Technology Decisions

Greetings,

At our institution I believe that our Technology Education Innovation team and our Executive Director of Technology lead the decision making process for technology purchases. There is also a committee with faculty representation that participates in the technology decisions. In the past I have not been involved in this process, but recently the budget process changed and Divisions are now being asked to propose future needs, to include technology. 

After piloting two Voicethread activities this past semester, as part of the Elevate course, I reached out to the TEI team and asked if we could purchase it. At first I was informed that we may be able to be part of a pilot that the State University of New York (SUNY) system is conducting. But the concern was that only a few teachers would use the tool making it difficult to justify in the future. 

I explained that I could envision its application in many different disciplines across the College and that this would be a particularly valuable tool for our online courses. Later I heard one of the faculty reps from the technology committee also praising the value of Voicethread making me think that this will be a priority in the future. 

I realize now that the more I experiment with technology and learn about its application in the teaching learning process the more I can participate in these discussions. I am particularly interested in collaborating with the language faculty to identify the optimal strategies and tools for our curriculum. Currently, only a couple of us are using technology to any serious degree. I would like to set up faculty exchanges in which we introduce technology to others in our department and share activity ideas. I am confident that his will energize innovations in our classrooms and give us the concrete data needed to convince the 'powers that be' to make purchases to support our efforts.

The quote "knowledge is power" comes to mind. Prior to studying technology I didn't feel qualified to voice an opinion about technology integration, but the more I learn the more I want to try and share. 

Until next week,

                                            Photo taken by Theresa Baginski Nov 2015
                                            New York Country Winter

Constantly Learning

Greetings from a tired language teacher,




Three weeks of class left this semester and I think it is safe to say students and teachers alike are a bit exhausted. But this week, like every other in the life of an educator, resulted in great learning for all of us. This weeks' lessons were many but I think highlighting what I learned about Fair Use is most beneficial to those of you who dedicate yourself to teaching.




In general there is a belief among educators that we can use just about anything for the purposes of teaching and we won't get in trouble. In this digital age there is a plethora of delightful images that we cut and paste without thought spicing up our lesson plans, activities, and handouts. However, what I learned is that under Fair Use there are four criteria that would be considered in a legal setting if sued for violating unauthorized use of an image or video. That's right, we could be sued.




In  the FLTMAG article Teaching Materials in the Digital Age: Using and Sharing Images and Video Responsibly written by Alison Hicks and Courtney Felt we learn that a court would consider if it was used for profit or not, if the nature of the image was changed from how it was originally intended, the impact usage had on its ability to profit, and how much of the copyrighted work was used (3).




This may not have been overly important when our teaching took place solely face to face and visibility of what we used was limited to our classroom.  But times have changed and our presence online expands daily as we post our lessons and activities in learning management systems, we create educational blogs, wikis, and web pages, as well as, videos.




The question I suggest we ask ourselves is: Have I borrowed anything be it an image, video, or activity that I need to cite? If the answer is yes and especially if it is part of our online presence then it would be wise to do so. In doing so we show that we value the creativity of others and we model for our students proper conduct in the digital world.




Well, now that I have reflected on this lesson learned. I think I will go check my previous posts and as the old saying goes "not just talk the talk, but walk the walk".




Happy Thanksgiving

My Fantasy Language School

Greetings,

Before I start to dream about a Fantasy Language School I first want to imagine a world where people of all colors, cultures, languages, religions, and any other difference that currently divides our world accepted one another with arms wide open. I dream of a world where we acknowledge that everyone has the same basic needs; to be loved, to be fed, to be educated, to be accepted, and to live with dignity and security. To the people of Paris and all of France, my heart and prayers go out to you. (Click on image to see Jean Jullien's tweet.)

This week we are being challenged to dream. We are asked to imagine what our ideal language school would be like if the decisions were all ours and money was not an object. Now you know
why it is called a dream!

First, my school would exist within a society that truly valued language and culture. There wouldn't be debates over the value of studying language nor the argument that English is the only language we need to know. Language learning would be an aspiration for the many and polyglots would be recognized for their brilliance and valued as are doctors today.

