Thursday, June 30, 2011

Literacy and Best Practices for Learning

I work in adult training and development and so most of my writing projects connect how curriculum and instruction translates into the business environment.  Literacy is a concern for modern business and employers.  In fact we call it Workforce Literacy.  Penn State University has a really great website which summarizes succinctly best practices for workforce literacy.  The primary issue for employers relates to the reading, writing, and comprehension required to do one’s job.  Thus many of the literacy activities for adults occur in the workplace and the environment in which an adult will
regularly act and perform their duties. 
http://www.ed.psu.edu/nwac/document/literacy/best.html

Businesses also seek best practices from professional models which help them blend the competing needs that arise for many business issues, not just literacy issues.  Yet there is a correlation to our work in educational literacy.  Let me explain a little further:
The University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business presents a business model called the Competing Values Framework.  This framework describes four values which are present in any organization.  They are collaboration (people focus), creation (innovation and ideas), competition (results), and controls (rules and processes).  Each value is important to the success of an operation, yet they struggle against one another for voice and priority.  Organizations that can blend and manage the competing values become more efficient and effective. 






In many ways schools are no different.  They face competing values in how they deliver education.  Educators and administrators must have an eye focused on the students and their experience, then also on creative or innovative ways to deliver education.  Schools are also held to rules and controls
which govern how they deliver learning, the budgets and administrative aspects of learning.  Finally, educators are focused on the results of their methods. Did they actually achieve learning that meets the standards and expectations?










The Ten Evidence-Based Best Practices for Comprehensive Literacy Instruction* (p.19) appear to find a natural alliance with the Competing Values Framework.  Each is important to the success of the final goal, which is literacy for all.  See below how each practice breaks down into the model. Notice how the best practices favor the quadrants which focus on people and creativity.  I think this is
okay, because literacy efforts must be focused on people’s needs and innovation. 



I find the list comprehensive and would only add perhaps more best practices related to results. In the business world it doesn’t matter how good or honest or true your intentions are; it matters if you can achieve the result.  Assessments are important, but perhaps there are other metrics which can help educators “tell the tale” about how effective their efforts truly are.  Educators are
often punished for a student’s failure, yet so many outside factors contribute to a child’s success.  Consider the parents’ role, the cultural expectations, the child’s own drive and talent, and
the challenges between administrators and educators.  Introducing other metrics into the best
practices may help teachers demonstrate their effectiveness as well as reveal gaps and opportunities to improve a child’s results. 
Source:  Best Practices in Literacy Instruction, Third Edition (Gambrell, Morrow, Pressley)  Find Here



Literacy Balance Begins at Home

Yesterday a news story was posted on my iGoogle dashboard where I collect articles related to movements in education.  StatesThreaten To Defy 'No Child Left Behind', by Larry Abramson.              In it, Idaho and Montana lead what may become a revolt among many states as they stop complying
with the federal law because it doesn’t meet their needs and is not working.  Their struggles reflect the problem in having balance in literacy instruction. 


Balance begins between authentic literacy experiences and basic skills education.  This is a good place to start.  Children are not drawn to a structured curriculum; they are drawn to the magic of a story. In fact they don’t even think about the mechanics at all.  They immerse themselves in the pictures on the page or the pictures in their mind as their imagination illustrates the
words being read to them.  They interact with the story sometimes by play-acting or illustrating the story themselves.  These types of experiences build happy emotional connections with their interaction with language and words.  Over time we emphasize more complex structures and vocabulary.  Part of balance is always finding the magic in what we are teaching, no matter what the
subject is.  There is magic in the words and structures of math problems.  There is magic in the framework of a persuasive essay.  We need to balance the mechanics of reading and writing by blending them with subjects and themes that relate to the child.


Some of the challenges for finding balance come from the complexities of our own society.  We are
blending many cultures, languages, expectations, and socio-economic standards.  We have some parents who smother their kids to the point that they can’t go the bathroom without
permission and others who may never see their children because of incompatible work schedules.  Further, education levels of the parents contribute to how prepared a child is to begin reading in
a classroom setting.  Another challenge comes with the size of a class.  A child’s competency in reading and writing is unique. It is difficult for a teacher to develop each child without one-on-one
time.  This is virtually impossible in our current public school structure.  Our current model almost requires parental interaction each day in order to meet state and federal literacy requirements. Another challenge relates to funding for tools and technology which help engage our children in the classroom and build a love for reading and writing.


