Using Psychology to Save You From Yourself

This article Using Psychology to Save You From Yourself was very interesting. I learned about behavioral economics, defined as "a school of economic thought greatly influenced by psychological research — which argues that the human animal is hard-wired to make errors when it comes to decision-making, and therefore people need a little 'nudge' to make decisions that are in their own best interests." Apparently obscure psychological research into human decision-making back in 1955 later revolutionized economics. Daniel Kahneman, an Israeli psychologist, won a Nobel Prize in economics for his work on the subject of the "illusion of validity," a phrase he coined. "From stockbrokers to baseball scouts, people have a huge amount of confidence in their own judgment, even in the face of evidence that their judgment is wrong," according to the article.

Kahneman worked with psychologist Amos Tversky cataloging the ways the human mind systematically misjudges the world around it. Enter economist Richard Thaler, now a well-respected professor at the University of Chicago, who was intrigued by the idea of integrating psychological research and economics. The three of them began to publish their ideas, and initially, mainstream economists largely rejected the work. Economists had been working under the assumption that rational human beings can be counted on to make the best choice for themselves. The new research countered that notion and presented evidence (through research, of course) that flawed decision-making occurs more often than not.

Cass Sunstein and Thaler wrote a book titled Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth and Happiness. Sunstein, a Harvard Law professor, is President Obama's pick to head the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, and apparently there are a number of high-level appointees now working in the Obama administration who favor this kind of approach. There is also a blog called Nudge which I found interesting.

Looking back at how many times in my lifetime my judgment turned out to be WRONG - big-time - I am glad to know research backs up this judgment about my judgment.

My Personal Learning Network #3

Since my brain seems to be completely occupied with research (a result of taking a research course in grad school), I find myself drawn to articles written about the “R” word. Amazing how many there are, when you start paying attention. Research really IS everywhere I look these days, and as I learn more about it, I look at it all a little bit differently.

For PLN #3, I will focus on what my Google Reader found to further fill my brain with research topics. Here’s one for my brain ABOUT my brain. What educators can learn from brain research: Breakthroughs in neuroscience are measuring brain response to stimuli and beginning to alter classroom practices. “Enriching and informing classroom practices,” to be exact, which sounds interesting to me. Researchers are using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) to scan the brain and measure neural activity in response to stimuli. This has led to a concept called neuroplasticity, meaning the brain's structure is more flexible than previously thought. The article mentions studies that measure reading aptitudes, the causes of and workings of attention-deficit disorder, and the way the brain processes mathematics.

Michael Atherton, a researcher in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Minnesota, describes a methodological framework to assess how applicable a study might be for classroom implementation. There are three progressive stages to this framework: Discovery, Functional analysis, and Pedagogical evaluation. According to Atherton, studies that answer the question "Which pedagogical method results in students achieving higher levels of performance?" fit into this last category and can be used to guide instructional design. To me, that just seems like such common sense.

This article came to me from eSchool News, to which I used to subscribe, but now have added to my feed in Google Reader. eSchool News also gave me this interesting article. It tells about Project RED (for Revolutionizing EDucation) which will “examine the outcomes of educational technology initiatives using a cost-benefit analysis to determine which ed-tech programs and devices are having the most cost-effective impact for schools, parents, and states.” According to Jeanne Hayes of the Hayes Connection, one of the consulting firms leading the project, very little research has been done to show the connection between educational technology and cost savings. This does not surprise me.

After identifying and selecting schools that have implemented “ubiquitous technology initiatives,” data gathering will begin. The data will be used to develop a framework for determining which programs and services are most effective in raising achievement. In the next phase, several partner states will join with Project RED to examine larger factors that may be influenced by ed-tech initiatives, and how much money can be saved by using virtual learning. The final phase will deliver data and findings to stakeholders. The project is expected to take about a year. I will be very interested to see the results.

