1. There is life beyond
web quests
A.K.A Connecting with the 21st Century Student

2. Macarthur Digital Foundation est. 2006
“The MacArthur Foundation launched its five-year, $50
million digital media and learning initiative in 2006
to help determine how digital technologies are changing
the way young people learn, play, socialize, and
participate in civic life.”
Macarthur Digital Foundation

3.  Young people today spend an average of almost 6.5 hours a day
with media.
 The total amount of media content young people are exposed to
each day has increased by more than an hour since 2000, with
most of the increase coming from video games and computers.
 Eighty-seven percent of U.S. teens aged 12-17 now use the
Internet. That is up 24%from 2000. Half of those teen internet users
go online every day.
Statistics in 2006

4.  The average teen spends approximately 11.5 hours a week of his or
her free time creating, exploring, playing games, and
communicating online.
 Over half of teens age 12–17 use a social networking site;
approximately three out of five teens upload some type of creative
content online and virtually all teens engage in some type of video
gameplay .
 The online practices of teens vary dramatically; they may be avid
texters and emailers, social networkers, casual surfers, and news
browsers, or deeply invested MMORP gamers and social activists.
Statistics in 2008

5. K-8 Standard pc software
 Typing software, ex. Mavis Beacon etc.
 Microsoft office
 Drawing software
 Edutainment software
Standard pc applications used

6. K-8 It’s Interactive!
 Hypercard
 Logo, or some other basic computer programming software,
Web quests
 Internet searches
 Online education products, Plato, Write to Learn, Terra Nova
etc.
Standard“interactive”technologies
used

7. K-8 Classroom computer standards
 Standards are useful but limiting
 Standards do not stimulate students ability to learn
 Standards rely heavily on individual experiences vs. group
experiences
 Standards do not train students for collaborative work environments
The Disconnect

8. Barriers to technology innovation
The context (School):
◦ What is your organizational culture like?
◦ What kind of human infrastructure does your school have?
◦ What kind of technology infrastructure does your school have?
The innovator (Teacher):
◦ How technologically proficient are you?
◦ What are your beliefs about a tech-integrated pedagogy?
◦ What is your knowledge of resources?
Overcoming the barriers

9. Barriers to technology innovation
The Operator (Students):
◦ How technologically proficient are your students?
◦ How familiar with the project style are your students?
◦ What are the attitudes and beliefs of your students toward
the innovation and its use for educational purposes? What
is the general attitude of the class towards the innovation?
Overcoming the barriers

10. Change the way you approach technology
 Technology=play for children AND adults!
◦ Never underestimate a student’s curiosity
 Take it for a test drive
◦ Spend some time using an application, website, etc. before you hit
the classroom and assign activities
 One Size does not fit all
◦ Break assignments down into group responsibilities
Going beyond the standards

11. A new approach to the keyboard
◦ Create Haiku’s with the pc
◦ Student’s create illustrations with kidpix
◦ Copies of Ms. Smith’s little book of Haiku’s are sent
home with every student
◦ Language literacy requirements are met, students create
poetry, visual art, and learn how to keyboard
Examples

12. No More Book Reports
 Collaboration is key
◦ Consider giving assignments to students in groups
 Use sites that experiment with technology
◦ NASA’S education site
◦ Breakin News English
 Instead of the tried and true, why not try something new?
◦ Class blog
◦ Wiki
More examples

13. Cultivate your student’s desire to explore
technology in high school and beyond
 Linworth High School’s rain garden project
 Adopt a watershed project
 Learn and Serve and AmeriCorps
Technology=variety of opportunities

14. Diversity of technology is key to the State’s
growth
Not everyone’s a programmer, web designer, etc.
 Green Collar job training
 Current tv
 Maybe the next big tech innovator is in our backyard ?
Ohio needs to go beyond IT

15. Rules of the road
 Step outside of your comfort zone, try something new
 Partner with a colleague
 Support, support, support!
◦ My e-coach
◦ MacArthur digital foundation
◦ Itsco’s programs
Keepin’ it current

16. Rule #1, there are no rules
“Given the diversity of digital media, it is problematic
to develop a standardized set of benchmarks
against which to measure young people’s technical
and new media literacy.”
-Living and Learning with New Media: Summary of Findings from the
Digital Youth Project, November 20th, 2008
New Rules

17. Beth Kagel
 Master’s in Education, Instructional Technologies SF State
 Focus on k-12 students , educators, higher education
 Portfolio information bkagel.net
 Materials used in presentation available upon request
Educational Tech. Consultant