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Explain the importance of technology integration to education (CLO 1 and 4)

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The Importance of Technology in Classrooms

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Recognize the importance of continued professional growth in achieving and maintaining expertise in the use of educational technology (CLO 1 and 3)

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Introduction

Teacher professional learning is of increasing interest as a critical way to support the increasingly complex skills students need to learn in order to succeed in the 21st century. Sophisticated forms of teaching are needed to develop student competencies such as deep mastery of challenging content, critical thinking, complex problem solving, effective communication and collaboration, and self-direction. In turn, effective professional development (PD) is needed to help teachers learn and refine the instructional strategies required to teach these skills.

However, research has noted that many professional development initiatives appear ineffective in supporting changes in teachers' practices and student learning. Accordingly, we set out to discover the features of effective professional development. We define effective PD as structured professional learning that results in changes to teacher practices and improvements in student learning outcomes.

The paper on which this brief is based reviews methodologically rigorous studies that have demonstrated a positive link between teacher professional development, teaching practices, and student outcomes. To define features of effective PD, we reviewed 35 studies from the last three decades that featured a careful experimental or comparison group design, or analyzed student outcomes with statistical controls for context variables and student characteristics. We coded each of the studies to identify the elements of effective professional development models.

Elements of Effective Professional Development

Using this methodology, we found seven widely shared features of effective professional development. Such professional development:

1. Is content focused

2. Incorporates active learning utilizing adult learning theory

3. Supports collaboration, typically in job-embedded contexts

4. Uses models and modeling of effective practice

5. Provides coaching and expert support

6. Offers opportunities for feedback and reflection

7. Is of sustained duration

Our research shows that effective professional learning experiences typically incorporate most or all of these elements, as suggested in the examples below. Each of these elements was part of the professional development addressed in at least 30 of the 35 studies we reviewed, and some were featured in all 35.

Content Focus

Professional development that focuses on teaching strategies associated with specific curriculum content supports teacher learning within their classroom contexts. As one example, the Science Teachers Learning from Lesson Analysis program (STeLLA) seeks to strengthen teachers' understanding of how to teach science productively. Its first goal is to deepen teacher understanding of students' science thinking, which helps teachers anticipate and respond to students' ideas and misunderstandings in productive ways. Its second goal is to help teachers learn to sequence science ideas to help students construct a coherent "story" that makes sense to them.

Over the course of more than 100 hours, STeLLA teachers studied and discussed video cases of teaching, including student work and teacher interviews. They also taught model lessons themselves and analyzed their teaching with their colleagues, evaluating the experience and student work to revise the lessons for colleagues to then teach in a form of lesson study. These teachers' students achieved significantly greater learning gains on science pre- and post-tests than comparison students whose teachers received content training only, a finding further confirmed by a second randomized study of the program several years later.

Active Learning

Active learning provides teachers with opportunities to get hands-on experience designing and practicing new teaching strategies. In PD models featuring active learning, teachers often participate in the same style of learning they are designing for their students, using real examples of curriculum, student work, and instruction. For example, Reading Apprenticeship is an inquiry-based PD model designed to help high school biology teachers integrate literacy and biology instruction in their classrooms. Each of the program's 10 full-day sessions is designed to immerse the teachers in the types of learning activities and environments they will then be creating for their students. Working together, teachers study student work, videotape classroom lessons for analysis, and scrutinize texts to identify potential literacy challenges to learners.

Teachers in the program practice classroom routines that will help to build student engagement and student collaboration, such as "think-pair-share," jigsaw groups, and text annotation. Reflection and other metacognitive routines such as think-alouds and reading logs for science investigations are also used in PD sessions. In a randomized control study in a set of high-poverty schools, this active learning PD model resulted in student reading achievement gains equivalent to a year's additional growth compared with control group students, as well as significantly higher achievement on state assessments in English language arts and biology.

Collaboration

High-quality professional development creates space for teachers to share ideas and collaborate in their learning, often in job-embedded contexts that relate new instructional strategies to teachers' students and classrooms. By working collaboratively, teachers can create communities that positively change the culture and instruction of their entire grade level, department, school, and/or district. "Collaboration" can span a host of configurations-from one-on-one or small group collaboration to schoolwide collaboration to collaboration with other professionals beyond the school.

In one program in a Texas district, teachers engaged in on-site, small-group professional development to promote inquiry-based, literacy-integrated instruction in science classrooms to improve English language learners' science and reading achievement. Through the initiative, teachers and paraprofessionals participated in collaborative biweekly workshops in which they jointly reviewed upcoming lessons, discussed science concepts with peers, engaged in reflections on their students' learning, and participated as learners in the types of inquiry-based science activities they would be implementing for their students. They also received instruction in strategies for teaching English language learners. Students who received enhanced instructional activities and whose teachers received PD demonstrated significantly higher science and reading achievement than students who were engaged in business-as-usual instruction. By focusing on improving the practice of teachers of English language learners, this kind of collaborative, districtwide PD can have important implications for improving the equity of whole systems.

Use of Models and Modeling

Curricular models and modeling of instruction provide teachers with a clear vision of what best practices look like. Teachers may view models that include lesson plans, unit plans, sample student work, observations of peer teachers, and video or written cases of accomplished teaching.

For example, in a program used across a number of states, PD focused on the types of pedagogical content knowledge teachers need to effectively teach elementary science. Curricular and instructional models were used in multiple ways to support teacher learning. For example, one group of teachers analyzed teaching cases drawn from actual classrooms and written by teachers. Another set of teachers worked in carefully structured, collaborative groups to analyze examples of student work from a shared unit taught in their own classrooms. A third group used metacognitive strategies to reflect on their instruction and its outcomes. Teachers also had access to a "task bank" of formative assessment model items they could use with their students during the program.

These types of models support teachers' ability to "see" what good practices look like and implement new strategies in their classrooms. In a randomized experimental study, students of teachers who participated in any of these PD opportunities had significantly greater learning gains on science tests than students whose teachers did not participate, and these effects were maintained a year later.

Coaching and Expert Support

Coaching and expert support involve the sharing of expertise about content and practice focused directly on teachers' individual needs. Experts may share their specialized knowledge as one-on-one coaches in the classroom, as facilitators of group workshops, or as remote mentors using technology to communicate with educators. They may include master teachers or coaches based in universities or professional development organizations.

In one coaching initiative designed to enhance early literacy instruction among Head Start teachers, educators participated in biweekly sessions with a university-based literacy coach following a two-day orientation that introduced them to the literacy concepts. Prior to each session (which could be conducted in person or remotely), coaches and teachers collaboratively chose a specific instructional practice on which to focus their time together. Coaches then observed teachers in their classrooms and provided both supportive and constructive oral and written feedback on their teaching, facilitating the implementation of desired instructional practices.

For remote coaching, educators shared 15-minute video clips and coaches provided detailed written feedback, supported by links to video exemplars and other materials available through the program. The semester-long program included 16 hours of workshops and seven coaching sessions. A two-year randomized controlled trial found that classrooms led by these teachers demonstrated larger gains and higher performance on a widely used early childhood classroom quality assessment, and their students experienced larger gains on a number of early language and literacy skills than did those in the control group.

Feedback and Reflection

High-quality professional learning frequently provides built-in time for teachers to think about, receive input on, and make changes to their practice by facilitating reflection and soliciting feedback. Feedback may be offered as teachers analyze lesson plans, demonstration lessons, or videos of teacher instruction, which also provide opportunities for reflection about what might be refined or retained and reinforced. These activities are frequently undertaken in the context of a coaching session or workshop, but may also occur among peers.