My Personal Learning Network #2

I went to college as an undergraduate in the 1970s. I went to class and the library on campus. I typed my papers on a typewriter. Now, in college as a graduate student, I do none of the above. I have not visited campus, or the library, and I have never even printed a copy of anything I have produced. I have met some of my professors and a few of my fellow students, but only because I went to a couple of social events. Yet I feel like I have a more personal relationship with all of my professors and classmates than I ever did as an undergraduate. This is because I am an online learner. Mostly I learn when and where I want. Sometimes I take my laptop with me on an airplane and keep up with my assignments while visiting with my grandchildren. Other times I am working from home in my pajamas.

For PLN #2, I will focus on online learning. The California K12 High Speed Network feed gives me an article about online learning from eSchool News: http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/index.cfm?i=59508 which refers to a report titled "Learning in the 21st Century: 2009 Trends Update," released June 30 at the 2009 National Educational Computing Conference and jointly sponsored by Project Tomorrow and Blackboard Inc.

According to the report, students want more online learning, and the supply has outpaced the demand. This research study found that “…more than 40 percent of sixth through 12th graders have researched or demonstrated interest in taking a course online, but only 10 percent have actually taken an online course through their school.” Lack of funding and teacher preparation were given by school administrators as key barriers to offering expanded access to online courses in their districts.

I decided to check out what else was available through Google Reader regarding online learning. Finally I came across an interesting blog called Dangerously Irrelevant. I decided to add it to my subscriptions. I thought the author’s name looked familiar: Scott McLeod. Associate Professor, Iowa State University, Director of the UCEA Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education. None of that rang a bell, but then I saw that he was a co-creator of the “wildly popular video,” Did You Know? (Shift Happens). Now that I remember: as technology coordinator at my school site, I wanted to show that video to the staff, but I was told it was too long. Here it is:

My search led me to a March 2009 post about online learning. http://www.dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2009/03/iowa-a-robust-system-of-online-learning.html Scott McLeod points out, “When most people think about online learning, they think about adults taking online university classes. Or they might think about the online training that occurs in many workplaces. But online learning opportunities occur in the K-12 sector as well and are increasingly popular with students and their families.” He cites some research and talks about efforts underway in different states to facilitate online learning. California is not mentioned. Somehow I am not surprised.

Value Added Analysis

This article in The New Yorker magazine was shared with me by a non-teaching friend. I found it absolutely fascinating. The article makes many comparisons with the process by which NFL scouts select promising quarterback candidates and the ability to predict teacher effectiveness. If you not are interested in professional football, you may want to skip over the lengthy analogy. On to the research...

According to the author, Malcolm Gladwell, “A group of researchers -- Thomas J. Kane, an economist at Harvard’s school of education; Douglas Staiger, an economist at Dartmouth; and Robert Gordon, a policy analyst at the Center for American Progress -- have investigated whether it helps to have a teacher who has earned a teaching certification or a master’s degree. Both are expensive, time-consuming credentials that almost every district expects teachers to acquire; neither makes a difference in the classroom.”

In answering the question of what actually does matter in making a great teacher, Gladwell refers us to the work of Jacob Kounin, an educational researcher. Kounin called that indefinable ability “withitness.” This quality is defined as “a teacher’s communicating to the children by her actual behavior (rather than by verbally announcing: ‘I know what’s going on’) that she knows what the children are doing, or has the proverbial ‘eyes in the back of her head.’” Of course, this ability cannot possibly be demonstrated until a teacher actually stands in front of a classroom.

"One of the most important tools in contemporary educational research is 'value added' analysis. It uses standardized test scores to look at how much the academic performance of students in a given teacher’s classroom changes between the beginning and the end of the school year." The conclusion drawn by the author (and supported by research) is that you simply can’t tell from a piece of paper who’ll be effective in a classroom.

This is an interesting point to consider as we all progress toward another one of those pieces of paper.

My Personal Learning Network #1

My readings in Google Reader this week had a recurring theme: money; thus, the images I have chosen. The state of the economy seems to deteriorate daily. The impact on educational programs, and especially expensive educational technology programs, is strongly felt. This is worrisome for anyone who cares about the future of our country and its children. As excited as I become about the potential for the utilization of all sorts of new-fangled technological tools in education, it is easy to become discouraged about the reality of the current situation.

