Digital Promise
In September 2011, the U.S. Department of Education sponsored a new project called Digital Promise. The bipartisan, public-private initiative will fund research in educational technology and will bring leading technologies into the classroom to help students with problem areas such as STEM subjects. Review the main directions of this project using the provided link and post your thoughts on which initiatives could be particularly helpful for the development of next-generation learning environments in Alabama schools and colleges. (Focus on your own subject area and grade level.)
Link address: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/09/15/fact-sheet-digital-promise-initiative
As a prospective art teacher, it is sometimes hard for me to wrap my mind around the way different technologies can be used in my classroom, because most of the assignments I present will be hands on. However, innovative technologies and people's willingness to accept them demand an open mind, much like the subject matter that I will be teaching, so I am always excited to hear of new initiatives that keep the classroom moving forward as opposed to remaining stagnant and boring. With this in mind, the initiative in the reading that I found to be particularly interesting in regard to the development of next generation learning environments was the one promoting the creation of a league of innovative schools. This one really excites me because it is within the innovative schools that my teaching area could really excel. I feel like this initiative is extremely important because these new schools will set the precedent for other schools and hopefully lead academia as a whole into a new, fresh direction that incorporates modern technology. I feel like without the presence of example schools, no others schools will have a path to follow in their own technology incorporations. Furthermore, it is important for this league of schools to show that their innovations are beneficial and successful because a large amount of funding for technology upgrades in schools may not be granted without proof of necessity.
ReplyDeleteAfter viewing the article “Digital Promise,” the main direction is for schools in the United States to take the necessary steps to ensure students are able to effectively use technology inside and outside of the classroom. It is important for student to have exposure to various types of technology in today’s society. The initiatives that would be helpful in eight grade English/Language Arts are robots that nonverbally teach vocabulary and the online tutor that assess students’ real-time comprehension. One skill that constantly presents difficulty is vocabulary and unfamiliar words in texts. I believe if students had access to the nonverbal vocabulary tools they would become better readers and writers. Also, allowing students to have access to online homework tutors is an exceptional idea. Therefore, questions do not have to linger until the next day. I am excited about what will happen in the coming years in reference to the digital movement in education.
ReplyDeleteEducation is pivotal to success and I firmly believe that technology will only enhance our young students' education today and in the future. While the following quote was aimed towards blogging I feel that blogging is a useful educational tool that incorporates technology, making this quote relevant here too: "The first dinosaurs into the tar pits of tomorrow will be the teachers who refuse to adapt to new technology." This movement demonstrates the willingness of the Department of Education to avoid falling into the tar pits, so-to-speak.
ReplyDeleteSince the semester began I have made my views regarding education and technology clear: they belong together. President Obama appears to think the same way. I'm happy that the Department of Education is embracing technology through several efforts aimed at integrating technology in the classroom. I fear for their effectiveness though, to be quite honest. It just seems so hard to implement any standardized level of technology in the classroom across the entire country. One of the issues with education today is that education isn't equal from city to city, not to mention state to state. I will typically be working with students in college so I often associate with the plight of teachers in K-12. I understand that it's the system that often fails students, not the teachers themselves. However, I find myself having to fight against the system so hard once students reach me who are unprepared for college-level work. I'm not trying to be pessimistic so I'll close my response by saying that if anything can help prepare children more for higher learning, it will be additional integration of technology into the classroom. I can only hope that there is some national baseline in which classrooms have "at least this amount of technology" present in which the students can learn with.
Additionally, I guess only statistics can reveal whether or not there is a lack of children brought up with an American education with an interest in STEM fields of study/careers. I can only theorize though that the larger emphasis on education outside the US has provided international students with the means to develop an interest and understanding of STEM-related subjects. With that said, like with my thoughts on education in the US as it stands, I think any enhanced encouragement of STEM-related learning, whether it be through video game competitions or not, can open students' minds up to the things they can do that aren't outlined in their textbooks.
