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.)
Technology is such a crazy thing, that just seems to keep advancing. The article talked about how they are looking at technology and trying to learn the best ways to develop it. They are looking at "identifying breakthrough technologies, learning faster what's working and what's not, transforming the market for learning technologies." I think the biggest thing of those three is that they are learning what's working and what's not. Children want to use technology to learn, but if we provide them with resources that are not helpful we are not going to get anywhere. The article also talked about different things they have developed to help kids learn. They have robots to help teach vocabulary and online tutors to help with comprehension! Do any of you think that technology will ever become so advance they won't need teachers anymore?
ReplyDeleteARamon
Several of the projects listed on the Digital Promise fact sheet had to do with science and math, but there were a couple that relate to the English Language Arts classroom. The fact sheet mentions the development of "robots that use non-verbal clues to teach vocabulary to kids." I'll admit I had to do a little Googling to understand non-verbal clues: gestures, pictures, and other cues-without-words that provide learners with a context for new vocabulary. According to ABC Science*, a study by the University of Chicago "found that differences in what children can see (non-verbal cues) while their parents are talking improved their vocabularies by 22% three years later." Considering this, I think these robots would significantly increase students' vocabulary (particularly at the elementary level). Another project listed on the fact sheet is incorporating "online tutors that assess a student's real-time comprehension and tailor learning strategies." With overpopulated public school classrooms, it's difficult for ELA teachers to give students the individual attention they need in regards to writing and reading skills. Online tutors could, for example, help review course texts and make suggestions for rough drafts of essays.
ReplyDelete*http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2013/06/25/3789007.htm
APlovanich
I am going to begin by saying "Wow". A lot of the innovations in this article can be helpful for the development of next generation learning. The article states that in order for students to be ready for the work force of tomorrow they must begin in K-12 schools. It also states that common core standards are helping to make the transition. I think the Digital Promise is a wonderful idea. The students in upper grades will benefit more than lower grades. Rapid testing of promising new technologies, creativity of buyers consortium to demand better prices and higher quality, and encouraging entrepreneurs to develop game-changing innovations by promising to buy them are all wonderful innovative ideas to help develop learning in the classroom. It is a great way to incorporate technology and critical thinking skills needed for tomorrow's job market. I teach 1st grade, so I believe the best innovation for elementary school kids is the top game makers working with teachers to develop games to use in the classroom. It will be a great motivational tool for students and teachers. Imagine teaching reading, math, and science on an X-Box. It is definitely next generation learning!
ReplyDeleteL. Taylor
I will be a first time teacher once I finally make it out there so I don't know as much as many of you. I think rapid low cost testing, like Netflix uses, would greatly benefit the students. The article made a great point about how research is often outdated by the time we receive the results. I know materials such as the computers and programs are costly so they can not be traded very easily because a new version just came out. I feel the rapid testing mentioned in the article would help to identify what works and doesn't work much faster. I also liked the idea of encouraging entrepreneurs to pre-purchase technology for school the same way they did for the vaccine in other countries. My only problem with that is if they buy a ton of technology for schools and it turns out to be no good. I think the rapid testing would be a must here as well. Lastly, I like the video game idea as an educational resource to get students motivated but I'm not sure so much emphasis should be placed on video games, even if they are educational. I feel students need to learn in a more traditional way with technology to enhance learning not take it over.
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ReplyDeleteTechnology is a must. Everything we do seems to revolve around the web. The goal of "Digital Promise" is to advance technology in schools. I am very much a supporter of technology, but I am not sure how much is too much. While reading this article, I was a little confused about how far Digital Promise was taking technology. Being able to identify new technology, what is working on not, and rapid testing is definitely an advantage. The article mentioned a tutor. I am curious if a "tutor" will eventually take the place of a teacher. The article also mentioned using video games as instructional tools. My students do play educational games on their computers that go along with skills we are working on. I think games are good to reinforce what has been taught or give them a little down time. I am concerned that constant gaming will interfere with my instruction, causing lack in attention and interest. Another concern of mine are social skills. If we begin to rely on technology and video games, when do students collaborate, discuss, and interact with their peers? I think technology and the opportunities we are providing our students with is wonderful, but we should remember what has worked for so many years!
ReplyDeleteI thought it was very interesting in reading about Digital Promise that such a creation like Creating a League of Innovative Schools has been established. These schools are chosen through variety of credentials, then they implement new and innovative teaching tools, technological in nature, most of them. If the new tools and strategies or approaches are successful, other school systems in the nation might adapt the tools to their own curriculums. Also interesting was the section on Advance Market Commitment. It was neat I thought, that when thee publicity and funds of someone like Bill Gates is combined with public and private funding, steps like the earlier introduction of a needed children's vaccine can be introduced. So whether in a school setting or a medical & technical field, it appears that Digital Promise is indeed innovative and promising for children.