For example, in a program targeting early childhood educators' ability to promote children's language and literacy development, educators enrolled in a facilitated online course called eCIRCLE. The course included videos of model lessons, online coursework and knowledge assessments, and opportunities to plan lessons and practice skills in small groups and in teachers' own classrooms. The course also offered interactive message boards that were moderated by expert facilitators. Teachers participated in four hours of this coursework per month throughout the school year. They received a supplemental curriculum on preschool language and literacy skills and were encouraged to monitor children's language and literacy progress using a common tool. In addition, some educators participated in biweekly on-site mentoring sessions with the expert facilitators, who observed the teacher's practice, then facilitated reflective follow-up and provided positive and constructive feedback. In a randomized controlled study of the program, researchers found that students of teachers who received expert mentoring and feedback experienced the greatest gains on a variety of language and literacy outcomes.

Sustained Duration

Effective professional development provides teachers with adequate time to learn, practice, implement, and reflect upon new strategies that facilitate changes in their practice. As a result, strong PD initiatives typically engage teachers in learning over weeks, months, or even academic years, rather than in short, one-off workshops.

For example, the Transformative Professional Development program is a two-year PD model to enhance science instruction for Spanish-speaking elementary school students. The program begins with a two-week summer workshop that includes graduate-level coursework on teaching elementary science. Teachers' learning from this intensive workshop is reinforced through occasional release days and monthly grade-level workshops with professional learning communities. These additional sessions support teachers in deepening their learning and provided space for ongoing support in implementing the new curriculum.

This model not only offers teachers the opportunity to return repeatedly to the PD material over the course of a semester, but also to apply their learning within the context of their classroom between workshops. This cycle is repeated in the second year, with an additional summer workshop and continued release days. In a comparison group study, students whose teachers participated in the program demonstrated significantly larger improvements in science achievement over time than students whose teachers experienced business-as-usual PD. By promoting learning over time, both within and between sessions, PD that is sustained may lead to many more hours of learning than is indicated by seat time alone.

Putting It All Together

Our research shows that effective professional learning incorporates most or all of these elements. Well-designed professional learning communities, such as those instituted by the National Writing Project, can integrate these elements to support teacher learning resulting in student learning gains. This collaborative and job-embedded professional development, described in additional detail in the box that follows, can enable widespread improvement within and beyond the school level.

Creating Conditions for Effective Professional Development

The quality of a PD initiative's implementation has implications for its overall effectiveness in enhancing teacher practice and improving student learning. Researchers have found that willing teachers are sometimes unable to implement professional development practices due to obstacles that are beyond their control. Even the best-designed professional development may fail to produce desired outcomes if it is poorly implemented due to barriers such as:

inadequate resources, including necessary curriculum materials;

lack of a shared vision about what high-quality instruction entails;

lack of time for implementing new instructional approaches during the school day or year;

failure to align state and local policies toward a coherent set of instructional practices;

dysfunctional school cultures; and

inability to track and assess the quality of professional development.

Implementing professional development well also requires responsiveness to the specific needs of teachers and learners, and to the school and district contexts in which teaching and learning will take place. These types of common obstacles to professional development should be anticipated and planned for during both the design and implementation phases of professional development.

Implications for Policy and Practice

Policy can help support and incentivize the kind of evidence-based PD described here. For example:

1. Policymakers could adopt standards for professional development to guide the design, evaluation, and funding of professional learning provided to educators. These standards might reflect the features of effective professional learning outlined in this report, as well as standards for implementation.

2. Policymakers and administrators could evaluate and redesign the use of time and school schedules to increase opportunities for professional learning and collaboration, including participation in professional learning communities, peer coaching and observations across classrooms, and collaborative planning.

3. States, districts, and schools could regularly conduct needs assessments using data from staff surveys to identify areas of professional learning most needed and desired by educators. Data from these sources can help ensure that professional learning is not disconnected from practice and supports the areas of knowledge and skills educators want to develop.

4. State and district administrators could identify and develop expert teachers as mentors and coaches to support learning in their particular area(s) of expertise for other educators.

5. States and districts can integrate professional learning into their Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) school improvement initiatives, such as efforts to implement new learning standards, use student data to inform instruction, improve student literacy, increase student access to advanced coursework, and create a positive and inclusive learning environment.

6. States and districts can provide technology-facilitated opportunities for professional learning and coaching, using funding available under Titles II and IV of ESSA to address the needs of rural communities and provide opportunities for intradistrict and intraschool collaboration.

7. Policymakers can provide flexible funding and continuing education units for learning opportunities that include sustained engagement in collaboration, mentoring, and coaching, as well as institutes, workshops, and seminars.

In the end, well-designed and implemented PD should be considered an essential component of a comprehensive system of teaching and learning that supports students to develop the knowledge, skills, and competencies they need to thrive in the 21st century. To ensure a coherent system that supports teachers across the entire professional continuum, professional learning should link to their experiences in preparation and induction, as well as to teaching standards and evaluation. It should also bridge to leadership opportunities to ensure a comprehensive system focused on the growth and development of teachers.

This report was prepared with the assistance of Danny Espinoza.

Effective Teacher Professional Development (research brief) by Linda Darling-Hammond, Maria E. Hyler, and Madelyn Gardner is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

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Teacher professional learning is of increasing interest as a critical way to support the increasingly complex skills students need to learn in order to succeed in the 21st century. Sophisticated forms of teaching are needed to develop student competencies such as deep mastery of challenging content, critical thinking, complex problem solving, effective communication and collaboration, and self-direction.

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Describe ways to integrate technology into specific curriculum subject areas (CLO 1 and 3)

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Incorporate technology that allows students to interact with the curriculum in more significant and effective ways in the classroom (CLO 2, 3 and 4)

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Describe how to integrate technology effectively into teaching as a means to promote student learning (CLO 3)

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Technology in the classroom | Ethan Dickens | TEDxPascoCountySchoolsED

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Demonstrate knowledge of current trends and emerging technologies (CLO 1) FLEXIBLE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

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Explore how to prepare for technology integration in the classroom (CLO 3 and 4)

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In schools, districts, and departments of education alike, a trend toward integrating technology into the education process is on the rise. One could argue that it always has been. But with the proliferation of Internet access in school buildings and the ubiquity of mobile computing devices, educators are taking note and beginning to consider new ways they can include these tools into their classroom instruction.

The formalized field of educational technology is still in its infancy. As a result, professional development and training practices are still being refined. As they are teachers in many school districts are choosing to lead their own technology integration through experimental applications with their students and curriculum. It's not uncommon to see a teacher bring his or her personal iPad into the classroom to support instruction and label it technology integration. It is, however, ineffective. Following is a systematic approach to integrating technology into the classroom both effectively and efficiently.

1. Identify relative advantage - Before any new technology enters the classroom, determine whether a relative advantage exists. In other words, is there a need that a given technology tool can address. Identifiable needs might include, but are not limited to, lowered student achievement, waning engagement in learning, new school or district policies, or a redefined set of expectations. Rather than finding an interesting new device or instructional software and then fishing around for a problem to solve, perform a needs-based assessment of the classroom, and then search for the most appropriate tool or process to meet that need.

