Creative Communicator: Unpacking ISTE Standard for Students #6

Creative Communicator: Students communicate clearly and express themselves creatively for a variety of purposes using the platforms, tools, styles, formats and digital media appropriate to their goals. (ISTE Standard for Students)

So this may seem like a hard standard to pull off in a non-techie classroom but bear with me. This one is important! Some of the other standards are much more technical and forward thinking but the basic skill of communication is one that so many people face with emotional struggle. Adults often choose the wrong platform or format to share our grievances or we don't take advantage of the potential audiences we have for the worthy things we want to share. Or worse yet, we don't have the verbalization skills to share the great work that is being done. In this case, I'm talking about adults but it definitely transfers over to our students seven-fold!

I know we have already discussed digital citizenship in a prior blog post in this series but I believe communication is one of the most critical parts of being a good steward in the world of technology. I also believe that in today's society, we are losing our ability to have face to face conversations that are hard. (I'm preaching to myself here.) I hate conflict and would much rather broach a hard subject via email and then follow up face to face. Technology can make us lazy communicators and sadly it can also give us courage that we shouldn't always take advantage of.  

My husband makes fun of my girls and me because we will read a text and say, "Oh, she's mad!" He will then say, "How do you know? Did she tell you she was mad?" and my answer might be "Because she wrote in ALL CAPS" or "I can just tell." or "She used the angry face emoji." It drives him crazy. Communicating through technology often loses the nuances that face to face communication brings. That being said, to say we should strive to equip our students to be creative communicators is a vital skill for their future. There is not a single job I can think of in today's mainstream society that doesn't require the ability to communicate with others. So cheer up non-techie friends, even though you might not have the technology to support this, you will be aiding your students' ability to function in a face to face world even better if you make this standard a priority. 

• So what does a low tech or unplugged version of "creative communicator" look like? This year, one of our Bible teachers challenged his students to create memes after they finished the unit of the life of St. Paul. He told them to think of it like creating an Instagram post, but since social media is closed to students at our school, they created their posts using a slide deck. Their captions were full of written nuances that they gleaned from their studying. How brilliant was this lesson? He took a platform that students use every day and assessed their learning based on a current fad in society- memes. I love this idea! Did it have to be done on a slide deck? No. They could have done it with markers and papers just as easily. Or what if they had taken an actual photo and put the words right on top of it. Guys, that would be no different than app-smashing on an iPad (combining one or more platforms to create an original work).
• Remember oral reports? Hands sweaty, waiting for your name to be called so you can do your at least 3-minute speech on some topic. Sometimes you have a posterboard sitting next to you as a visual when you talk, sometimes you don't. Next time this opportunity arises in your classroom, stretch your students a bit. Tell them they have 3 minutes to be creative communicators instead of 3 minutes to give a book report. See what happens! Encourage them to build models, have visuals, and think about their intended audience. Open the door to increased connectivity and creativity. Give them a bigger audience than just you and their classmates. Ask in other classes, parents, or any visitor that would make the moment more special. Spend time beforehand teaching them skills of voice control, inflection, eye contact, and body language. You might not be teaching them digital skills but you sure will be teaching them the importance of being a creative communicator. Talk to them about what subject matters might benefit most from certain types of visuals. One day when they have the opportunity to use technology to enhance their already amazing communication skills, think about what they might do! Last week I had the honor of attending the Chattanooga Fab Institute and the keynote speaker for the first day was Shinjini Das, CEO and founder of Das Media Group (see her story here). Her charisma and ability to engage with the crowd is unique for a 27-year-old engineer. She has the face to face communication skills that don't necessarily fit with the stereotypical STEM field. She's a unicorn in her industry and we need to develop more unicorns in the STEM field. There is value in growing students that can not only DO but also SAY!
• Own it! Yeah, you the teacher. Your students may not have access to social media but you do. Find out your school district's stance on sharing student information/faces online and make sure you follow those guidelines. Then start using social media to show students when and how it can be a good platform for communication. Create a class blog and share the things happening in your classroom. Contact the author of a book with questions your students have curated while they read the author's book and send them to the author. Have your students create "how to" videos to relate to your curriculum and add to them yourself. Create a website using Google Sites templates and add poetry, photos, or well-written work. Seem like too much work? You don't have to retype everything they have turned in, take a photo and upload it! It is true, it does become a bit of extra work for you as a whole but you are modeling for your students how to be a creative communicator and adding value to the hard work they do in your classroom by showcasing to a broader audience. You are also showing your students how to add value to the digital world they live in. So much of digital citizenship focuses on a list of dangers and safeguards to be aware of but as a citizen, we also want to bring value to that world. Sharing learning and creating pathways for others to learn from our students does just that. 
• Be a trailblazer. Show students the value of communicating with new tools. Adopt the concept of using voice speakers in the classroom or for communicating with students and families. Create communication means meeting needs in effective ways. Why not choose the fastest growing platform since the iPhone to show students what it means to stay on the edge of learning? 

