"Welcome to EdTechAfterDark! Our community was born out of discussions for a rich EdChat type gathering for those of us who are thinking about the digital edu-landscape long after the sun has gone down. For us night owls, when the clock strikes 10PM EST, you’ll find us on Twitter over at #edtechafterdark. All are welcome! Our discussions range from our philosophies about EdTech, digital best practices, and simply sharing our stories." --www.edtechafterdark.com
My Name is Meagan and I'm a University of Minnesota Elementary Education Major. My favorite science fiction movie is back to the future. #CI5307. #edtechafterdark
I was still thinking on this, but I REALLY liked _Will Save the Galaxy for Food_ which is by no means a classic but super entertaining! #edtechafterdark
A1: I’m waiting for the trees to turn on us. At some point a tree has to say, “Dude. Seriously. How many of us have to die to feed your worksheet habit in the age of iPads and Chromebooks?” #EdTechAfterDark
#edtechafterdark A1: Ts already know this. The 2-headed monster of standardized testing and Khan or ALECS. They presume the T can be replaced by videos and well-crafted progress-tracking assessment programs.
A1 poor internet? I've had many well planned activities but because I live in the Philippines where the internet is sometimes next to a dial up connection that I end up doing things old school #edtechafterdark
A1: Assessment and Accountability, much like the Stepford Wives were the perfect missing piece to life, when given too much power destroyed lives #edtechafterdark
A1 simple pen/paper ... we have become slaves to students copying work ... same can be with laptops or iPads or tablets ... not sure they’ll “turn on us” but definitely Frankenstein-ly since instruction hasn’t changed #edtechafterdark
I think some technology tools can be used for bullying. I know that technology allows students and teachers to interact with others, but sometimes the closer of contact with others creates more negativity especially since its behind closed doors. #CI5307#EdTechAfterDark
A1. It's not the use of technology. There is something for all. Even us "old farts". The problem is the misuse of technology. Nothing has turned off more. #EdTechAfterDark
Programs that can allow for unsupervised chat. It’s important that a teacher not open a doorway if they’re not available to help people walk through it without tripping or pushing. #edtechafterdark
A1 Video. And I say that abt a medium I love. There was a time when I wondered if instructional content would be beamed out state or nationwide & relegate Ts to being proctors/graders. Thankfully what we teach & life in general is much more nuanced than that lol #EdTechAfterDark
A1 iPads or tablets, you'd think that just because your students have been on it far longer than you, they would know how to manipulate apps like a pro. Poor teacher, always generalizing students 😓 #edtechafterdark
A1: Any technology whose sole goal is to automate the teaching profession is problematic. These programs, like automatized music, lacks the very humanity necessary to be great. #EdTechAfterDark
This is painfully accurate. I’d add instructional cartoons and walkthroughs meant to remediate and push children through as if they’d completed a class. #edtechafterdark
A1 Video. And I say that abt a medium I love. There was a time when I wondered if instructional content would be beamed out state or nationwide & relegate Ts to being proctors/graders. Thankfully what we teach & life in general is much more nuanced than that lol #EdTechAfterDark
A1) There are so many teachers that spend so much time on data collecting but little time differentiating their instruction. Excelholic #EdTechAfterDark
A1) There are so many teachers that spend so much time on data collecting but little time differentiating their instruction. Excelholic #EdTechAfterDark
Spot on Dan. Video is a tool that can get Ss through knowledge or comprehension or to brainstorm an idea, but law/policy makers should never think content delivery can replace a seasoned educator. Ever. #EdTechAfterDark
A2 like a successful home school - personalized learning where students can persue content / vocation / passion (all 3) and end with an apprenticeship that results in a successful career #EdTechAfterDark
A1 poor internet? I've had many well planned activities but because I live in the Philippines where the internet is sometimes next to a dial up connection that I end up doing things old school #edtechafterdark
A2: Honestly...the same. Lol. How much as a class changed in the last 100 years? The hopeful side of me says it looks like the @Steelcase headquarters or @Starbucks#EdTechAfterDark
Depends, but I would probably say the exact same. I mean we’ve been comparing the same classroom pics from the 50s to the “present” for the past 8 years and classrooms still look the same... #edtechafterdark
A2 For the love of god please do away with the columns and rows, the standardized tests and please do more of group tables, co-lab spaces, design/maker spaces, learning stations #edtechafterdark
A2: Lots of lab, work space for project based learning, and NO EOG TESTS!!! I want to grow adults that can think and be a creative problem solvers! #edtechafterdark
A2: I think school would be a lot different then it is now. I think that students would be doing everything online. I think that if students need to work in groups it will be via skype or something of that form. Pencil and paper will cease to be useful. #CI5307#Edtechafterdark
A2 the classroom of tomorrow should be fluidic not rigid. Focus on skills and not on knowledge. We're moving past the knowledge economy and on to something bigger and better #edtechafterdark
A2. Well.... what if this was 1960. Unfortunately they would say the same as today. It is my hope that we will not say that. The sky is the limit. MORE STUDENT DRIVEN. TEACHERS AS FACILITATORS. FUN EXHILARATING! #EdTechAfterDark
A2: I think school would be a lot different then it is now. I think that students would be doing everything online. I think that if students need to work in groups it will be via skype or something of that form. Pencil and paper will cease to be useful. #CI5307#Edtechafterdark
A2: I see different paths emerging...
