Relative Advantage of Spreadsheets

Spreadsheets act as a powerful medium for keeping me both sane and organized. As a teacher, coach of two sports, newspaper advisor, and graduate student I must utilize any platform that can positively help to keep my life in order and limit the chaos. Thus, I use Google Sheets, Numbers, Excel, and other spreadsheet resources constantly. I organize uniform distribution for nearly 150 of our track athletes, analyze student work, and keep track of “to do” lists all through spreadhseets. Yet, this week I was deeply challenged as to how to best use spreadsheets as a tool in the classroom. It seems my approach to using spreadsheets has been limited to organizational purposes, and in analyzing various sources by initial thoughts have only been affirmed. There are several ways to which spreadsheets can positively contribute to student learning, including the following:

1. Data Collection- spreadsheets can be used to collect a variety of data. This could range from surveys to evaluations to monitoring the progress of something. The primary benefit is that feedback is almost instantaneous making it more meaningful for students.
2. Easy Collaboration- teachers, faculty, and students all can use spreadsheets to work together. Whether it be to finish an assignment, organizing schedules, or offer feedback, spreadsheets enhance the ability of partners and groups to collaborate (Wojicki, 2007).
3. 21st century skill- The workforce mandates some knowledge of using spreadsheets. It is a universal skill that can be applied in nearly any profession.

In an article published by Education.com, Robley and Doering highlight three aditional advantages to using spreadsheets:

• Save time — Using the formula features allows for mathematical features to be calculated at a much quicker speed. Moreover, spreadsheets like Google Sheets save automatically and can be shared quickly via email or with a link.
• Organize displays of information — This can be used to record student information such as demographics, test scores, and other helpful information that would allow an instructor to assess student needs.
• Support asking "what if" questions — The visual layout and display of a spreadsheet simplifies the viewers means of analyzing and evaluating. It creates a distinct picture of any type of change that occurs (2010).

Wojicki, E. (Director) (2007, June 25). Docs & Spreadsheets in the Classroom. Lecture

conducted from Palo Alto High School, Palo Alto

Roblyer, M., & Doering, A. (2010, July 20). The Impact of Spreadsheets in Education.

Retrieved February 22, 2015, from http://www.education.com/reference/article/impact- spreadsheets-education/

Relative Advantage of Presentation Tools in the Classroom

In the seventh grade my parents enrolled me in the laptop program at the junior high. We had high expectations for the program and my parents felt it would be a great way for me to learn technology skills that would prepare me for the future. However, the A.B. class (English and history) only scratched the surface for incorporating technology by teaching the foundational basics for using Microsoft Word and Powerpoint. Moreover, the software was simply used to replace worksheets and normal written work. The repetitiveness, redundancy, and lack of creativity involved made the experience dry. In many ways, I began to despise Powerpoint and dreaded using it as a presentation tool. As I reflect on my experience I realize that much of my distaste for these tools stems from a lack of creative instruction or opportunity to use this tool in diverse contexts. I also have realized that many of my students today experience the same dislike because teachers have failed to challenge their use of presentation tools and develop means of instruction that will encourage students to learn new things. I firmly believe presentation tools are a powerful platform for helping students understand material, but must be used appropriately in the classroom. Below are a few ways to which presentation tools can be used to effectively enhance both instruction and student demonstration of knowledge and the relative advantages for educations.

Benefits for student learning:

1. Teaching students to use different presentation tools (rather than continuously using the same tool) “breaks the mold” (“Prezi- Advantages and Disadvantages”). From Prezi to SlideShare to VoiceThread to Animoto, each presentation tool has it’s own distinct features. Therefore, introducing students to different tools creates a “newness” factor that will motivate and engage students (“Prezi- Advantages and Disadvantages”).
2. New presentation tools forces students to think critically in order to learn the ins-and-outs of each tool.
3. Many free, web-based presentation tools are available. Most tools are accessible via smartphones, tablets, and computers. In addition, free presentation apps makes the tools more accessible. Here are a list of some free presentation resources.
4. Offers students opportunity to collaborate with others. Edutopia blogger Eric Brunsell conducted research on the benefits of student collaboration and found that:
1. Students had more time to think, reflect, and process ideas
2. Students conducted mini-research as they composed discussion posts
3. Students learned from each others' ideas
4. With modeling and support, students used higher level thinking skills as time went on
5. Anxiety decreased during online discussions, which led to higher participation in both online and face-to-face discussions (Brunsell).
5. Lastly, presentation tools are part of the 21st Century Learning standards, which seek to prepare students to be college and career ready. One of the standards requires students to, “Understand and utilize the most appropriate media creation tools, characteristics and conventions” (“Media Literacy - The Partnership for 21st Century Skills”).