2. Determine objectives and assessments - Once a need has been identified and a given technology's relative advantage evaluated, the next step is determining objectives and appropriate assessments. To do this, be sure to ask the following questions as you plan: 1) what will students be able to do? 2) how long will it take for them to do it? 3) at what percentage of proficiency will they be able to perform this task? and 3) how are they going to demonstrate that the objective was met? An example of this might read: After three weeks of using a specific math software, all students will be able to recall basic multiplication facts through 12 with 80% proficiency on a five minute paper-based math facts test. The purpose of this design is providing you with a means of evaluating efficacy of your technology integration plan, which will be discussed further in Step 6.

3. Design instructional strategies - As you move closer to integrating technology into the classroom, take into consideration students' readiness levels along with their physical and affective needs. This will assist in creating appropriate student groupings and a flowing activity sequence of instruction. Naturally, you are not going to want to begin a large technology-based project on day one. That time should be used to teach students how to use the tool after having already performed a prerequisite needs assessment. Similarly, drawing out an instructional step longer than is necessary can negatively affect the technology integration effort and student achievement as well. The ways that a given technology tool is used to supplement instruction and learning should never be a shot in the dark. Rather, they should be a rigorously focused deployment.

4. Prepare the instructional environment - Equally important to designing mindful instructional strategies is ensuring that the learning environment is ready for new technology to be introduced. Aside from building a sound infrastructure for technology-based learning to occur, being acutely aware of the classroom layout, available materials, informational dissemination to learners and parents about new technology, and preparing a backup plan for when technology issues arise ensures the most effective technology integration experience possible for everyone involved.

5. Analyze results and make revisions - Though this is the only step occurring after a given technology is introduced, it is nonetheless essential to the overall integration plan. Teachers at this stage look at the objectives established along with the various assessments administered and make objective conclusions about what worked and what didn't. Key to any effective and enduring technology integration plan is allowing it to evolve over time through repeated revisions of the previous four steps. Failure to analyze results and revise integration practices can result in frustration, fatigue, and unjustified spending of valuable funds, not to mention missed opportunities for deeper learning and enriched instruction.

That a shift toward technology in education is on the rise isn't what excites many educators in the profession. It's that student engagement in learning, academic achievement, and overall growth are rising too. In order to continue these promising trends, time and attention must be given to planning for effective integration of technology in the learning process. Without ensuring such quality control, it's nothing more than show-and-tell.
Dave Guymon is a public online middle school teacher, EdTech blogger, and the author of If you Can't Fail, It Doesn't Count. He resides in Idaho Falls, Idaho. You can find him on Twitter at @DaveGuymon This post was originally published on GettingSmart.com

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The 5 Steps of Effective Technology Integration

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In schools, districts, and departments of education alike, a trend toward integrating technology into the education process is on the rise. One could argue that it always has been. But with the proliferation of Internet access in school buildings and the ubiquity of mobile computing devices, educators are taking note and beginning to consider new ways they can include these tools into their classroom instruction.

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Demonstrate knowledge of current trends and emerging technologies (CLO 1) FLEXIBLE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT - This is MY classroom!

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Compare the potential and impact on deepening learning opportunities of emerging technologies (CLO 1 and 4)

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We're all aware of the immense impact that technology has had on the ways in which consumers interact with brands.

Think about some early inventions-such as the telephone in 1876 and the television in 1926-which gave businesses an easy way to connect with consumers on a more intimate level, from the comfort of their homes. Fast-forward to the late 1970s, when people could purchase personal computers, and next, 1991, when the Internet (World Wide Web) became available to the world. Both brought with them dramatic changes.

The next wave of technological disruption came with the smartphone. Marked by the launch of the first Apple iPhone in 2007, this new era put a personal computer into people's pockets and made way for the notion of "always on."

A decade later, technology disruption might seem like something out of a sci-fi thriller. Headsets that transport a person to another reality, wearable devices that measure biometrics, machines that can learn from large sets of data and chat with customers, and software that can see and understand faces in photos are all part of the new normal. We're entering a new frontier of technology that will transform business and allow us to be more connected, creative, and productive than ever before.

Here are six technologies we think will make a lasting impact.

1. Virtual Reality
Virtual reality uptake is pacing quite well, according to Gordon Meyer, director of marketing for YouVisit, a company that creates interactive virtual reality experiences.

"Right now what's happening is that consumers are increasingly understanding the various use cases for the technology," Meyer told CMO.com. "I think at the moment video games for VR is roughly half the market. The other half of the pie gets cut up among a number of industries, some of which are for enterprise business use."

Travel brands, in particular, are highly interested in this technology because of its ability to convey a sense of space in fine, rich detail that can "present various locations in a new light," he said. There's a great retail use case as well, Meyer added, where consumers are able to explore a product, engage with a brand, and make a purchase at the same time, all while within the experience.

Many major brands are looking to recruit with virtual reality, Meyer said. "If you want to expand your circle beyond short-driving distances, virtual reality is an amazing way to get out your recruiting story," he said. "And if you have a great location, perhaps a high-tech campus with a lot of amenities, virtual reality is very effective in getting candidates excited about working for your company."

The United States Army also does a lot with virtual reality to convey the life of a soldier in an emotionally captivating way. Colleges use VR, as well, as a means of attracting students, whether they are in another state or across the globe.

One thing we know for sure, according to Meyer, is consumers will expect to be able to engage with brands on demand. Mobile has exploded, and already half of all users going to retail sites are coming from a mobile device.

"Virtual reality works great on mobile, whether that's a mobile 360 experience without the headset or a mobile device that fits into a headset," Meyer said. "Mobile is positioned well, and virtual reality is designed to grow along with mobile."

Meyer predicted that virtual reality will follow the smartphone adoption curve, with the most dramatic impact over the next six to 12 years. "In fact, 12 years from now the smartphone may no longer even exist, having been replaced with something entirely virtual-a pair of lightweight glasses, perhaps," that would be completely reliant on voice commands as there would be no screen, he said.

2. Voice
That brings us to voice. Google says 20% of mobile queries are voice searches. Additionally, Amazon's Alexa is now embedded into non-Amazon devices, such as smart home hubs, cars, and banking interfaces. It's safe to say, "now we're talking," as voice technology grows in adoption by both consumers and brands.

"We are moving toward a reality where we have a digital assistant with us at every moment," said Douglas Stephens, a retail futurist and author of "Reengineering Retail: The Future of Selling in a Post Digital World," in a previous interview with CMO.com. "That goes well beyond omnichannel to the notion of omnipresence."

Sears, for example, is building Alexa-enabled Kenmore appliances, and Walmart recently partnered with Google to offer voice-based shopping. "We will see more and more retailers recognizing that Amazon is changing the nature of the game once again," Stephens said.

Indeed, Macy's provides consumers with an in-store shopping assistant via a smartphone chat app. Additionally, Domino's, Taco Bell, Wingstop, Burger King, and Pizza Hut are all experimenting with different forms of voice-enabled transactions.

"Voice assistants create a more compelling level of interactivity between users and brands because they leverage a more organic form of communication," said Mark Asher, director of corporate strategy at Adobe. (Adobe is CMO.com's parent company.) "Brands can offer a host of potential new value when voice assistants are combined with machine-learning technology."

We're still in the early stages of voice-based buying, that's for sure. A study from April 2017 by BI Intelligence found that a mere 9% of voice users have spoken commands to make a purchase.

The future of voice communications lies beyond machine-learning algorithms that understand words, according to Chris Kirby, VP of Voices.com.

"I see a time when not only will the algorithms understand what is said but the way it is said," he said in a May 2017 article. "Tonal inflection and all the other characteristics that add meaning to the spoken word will become part of the process of comprehension."