There were two initiatives in the reading that I thought would be helpful would be in an English Language Arts classroom. The one that I thought would be most beneficial is "identifying breakthroughs in technology." The example they provided of the DARPA/Navy “digital tutor” was so interesting. I could see teachers using this with kids who struggle with reading and are maybe not on the same reading level as the majority of their classmates. The other initiative that I thought would be good for an English Language Arts class was "learning faster what's working and what's not." I think that evaluating programs is a vital part of the classroom. If it's not working, why keep doing it? I think it would be great to evaluate certain tools, programs, lessons, etc. after every year or ever semester to see if they were effective or if there is a better alternative.
ReplyDeleteThere are definitely some good ideas going on here. It is obvious that there are big plans ahead for the future of technology in education. It is going to make learning much more exciting for the students and the teachers that will get to utilize these inventions. They are all great ideas, some of my favorite are the GeoGames, the robots that teach vocabulary through non verbal cues, and the online tutors. I can really see how these will help with real world applications for students. It is amazing the things that they are coming up with in the field of education and technology.
ReplyDeleteThese ideas are all great, but in my opinion the one that hit it out of the park was using gaming systems to teach things like problem solving as well as the core subjects. I personally love my Xbox 360 and my Xbox One, so when I read though this it really jumped out at me. There are many games out there that promote problem solving, and they are not all boring. This helps the students learn while they are having fun. The game they talked about was Portal 2. I have not played this one, but I have heard about it. I know many people who really enjoy the first game. I really think that this is a great idea that students would enjoy.
I am currently teaching elementary schools and these initiatives would greatly improve use of technology in schools. My district tells us to incorporate technology and gives a list of ideas to use. They even sent a "so called" math expert that was supposed to give us innovative ideas to use. My district just wasted their money. This person gave me a list of websites that I have already heard of and have used in the past, plus I showed him some things that I am using that he has never heard of. The list of technology ideas the district gave us hasn't proven to be useful to me either. I don't even consider myself any type of expert when it comes to technology, but I just try to learn one day at a time. It would be wonderful to have new technology that has been tested and has been proven to be effective. Also, cost and budgets control what is given to us or not. It's a good idea for different states to combine their funds to make purchases. If New England can do it, I feel that the southern states could benefit from combining their funds. It is also a wonderful idea to have model schools. We need to see how these schools are operating and what it looks like. I know that there are already schools out there that are on the cutting edge, but many of our school systems need help to get to where they are.
ReplyDeleteIn the special education classroom, technology is typically a highly motivating educational tool and mine is no different. This is just a reflection of the rampant use of technology in society as a whole. At home, most students have access to more advanced technology than provided by schools and it is time for schools to mirror what is happening in the rest of the world. With the population of students that I teach, it is often difficult to find activities to properly engage them in learning activities. I provide many hands on learning activities for my students and I integrate technology as an additional learning tool. My students often struggle due to an inability to manipulate a mouse, either because of lack of motor skill or they are used to touch devices only.
ReplyDelete"Digital Promise" seems to be a huge step towards a goal that will benefit all areas of education. The first bright spot that I noticed is that support is coming from both political parties, this should help speed implementation. Seeking funding from private sources will hopefully allow the full potential of learning technology to come to fruition. One aspect of Digital Promise that I find appealing, is the "National STEM Video Game Challenge." Outside of school, many children spend hours playing video games. I think the idea of taking the appeal of video games and incorporating them in the curriculum is an area of untapped potential. The time has come for classrooms to move away from outdated teaching practices and implement innovative strategies to prepare children for tomorrow's world.
The Digital Promise is a huge step in the right direction for all levels of education. Technology is constantly changing and its so important that we learn to keep up and use it to our advantage.
ReplyDeleteIn the world of athletic administration and working with student-athletes, its all about convenience and time. Student-athletes are constantly busy and always traveling for competition and missing classes. The software for the "digital tutor" project would greatly benefit those students that don't necessarily have the time to sit down in front of a real tutor on campus. They would be able to meet with their tutor regardless of where they were. These tutors would be able to fill the void for the students where they are missing the lectures in class.
