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| During the class, senior Brendan M. attentively listens to a guest speaker, Susan Retik. Ms. Retik is hundreds of miles away. If you're listening to conversations educators have about curriculum and learning, it's hard not to hear the word "technology" quickly and frequently. A fairly recent example: at the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools fall conference, most of the sessions focused on technologies in the classroom, K-12. Why is technology so important to teachers and administrators? Is there something special about this era that separates it from times past? Are learners different? Does a different world demand different classrooms? These are among the important questions that should be asked as we consider new models of education that put a premium on technological innovation. In my job as our school's academic technology director, I assume a role as promoter of technology use. And as a long time teacher and counselor, I know that in the past, technologies have held undelivered promises. Part of my job as now is to help the school decide what technologies command our attention because they will help create better learning. It probably makes sense to start with a premise, and here's mine: technology should be judged as it serves learning. I may hear someone say, "Many students love playing online social games using avatars, so we should redesign courses to make the most of this interest. If Farmville is popular on Facebook, why can't we figure out how to use that popularity in the classroom?" My response is "What are you trying to accomplish in your classroom? What are your learning goals?" If Farmville, or another web-based social game, helps students toward your learning goals, use it. If it only keeps students engaged because they enjoy the activity, it is misused technology. For schools, the fact is that the last twenty years have seen an unbelievable growth in technology . Beginning in the early 1990's with the influx of computers into classrooms, through the rise of educational software development, the unlimited resources of the internet, the creativity enabled by web 2.0 and the mobility and flexibility made possible by laptops, netbooks, tablets and other devices, we have seen incredible change in a couple of decades. The challenge is not only to make sense of it all, but to make wise use of the possibilities. It is my intention in this space to keep you informed of the many ways in which our teachers use technology to further learning. Let's take one example that I recently observed. Our Upper School History Department offers an elective, Comparative World Religions. The class was studying Islam, and in particular, it was considering the debate centering on the location of an Islamic Cultural Center and mosque near the Ground Zero site in downtown Manhattan. The class had done readings, discussed the issues, and taken a trip to lower Manhattan. Additionally, the students had seen the film "Beyond Belief" which added a highly personal perspective to the subject. The teacher, Peter Schmidt, was hopeful the students would be able to speak with Susan Retik, a central person in the film. Distance, and her schedule, made a face to face meeting impossible, but a video chat provided a reasonable alternative. Students could easily see and hear Ms. Retik, and she was able to give the class a full forty minutes of uninterrupted time. Class learning was enriched in a way otherwise unobtainable. It's a fine example of technology in service to learning.
The photo above is of Susan Retik on the monitor while engaged in a video chat. Look carefully in the upper right hand corner, and you'll see the picture-in-picture of the GSB class. I'll write more about technology in service to learning in future posts, but feel free to offer your comments now. And briefly, on to another topic....the naming of the GSB Intranet. Using either this Blog site or Survey Monkey, we have about 100 entries. There's still time to submit. You can post here or use the online survey at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SZRSCGG Contest closes on January 7, 2011 at noon. Finally, a Happy New Year to all readers! |
Friday, December 31, 2010
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Happy Birthday, GSB Intranet
It’s late November, the one year anniversary of the GSB Intranet. It seems timely to reflect on the ways the intranet has served the GSB community as I inaugurate a new addition to our tech services: a blog on GSB technology.
First, a word on blogging. The word “blog” derives from weblog, a log of reflective thinking that is web-based. Blogs can be text narratives, or can add visual elements. Blogs can support links so that readers can be led to additional resources. Perhaps most interesting, blogs can invite comment. I hope my blog on technology at GSB will do all of the above.
As a reader, you’ll notice I’m using a third-party host for my blog. The reason is simple; the template supports a variety of features not easily accessible through our intranet. The GSB Intranet was created for a variety of purposes and not surprisingly, it may not be the single best tool for certain dedicated uses. So via a quick link, you’ll be able to keep up with GSB technology and offer commentary on ideas and initiatives.
A year in, what can fairly be said about our intranet? Here are 4 key points to consider.
1. The intranet has given every class a web site. This gives teachers another instructional tool to use as they strive to meet curricular goals.
2. The intranet helps students stay up-to-date.
3. The intranet has become an efficient communication tool for the school.
4. The intranet provides an accessible library of important school documents.
When teachers are provided with web sites, they use them. There were teachers who created web sites in years past, but it was an effort. Now that the sites are provided, usage is impressive. As a school, we do not dictate how each teacher will use his or her site. That’s why sites vary widely. So do classroom environments and teaching styles. To me, this variety is the hallmark of a vibrant learning community.