My language school would be a microcosm of our multicultural world. Diversity would be present in every aspect of the institution from the administration to the staff, faculty, and students. Everyone would be appreciated for their unique perspectives and on any given day anyone could fill the role of student or teacher. The walls would visually represent the world and all the signage would be in multiple languages. The school would be partnered with other schools across the globe providing students with access to partners for projects and information exchange.

We wouldn't use text books to drive our curriculum. Instead, we would create a curriculum driven by real world problems and scenarios. Students would choose the problems they want to work on making the curriculum fluid and allowing for learning to take place naturally. The organic nature of this process would remove the time constraints of semesters or quarters. Instead students would study a unit until they were ready to move on.

Don't get me wrong, there would be learning objectives. I like "Can Do" statements because students can judge what they can do and can determine their own progress and needs.  The teacher would serve to consult, advise, guide, monitor progress, redirect, while exploring and learning side by side with the students. The Can Do statements would reflect the global skills our students need now and would need in the future.

Grades would be a thing of the past! I truly don't like grades or grading for that matter. Students would receive feedback from a committee of teachers and students, as well as,  the outside world who examined, admired, and critiqued the students' published work, solutions, and creations.

The school would have a theater where students could go in and see foreign films and documentaries, as well as, the news as it happens. Students would be encouraged to be aware of current events by having the flexibility to go take a break in the theater and watch the news and even create news.

We would have state of the art technology throughout the school which allowed our students to connect with people across the globe whenever they wanted or needed to for their research. Every student would have multiple devices that they could use to create and communicate. The technology would serve to give the students access to fellow students and experts while working on their individual and collaborative projects.

Every week would include students working in teams, pairs, and individually to create, communicate, and explore. There would be weekly virtual field trips and opportunities to hear from experts on the topics we were exploring. Students across grade levels or language courses would have an opportunity to share their progress with one another to include with our global partner schools.

Okay, enough dreaming, what can I do today in the real world? I can create student-centered learning activities that put me in the consult, guide, and assist role and allow my students to take center stage. I can look at alternatives to our text book and continue to explore how to optimize technology use in the teaching learning process. I can pursue additional activities that expose students to authentic world resources and the exploration of global perspectives.

Failure in the classroom

Saludos,


Can you believe it is now November? Only five weeks of class remaining and another semester will come to an end.  It seems like an appropriate time to consider the question "have you ever experienced failure in the classroom? What happened and how did you recover from it (or did you?)"?


Well, anyone who has taught more than a month would be lying if they didn't admit to failing in the classroom. To one degree or another every teacher misses the mark at some point. I have been teaching since 1991 so it is fair to say I have had days when I walked out thinking ...


"Wow, I really blew that one."
"Oh my, that was a disaster."
"This is crazy, I don't even deserve to call myself a teacher."
"Why didn't that work?????"


Then invariably what happens is I think about the lesson, the interactions, and how my students reacted. I ask myself "at what point did it fall a part?" Lots of time I don't sleep that night trying to figure out what went wrong and how to make it better. With me, I obsess more about fixing it than the failure itself.


I will give you an example of just such a day! I planned this elaborate assessment day with four different activities. The students were grouped and moved from one assessment station to the next. I thought I had it perfectly orchestrated, but quite quickly it started to break down and chaos seemed to ensue. Now it wasn't chaotic in the sense of a classroom of 20 five year olds running around, rather 20 young adults moving around confused and frustrated for a multitude of reasons. There was obvious tension and I realized fairly quickly that this wasn't a favorable situation for assessing language performance, but just wasn't sure how to fix it on the spot.


I agonized over this that night and the whole next day. I am a senior teacher. I kept asking myself "how did that happen? I thought I had it perfectly planned?"


The next class I greeted my students by simply stating that they had witnessed a teacher's plan fall apart in front of their eyes. I told them that I needed their honest input and suggestions and that I would take their input into account as I planned future assessments. That day we all learned something and fortunately I didn't lose any sleep that night.


“Failure is only the opportunity to begin again, only this time more wisely.” - Henry Ford


Until next week,








 

P21: Partnership for 21st Century Learning

Saludos,

This week's topic is P21 or the Partnership for 21st Century Learning. If you haven't heard of P21 and you have a role in preparing people for a future in the 21st Century I recommend you take a look at their website: http://www.p21.org/

Essentially, P21 is a coalition of educational experts, business leaders, and educators who have united for the purpose of leading a movement of innovation in our educational system.  Their stated mission is "to build collaborative partnerships among education, business, community and government leaders so that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills they need to thrive in a world where change is constant and learning never stops".