1. A strictly worksheet/memorization/test-focused education
2. Community-based, collaboration focus, real world scenarios, facilitator-not-teacher, leaders-not-students
#edtechafterdark
A1. As far as something turning back on teachers, social media. It can be so damaging if used inappropriately. Teachers are held to such a high standard and social media can easily destroy careers. #EdTechAfterDark
A2: I imagine an interconnected, problem-finding, problem-solving global network. Applied concepts to make student voices heard NOW. No longer waiting for a degree to make an impact. #EdTechAfterDark
A2) We have just seen collaboration like never before with Google suites but I believe that is only the tip of the iceberg. Collaboration will be at its prime 50 years from now. #EdTechAfterDark
To echo @SirKenRobinson, “If you build schools to be like factories, don’t be surprised when they act like them.” Unless something fundamentally changes with what we think school is for, I think it’ll look similar. Maybe more worksheets. 🤦♂️ #edtechafterdark
A2 the school of tomorrow will have parents who understand that grades aren't the measurement of success, students are not burdened/stressed to test #edtechafterdark
@danvkoch has shared the idea of products now being in a constant state of beta... always one “update” away from better serving its purpose... our classrooms should mere this phenomenon #edtechafterdark
To echo @SirKenRobinson, “If you build schools to be like factories, don’t be surprised when they act like them.” Unless something fundamentally changes with what we think school is for, I think it’ll look similar. Maybe more worksheets. 🤦♂️ #edtechafterdark
A2 Structurally, a flexible environment that uses classrooms, hallways, etc as viable learning spaces to facilitate personalized practices that run the gamut between Bray & McClasky’s Stage 1 of PL and Stage 3 of PL, with an emphasis on Stage 2&3 opportunities #EdTechAfterDark
A2. Perhaps classrooms that weren't necessarily subject based....also classes that allow kids to pursue passions more readily...kid loves chemistry then let him focus on that for example. I think you would find them able to solve bigger, more complex probs. #edtechafterdark
A2: I see different paths emerging...
