What's Next for the ARS?

I read with interest the summary from John Medina's (Brain Rules) keynote at ISTE yesterday. He proposes a future where computers contribute to the analysis of learning and supporting learners. When talking about the idea he notes: giving computers (or software) the ability to perceive human comprehension by physical observation could be a bit too Orwellian for the average educator's taste.

I think there may be a middle ground--a technology solution that supports the human side of learning and teaching (educators) as well as the technology side. I think there will be advancements in classroom response systems that will take audience analysis to the next level.

At Acadium, we explore the interaction between teacher and student, trainer and trainee, presenter and audience member all of the time. What works? What doesn't? What would improve the experience?

All learners are individuals and the more we can tune-in and turn-on to their needs and unique gifts, the better we are positioned to support them.

Thoughts?

Happy Holidays

As 2010 comes to close, I must say I am happy to put this year behind us. 2011 is bound to be a more prosperous and productive year and I am excited about the potential as schools and companies begin to invest again in technology.

Based on a whitepaper produced by Metiri Group and Cisco System, Inc., the research done in the last 5-10 years proves that the use of technology supports learning. New research in cognition and brain functioning reinforces this outcome.

The report: Technology in Schools: What the Research Says, indicates that television and video are at the top of the “food chain” as well as personal computers. Learners who have access to a computer outperform those who do not. And anytime we can include video into the mix, retention and learning go up. This phenomenon explains the popularity of YouTube. As humans, our eyes are our number one sensory organ and the more we can be stimulated visually, the better.

At Acadium, we are interested in technology trends and how our products and those of other vendors can support the learning process, both in the classroom and in corporate training rooms. The support from the federal government on down is encouraging and 2011 should bring even greater strides in how we educate our young people as well as the life long learner in each of us.

Happy Holidays.

First Impressions of Technology Plan

I read the executive summary of the final release of the National Education Technology Plan: Transforming American Education, Learning Powered by Technology.

As the founder of an educational technology company, Acadium, I am excited to see the focus on technology and how it can support learning. At Acadium, we are convinced that the technology that supports corporations can also support learning. We are passionate about exploring the unique contributions technology, specificially mobile and cellular, can contribute to educators and corporate trainers.

In the report, there is a renewed focus on the individual learner and how we can address individual needs and learning styles both inside and outside of the classroom. Using technology for collaboration, feedback, and "just-in-time" information can transform education.

Our system, mClk, provides instant feedback to educators and learners as learners send in text messages in response to questions or submit comments and opinions.

Another system, Knowledge Factor, provides learners with not only feedback on how accurate they are, but also how confident they are regarding their answers. In high-stakes environments this additional feedback loop is critical.

The LMS developers are also looking at ways to improve feedback. Both Blackboard and Desire2Learn continue to move forward and introduce new ways to analyze student data and provide educators with the ability to support individual learners.

It will be interesting to see how the recommendations and goals of the report are implemented. Stay tuned!

Diversity in learning options

Learning is a way of life--not a pursuit. I think one of the changes we will see in the coming years is a diversity in learning options. I see a day when learning will take place at all times of the day and night, 7 days a week. Students will take face-to-face classes, online classes, synchronous virtual classes, and hybrid combinations. It will give learners the ability to customize their schedules and to pursue a wide range of interests. Learners in remote and rural areas will have access to the same resources as children living in thriving cities.

Technologies abound already to provide these opportunities. The changes that will create this new learning environment will be at the policy level. Education leaders will begin to honor the diversity of our learners rather than trying to make sure every one graduates with the exact same classes over the exact same time frame.

Going the Distance - Next Round

I am preparing to facilitate a webinar next week on Virtual Classrooms. It is my prediction that we are ready for the next evolution in distance learning and we are going to shift from asynchronous online learning to synchronous virtual learning.

My rationale—students still complain about not having face-time with instructors. Many take online classes because they have to, not because they want to. Also, Blackboard just acquired the two web conferencing tools (virtual classroom systems) that are used in education circles. They must see something coming.

