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About THE Journal. (2021). THE Journal. Retrieved October 13, 2021, from https://thejournal.com/pages/about-the-journal.aspx
THE Journal is a good source of information on up-to-date technology in education. "THE Journal is dedicated to informing and educating K-12 senior-level district and school administrators, technologists, and tech-savvy educators within districts, schools, and classrooms to improve and advance the learning process through the use of technology. Launched in 1972, THE Journal was the first magazine to cover education technology."
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Akcil, U., Altinay, Z., Dagli, G., & Altinay, F. (2019). The role of technology leadership: Innovation for school leadership in digital age. ELearning & Software for Education, 2, 323–329. https://doi-org.leo.lib.unomaha.edu/10.12753/2066-026X-19-115
This is a study examining the role of administrators and other leaders in integrating technology. In it, they define"...technology leaders as people who follow developments in technology; people who set an example and motivate the teachers on the effective use of technology" (p. 323-324). The conclusion they come to is that "The more effective administrators are in use of technology, the more effort teachers put into practice on the use of technology and thus realize the learning process with students" (p. 328).
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Alwyn Vwen Yen Lee. (2021). Determining quality and distribution of ideas in online classroom talk using learning analytics and machine learning. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 24(1), 236–249.
The research question guiding this study is: "How can learning analytics, machine learning, and Idea Progress Reports be used for determining the quality and distribution of ideas in different classroom talks to inform personalized interventions?" (p. 237). The conclusion they come to is "To determine the quality of ideas in classroom talk for individual and groups of students, a new approach such as precision education will be needed to integrate learning analytics and machine learning techniques to improve the quality of teaching and cater interventive practices for individuals based on best available evidence" (p. 236).
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American Library Association. (2021). Digital literacy. https://literacy.ala.org/digital-literacy/
This is a website that shares resources for librarians using digital literacy. There are a number of useful links to sites and sources. Their definition of "...digital literacy involves knowing digital tools and using them in communicative, collaborative ways through social engagement."
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Apple Education. (2018). Everyone can create teacher guide [Apple Books]. Apple Inc. - Education. https://books.apple.com/us/book/everyone-can-create-teacher-guide/id1357353934
Great digital resource with lots of ready-to-use lessons to inspire creativity with students on iPads. This information is available in the form of a free Apple eBook and is organized into categories such as Music and Art. There are also accompanying free eBooks that can be used by students for each of the topics.
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Bartholomew, S. R., Strimel, G. J., Lucietto, A. M., & Akdere, M. (2020). Reinventing high school: Understanding the challenges and successes of transforming education to meet student, society, and industry needs. Journal of Technology Studies, 46(1), 2–19. https://doi-org.leo.lib.unomaha.edu/10.21061/jots.v46i1.a.1
Interesting study looking at ways to reinvent the way we do high school. They list "several core principles, including: (a) teachers using evidence-based best practices focused on the integration of core academic subjects with authentic STEM topics, (b) school faculty and staff supporting competency-based personalized learning that is academically rigorous and flexible to adapt to each student's needs, (c) students solving real-world design challenges and projects, and (d) students connecting knowledge and skills to possible careers through internships and industry certifications" (p. 2). One of the areas they focus on is "Design-based learning [which] engages students in developing solutions to authentic design problems while reflecting on the learning process" (p. 4).
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Canada, G. (2013, May). Our failing schools. Enough is enough! [Speech video]. TED. https://www.ted.com/talks/geoffrey_canada_our_failing_schools_enough_is_enough?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare
Geoffrey Canada spoke about how our schools haven't changed in years, despite other changes in the world in that time. He said that despite our knowing that students from low-income families consistently perform lower than students from wealthier families, we don't do anything to fix it. He also stated the importance of health care in education – that students with a toothache will not learn as well as the student with all of their needs met. I had never considered the importance of access to health care as an influence in education. It is just one more challenge for students who already have a lot of "disabilities." He also talked about the difference that extra-curricular activities can make in a child's life and that all students should have that opportunity. "If there is no learning going on, there is no education going on."