The P21 Framework visually depicts the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in the 21st century. Notice that I said skills and knowledge, not either or. It also displays circular rings which  represent the support systems which must be in place to realistically prepare people for their future. That is where we in education have a roll to play. In order for the mission to be accomplished as stated, the support systems must have the end game in mind.

In higher education we often talk about preparing people for the 21st century but I wonder if we fully comprehend what that means and what it would entail. We acknowledge the need to prepare people for the 21st century, but I have seen little evidence that we fully embrace the concept in its totality. If we are committed to the belief that our students will need in depth knowledge and skills to optimize their potential in a world whose only constant is change then every institution and educator must employ the 4 Cs of this model. We have to willingly embrace change, collaborate across disciplines to create innovative learning experiences that cause our students, as well as, ourselves to thinking critically. The education that is needed isn't divided into disciplines, departments, and schools. It is one that joins not separates and pushes for innovation not stagnation. 

I can imagine a Community College in which the teachers are divided into teams and each team is made up of faculty from the Social Sciences, Humanities, and STEM Divisions. The teams work in unison to design real world learning experiences that model problem-solving and collaboration. The archaic model of stove-piped disciplines goes away and it is replaced by faculty promoting one another's disciplines for the sake of creating the most worthwhile learning opportunities possible.

Some will argue that the P21 model is designed for the K-12 world. I disagree, I see it as a model for learning at all levels of formal education and beyond. I say this because the outcomes of this model are the skills we apply in the workforce and in our homes. We need these skills to manage the change that is coming to our environment, our classrooms, our offices, and our homes. 

I see preparing people for the 21st century as a necessary mandate. My roll, being one educator in this vast system, is to understand the 21st century skills, continue to prepare myself , evaluate my current practices and be willing to let go of what doesn't get the needed results. I have to be willing to work  across disciplines and borders to model collaboration and risk-taking. I have to experiment with new technologies and strategies. I have to do this for the sake of my students and our future.

Teachers as Change Agents

Another week has flown by and it is time for me to check in with what I have learned about technology integration in the Modern Language classroom. After reading an article written by Peggy Ertmer and Anne T. Ottenbreit-Leftwich I came to one conclusion with regards to the role and the teacher and the role of technology in my classroom. That conclusion is; I am still the entity that must inspire, challenge, and lead my students. I am choosing to use a variety of technology tools to facilitate the learning but it is I who must create the environment for growth and change. Simply adopting a new software or a new App will not bring about that growth.

The community college where I teach supports my aspiration to learn and integrate the most appropriate technology into the learning experience. A few years ago they added a new position to lead technology-enhanced instruction (TEI) across the campus. Since, we have been afforded individual and small group training. They review the instructional application and effectiveness of tools and share the information via newsletters, a website, and a resource list. 

Outside Cuzco, Peru (Photo taken by Theresa Baginski)

The administration, most of my colleagues, and of course the TEI team recognize that our students will need to use technology in their future careers. As one of my colleagues in the Elevate course pointed out, our Modern Language students in the future will need to use their language skills via technology far more often then face to face and we need to prepare them for that communication platform. The notion that technology integration is simply 'bells and whistles' fails to acknowledge that our world is entirely dependent upon technology and regardless of the field of study students pursue they will have to understand the application of technology to be effective and successful. 

This takes me back to the beginning of this post where I acknowledge that merely using a form of technology will not bring about change. Teachers who do that are just adding 'bells and whistles' to their instruction. In order to truly be a change agent we have to thoughtfully consider the intended learning outcomes and then apply the most appropriate technology. But that isn't all we need to do;

we also need to determine how to use the technology to push our students to those higher-level thinking skills of evaluate, analyze, and create within our content areas. This requires energy, patience, determination, and a willingness to fail on occasion. 

We ask our students to venture into the unknown everyday. Why wouldn't we expect the same of ourselves? 