3. Machine Learning
Companies are quickly realizing that machine learning-a subset of artificial intelligence-can help them automatically discover hidden opportunities, accelerate tedious processes, and identify which data insights matter.

Case in point: Adobe Photoshop. Machine learning enables the imaging and design app to, for example, find faces in an image. It then uses "landmarks" such as eyebrows, lips, and eyes to understand their positions and change facial expressions without ruining the image.

See another example of machine learning in the works below.

Speaking at Adobe MAX in October, Adobe CTO Abhay Parasnis said that AI and machine learning represent "the most disruptive paradigm shift of the next decade, and it will change the way all of us work." Parasnis noted a false assumption about AI: that it will one day replace people.

"At Adobe, our viewpoint is that AI will amplify human creativity and intelligence-not replace it," he said. "It will free you from mundane tasks and help you bring out that unique creative expression that only humans can do."

Other common use cases for machine learning today are intelligent audience segmentation, the integration of machine learning into analytics capabilities for anomaly detection and real-time analysis of large data sets, and auto-tagging of images.

As for what's in store for machine learning, Jordan Kretchmer, a senior director at Adobe, told MediaPost in August that the biggest opportunity lies with automated content creation.

"So if you know that you have to create 150 banner ads, and you have to create 20 e-mail campaigns and Facebook and Instagram posts, why do I have to create every one of those manually?" he said. "The opportunity is to create systems that automatically generate headlines and automatically morph them into the different [formats] for different media, and on the analytics side, as we're collecting information based on the performance of those ads, to automatically change the headlines to match those that are performing best. Content automation and automatic optimization is a huge opportunity."

Additionally, machines of the future will be able to anticipate and help brands understand consumer needs before are even aware of them.

4. Chatbots
Harsh Jawharkar, VP of marketing at chatbot technology Narvar, believes that the use of chatbots for business-to-consumer communications is still very much in the early stages.

"I think retailers, over the last decade or more, have been extremely focused on how to funnel discovery recommendations," Jawharkar said. "The natural instinct has been to take those kinds of experiences and put them into a chatbot system."

To date, bots have predominantly been used to provide search and discovery, and product recommendations. Jawharkar said that there historically hasn't been a huge focus on bots for the care aspect, but he expects that is the direction marketers are headed.

Whole Foods' Facebook Messenger bot, for example, allows users to search for recipes, products, and food inspiration without leaving Messenger. Additionally, the beauty industry has found a sweet spot with bots, using the technology for appointment scheduling, virtual color matching, and even gifting.

One brand pushing the limits of chatbots is Starbucks. The company announced an application, called the My Barista app, that will let customers order their coffee via chatbot technology:

"The opportunity with bots is enabling a consumer or shopper to quickly have an interaction, whether it's through chat and/or voice, that solves something very easily for them," Jawharkar said. "That's a pretty big win because that means they don't have to go to their phone or to a website."

Jawharkar said he expects the chatbot experience of the future will be a concierge-type of service, which is what live chat has been for a while. In the future, retailers will use chatbots to remind people to replenish a purchase. Buy Buy Baby, for example, could employ chatbots to remind a parent to purchase more diapers, or a beauty brand such as Sephora could use bots to remind a shopper to replenish her mascara.

Just imagine: Chatbots could actually remind users via Google Assistant, Alexa, or Sonos that it's time to reorder. The consumer can initiate interest in this type of communication, and then the brand becomes a concierge, or virtual assistant.

"I also think the future is going to be one where you can start a conversation just on chat, pick it up on voice, and close it out on mobile," Jawharkar said. "That's where I think those threads are going to start connecting."

5. Facial Recognition
Facial recognition technology is increasingly being used in the security, retail, restaurant, and hospitality industries, according to Ryan Steelberg, president and co-founder of Veritone. Consumers are already enjoying some of the benefits of facial recognition through brands including Apple, which launched the technology as part of its iPhone X announcement back in September.

And brands are experimenting. Expedia tapped into facial recognition as part of its partnership with the Hawaii Tourism Authority this summer. The joint campaign, dubbed "Discover Your Aloha," featured a microsite with images and video footage of a variety of activities on the Hawaii islands. With the viewer's permission, facial recognition software used the PC's webcam to identify which footage evoked the most positive reactions by detecting emotion. Viewers were then served offers for a discounted vacation package.

Steelberg said he anticipates major developments ahead-such as smart billboards, signage on the street that pulls in high-level information such as gender and demographics, and opt-in possibilities for detailed customer experiences-enabled via facial-technology online.

"But the technology doesn't end at providing examples of potentially preferred projects," Steelberg told CMO.com. "Top brands like Disney and government services have introduced the technology to gauge customer mood. The end goal here isn't to scare consumers with increased surveillance or privacy, but to provide an experience that is beneficial, enjoyable, and streamlined."

6. Biometrics
Biometrics, such as a fingerprint or an iris, have most commonly been used by brands to verify a person's identity. However, sensor technology already in use in smart watches and fitness bands has the potential to enable insight into heart rate, blood glucose levels, EKG, body temperature, and more. The implications for the health-care industry in the remote monitoring of patients are clear. But brands in other industries can and will get in on the action, too.

Some already are. One way emotion technology is being used frequently is to measure physiological data to understand how somebody truly feels, said Rana June, CEO of Lightwave, an emotion technology company.

20th Century Fox, for example, worked with Lightwave to measure reactions to a screening of "The Revenant." Movie screenings usually include a survey at the end, but Lightwave enabled 20th Century Fox to look at heart rate variability, perspiration levels, temperature, and movement throughout the film. The data identified moments when the audience was most engaged and affected by the film.

"Biometrics are enabling a world where emotion can become a new way that we're gauging efficacy rather than just looking at behavior," June said. "Imagine you are speaking with Alexa, and you're angry or annoyed. That could be something that gets factored into your experience."

Lightwave's technology looks at biometrics, such as perspiration level, eye tracking, heart rate, motion, and whether people are fidgeting or becoming frustrated. Taking all of that biometric data into consideration creates a very "honest and true representation" of someone's interaction with a brand, June explained.

"Everything is moving toward experience-and it's what consumers want, it's what brands are creating-but there's no metric for experience yet," she said. "And we think that in the next five to 10 years, companies will start creating that metric. What is the emotional metric that is the measure to which you experience things? This will be a fundamental change in how we assess success."

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6 Emerging Technologies That Will Transform Experiences

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We're all aware of the immense impact that technology has had on the ways in which consumers interact with brands. Think about some early inventions-such as the telephone in 1876 and the television in 1926-which gave businesses an easy way to connect with consumers on a more intimate level, from the comfort of their homes.

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Utilize frameworks as guides for developing practical teaching knowledge (CLO 1, 2 and 3)

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Utilize frameworks as guides for developing practical teaching knowledge (CLO 1, 2 and 3)

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Schoology Learning K-12 learning management system makes it easy to implement hybrid learning and integrate your favorite teaching and learning tools.

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Explain and discuss benefits and drawbacks of technology use in the classroom (CLO 1, 3 and 4)

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Utilize frameworks as guides for developing practical teaching knowledge (CLO 1, 2 and 3)

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Examine how technology is currently being used to help increase learning (CLO 1, 2, and 4)

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Utilize frameworks as guides for developing practical teaching knowledge (CLO 1, 2 and 3)

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Define various technology integration framework designs, evaluate them and relate them to classroom learning situations. (CLO 3 and 4)

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I have found these as the main frameworks used to integrate technology within teaching and learning. Which one would you choose to develop a teachers' training program and why?

