
10 million
14 million
students are in schools with police but no counselor, nurse, psychologist, or social
worker.l
Source: ACLU
Is Seamless Technology Integration the Missing Piece in Your Classroom?
Some ideas on making it happen for you and your students.
By Patrick Hausammann and Debbie Tannenbaum
Have you ever been told to integrate technology into your classroom, to make it a key part of your instruction, but didn’t know how or where to start? The prospect of new technology can feel so overwhelming: There are so many options, and it can seem like just something else added to your plate after two rollercoaster years. In our respective roles as a Supervisor of
Instructional Technology and as a Technology Coach, both Patrick and I understand these challenges. In this article, we’d like to help you find some of the magic that technology can create in your classroom and share a few gems we think will make a big difference for you and your students. While the term “technology integration” can sound intimidating, it really only means trying to make technology a seamless part of your classroom. It’s not an add-on offered when time allows or because it’s mandated. It’s a process through the year of building technology uses and skills for both students and teachers. It doesn’t even mean that technology is always used; instead, it means that technology is known and available to be used when it fits, when it extends a lesson, when it offers opportunities or options that don’t exist without it—in short, when it enhances a learning experience.
Technology is not a silver bullet, replacement for a great teacher, or even always the best option.
But it can be an outstanding tool in an educator’s repertoire. Here are six reasons why: 1. Technology redefines what’s possible in the classroom by creating new options. 2. Technology can be an excellent way to make content accessible to all, such as facilitating
Universal Design for Learning principles. 3. It allows us to better prepare our students for the future- 4
C’s; Critical Thinking, Collaboration, Communication, &
Creative Thinking (or 5 C’s if you add Citizenship). 4. When technology is integrated, the need to teach both technologies and the content (double-teaching) is removed.
The technological knowledge is already there, built throughout the year, and before long only teaching of content remains.
Often, students are quickly able to assist with technology during lessons, building in another support for teachers.
In English/Language Arts:
When students arrive, they know that Google Classroom is always the first place to check. There they find an entrance ticket activity to use Flipgrid, Google Docs, or Google Canvas to reflect on everything they learned the day before, as well as to pose any questions about what they didn’t understand. Before the day’s lesson begins, students have 3 minutes to connect with a peer and co-reflect to try to answer the questions on the entrance ticket. The whole class discusses briefly, then the new lesson begins with students utilizing a digital interactive notebook to take notes during direct instruction. For the latter part of the block, students divide up into groups they’ve been in to work on a project to craft persuasive arguments for a cause of their choice. They research using databases from the library, Google Scholar, and more, and work together, both verbally and virtually, via their collaborative medium of choice (Docs, Flipgrid, Google Classroom, etc.). Class wraps up for that day with students turning in a draft of their projects (essays, podcasts, art creations, videos, etc.).
5. Eliminating double-teaching increases creativity and agency.
When students aren’t having to learn two things at the same time, they’re free to think creatively with technology versus just about how to use it. Often, the most creative uses of technology come during exploration of deeper possibilities possible when one already knows the basics.
6. You’re not just meeting digital natives where they are but helping those who have never known a world without Google learn and show mastery (create) with technology they’re passionate about. The shift from consumer to creator may be one of, if not the, most important reason to integrate versus just “use” technology in your classroom. Creating pushes students into higher levels of both knowledge acquisition and retention than does the more passive act of consuming information.
HOW TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION MIGHT LOOK
In Math:
Students are beginning a new unit and you’d like to see what they already know about concepts such as translations or money. To demonstrate this, they log onto Desmos and use a polygraph activity. During this activity, students work with a partner (either as an anonymous or known partner) as they play this math version of Guess Who. One student selects a card; then another asks math questions to determine which card it is. Students get a chance to work with multiple classmates and the teacher can collect data on their understanding based on the questions asked. Later in the unit, this could also be used as a formative assessment to see progress made.
In Science:
While studying the solar system, students can get a better grasp on the relative size of the planets’ orbits by using a Gizmo, an online simulation, which will show them the length of time each planet’s orbit takes. Rather than just reading about this, students collect data and use their research to draw their own conclusions. Moreover, this Gizmo, like the others on the ExploreLearning site, are aligned to state standards, making the integration seamless.
