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By David Andrade

Improving education is a huge issue (and always has been). Test scores, our perceived performance against other countries, and other factors have pushed education to the forefront of national politics, right behind healthcare reform. Technology can be used to improve teaching and learning and help our students be successful.

While smaller schools and class sizes are always desired, technology can not do that physically. However, technology can be a "force multiplier" for the teacher. Instead of the teacher being the only source of help in a classroom, students can access web sites, online tutorials, and more to assist them. Education doesn't stop at the end of the school day because students have access to teachers, resources, and assignments via the web and access these resources at any time. Students can also get help and tutoring at any time, whether from the teacher via email or online collaboration, or from a help web site.

Parental involvement is another factor that can increase student achievement. Most parents these days have extremely busy schedules, work different hours, and can't always help their child with homework or come to school for conferences. Technology can help. Parents can go to a class website and see what their child is working on, they can contact teachers via email and web sites, and they can even check their child's attendance and grades through online systems. They can also talk to their children from work via email and instant messaging.

Inquiry based projects are another way to get students to think rather than memorize. These group projects also help students build important skills such as communications, team work, critical thinking and problem solving. Technology can help with these projects and skills. Students can create things such as web sites, blogs, and multimedia presentations as part of their project. They can use the web for research and as a resource. They can connect with students at other schools and do collaborative work with them. They also learn technology skills while doing these projects.

Money is always an issue in education and technology can help. Virtual field trips, electronic forms instead of paper, email instead of printed memo's, virtual labs, electronic textbooks, and the thousands of free online resources can all save schools money and give students excellent educational experiences.

Teachers can use technology to find resources and attend virtual professional development seminars and conferences (most are free). They can also create personal learning networks (PLN) with Ning, Twitter, and other resources to find and share ideas and resources, and get support from their colleagues.

Technology can give teachers and students great resources, new opportunities for learning, ways to collaborate and create, and save money. Technology is a very powerful tool for education.

Some resources that can help:

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How technology can help improve education.

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By David Andrade Improving education is a huge issue (and always has been). Test scores, our perceived performance against other countries, and other factors have pushed education to the forefront of national politics, right behind healthcare reform. Technology can be used to improve teaching and learning and help our students be successful.

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Collaboration

Imagine traveling to dinosaur digs alongside archeologists.
Going on safari with biologists.
Exploring outer space with NASA scientists.

Collaboration technology helps expand access to education. With it, schools have the ability to reach more students. Using video, online instruction can be as effective as traditional face-to-face interaction. Meanwhile, collaborative learning models are transforming the way educators teach and students engage.

Technology extends learning beyond the classroom. In recent studies, students and educators have shared their perspective.

69% of teachers in a study from SAM Labs said technology can be used to support any subject

85% of instructors interviewed by Campus Technology say tech has a positive effect on teaching

56% of college students say learning technologies help them collaborate, according to a survey by Hanover Research

Technology allows every student the opportunity for an equal, even superior, global education. "Through Webex, we can bring more color and life to our lessons," says Robin Sleeman, Assistant Principal. "That's very powerful. It gives us enhanced contact with students so we can support their learning in ways that weren't possible before."

Teachers have more flexibility in how they help students succeed. They can give extra help at the end of classes to students who need it, or have feedback sessions with video or chat. With this approach, teachers can deliver high-quality education in a more flexible, agile manner.

Collaboration technology in education can help:

Drive student success: Empower students to succeed with face-to-face interaction, regardless of device or location.

Personalize learning: Encourage students to learn at their own pace through blended and flipped learning.

Increase student engagement: Equip students with online tools to access content and collaborate with classmates and teachers.

Cisco collaboration solutions help keep schools at the forefront of education, both technically and academically. What can be accomplished next? Read on for examples of how different schools are using technology to improve education.

Open Access College: Leading distance learning

When chronic illness keeps students from Open Access College (OAC) from attending school, collaboration technology keeps them in class.

Until recently, OAC used audio conferencing to connect with homebound kids, but it was one-way and costly. When the state department asked administrators to cut costs by a third, they found a new solution to provide quality distance education at a fraction of the cost. With Cisco Webex Training, OAC reduced annual phone costs by 96% and enhanced remote education with an interactive online platform.

"Through Webex we can bring more color and life to our lessons," says Robin Sleeman, assistant principal. "That's very powerful. It gives us enhanced contact with students, so we can support their learning in ways that weren't possible before."

Teachers and students share resources and see each other's desktops. Students work on projects in virtual breakout groups. Everyone can use digital whiteboards. With access to a virtual classroom, home-based students experience many of the opportunities they would receive in in-person classrooms.
Read how Open Access College students are able to access learning anywhere, any time.
First Nations School of Toronto: Connecting remote students

The Connected North program brings virtual learning to remote students at the First Nations School of Toronto with videoconferencing. The program connects Indigenous Canadian students with virtual education and youth mental health and wellness services, mentors, and other students across Canada.