More ideas for no tech, low tech, and high tech teaching of this standard:

Check out the previous blog posts from the "Unpacking ISTE Standards for Students Techknowledge Gee" here:

• Standard #1 Empowered Learner

• Standard #2 Digital Citizen

• Standard #3 Knowledge Constructor

• Standard #4 Innovative Designer

• Standard #5 Computational Thinker

Viral Messaging: Putting Digital Citizenship to the Test

The following post is by Alex Podchaski, and while I have never met him in person, we are part of each other's professional learning network. When the MOMO Challenge reared its ugly head last week, I reached out on Twitter to other technologists to find out what they were hearing and what their thoughts were. Alex's thoughts were spot on with mine and I asked him if he would guest blog on the subject for me. I'm thankful for his insights and for being a sounding board. This is his post and the original can be found here.

Turning A Viral Hoax Into A Lesson on Internet Safety

Over the last week, you have probably seen some reference to the “Momo Challenge,”
hidden messages in Youtube videos, and calls for technology companies to police their
systems to protect kids. You have probably also seen a number of reports of things being
a hoax that should be ignored. As always, the truth lies somewhere in between, and we
wanted to help you sort things out along with giving you some practical advice on how to
deal with these types of reports in the future.

As educators, we spend a great deal of time trying to figure out the best way to prepare

our students for the challenges they will face, both in the real and the digital worlds.

Many times we have to deal with the theoretical, as we can’t always create the proper

real-world scenarios to take all the aspects of instruction into account during a given

situation. For many of us, we have embraced the concepts of digital citizenship,

trying to help our communities navigate the difference between behaviors and

actions online and in real life. We have created great models, listed out recommended

behavior, taught interesting lessons, and sometimes even given badges when we

have been successful. But the real test of what we are teaching is not how we respond

to the manufactured situation, but how we then address something that happens for real.

Case Study: What is the #MoMoChallenge?

There have been reports for the last 18 months about the #MomoChallenge. It started

with reports of someone or something luring students via social media accounts on

Facebook and WhatsApp to do harm to themselves and others under threat of public

humiliation and physical intimidation. Reports were made that students had harmed

themselves. Over the last week, it became a video that was being embedded in

popular children's videos on YouTube. Over the weekend, the media has picked

up on what has really happened and gotten to the real part of the story - it’s not real.

Here are a few sources we find credible on the topic:

• Vox
• The Atlantic
• NPR
• CNN
• New York Times
• Snopes

Unfortunately, these reports come after many local news organizations and school districts
had already bought into the fear, uncertainty and doubt caused by reports on social media,
encouraged by media celebrities posting and reposting without knowing all the facts.
Part of the challenge of being an educator is taking the time to evaluate what we discover,

and then choosing the appropriate response. It is not always easy, and we have a lot to

learn as well. A friend posted the following article online after a long discussion by a
number of us on twitter regarding the whole situation.

