Tag: Innovation

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9 Indiana teachers on how technology changed the way they teach

Originally posted on Chalkbeat by Hayleigh Colombo

Putting a Google Chromebook in the hands of a middle school student isn’t enough to take your classroom into this century. Using technology smartly — to complement and foster learning — has to be taught.

That’s what a few of the more than 400 teachers, librarians, and administrators who descended Thursday on Wayne Township’s Chapel Hill 7th and 8th Grade Center for Google Ed Camp said today. They spent the day asking each other technology questions, getting ideas for lesson plans and learning from each other.

While they were at it, Chalkbeat asked teachers from around Indiana the most surprising ways technology has changed the way they teach. See their responses here.

PHOTO: Hayleigh Colombo

1. Kathy Hicks-Brooks, Ben Davis High School librarian

“I had heard that maker spaces (areas where people are encouraged to collaborate and use new technology to work on projects) were the way that public and school libraries were heading. Adding a maker space changed the whole library. Kids who never knocked on my door are now in here and they’re creating. During lunchtime, instead of everybody hanging out, they’re making things. A lot of the puzzles are tied to the curriculum. It really took off.”

PHOTO: Hayleigh Colombo

2. Zach Meyer, special education teacher at Shelbyville Southwestern High School

“It gives me the ability to differentiate. I know right away which kids are getting it and which kids aren’t. It’s instant data collection. Data drives everything. It’s something we used to have to do using a gut feeling.”

PHOTO: Hayleigh Colombo

3. Leslie Preddy, librarian at Perry Meridian High School

“The biggest change I have seen is our kids actually need more help. It’s overwhelming and you want to believe everything that’s in print. The kids are reading and don’t understand how to interpret and evaluate and analyze what they’re reading. It’s a challenge.”

PHOTO: Hayleigh Colombo

4. Pete Just, Wayne Township Chief Technology Officer

“Ten years ago I was frustrated. We were putting devices in classrooms. We knew they had power but we didn’t know how to harness it. It’s starting to change the way students learn, and how teachers are looking at their roles. They’re looking at their role as a facilitator which allows for more differentiated learning.”

PHOTO: Hayleigh Colombo

5. Katherine Russo, 8th grade science teacher at Lawrence Township

“It’s getting kids to want to read. I found they’re a lot more likely to read on the computer than in a book, which is weird. They’re more likely to write you a complete thought. Anything you can do to take something off their hands is something they enjoy.”

PHOTO: Hayleigh Colombo

6. Martin Van Zant, Ben Davis High School graphic arts teacher

“You’ve got to be ahead of the kids and they’re super fast. The challenge is teaching them how to use the devices responsibly. They’ve grown up with technology but they’ve never been shown how to use it properly.”

PHOTO: Hayleigh Colombo

7. Fay Miller, business teacher at Royal Center schools

“When I look at the kids, this is their wheelhouse. I learn from them. Feedback is quicker. You can send a message to the kids. We communicate that way.”

PHOTO: Hayleigh Colombo

8. Nathan Davidson, former technology manager at Wayne Township schools

“I’m surprised that it hasn’t caught on quicker than this. It’s hard to change a mindset and understand that technology is important. We’ve got fantastic tools available. The exciting thing is the opportunities that are ahead.”

PHOTO: Hayleigh Colombo

9. Andrea Milender, teacher at Mill Creek East in Clayton

“What amazes me the most is watching the kids’ adaptability with it all. Adults struggle with change. Kids are ready to dive in and do it. They amaze me with how much they teach each other.”

Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.

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Lexia Learning Releases White Paper on Choosing Educational Technology That Helps, Rather than Hinders, Students’ Intrinsic Motivation

Proliferation of New Educational Technology Products Raises Question of Which Features Support and Spur an Inherent Love of Learning

BOSTON (March 16, 2017) – While student motivation in traditional classroom settings is well researched, materials on how digital tools are enhancing or undermining this essential factor for academic performance are harder to find. Lexia Learning, a Rosetta Stone Inc. (NYSE: RST) Company, has released a white paper titled, “The Importance of Intrinsic Student Motivation When Selecting Educational Technologies,” which not only focuses on well-researched methods of supporting students’ intrinsic motivation but also applies that research to educational technologies.

The white paper, written by Dr. Elizabeth R. Kazakoff, senior researcher at Lexia, highlights the three characteristics identified in Self-Determination Theory that are critical to spark intrinsic motivation in learners:

  • Autonomy
  • Competence
  • Relatedness to the contexts of a student’s community, personal goals, interests, or knowledge base

Dr. Kazakoff points out that instead of cultivating these three pillars of motivation, many people, including some educators and makers of educational technologies, opt for external motivators, such as rewards and punishments, to drive desired behaviors. “Although these solutions may be effective in the short-term, they often undermine students’ long-term intrinsic motivation for learning,” she writes. That is especially problematic since intrinsic motivation supports lifelong learning, a vital competency in the 21st century workplace.

To help educators ensure that intrinsic motivation is supported by the educational technology solutions they choose, the white paper shares questions—based on the three characteristics identified in Self Determination Theory of autonomy, competence and relatedness/meaning—that educators can ask themselves. For example, Dr. Kazakoff recommends that educators ask, “Is it clear to the student that their work online relates to their world offline?” because students’ perception of the value that a digital program’s goal will add to their lives can greatly influence the degree to which those students will be motivated.