I am intrigued by the possibilities. Students and teachers can now interact in a live, synchronous environment. They can instantly share documents, brainstorm, do group work, and provide feedback through their computer or their cell phone. I don't think LMS's are going away—they will just be a supplemental tool.

The technology may be a little cumbersome now, but as with all applications, it will become easier to use and more readily available. We will also have to see how colleges and universities begin to identify these courses in their schedules. For, unlike online classes, they will require a date and time to specified but not a location.

You heard it here—we'll have to see how soon it all comes around. Feel free to share your thoughts!

Technology By Any Other Name...

I have been following a recent LinkedIn discusson where the following question was posed, "Should teachers be required to teach with technology?"

It has been one of the more active discussions with this particular group and there are, of course, many people on both sides of the argument.

My first instinct is to say, "yes, of course." Our students have embraced the technology, no, not so much as embraced, but are part of it and it of them--it is as much a part of their lives as television was to our generation.

I think if you asked this question of students, they would think it was a mute point. How do you learn without technology? How do you do research without the Internet? In fact, the annual Beloit College Mindset List (http://www.beloit.edu/mindset) reminds us that these college freshman have never used a card catalog and most don't wear a wristwatch (who needs one when you can check the time on your cell phone?) How do you collaborate with classmates on projects without technology-enabled collaboration tools? How do you write a paper without Microsoft Word (also according to Beloit, most of these freshman do not know how to write in cursive).

So, should we be required to teach with technology? I think most teachers already do and may not even acknowledge it. Technology is becoming such a part of our lives that even the digital immigrants are beginning to take it for granted.

I am working with an organization that is supporting the use of cell phones as audience response devices (clickers). This can be a little bit of a stretch for many teachers, but I have ridden this wave before. Remember when calculators were outlawed?

Feel free to share your thoughts.

EdTech Conference Observation

Last week was the ISTE Conference in Denver. Depending on who you talk to, there was anywhere from 15,000 - 18,000 attendees enjoying the exhibit floor and interesting breakout sessions. Here are some of my observations:

• Top two corporate sponsors were interactive whiteboard companies. Evidence that classroom technology (versus computer or distance learning) is hot right now.
• Mobile technologies were not very evident. More talk than walk. It will be interesting to see what the next year brings as there was plenty of talk.
• Several reports floating around cited an increase in online learning for high school students.
• Most talked-about technology was the iPad. You could witness small groups of people clustered around an iPad oohing and aahing.
• More international participation. I was amazed to see attendees from all over the globe. Evidence that we really are becoming a global community.

Tech conferences are a great way to get a pulse on the educational technology industry. They are good for networking and making new friends too. Share you experience at ISTE or other recent conference.

Use it or Lose it?

I am a member of the EDUCAUSE LinkedIn group. There has been a robust conversation on the discussion board about the use of cell phones in the classroom called Mobile Devices in the Classroom: Use Them or Lose Them?. There have been responses from both ends of the spectrum and everything in-between. Individuals who are adamant that cell phones do not belong in the classroom and teachers who are just as enthusiastic about their use and how they can enhance the classroom environment. And, of course, everything in between.

I believe the conversation came about because of the mLearning conference that took place last week in San Diego. The twitter feed from the conference share some of the following stats:

• More people have mobile phones (4.6B) than toothbrushes (4.2B).
• U.S. teens send SMS (text message) every 5 minutes.
• Half the total Internet access in the world comes from mobile phones.

It certainly is a technology that can’t be ignored. As many of you know, I am a supporter of the cell phone as a tool for learning. I think it holds great potential for transforming education—especially in developing countries. I think we are just scratching surface of what it can do.

I am very excited to be alive right now and I can’t wait to see how this story ends. Will the cell phone be relinquished to the box of old educational software titles and tools that were a “flash in the pan”? Or, will it prove to be evolutionary and become a staple of every learner, just like their calculator, pencil bag and notebook?

Summer Fun

I am excited about the coming summer months. They offer a time for a quieter pace in education. There is a little more time for reflection, experiementation, and planning. So much of our time during the academic year is spent just keeping the ball rolling, that summer time provides for a time to explore.