Those who choose actions that attempt to negatively influence children are truly
despicable. The various challenges and stories that appear online about suggestions being
made to kids about trying to disappear, or cause harm to themselves, or to act out in foolish
ways make me mad. But as horrible as those behaviors are, are we really doing what we
need to in order to minimize their influence on our students and children? Whenever one
of these stories makes the news or makes it around the rumor mill from parents,
other teachers, or social media, I try to apply the same rules we teach our students about
how to determine what is really going on and how to appropriately respond.

Questions to Ask Yourself

• Is the source authentic?

When we search for those items to watch or use, are we paying attention to where they

come from? I love Marvel movies, and I love watching the trailers and shorts as they are

released online. But each time I go looking for them, I have to choose between those who

are copying the material for their own benefit and the official sources of the clips and
trailers. I know I can trust the official versions to be appropriate and only have
trusted content. I cannot make the same claim for the random account that copies or
changes the video for their own purposes.

• Is the content appropriate?

The classic definition of, “I know it when I see it … ,” applies here. We are all tempted to

watch that video that reveals the secret about someone or something. Or maybe we can’t

wait for that movie to come out on DVD/streaming so we find that copy out there online.

Sometimes, we just need that child to be quiet, so we let them watch something (anything)

to get five minutes of peace and quiet. We may all do this, but we know that it is not
always appropriate, and we need to take a moment to determine what our real motivation
and response should be. There is an internet phenomenon called the Rick Roll.
You can check out the whole story on Wikipedia, but it was all about includingRick Astley’s
“Never Gonna Give You Up” video, lyrics, images or music in any type of internet post.
Videos were posted that purported to reveal one thing, but the viewer was faced with the
video of Rick Astley shortly after starting. There are people who will post anything just to
get the views and increase their income potential. We need to be discerning when choosing which videos we watch.

• Do I really need to share?

Just by being on social media, I receive all kinds of warning, updates, stories, breaking
news, and other notifications that demand that I share them with my connections.
It ranges from outbreaks of illnesses to political messages to online petitions that
demand that I repost them. I ignore almost all of it. Why? In most cases, if I have followed
the previous two steps, the originating organization, or the intent of the poster, almost
always is something that I deem appropriate, and most of the time the primary source
of the original message is not from anyone or any group I would recognize as an authority
on the message they are posting. I value my online community, both personally and 
professionally. If I post something, it becomes part of my online reputation. I am not willing
to risk my reputation for just anyone or anything. It is hard enough to maintain credibility in
face to face relationships. Online is harder. We should always think before we post.
In most cases, it will save us from a world of grief.

• Walking the Walk

As adults, it’s important to understand that we need to be as responsible online as we

expect our children and our technology companies to be. We need to stay aware of the

potential threats and dangers, but we also need to know when to react, and when to be
patient and dig deeper. By sitting and talking with your children about internet safety
and the rules you’ve established as parents, it will help guide them toward appropriate
content online. Give them limits, but also make sure you are aware of what is out there
and what they are watching. By modeling good behavior, it may even help you
remain accountable, as well.

Alex Podchaski, a Certified Education Technology Leader, has been Oak Knoll’s Chief Technology Officer since 2008. In 2015, he was named to Huffington Post’s inaugural list of the Top Social Tech Leaders in K-12 education as someone who has embraced social media to exchange ideas and solutions in the ever-evolving educational landscape. He earned bachelor’s degrees in physics and mechanical engineering from Rutgers University, where he would also earn a master’s in strategic management. Mr. Podchaski also taught as an adjunct faculty member at the university, where he built Rutgers’ first network operations center. You can follow him on Twitter at @ajpodchaski.