There are many positive things that can come out of the initiatives mentioned in this article. As a future English Language Arts teacher, one of the initiatives I found promising, amongst the many discussed, was learning faster what’s working and what’s not. In the classroom that I am working in as an interim for this semester, six weeks into school, I am finally realizing what does not work and what actually works for my students. I think it goes without saying how beneficial it would be to know what services and developments would benefit our students and what would not. With that being said, I think the initiative that addresses learning faster what is working and what’s not is great. I also think that rapid testing of promising new technologies is a wonderful initiative. How many times have you introduced a product, and then realized that you wish you had quickly tested it out, or even tested in more? I know I have. I think the example of Netflix and Amazon not making decisions off hunches was a neat way to put this idea in perspective.
ReplyDeleteI also thought the innovative research projects were exciting. I believe the robots that use non-verbal cues to teach vocabulary to kids, and the online tutors that assess a student's real-time comprehension and tailor learning strategies would be great for the English/Language Arts classroom. Not all of the students are at the same level. So are on grade level, some above, and some below. With the online tutor available tailor and provide learning strategies, students can truly benefit from this tool.
I'm a science fiction geek (to a degree). When I think about next-generation learning environments as it relates to English Language Arts in Secondary Education, I can't help but to think towards the time when more students may be distance learners. The landscape of the classroom has been changing. Technology has been ever increasing. Even working parents have more opportunities to work from home.
ReplyDeleteThere are many jobs which I see as always needing to be hands on in office, but because of technological innovations, there are many forms of employment that will be less hands on and less in office. There are many students who may opt to attend classes online for whatever valid reason IF such an opportunity presents itself in the next-generation learning environment.
I can also see how the whole education system from the districts to the teachers and even the students will have a part to play in creating even more innovations in technologies.
Online tutors are popular today. They are productively effective and some are well known. I can see how robots can be useful in aiding classroom learning. There are even applications for art and illustrations in digital form. There will also be a need for sculptures and the artistic minded in bringing some things to life for the classroom robotics and wed design as well as online manga/comic books.
I could see students in my classroom of next-generation learners collaborating on an assignment that may involve coming up with an online page with writings and illustrations and other creative ways they can come up with.
Each time that I hear the word, "blog," I think of the word, "comment." Commenting or blogging on a particular subject allows for one to express how they really feel. When speaking of blogs, I think that Higher Education Administration, specifically within Residence Life, students could utilize blogs after programs have been put on. I think this will give them a way, somewhat anonymous, to give their feedback on what they liked, did not like, and aspects that could be improved. Blogging allows for not only students to collaborate and connect with feedback, but also presenters will be able to collect the information that was commented and discuss among each other.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the articles, I think it would be a great idea to have my staff members create their own blog accounts to post about themselves, programming events, policies and procedures for the respective residence halls. Surprisingly numbered at 6 and 7, "Personal Homepage" and "Resource Sharing" is what my staff members yearn for - more ways to get information out and residents knowing who to contact when needing assistance.
Like many of my classmates have already stated, Digital Promise will bring a new light to technology as a whole. With it constantly changing and enhancing we need a service as such to keep educators in and out of the classroom up-to-date on how they work. With the promises mentioned in the article, Americans now have a way hold not only themselves accountable, but also others within the field. Higher Ed professionals and students, who both are busy, with Digital Promise will now be able to learn different technologies quicker and actually feel comfortable using them.
This article was very informative to read and learn about how new initiatives are being started to increase the use of positive technology among students. I feel that it is imperative since this young generation is a generation of technology savvy children that we incorporate technology into a positive manner. My field is higher education, and more specifically housing; therefore the affects of these tools would not necessarily be most beneficial in the housing side of higher education. However, I can see the positive contribution that they would have on the academic side of higher education. These innovations such as online tutors can be extremely helpful to a handicap student who has a hard time getting around campus, and spends most of his time in his residence hall. Having an online tutor would still allow him (or any other student) to get the help that they need without having to leave their comfortable environment. I was truly fascinated with the idea of developing the technology where students who have hearing disabilities can be helped by this software. I feel that the positive impact that technology can have on students is limitless; as educators we just have to find the positive way to reach them. I think that it is great that randomized sampling and experiments are being done to determine what the best standards should be and how we can use this technology to best of its ability.