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EdTech reviews. (n.d.). Common Sense Education. Retrieved April 25, 2021, from https://www.commonsense.org/education/search?contentType=reviews
Common Sense Education is a resource that is dedicated to helping students become responsible digital citizens. This page contains a large number of digital resources that have been reviewed by the authors. It can be used to find more information about a potential tool or it can be used to find a tool to fit a particular need.
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Goldthwait-Fowles, H. (Ed.). (2018, December 4). The heart of accessibility is universal [Twitter Chat]. Apple Teacher. Retrieved April 9, 2021, from https://appleteacher.apple.com/#/home/rp/T026671A-en_US?backTo=%23%2Fhome%2Frp%2FR002775-en_US
Apple has a tool called Everyone Can Create and this Twitter Chat grew out of that resource. The Everyone Can Create eBook is useful for teachers working with students on iPads. This Twitter Chat also mentions the accessibility features that are part of an iPad and can support students that use them.
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Haas, M. R., Haley, K., Nagappan, B. S., Ankel, F., Swaminathan, A., & Santen, S. A. (2020). The connected educator: Personal learning networks. Clinical Teacher, 17(4), 373–377. https://doi-org.leo.lib.unomaha.edu/10.1111/tct.13146
A peer-reviewed article about the use of social media as professional development. It acknowledges the growing role of social media and how it has many advantages as a source of professional development. They find that "Learning occurs through the process of creating connections and expanding the complexity of the network" (p. 374).
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Jefferis, T., & Bisschoff, T. (2017). The Importance of Twitter in the professional development of digitally-engaged head teachers. International Studies in Educational Administration (Commonwealth Council for Educational Administration & Management (CCEAM)), 45(2), 43–72.
This article looks specifically at using Twitter for professional development. "It is not just on Twitter itself that the usefulness of the medium is championed – more traditional forms of peer-reviewed publication also point to Twitter's usefulness for leaders in schools" (p. 44). It acknowledges that "The sort of professional development offered by social networking sites like Twitter is seen by its champions as more democratic, more collaborative, more easily accessible and, of course, totally free" (p. 44). In their conclusions, they found that "All the participants were effusive about the power of Twitter to augment – or in some cases replace – traditional sources of information and training for senior leaders. Twitter's flexibility and the breadth of connections it offers were valued by all the tweeps interviewed" (p. 68).
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MacMillan, T., Forte, M., & Grant, C. (2014). Thematic analysis of the "games" students play in asynchronous learning environments. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 18(1). http://dx.doi.org/10.24059/olj.v18i1.332
An article that explores the use of games in asynchronous learning. It initially examines what is effective in learning. "In order for learning to truly be considered effective, a collaborative, safe environment needs to exist among students within the online conversation." They state that "The largest challenge to the online learning environment is the somewhat "removed" presence of the instructor within the course." They believe there is a "need for instructors to explicitly facilitate a constructive, interactive, shared process among students within the online discourse." They also encourage the use of regular feedback. "The use of consistent formative feedback is another way to curtail the development of negative gaming patterns by students in asynchronous course rooms."
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Malinovski, T., Vasileva, M., Vasileva-Stojanovska, T., & Trajkovik, V. (2014). Considering high school students' experience in asynchronous and synchronous distance learning environments: QoE prediction model. International Review of Research in Open & Distance Learning, 15(4), 91–112. https://doi-org.leo.lib.unomaha.edu/10.19173/irrodl.v15i4.1808
This study examines students' Quality of Experience (QoE) in synchronous and asynchronous learning situations. They find that "QoE in any situation was mainly determined by motivational factors (intrinsic and extrinsic)" (p. 91). When looking at asynchronous learning, they said that "The teachers provided streaming videos and notes for each lecture on the schools' learning portals during the asynchronous activities and discussed the materials with students over email and the portals' forum" (p.95). "Our study revealed that the main determinant of high school students' QoE within asynchronous and synchronous learning environments is students' motivation, especially during asynchronous activities that generally depend on students' own initiative" (p. 106).