Educators as Empowered Leaders (Blog 3 of 8 in the series on unpacking the ISTE Standards for Educators)

Empowered Professional

2.  Leader-Educators seek out opportunities for leadership to support student empowerment and    success and to improve teaching and learning. Educators:

• Shape, advance and accelerate a shared vision for empowered learning with technology by engaging with education stakeholders.
• Advocate for equitable access to educational technology, digital content and learning opportunities to meet the diverse needs of all students.
• Model for colleagues the identification, exploration, evaluation, curation and adoption of new digital resources and tools for learning.  (ISTE Standards for Educators -2016)

I have learned over my lifetime that titles don't make leaders, leaders become leaders because they have attributes worthy of following. As we all know, just because you use technology in a classroom does not make you a leader. But this series of blog posts are about those educators among us that lead others to see the value of technology integration. I'll be honest I know I've been seen as both a leader and a troublemaker. I've been valued for my knowledge in instructional technology and I have been devalued because I was not seen as balanced. I will say that both views have turned me into the better educator that I am today. I know that my administrators sometimes get tired of my barrage of emails about latest research, tools, and tweets. What they don't know is how often I want to send things but don't! Yeah, if you are reading this...believe it or not I do try to be discerning with my shares! 

For me, I try to keep my focus on what I believe good technology integration can do for students.  My constant connection to education stakeholders in my district is to give them a glimpse of things out there. It's not an easy job to be the one pushing others towards visionary technology integration. In fact, sometimes it can feel professionally deflating. I am a passionate person and I believe in personalized learning. For most of my life, that wasn't practical in the educational arena because of the number of students a teacher has but with the advancements of technology, we now have the ability to work smarter in digitizing repetitive tasks and using technology to aid the learning. 

While I happen to work in a very tech rich school system, I still find myself lobbying for equitable use of technology because some teachers don't value and do not want to use technology in their classrooms. By creating some technology expectations for our students to have at graduation, it puts the onus on everyone to make sure our students are graduating with skills needed in this digital age. I know many teachers that would give their eye teeth to have access to technology for their students. If you are in this type of environment, you need to become a prophet to your district so that the digital divide doesn't impact your students.

Should every teacher be an empowered leader regarding technology? In theory, yes. If we were all sharing the tools and the pedagogy behind using the tools with each other then our students would benefit from the combined knowledge of us all. One of the ways I share about the value of tools to our teachers is by giving them hands-on opportunities to participate with them as a student. For instance, having them create a flipgrid video for a fellow coworker allowed them to see the benefits of using it in their classroom for video formative assessment. One of the hardest roles for me is sharing the pedagogical advantages to using technology. For many educators, it is hard to accept that technology has transformational value. To hear it from me, the technology coordinator, seems like the Great Oz is really the little man behind the current. Therefore, I work hand in hand with teachers that believe there has to be a better way and prove that there is. I now have a trust bond with these teachers and they are much more likely to listen to me when I share things now. Modeling, adopting, trying and failing, and listening are all keys to becoming an empowered educator leader. But the biggest thing, and the hardest, is not to become discouraged when you don't feel heard or valued in your knowledge. Keep going and fighting the good fight for the benefit of your students! 

What Should First Year Teachers Know About Tech Integration?

I recently participated in a #TnTechChat Twitter chat moderated by @TeachTnTech regarding Technology skills needed in preservice teachers. For many of us in the chat we felt that new teachers are not necessarily entering the workforce equipped for a tech-rich classroom. There were a few higher education professors in the discussion that gave a bit of insight into how slowly changes in curriculum often happen in higher Ed courses.

At the end of the chat I shared the following tweet: "I know I'm biased but I think teacher prep students should be aware of blended learning, value of PLN and recent buzzwords to explore." Apparently this tweet resonated with many educators on Twitter because it got an over abundance of love. As this week has progressed I find myself thinking on the subject a lot, and this blog post is a more thought out list of technology knowledge I think preservice teachers should be aware of before entering the workforce:

Blended learning. Technology allows for teachers to have more small group and one on one instruction, something all teachers find value in. Understanding the dynamics, classroom management and benefits of blended learning needs to be on the new teacher's radar.

Technology-based formative assessment options. For centuries teachers have learned the value of formative assessment. Whether it be on the slate or white board or just casual questioning, all teachers love the ability to have feedback after a lesson. There are many different ways teachers can now easily ascertain in real time the learning happening in the classroom. Apps and websites like Kahoot, Socrative, Go Formative, or using school-based LMS quiz solutions allows for more knowledge based on individualized students. I believe this is a game changer for education and can't be ignored.