"We are excited to be the first Indigenous urban school in the Connected North network. It is critical that the education of Indigenous students includes opportunities to explore their cultures, traditions, histories, identities, and Indigenous knowledge," says Jonathan Kakegamic, principal of the First Nations School of Toronto. "Connected North will give our students the chance to explore, to build ties with other Indigenous students, to deepen their learning, and to expand their knowledge and understanding.

The now operates in 20 schools across Canada, and is expected to reach 105 schools in the next five years. "Joining the Connected North program will open up a wealth of new and exciting educational experiences for our students," adds Bill Daley, principal of Fort Frances High School. "We're thrilled to be able to extend the classroom experience and connect our students with peers, guest speakers, community leaders, and educators across the country."
Read how First Nations expands experiences for students.
Shawnee Mission School District: Transforming education with technology

The Shawnee Mission School District is one of the largest districts in Kansas. Today, its 4,200 teachers and staff serve roughly 28,000 students across 14 communities in the Kansas City area.

Shawnee Mission recently began using Webex Boards in their Center for Academic Excellence for whiteboarding and live video collaboration. "Teachers are also using Webex in classrooms to create real-time, synchronous collaborative learning opportunities on 1:1 devices. On top of whiteboarding and exchanging assignment files, they can chat with individual students who may be facing unique challenges. These important conversations can continue after the school bell rings," said Drew Lane, Executive Director of Information & Communications Technologies at Shawnee Mission School District.

"Digital learning creates a very dynamic environment, and you never know what's ahead," says Drew Lane. "But with Cisco as a partner, we now have confidence that we have access to what we need for a secure and productive future."
Read how Shawnee students are increasing digital literacy.

Learn more about Cisco Collaboration for Education.

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Collaboration Imagine traveling to dinosaur digs alongside archeologists. Going on safari with biologists. Exploring outer space with NASA scientists. Collaboration technology helps expand access to education. With it, schools have the ability to reach more students. Using video, online instruction can be as effective as traditional face-to-face interaction.

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Blended Learning

What Effective Blended Learning Looks Like

A high school algebra teacher in Lawrence, KS, has her students watch Khan Academy videos for homework, and when they come to class the next day, she gives them a choice of what to do: They can work together on a problem set that puts the lesson into practice, teaching - and learning from - each other. They can work independently on the same problem set. Or, they can listen to the teacher go over the lesson herself in a more intimate, small-group setting.

In Sonoma County, CA, high school students in Catlin Tucker's N.E.W. (Next Evolution in Work-based Learning) School classroom rotate through various stations as they learn concepts related to a cross-curricular theme. At some of the stations, students work offline by reading handouts or attending small-group "skill labs." Other stations have students working online, such as doing internet research or reading digital texts from McGraw-Hill's StudySync or other sources. Then, students break into groups to collaborate on solving a real-world challenge of their own design.

In Meriden, CT, school district leaders have completely reimagined their approach to instruction. Middle school students can take online courses for high school credit, and high school students can plan their own independent studies with the help of a faculty advisor. Meriden is also redesigning its learning spaces so that students can work in a variety of configurations, and district leaders have shifted their spending from printed textbooks to online content to allow for more self-paced, personalized learning.

All three of these scenarios are examples of effective blended learning in action. Blended learning combines the best of face-to-face and online instruction in ways that can customize the learning experience for each student, while making content more accessible.

As these diverse models suggest, blended learning can look very different from one classroom to the next. But when blended learning is done well, it typically involves some form of student choice or agency in their own learning, experts say - and there are other commonalities as well.

Michael B. Horn, co-founder and distinguished fellow of the Christensen Institute, said at least three-fourths of United States school districts have implemented some form of blended learning - and he estimated about 10 million students are benefiting. Besides giving students a choice in how they learn best, Horn said, effective blended learning shares the following characteristics:

The teacher has an engaged role and is using the technology to get to know students better.

There is a strong classroom culture in place that is widely shared and practiced. "Every routine, from asking for help to moving from one activity to the next, is very crisp and well understood by students," Horn said.

There is a clear purpose to every learning experience. "There should be thoughtfulness and intentionality behind the use of each mode or activity," he said. "It's not done ad hoc." Instead, there is a strategy behind it: "I'm using this modality to accomplish this specific purpose - and here's why."

Redefining the Teacher's Role
In the Lawrence Public Schools, "we have blended learning classrooms at all grade levels and in all subject areas," said Jerri Kemble, assistant superintendent for educational programs and technology.

