#Edtechchat focuses on Education Technology. Co-founder Tom Murray says #edtechchat "connects us professionally with inspiring educators from all over the world, all of who encourage us to be better every day for the children and families we serve.”
My name is Matt Murphy, Educational Designer for @ZorbitsMath. I'm joining from St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador up in the Great White North. #edtechchat
I am at a school of the arts so there is a ton of "creativity" but I wonder if we confuse "creativity" with the kids being able to follow the directions of their arts teachers well ... how much of it is their own vs assigned. #edtechchat
A1 because creativity comes I. Many forms. Not all innovations start in the world of technology. Some content is better taught with tape and cardboard #edtechchat
A1: We should strive to foster student creativity and innovation every day. We must teach students how to think outside the box and problem solve. This will engage students and help them to become motivated learners #edtechchat
A1) Learning occurs when students can integrate new information into their existing understanding of the world. Sometime this means being able to explore new ideas on their own terms - enter creative problem solving. #edtechchat
A1 Creativity breeds flexible thinking and encourages diversity in problem solving/viewing the world. Creative thinkers are creating their learning. #edtechchat
A1: Creativity and innovation are the bedroom of learning as well as its pinnacle. It is sound #pedagogy that applies to #edtech or non-tech learning. It is not just what Ss can regurgitate; it is what they can create with it. #edtechchat
A1 There is a historical link between our education system and behaviorism and training - we need to exert effort to steer towards exploration and creativity. #EdTechChat
We can create opportunities for the kids, but when those opportunities are held within specified parameters how "creative" or "innovative" can it be? #edtechchat
A1 There is a historical link between our education system and behaviorism and training - we need to exert effort to steer towards exploration and creativity. #EdTechChat
We have many kids who have great artistic ability, but the big complaint I hear from them is that they never get to create what they want ... all standards based ...mandated creativity. #edtechchat
A1:we as a society rely on our students’ creativity and innovation to not only fill the jobs of the future, but to create them as well. Fostering that spirit now means success for society at large #edtechchat
Well said @nathan_stevens! Some of the biggest "Ah-ha!" moments come from creative exploration. Some of histories greatest innovators have also been talented artists. #edtechchat
In reply to
@nathan_stevens, @s_bearden, @nathan_stevens
A2 Odd question - the T is Tech :) And creativity is a central component to STE(A)M. Without creativity, you are just teaching facts about STEAM, and not the central methodologies and processes. #EdTechChat
A2: I think creativity and innovation play a huge role in STEAM. A willingness to create something new and innovative is sometimes a wonderful way to solve a problem! #edtechchat
Joining this week's conversation is our Educational Designer, Matt Murphy. Follow #edtechchat to get in on the educational action and provide your own perspective!
A2) I believe by giving the kids the keys to the car all of this will take place. It will be a scary ride at first, but soon they will become an "expert driver"#edtechchat
Q2: including the Arts into our STEM curriculum gives almost all students a way in and a chance to create connections with their real world. They become participants—in every way they can imagine and dream. #edtechchat
A2: I think that when A(rt) was added to STEM to make STEAM, it was partly in response to the recognition that creativity needed to have greater emphasis. Today innovation is the heart of modern #edtech. #edtechchat
Jim Sullivan from MA here joining late! A2: Creativity and innovation I believe are products of STEAM. They play a big role in the success of such programs. #edtechchat
I think big time. I recently judged a STEM Competition with Middle School students and giving them creative freedom allowed for amazing inventions. I think we need to teach more management and entrepreneurship skills to bright young minds! #edtechchat
I like to remember that the QuickTime player on most computers was inspired by an episode of Star Trek. The Arts leaders sometimes pull the STEM folks in exciting directions!! #edtechchat
A2 Opportunities for students to engage with #edtech may open new pathways for learning to exercise creativity. It is not the only pathway. Playful exploration and academic rigor are good playmates when it comes to #STEAM. #edtechchat
A2: Edtech can greatly enhance scientific exploration with visuals-models (what do we think molecules look like, how do they interact with each other), how do we map Monarch migration, and with Robotics-how do we program tasks - how do we light the LED, etc. #edtechchat
By using projects like @NationalHistory Day ... kids do research, but have the opportunity to present content in different ways ... documentaries, performances, exhibits, websites, papers... #edtechchat
And that thought process is exactly what I am referring to when I say that creativity is central to STEM. The perception that you need Art to emphasize creativity reflects a shortage in understanding STEM. #EdTechChat