ReplyDeleteThe most interesting initiative was the investments by the NSF on cyber-learning. This methodology was particularly interesting because it would allow more people to get together to share data and arrive at various ideas that would advance the shared knowledge. Being a science teacher, this would allow classes to share data or work together to solve problems in every day society. We might be able to "spend a day" with an environmentalist, a surgeon, or an engineer. This would allow students to see WHY we do what we do and HOW it is important.
ReplyDeleteI am happy to hear that something is being done technology wise. With Airbus coming to Mobile, I recall the news stations doing several stories on the number of jobs being brought to our area. However, the availability of jobs versus the number of qualified applicants did not match. This is the beginning of a trend across the US. Another aspect of the Digital Promise is that because it focuses on STEM subjects, the youth of our future will be able to compete against youth of other nations. The National STEM Video Game Challenge is a great avenue that I am happy is being explored. It is meeting the children where they are. They are being born into a computerized world. Video games now mimic different careers, legal and otherwise. If the video games would focus not only on the entertainment sector, but maybe a game which focuses on accounting, make it into an espionage type game of find the money and who did it. This would be a College and Career Ready type of learning. The Digital Promise is refreshing and I hope it expands rapidly.
ReplyDeleteI was very encouraged by the initiatives mentioned in this article. I feel very hopeful as a teacher by the things that are being done to promote R&D in the technology field for learning. As a teacher in the field of Social Science at the high school and college levels, I feel that this is a positive way of reaching those who have varied learning styles. I have learned that students do not learn at the same level, pace, or in the same way and the days of textbook and tutor learning have become very limited. These initiatives are very important and the assistance of the NSF allows for a greater opportunity for companies to get their products into the market with greater ease and with promise of better programs. I was very encouraged by the increasing speed and accuracy of the products being developed and the analysis that is being done on the effectiveness of these products. With many more companies being allowed into the market and a collaborative effort being put into the development, we should see a much better product that will suit the needs of today’s student at a greater levels.
ReplyDeleteI found the statement/factsheet heartening. I'm glad to know that there are programs being started that look into quickly evaluating new technology as well as trying to be efficient in spending. The League of Innovative Schools sounds like a good start.
ReplyDeleteThe online tutoring and creating games for students sounds helpful, especially in math. In a secondary setting, not being able to teach because of a lack of understanding could be problematic. The online tutoring would be helpful to catch kids up in areas they were having trouble.
After reading the article I was pleasantly surprised that the act of the "Digital Promise" even existed. I think the goal of the Digital Promise campaign, the advancement of innovative technologies in the classroom is a really great idea and I hope that Digital Promises reaches classrooms in Mobile County. I think that the MCPSS is far behind other school districts in the advancement of digital technologies. I know they have bring your own device but not every child has a device to bring other than a smartphone and those are not allowed to be used.The hope of the Digital Promise is to bring innovative technologies into all classroom is greatly needed in our area. I thought that there were several great ideas in the Digital Promise concerning next generation learning environments. Top game makers such as XBox and Microsoft, working together with teachers to develop innovative educational games to bring in to the classroom is a fantastic idea. Children love to play games and with this idea children will be playing educational games that will further develop their knowledge in subject areas without even knowing that they are learning in the process. I also thought the idea of "online tutors to assess student's real time comprehension and tailor learning strategies" is a great concept. Teachers and tutors are so limited in how much individual instruction time they can give, so having an online tutor to assess their comprehension of what they are learning in real time would be a great asset to students. I also thought that 'the idea of "robots that use non-verbal cues to teach vocab to kids" is a really great idea as well. This could be especially helpful in early elementary grade levels for children who are just learning new words. I also think the concept of "geo games that help students analyze data across geographical areas to solve real world challenges" is an excellent one. This would help give them a virtual field trip into different cultures around the world and help develop how they critically think to problem solve about real world issues.I think all the ideas set forth in the Digital Promise would make a critical impact in the schools across the country and I hope that this promise stays implemented and has a chance to make a real impact on schools nationally as well as locally.
ReplyDeleteThere seems to be a lot of hope in Digital Promise and I believe they are heading in the right direction. It's great to see people from all across the nation come together to make this project happen. I think creating a league of innovative schools is the most beneficial in getting this project to new heights. As it said in the article, companies like Amazon and Netflix do not go off of hunches, they go by what is effective. Using this method will help speed the process of what technologies work and do not work in a classroom. Also, money is always an issue when it comes to innovative ideas so we need to establish high quality solutions with low costs. As a future science teacher, I was excited when I read that the NSF is contributing to this project. "GeoGames" will help students understand why specific concepts are important for real life problems and students can receive additional help with online tutors. I also found interesting was the creation of video games for educational purposes. I am a little skeptical of this idea because it has potential to be great but it also has potential to be a huge distraction. However, I do like how they made it into a challenge because people tend to become more motivated when there is competition involved. Overall, the article listed several great ideas and I hope that this project will further in their accomplishments.