1. A strictly worksheet/memorization/test-focused education
2. Community-based, collaboration focus, real world scenarios, facilitator-not-teacher, leaders-not-students
#edtechafterdark
A2: Forgot the “A” designation. I should clarify: I don’t like this forecast of the future at all and we should work to revamp what schools look like and how they function. #edtechafterdark
To echo @SirKenRobinson, “If you build schools to be like factories, don’t be surprised when they act like them.” Unless something fundamentally changes with what we think school is for, I think it’ll look similar. Maybe more worksheets. 🤦♂️ #edtechafterdark
A2: I am hopeful that future schools will do away with grades and use a continuum to find out where our Ss belong. Schools where Ss can pursue their passions or finding them w/ facilitators who act as mentors. #EdTechAfterDark
I’m big on video as an option. Video, audio, written, and direct instruction should all be options that a student chooses and leveraged as needed to fully grasp a concept. #EdTechAfterDark
A2: I’d love to see a transition to standards based grading, with a focus on showing mastery, not reaching a certain level of the alphabet. #edtechafterdark
Video creation/editing I’m all for. Social video is becoming more and more viable for companies and I think it’s going to be a necessary skill in the next decade. #edtechafterdark
A3: What this made me think of is that we are asked to differentiate for our students, but when the state sends the tests, they are all the same! #edtechafterdark
A3: it was mentioned already but when we look at data and do nothing with it, more than we look at people, we’ve already created a dystopian society. Kids are more than numbers. #EdTechAfterDark
A3 integrating technology without purpose or objective. Doing things just because it's the IN thing and not really having a sense of what students need and want #edtechafterdark
A2: Forgot the “A” designation. I should clarify: I don’t like this forecast of the future at all and we should work to revamp what schools look like and how they function. #edtechafterdark
To echo @SirKenRobinson, “If you build schools to be like factories, don’t be surprised when they act like them.” Unless something fundamentally changes with what we think school is for, I think it’ll look similar. Maybe more worksheets. 🤦♂️ #edtechafterdark
A3: The focus on maintaining the status quo at any cost...we are driven to avoid negative press, or the perception of negative press so we keep everyone in line and put innovation in a box #edtechafterdark
A3: districts look good by pushing for technology use in the classroom, yet pressure teachers to focus on test performance and numbers. It’s a lose-lose when technology use is superficial or poorly understood and teachers are too stressed by data to improve it #edtechafterdark
I think that in some way our education system reflects these dystopian themes by almost having it so our students have less face to face communication. Everyone is in their own world and segregated instead of community. #Edtechafterdark#CI5307
A3 having revolutionary technology in our hands and being forced to use it as a device to measure skills it has already made obsolete. #oxymoron#EdTechAfterDark
A3: First time and late as heck. Tech is a tool. It can be used for good or evil. Most of the time, tech is misused when it is forced. Tech should be agile and flexible. It should be provided, supported and used authentically. Not possible with top down approach. #EdTechAfterDark
A3 it's not on the textbook or please use the textbook because we paid a lot for it. We don't want parents saying we wasted their money #edtechafterdark
A3: The world is changing at warp speed. There’s a huge question as to what we’re doing to help equip our schools and students to be ready https://t.co/qZFvkQO19m#EdTechAfterDark
A3: legislators decide standards & become bedfellows with test-making companies that assess student’s mastery of said standards and technology is only used to practice test taking strategies for said assessments...this is the dystopian reality of education today. #EdTechAfterDark
Hahaha right? I’m in charge of my school’s social media pages, but I have to use my phone to post since I can’t access it using our district WiFi. #edtechafterdark
A3 we want safety from internet negativity so much that we filter the internet so that sts can’t do anything online - to research, to create, to communicate, & to publish #EdTechAfterDark
Or “why are the people in charge purchasing sub-standard materials?” Could be that the law requires it? I would much prefer cross-curriculum teaching - sharing resources & strategies #EdTechAfterDark
A4: Yes, we’re gonna need a new planet before too long. Kids need to be problem solving, and developing new problems to solve. The stigma that an unsolved puzzle is bad has to change #edtechafterdark
A3) Hunger Games comes to mind when we refer to dystopia. So our current ed is when the state gives a school grade based on student scores. If failed we will take money away. Katniss had to hunt illegally to feed her family because the capitol stoped giving $ #EdTechAfterDark
A4: The role of education should be to facilitate exploration of all types by all students. Whether it’s space, the ocean or the wonders of the natural world, we should engage our kids in moonshot thinking that has them aspiring to explore their own frontiers. #EdTechAfterDark
A3: We are stuck in the industrial complex. Conveyor belt education, one-size fits all curriculum & arrays of desks. We need shift to personalized learning, choice & open space environments #edtechafterdark
I think that space travel is still a noble pursuit because there are so many areas that have not been discovered. I think this is relevant in school, because there are many areas of education that have not been discovered yet either. #EdTechAfterDark#CI5307
The new Frontier is Social Justice & equality for all.
A world free of violence.
#edtechafterdark
BTW The Kids are already working on it with or with out us...