This mixed-methods study explored the impacts of a semester-long technology professional development for secondary school international teachers from developing nations around the world. We used (a) a survey approach to examine international teachers' perceived technology integration abilities using the technological pedagogical content knowledge (...

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TPACK or SAMR or TIM as the most preferred technology integration framework?

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I have found these as the main frameworks used to integrate technology within teaching and learning. Which one would you choose to develop a teachers' training program and why? This mixed-methods study explored the impacts of a semester-long technology professional development for secondary school international teachers from developing nations around the world.

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Evaluate the level of technology integration currently taking place in schools (CLO 1)

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Redefining Learning & Teaching using Technology. | Jason Brown | TEDxNorwichED

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Identify effective methods for engaging and motivating students while utilizing technology (CLO 2, 3 and 4)

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Technology Motivation

Technology motivation: The question of how to motivate students isn't new. Recently I attended a departmental meeting to discuss students at risk of failing out of their degree program. Many of these students are bright and talented people, but they stopped showing up to class. They produced shoddy, incomplete work. Around the table, their instructors described them as "disengaged," "careless" and in need of getting their "priorities straight." Sound familiar?

Student motivation, or rather the lack thereof, is a perennial problem for educators. It's become obvious to me that a willingness to participate in their studies is key to students' academic success.

Up to now I've relied on pretty traditional strategies to motivate students, such as offering assignment topics that hook into their prior interests, orchestrating fun activities and formats and serving up a healthy dose of my own enthusiasm for the subject matter. Of course the grading system itself functions at least in part to motivate student performance. How do educational technologies stack up? Do they motivate and engage students to learn?
Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivators: Let's break it down.
There are essentially two types of motivation: intrinsic and extrinsic. When we lament that some students aren't motivated to do the coursework, we mean they're not intrinsically motivated to learn. They don't want it on their own, for themselves. Perhaps they could benefit from an extra incentive, or extrinsic motivator?

We can think of Ex trinsic Motivation as a promised pizza party for students if they attended class regularly. Pizza is not inherently associated with being cooperative. Hold open a door for someone and an extra-large deluxe is not going to fall from the sky. Tie performance to a reward, and you're likely to see improved behavior.

Ideally, though, we want students to be I ntrinsically Motivated to study. Why? Because when people are intrinsically motivated to do something, they will begin it on their own, keep on doing it on their own, and furthermore do it better. For a number of reasons-not the least of which is the cost of pizza-it's better for society and for individuals when people participate freely of their own accord, when they take the initiative to hold the doors open for each other.

The idea is that extrinsic motivators stand as temporary but useful scaffolding during periods of training. Internal rewards will at some point replace the external ones. The maturing student will acquire good study habits, professionalism, a work ethic, a love of learning, and what is called "self-efficacy."
Technology Motivation
Practically speaking, the question is not whether to use tech in your classroom, but which tech, and how. It's helpful, perhaps, to think of computer and digital technologies as a part a long history of ed tech-after all, a pen is itself a technology. It's how each tool is used that matters when considering student engagement. As you experiment-ahem-innovate, here are five guidelines to consider in using technology motivation.
1. Wherever possible, offer options.
Despite bandwagon marketing, it's not surprising that different students are motivated by different tech. Or not motivated. For instance, if a student hasn't had the opportunity to play video games at home, she may not be interested or even comfortable with learning via game play. On the other hand, she may be overjoyed to finally get her fingers on the controller. People are complicated; people have different learning styles and habits.

The point is, you can't assume in advance which tech will turn students on to learning. In fact, your students may well not take the same joy as you do in wikis. Digital natives may be familiar with new technologies, but that doesn't necessarily translate to being inspired by them. When a tech is forced on students, especially teens, it can create motivational difficulties. So, wherever possible, offer tech options.
2. Reinforce competency instead of competition.
While some people are highly competitive, everybody loves to achieve goals. Performance-based climates can be alienating, nerve-wracking, and induce conflict and anxieties. Where there are winners, by definition there are losers. I've spoken with too many college students who tell me they are incapable of writing an assignment, for example, before they've even tried. It's as if they think the world is divided into two kinds of people, those who are "good at school" and those who aren't.

Confidence, by contrast, is a vital motivator. Technologies that guide and support students while they are learning can build discipline and a sense of self worth that will benefit everyone. For example, I have used the Test, Surveys and Pools tool in Blackboard to offer Critical Thinking students the opportunity to answer practice a variety questions, even multiple times. Practicing with actual arguments is the best way to learn how to analyze and categorize types of claims.
3. Use fun tech to invigorate your teaching and their learning.
If a teacher isn't enthusiastic about their subject, how can they expect their students to be? Sabbaticals, summer holidays, personal days, and irrelevant field trips to Stratford are all built upon this principle. If you're feeling stale, consider whether technology can add a little joy to your classroom. Conversely, if a teaching tool is getting you down, make changes.

Likewise, if the use of a tech, even something as simple as a video clip, makes an aspect of your course more fun for your students they will be more likely to pay attention, to participate, and to remember the course content associated with positive experiences.
4. Help students help themselves.
If you want students to engage in and take ownership in their education, it only makes sense you'll want to choose tech that nurtures rather than diminishes their agency. If you find that a tech tool is causing students to become over-reliant on you, confused, or alienated from their own efforts, consider rejigging how you use it.

An example. At my college we use a screening software called SafeAssign by Blackboard that helps to help detect whether student essays have plagiarized content. Students are not motivated to care about plagiarism, or even to understand what it is, simply by clicking an icon and uploading a file. However by making students responsible for analyzing their own SafeAssign reports and attaching them to the essays they submit, you not only give students practice discerning what counts as plagiarism and what counts as proper citation, you also put the responsibility for handing in a "clean" essay on the student, not the software.
5. Use social media with student consent.
Are you surprised to hear that some students prefer not to use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social media for educational purposes? Research in the U.K. (Wilkinson and Lancaster 2014) and the U.S.A. (Dahlstrom, Walker and Dziuban 2013) reveals that, overwhelmingly, students want to keep their social life separate from their scholarly life. I felt a similar 'ugh' factor if any of my professors showed up at the bar where my friends and I played pool, so it's not so hard to believe.

The majority of students would rather have a class discussion in class, not in a chatroom. When I have given students the option, even the quieter students vote for in-person, live interaction. This is not to say there is no place for online discussions, just that you should think twice about considering them an effective incentive for reluctant learners.
How to Motivate Students with Classroom Technology
The above guidelines suggest ways of using technology motivation that align with learning and with increased self-efficacy. Just like pizza, when it functions as an extrinsic incentive, tech should make itself redundant once the student develops enough intrinsic motivation to know or accomplish the subject matter. After all, the purpose of introducing technologies into the classroom is not to make students' reliant on them, but rather enabled and inspired to achieve on their own.
An article written by Karen Quevillon for Top Hat Blog. May 27, 2015

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Technology Motivation: 5 Simple Ways to Help Students - Hallr

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Technology motivation: The question of how to motivate students isn't new. Recently I attended a departmental meeting to discuss students at risk of failing out of their degree program. Many of these students are bright and talented people, but they stopped showing up to class. They produced shoddy, incomplete work.

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Principles and practices of digital rigor (CLO 4)

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Evaluate and compare various instructional design models (CLO 1)

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Technology is now a focal point for how students learn. This is especially true with online learning, one of the fastest growing segments in higher education. Eduventures reports that 3.5 million students enrolled in online degree programs in 2016 and projects an increase to 5 million by 2020.

