Blog 10

It’s difficult not to post about the international pandemic. However, the current state of affairs directly impacts education and educational technology. The majority of school districts across the nation are practicing distance learning; access to technology is integral in doing so.

California State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tony Thurmond, assured the public that the state is doing all it can to accommodate more than 6 million distance learners. He is concerned with accessibility.

I have 146 students and everybody doesn’t have internet access. This is an educational barrier. The lesson and content gets lost due to lack of accessibility. 

Thurmond’s goal is to ensure access to all students. He stated that virtual support circles, webinars, and hotlines were created to field parents’ questions about content. Plus, 70,000 students in California will receive tablets to ensure their learning.  What about the millions of others? 

I’ve concluded that all good educators want to eliminate barriers, but lack of technology isn’t something that can be 100% eliminated. When students are in my presence I know what technology and resources are available because they are provided on campus. I find that since going exclusively online I’ve turned into a computer technician on Best Buy’s Geek Squad! I spend more time trying to explain troubleshooting and connectivity than answering questions about the content and lesson. However, as a good educator I still do all I can to eliminate those barriers. 

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Animoto.com 

Blog 9

Immigrant workers are among the medical professionals risking their lives in response to COVID-19. 200 of 29,000 DACA healthcare workers are medical students, residents, or physicians. Nurses and paramedics, even nurse’s assistants who carefully wrap the bodies of the deceased that others are afraid to touch. They are the embodiment of medical and innovative technology. They face deportation yet feel an immense sense of obligation to care for the sick.  

Lawyers for plaintiffs suing over the Trump administration’s decision to end the DACA program asked the Supreme Court  to consider DACA healthcare workers who are actively battling the pandemic. 

Mark Krikorian, Executive Director for the Center for Immigration Studies criticized the motion, calling it “another example of advocates taking advantage of a crisis to pursue their political objectives.” 

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Mentimeter!

I enjoyed creating an interactive presentation on Mentimeter.com and I look forward to using it in the classroom (this site and Animoto.com are great). For free, users can create a 6-slide presentation including content and interactive surveys that appear on the whiteboard in real time. Users can upgrade to several different paid accounts for more options and settings. 

Blog 8

Physicians fresh out of medical school and those who've yet to graduate are being called to work the pandemic in the country's biggest medical effort since WWII! Thirteen medical schools across the nation have issued diplomas early. “Lessons were put on pause as doctors and nurses reorganized hospitals to care for COVID-19 patients.” Not only are they testing and safeguarding patients, these professionals have connected families and managed hotlines for the distressed. Necessity is truly the mother of invention! 

"As a physician, seeing these to-be physicians being able to lead and innovate in new ways, to help by providing a line of communication with patients — it's remarkable," said Dr. Sangeeta Shah, the director of the Ochsner Heart & Vascular Institute.

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Due to social distancing I’ve gotten acquainted with Zoom, a video conferencing platform. My children’s teachers have used this app since school closures, and I’ve been able to chat with family members with Zoom.

Blog 7

LA Rep. Ted James, D-Baton Rouge, unfortunately tested positive for COVID-19. Prayerfully he will make a full recovery. He is the Chairman of the Administration of Criminal Justice, overseeing many aspects of criminal law and procedure via many facets of technology. James voted to extend implementation of the CCSS Initiative. 

He became symptomatic on Sunday, March 22nd, and by Monday March 23rd his symptoms worsened. He received positive results on Thursday, March 26th. James was admitted to the hospital on Sunday, March 29th. 

"I hope my constituents  and the people of Louisiana look at my experience and understand that this virus does not know age, race, health or socioeconomic status," stated James. Gov. Jon Bel Edwards extended the stay-at-home order until April 30th to reduce the spread of COVID-19. 

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http://www.stpsb.org/coronavirus/

Blog 6

Concerns about COVID-19, or Coronavirus, have caused schools across Louisiana to close. Additionally, schools and businesses across America are adjusting hours and social interaction in an effort to reduce exposure to the virus. Increasingly sparse grocery stores are examples of nationwide panic. 

Personally, this experience is akin to the wake of Hurricane Katrina when I was a teenager; that feeling of uneasiness due to impending danger. Professionally, I am uneasy because there are so many unanswered questions! All districts are closed to students until April 13th, however, I haven’t received word of if and when teachers will return. Some staff will return. STPPS is serving pick-up only meals beginning Wednesday 3/18/2020, 11AM-1PM. 