Say you are doing a stem project, some students will back or shy away because of the thought that I am not good at those things. Creates bias. #EdTechChat
That said, STEM and Art are 𝑏𝑜𝑡ℎ powerful expressions of human creativity and intelligence. There is a natural synergy that lends to teaching them together. #EdTechCHat
A2 Opportunities for students to engage with #edtech may open new pathways for learning to exercise creativity. It is not the only pathway. Playful exploration and academic rigor are good playmates when it comes to #STEAM. #edtechchat
In a land of unicorns and rainbows where I live, that would be a yes. But in the real world there are limits in canvas size or how much clay you have. Or how much space do you have? It is the subtractive manufacturing mindset. #EdTechChat
A3: multiple pathways to success encourage innovation. I’ve even had kids combine preestablished paths to bushwhack their way through a project. They can self differentiate with the right paths. #edtechchat
Standardized curriculum in art is a paradox ... i get kids need to be taught the foundational skills and practice but when do they get to truly create using those skills? #edtechchat
A2 opportunities through #edtech and #steam increase the different types of activities for the students to engage in and create with, different formats and tools, spark curiosity and enhance creativity #edtechchat
Good point. Discussing strategies around the development of an idea, expressing that idea, giving and receiving feedback from "users" can be important skills. #edtechchat
A3: There are so many different #EdTech tools to choose from and that allows students to really show what they know based on their individual strengths. They can write, present, animate. Endless possibilities if Ts are willing to be flexible with student products #edtechchat
Well-wishings to all my friends and former colleagues, and alll of the teachers out that that went back to school today! (Or, if this is your first year teaching, you got this!! Good luck!) #edtechchat#edchat#edtech
A3: Technology has allowed students (and teachers) to use more tools to showcase their knowledge in a means that showcases their talents and interests. #edtechchat
That is when you infuse student interests in to the creative process. Allow them to use what they like to do to retell the content to others. #EdTechChat
Keep on showing the beauty of explore before explain, importance of productive struggle, celebration of creativity & variety of strategies in solving tasks or making new design! #edtechchat
A3 provides so many ways that promote student choice, can choose based on comfort level and build skills as they go, and their learning teaches other Students #edtechchat
There was a teddy bear with survival gear for refugee camps. A chair that he A/C powered by a cup of ice and a watch to guide blind people while walking #edtechchat
A3: Edtech gives students the tools to respond and reflect on what they understood and what they found frustrating or confusing. It also allows for various mediums of expression of concepts for various learners. #edtechchat
A3 Expecting Ss to show what they know allows us to see what they bring to the table. What essential understandings have they latched on to? What assumptions have they made? What is the next step for THAT student? #edtech (video, @Flipgrid, 1:1 chat etc) all help. #edtechchat
A3: Ss and Ts learn best from each other showing what they know using the tools that they love and are most successful with. There is more than one way to cook an egg... #edtechchat
A3 when a student gets to pick the tool that they know to share knowledge, they have more ownership to get deeper in to the creative process #buzzwordanswer#edtechchat
A3 One of my goals for the year is to develop a better collection of "menus" to help Ss make decisions about their work. The menus would allow Ss to piece together their learning paths giving them some control and allowing me a better opportunity to support. #edtechchat
My husband (CTE teacher) talks of showing a website in class and then Ss shared similar ones they liked. Programming brainstorming! Everyone learns and everyone wins! #edtechchat
Hey #edtechchat! Megan here from @edvergent in Lex, KY! Former #k12 teacher (4th & 5th) & excited to learn & share tonight! #SorryImLate! So excited to catch up and have a great #TeacherPD!
A4 I'm as steeped in tech as anyone, but sometimes there is no replacement for a pad of paper or a whiteboard. Don't get hung up on the "tech factor", got with what allows you to express yourself and communicate to others. #EdTechChat
A4: I think it's just about giving them options that include #edtech and #noedtech. Help them understand benefits of both and how to make the choice. #edtechchat
A4 I'm as steeped in tech as anyone, but sometimes there is no replacement for a pad of paper or a whiteboard. Don't get hung up on the "tech factor", got with what allows you to express yourself and communicate to others. #EdTechChat
A4: #Studentchoice with options. Yes, they can #choose what #personalizedlearning path they want to take, but they HAVE to write & take assessments sometimes. As an adult, I don't always get to choose my end product - we must learn ALL types of assessment for future ed/job prep!
