READ THIS! Study: Students Want Teachers To Use Technology ASAP

So, you have to check this out!

Study: Students Want Teachers To Use Technology ASAP

http://edudemic.com/2012/10/technology-now-please/

Ok, until next time!

Thoughts on Technology, Forward Thinking and School Principals

I read a post a while back where a retired school principal believed that not growing up with technology helped his kids grow up to be decent members of society. Although I can understand how folks would believe that technology is the problem, I just don't.


I was going to go into a big thing here quoting the guy and all.  It's not going to happen.  The bottom line is that we all are using technology and the benefits are vast.  One of the most notable changes on the horizon is collaborative learning.  I believe all children will be reached through working together on projects.  Instead of reciting facts, we will have discovery of talents and kids will find their passions.  We already have experts in virtually any topic available from anywhere in the world. 

After all, the facts are all online anytime we need them.

Ok, until next time.

Have Schools Become Top-Heavy and Wasteful?

Top-heavy and wasteful schools, huh?

I have never seen a wasteful school in person, but I have seen plenty of folks that believe schools waste funds. Being an expert in other areas, I can't prove my belief that schools are fiscally responsible, but I am not willing to believe anyone who asserts they are.

I have seen schools trying to hold on to slide projectors even though the technology had long-since passed.  Like 10 years past.  Oh, here's another one.  Wanna bet that most schools are still using VHS in some capacity?

I bet they are.  But you're probably not at home.

So, this post is just a bit of a rant.  I would love to see schools at the point where they could be the early adopters of new technology instead of lagging far behind using hand-me-downs.  That's what they would do if they had the money.  Here's my point...

I don't believe it when I hear that schools are wasteful. Not sure about the top-heavy part.

What do you believe?

__________________

Keep the conversation going at twitter.com/believekids
facebook.com/believekids
believekids.com/blog/

Elementary school fundraising

Technology in the Classroom of the Future...

I read an article about technology as it relates to blended learning, online courses and brick and mortar education.  There really is not a lot of answers about what the future of education looks like.  I understand there are different camps.  For instance, online courses need students and brick and mortar schools need kids in seats.  How will these to camps meet up and what does that look like?  Nobody knows.  I really wanted to put a quick comment out there for educators and anyone else who may find it interesting. 

When I think of the future of education and technology in the classroom of the future, it reminds me of how I think of future technology and wonder what it will be like.  I wonder why soap dispensers in restaurants are allowed to run out of soap knowing darn well there is a technology solution that could fix that.

Then things happen, technology adapts and changes and every once in a while there is an unexpected game changer like those old giant cell phones from the 80's.  More recently, the iPhone comes to mind.  Nobody saw it coming and yet, when it arrived it felt right, a perfect addition to our lifestyles.  It seems like it was so obvious.

I leave you with this.  Use technology in your daily lives and classrooms as much as you can.  Take a chance and ignore any negative feelings you get telling you not to do it.  Push through and change your classroom or your day so that you automate, simplify and allow others to engage.

What happens next is you or someone else takes your idea further and it seems quite natural.  This is the way of technological improvements.  So, go do something with technology today and that will open up an opportunity for someone to one-up you later.

Ok, until next time! 

Current Technology in School - It's here!

Yesterday, I encouraged us all to embrace technology and go for it despite any challenges.  Today I offer a link to a short news post from the University level illustrating a commitment to ushering in a new day.

Here is proof that it's here and ready for us to put it to use in the classroom and our daily lives:

Free iPad 2 for New Freshman and Transfer Students

*Note how they mention that the only limitation will be the pace of faculty integration.

It's here for the taking, at least at Long Island University :)

Ok, until next time!

Somewhere between Philantropy and Education Lies School Fundraising

I'm going to get on my soapbox for a minute and let the educators in my PLN know that fundraising is good and they should support it.  Fundraising is a philanthropic effort, and yet, there is resistance to it.

