Embracing Technology in the Classroom

Embracing Technology in the ClassroomAn Educator’s Guideto using the Internet effectively.By Tony Alires

Kids these days…Always with their faces buried in some electronic device.

Electronics

0As a college professor, you probably see more and more laptops in your classes every year.

0As a high school teacher, you often see kids distracted by their tablets and smart phones in class.

0Students are bringing technology into the classroom, so how can you take advantage of that in a way that adds to their learning experience?

Adding to the experience

0 “The change needed in schools is twofold. First they need to find ways to recognize and value the learning that goes on outside the classroom.

0Second, they need to support this learning by providing a space to reflect on it, galvanize and develop it so students can recognize and transfer those skills in new situations and contexts.” (Klopfer, Osterweil, Groff, & Haas, 2009)

Recognize and valueWhat works for you doesn’t always work for them.

Think about it

0 In a study with 230 undergrads at a Midwestern university, researchers found that one of the biggest factors in a student reading a textbook was the quality of the images (Jaschik, 2007).

Is it their fault?

0No! A majority of these kids have grown up completely immersed in digital technology of some form.

0For them, settling on using a textbook is like trying to contact someone via carrier pigeon. It can be done, but why use an outdated method?

SupportProvide the ideal digital environment to learn.

Providing a space

0From slide 4: “Second, they need to support this learning by providing a space to reflect on it, galvanize and develop it…”

0YouTube is a great space, full of high quality resources. But is it the ideal space for your students to interact digitally?

0What if you want to share other forms of media that aren’t videos?

Providing a space

0This digital classroom should:0 Be a centralized location all of your students can visit0 Involve all types of media0 Allow for student discussion and interaction0 Allow students to share digital info extremely quickly0 Encourage students to look for more sources of

information on that particular topic

MySocialCloud.com is that space

Centralized location

This is an example of how the list of a professor with a business course might look.

Videos can be watched and articles can be read within the site, keeping students away from online distractions.

Content is kept here in one location where your students can access it at any time through out the semester/year. Instead of visiting YouTube, and then Business Insider, and then Wall Street Journal, they can just go to your course list and everything will be in it!

All forms of media

Each of these bookmarks is its own form of media: (from left to right) photo, pdf, web article, and video.

Click on the video to play it within MySocialCloud. If it is a web article or pdf, click the Read button!

Students’ acquisition of information should not be limited to text in a book when the Internet has so much more to offer!

Discussion and interaction

Each student can comment on the tile, and it will be updated in real time.

Imagine you’ve posted this bookmark about innovation and one of your students shares it with a friend who is in another business course. As a result, you’ve just taught someone outside of your classroom without even trying!

But I just send an email whenever I want to share something with students. Email is an outdated system! When young people wake up in the morning, they don’t check their email. They check their social networks.

Besides, how many times have you lost an email in the clutter?

Explore knowledge

Students can use the search function to find things related to their field of study.

A search using the term “business” returned these results on MySocialCloud.

The advantage of this feature lies in the fact that you aren’t the only expert in your field. Other key figures will have different insight and advice, and your students can benefit from all of it.

This is not BlackboardOr any other tool you use for grading and posting assignments.

A learning tool0 You cannot use MySocialCloud to post or grade

assignments.

0 It is used as a tool for connecting students to information that will help them better understand the topic of the course. Think of it as you handing them a giant packet of resources, but instead of a stack of paper, they get it online.

0 As a leader of your field or industry, you know the most prominent figures, the leading products, the best websites, and when the conferences are.

0 Use MySocialCloud to share this knowledge with your students! Help them to become leaders in your field!

Education for a digital generation

0 “School leaders are key actors in re-imagining schools for a digital future.

0They have to recognise that their students are a resource to be unleashed; that they have the knowledge, skills and understanding to contribute to and develop their own learning experience…

0This is about focusing on small levers with the potential to create big change.” (Green & Hannon, 2007)

Creating big change0MySocialCloud is a team of young USC students who

want to improve the way all students are learning.

0Your students will love hearing our inspiring story; it will get them excited about using a new academic tool to study the topics they are interested in.

0We cannot create this big change without the help of each individual instructor. The knowledge you share on MySocialCloud could be used to teach anyone around the world! That is our ultimate vision for the future of education.

Let’s get you started!

0Before the fall academic year begins, I’d like to help you get your profile set up. We can create a different list for each of your courses and I will show you how to add these resources to your profile.

0 I will also show you how you can keep them hidden until you reach the week of discussion that pertains to those articles and videos.

Thanks for watching!

0My name is Tony Alires and I want to help propel your classroom into the future: [email protected]

0 If you’d like to see my personal lists, type this into your browser: http://www.mysocialcloud.com/#/tonyalires

0Works Cited for this presentation:http://www.mysocialcloud.com/#/tonyalires/WorksCited