A4: Gone are the days where Ts should be planning around a tech tool. In a classroom where students have voice and choice, there should be seamless integration of tech and they should be able to choose how to create, solve problems, and respond with or without tech #edtechchat
#edtechchat Q3: #edtech not only gives students new avenues to build understanding and express themselves through visuals, motion, audio, text, and augmented reality – but it also builds new capacity for creativity, publishing, receiving global feedback and revising!
A4 One of the skills we have committed to w/ our digital curriculum is helping Ss know what tool to use & when. It is not always #edtech. As Ss & I discuss work we list out options of how work can be presented. Some tech, some not. All lists end w/ "other"=invitation. #edtechchat
A4: weird to say, but our tech let’s them work more effectively in multiple mediums. They can work on paper, scan or take a pic, then upload and share with a click. Heck, they can needlepoint something and use the tech to share it out! #edtechchat
A4: #noedtech can really break down the process for Ss and can get them thinking in more complex ways about how things work, which leads to #Edtech. #edtechchat
A4 Using tech is very helpful but it doesn’t replace human to human interaction. Set up opportunities to collaborate in class with groups and no tech. #edtechchat
Hi! Popping in late due to my dog, Steve, laying down right in a mud puddle at the end of a walk. 😩Alyssa from PGH,PA- technology implementation coach #EdTechChat
As a dog owner I can SOOOO picture this! Welcome! We are on Q4: How do you balance incorporating #edtech and #notedtech options for students to creatively “show what they know”? #edtechchat
A4: It is so important to allow answers and expression of ideas in multiple media: clay, wood, metal, paper, 3D printed, digital, whatever. We should never confuse the core of a #creative idea with the medium in which it is expressed. #edtechchat
A4: It is so important to allow answers and expression of ideas in multiple media: clay, wood, metal, paper, 3D printed, digital, whatever. We should never confuse the core of a #creative idea with the medium in which it is expressed. #edtechchat
In that usage, professional is representing a job or being paid for the process. Meaning taking on a benefactor who states they want something in this genre #EdTechChat
In reply to
@santhawalters, @s_bearden, @MarisaEThompson
Glad you could make it! We are on
Q5: How do you encourage students to try new and different #edtech and #notedtech options outside their comfort zone? #edtechchat
A5 Model and set up supports for failure with new #edtech in your classroom. Not everything is going to be great the first time so make sure you support them when they fall. #edtechchat
A5 There is plenty of modeling. I will test out a new tool with Ss, begging their forgiveness for my clunkiness, but glad to show I do not have all the answers. Ss also model tools during class time as they help each other. "Oh, I know something you can try!" #edtechchat
A5: If you want your #students to have a #growthmindset, YOU as the #teacher must have it FIRST! Give them an updated #edtech BINGO board with all the tools you know (& some you don't) & tell them to get 5 (or more) in a row, & to try new tools! #iTeachDigital
A5 add scale to whatever you are doing. The size of something increase the number of students who can add ideas which leads to more tools needed which leads to being outside of the comfort zone #edtechchat
A5: it's important for anyone to know that novelty and discomfort often go together. feeling uncomfortable and confused is a normal part of learning and discovery and (eventually) mastery. struggle with 'the new' is often a prerequisite to 'the better' #edtechchat
A5: Sometimes you need to be pushed outside your comfort zone. Modeling and best practice are key. Just like with anything else, you need to sell it and get the buy in. #edtechchat
A5: choice of pathway and remaining open to their ideas of how to do something as long as the parameters are met. I will offer several options; they can use them or find their own way (we do this a lot with essay writing). #edtechchat
A5 I sit down with the students and use the tools or materials with them. I am heavy on the co-learning idea. We are all on a journey and should share it together #edtechchat
A5: I know one teacher who has an award for each project celebratingthe biggest failure. It celebrates trying something new and the learning that follows. #edtechchat
Staying on the theme of creativity, it's important to let students explore new concepts and tools at least partially on their own terms. Allow them to find the value in the tool. What value that is depends on the individual. #edtechchat
We’ve started using the #7Mindsets so I often am a cheerleader encouraging my students that the start of something new is always the hardest. They’ll get better if they persevere #edtechchat
