Nets.T Performance Indicator 4

Nets.T Performance Indicator 4 is designed to "Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility" (The ISTE National Educational Technology Standards (NETS.T) and Performance Indicators for Teachers). It lists various ideals teachers should strive for when considering technology in the classroom, one of which I will discuss is teachers should "develop and model cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with colleagues and students of other cultures using digital-age communication and collaboration tools." As I mentioned in an earlier article, it is important that educators as well as students collaborate with other cultures. It is not only important for the exchange of information specific to a particular subject but it also helps eliminate barriers created by societal differences. Better communication between cultures can build a stronger global society.

Collaboration between students and teachers is a valuable educational tool which can also benefit society. Vygotsky, a developmental psychologist, believed the primary goal of education should be to "generate and lead development which is the result of social learning through internalization of culture and social relationships" (www.newfoundations.com/GALLERY/Vygotsky.html). Collaboration allows for the exchange of ideas between cultures which can in turn bridge societal differences. Using education as a means to cure societal ills, can be a handsome by-product of cultural collaboration.

Today's technology allows for collaboration between cultures to be relatively easy. "Students have opportunities once unimaginable to collaborate with peers from other countries in order to gain insight and understanding about these cultures...and to guide students to achieving greater appreciation for cultural complexity and diversity" (Globalization Culture and Education In The New Millennium, Marcelo M Suarez-Orozco and Desiree Baollion Qin-Hillard). There is a web-site which offers the collaborative tools needed for this learning application ( www.web-conferencing-zone.com/virtual-educational-classroom.htm). They still have a long way to go before all the bugs are worked out (economically as well as the ease to implement any chosen soft-ware application). However, the benefits of such a learning experience would well be worth the time and money needed to invest.

Nets.T Performance Indicator 3 (con't)

My most recent blog discussed performance Indicator 3 as it relates to teachers needing to "collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student student success and innovation". This blog will discuss another aspect of this indicator, the need for teachers to "demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations ". (Teachers using technology in the classroom and being fluent in its application.)

Technology has provided teachers with new and creative ways to present classroom material. Collaboration between students and teachers is and has always been essential in the learning environment. This interactive concept can be enhanced using collaborative web-sites such as http://www.webspiration.com/ and http://www.wiki.com/ . These sights provide a creative means for student/teacher and student/student interaction. These creative mediums keep the students engaged with the task at hand (boredom abatement).

I am teaching Environmental Science this trimester and am trying to implement concept mapping as a creative learning tool. I feel concept mapping can be useful for both learning and retention. Because the environmental field involves all the sciences I feel it is important for the student to understand how all these sciences are linked together in various aspects of different environmental issues. Utilizing technology to help develop this theme will certainly aid in my endeavor. But I must become fluent in "webspiration" (collaborative concept mapping) before I introduce it to my students.

Keeping the students interested (and awake) has always been a challenge regardless of the subject. Students entering a classroom knowing that another lecture awaits them are bored before they even sit down. However, if they know they are going to interact with the teacher or their fellow students (via concept mapping) they may develop an attitude, more conducive to learning. Learning can be entertaining. It is similar to exercising. If you enjoy a particular exercise activity you are more apt to exercise as opposed to running for the sake of running just because you heard it was "good" for you. Similarly, if teachers make education fun through the means technology provides, then students will become more engaged with learning in the classroom.

Nets.T Performance Indicator 3

The third performance indicator for the 21st National Educational Technology Standards focuses on collaboration between "...students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation." (The ISTE National Educational Technology Standards (NETS.T) and Performance Indicators for Teachers). This can be accomplished in a number of imaginative ways. The virtual learning environment, utilizing technology offered through the Internet, can be an effective means of melding the proven collaborative learning concept with today's technology. However, as educators, we must not lose contact with the craft of teaching/coaching, the sense of personal engagement the teacher feels he or she should have with their student. If we are to use all the latest technology available to us then we as educators should introduce technology with personal and instructional support, always staying within the context of "student-centered learning". Technology should only be a tool to assist educators not to serve as a replacement. Also, let us not lend favor to those who are more advanced in technology than those who are not. This may cause assessment inaccuracies. {Is the student having difficulty with concepts in "Biology" or is the student struggling with the virtual software, "Wiki", (www.wikispaces.com)}

We as educators should have an established teaching philosophy (www.louis-hoffman-virtualclassroom.com/Teaching_Philosophy/Index.htm). This provides each of us with are own standards of teaching which we should strive to maintain everyday (being aware of our goals and our strategies). The student and teacher "..share equal responsibility for achieving the goals of the course."

We as educators should have a firm understanding of the technology we wish to use in our classroom so we can competently instruct its application to our students. We can then implement this latest technology to assist us with the craft of teaching, making certain technology does not conflict with educating.

Technology affords us so much opportunity to explore the many different avenues there are for learning. The virtual communicative software program "Wiki" greatly enhances the interaction and collaboration among students which is vital for success. Complex material can be more easily understood using the ideas of concept mapping which can be developed through "webspiration" (www.webspiration.com). Understanding the latest barrage of technology is important to keep up with the "21st century" but we as teachers can't forget are primary focus; to inspire, to encourage, and most importantly share the responsibility with the student on their success.

Using Concept Mapping for Assessment

Using concept maps as a form of collaboration to promote student learning and creativity can be a valuable educational tool. It can also be useful for assessing students before, during, and after the presentation of new material. The teacher can use concept mapping prior to the introduction of new material to assess the student's existing knowledge of the subject matter. Concept mapping can then be used to see how well a student is grasping the content during a given unit of study. And finally, testing the student on what they have learned, using concept maps, may allow the teacher to better understand the the student's depth of understanding. It may be a true indication of how well the student can simulate practical application of the subject matter discussed. A true and thorough understanding of material is important for long term retention. This retention is vital if the students are to perform well on overall achievement tests.

This approach is discussed in an article titled "Starting Point, Teaching Entry Level Geoscience" (http://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/assessment/conceptmaps.html) . Concept maps are used to evaluate the student's prior knowledge, their progress, and their overall retention of the material discussed. This allows instructors to follow the student's progress but more importantly, concept mapping can identify any misconceptions the student may have on the material covered in class. Concept mapping can be a complete and thorough evaluation of how well the student "gets it".

In a paper written by Maria Araceli Ruiz-Primo, "Examining Concepts Maps As An Assessment Tool" (http://cmc.ihmc.us/papers/cmc2004-036.pdf) she quotes a source which reflects the views of cognitive psychologists, "...the essence of knowledge is structure" (Anderson, 1984, p. 5). It is Ruiz-Primo belief that the student's understanding of material is greatly enhanced through the practice of interconnection that concept mapping provides. She further states, "It can be easily argued that the dimension of structure of knowledge yielded by concept maps is unique in comparison to traditional achievement tests".

Concept maps are a simple but valuable educational tool which can be used in all phases of instruction; from assessing the students' prior knowledge, to monitoring their progress, and finally, evaluating what and how well they have learned.