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Mayer, G., Lingle, J., & Usselman, M. (2017). Experiences of advanced high school students in synchronous online recitations. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 20(2), 15–26.
The goal of this study "was to promote student-centered learning and encourage active student involvement and cohesion" (p. 15). In it, they note that "[web conferencing] WC technologies can support simultaneous communication over several different channels, or media. These media include instant messaging (IM), polls, audio and video, as well as a shared whiteboard" (p. 15). Some of their findings include "small group work activities can develop teamwork skills, trust, and cognitive processes among learners" (p. 15) and "high school students prefer to use IM over other communication channels" (p. 16). They also point out that "IM tends to be associated with fewer technical issues than other channels, and that students became more involved through IM during group work than in whole group discussion" (p. 22) and "group work activities are a way for learners to develop social cohesion, and can have a positive impact on student satisfaction" (p. 23).
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National education technology plan. (n.d.). US Department of Education Office of Educational Technology. Retrieved November 3, 2021, from https://tech.ed.gov/netp/
This is the "flagship educational technology policy document for the United States." The current document, "Reimagining the Role of Technology in Education," is from 2017, but they are working on an updated version for 2021 and are accepting contributions on their page. In this document, they look at the role of education leaders. "Education leaders need personal experience with learning technologies, an understanding of how to deploy these resources effectively, and a community-wide vision for how technology can improve learning." They note that "…some [districts, schools, and higher education institutions] are expanding the role of librarians to become evaluators and curators of learning technology resources, an activity that taps into their existing skill sets" but that "…organizations are well served to make sure they are fully staffing to meet needs rather than simply adding additional work to existing positions." "Technology alone does not transform learning; rather, technology helps enable transformative learning."
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OPS School Board. (2018, January 8). 6800 - Online and digital access and education. Board Policies: Instruction. Retrieved November 15, 2021, from https://www.ops.org/site/default.aspx?PageType=2&PageModuleInstanceID=2160&ViewID=1c43854f-5875-4d47-be5f-0e18028c22cb&FlexDataID=2735
This is the official policy for the Omaha Public Schools on the use of digital resources. It addresses the issues of COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act) and CIPA (Children's Internet Protection Act) without actually using those terms.
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OPS school improvement plan. (2020, November 20). Omaha Burke High School. Retrieved April 26, 2021, from https://burke.ops.org/Portals/0/2020-2021%20Burke%20School%20Improvement%20Plan.pdf?ver=uzezFPfKca24H_P4zEbxvA%3d%3d
This is the official document for Omaha Burke High School's school improvement plan 2020-2021. It address Academics, Attendance, Multi-tiered Systems of Support - Behavior (MTSSB), and Wellness goals.
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Pearce, J. (2020). Effective remote teaching and learning. Teaching Business & Economics, 24(3), 15–17.
This is a post-pandemic look at remote and hybrid teaching. They acknowledge that "high quality asynchronous lessons are likely to be more effective than low quality synchronous lessons, and vice versa" (p. 15). They offer some recommendations for teachers who are doing remote or hybrid teaching such as "If doing 'live' lessons, ask pupils questions to check for attention and understanding" (p. 15) and "Feedback should still be given on work that pupils complete remotely, wherever possible" (p. 16). They find that "Research has demonstrated the positive impact on remote learning of peer interaction, especially on older pupils" (p. 16). They also note that interaction between teachers and pupils "is crucial for pupils' continued motivation and engagement" (p. 16).
