This link has been bookmarked by 22 people . It was first bookmarked on 10 May 2008, by Lauren O'Grady.
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02 Apr 14
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14 Jul 11
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I define technological fluency as "the ability to determine and use the appropriate technology tool(s) for the task at hand in a manner that allows seamless transfer of created objects and documents to flow easily between the selected tools without outside intervention
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03 Jun 10
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I find that these students are those who were taught that Microsoft Word is the end-all-be-all for word processing.
It does many things wonderfully, but to say it is a uni-purpose software wonder is wrong. (I've seen students try to use it to make photo albums!) -
So, this is exactly what my professor Dr. Adler used to stress with us at Georgia Tech when he taught us the 'information conversion" process. That converting information to KNOWLEDGE meant that we would add and apply the knowledge we already had to what we were learning.
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Focus on what are you trying to DO not the tool to USE. (In the south we always say that "there is more than one way to skin a cat.")
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Give them experience with a wide variety of tools and then LET THEM CHOOSE.
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- However, if we
- focus on tasks to be accomplished
- focus on how to select tools and how to self-learn those tools without a lot of outside intervention.
- focus on creativity and innovation and give time for meaningful technology-enabled projects that push the ability levels of students and are related to core-subjects or current events.
- require students to research, learn practical guidelines for digital citizenship and safety, and how to publish safely...
- teach them to think and construct personal learning networks AND methodologies to bring others easily into those networks of sharing on a common topic...
- help them be unafraid and understand the file formats and basic codes that underpin all of the sharing (including RSS)...
- help them become comfortable in virtual worlds and understand that they are interacting with avatars that represent real people...
- help them understand that online activities have offline consequences...
- focus on tasks to be accomplished
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gy tool(s) for the task at hand in a manner that allows seamless transfer of created objec
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Amanda DuvallNice article looking at technology for school from the eyes of a technology coordinator, gives examples of uses and how some kids may not be really getting it
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19 Mar 09
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07 Oct 08
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28 Jun 08
Gregory LouieOnce a tool was understood, it became part of the permanent tool belt for that student and further delineations would happen as claw hammers, ball ping hammers, and all sizes of hammers would be available.
Although these hammers are available, it is just not necessary for the shop teacher to TEACH every one, but to have a wide variety of projects with meaning and a some guidance in the selection of the proper tool. (Shop teachers don't just have them hammer nails into a board for no purpose -- they MAKE things that will have a USE.)
And they'd also need many other tools... screwdrivers, table saws, etc.
Also, when a tool that could be dangerous (like the aforementioned tablesaw) was introduced, safety would become a topic of discussion with vigilant monitoring by the teacher during its use (and all subsequent uses) to make sure that the students did not do themselves any harm. (like public publishing of ANY kind)
Do you see the parallels with technology?
Now, using iMovie is certainly harder than using a hammer and would take a little more time to help with familiarity. But we still don't TEACH iMovie any more than we have hammer class.
How do we "teach" it then?
What I'd rather see is that a movie needs to be created for a specific purpose... a math project, science project, history project, etc. (meaningful project) Then, we work towards capturing the video, learning about verbal and nonverbal communications.
(Using something like the amazing AFI materials which are a part of the Discovery United Streaming materials if you have a subscription to this service which is a cornerston of my classroom.)
Then, work with iMovie to create a product that would accomplish the objective. Point out how still photographs AND movies may be edited.
Once students have a comfort level with iMovie, then it should be a permanent part of the technology tool belt of that student. It should be something they are comfortable returning to if need be, or maybe not. Maybe they learn another tool that will better accomplish what -
31 May 08
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20 May 08
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11 May 08
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Britt WatwoodCool Cat Teacher Blog: Like her point about pasting into wiki and missing the point. Might be a blog post.
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As part of our curriculum, my students use as many application programs as we can get our hands on!
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For word processors, we've used Google Docs, ZohoWriter, ThinkFree, Open Office AjaxWrite, and Adobe BuzzWord with Microsoft Word as our starting point.
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I want them to be technologically fluent.
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I define technological fluency as "the ability to determine and use the appropriate technology tool(s) for the task at hand in a manner that allows seamless transfer of created objects and documents to flow easily between the selected tools without outside intervention."
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What would technology fluency look like?
So, a student would be fluent in word processing if they could sit down at whatever word processor is at hand and use it to accomplish a task. -
A fluent student would not be tripped up or roadblocked by an obstacle, but be able to move over and around hurdles and make innovations as appropriate.
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I think a student is technologically fluent (and savvy) if I can stand up in the front of my classroom and say something like this:
Discussion #1"Del.icio.us is a social bookmarking service. It means that we can share bookmarks in ways never before imagined. Sign up for service and add a few bookmarks make your observations about what you think it does and then we'll share what we've learned."
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The student who already knew how to add extensions to firefox would go ahead and download and add the del.icio.us extension and begin using it. They would go ahead and notice and begin tagging a little bit.
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word processing, spreadsheets, wikis, blogs, presentations, rss, photography, video, are inexorably linked and no longer discrete.
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Focus on what are you trying to DO not the tool to USE. (In the south we always say that "there is more than one way to skin a cat.")
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I must say that the idea of "teaching" iMovie or any software program is totally preposterous. But the idea of saying "OK, you know it, let's move on never to return" is equally ludicrous.
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Once a tool was understood, it became part of the permanent tool belt for that student and further delineations would happen as claw hammers, ball ping hammers, and all sizes of hammers would be available.
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How do we "teach" it then?
What I'd rather see is that a movie needs to be created for a specific purpose... a math project, science project, history project, etc. (meaningful project) Then, we work towards capturing the video, learning about verbal and nonverbal communications. -
Once students have a comfort level with iMovie, then it should be a permanent part of the technology tool belt of that student. It should be something they are comfortable returning to if need be, or maybe not. Maybe they learn another tool that will better accomplish what they want to do.
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These are the applications I saw in one class period with 14 students:
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Well, I think that is going to be a future book but lets take a look at the things I teach my students in 9th grade. Their "efolio" documentation of their year with me is due next Friday (7 days from the writing of this post.)
Let's look at one student -- she's documented 27 major areas of proficiency thus far:
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10 May 08
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