Balance in the literacy curriculum begins at home.  Parents need to stand up and do their part,
regardless of the education level, work schedule, or their ability to speak English or not.  Schools need to have a shared responsibility and metrics which show how the school and the parent and
the child are each doing their part to meet the federal and state standards.  Balance can also be reached through technology.  We can rethink how we deliver our literacy curriculum and try to incorporate more technology.  This will not only liberate learning from the confines of the daily school schedule, but it will prepare students for the type of work they may do as adults.


They way that my profession is contributing to literacy education is through workforce literacy programming.  We work with adults to learn the functional skills to do their job.  We also provide
professional development opportunities to help them set and achieve personal learning goals that improve their career.  In our company we pay for diploma programs, seminars, webinars, conference, and other learning experiences.  More and more companies realize that by investing in their employee’s education, they have stronger and more profitable companies.

Monday, June 20, 2011

Using a Wiki to Present Information and Learning

This week I created my first real wiki.  I used the Wikispaces tool which was really easy to use.  It has some desing constraints that I wasn't used to, like not being able to freely move images around.  However, it does have some really good implications for learning and collaboration.  Teams can easily use such a tool to work on projects together.  Also, students can preview and interact with learning material.  Take a look at the result. 

I would also like to credit Lindsay Marquette for her work on the lesson content.  Her research and planning was invaluable!

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Any Road Won't Get You There

A good professional development plan reflects both self-knowledge and a knack for forecasting.  You must know who you are and where you fit into your profession to effectively envision the type of knowledge, skills, and qualifications you need to both keep up with developments in your field and advance in your career.  A good mentor can help you there.  I usually pick my mentors from senior management because they generally have a lot of rich experience and wisdom for the profession.  Sometimes I don’t look for a long-term relationship, but practice speed-mentoring.  This is a casual, no-pressure meeting where I can pick their brain for advice or experiences.  It’s a good way to problem solve and you can learn a lot!  Mentors can help you create a personal strategic plan which defines a big picture goal of where you want to be and then develops a 3-5 year plan to achieve your goal. 
My strategic 5-year plan includes earning my Masters degree and growing my division at work to include more designers and a couple of blended learning trainers.  In order to achieve this plan I need to not only forecast what is coming in teaching adults in the workforce, but I need to be able to help senior management understand what this means for themselves and the strategic choices they make.   Here is a list of things that I am doing to be prepared to meet the goals of my plan:
Conferences and Classes
  • Attend annual conferences for the American Society of Training and Development, Society for Human Resources Management, Human Capital Institute to keep up-to-speed on best practices and law for my field
  • Attend smaller and more local workshops and networking meetings to share ideas and compare notes with other professionals on what they are doing in their training and education departments
  • Attend webinars and technology classes as a less expensive way to stay abreast of innovations and developments in education, technology, and design
Certificates and Degrees
  • Complete my Masters in Curriculum and Instruction
  • Complete a Masters Certificate in Educational Technology
  • Complete the PHR certification for Human Resources
Reading Lists
An important part of forecasting requires constant reading on news and events inside my specific field and in the world of business. 
  • HR Magazine
  • T & D Magazine
  • Blogs, Facebook Associations
    • Jane Bozarth, Trainer-Speaker-Author
    • Allen Interactions, Instructional Designers
    • SHRM, ASTD, HCI
    • The Economist Magazine
Pushing Myself
  • Continue writing in my own blog
  • Incorporate the technology tools I have practiced with into my lesson plans at work
  • Learn some new development tools including the Adobe eLearning Suite

I believe in life-long learning.  I don’t think we ever stop.  However, if you don’t prepare a professional development plan with a fixed vision in mind, then you will not make the best use of your time and resources. 
Lewis Carroll, famed author of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland offered this sage advice through the mischievous Cheshire cat, "If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there."