We may use Moodle to remain updated with curriculum and assignments, however, because I am a new teacher, I haven’t taken the ‘in-service’ class for Moodle. Meaning, I can view guaranteed curriculum and textbooks on the site, but I cannot post any assignments until I complete the ‘in-service.’ Perhaps I should just relax and enjoy this mandatory break! 

2 week update: I am on Moodle and rocking it! I’ve posted some great info and power points for my students. 

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www.kialo-edu.com

Blog 5

Can lack of property tax revenue cause schools in rural Louisiana to close? To put it simply, YES! Sales tax revenue and property tax revenue help fund school districts. Unfortunately, rural school districts - like those of Madison, Catahoula, East Carroll, and Morehouse - are experiencing closures, low enrollment, and underpaid teachers. These areas are rural with few commercial and retail spaces to help boost their economies. In regards to Educational Technology, this is terrible news! Without teachers, there is no chance to effectively incorporate technology. Without proper funds these districts can’t support teachers or technology. 

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Google Drive! Google Drive! Google Drive! 

Blog 4

Katherine Johnson “calculated the precise trajectories” that allowed Apollo 11 to land on the moon and return home in 1969. In 1961 her calculations got the first American into space, and in 1962 her work allowed the first American to orbit earth.  During an era when "calculators" and "computers" were women performing complex tasks. 

“Mrs. Johnson was one of several hundred rigorously educated, supremely capable yet largely unheralded women who, well before the modern feminist movement, worked as NASA mathematicians.” - Margalit Fox, NY Times

Mrs. Johnson experienced bigotry and racism inside and outside of NASA, yet like so many, she persisted and did not allow that to impede her. NASA needed to relieve the guys who didn’t want to “crunch numbers” by hand, and began hiring white women. FDR enacted Executive Order 8802, barring discrimination in the defense industry, which allowed black women to be hired. The 2016 film “Hidden Figures” tells a portion of her story, as well as other known computers and engineers, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson. In 2017 NASA dedicated a building to her: Katherine G. Johnson Computational Research Facility. 

Katherine Johnson was the embodiment of educational technology!

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Classroom response clickers are easy ways for teachers to collect and analyze response data during lectures and discussions. Peer discussion is important, however, many tasks require students to formulate independent answers. 

Response clickers can be great for students who shy away from group discussion, and can foster greater engagement and participation. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/24/science/katherine-johnson-dead.html

Blog 3

Louisiana is behind in teacher pay in the 16-state region. Governor Edwards vowed to change this deficit. Does Governor Edwards have a plan for teacher pay raises this year, as he promised? Last year he reassured teachers that a plan was in place for an increase in pay. Last year teachers received an additional $1,000, while other personnel, like cafeteria workers received an additional $500. Many teachers and supporters are surprised that teacher raises have not been budgeted this year, and districts are expected to provide raises. This poses a problem because some districts simply can not afford to increase raises while maintaining technology and insurance costs.

Because this budget (that lacks teacher raises) is based on revenue, Shane Riddle believes once “additional revenue is recognized the budget proposal may look different.” 

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Blog 2

Secondary technical programs have proven to be a remedy to Louisiana’s wide skills gap. Increasingly more and more high school students are opting for technical diplomas because these graduation pathways offer entry level job credentials. Twenty-somethings and teens are earning high wages due to technical certifications! LDOE and the State of Louisiana have built pathways that didn’t previously exist, while serving industries that have been around. For instance, in my area, many student want to become certified in Maritime trades due to our proximity to the Gulf and River.

#ETEC5610

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Blog 1

Learning Analytics, or LA, monitors and traces human activity online, including detection of potential student dropouts, and offers recommendations to support learners. LA, a facet of technology within the education sphere, seeks ways to track progress online while incorporating new literacies. LA can be used to blend research, educators, and learners in creating data driven tools. LA enables personalized, formative feedback with focus on “transferable competencies.” Competencies including critical thinking, reflection, and teamwork. These tools have the ability to blend into curriculum outcomes when used purposefully.

In my former job as a Graduation/Career Coach I used data/analytics as an intervention tool to thwart dropouts and build my roster of special populations to focus on. Meaning, I would view and gather information on students based on current failures, standardized test scores, living arrangements, lunch status, jumpstart pathway, and if the student had an IEP. Although data is not the only focal point of good education, it certainly helps! Without analytical information and technology my job wouldn’t have been possible.

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Instructional Technology Tool: Google Classroom! It is accessible across all devices including cell phones, as some students prefer to use their phones.