Renee Bentham's interesting introduction, in which she describes what technology her program in Missoula Montana is using, and a recent question from a colleague in Massachusetts who is considering new hardware purchases for her program, prompt me to ask these questions:
If you had funds to purchase new desktops, laptops and/or tablets for your program, let's say $15,000, how would you spend it to get the best services for your students and value? Let's say that you already have some desktops and Internet access, at least in your computer lab.
What would you want to accomplish with the purchases of the new hardware (and software?)
What would you buy and why? If you would buy tablets, would they be ipads or androids? Why?
What kinds of hardware and software are especially important for use in adult basic education (including ESOL, numeracv, basic and secondary education and transition)?
I hope many people weigh in on this discussion, regardless of whether or not technology purchases are imminent. The purpose is to reflect on what technology adult basic education programs need, at least for the next five years. (Who knows what will be available after that?)
Comments
Hi all,
When we think about investing in technology, we focus on hardware. I like that these questions also include software. Are you looking at purchasing new curriculum that will prepare students to be college and career ready? If you are looking at hardware, what is the ultimate goal?
I see programs purchasing Kindles and Nooks for struggling readers. I see programs purchasing iPads so students can have access to mobile technologies, but the larger question - I think - is how do these purchases align with your overall technolgy plan. So, to add to this list of questions - what is the professional development plans that would need to coincide with an investment in technology.
Thanks, Kathy. You have asked some good questions, and put hardware and software in the right perspective. i.e. what program goals -- and what learning -- does a program want the technology, the new hardware and software, to enhance?
Here's an example. A program has a curriculum that it likes, that meets its state content standards, and that enables students to make good progress. It is delivered face-to-face. They want it available online, too, and wonder if it can/should be designed to be accessible on smart phones and tablets. Do you -- or does anyone have experience with that? Are some tablets, iPads, or android tablets, easier/harder to adapt a computer-based online curriculum to?
Does anyone have experience using a software program that enables creation of a good quality online curriculum from a digital copy of a face-to-face curriculum? (I know -- it's not a simple translation process. Online has advantages and disadvantages that face-to-face doesn't and that should be attended to in design of an online curriculum). I would guess the answer to my quiestion is "no" but maybe someone has found software that helps in the process of creating an online curriculum that aligns with a face-to-face curriculum. Has anyone?
Kathy, you suggest thinking about how these purchases align with an overall technolgy plan. I think that's a great question. Of course it (rightly) assumes a technology plan. Do you -- does anyone -- have a good example of a program that has a good technology plan and that has purchased hardware and/or software that aligns to it? If so, what were the goals in the plan and how did the purchases align? I am especially interested in purchases of mobile hardware, but am interested in the broader question as well. For example, does anyone have a technology plan with assistive technology/universal design goals? If so, what are/were the goals, and how did the purchases align with them?
I am hoping that some people will take the time to give some rich detail in answering my, Kathy's, and others' questions that emerge from this discussion. I find it much more useful to hear the _details_ of how people are actually planning for using and using the technology.
Technology Colleagues,
The U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, wants schools to get rid of hardcopy textbooks. Colleges and high schools in the U.S. are already moving in that direction. South Korea apparently is way ahead of us, and digital textbooks there are now the norm. See:
http://www.pjstar.com/free/x670730102/Education-chief-wants-textbooks-to-become-obsolete
What if, in the next few years, hard copy textbooks for adult secondary education, basic education and ESOL/ESL are no longer available? What technology will programs need so that all students can access online textbooks? Should it be the program or school responsibility to provide learners with e-readers or tablets? Should this be the adult learner's responsibility? Are any schools, programs and libraries already lending these devices to adult learners who cannot afford them? Should they? Should this hardware be in an adult education program or school technology plan.
This is a great example of why adult education programs need good technology plans, ones driven by education goals where technology is necessary or can enhance them. It is also a great example of why programs need to update their tech plans every two-three years, and why states and municipalities need to provide adult education funding for hardware and software to carry out those plans for those who cannot afford their own device.
What if, as the U.S. Secretary of Education urges, in the next few years hard copy textbooks for adult secondary education, basic education and ESOL/ESL are no longer available and if there are no funds to purchase readers? Will we become a society in which low-income adults who cannot afford a reader are left, not just behind, but altogether out?
David J. Rosen
djrosen123@gmail.com
Not only is the equipment an issue, but the materials are an issue. As many of you know, I have just started the federally funded Center for the Study of Adult Literacy, funded by IES. One of the things that we want to do, but is proving very difficult to do, is to create a repository of texts that adults who struggle with reading can access online. We are not at a point yet, where there is a lot of high interest/low vocabulary material out there to collect for our adults who have difficulty reading! Maybe in a few years???