I stopped using fail as it relates to the learning process. I use choice and opportunities. We make choices that lead to new opportunities which leach to new choices. Builds confidence in their decision making process #edtechchat
A5: Sometimes you need to be pushed outside your comfort zone. Modeling and best practice are key. Just like with anything else, you need to sell it and get the buy in. #edtechchat
The "learning that follows" is key! Encouraging reflection, and maybe even documenting it, is the #AwesomeSauce for S growth. #edtechchat@WickedDecent - ism
A5: By creating an atmosphere that encourages risk-taking and offers opportunities to fail safely. Encourage them to reflect on what worked & what didn't work so they will see it as an opportunity to learn and grow. #edtechchat
A5) Staying on the theme of creativity, it's important to let students explore new concepts and tools at least partially on their own terms. Allow them to find the value in the tool. What value that is depends on the individual. #edtechchat
A5: Encourage students to go outside their comfort zone by scaffolding learning experiences. Encourage incremental steps. Learning is not a one step process. Also encourage tolerance of failure as essential to growth #edtechchat
#edtechchat Q2: Here I will shamelessly promote my last year's blog article explaining why I chose physical badging over digital badges. Just because you can do something 'digitally' doesn't make it the best tool: https://t.co/LRZINKa74l
When I coached high school ball we often stopped play during practices to talk about choice. It wasn't about a bad play, it was thinking through the options. It is the same approach to Ss and their new learning. #edtechchat
In reply to
@nathan_stevens, @Filibuster3, @Gregbagby
We used to have a "Failure Fridge" board where their major mistakes made it up for display! Instead of displaying all the A's, we displayed all the #growth! They stapled a post-it self-reflection to it and we #learned it's OK to FAIL! #edtechchat
The "learning that follows" is key! Encouraging reflection, and maybe even documenting it, is the #AwesomeSauce for S growth. #edtechchat@WickedDecent - ism
Could not agree more. Leading by example is essential in affecting student behaviour. Demonstrating your own willingness to try something new can inspire students to step out of their comfort zone. #edtechchat
Yes, culture is a big issue. There are all sorts of social status issues among students associated with success, failure and following conventions. #EdTechChat
I had a constant #feedback loops with my kiddos. It got to the point that even 4th graders knew they needed to re-do work because it could be higher #quality! #edtechchat They knew it wasn't #failure & that it was leading to more #success
In reply to
@Filibuster3, @nathan_stevens, @Gregbagby
A6: A favorite project is for students to create their stories using @BloxelsBuilder@BloxelsEDU
I've had many students who are non writers become outstanding storytellers and art designers. Truly engaged in the storytelling process #edtechchat
Ok that project involved 7 classes and 1100 boxes. We had an empty classroom to store the cardboard. That was the maximum that the fire marshal would let us have. #edtechchat
His Zone of Proximal Development is a great model to inspire blended learning environments. It has inspired so many - notably, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi who writes about the Flow State used to guide many game-based learning designers. #edtechchat
A6 When I taught 5th, my Ss did national memorial reports rather than state reports. The culminating project was a float and we had a float parade for the rest of the school. #edtechchat
A6 - Oh man, I dont have enough characters here. I’m more on the admin and Tt side but... @GoogleForEdu, @evernote, and @ProwiseUSA Presenter. Also, I haven’t had a chance to use it yet, but I’m obsessed with seeing everyone’s @flipgrid projects on twitter #edtechchat
Another great idea thats #notedtech is for students to build with index cards and be able to collaborate to solve challenges. For instance, build a bridge that spans a 10 inch gap with 4 index cards that has to support 5 connecting cubes #edtechchat
A6: One of my favorite #notedtech was a combo of tape measure and blue tape. We would estimate distance from one S to another. We would mark Xs on floor with blue tape; estimate distance. We would graph linear equations and slopes on carpet. We made learning 3D. #edtechchat
A6: obviously biased, but I'm REALLY excited about our newest #edtech project: #EdSpace -- a private, video-based professional social network for educators. EdSpace will be where educators go to connect & discuss tools, projects, and more --> https://t.co/H2YeUzEVQO#edtechchat
A5: I never base their grade off their ability to use #edtech. I provide them with a chance to resubmit work done in a less technologically advanced manner if their initial attempt was lass than satisfactory to them. Finally, I provide construct. crit. of their work. #edtechchat