When many educators here something about fundraising I suspect they wince a bit.  I know how it goes.  I know that goes against the fiber of what it means to be a teacher and you'll enjoy my reasoning... Here it goes:

1) Teachers do not like intrusion - Anything that interrupts a teachers day is not good.

2) Teachers need to be encouraged to have amazing parent/teacher relationships and selling things can mess up that relationship.

3) Teachers want tools, devices and technology but what they want most is time enough to do their jobs.

4) Teachers feel that the school demands things from them and doesn't reciprocate when they give of themselves.

There's my down and dirty (and quite honest) rational as to why teachers resist getting involved with fundraising and other school activities and events. Hey, for anyone that is offended, I apologize upfront.  I am sure that many teachers do not struggle with these issues and that others feel like they do more than their part without complaint.  The individuals I mention above really do exist though in a large way and I think I have a few solutions we can consider.

The first thing that has to be addressed is intrusion. Fundraising companies, schools and administrators should minimize intrusion of classroom time.  Where it is absolutely necessary, let teachers in on why so they can be part of the overall team and not feeling like they are being taken advantage of.  If a school sends home an alarming amount of requests for this and that, consider minimizing or consolidating to make things easier.

Regarding relationships I believe that when schools introduce items that can negatively affect a parent/teacher relationship, teachers feel threatened.  A product, for instance, being sold that is not a good value or that is of low quality can erode that relationship.  I believe teachers have every right to protect themselves.  The moral is, do not pass anything on to parents that could jeopardize a teachers ability to create trust with a parent.

When it comes to a teachers time I believe that they should be able to manage day to day with some time left for professional development.  This development, I suspect, would lead to introducing new technology into the classroom and putting into place time-saving measures and collaborative learning exercises.

School fundraising events and product fundraisers should give back to the classrooms.  Teachers should see a reward for participating in school fundraising in the form of supplies they desire.  If teachers realize their efforts reward their class in particular, they will be more likely to support fundraising.

Technology can help!  By going to a digital classroom, many things like grading, tracking etc. can be done in nano seconds instead of hours.  If the input is digital so is the output so teachers who can integrate devices should be able to save hours of grading time.

Reciprocate!  A relationship between administration and teachers is a two-way street.  I believe that teachers if feeling well taken care of, will act in a more responsible way.  Teachers who feel they are being 'shafted' will not put in 100%.   Just because schools are government funded, they should not be run like the DMV.  We all owe it to our children to be active, involved and participating to the best of our ability.

This happens when we feel valuable and recognized.

So, I hope this has stoked the fire a bit.  I feel a bit strange about this one only because it's pretty honest and I don't want to speak for teachers.  In the end, I have gathered and presented this information to help everyone feel better about fundraising and why it needs to be supported.  The thing is, our teachers may need some support first before buying into the fact that fundraising is good for them too.

Ok, go out there and do some good and I'll catch up with you next time.

__________________________


Elementary School Fundriasing
Elementary School Fundraising Blog
Twitter.com/BelieveKids
Facebook.com/BelieveKids

Fundraising Companies are NOT the Enemy When it Comes to Education Innovation

We're hearing a lot of bad news on the school front.  Lower performance, shrinking budgets, schools closing, teacher layoffs.  While schools are getting less, they are also on the verge of sweeping educational reform.

Schools are embracing technology in new and exciting ways allowing teachers to improve their relationships with parents.  We're really only seeing the very beginning.  Student's are using devices, computers, social media and technology at home.  The challenge is bringing schools up to speed with new and collaborative ways of learning.

There are many companies in support of improving education.  Some relationships based on profit, some on supplying commodities and some based on education innovation.

Many see schools as a business segment where a good is sold to a school at a profit.  Some see education as just any other business that buys cleaning supplies, paper and other commodity type products.  Even fewer see schools as dynamic, changing systems that need improvement.  This last category brings innovation and change to the market.

I see fundraising as the latter. 

_________________________

In my next post, I'll explore just how fundraising will be a part of educational reform and the technological changes on the horizon.

Schools and Technology... Changing Perceptions in the Mind of the Community.