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Poce, A., Amenduni, F., & De Medio, C. (2019). From tinkering to thinkering. Tinkering as critical and creative thinking enhancer. Journal of E-Learning & Knowledge Society, 15(2), 101–112. https://doi-org.leo.lib.unomaha.edu/10.20368/1971-8829/1639
This study looks at "tinkering, as an informal method to engage students with STEM subjects" (p. 101). They note that "the education scientific community is interested in developing methods that can engage students with STEM subjects, promoting, at the same time, 21st Century skills. Not only formal, but especially informal education methods are catching the attention of the scientific community, taking into consideration a lifelong learning approach" (p. 102). They explain that "The Tinkering method is rooted in theoretical frameworks that emphasize scientific inquiry through direct experience, sensor-motorial, and playful practices" (p. 103).
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Rim, B. (2019). Teacher's use of technology to enhance EFL learners' critical thinking skills case study: Biskra Secondary School third year learners, Algeria. International Journal of Language Academy, 7(2), 279–289. https://doi-org.leo.lib.unomaha.edu/10.18033/ijla.4157
This study takes a look at how using technology can improve students' critical thinking skills. This is important because "Teaching critical thinking skills assists learners to become better thinkers in both classroom context and life situation" (p. 279). Since this doesn't come naturally to students, "teachers need to encourage the development of their learners' critical thinking skills. In its meaning, they have to model these skills to their learners and to teach them explicitly to think critically" (p. 280).
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Robinson, G. (2013, May). Our failing schools. Enough is enough! [Speech video]. TED. https://www.ted.com/talks/geoffrey_canada_our_failing_schools_enough_is_enough?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare
Sir Ken Robinson focused on where we are going wrong with education and what changes we need to make. He talked about the three principles on which human life flourishes – diversity, curiosity, and creativity. We really need to do more in American schools to develop and encourage students on an individual level to be curious and creative. Education is not a delivery system, but a creative one. "The real role of education…is not and should not be command and control. The real role of leadership is climate control, creating a climate of possibility."
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Semenescu, A., Antonescu, V. D., & Chiva, I. C. (2020). Why digital technologies boost creativity. ELearning & Software for Education, 2, 642–649. https://doi-org.leo.lib.unomaha.edu/10.12753/2066-026X-20-170
This article looks at how technology can be used to inspire creativity and share a lot of digital resource that can be used in this manner. They state that "Creativity is an active process necessarily involved in innovation. It is a learning habit that requires skills as well as specific understanding of the contexts in which creativity is being applied. The creative process is at the heart of innovation" (p. 642). This is important because "The use of new information and communication technologies [ICT] is one of the main key competences affirmed by the European Commission, and ICT is found in all areas of social and professional life, the development of specific ICT skills being a necessary condition for the individual's integration into the labor market and society" (p. 642). They recommend that "Teaching staff need to adapt on the go, to be dynamic, modifying the teaching strategy according to the new technologies that appear and that are suitable for the activity being taught, so that they succeed in motivating the current students to be active in the classrooms" (p. 643).
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Shemshack, A. (2021). What supports do teachers need on effective instructional technology integration? Journal of Literacy and Technology, 22(1), 22-51.
As more and more schools are integrating technology into education, it is important to think about how to do so effectively. Not all teachers are ready or able to use the technology they are given. "It is essential that teachers feel supported so they are motivated to integrate instructional technology effectively" (p. 23). Using Information Communication Technology (ICT) is necessary as "...educators' planning evolves around preparing students for the future" (p. 23). For this to be effective, "ICT leadership is necessary...for all schools to increase the efforts on the use of instructional technology and goes on to argue that principals' involvement in the implementation of ICT use involves three primary goals: (a) leading/modeling ICT knowledge, (b) supporting/empowering teachers, and (c) planning for technology integration" (p. 24). They say that "ICT leadership requires specific roles and responsibilities, including planning, promoting, supporting, and performing technology literacy growth" (p. 24). However, "...technology integration needs to be implemented in a meaningful, practical manner to realize its benefits" (p. 26). It is important that "Administrators, teachers, and school district officials must work together to collaboratively develop an ICT plan that increases technology's efficient use across the school" (p. 28).