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Problem-based Learning

Problem-based learning or PBL is a methodology where students learn many or all aspects of a curriculum by working as groups through experiences and practice sessions.  The point of this type of learning is to help the student focus their attention on an activity that seems real or authentic, something they do during their everyday lives.  PBL employs critical thinking skills and problem-solving through group and individual skills.  Our book states that problem solving can take on many forms, but include collaboration, parallel problem solving, data analysis, and simulated activities. (Roblyer, Doering p. 243) Sun Associates, a company which helps state governments and school districts combine technology and education, says that:
A classic project-based learning activity usually involves 4
basic elements: (1) an extended time frame; (2) collaboration;
(3) inquiry, investigation, and research; and finally, (4) the
construction of an artifact or performance of a consequential task
. Within this basic framework, students and teachers can adapt activities to showcase and assess understanding. 
Problem-based learning is a really effective way to motivate students.  As we witnessed in the
Edutopia video, students fit seamlessly into their learning environment.  Students wanted to participate because each of them was included in the process.  Also, they could easily imagine themselves encountering these examples and could personally identify with each scenario.  This is an
important aspect of motivation and action.  The children are energized, interested and engaged because they get to take action in something that is both real and something that they know they
will be a part of as they grow up.  For some, they view it as a “grown-up” activity and love the change to play-act.  PBL is an excellent way to blend audio, visual, and kinesthetic learning styles.
For example, death is a very real experience which touches every life.  Children in the Auburn class
were able to process death and loss through a class pet.  The teacher was able to incorporate life
skills like cognitive reasoning skills, planning skills, writing skills, and math skills.  Also, the teacher is able to reach social competencies by helping children “practice” the motions of loss and funeral arrangements before they have to go through the experience later in real life.  This method applies to any scenario and we saw many examples including the travel example.  In this scenario children studied a country, planned a trip, applied for a “passport”, and hold jobs that one might find at
an airport.  All aspects of the learning objectives and curriculum were able to be folded up into the scenario. 


Technology on its own is not a critical requirement for the PB L method.  This is because PBL happens
in many different formats, locations, and scenarios.  An apprentice could use PBL to match theoretical skills with their real working environment.  Many professions (like physicians) require a
certain number of hours in scenario based learning before they are fully qualified.  PBL prepares children for this type of learning.  However, the use of technology is undeniable in modern teaching. Not only will children need to know how to use and interact with various technologies, but they will need to be able to demonstrate their creativity and innovation for problem solving while using technology.  For this and other reasons, technology takes a prominent role in modern PBL.   The Auburn school showed how internet access in each classroom opens the entire world for the student to see videos, play interactive games, and literally touch resources from around the world.  The smart boards and interactive computer-based training modules are tools which help teachers and students take the hands-on approach to learning.  Smart boards allow teachers and students to collaborate for problem-solving.  As technology provides children with access to the world, it also inspires children to believe that anything is possible.  Through technology the world becomes a smaller place and children can learn about and even interact with other cultures from all over.  A child becomes familiar with the idea that learning is not a fixed point in their childhood, but something that they do forever.




Sunday, May 29, 2011

Technology and Teaching: Where Business Meets Soul

A World of Professionals Comes TogetherThis week I attended the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) International Conference in Orlando.  This is the second time I have attended this event which brings together about 10,000 training professionals from around the world.  The conference has several tracks
including strategic impact of learning on business, instructional design, and delivery and assessment.  One message is quite clear from each presentation and class: The success of business hinges on strong education and training programs.


My entire Master’s program was validated on Tuesday, when the presenter Dr. Allison Rossett (of SDSU fame) asked the audience if they could name any theorist connected with Constructivism.  When I called out John Dewey, she actually turned around with her eyebrows raised (surprised to hear an answer), and said “Very good!  Well done! Congratulations for that!”  Ha!  You should all feel gratified, because I know you all would have been able to answer the same.
Web 2.0 Dominates the Discussion
The many classes and presentations helped me realize with even more emphasis that technology is changing how we deliver education and learning.  Web 2.0 technology dominated the classes at the conference and bookstore.  Most organizations are hiring staff that has experience using the technologies described in chapter five.  In our reading, the six general categories of software support tools show us the very many different tools we have at our fingertips for developing learning content.  The software helps us move the theories of learning into the practical world and provide teachers with a significant opportunity to reach out to students anywhere and anytime.  I expect
that these changes also impact the competencies required of teachers.  Over time, new teachers will need to have technical skills in these areas to not only interact with such technology, but actually create and deliver learning with them.