Ask a random member of your community if they think the local elementary school is on the cutting edge of technology and most likely, they'll be thinking overhead projectors and VHS tapes.

I applaud educators today for pushing to improve the reputation of teachers when it comes to technology.  I no longer picture a teacher as purely a red pen, loose paper, dusty book person.  I picture educators as Macbook toting, Smartboard using folks planning their classes on an iPad.

So, here's the trouble.  When your average person pictures a school, they do not imagine a well-designed modern layout with comfortable furniture and quiet voices. They do not see subdued indirect lighting.  They do not envision students on the newest technology available.  They do not imagine students truly engaged.

They hear the clicks and squeaks of shoes in long echo filled hallways, the grinding of pencils being sharpened and outdated textbooks hitting the desks.  In the mind, the school is exactly as it has always been.  Loud, sterile and behind-the-times. They picture a lot of horseplay and talking back.

Change takes time and that's why I have so much respect for the educators in my PLN (my Personal Learning Network).  I see first-hand what technology and communication can do to improve learning.  The development of the educators that have embraced sites like twitter and express themselves with blogs such as this one is mind-boggling.  The desire to integrate apps and devices and create an environment where collaborative learning replaces memorization.

There is no doubt in my mind that our current educators can bring a new level of awareness and reform education.  Here's proof that our educators are on the cutting edge:

2010 Edublog Award Winners

If you take a look at some of the winners listed here, you'll get the idea that blogging, social media, technology and new strategies are being widely distributed TODAY.

And the kids are ready for it!  Right now, our toddlers are fully capable of operating computers and apps of all types.

My son just turned 4 years old and can surf YouTube, find age appropriate Netflix content to watch without help, take photos and videos and play them back and he can easily operate a number of educational apps without supervision. I know that sounds like he must be online all the time but it's not that he's always using technology.  He's a regular boy and plays and we do a lot of fun things together - He's just pretty darn good at it now that the devices are as intuitive as they are today.

This phenomenon is not just happening to just a few kids.  Take a look at this:

Learning to Play ‘Angry Birds’ Before You Can Tie Your Shoes

The technology gap between home and school could just as easily widen if school budgets don't allow for integrating technology into the classroom creating a dynamic where students don't relate to school as well. Although I'm no expert here, what I do know is that children like to be challenged.  Not being up-to-date is just not all that interesting.

This is why I respect schools that pay attention to design, lighting, comfort, computers & devices, video, sound reinforcement and simplicity.  I also applaud educators that push the boundaries discovering new and exciting ways to engage students and inspire others.

In the end, changing schools is going to be a long haul but I believe it can be done.

People will have to see for themselves this 'new school' is dedicated to the integration of technology and new principles of learning in order to believe it.  It will have to shatter the expectation that the school was created from the 'hand-me-downs' of the business sector and let it be known that the educators actually know how to use the technology.

We can get there and it will happen when thousands upon thousands of little actions improve the way schools work.  I see these improvements daily from the educators in my PLN and I am impressed.  It's perhaps not yet a movement, but it is something powerful.

I, for one, look forward to following these small innovations all along the way.  Things will soon look very different as a result.

______________________________

Jay Moneta is the Vice President of Believe Kids Fundraising and blogs here at BelieveJay.Blogspot.com as well as TheFundraisingPln.com


I encourage comments and feedback and you are welcome to follow the blog using the tool on the right hand column or adding to your RSS reader.  I appreciate you taking the time to share as well!

Here's the article that inspired this post: Tightrope Teaching

Halloween, Texting, Facebook and Blogging...

Last night was Halloween.  I was so bummed because as a blogger, I had a great opportunity.  A ring on the door and as I opened it, a girl was texting while holding her bag out to me. 


I regret not having that photo of the texting trick or treater to post for you today.

So, this image was fresh in my mind when I ran across a post on Facebook where was thinking about this and checked in on a friend who said their daughter texted 4,180 times last month. 

If you do the math on this it's an insane amount of texting.  Something like a text every 6 minutes throughout the entire number of waking hours - every day of the month! 