These changes point to the need for a learning experience that reaches students in all environments. The instructional design field could be the solution.

Defining Instructional Design

Instructional design refers to the systematic process for designing, developing and delivering instructional materials. It centers on improving learning through technology, and can involve related terms such as learning experience design, instructional systems design and educational technology.

According to design studio and strategy consulting firm Intentional Futures, most instructional designers have the following categories of responsibilities:

Design instructional materials and courses, especially for digital delivery.

Manage faculty, administration, IT and other instructional designers to enhance student learning.

Train faculty to use technology and implement pedagogy effectively.

Support faculty members when they face technical or instructional challenges.

4 Instructional Design Models

The following models are used by some instructional designers.

1. Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation and Evaluation (ADDIE)

The ADDIE model is a flexible and common instructional design model. " Most of the current instructional design models are spin-offs or variations of the ADDIE model," according to educational technology experts Greg Kearsley and Richard Culatta at InstructionalDesign.org. There are five phases in the ADDIE model.

Analysis: Establish instructional goals and objectives. Other topics include the audience, delivery options, pedagogical considerations and the timeline.

Design: Document the strategy, apply instructional strategies, create storyboards, design the user interface and user experience, create prototypes and apply visual or graphic design.

Development: Create and assemble the content assets that are created in the design phase.

Implementation: Deliver the course and its equipment, such as multimedia needs and the website. Develop a process for training the facilitators and the learners.

Evaluation: Measure whether the course provides the expected results.

An important part to the ADDIE model is continual or formative feedback. Throughout each phase, the model stresses the role of feedback in catching problems while they are still easy to fix, which can save time and money.

2. Universal Design for Learning

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a set of principles that gives all individuals an equal opportunity to learn. "UDL provides a blueprint for creating instructional goals, methods, materials, and assessments that work for everyone -not a single, one-size-fits-all solution but rather flexible approaches that can be customized and adjusted for individual needs," says the National Center on Universal Design for Learning.

UDL is based on the following guidelines.

Engagement (the why of learning): For purposeful, motivated learners, provide options and encourage effort, persistence and self-regulation.

Representation (the what of learning): For resourceful, knowledgeable learners, present information and content in different ways.

Action and Expression (the how of learning): For strategic, goal-directed learners, differentiate the ways that students can express what they know.

3. Master Course Philosophy

A Master Course Philosophy is an online curriculum management approach for institutions, which centers on maintaining one master copy of each online course. Each time a course is taught, the master course is duplicated and used as a template.

Using a master course maintains course integrity, regardless of who teaches it. It helps ensure that courses reflect the most recent updates to an institution's curriculum. "The Master Course Philosophy results in a customizable, consistent and accessible course each time," says Tyler Hart, Senior Instructional Designer for Southeastern University.

Another benefit of the Master Course Philosophy is that it aids in curricular improvement. This strategy allows institutions to successfully report on student achievement, and produce valid and reliable data. The Master Course Philosophy eliminates variations in course outcomes and assessments from teacher to teacher and from term to term.

4. Understanding by Design

Understanding by Design (UbD) is a framework for improving student achievement. It was created by educators Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe, and published by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. The framework utilizes backward design, in which outcomes are analyzed to design curriculum units, performance assessments and classroom instruction. UbD is based on seven key tenets.

1. Learning is enhanced when teachers think purposefully about curricular planning.

2. Curriculum and teaching focus on developing student understanding and transfer of learning.

3. Understanding is revealed when students autonomously make sense of and transfer their learning through authentic performance. "Six facets" help teachers better assess student understanding: the capacity to explain, interpret, apply, shift perspective, empathize and self-assess.

4. Effective curriculum development reflects a three-stage "backward" design process (Desired Results, Evidence and Learning Plan). This avoids the common problems of using the textbook as curriculum rather than a resource, or activity-oriented teaching that doesn't involve clear priorities and purposes.

5. Teachers are coaches of understanding who focus on ensuring that learning happens.

6. Regularly reviewing units and curriculum against design standards enhances curricular quality and effectiveness, and provides engaging and professional discussions.

7. The UbD framework reflects a continual improvement approach to student achievement and teacher craft.

Professional Development

As a result of the expansion of educational technology and online learning, instructional designers are needed to fulfill the demand for a more rigorous learning experience. There are at least 13,000 instructional designers in the United States alone, according to Intentional Futures, and 87 percent have a master's degree. Seventy-two percent have a master's title related to education.

Southeastern University's online graduate programs in education prepare students for advancement and new career opportunities inside and outside the classroom. Master's degree programs and a Doctor of Education degree are available fully online, allowing educators to study while maintaining their current work and personal schedule.

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4 Instructional Design Models | Southeastern University

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Technology is now a focal point for how students learn. This is especially true with online learning, one of the fastest growing segments in higher education. Eduventures reports that 3.5 million students enrolled in online degree programs in 2016 and projects an increase to 5 million by 2020.

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Evaluate and compare various instructional design models (CLO 1)

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This is the digital bookmark site where I keep all of my most used apps, tools, and sites. It is extremely helpful in organizing my digital world.

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Symbaloo: Bookmarks & Favorites - The #1 Homepage for Educators

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Easily save, share, and organize your favorites with Symbaloo; the best online bookmark manager for educators. Use Symbaloo as a homepage on any browser or Internet-enabled device. Create a free account today!

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Evaluate and compare various instructional design models (CLO 1)

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On a recent business trip, I was reminded that even though I live in the world of instructional design every day, how difficult the concept can be to explain to someone who doesn't. Here's a breakdown of common processes and principles.
What is Instructional Design?
There are a number of definitions for instructional design with slight variations between them, but the description boils down to something like this:
Instructional Design: The process by which instruction is improved through the analysis of learning needs and systematic development of learning experiences. Instructional designers often use technology and multimedia as tools to enhance instruction.
According to this definition, instructional designers have two primary functions:

1. To analyze learning needs.

2. To systematically develop improved learning experiences.

We've discussed learning needs analysis in previous posts on this blog, so let's focus on the second part of that definition. To systematically develop improved learning experiences, it is a significant help to apply a process or model that can be followed and counted on to produce a robust solution. There have been a number of instructional design models and processes defined through the years, but only a few have been widely accepted and implemented by most instructional design practitioners. Below are four instructional design models that I have used myself, and that I see cited consistently among my peers.

The ADDIE Model

ADDIE stands for Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement, and Evaluate. These equate to a 5-phase process for developing instructional materials.

1. Analyze: The instructional designer clarifies the problem to be addressed with an instructional intervention, defines the training need and conducts an extensive audience analysis to determine the instructional environment, pre-existing knowledge, skills and abilities, opportunities and constraints.

2. Design: The instructional designer writes learning objectives and determines the instructional strategies that will be utilized to achieve those objectives. Decisions are made about how the instructional materials will look, feel, operate, and be delivered to the learner. Storyboards and elearning prototypes are created.

3. Develop: Content is assembled and incorporated into the design to produce the instructional or performance support materials. Deliverable is reviewed for quality and revised.

4. Implement: The finished course or performance support tool is rolled out to the intended audience and its impact is monitored.

5. Evaluate: The instructional designer uses various methods to determine whether the course or performance support tool is delivering the expected results.

Bloom's Taxonomy (Revised)

Bloom's Taxonomy, revised in 2001 by Anderson and Krathwohl, defines the six levels of cognitive learning starting with the simplest at the bottom and moving up through the levels to the most complex, or deepest learning. As an instructional design framework, Bloom's Taxonomy ensures that learners push through the lower levels of remembering and understanding new information, to being able to apply it, analyze it, evaluate its impact, and ultimately to solve unique problems by creating solutions that would not have been possible without the new knowledge.