Relative advantages for educators includes:

1. Creates a bank of resources that teachers can pull from and access to better instruction and delivery of content. We all know that time is a teacher’s greatest enemy, so being able to “steal with zeal” (a motto I learned teaching abroad in China) is effective. I often will research educational Prezis related to the content I am teaching and then alter the content to fit the specific needs of my class. This both sharpens my understanding of the content and helps improve the content delivery for students.
2. Allows for opportunity to collaborate with colleagues. I will often work with my Professional Learning Community to develop presentations that are interactive and engaging for students. We work collaboratively so that we can help one another be sure the content is clear and combine teaching styles so that we offer students the best opportunity to learn.
3. I tend to be long-winded when giving instruction. Therefore, presentation tools help me to condense information into manageable chunks. Moreover, it allows me space to teach with more enthusiasm and spontaneity (often where my best instruction comes from) because the presentation serve as an outline for what is being taught.
4. They are also extremely engaging since they allow teachers to incorporate multi-media (i.e. video, polls, surveys, quizzes, etc.). By including these elements, teachers find themselves in a position to better captivate student attention.
5. Lastly, presentation tools can be used for diverse purposes. They can be used to create activities where students aren’t just creating activities, but building timelines, mindmaps, and for jigsaw activities.  

Resources

Media Literacy - The Partnership for 21st Century Skills (Media Literacy - The Partnership for

21st Century Skills) http://www.p21.org/about-us/p21-framework/349

Prezi - Advantages and Disadvantages - Instructional Tech Talk (Instructional Tech Talk)

http://instructionaltechtalk.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-prezi)

Brunsell, E. (2011, August 22). Web Tools Blog Series: Tools to Help Students Collaborate.

Retrieved February 14, 2015, from

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/classroom-collaboration-tools-eric-brunsell

Instructional Software

I entered the EDTECH program with my initial perspective on technology integration being that my 9th grade students would find any technology interesting and the simple use of technology would engage them on the spot. However, I quickly found that my initial ideas were wrong. I put technology in the hands of my students this year more so than ever and they only found it frustrating. In fact, many students preferred to use a pen and paper. This fascinated me because high school students are addicted to their technology, but most of their knowledge comes in the form of how to use social media. Any technology that is used for academics seemed to turn my students off (or at least at my site). However, I believe the root problem for my students is that they too frequently experienced technology in the classroom being used incorrectly to engage students. That is where instructional software is a powerful means of supporting instruction in the classroom. I have learned in time that it is about purposeful technology use to create meaningful learning experiences. With 9th grade English there are plenty of opportunities to embrace instructional software. Using it to teach argumentation is at times challenging and requires creativity on the part of the educator. Below I will break down instructional software into five categories and offer suggestions for practical use in a 9th grade unit on argumentation.

Drill and practice involves students practicing a given skill with repetition. The advantage is that students gain immediate feedback and have opportunities to practice within different contexts. Moreover, students can practice by applying their content knowledge to different environments. Lastly, it allows students to move at their own pace. This might come in the form of using the different Boolean Search strategies to narrow searches, making digital presentations using Prezi, VoiceThread, etc., or citing sources in easybib.com to be sure citations are accurate.

Tutorials offer complete instruction without the teacher. These provide “all the informational and instructional activities a learner needs to master a topic” (Roblyer & Doering, 2013, p. 77). Not only do the tutorials save time, since students can move at their own pace, but their increase student motivation and offer more immediate feedback. This might come in the form of a student viewing a Google Drive tutorial in order to learn to create, share, and manage documents within their Drive. Another example will come when students record research with digital notecards. Evernote and easybib tutorials will teach students about this process and are available for student review when necessary, refer to for guidance, and to check for understanding.

Simulations are digital models of processes presented in a situation with real world application. Both practice and demonstration are present in simulations. Simulations offer complete instruction and are highly interactive for students  (Roblyer & Doering, 2013, p. 86). Moreover, simulations should reveal to students the complete pedagogical sequence of a process. As a result, students can self-evaluate their progress and receive more immediate feedback. Simulations will also heighten engagement due to the real world alignment that helps students understand that the practice is meaningful. For example, having students practice presenting their arguments via Google Hangouts creates a small audience where students can practice their delivery and get more immediate feedback from their classmates.

Instructional games are much like drill and practice, but they involve competition to increase student engagement. Students are motivated to “compete” and “play,” thus offering opportunities to do so will add to student motivation. Instructional games are a great source for replacing traditional means of practice and if used in groups can teach valuable skills such as teamwork and communication. More complex topics at the secondary level, such as argumentative writing, seem to lack instructional games. However, games due exist that focus on the more basic elements or argumentation and still prove to be effective. One way I incorporate this into class it to take normal drill and practice instruction and include game-like rules. For example, instead of just practice Boolean Search operators I will give student certain searching criteria and the first person to use the most correct Boolean operator for searching will win the round.

Problem-solving software is not intended to offer instruction, but to create situations for student to apply their critical thinking skills and content knowledge to solve problems. This type of software involves greater complexity. This might come in the form of giving students a hypothetical issue and ask them to develop an argument that defends the First Amendment. They would be required to use various resources, critically think, and develop an interpretation of the First Amendment based on the case.

All of the above requires purposeful placement by the educator into the course’s pedagogical sequence in order for students to experience meaningful learning. Edutopia and the Teaching Channel are both great sources for accessing instructional software for all content areas. These sources offer both instructional strategies, lessons, and feedback on effectiveness.

Roblyer, M.D. & Doering, A.H. (2013). Integrating educational technology into teaching. Boston, MA: Pearson.