Tech Baby, Tech Baby

One, Two…….Three

Our Inquiry

How has technology changed Social Science education?Digital DivideInstructional TechniquesEducating EducatorsOnline AccessOne-to-One Computing

Digital DivideWhat is the Digital Divide?

The discrepancy between High-SES and Low-SES students’ access to technology

Coined in the 1990sIs it still pertinent?

Students Per Computer RatioSchool Type 1998 2001

High SES 10.1 4.7

Low SES 17.1 6.4

Digital Divide…Today

How Has Digital Divide Changed?Not a matter of availability to

technologyProblem lies in how it is utilized and

how teachers are trainedLow-SES schools have less experienced

and under qualified teachersLower expectation or “ban” on use of

technology at home

Problems

Misguided focusTeach for mastery of technology, not

integration into core subjectsExample:

Low-SES schools use technology for PowerPoint presentations and movie-making

High SES schools use technology for research purposes

What Does It Mean to You?

ExpectationsDon’t lower expectations based on what

may appear to be a “divide” in technologyStudents need real experience to succeed

beyond secondary education

Social Science = Research PapersTeach the proper way to research using

technology….Then teach the process for making it

“pretty”

Teacher ResourcesTechnology changes not only how we teach but what we can teach as well!Global Education

Online newspapers from other regions and countriesCollaborative or online video conferencesNews-such as having CNN on in the classroom

Teacher Resources

Using Primary Resources More primary resources are now

available than ever beforeNebraska State Historical SocietyThey are currently working on a

project to provide online access to thousands of local newspapers that they now have available on microfilm.

Educating Teachers

1. UNL Technology Services2. DVD/CD Tutorials3. Self-Help Websites4. Books

UNL Technology Training

Student WorkshopsMovieMaker, iMovie, HTML/CSS, Excel

Flash, Dreamweaver, PowerPoint, Fireworks, Access, Illustrator, InDesign, SPSS, and Photoshop for FREE!

Workshops are hands-on with each attendee on a computer. Workshop size is limited to allow for personal attention; therefore, registration is required.

Blackboard ID needed

UNL

SWAP MeetJoin the instructors of ITG on the last Wednesday of every month from 12:00-1:30 pm for the next SWAP Meet. This brown-bag event is at the Nebraska Union at 14th and R Streets (room to be posted the day of the event). This event is FREE and open to any faculty, staff or student of UNL

http://itg.unl.edu/workshops/

DVD/CD Help

“The Video Professor”Access, Microsoft Money, Quicken,

eBay, Outlook, Windows, Excel, Photoshop, PowerPoint, Frontpage, Word, HTML, Publisher, Wordperfect, Internet, Quickbooks

Send you 3 CDs “free” for a 10 day trialIf you don’t send them back within 10 days

$190.00 is conveniently charged to your credit card

Video Professor

Very helpful…but very expensive

https://www.videoprofessor.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=shoppingcart.landingPage&campaignID=201722&affid=28&pid=3&sourceid=0550000000000179600000000799X&trafficsource=2993

Self-Help Websites

Tech LearningSection for teachersHas articles, reviews of products, discussion

forum, catalogLeadership development articles, classroom

development articles, success stories from the classroom

Enter what you’re looking for into the search database and it brings up articles that may fit your criteria

7 Tips for Tech Late Bloomers

1. Assess your own level of skill and apprehension toward using technology.

2. Find what learning resources are available.

3. Plan ahead.4. Start small.5. Consider your audience.6. Have a backup plan.7. Have a way to measure your success.

Online Class VHS (Virtual High School)

Provides better educational access to students regardless of their location

Have high dropout and failure rates Digital Divide

If students don’t have computer at home, may need to provide time at school.

Counseling To succeed, students need to:

Be self-motivated Have an internal locus of control Have a good study environment Be organized Others (Age, Previous technology experience, Outside school

responsibilities, etc.) Prepare students for higher education?

Online Grading Blackboard style systems in high school Access available to teachers, students, and parents. Parental involvement in their students’ education is a key

factor in their children achieving. In this school, parental involvement was starting to decline and

this system seemed to help. Makes calculating grades easier for teachers.

Also requires teachers to update grades often to keep parents notified.

Makes teachers available more than before Parents and students are able to contact teacher anytime, which

could be inconvenient for the teacher. Still send report cards home to parents

Arguments about One-to-One

The Fear ArgumentThe Hope ArgumentThe Simple Access ArgumentThe Sophisticated ArgumentThe Equity ArgumentThe Aesthetic and Durability

Arguments

The Fear

Don’t get left behindSchools will be left behind socially and

economicallyComputing skills as important as social

skillsValidity: IT skills alone not sufficient, but

when reading literacy, mathematical literacy, scientific literacy, and problem-solving literacy all are important for digital literacy

The Hope

Better tools, better schools, and better kids

Bring higher standards, better ways of thinking, more thoughtful learners, and a stronger learning environment

Studies are inconclusive, but many talk about potential

The Simple Access

Learning on the busArguments against

Flickering mindsNot the tool, but how it’s seenInternet at home and other places

The Sophisticated

Digitizing field trips for twenty-first century learning

Access to simulations, scientists, and other experts…Historians

Group discussions from different countriesLanguage barriers

The Equity

Fair PlayHappens at local, regional and

global levelsHelps to level the playing field

socioeconomicallyEarly studies show, however, that

it is like the “Sesame Street Effect”To solve gaps change curriculum

The Aesthetic and Durability

They are so beautiful and ruggedResearch Fields- Human-Computer

InterfaceWhat balance is good for students?Who Chooses?Can we afford it?

Matt Flynn

Ashland/Greenwood Junior/Senior HighMeeting about technology

Curriculum DirectorMedia SpecialistSecondary Social Science TeacherElementary School Teacher

www.ags.org “Technology Action Plan”Modeled off other schools ideas

What Comes Next?

Technology DirectorIntegration SpecialistPositives

Don’t change curriculum/just styleAssessments graded immediatelyTabs on studentsQuestions are analyzed as wellResponsibility

The Final Countdown

Technology has created a lot of opportunities for Social Science teachers

Speeds up classrooms and flattens the world

Gives students Digital Skills