Gagne's Nine Events of Instruction

Robert Gagne's Nine Events of Instruction is based on the behaviorist approach to learning. Gagne identified the mental conditions needed for learning in adults. He then created his Nine Events of Instruction to address the conditions of learning. The Nine Events of Instruction are:

1. Gain the student's attention. Emotional buy-in is the first step in laying the foundation for learning retention. This can be done by telling a story or asking a thought-provoking question.

2. Inform students of the objectives. Establishes expectations for the course and criteria for measuring success or failure.

3. Stimulate recall of prior learning. Leverages existing knowledge as a scaffold to incorporate new knowledge.

4. Present the content. Use chunking for easy consumption of the content.

5. Provide learner guidance. Supplement the content with case studies, activities, discussion questions and other instructional support materials.

6. Elicit performance. Challenge learner's activities that recall, utilize, and evaluate knowledge.

7. Provide feedback. Use immediate feedback to reinforce knowledge

8. Assess performance. Test learner knowledge against established criteria

9. Enhance retention and transfer to job. Use content retention strategies to appropriate job aids to retain new knowledge.

Merrill's Principles of Instruction

David Merrill's 2002 First Principles of Instruction framework integrates five principles of learning.

1. Task-centered principle: Learning starts with a real-world task or problem the learners can relate to.

2. Activation principle: Activating the learner's existing knowledge base helps them connect previous knowledge with the new knowledge.

3. Demonstration principle: A course must demonstrate the knowledge in multiple ways (for example, both visually and through storytelling) so that it leverages different regions of the brain, and increases knowledge retention.

4. Application principle: Learners must apply new information on their own and learn from their mistakes.

5. Integration principle: Help to integrate the knowledge into the learner's world through discussion, reflection, and/or presentation of new knowledge.

Each of the four instructional design models outlined above have strengths and weaknesses. Depending on the problem to be solved by creating a training solution, one of these models may be more appropriate than the others. Instructional designers should be quite familiar with these models and others to design and deliver quality training solutions.

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Instructional Design Models: Comparing ADDIE, Bloom, Gagne, & Merrill

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On a recent business trip, I was reminded that even though I live in the world of instructional design every day, how difficult the concept can be to explain to someone who doesn't. Here's a breakdown of common processes and principles. What is Instructional Design?

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This is a simple list for students (and teachers) to evaluate whether a website is credible and relevant.

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Ways for Teachers to Evaluate Technology for use in Class

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Ways for Teachers to Evaluate Technology for use in Class

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Modern classrooms are being transformed by technology. Recent, dramatic increases in student access to technology through bring-your-own-device (BYOD) and 1:1 initiatives have provided teachers with blended and virtual learning opportunities for their students that can fundamentally change how learning occurs. As the traditional classroom evolves into an environment rich in technology, educators are looking for guidance on how to choose the best educational technology (edtech) solutions.

Ask educators about best practices in teaching, and they will often discuss a short list of widely accepted frameworks for effective instruction, such as Charlotte Danielson's framework for teaching and the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework. They will reference widely accepted research from the likes of Marzano and Hattie. Now, more than ever, educators can say with confidence: "We know what works."

The same best practices apply in the digital space. Here are some research-based guidelines for choosing edtech tools for use in the classroom:
Whether Learning Is Digital or Traditional, Standards Matter
If a tool is delivering course content to students, it should be built on a foundation of clear learning objectives, aligned to state standards. Courses should be competency-based and should frequently assess student progress until mastery is attained. Edtech providers claiming to meet career-readiness standards or support career and technical education (CTE) pathways should clearly document the alignment of their courses to those standards and pathways in your state. Because of the importance of aligning digital courses to standards, many states require edtech providers to submit their online courses for approval.
Tools Should Engage Students
Technology offers the opportunity for a visually and auditorily rich experience for students, and there is no question that it is important that students enjoy learning in the virtual environment created by an edtech tool. Yet, tools need to engage learning at a deeper level. Effective edtech tools should engage students by providing them with a choice of when and how they learn. Tools designed to deliver content should pre-assess student knowledge and use that knowledge to construct learning activities at the student's zone of proximal development-the "sweet spot" where the level of challenge in the learning task is just right.

When students have choice and content is at the correct level of difficulty, learning is more enjoyable and, therefore, more engaging. Student engagement is also fostered when students can collaborate with other students during the learning process. Digital learning that allows students to co-engage with others leverages the theory that learning is socially constructed, and it provides opportunities through interaction for the tool to elicit higher-level cognitive skills through discussion, debate, and collaboration.
Tools Should Support Teachers and Inform Classroom Instruction
Edtech tools might be implemented as part of classroom instruction in a blended model, be used a supplement for students when they are at home or be centered at the core of pure virtual learning. No matter what the implementation, edtech tools exist to serve learning, wherever it occurs. Teachers should consider several important questions when evaluating edtech tools:

Do the tool and information I get from it help me meet the needs of my students?

Is the tool simply a digital version of an existing lesson activity, or is it providing new avenues for learning?

Does the tool integrate easily into my classroom?

Does the professional development available with the tool prepare administrators, teachers, and support staff for successful implementation?

Does the tool meet students at their current skill level and respond and adapt with a customized path for learning?

Does the tool provide valuable reports on student progress and performance that inform my teaching?

When considering the effectiveness of an edtech tool, teachers should observe the outcomes of the use of the tool and ask, "As a result of implementing this tool, do my students seem to have a deeper understanding of the content as measured by my own observations/assessments?"
Tools Should Leverage Technology for Effective Assessment
The same technology that can makes edtech tools visually appealing and engaging also can provide teachers with real-time data on student performance and progress and give meaningful feedback to students as they learn. Technology-based assessments can also provide detailed data that drive an individualized learning experience for students. Many tools support teaching in the classroom by helping teachers collect data on the progress and performance of their students. Integrated formative assessments give teachers and students quick, predictable feedback using fixed-form assessments targeting specific skills or knowledge that teachers can use to inform their instruction.

Another way technology-based assessments can shine is in their ability to be adaptive-using computer-adaptive testing (CAT) to adjust the type and difficulty of questions presented to students based on the knowledge and ability of the test taker. The results of adaptive tests provide accurate assessment data on students from a wider range of abilities by eliminating ceiling and floor effects inherent in fixed-form tests and can be used to provide customized learning paths that meets student more precisely at their instructional level.
Decision-Makers Should Consider ESSA Requirements
If technology-based interventions are to be used as part of a school improvement plan, then they are subject to the evidence-based requirements of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2016. Interventions that are implemented in the lowest-performing 5 percent of Title I schools, as well as high schools with a graduation rate below 67 percent, must meet one of the top three evidence tiers (strong, moderate, or promising evidence) and must align with the school's improvement plan. Many competitive grants that fund interventions at both the state and federal levels also require a strong, moderate, or promising level of evidence. Grants for interventions demonstrating a higher level of evidence may take priority over grants with interventions supported at a lower level of evidence. For higher-performing schools, ESSA language strongly encourages state and local education agencies to prioritize evidence-based interventions or strategies as they develop improvement plans. For more information about the new edtech provisions in ESSA, see this white paper by ISTE, and for more information on choosing evidence-based interventions, see this document from the U.S. Department of Education.
Supporting Sound Teaching Should Matter Most
Choosing the right edtech tools in the constantly changing technology landscape is definitely a challenge. It's important to tie the decision-making progress to sound foundations of teaching. Digital learning is subject to the same pedagogical best practices as traditional classroom instruction, and the edtech tools you implement should serve the students and teachers who use them, fostering an engaging, differentiated learning experience that connects with students and helps increase their knowledge and skills.