Until next week,

Cuzco, Peru (Photo taken by Theresa Baginski)

Great Story Telling Tool

Wow! I am so happy that I follow Creative Language Class. Today I received Kara's latest blog post on how she chooses which vocabulary she will target for a unit. The blog referenced back to a previous post that sounded interesting and useful. This is where the Wow comes in. I learned about Adobe Voice and was able to see its application for telling a story with pictures and voice. It looks super easy to use and would be great for any level of my Spanish classes. Here is the link to the example provided:

http://www.creativelanguageclass.com/technology/come-close-its-time-for-a-story/

My next unit in Intermediate Spanish is on memories and leaving your home country to live in another country. I want to pull in immigrant stories as part of the unit, have my students interview an immigrant, and then they can use Adobe Voice to tell their own family story.

I have to try this out myself! I will add to this post once I have completed it so you can see another example.

Professional Development

I enjoy professional development unlike many people. At least that is the way it feels when I hear colleagues complain that they have to attend 'yet another' faculty development day or mandatory professional development. My philosophy has always been that if I walk away from a professional development event with at least one inspiration then it was a worthwhile use of my time.

Inspiration, ideas, resources, and contacts drive me to seek out professional development. I am confident that as a result of any given PD experience I will be inspired, get a new idea, learn about an amazing resource or meet an interesting person. The key for me is to listen carefully and socialize ideas.

Antigua, Guatemala (Photo taken by Theresa Baginski)

This 'glass half full' attitude toward PD leads me down many paths in search of professional growth. In the past year I participated in webinars, conferences, workshops, lunch and learn sessions, college courses, and travel. Each of these helped me to enhance my language skills, cultural understanding, or teaching capabilities.

My favorite source of professional development is any activity that affords the opportunity to learn from colleagues and share my own ideas. Over the course of the past 18 months I was fortunate enough to receive the support of my employer to organize four separate professional development events. Teachers represented middle and high schools, our community college, and a four-year college. Over the course of the four events we focused on culture, the language proficiency levels, creating classrooms driven by authentic input, and the oral proficiency interview. Our goal is to create a seamless pipeline of language learning so that our students can get the most out of each classroom experience.

I can't speak for anyone else that attended those full day events, but I was definitely inspired by our presenters and fellow participants who shared their ideas and resources. This inspiration has driven innovation, curiosity, and a willingness to change what needs to be changed.

For the language teacher out there who just read this blog I would like to share one of the tools that I learned about in a recent workshop and a list of technology tools that I received at a conference. I hope that both of these will help you as you strive to make your classroom 'real' for your students.

https://sites.google.com/site/technologyforclac/

https://www.diigo.com/user/theresabaginski

My use of technology

This is my first blog ever and I have been asked to address my personal relationship with technology.
Technology has become an integral part of my life as it is of most people in the United States. I use my iPhone to text my children, husband, extended family, and friends. I also use it to research information, to access Google Maps so that I can find my destination, and my students use it to record themselves when we are conducting Performance Assessments.My use of technology extends into my office where I Skype with my students, access emails, and plan my lessons.

Gradually over the years, our dependence on and utilization of technology has expanded. I can still remember buying our first Apple computer and using the encyclopedia on it to help my daughters do research for their school reports. I can also remember when I first realized the dangers of online communication, as my 14 year old filled out an online profile stating she was 18 years old.

Now I use technology in my classroom everyday. I work in a 'smart' classroom which allows me to access the Internet and in turn project the world on a screen in an instant. It is hard for me to imagine what it was like before I could simply look information up online and immediately project a visual image which displayed the world for my students. However, I am not naive. I often encounter challenges with new applications or tools and when that I happens I seek out the expertise of our IT experts. At JCC we have a strong team of experts who willing assist and instruct faculty and students. This has been a key factor in my successful implementation of technology to manage and instruct.

Personally I see myself as intermediate on the technology proficiency scale. I am willing to experiment with technology and see the advantages to integrating it into our curriculum. However  I strongly believe that there is a balance between traditional teaching strategies and the use of technology to teach Modern Languages.

My goal is to identify the applications of technology that are most useful in teaching languages.
Our students deserve to be prepared for the 21st century work force and that will include both language and teachnology skills.