The value of professional learning networks (PLNs). The collaborative value that Twitter, Google plus, CoffeeEDUs and various other educational online communities bring is invaluable. It should be part of the curriculum for a preservice teacher to learn how to leverage these PLNs for their future learning when they are out of the classroom as a student. PLN's are a great way for teachers to remain lifelong learners.

Buzzwords. I'll be honest this is the one that I have mixed reviews on. I don't believe that every buzzword should be adopted or even considered in every school, I also realize buzzwords don't necessarily have any proof of their effectiveness. I do believe pedagogy trumps technology every day of the week and that technology should never lead instruction. That being said, I also think there is great value in new educators at least being aware of recent buzzword initiatives in education. This hit me at an Edcamp last year when topics of discussion were listed on the board and hands went up all over the room asking things like "what's a makerspace?", "what's augmented reality?", "what does PBL stand for?" While any school they go to may not implement any of those buzzwords, they need to know they exist; and maybe even the pros and cons of these different  teaching methods and tools.

Classroom management skills for a tech-rich environment. I believe a new teacher should enter the work place with lots of ideas to keep students on task, engaged, and learning when technology is present. I think teachers also should have a plan of what to do for off-task students- knowing that individual schools might have their own set of standards of expectation.

How to read website and app data retrieved from student learning and how to value that timely information. So many teachers grade papers for hours on end. As a rule we know this has been a major component of a teacher's day. Technology can change this. If students are using technology such as adaptive learning software options, teachers now will spend less time grading papers but must spend their evenings looking at the results in the technology-based learning. This is a change in teacher culture. If teachers aren't careful, technology stations in a classroom just becomes a thing to do. If we aren't looking at results for assessment purposes, the chances of it being valuable use of instruction time is small.

Experience with someone modeling good technology integration in the classroom. Many times teacher placements happen where preservice teachers never have the opportunity to work in a classroom with much technology or with a mentor teacher that values it. This may be my most aggressive point but I believe every preservice teacher should have one placement that allows them to see what good technology integration looks like. I believe it must be an expectation of the mentor teacher as well.

Technology in the classroom is not going away, in fact companies like Google and Apple are creating opportunities directly for education. As time goes on more and more ways to meet student needs via technology shows positive learning results are happening. Ignoring this side of prepping teachers is not a future ready mindset. We must grow forward to best equipped these future educational technology leaders.

How Parents Can Support EdTech

I am a technology coordinator in a very tech-rich school- meaning technology is available and integrated regularly in the classrooms. In 5th-10th grades, students are required to "bring your own device," there are carts of iPads for grades preK-4th grades to check out, and a limited amount of Chromebooks are also available for use through teacher/student checkout for all grade levels as well. We use technology as a tool at our school to enhance the student learning experience as well as streamline the teacher's workday. Due to the technology culture at our school, I sometimes have parents ask me questions about student usage issues. This blog post is to give some ideas on how parents can help support their student's technology needs.