A4 pursuit for the sake of conquering- none ... if we are in search of ways to prevent tragedy and sadness OR for the sake of learning more, then space, search of Atlantis, or another galaxy ... if you have strength, go for it #EdTechAfterDark
A3 When institutions value only what is controlled and measurable against all.... all is lost save for those that take a stand and choose to find the value in every individual #edtechafterdark A good test score dies not make a good future.
A4: Ed’s role is to support/encourage our Ss to solve problems no matter how difficult. Space exploration is still at the beginning & it would still encounter problems along the way. Who will solve these? How do we solve them? #edtechafterdark
A4: Space is responsible for so many earthly innovations that it is ALWAYS worth our investments. My newest “frontier” worth obsessing over is the human mind! Brain science is still in its infancy and is utterly important. #EdTechAfterDark
A4 energy. We have an opportunity to exponentially harness renewable energy to power our new ideas. Someone sitting in our classrooms has the ideas to make it happen. #edtechafterdark
A2: I would want to see school 👀 like Googleplex or the new Amazon headquarters where walls are not as visible, no more standardized testing, students solving real world problems, inventing, and collaborating with other Ss around the world. #EdTechAfterDark
A4: I want us to push out & reflect in...what haven’t we learned about our own body/mind yet? What future might we find past our own planet or universe? We must encourage imagination & innovation in education. You know & how to fill in a bubble sheet. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ #edtechafterdark
A4) We are pioneers. Discovering new boundaries is how we know what we know today. Developing new ideas, breakthoughs, and creativity is what I peach. Get to the next planet. #EdTechAfterDark
If we get in the habit of obsessing over the screen above and beyond the person behind or in front of it, we’re doomed. Humanity is at the core of digital connectivity. May we never forget that. #edtechafterdark
A4: We tell kids to “reach for the stars.” Space exploration is a literal representation of this phrase. It’s one of our great mysteries and motivators. Education needs to fuel this fire. #EdTechAfterDark
Speaking of, many Apple employees have been running into the see through walls and barriers outside. Funny to see an engineer to the most powerful devices on Earth crash into a glass wall. #EdTechAfterDark
A5 maybe not tech but I believe we can learn from our ES tchrs — my daughter has a job in her class ... I do more in my HS to give sts the clerical jobs that I can so I can focus on teaching #EdTechAfterDark
One example is the barcode scanner for websites. I think this easy little tool can be used for teachers to have their students scan the code instead of spending the time to write the website on the board, and spend time helping the mistakes of typing. #CI5307#edtechafterdark
I took a college course on environmentalism and social justice, and watched a video with the catch phrase “what if every time you flipped a light switch, it blew up a mountain?” I’ve never thought about energy the same way again. #EdTechAfterDark
A5. Technology should allow teachers to become facilitators of student learning where education occurs without borders and the culture respects teachers as leaders..... #edtechafterdark
A4 we have yet to explore most of our oceans. What cures for diseases, new foods, and new species are still waiting to be discovered at the bottom of the sea? #edtechafterdark
A4: I'm torn w/ this. On the one hand, exploration is great! But all that $$ could be used here to improve our schools, infrastructure, etc. #edtechafterdark
A5: The entire @Google Suite has eliminated so many medial/mundane but necessary tasks... I’m forever indebted to their innovations in organization and streamlining processes! #edtechafterdark
#edtechafterdark A4: I think the "new frontier" needs to be saving the planet we're on and learning to coexist with its natural rhythms.......not seeking out the escape hatch or looking for the next frontier to plunder.
I would like a tech tool that could separate sts into groups so that my unfocused students with behavior issues would distract fewer students #EdTechAfterDark
A5: Tech can automate things for us. Some examples: @IFTTT, @WorkflowHQ, @StringifyIt. Learning material isn’t located solely on the school’s shelves anymore, either. We can learn anywhere. If that’s not freedom from monotony, I don’t know what is. #edtechafterdark auto
A3: If we don’t help Ss think critically & teach them ethics, digital citizenship, and compassion then they will be the generation to allow such tech to take over. Got to get them thinking that just because they can doesn’t mean that they should #EdTechAfterDark
Absolutely. I think we are in a pivotable time. If we don't set some ground rules fast, screen addiction will outnumber the opioid crisis exponentially. #edtechafterdark
A5: Tech can automate things for us. Some examples: @IFTTT, @WorkflowHQ, @StringifyIt. Learning material isn’t located solely on the school’s shelves anymore, either. We can learn anywhere. If that’s not freedom from monotony, I don’t know what is. #edtechafterdark
A5. As teachers we have to learn to use technology more efficiently. Let the machines do their jobs so we can do ours. Contrary to popular belief, we do work too hard.