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ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading this article about the “Digital Promise”. I believe this could be a great benefit to a lot of students. Since I work with students on a daily basis, I see how a lot of them struggle in many different ways and how some are afraid to seek that extra help because of being afraid of being made fun of. I have always been pro technology in the classroom and have seen how it can be so beneficial in the classroom, even by seeing this in my own child’s classroom. Some of our students need that extra help at home to grasp things sometimes and I believe, by having an online tutor who can come to life on your computer at your convenience in a quiet home or dorm room, is wonderful. South has a learning center setup for students to get the extra help and to go there to take tests because it is more of a calming area and not as much pressure by watching other students. I think, since students can take away those distractions, this could help students so much and boost our students' success rate.
Another instance with students I see are transfer students having a hard time intergrating into a University setting. When some of our students come in from small institutions, they have a hard time adjusting to the large classroom and not having a lot of the one on one time they are normally used to in a small institution. I think by being able to give the students this extra attention this could help them to adjust to the large setting more easily. I think in all this new Digital Promise is an amazing idea by helping students to be better prepared in the classroom and in life.
The digital promise is a huge stem to helping adapt the school systems to current standards. The Digital promise helps create equality and gives everybody the opportunity to have a chance in their future. Being up to date on technology and being comfortable working with computers is no longer suggested but necessary and therefore it must be taught in schools.
ReplyDeleteThe thing that I liked most about the Digital Promise is that it seems to be preparing for a change to more digital learning. One of the biggest differences between great schools and lower end schools is the quality of teachers. Well with the direction of the digital promise and the access to tutoring through the computer this gap can be closed. With elite tutors that are the best of the best at teaching their subject like khan academy, children will all have similar opportunities to succeed. As the government pushes the schools systems in this direction it will lead to more equality throughout education.
Another aspect that I like is the use of digital games to teach technology and make students more comfortable with programs. It is important to make kids enjoy technology and want to learn and work on a computer.
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ReplyDeleteWith technology shifting the society we live in, it is important for schools to integrating technology into the classroom daily. Using technology is valuable for the students and the teacher. Initiatives that would be helpful in an elementary classroom are the national STEM video game challenge, robots that teach vocabulary, and the online tutors. With the new science standards soon being implemented in the classroom the STEM video will be excellent to help motivate students with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The vocabulary robots will aid students in increasing their vocabulary giving them non-verbal clues. The online tutors can assist students at school and away from school with areas the students are struggling with. I believe these tools will be excellent to implement in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteTechnology is constantly evolving and changing as technological advances are improving. The article the "Digital Promise" emphasizes how researchers are working to develop programs that develop critical thinkers in the educational system. As technological advancement improves it is gives students an opportunity to gather resource materials that they can use for educational purposes. These tools will excel students above the average. We live in a digital age where technology rules the land. These tools with definitely be beneficial to students in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteOur future is headed in a direction that 20 years ago would have never even been imaginable. We are currently in a technology driven culture, and that culture does not seem to be slowing down. With that being said, it is incredibly important that our students are well educated in technology, in its many forms.
ReplyDeleteThe Digital Promise, I believe is a giant leap in the right direction. Being a "physical" science teacher, the sciences that I teach are extremely math based. The first of the three key challenges, "identifying breakthrough technologies", best goes with my subject. It suggests that becoming an expert in IT could now take months where it used to take years due to a "digital tutor". Like it says, if this type of technology could be implemented and proven useful in math classes, and any other class for that matter, it could drastically change education as we know it today.
We try to make our students at least semi-proficient in our subjects in a single semester, but to go so far as to make them proficient and beyond is a wonderful thought!
The future of education is headed in a direction that leads to technology being a prime factor. In the days of smart phones, tablets, GPS, and even DVR, technology is integrated into everyone's daily lives. As educators we must be able to use this to our advantage. As I read the article two things stood out to me. R&D done in education is both underfunded (only 0.2% of the total education budget) and ineffective (taking years to come to conclusions). If Digital Promise can reduce the R&D time to months, this would enable me as a math teacher to see how my students are learning sooner, and I can make the proper adjustments for my students.
ReplyDeleteI also like the idea of bringing more games into the fold. I myself love to plays games on my phone and tablet. I have found that my students love to do the same. When I have taught a math class, my students responded the most to when I was playing games with them (no surprise there). If we can integrate some fun and interesting math video games, this could catch the attention of the students while teaching them math content knowledge.