• Protect your student's device. You know your child's personality better than anyone, will they treat their device in an appropriate manner or will they throw it into their backpack? If you are in a BYOT school, buy not only the device that you think is the best fit for your child but buy a device that meets their maturity level in terms of "care of device." If your child tends to still be clumsy and careless with technology, wrap that tablet in plastic! There are many good cases that go above and beyond the call of duty in keeping your investment safe. I broke down and spent a bit more money to put my iPhone 6S in an Otterbox case when I bought it lately. The cost of a case beats the cost of a new screen any day of the week. If your student wants a laptop, consider the possibility that it is a bit more fragile in terms of care but there are actually cases for those as well, they just aren't quite as sturdy for the most part.
• Protect your student's heart. Curiosity is a part of how we were created, with that comes some positives and negatives. Set boundaries for your child in regards to technology usage. Each child is different and parenting is different for each child but use parental controls on devices and wireless routers. Look at companies like My Torch, Curbi, Covenant Eyes or Mobicip for example. As always, the best form of parental control is sitting next to your student when they are using technology and always having them use technology in open areas when at home.
• Protect your student's priorities. It's very easy to allow a device to become an extension of who we are. Set limits on technology usage for your students. This year as our fifth grade went 1:1 for the first time, I talked digital citizenship with our students regarding balancing time and I "showed" them through a little test the downside to constantly switch tasking. I read three books to them: Doug Unplugged by Dan Yaccarino, When Charlie McButton Lost Power by Suzanne Collins/Mike Lester, Goodnight iPad by Ann Droyd. Look for opportunities to seek ways to model balanced technology use yourself. One of my first statements when talking about balancing with elementary students is "are your parents ever doing something on their smartphone while you are trying to talk to them and you can't get their attention?" 97% of the time I get a resounding "YES" from the majority of the students and multiple students want to share examples. 
• Protect the teacher's need to have a class with devices ready to go. In a culture where technology is expected, if a student doesn't come with their device charged, doesn't have the required apps or websites available, it changes how a teacher has to teach that day. Just like you make sure your students have their homework done, their lunches packed, and their coats on a cold day, make sure their devices are ready for the day's activities.
• Protect your student's school day from unneeded distractions. If you have a student that seems to be pulled off task by the device in their hands on a regular basis, perhaps it is time to adjust their device for more school-oriented purposes. If they seem to be iMessaging more than paying attention, finishing a Minecraft project instead of reading, or posting photos on Instagram during the school day- maybe they need to have those options removed (at least for a time) to prove they can use technology responsibly.
• Protect your child from making social media bad choices. We live in an age where things that happen at home can easily affect the school day more than ever before. As a parent, follow your students on social media, pick up their device and look at their camera roll occasionally. Keep your child accountable. Sadly, one bad choice of sending something inappropriate could haunt your child for the rest of their life. As a parent, you have a responsibility to talk with your student about online safety, protecting private information, standing up to cyberbullying, respecting themselves and others, and balancing their time (adapted from Common Sense media poster). Commonsensemedia.org  is a great resource for parents and teachers to help navigate the digital world with their students. For the past three years I have been a Certified Common Sense Media Digital Citizenship Educator because I see the value of teaching digital citizenship skills to our students often.

Parents often come to me and want a panacea bulleted list on "How do I parent this aspect of my child's life?" but honestly there is no quick fix, one size fits all answer. Just like many parts of parenting, we learn as we go, outside circumstances change our views, new things cause us to need to adjust, and attitudes carry great weight in how we protect yet grow our children into responsible adults. We are parenting digital citizens to make them future ready for the world beyond. We have responsibilities to help the education system in guiding and directing them into productive citizens.

Time Management of Devices

Do you ever wonder just how much of a slave you are to your smartphone? How much time do you actually spend on it? I'm fairly guilty of checking my phone out of habit as much as need.
So recently I downloaded the app "Moment," you leave it open on your phone and it tracks how much time you spend actively using your phone. For me it was an eye-opening experience to see how much time I seek my phone out of habit and not need.

After testing and also ACKNOWLEDGING that I might be tied to my phone more than I want to be, I decided to take advantage of the built-in helps on my iPhone at Settings>Do Not Disturb. There is a variety of ways you can use this to your advantage while working, studying, sleeping, or investing in others. 

How does this relate to others? We can all be slaves to multi-tasking. As educators we have a responsibility to show students the pitfalls of multi-tasking and becoming too connected. One of my favorite ways to show students that they probably aren't as good at multi-tasking as they think is to show this video: 

                  

And then I have the students test themselves http://davecrenshaw.com/multitasking-exercise-v2.pdf. We talk a lot about digital citizenship with our students but I believe we sometimes lack in modeling and explaining the need to put the device down. We need to show them the value of plugging into the day not just taking photos of it for social media purposes. If you haven't seen someone in weeks, isn't having two arms open to get that first hug more important that videoing the look on their face? 

This year I plan to spend more time helping my teachers and students see the value of technology used efficiently and timely.