It is human nature to explore and when we are trying new things and extending our comfort levels, that is when we feel alive and enthusiastic.

Some of my goals for the summer are to:

• explore collaboration tools
• learn more about "virtual instructor-led" learning
• organize my office
• go through literature from previous conferences
• plan for the next release of mClk
• review enrollment data and user feedback

And, for all of those teachers who take the summer off, I hope it is rejuvinating and inspiring!

Here's to a tall glass of lemonade and warm days!

A Plan to Shape the Future of Education

I reviewed the draft release of the National Education Technology Plan. It is interesting to see so much emphasis put on technology. In no uncertain terms the current administration is sending a message loud and clear that teachers and students alike are expected to have basic technology skills, that technology will be an integral part of the profession of teaching, and that technology will be used to distribute education in a variety of delivery modalities.

I also found it interesting that the plan addressed some pretty forward thinking changes. The most extreme was the idea that maybe we are making a mistake by putting all five-year-olds into kindergarten. Maybe classrooms could bring together children with like interests and skill levels rather than their calendar age.

This is one of the reasons I like the Montessori school my children attend. They have mixed age classrooms so the room is full of a variety of children. The children are exposed to a variety of lessons and materials--allowing them to explore topics on an individual timeline rather than one dictated by grade-level standards. I think it is a good start towards individualized learning plans.

I find it interesting that it is often believed that providing the "same" education to all students represents quality education and equality. When, in fact, we are really doing children a disservice. The "best" education would be one that honored the individual nature of each child and provided for each child exactly what he or she needed.

If you are interested in reviewing the initial draft of the plan, it is available at: http://www.ed.gov/technology/netp-2010

Let me know what you think!

Social Technology

I am fascinated about the topic of whether or not people in our young generation, say 15 - 25 year-olds are actually less socially aware or more socially aware. I have had conversations with people who bemoan the fact that young people always have their faces in technology and rarely talk face-to-face with other people. They interpret this activity as being less social.

I often suggest, however (after observing my own children), that they are more socially aware. They seem to always be connected to a friend or family member. They have ties to friends who have long left the same school or even the same state.

I don't remember being this connected when I was their age. I think their ability to connect via cell phone, MySpace or Facebook, or chat defines them as being more socially aware.

Another area that seems very different from my youth is multi-player gaming. People are playing games and collaborating with other people from all over the globe--learning skills like team building, how to recruit strong players to your team, and how to retain them once they are board. I can't wait to see if these skills transfer to the workplace.

Let me know what you think. Does technology enhance or hinder our ability as humans to connect and be social?

Support for Haiti

In a world so challenged as it is today with the tragedy in Haiti it is sometimes difficult to focus on the work at hand. Catastrophes like this give us cause to re-evaluate our priorities and to make sure we are on the road on which we intended.

Under the shadow of the pain and suffering in Haiti, I am still optimistic about what 2010 has to bring. It will be the year that our product mClk makes its debut and gets used in schools and organizations across the country. It is the year that the community colleges and universities in the US celebrate exceptional enrollment and growth. It is the year that more innovative classroom technologies are developed and teachers better supported in their adoption of these technologies.

As I look forward to the future of my startup company and for the work I do in higher education, I am reminded of the importance of focusing on the NOW. Of making sure that the current conversation is respectful, that the email is clear, and that my intentions are true. The three seconds in Haiti that changed 10s of thousands of lives could impact any one of us at any time. All we really have is the present moment.

The stronger we are and the stronger we become, the better able we are to support people in their times of need. It does not serve us to set our passions to the side, in fact, we are even more inspired to pursue them and see them flourish! Give as much as you can and then celebrate your gifts.

Happy New Year - Happy New Decade

Ringing in the new year always brings with it such a sense of optimism and renewal. I am looking forward to 2010--what it brings in the area of educational technology and what kind of trends will take form as we move into a new decade.

The mobile tools hold so much promise, I am sure we will continue to see advancements there. In addition to using them to replace some of the tasks we have done previously on computers, I think there will applications and uses that we haven’t even dreamed of that will take full advantage of what a mobile device can offer. Cell phone technologies continue to advance and carrier networks continue to improve providing us with a rich playground on which to develop tools to enhance learning.