“Educational technology products should be rich in elements that support intrinsic motivation, rather than ‘chocolate covered broccoli’ which simply sweetens the learning with a sugar coating of badges and stickers,” said Dr. Kazakoff. “Remembering the questions shared, as well as the tenets from Self Determination Theory of competence, autonomy, and relatedness, can help parents and educators navigate the digital landscape to find educational technology tools that are engaging and effective in generating authentic learning, not just providing edutainment.”

A complimentary copy of “The Importance of Intrinsic Student Motivation When Selecting Educational Technologies” can be downloaded at http://www.lexialearning.com/download-motivation-wp.

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About Lexia Learning

Lexia Learning, a division of Rosetta Stone, empowers educators through adaptive assessment and personalized instruction. For more than 30 years, the company has been on the leading edge of research and product development as it relates to student reading skills. With a robust offering that includes solutions for differentiated instruction, personalized learning and assessment, Lexia Learning provides educators with the tools to intensify and accelerate literacy skills development for students of all abilities. For more information, visit www.lexialearning.com.

About Rosetta Stone

Rosetta Stone Inc. (NYSE: RST) is dedicated to changing people’s lives through the power of language and literacy education. The company’s innovative digital solutions drive positive learning outcomes for the inspired learner at home or in schools and workplaces around the world.

Founded in 1992, Rosetta Stone’s language division uses cloud-based solutions to help all types of learners read, write, and speak more than 30 languages. Lexia Learning, Rosetta Stone’s literacy education division, was founded more than 30 years ago and is a leader in the literacy education space. Today, Lexia helps students build fundamental reading skills through its rigorously researched, independently evaluated, and widely respected instruction and assessment programs.

For more information, visit www.rosettastone.com. “Rosetta Stone” is a registered trademark or trademark of Rosetta Stone Ltd. in the United States and other countries.

Media Contact:
Charlotte Andrist, Nickel Communications
charlotte@nickelcommpr.com | 770-310-5244

 

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Scientific Learning Releases New Resources for Teachers to Accelerate Language Acquisition for English Learners

Oakland, Calif. — Oct. 12, 2016 — With Build English Fast™, neuroscience-designed software from Scientific Learning Corp. (OTC PINK:SCIL), K-12 schools are taking advantage of the latest research on how the brain learns and the latest technology to accelerate English language acquisition for English language learners (ELLs). Of course, students who are not familiar with English idioms, cultural references, and vocabulary may need extra support when learning the language. To help teachers provide targeted support, Scientific Learning has released the Build English Fast Offline Resources for English Learners.

Offline Resources

The Build English Fast solution is a combination of Fast ForWord®, the top-ranked intervention for English language development on What Works Clearinghouse™, and Reading Assistant™, which uses speech recognition technology to listen to ELLs as they read aloud. Unlike other interventions, this combination addresses three critical steps for English language proficiency: preparing the brain to “hear” the sounds of English; providing intensive practice in English vocabulary, grammar and reading skills; and giving students the opportunity to practice speaking and reading aloud with real-time corrective feedback.

With the new offline resources, teachers now have another tool to help move ELLs to proficiency. The core of the resources are individual, leveled lessons that supplement the Fast ForWord and Reading Assistant programs. The lessons are based on the SIOP® Model, with added differentiation for the Fast ForWord exercises. Many of the lessons provide writing tasks, including work with graphic organizers and flash cards to support vocabulary development. While each lesson is written for a 10- to 30-minute mini-lesson or class session, teachers can adapt them as needed to meet students’ or scheduling needs.

In addition to ELLs, the offline resources can be used with any Fast ForWord or Reading Assistant student who might benefit from extra practice, including students who are new to the programs, students needing extra support to advance more quickly, or students being considered for or receiving special education services.

For more information, visit www.scientificlearning.com.

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Media Contact:                                                                           

Hallie Smith
Director of Marketing
Scientific Learning Corporation
(619) 888-0887
hsmith@scilearn.com

 

 

 

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Coolcher launches virtual classroom platform

The new online creativity platform delivers live, online courses in the areas of language, arts, music, and STEM
(ATLANTA, GA) December 2, 2015 — Coolcher today launched its virtual classroom platform offering online classes taught by teachers from around the world. The classes can be scheduled to fit with any school’s calendar. For a one-time fee, schools and after-school centers get access to all courses for an unlimited number of classes for one year, giving students the opportunity to enjoy unique courses, and interact live with not just the teacher, but also with their peers from around the country.

“We created Coolcher as parents who were looking for courses that help our daughter learn more about her heritage, but were unsuccessful in finding anything,” said Jatin Grover, the founder of Coolcher. “With this new platform, we hope to bring the whole world to kids around the U.S.—a whole world of new and unique subjects, and a whole world of new cultures.”

The platform also connects homeschoolers with other students and homeschoolers who are taking the classes at the same time. The virtual classroom environment gives homeschoolers a connection with more students, bringing with it enhanced collective knowledge and creativity.

“More and more, every high-paying job requires not just skills but creativity, and to boost creativity the development of the right brain should begin at an early age,” said Grover. “Our unique courses in creative areas and multi-linguistics speed up the development of students’ right brain as well as giving them tools for college preparedness by teaching world cultures.”

Coolcher courses are community-led, and the company is always looking for teachers who bring a creative approach to their lessons. Teachers who would like to be added to the Coolcher portfolio to work with kids around the country and the world can share information about themselves and their courses at coolcher.com.

About Coolcher

Based in Atlanta, GA, Coolcher is a virtual classroom platform that connects kids at school and at home with teachers from around the world. Our teachers bring courses in subject areas like language, arts, crafts, and STEM for live, online classes. These teachers bring not just their knowledge, but also their cultural background to help expand kids’ worldview.

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