ReplyDeleteTechnology will never stop improving. The article mentioned the way people are looking at the changes in technology and how to develop it to its fullest. As I have mentioned earlier in this class and even if I may sound a little old school I do believe that technology should be used as a tool to help the teacher and provide extras however it should not become the main way to teach as I believe some intangible of the physical presence of a teacher cannot be replaced. Unfortunately, online classes are becoming more and more popular as it is more convenient. I do believe that they are helpful and handy in this world lacking of time, however it still raises some questions such as "are the students getting the same quality of education from it?
ReplyDeleteSVaezzadeh
Technology will never stop improving. The article mentioned the way people are looking at the changes in technology and how to develop it to its fullest. As I have mentioned earlier in this class and even if I may sound a little old school I do believe that technology should be used as a tool to help the teacher and provide extras however it should not become the main way to teach as I believe some intangible of the physical presence of a teacher cannot be replaced. Unfortunately, online classes are becoming more and more popular as it is more convenient. I do believe that they are helpful and handy in this world lacking of time, however it still raises some questions such as "are the students getting the same quality of education from it?
ReplyDeleteSVaezzadeh
The Digital Promise's goal is to advance technology in our schools. This is a wonderful idea and I'm glad to see that Congress has stepped up to help out our schools. After all, we must do our best to prepare these young minds for the future. Children from a very young age are being exposed to technology and they definitely enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteOne of the research projects that sparked my interest is the robot that teaches vocabulary through the use of nonverbal cues. I wonder how that will work. Also, is this something teachers would have in their classrooms? Sounds very cool!
As technology seems to be slowly taking over humans in the working world, or at least complementing it a bit more everyday I believe that it is only normal that the Congress decided to help schools out.
ReplyDeleteIn higher education, the students are close to get to the real world and their first jobs, therefore they need to be ready to work with technology on a daily base. I really like the idea of using video games as a way to get students into it learn without them realizing it.
ENewton
The Digital Promise campaign seems like a great way to increase the impact of technology on learning. Higher education can benefit from this initiative in several ways. The initiative focuses on identifying breakthrough technologies, evaluating effectiveness of existing technologies, and transforming the market for new technologies. By updating old technology systems, universities have the opportunity to provide cutting edge resources to students to help keep scholars in pace with the global education market. I was happy to see the amount of collaboration needed to create this initiative. The initiative receives bipartisan support from Congress, the Carnegie Foundation, the Flora Hewlett Foundation, and the Department of Education.
ReplyDeleteTechnology will be incorporated into learning more and more. This article about the Digital Promise proves that. It was very interesting to read about all of the modern technology advances that will be incorporated into learning.
ReplyDeleteOur 21st century world revolves around technology. It is logical that we would bring that technology into schools and learning to help mold our 21st century students. As educators, it is our job to make our students as prepared as possible for their future. Exposing them to advanced technology should be critical.
There were so many interesting technological ideas that I read about. I was particularly interested in the "GeoGames" and reading about the technology for students with hearing disabilities.
As a physical education teacher, I will mostly be using technology for research, but I might be surprised at the different ways that I can incorporate other forms of technology into my classroom. I am very open to trying new ideas and am excited to see how technology will positively affect my students.
JGilmore
The potential of learning technology has a profound affect on young learners, such as those in my second grade class. Because the young learners of today are are more engaged in learning when there is a form of technology is involve,the curriculum and assessment should make changes to what and how students learn. Digital or technological programs can be used as supplements or as tutoring programs but not as the means for explicit instruction. The Digital Promise project is looking toward the future with the concept of educating our students to prepare them for the future. With all of the technological advances that we have access to, our educational system has to compete globally.
ReplyDeleteI think that this initiative will have nothing but a positive impact on higher education. Advancing technologies that can transform teaching and learning? How could this not provide positive results. By updating old technologies in higher education, students are provided with the most up-to-date mediums for learning. I think one of the most important parts of the initiative is the goal to learn faster what's working and what's not. In my public relations undergraduate coursework, we learned that evaluation is one of the most important things to continue. You should constantly be evaluating to make sure that programming is always the best it can be.
ReplyDeleteToday, more than ever, technology is becoming a facet of everyday life. We as educators need to be able to teach our kids not only our course content, but also how technology is integrated tnot it. Now of course this is easier when looking at the STEM fields, but everyone has a chance to involve technology into their lessons. What I like about the Digital Promise is that it is aggressively looking at promising new technologies that will be involved in our everyday lives in the future and trying to incorporate them into education. Also, using technology as new and innovative ways to encourage students to learn. Some students do not do well with just sitting and learning and taking notes. We need to adapt and technology can help us do just that.
ReplyDeleteToday, more than ever, technology is becoming a facet of everyday life. We as educators need to be able to teach our kids not only our course content, but also how technology is integrated tnot it. Now of course this is easier when looking at the STEM fields, but everyone has a chance to involve technology into their lessons. What I like about the Digital Promise is that it is aggressively looking at promising new technologies that will be involved in our everyday lives in the future and trying to incorporate them into education. Also, using technology as new and innovative ways to encourage students to learn. Some students do not do well with just sitting and learning and taking notes. We need to adapt and technology can help us do just that.
ReplyDelete