The social aspect of the cell phone in education is yet untapped. In ways that we currently use text messaging as an emergency alert system, perhaps we can transition into homework alerts or tutoring tips. Staying connecting to teachers and classmates also offers great potential.

As always, a new technology tends to mimic the old--initially. Stand up radio announcers simply stood before a camera when television was first introduced. It will be interesting to see what unfolds as we explore the unique features of cell phones and mobile technologies and how we can harness them to support learning.

Alternatives to Copyright?

I attended the EduCause conference last week. My top take aways came from the keynotes. Jim Collins applied Good to Great and Built to Last to the education field. And then the second day, we heard from Lawrence Lessig who spoke about Copyright. I initially thought that would be a rather boring keynote—but it was actually interesting and thought provoking. He is one of the founding members of the Creative Commons, www.creativecommons.org . The strategy he shared is to not fight current copyright law, but to create alternatives. Dr Lessig argues that the world has changed since copyright law was first written and it doesn’t apply to the connected world we live in.

A comment that struck a note with me was that we are turning our young people into criminals. He shared with us that these kids know they are breaking the law with music downloads, etc., however, they do it anyway. Between students I have taught and my own teenagers, I know they are creating a connected world that many of us “digital immigrants” have no idea how to even access.

Creative Commons provides a way for artists and customers to legally share creative works. There is a tiered approach so artists can control the amount of copyright permissions given. Some stuff is totally free, other stuff has some restrictions.

The publishing industry may be next on the agenda. There is a new company on the horizon, Flat World Knowledge. www.flatworldknowledge.com . They are offering digital textbooks with a new copyright system for authors. It will be interesting to watch!

And the Journey Begins...

We introduced our cell phone "clicker" system this month. I made a presentation at a local technology conference and then met with a university to share it with several faculty members there. It is both exciting and intimidating. So exciting to see a new technology in education that can make a difference. We are truly taking the device most-used by young people—the cell phone—and putting it to use in the classroom.

I think using the cell phone as a classroom response device is cool. I also think it is just the tip of the iceberg. I think we will come up with all kinds of ways to use the cell phone and it will become as integral to the class as the calculator or laptop.

I am also hopeful that it is will help with the digital divide. Not everyone can afford a laptop, but 99% of all students have a cell phone.

Our launch was intimidating because one never knows what the reception of a new product will be. I believe students will love it. I believe some teachers will love it, but know that there will be those who disagree with our thinking and those who are unsure.

It is quite the journey. One I am most grateful to be a part of. I have a great team to work with and can't wait to see what's next on our adventure.

To Text or Not To Text

We are just about ready to launch our software that allows students use text messaging to participate in the classroom. We have run a couple tests and I am surprised at how generational the use of text messaging is.

Anyone under 20 can text with their eyes closed. Anyone over the age of 30 finds it cumbersome and difficult. Same task, two very different experiences.
I am trying to think back over the years to see if there are other technologies that had such strong age discrimination and am having trouble finding them. The personal computer comes to mind, but its adoption really ran through all age categories. You could find early adopters at all ages.

Interestingly enough, email now has a reverse age demographic. People over the age of 65 are more likely to open an email message than a user under the age of 25. But email doesn’t answer my quest because for many years users of all ages used email extensively.

Social networking also comes to mind, but even though not many 30 somethings are using MySpace, they are using Facebook and LinkedIn. So, still no answer!

Use the comment field to report any technologies I am overlooking!

Televised Learning - The Next Generation

My colleagues and I are working on a project to create a system for using 3G cellular networks as a means of providing in-home distance learning to people around the globe. Whereas many homes do not have computers, they all have televisions. Most countries, even developing countries, also have a 3G cellular network for cell phone use and some are already up and running on 4G networks.

We want to move away from the $100 laptop to the $100 set top box so that learners can use the device that we have all come to know and love—the family television.

Distance learning has its history in the television with telecourses offered through public broadcasting. These courses were wildly popular before the Internet changed the landscape. So, what if we could incorporate the best of both worlds? What if we could bring together the appeal and comfort of the television with the 2-way interactivity of the Internet?