Daphne Greenberg
Georgia State University
Replying to one of my own questions, Are any schools, programs and libraries already lending these devices to adult learners who cannot afford them?, I just read a news story from yesterday's Hartford (CT) Courant online about a new grant to a coalition of libraries and adult literacy programs, to be administered by Literacy Volunteers of Central Connecticut (LVCC). "The grant will encourage family literacy by identifying, reaching out to and working with families who may borrow from a total of 90 new e-readers, 30 at each of the three libraries, beginning in January." The target audience is "low-income, low-literate families identified by local Family Resource Centers."
To read the story go to http://www.courant.com/community/new-britain/hcrs-66331hc-greater-new-britain-20121005,0,3020223.story
Anyone else know of examples of e-readers or tablets on loan to adult learners?
David J. Rosen
djrosen123@gmail.com
Yes, the Cambridge library is distributing e-readers, I don't know how they choose recipients.
I'll find out.
Andrea
When I heard that story about the end of textbooks, I keyed in on the alternative that the Secretary of Education was promoting:
immersive, online learning experiences that engage students in a way a textbook never could.
Are these kinds of online learning programs readily available in adult ed? I've just posted a blog entry about motivating online learners, and I concluded that those engaging elements of computer-based instruction are crucial. But, until those online programs push textbooks to the fringes, I think we're still going to have them around. My big question is how the new computer-based GED test will be prepared for using a textbook? The learner needs to be able to manipulate the content and the options. So, we're in for some radical change, but I don't expect many educators will have to quit hard copies cold turkey.
These are such good questions - here at AlphaPlus we see technology as a tool to support adult literacy and in that context we have been working on developing a Technology Plan Kit, including templates to assist programs in assessing their current technology infrastructure and the processes they use to keep devices etc. updated and upgraded - as part of the kit we are also working on PD planning - all too often the users of technology get left out of the planning equation. The aim of our kit is to assist programs to think through and plan for what they want to achieve with technology, how technology can support their work. We hope to have the kit available to the adult literacy field in Ontario by end of year. I will be doing a short Webinar -Technology Planning Roadmap - on our work on Nov. 21st. You can register through our website at: http://alphaplus.ca/ and follow the links to our Webinar Series.
Maria Moriarty
AlphaPlus
This is a big question. First, in my experience the only way this works is if you have educators who are willing to stretch, grow, be uncomfortable and try new things. We did not put together a formal technology plan. However, our overarching goal was student retention and goal attainment. We found that although we were good at individualizing instruction and providing group instruction in an effort to meet student's academic needs, we were stuck using many of the same book/paper/pencil approach that has been used in many traditional K-12 classrooms and didn't work for our students. We wanted to do a better job of bringing education to life, building background knowledge and keeping students who sometimes needed to spend a long time with us to meet their academic goals.
Trying to determine what was needed for professional development was a challenge because we ourselves didn't know what the technology was capable of or what we wanted the end product to be. So, the staff received training in the mechanics or How to use iPads and then each instructor was given an iPad to use. We believed that in order for them to think about incorporating them into the classroom they needed to have one to "play" with. We provided training in google docs because we wanted the instructors to develop curriculum in google docs so it could be accessed from anywhere (we have satellite sites). We also learned about Diigo which is an extension that allows you to bookmark websites online and share them with groups. This allowed us to share websites that we found useful with each other. With that training, a template to guide the development of lesson plans, a a discussion about a framework for reading, writing, science, social studies and math we provided some curriculum development time and encouraged the instructors to just get started exploring what was out there.
We introduced Interwrite or Smartboards into the classroom at the same time as the iPads. We tend to use the Interwrite boards more for group instruction. Our school district did not have anyone to train us on them and so we have learned some things through trial and error. Our younger students have also helped us figure them out. They like doing that. We have found fantastic websites out there that include video, interactive content and activities, powerpoint presentations and much more. We use it in groups as well as individually as students need it. We have also had students pair up and use the Interwrite board together teaching each other without the instructor being directly involved. The same could be done using the iPads, with each student having an iPad to use with whatever is being done on the Interwrite board.
We use the iPads with Apps, You Tube videos, some of the interactive websites, and as a resources for building background knowledge. We have a reading group where it was our practice to have students write down questions they had as they were reading together and then go and research them after the fact. Now, when a question comes up a student can get on an iPad and immediately research and provide the information. We have just begun reviewing the Apps to determine what constitutes a good App and how can it be used in instruction. We have developed guidelines for suggesting the purchase of an App and we are spending professional development time demonstrating Apps we like and don't like and considering how they can be added to instruction.
The biggest challenge to all of this now that we have begun to understand it conceptually is simply having the time needed to look at our curriculum as a whole, utilizing the standards and develop a scope and sequence for each of the 5 subject areas that covers students from ABE Beginning Lit thorough ASE High. At the moment, we have some very good pieces and much more to develop. I hope this is some of the information you were looking for. I am hoping to hear about what others are doing so that it will help us in the process.