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Shubina, I., & Kulakli, A. (2019). Pervasive learning and technology usage for creativity development in education. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning, 14(1), 95–109. https://doi-org.leo.lib.unomaha.edu/10.3991/ijet.v14i01.9067
This paper was written to "investigate the role of creativity and pervasive learning in a modern education paradigm" (p. 95). In looking at the definition of creativity, they say that "Creativity has to be defined in terms of novelty, flexibility, and divergent thinking, but also productivity and applicability of gained knowledge and experience" (p. 96). They also look at the role curiosity plays in education. "Curiosity in educational processes should be considered at both intellectual and scientific levels. Scientific curiosity from students' side triggers more involved and deep thinking, as well as asking many questions and having doubts or delaying the judgments" (p. 97). They note that "Various studies proved that strong relationship between technology use and creativity enhancement through reinforcing students' intrinsic motivation, self- regulation, curiosity, self-efficacy and knowledge exchange" (p. 104).
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Sturge, J. (2020). Digital storytelling: Tips, tools, and resources. Computers in Libraries, 40(8), 32–36.
This article looks at how digital storytelling can be used in education to inspire creativity and encourage critical thinking skills. They define digital storytelling as "a blend of video, audio, images, and text that are used to convey stories, information, and ideas" (p. 32). There are many examples of resources that can be used in the classroom to help with digital storytelling. "The beauty is, not only does digital storytelling allow the students to share their voices, but it also allows them—and this is my favorite part—to become more competent with technology. Storytelling tools let students take charge of their learning in ways that are meaningful and creative—and that help them develop critical thinking skills" (p. 32).
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TEDx Talks. (2016, October). Why we need universal design [Speech video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVdPNWMGyZY
This video explains what Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is and why it is so important. Michael Nesmith does an excellent job at breaking down a complicated topic in a way that makes sense. He explains that when you achieve universal design, it snowballs and people with different disabilities can benefit. "Disability drives innovation" and we all have disabilities, even if they are just temporary.
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Universal design for learning guidelines version 2.2. (2018). CAST. Retrieved April 24, 2021, from https://udlguidelines.cast.org
This is a digital document that specifically lists the Guidelines for Universal Design for Learning. It looks at Engagement, Representation, and Action & Expression.
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Weidler-Lewis, J., Lamb, G. R., & Polman, J. (2018). Creative visual representation: Using science infographics to jump-start creativity in the classroom. The Science Teacher, 86(2), 41-47. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A552749305/GPS?u=omah93080&sid=GPS&xid=e2bd12eb
This article looks at how using infographics can be beneficial for students and walks the reader through the process of creating them. "Constructing infographics, or visual displays of information, encourages student creativity in selecting a topic, strategically and visually organizing the topic, and sharing it with a public audience" (p.42). They also share that "Creating infographics requires students to make sense of multiple sources of data and synthesize these data into a compelling visual form to make a central claim. Unlike posters, which tend to be purely informational with disjointed facts, news infographics are journalistic, make an argument, and have an overarching message" (p. 42). "A powerful infographic can convince an audience of an argument or can evoke a new response to a phenomenon" (p. 43).
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Zichermann, G. (2011, June). How games make kids smarter [Speech transcript]. TED. https://www.ted.com/talks/gabe_zichermann_how_games_make_kids_smarter#t-966841
"If you have children, or you work with children, or you desire to work with children, or you want to change the world, this is the absolute, positive, best thing you can do with your time… get into the game with your kids. Stop fighting the game trend, if that's where you are right now. Don't fight the game trend. Become one with the game. Enter the game. Understand it. Understand the dynamic of how your children play the games that they play. Understand how their minds work from the context of the game outward, rather than from the world outside inward."
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