Regardless of division at GSB (Lower, Middle and Upper School), our students are remarkably busy. They practice music, compete on school and town teams, learn lines for plays, build robots, volunteer their time to worthy causes, participate in religious life, join clubs and out-of-school organizations and partake in family events. And they need to be fully aware of class responsibilities. It’s not easy….just ask any fully engaged student. The GSB Intranet has been critically helpful to many students as they seek to manage their schedules. They know there is a go-to place for assigned work, and it’s always available. No longer do they need to call a friend or try and catch-up with a teacher after school.
It’s not just students who rely on our intranet for key information. More and more, parents are finding that the information they seek is posted on the intranet. Need a permission slip for a Lower School trip? Want to read the Middle School student handbook? Looking to peruse Upper School Unit offerings? In the past, these and other documents might have been mailed home, or sent home with students or emailed. The intranet provides a uniform platform for postings that features convenience and accessibility in a paperless environment. And let’s not forget our Headmaster’s blog. Located on the home page, Mr. Rowell offers regular reflections on school life.
Though less obvious to our families, another intranet function is as a host site for internal documents. For instance, employees who need help from our operations staff make a request using an intranet-hosted task request form. Similarly, business office forms related to school employment are also intranet hosted.
A year in, the GSB Intranet has become an integral communication and teaching tool for our school. As is the case with all relatively new technologies, you can be certain that uses of the intranet will continue to grow and develop, in ways both predictable and unexpected. And I think that after a year, it’s time to give a school-specific name to the “GSB Intranet.” An early favorite is offered by Derek Martin (US English Department): KnightsNet. Aside from the urge to use a clever name, it would be nice to have a name that is distinctly different from the word “internet.”
Your suggestions are welcome. Post below.
First, a word on blogging. The word “blog” derives from weblog, a log of reflective thinking that is web-based. Blogs can be text narratives, or can add visual elements. Blogs can support links so that readers can be led to additional resources. Perhaps most interesting, blogs can invite comment. I hope my blog on technology at GSB will do all of the above.
As a reader, you’ll notice I’m using a third-party host for my blog. The reason is simple; the template supports a variety of features not easily accessible through our intranet. The GSB Intranet was created for a variety of purposes and not surprisingly, it may not be the single best tool for certain dedicated uses. So via a quick link, you’ll be able to keep up with GSB technology and offer commentary on ideas and initiatives.
A year in, what can fairly be said about our intranet? Here are 4 key points to consider.
1. The intranet has given every class a web site. This gives teachers another instructional tool to use as they strive to meet curricular goals.
2. The intranet helps students stay up-to-date.
3. The intranet has become an efficient communication tool for the school.
4. The intranet provides an accessible library of important school documents.
When teachers are provided with web sites, they use them. There were teachers who created web sites in years past, but it was an effort. Now that the sites are provided, usage is impressive. As a school, we do not dictate how each teacher will use his or her site. That’s why sites vary widely. So do classroom environments and teaching styles. To me, this variety is the hallmark of a vibrant learning community.
Regardless of division at GSB (Lower, Middle and Upper School), our students are remarkably busy. They practice music, compete on school and town teams, learn lines for plays, build robots, volunteer their time to worthy causes, participate in religious life, join clubs and out-of-school organizations and partake in family events. And they need to be fully aware of class responsibilities. It’s not easy….just ask any fully engaged student. The GSB Intranet has been critically helpful to many students as they seek to manage their schedules. They know there is a go-to place for assigned work, and it’s always available. No longer do they need to call a friend or try and catch-up with a teacher after school.
It’s not just students who rely on our intranet for key information. More and more, parents are finding that the information they seek is posted on the intranet. Need a permission slip for a Lower School trip? Want to read the Middle School student handbook? Looking to peruse Upper School Unit offerings? In the past, these and other documents might have been mailed home, or sent home with students or emailed. The intranet provides a uniform platform for postings that features convenience and accessibility in a paperless environment. And let’s not forget our Headmaster’s blog. Located on the home page, Mr. Rowell offers regular reflections on school life.
Though less obvious to our families, another intranet function is as a host site for internal documents. For instance, employees who need help from our operations staff make a request using an intranet-hosted task request form. Similarly, business office forms related to school employment are also intranet hosted.
A year in, the GSB Intranet has become an integral communication and teaching tool for our school. As is the case with all relatively new technologies, you can be certain that uses of the intranet will continue to grow and develop, in ways both predictable and unexpected. And I think that after a year, it’s time to give a school-specific name to the “GSB Intranet.” An early favorite is offered by Derek Martin (US English Department): KnightsNet. Aside from the urge to use a clever name, it would be nice to have a name that is distinctly different from the word “internet.”
Your suggestions are welcome. Post below.
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