For more resources that can help with the selection of edtech tools, check out our Education Technology Evaluation Guide!

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How to Evaluate EdTech Tools that Support Teaching & Learning

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Modern classrooms are being transformed by technology. Recent, dramatic increases in student access to technology through bring-your-own-device (BYOD) and 1:1 initiatives have provided teachers with blended and virtual learning opportunities for their students that can fundamentally change how learning occurs.

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Identify effective methods for engaging and motivating students while utilizing technology (CLO 2, 3 and 4)

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A different way to think about technology in education: Greg Toppo at TEDxAshburn

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Explain principles and practices of digital rigor (CLO 4)

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Literacy educators play an increasingly critical role in improving student achievement. The stakes are high.

The more proficient a student is at reading, writing, and thinking, the more prepared the student will be to take his or her place among a highly literate citizenry. The right literacy solutions empower teachers, boost literacy outcomes, and prepare students for college and careers.

Given the ever-evolving digital and technological resources available for today's schools, it can be difficult to manage a classroom successfully, as well as to incorporate technology thein the most optimal manner.

Some top challenges include:

1. Instruct with Intent - Infuse purposeful technology into the classroom

2. Reach all Learners - Create differentiated and engaging Instruction to meet the needs of all learners

3. Engage & Inspire - Apply Digital Lesson Management and harness data to inform instruction

Educators need to be able to use technology purposefully, not just merely as a replacement for print products. Technology must help teachers manage the dynamic digital classroom. For example, new digital platforms offer real-time data enabling enhanced formative assessment practices which can propel the modern teacher to new levels of instructional differentiation.

Maximize the conceptual learning environment in a digital world. Traditional teaching and classroom processes are changing to focus on student-centered conceptual learning. The objective is to let the student drive the learning, instead of waiting for content to arrive. Four principals and four practices that are associated with digital rigor help explain best practices for instructing with intent.
4 Principles of Digital Rigor:

1. Context: Learning tasks should have a real-world application that allows learners to connect personally with what they are learning. Students today are digital natives, so when we deliver content in a digital platform, it is often highly accessible to them in new ways.

2. Construction: Learners should be able to link their own experiences and prior knowledge with new learning. Lessons should contain engage sequences, and also offer reconnect and reflect components to take the linking process and cement it for the student.

3. Collaboration: A problem-solving scenario allows learners to develop, test, and analyze their ideas while being exposed to others' opinions. Each individual learner will arrive at an individual conclusion after collaboration is completed. Let students grapple with a big hairy concept. This lets them think about different ways and scenarios for solving a problem. We want students to independently develop, test, and analyze their ideas while experiencing others' opinions.

4. Conversation: Communication among learners and within the learner themselves are essential to creating essential to creating effective digital collaboration. Learners should spend time in conversation while planning and making sense of new learning. Students need to demonstrate their metacognitive thinking, to show how they reached a solution. Open-ended questions afford many opportunities for students to not only show us their answer, but more important, articulate how they came to an answer.

Putting the Principles of Digital Rigor into practice: 4 Practices of Digital Rigor

1. Shift your mindset: You are now going to be a true 21st Century teacher, teaching in a digital environment. This fact influences what you teach, how you teach, and how you will access the key concepts you want students to understand. The first step in converting your teaching to digital learner-centered experiences is to change your mindset. Learners are more active in this setting; they're questioning, analyzing, discussing, qualifying, and drawing conclusions.

2. Getting to know your learner: There is no "one size fits all" approach to digital learning. All learners are different, and failing to pay attention to the diversity of various learners can make a huge difference in the success of program implementation - and may result in the inability to facilitate student-centered content. Choose programs which contain multitudes of ways to differentiate instruction for individual learners. In addition, a platform that generates individual student data which is easily accessible to the teacher ensures our learners are getting exactly what they need, when and how they need it.

3. Rethinking the learning objective: Consider shifting your perspective to creative objectives aimed at describing what the student will be able to do at the end of the lesson. This is an important part of the learner-centered model, according to the UCD Centre for Teaching and Learning. Instead of describing your lessons, find ways to focus on what the student will be able to do, the tasks they must undertake, and the tools they can use to deal with those tasks.

4. Shifting the balance of power: Implementing digital lessons that shift the balance of power to the student is an excellent way of requiring more learner responsibility. Instead of waiting for content to be delivered, students are engaged in creating their own meaning and learning. This change may seem a bit scary at first, but it is definitely worth it. Shifting the balance of power affords students the opportunity to manage their own knowledge, at their own pace, and to reflect on individual efforts.

Power positive outcomes with real-time data, and digitally-differentiated Lexile levelswith scaffolded support. Implement personalized learning with responsive feedback, point-of-use scaffolding, and audio support to allow students to progress through levels of differentiated content independently.

Use your digital classroom to build confidence. In every lesson, every day, allow students to experience technology-enhanced questions. This opportunity not only exposes them to the wide variety of questions types they will encounter in high-stakes assessments, but it builds confidence and sets all students up for success. Select digital programs that allow teachers to transition smoothly between whole-class activities, and large and small group work - regardless of individual reading or skill levels.

Employ real-time progress monitoring - Digital classrooms simplify teaching by providing real-time notifications of student progress throughout the course of the lesson. Teachers, imagine a world in which the teacher is given individual student data in highly visual ways. And these visuals help instructors target students who are struggling at their exact moment of need. And pinpoint where and how they are struggling. So the teacher can step in real time. Good digital platforms provide just that.

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Transforming Literacy Instruction in a Digital World: 4 Principles and Practices of Digital Rigor

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Literacy educators play an increasingly critical role in improving student achievement. The stakes are high. The more proficient a student is at reading, writing, and thinking, the more prepared the student will be to take his or her place among a highly literate citizenry.

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Click below to take a tour of my classroom via thinglink. It allows you to have audio, video, still photos, maps, and virtual tours.

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Facebook Profile Pg Pic by Park U Creations

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TOUCH this image to discover its story. Image tagging powered by ThingLink

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Examine tools and digital resources that support teachers in undertaking technology integration (CLO 3 and 4)

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Business Partners showcase their company by partnering with an attending educator for a 2-hour virtual job shadow experience. As a Business Partner, you will connect with your educator virtually to provide informative insight on the details of your role, department, and company.

Volunteers will help educators gain insight into the careers and workplace skills employees are looking for when hiring. They'll help their educator understand the environment where their students may someday work. The experience will help your educator draw parallels from their class to your business. Volunteers will gain leadership, interpersonal, and communication skills with the educational sector.

Volunteers must have access to a computer and high-functioning internet to connect with their educator through a digital platform.

Business Partner Schedule:

Optional call or video chat Monday, July 27

Virtual job shadow on Tuesday, July 29 after 1:00pm. Volunteers and educators will work together to determine exact timing.

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Technology Integration Workshop Volunteers - BestPrep

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Business Partners showcase their company by partnering with an attending educator for a 2-hour virtual job shadow experience. As a Business Partner, you will connect with your educator virtually to provide informative insight on the details of your role, department, and company.

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Identify characteristics of tech based tools which support curriculum (CLO 1 and 3)