#EdTechAfterDark
A5: Automated attendance. I know many districts have to stop learning for student count. There's got to be a more efficient way of doing this & other mundane time killers! #edtechafterdark
A5: picture this...
-Ss swipe their ID when they enter school (attendance)
-emailed daily standard high/lows based on last week’s assessments for lesson planning use
-suggested homogeneous/heterogeneous groups for each standard to teach #edtechafterdark
A5: Technology is not the problem or the solution. The real issue is that the expectations for teachers have increased exponentially. I will say that technology does make communication and collaboration easier. It also can help create better feedback. #EdTechAfterDark
My only pushback would be the term “screen addiction”. The screen isn’t responsible for the dopamine-driven addiction. The “likes” are. How do we get kids “addicted” to seeking more than self-gratification? #EdTechAfterDark
Sad to say but I think you're right. We can't drive without texting, parents are using devices as babysitters, phones are allowed at the dinner table, the church, etc. #edtechafterdark
In reply to
@mrterborg, @alexstubenbort, @LemarrTreadwell
A6: I think this is very relevant in my life right now. I am learning so much in all of my classes, but there will come a time when my cup overflows to a point where I need to share my knowledge with the students and otheres I will encounter later on. #EdTechAfterDark#CI5307
A5) It's like being a head coach but only doing the coaching. Unless you get people to do your stats, parent contact, player analysis, and ect. Teaching routines is a must for a successful interaction in and out of the classroom and community. #EdTechAfterDark
A6 heard @AndyStanley once say “I took my full cup ... and filled [students’s] BOWL.” I may not know much, I can still give beautiful opportunities for my sts to learn #EdTechAfterDark
A6: I agree with this, but I think the real trick for teachers and students is to tip over and let the non-important stuff out. There’s a lot of junk out there. The key is to curate it appropriately. #EdTechAfterDark
My husband was shocked when he realized I was laughing while lesson planning in my livingroom. “What’s so funny?” He asked. I told him my coworker was filling out the wrong section. “How could you possibly know that???” THAT is collaboration via technology. #EdTechAfterDark
A6: we are the sum of our experiences. Knowledge is socially constructed. The more we experience, the more we can share our anecdotal knowledge in our own beautiful way. And continue learning. #edtechafterdark
I teach game development. My main software is @unity3d but it is NOT easy. @Roblox allows kids to create games with little to no coding.
#edtechafterdark
I am interested in how you are using @roblox in your classroom. I also work with this platform but find it difficult to show others the educational value #robloxedu
In reply to
@DebbiSab, @PlayCraftLearn, @Roblox, @unity3d, @blender_org, @Roblox
A5: I think there are a ton of tools that allow Ts to do real teaching (GSuite, self grading quizzes, import/export features, flipping ur class) but are Ts willing to let go of what they are use to? #EdTechAfterDark
I think it comes to relationships. Our online relationships are more meaningful as they don't challenge us as much as in person. They're also self focused so we don't have to wait and serve the other person? Just stumbling through thoughts. #edtechafterdark
In reply to
@alexstubenbort, @acooktweet, @LemarrTreadwell
A6: I see so much beauty in my students. As a writing teacher, my goal is to help them learn how to show that beauty through their own linguistic ability. #edtechafterdark
I’m good with someone else making copies ... I’ve stood at a copy machine for hours before .. I also avoid copies as much as possible 🙇🏻♀️ #EdTechAfterDark
I think it comes to relationships. Our online relationships are more meaningful as they don't challenge us as much as in person. They're also self focused so we don't have to wait and serve the other person? Just stumbling through thoughts. #edtechafterdark
In reply to
@alexstubenbort, @acooktweet, @LemarrTreadwell