Technology is Only as Good as the Content:  The Experts Weigh In
I personally like the concept mapping software.  I think that it is very useful to have help in organizing the learning objectives and assessments.  It is critical that all of us understand that no matter how flashy the technology or slick the delivery, if we do not incorporate sound pedagogical and andragogical practices, the technology is useless.  A presentation, a movie, or a game can still be pointless and mundane.  Teachers still need to conceive powerful teaching concepts that reach students regardless of the delivery method.  I will quote some points from Dr. Rossett's class:
Instructional Design Greatness can only occur when the tool:
     1.  Shows the learner that the lesson is all about them and ties to their priorities and goals
2.  Is vivid and authentic, realistic, and close to the actions of their day
3.  Is full of experiences and examples with a progressively building checklist that leads to action
4.  Builds the learners confidence by allowing them to experience success, but also experience something that stretches them farther
5.  Provides a guidance system or systematic choices which give support, information or advice

Michael Allen of Allen Interactions (http://www.alleninteractions.com) is very well known in instructional design circles.  His company regularly creates compelling learning modules for organizations all over the world.  He said that teachers and instructional designers must use technology to create something meaningful, memorable and motivational.  He likes to use the Corrective Feedback Paradigm (CFP) as a method to teach students of all ages through repetition.





Dr. Jane Bozarth spoke about how teachers can use social media, like blogs and Facebook to teach. I purchased her book Social Learning and recommend you check it out.  Her message is that we shouldn’t use technology for the sake of saying we have and use that type of technology.  We need to really understand how that type of technology can improve the learning situation and we need to be able to demonstrate how that type of technology helps us achieve our outcomes.  She is using blogs and wikis in her work to help inspire connections with the group and collaboration.  http://bozarthzone.blogspot.com/2011/05/this-is-what-social-learning-looks-like.html

Our learners are changing too.  They use these tools all the time for personal use, but maybe not in learning. We can harness their natural interest in these technologies and help them interact with us (and each other) on a new plane.

Multi-media has many impacts.  It definitely can provide rapid delivery and rapid consumption of content.  It also allows learners to learn based upon their own individual needs, motives, and
timeframes.  This relates to the learner control talked about in our book. Technology helps us meet many different learning styles and preferences, and it can be very flexible.  Through the learning technologies, students can access educational content anywhere and anytime.  Also, technology is becoming more cost-effective than traditional teaching mediums.


“The number one benefit of technology is that it empowers people to do what they want to do. It lets people be creative. It lets people be productive. It lets people learn things they didn't think they could learn before, and so in a sense it is all about potential.”  Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft 
We want to blend the power of technology with the soul of the teacher.  If we can do this, we can
reach any student anywhere.  Are you ready?


 

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Teaching Digital Natives and Inspiring Others to Become Digital Immigrants

An old Chinese proverb says “Tell me and I’ll forget; show me and I may remember;  involve me and I will understand.”  This is the crux of two videos which show us that learning and teaching methodology has changed irrevocably because of technology.  If you haven’t seen the videos, take a second to watch how digital media is making sweeping changes in what students need in order to learn.

Schools Use Games for Learning and Assessment








Digital Youth Portrait:  Sam






Benefits to Technology
As our textbook points out, authoring tools, instructional design software, and graphic design software are among many new types of tools which help instructors deliver a learning objective in an interactive way.  The advantages of using software to create learning modules is that computer-based training and education can be launched to a website and viewed or played with at any time.  Assessment tools can help teachers and administrators know if the module produced the desired results.  Another advantage is that this type of technology can be significantly cheaper in cost, without skimping on quality.  I will point to my last post (Kahn Academy) as a good example of that. 

Teachers Must Become Digital Immigrants
What Sam teaches us is that a new generation of learners is coming forward with great expectations to receive learning on their terms, whether that means their schedule or their pace, or their preferred delivery method.  Sam wants to download an audiobook and be read to.  It isn’t cheating, it’s her learning style.  We as teachers need to be flexible in allowing our students to choose their learning method.  This may mean that we must become digital natives ourselves, or perhaps “digital immigrants”.  We need to know what tools are out there and how they work before we can conceive lesson plans and learning objectives which can be effectively transmitted through gaming and technology.  It stands out that digital natives look to us to provide assignments that unleash their creativity in the learning process.  They want to express themselves in alternative worlds with avatars and self-created characters.  They want to be free to try something out and make mistakes until they master the concept.  The gaming aspect makes it fun.