A few years ago, district leaders created a program in which teachers could apply to become blended learning instructors. Applicants received training in how to lead a blended learning environment, and their classrooms were equipped with iPads, MacBooks and collaboration stations featuring flat-panel displays. "We started with eight blended learning classrooms in 2013; now, we have more than 200," Kemble said.

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what effective blended learning looks like

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What Effective Blended Learning Looks Like -- THE Journal

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Blended Learning A high school algebra teacher in Lawrence, KS, has her students watch Khan Academy videos for homework, and when they come to class the next day, she gives them a choice of what to do: They can work together on a problem set that puts the lesson into practice, teaching - and learning from - each other.

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Padmasree Warrior, Cisco 's chief technology officer, wrote a thought- provoking blog post recently entitled " The Next Generation Collaborative Enterprise." While the NGCE label sounds like just another marketing package (Cisco is a hardware vendor, after all), Warrior's article is definitely worth reading.

One comment she makes almost as an aside is particularly noteworthy. "It is important to point out that collaboration must not be confused with consensus or teamwork. Collaboration does not mean everyone must agree before any decision is made. Nor does it suggest that there is no room for individual creativity," Warrior writes. So true, and so very well stated.

I would take this a step further and say that a prime role of technology in collaboration is to highlight and even foster disagreement. Rephrasing Gordon Gekko in the movie Wall Street, I'll go as far as making the seemingly incongruous statement, "disagreement is good."

Disagreement makes us carefully examine our positions. It challenges us and tests the power of our convictions. Although sometimes painful, disagreement can take you and your team to a better place by strengthening the solution or your conclusion. Disagreement can be your friend.

While many believe disagreement is bad, it is really unresolved disagreement that is problematic. How often have you been surprised in a meeting when someone disagrees with what you thought was an uncontested statement of fact? The surprise of this revelation can be shocking, but at least it gives you the opportunity to address it. You can't address issues you don't know about.

Disagreement can also be unresolved because the situation is allowed to fester without a full airing or consideration of everyone's position. This is perhaps the most dangerous type of unresolved disagreement. Often by virtue of position, reputation or strength of personality one argument prevails without a full airing of opposing views.

Most people recognize that they won't always "win" every discussion and will still actively support a project even if their point of view wasn't accepted. However, everyone does want to be heard. They want to have a chance to explain themselves. They want their opinions valued even if not accepted. To use a sports analogy, it is better to strike out than to have never gotten an at bat.

This is where technology can help collaboration. A fundamental requirement for collaboration is communication. Technology can aid this by providing platforms to disclose what people are working on and thinking about. This can help minimize the "surprise" disagreements.

Collaboration technology can also be a vehicle for people to put forward their opinions and allow others to comment and discuss the merits of someone's positions. Technology doesn't care who you are or what your rank in the organization is. It dispassionately publishes your position to all, where it must stand on its own merits. It can be a great leveling device. Warrior states that NGCE "captures global opportunities, while eliminating the barriers of time, location, culture and language." I hope it also helps to eliminate barriers of power, position and the reluctance to voice your opinion.

The interesting thing is that NGCE could easily be something that employs many of the aspects of social media such as blogs, Twitter and even Facebook. The possibilities for improving communication and the exchange and discussion of ideas are especially intriguing. I don't know if this is what Warrior had in mind with her concept of NGCE, but it is what I see as its great potential.

Lastly, I should mention that Warrior points out, "we all know collaboration is not just about the technology." Amen! Technology is a tool that can help us do many great things. It is up to us as leaders to understand that it is not the solution, and to use it wisely.

Mike Schaffner directs information technology for the Valve and Measurement Group of oil and gas products and services company Cameron in Houston and aims to infuse a business-based approach to IT management. He also blogs regularly at Beyond Blinking Lights and Acronyms. Follow him on Twitter at mikeschaffner.

See Also:
How To Buy An E-Reader The Death Of Social Media Crowdsourcing For Prize Money

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Padmasree Warrior, Cisco 's chief technology officer, wrote a thought- provoking blog post recently entitled " The Next Generation Collaborative Enterprise." While the NGCE label sounds like just another marketing package (Cisco is a hardware vendor, after all), Warrior's article is definitely worth reading. One comment she makes almost as an aside is particularly noteworthy.

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Improves access beyond the classroom and allows people to contribute, breaks down barriers, and geographics .

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Old school collaboration involved sitting in rows, minimal group work, and teacher centered learning. There was whole group instruction. On occasion you would work with a partner sitting next to you.
It's different because today we have numerous opportunities to collaborate with peers.

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Teaching can continue while the students a not in the classroom.

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Teaching can continue while the students a not in the classroom.

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WIFI, computers, students working in groups, access to resources

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It changes the role because it is more student centered learning.

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More student center