We are bringing together expertise from a variety of fields in order to bring our vision into reality. When we succeed, we will be able to change the “face” of education of by bringing it right into the homes of the disadvantaged, the underserved, the homebound, and the at-risk youth.

I will keep you posted on our progress!

Next-Gen Publishing

I am curious to see what the future holds for the good-old-fashioned textbook in higher education. When I was in college, I would not have even considered not buying the required textbook for a class. Now, statistically, one third of all students make that decision believing they can get through the class by getting information from other means (the Internet) or borrowing the text from a fellow classmate.

Educational publishers are also branching out into other industries, most notably distance learning and electronic resources. Many run their own course management system and Pearson now owns eCollege, one of the first course management systems commercially available.

If I could look into a crystal ball, here would be some my predictions for these publishing giants:

• Soft cover books will become the norm and black & white printouts on-demand will be the primary source for hard copy content.
• Textbook content will be available online for students to download—a repository so to speak. These books can be printed, read onscreen or read with an ebook reader such as the Kindle.
• Course management systems will be able to access textbook content virtually. Rather than download the content to a specific university server, the content will be accessed from a site, and appear to be an integrated part of the course.
• The bookstore will become a store for supplies and college branded clothes and paraphernalia as book sales move totally online.
• Costs will go down as advertising revenue begins to supplement profits.
• The relationship with textbook authors will change as they work to make content more elastic - like a living document - where versioning will be unheard of and will include input from teachers and students.

Only time will tell. Use the comment field to provide your own predictions.

The Pace of Change

I am finally moving to a Microsoft Vista machine. I held on to my XP machine for as long as I could and now I am moving to Vista just as Microsoft announces the launch of their next OS.
One of our computer technology teachers stopped by my office today. She is concerned about having to submit a schedule for next January when she can't even identify what version of each of the programs she is teaching will be current.

And, we are just wrapping up the programming of an application that works with PowerPoint 2007 only to hear that the next release of Office is due out within the year.
The joys of technology. The question is not “to be or not be” but “to keep up or give up.” Determining when and if to upgrade is always a challenging decision.

I spoke to an instructor today who said she is in so many beta programs that she is accustomed to seeing a feature here today, gone tomorrow as programmers fine-tine software in its final stages. Personally, I don’t want to be the first person to use something, but I also don’t want to be the last. Timing your entrance into a new technology is as individual as the car you drive.

There are also several ways to find out about all of these new releases. Personally, I like email newsletters. Daily reminders that keep me informed about educational technology as well as general computing. I know others who prefer RSS feeds or good-old-fashion word-of-mouth.

Some of my favorite newsletters include Campus Technology (www.campustechnology.com) and Educause Reports (www.educause.edu) for education. I also find it helpful to sit in on a few vendor presentations (live or webinar) now and then to see what kind of technology is up and coming.

However, even with all of the frustrations of the speed of change in technology, I wouldn’t trade industries for anything. At least there is never a dull moment.

Use the comment field to share your preferred timing for jumping on a new version--early adopter or a laggard?

The Up Side of a Down Turn

An economic downturn comes with both positives and obvious negatives. One of the positives is that people go back to school. They go back to school in order to refine, renew, or explore skills and passions. In many ways, it is like a cleansing of the soul. We get lost in the day to day existence of our work and when we are suddenly faced with the need to revisit our dreams, it can be viewed as an excellent opportunity!

I am currently reading the Passion Test by Janet and Chris Attwood. I am not job hunting or renewing my skills, but looking for that which brings me joy. We are fortunate to have a plethora of self-help books on finding the right job or career--the most famous being What Color is Your Parachute. I also found Finding Your North Star by Martha Beck to have very practical information for discovering and then pursuing your dream.

There are also several online tools for finding the right school. College Board www.collegeboard.com provides a good tool and most states have web sites providing information on local universities and colleges.

We are fortunate in this country to have so many options for education and an environment where innovation and change are not only accepted, but expected.

Use the comment field to share stories about following new careers choices or tools for exploration.