In History:
Students begin a collaborative brainstorming session with Google Jamboard and Docs, responding to your prompt to work with a partner or in a group to become a tour guide to one place or person they’ve studied this year (or will study). They collaborate and communicate, both in-person and virtually, using these tools alongside video conferencing and/or asynchronous video with Flipgrid. Throughout classes, they add notes to their information as lessons continue and questions are answered in direct instruction, video, and class work. Storyboard That or grid mode of Google Slides is used to map out their final products (presentations, videos, flying tours in Google Earth, or a teacher approved medium). In every element of the ongoing work, students choose the technology components or offline mediums that align to their skills and passions. The teacher provides both tutorials for the technology and time for support as needed. Wherever possible, students become the teacher to demonstrate tools for the class and support each other.
In Electives/Specials:
The art teacher has learned from the math team that students will be studying geometric shapes, so to help reinforce those concepts, students will be finding, creating, and showcasing geometric art. The students get information on the project that will be worked on both verbally and within their LMS (for later checks). Any students without a camera-enabled device are provided one. The class then makes their way outside to take a walking tour of the area surrounding the school to capture as many shots as possible of geometric shapes. These will serve as part of the inspirational part of their digital portfolios (websites). After half the block outside, students return to the classroom to upload their images to the cloud for safe storage and begin researching online images of geometric shapes both in real life and in still art. The block concludes with students reflecting on their progress throughout the period and using this to outline the next steps in building their showcase (planning their creation). They’ll later present their creations to the class live or through video, with peers using electronic peer reviews to provide non-evaluative feedback. We’ve included a list of resources to help you strengthen your technology knowledge and skills in “Resources for Your Toolkit” on page to the right.
TEN TIPS YOU CAN USE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE WITH TECHNOLOGY
1. Start with your learning objectives first (never start with technology). 2. Don’t use technology just for the sake of using technology. 3. Consider how the technology tool will enhance or amplify student learning. 4. Take time to teach your students how to navigate the programs you choose. Teach icons to help facilitate this. Consider starting this early in the year to build relationships while learning the technology. 5. Find tools that can be used for multiple content areas and ages or throughout your class/course.
Many tools are multifaceted and can lend themselves to integration throughout a class instead of just being used once in a while.
6. Give students opportunities to engage in the 5 C’s using technology. 7. Use technology to enhance the
Universal Design for Learning principles in your classroom. Let technology help you reach all students.
8. Learn alongside your students by allowing them to support/teach both you and classmates.
Resources for Your Toolkit
Blogs We Recommend
• Tannenbaum Tech (tannenbaumtech.com/blog)
• UnisonEDU (unisonedu.org/blog)
• Tech You Can Do (techyoucando.com)
• Control Alt Achieve (controlaltachieve.com)
• Ditch That Textbook (ditchthattextbook.com)
• EfficienTEACH (ditchthattextbook.com/efficienteach)
• Shake Up Learning (shakeuplearning.com)
Lesson Repositories
• #GoOpenVA (goopenva.org)
• Virtual Virginia (virginiavirtual.org)
• Adobe Learning Exchange (edex.adobe.com)
• EducationBlueprint.org
• PBS Learning Media (vpm.pbslearningmedia.org)
• Verizon Innovative Learning (verizon.com/learning)
• Khan Academy (khanacademy.org)
• National Geographic (nationalgeographic.org/society/ education-resources)
• NCTM Illuminations (illuminations.nctm.org)
• EDSITEment (humanities) edsitement.neh.gov/lesson-plans
• Stanford History Education Group (sheg.stanford.edu)
• Share My Lesson (sharemylesson.com)
• Templates for Teachers (templatesforteachers.com)
• We Are Teachers (weareteachers.com/free-teacher-resources)l
VIRGINIA JOURNAL OF EDUCATION | NOVEMBER 2022 11 Photo by iStock
Patrick Hausammann Presentations
• A 6-Pack of Tools That Can
Transform Your Classroom and
Student Engagement (bit.ly/ phaus-6pack) • Student Drive Performance
Based Assessment (bit.ly/ sdpba18) • All The Things You Didn’t Know
Google Slides Could Do! (bit. ly/phaus-gslidest) • 5 Great Ways to Structure
Student Led Learning (bit.ly/ phaus-5gw) • Amazing Tech Tools for Student Creation and Innovation (bit.ly/30att) • Magic Beneath the Surface of
EdTech (bit.ly/phaus-mbtsoe) • Bring the World to Your Classroom with Google Geo Tools (bit.ly/phaus-ggeo)l 9. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Utilize both your in-school/ district professional learning network as well as a virtual one to always have support and collaborators.