A few days ago, I took my kids to the roller rink to do some roller skating.  I remember loving my roller days way back when and everything looked exactly the same as back in the day - except for one thing.  Next to us was a table of three teens all texting vigorously.  They didn't talk to each other at all.  I should have taken a picture of that too but I know most of you have seen this phenomenon for yourselves plenty of times.

If you follow my blog at all, you know that I am a proponent of technology in the classroom and I believe that technology today offers unprecedented insight, education and inspiration.  We have an outrageous amount of helpful data, entertainment, education and reference tools all literally at our fingertips. 

Most of my focus as a fundraising guy involves paying for technology in the classroom - smart boards and computer labs, etc. and it's interesting to see a dynamic where technology can really change personal interaction.  I especially think we'll be challenged when every student has a device instead of a backpack full of papers and books.

I believe that digital technology wants to be free and thank goodness in this case.  My Facebook friend above would be paying thousands of dollars a month in her daughters texting bills if it weren't for an unlimited text plan.

So, what's the point of all this?

The first thing is I got one of those reminders you get every so often that things are different.  This was quickly followed up by the fact that living 'in the moment' may begin to mean something different to the youth.  They may consider their online and texting time to be as real as their interaction with people directly.

As children begin to put their connection with devices above being off-the-grid so to speak, things are going to get interesting.  I'm certainly no expert here but doing things a lot more things remotely seems in our future and beyond that, I'm not really sure what ramifications we will experience beyond repeating to our kids 'Uhh, Hello?  You there? Can you Hear Me?' when the kid is there in the same room.

The point is, we'll be thinking and talking a lot more about this as a society I suspect.  In the meantime, I will take better pictures for you :)

Fundraising becomes vital for programs - not extras!

I was really interested to read this news story:

Fundraising becoming vital for school programs

It's obvious the problem of school funding is nearing a crossroads. Budget cuts that now have the PTA raising funds for vital programs. With any luck, we'll hit bottom soon and realize that what our schools need a new path. An invigoration - Renewed hope.

Right now is such an exciting time in our schools!

I believe we are on the cusp of integrating technology and hand-held devices that will revolutionize learning in the classroom and our schools will soon go paperless.

I believe we will have a new two-way learning experience where teachers and students will discover together and not just recite fact.

Schools will become a centralized place where groups of like-minded students will collaborate in ways we haven't imagined yet and still, distance will no longer be a factor for those needing to connect digitally. Reaching out to experts in the field or distance learners will be immediate and commonplace.

It's time we put schools first for a while.

Collectively, we will decide what is paid for by parents and what is Government paid and what will remain an obligation of fundraising companies and the PTA or other parent group that will assist in the efforts to make funding schools a community issue.

What's clear is parents will have to come to terms with the fact that throwing out a fundraising packet or making a token contribution of $20 per family or something like that is not going to fund the extras that the school requires.

If parent groups are now going to be supplying vital programs and even school supplies, schools will need to ask parents for hundreds per semester.

Schools will need to get behind fundraising efforts like never before and simplify and prioritize their fundraisers ensuring maximum results.

Government will need to step up and realize that music and art and special ed and technology and having a school nurse is part of what we expect out of today's core curriculum and are not extras.

We need to get the word out to the community that schools are not existing properly without their input and contributions.

Community-wide efforts can bring about new and renewed support for schools and when a community knows a school is in trouble and is given a way to help, we see them rise to the occasion.

Recent school budget cuts may just be the catalyst the community needs to contribute financially to local schools.

Businesses can stop thinking about education as an industry and think of it more of a charity. Companies that are able should put more effort on local schools in any way they can including providing free products, grants and scholarships.

Creating products for education or charging less for existing technology would also be of great assistance.

We'll see what develops but I'm sure you agree that putting focus on our schools will help and it's a great investment.

_______________________

Jay Moneta is the vice President of Believe Kids Fundraising. I can be reached here by leaving comments or on twitter. Thanks for taking a look! Please forward on the link if you found the information valuable.