A New Expression
If we are going to successfully teach a new generation of learners, we must get to know their preferences.  Sam said that she never calls, she texts.  Sam’s mom says that she approves of digital learning and finds that it teaches measurable skills.  Through Sam’s avatar on World of Warcraft, she is able to demonstrate artistic creativity, problem solving skills, and strategic planning.  I can think of a few companies who are searching for those skill sets.  “Schools Use of Games for Learning and Assessment” also says that engagement is a better way to learn.  They said that games help us to start learning new concepts as novices and then through practice (trial and error or guided journey) become experts and masters of the concept.  Gaming allows learners to integrate theoretical concepts into skill development.   For example, a math problem on a chalk board appears distant and esoteric to the student when it is compared to demonstrating that math concept through a game design.  In this way, students can immediately see the use and relevance of each concept. 

Adult Learners are Catching On
I teach adults regularly and as I have stated in earlier posts, many of them are uncomfortable or even scared of learning through technology.  But this is not true of everyone.  Adults are beginning to view gadgets as more than toys and they are noticing many new benefits and conveniences because of digital media.  They need a little push from us to fully grasp the vision of how digital media can help them learn.  The adage, “if you build it, they will come” holds true with adult learning and technology.  They don’t know they want it until they see it.  Then when they realize that learning presented in a digital format saves them time, produces excellent results as they practice and master new knowledge and skills, and helps them stay up-to-date on relevant information for their jobs, they become more than supporters of these learning tools, they become champions of the learning tools.

A Crystal Ball Might See
What does the future hold for learning and education?  It is hard to say.  But one might wager that the format of a classroom might be changing forever.  With about $5 billion, the United States could purchase a new iPad for every student in America.  This represents a small fraction of the almost $900 billion annual budget for the Department of Education.  If students of the future are armed with media tablets and the internet, will we need to print books anymore?  I don’t think we will.  Will every student need to be physically present in a classroom?  Probably not.  How will the role of teacher change?  It remains to be seen.  Yet change is here and we can be a part of the change, or go home. 

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Turning Education on its Head

If you haven't heard about Khan Acadmey, you should find out.  The lessons are free!  The concept is to have a lecture at home, then do homework in class.  More than that, he offers practice problems for every concept with hints and video lectures to help kids get the concept.  Kids and adults like it because they can pace themsleves and they don't have to admit in front of their peers that they haven't mastered the concept yet.  I have forwarded this to our school district and asked them to consider using this for our kids.  They have forwarded it to every member of the board and will be considering it in their next meeting.

1st:  Watch this summary  http://youtu.be/UuMTSU9DcqQ (about 2 minute)

2nd:  Watch this presentation http://youtu.be/nTFEUsudhfs (about 20 minutes)

3rd:  Login for yourself  www.kahnacademy.org

Technology: Toys or Tools?




Integrating technology into an adult classroom has an added layer of challenges.  For many adult learners, the thought of interacting with technology turns their stomach.  One woman attending class said that she was terrified to have to practice the new software in front of her co-workers.  She felt that it was unfair for the company to require her to learn new software so close to her retirement.  Companies face this kind of apprehension every day.  For teachers, it is very important that we include generation gaps in our technology integration strategies.  As the cartoon shows, many
adults view “gadgets” as toys and have a hard time seeing them as learning tools.  For many years, directed instructional models have been the standard for adult training programs.  Lectures, worksheets, job aids, and assessments make up the majority of training for the workplace.  In the last two decades, constructivist models have influenced training plans. For example, you might sit in a class for the company orientation, but when you learn how to process a file, you will actually practice it along-side a seasoned staff member who walks you through each step.  Fast forward to today and you will find that training directors are looking to technology to help them make learning more
interesting, but also more cost-effective and far reaching (especially if the company is national or global).  Later this month, I will be attending the conference for the American Society of
Training and Development (ASTD).  While at the conference, I expect to hear a lot from blended learning experts who are going to tell me how leading companies are using social media and iPads to
train new staff.  I will be meeting with technology experts and instructional designers who live and breathe TIP and TPACK as they create online simulations for adult learners in the workplace.  What I hope to bring home is a clearer understanding of the new tools used in learning.  I will look to the experts to help me adjust my own technology integration plan and include transition steps for the three
major generations at our workplace.  Let’s go back to the woman at the beginning of the post.  I told her that we were going to start teaching with iPads.  Her response, “Wait a few more months, until I have retired!” 

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