10. Start small and strategic; little steps add up. Your path is unique to you and your students. Don’t measure yourself against the triumphs of others. Measure your success by the triumphs within yourself and in your classroom.
Grow and build from both successes and failures; both are strong teachers.
CONCLUSION
In the end, every educator’s technology integration journey is as individual as their path was to making their career choice. Many of us were forced to use technology to excess during the COVID-19 pandemic. Let’s move past that and shift our focus to the aspects of technology integration that were enhanced during the pandemic. Many more teachers and students know the basics of technology than ever before, and have moved to higher levels of communication and collaboration. Do away with the forced use of technology and, instead, embrace its integration to provide students with opportunities and access they’ve never had before. Embrace your PLN to support you along the way and use what you learn to help others. We’re always happy to help any educators that reach out. Let’s collaborate and always share the amazing opportunities we can create for our students!l
Patrick Hausammann, a member of the Clarke County Education Association, is the county’s Supervisor of Instructional Technology and an ITRT at Boyce Elementary School and JohnsonWilliams Middle School. Debbie Tannenbaum is a school-based Technology Specialist, consultant, and blogger.
Before You Pull the Lever
What you need to know as you prepare to vote this November.
As Election Day 2022 nears, a quick question, and it’s not the gimme that you might think. There are federal elections this year: Do you know who your U.S. House of Representatives member is?
You may think you do, but the long-simmering dispute about gerrymandering and Congressional and General Assembly redistricting in our state was resolved by the Virginia Supreme Court late last year— and the resulting changes affected more than 8,000 of VEA’s members. Maybe even you. To be certain you know who you’ll be casting your vote for, check the Virginia Public Access Project’s website: vpap.org/ redistricting, where you’ll find the official district maps.
You were not required to change or renew your voter registration after the new maps were drawn, but you should confirm your polling place by checking the Virginia Department of Elections site here: vote.elections.virginia.gov/ VoterInformation.
Election Day is Tuesday, November 8, and polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Check the Lineup
You can find out who’s running for federal and local offices in your area, as well as check to see if there are any local measures up for a vote by visiting the site of the nonpartisan organization Ballot Ready at ballotready.org. There, you’ll find information about every candidate and proposal on your ballot.
Who are Educators Backing?
The VEA Fund for Children and Public Education, our Union’s political action committee, doesn’t make recommendations in federal elections, but the National Education Association Fund for Children and Public Education does. To find out if the NEA Fund has recommended anyone in your Congressional election this fall, go to educationvotes. nea.org and click Recommended Candidates.
VEA Members Making the Race
If you’re an educator in the Tidewater area, you’ve got several special reasons to pay attention to local races. Three VEA members are in the running, one each from Chesapeake, Portsmouth, and Norfolk. VEA-Retired member Malia Huddle, who worked as a teacher and counselor for more than 30 years in Chesapeake, is running for one of five open spots on the city’s school board. Carly West Gelles, a Portsmouth Education Association member and a high school English teacher, is a school board candidate in Norfolk. Also in Norfolk, former Education Association of Norfolk president Phillip Hawkins is running for a city council seat.
How You Can Help
It’s not too late! You can play a vital role in getting pro-public education candidates elected by helping with “Get Out the Vote” efforts or volunteering to assist in a candidate’s campaign. You can find a listing of upcoming volunteer opportunities at mobilize.us/vea.l