The California K12 High Speed Network feed gives me an article from eSchool News. http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/index.cfm?i=59257 Apparently the federal stimulus money is going to help “staunch the bleeding,” but it simply is not going to be enough to offset drastic cuts to K-12 education. Another article contains what may be some better news: as a cost-cutting measure, Governor Schwarzenegger is proposing digital textbooks for California. http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/index.cfm?i=59180 I like this quote: “In the state that gave the world Facebook, Google, and the iPod, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says forcing California's students to rely on printed textbooks is so yesterday.”

Now it is rare for me to agree with Governor Schwarzenegger on anything, but I really could get behind this proposal. So for PLN #1, I will focus on digital textbooks as a technology I could see having an impact on what I do as a teacher. This topic appears in another of my Google Reader feeds, from a blog called “2¢ worth” (there’s that currency again), written by David Warlick, who spoke to a group of Texas School Board members. http://davidwarlick.com/2cents/?p=1773 One of his suggestions is that education leaders “…seize ‘almost’ every opportunity to replace books with digital content (ouch).” I guess the “ouch” means that it is going to hurt, as in cost a lot. But our Governor feels that it will actually save money.

Whether it saves money or not, in my opinion it is time for textbooks to become digital. I already use a digital version of my Social Studies and Science texts with my students, but money was still spent for a printed version of both. This works out nicely when we use the textbook in class, and the students can go online at home to access the same material. But the superiority of the digital version is instantly apparent to the students. It has interactive multimedia features that are far more engaging. If they have a computer at home, their backpacks are lighter when I assign homework in those subjects. The whole thing makes them wonder why their literature and math textbooks are not available in digital form. I have been telling them “someday soon.” Now I will tell them the Governator is behind them 100%.

Deborah Lawson/PLN#1/EDTEC 570/Summer 2009

Grand Prize Winner

Click here for the announcement regarding the video contest prize.

We Won!

Regarding the previous post of my video project:

"Congratulations! I am writing to inform you that Gates Elementary School has been selected as the GRAND PRIZE WINNER in our ADS 4 THE ISLAND Contest! Thank you for your entry."

That was the email I received early one morning last week. Grand Prize: $2,500 toward our Study Island subscription, and a set of eInstruction clickers. Everyone is very excited!

My Video for 572

KGATES News

Social Networking Pays Off!

Today I got home to find a nice big box on my porch. I had received an email informing me that my new Flip Video MinoHD was on its way to me, but I was skeptical. The email subject line did say NOT SPAM! but who believes that?

I remember that I was asked to answer a survey regarding social networking and that I could win this prize. I already have a Flip Video, use it all the time, and have convinced many friends to get one when they see how easy mine is to use and what great results I get. Since I got mine, they came out with the HD version. And now, I have a brand new one! Apparently I won the contest by entering the survey.

So let it be known, social networking can pay off! And not all of those contests are spam! I will make great use of this new toy. Look for my first HD video here.

Second Life

Video Recaps | Full Episodes | Webisodes

One Year as a Blogger: Time for Some Changes

It's been a year since I started blogging - because I wanted to be like my daughters! Then, I was thinking that I might apply to grad school to get my masters degree in Educational Technology. Now, a year later, I am in the middle of that masters degree program and my blog is just humming along, but I have decided it is time to divide it into two blogs. Mudder's Musings will be primarily for friends and family, and The CyberGator will be for all things EdTech.  Hope to see you on both!

I am a Broker of Expertise (who knew?)

I was selected to be a member of this pilot project, which actually begins tomorrow. I am all about closing the achievement gap and raising overall student achievement. Let's get started!

School reform efforts have mostly been conducted on an individual school or district basis. However, in these times of scarce resources, it is imperative that a state as large and complex as California learns to share sound educational solutions to common issues. The on-line nature of the resources and the community of practice are key to leveraging available resources, answering the questions posed in the pilot work, and developing a system to assist California’s teachers for the long-term challenges ahead.

In the past two years, foundations interested in helping teachers by providing them the resources they need to do their work more effectively have been developing the vision. Working through the California Department of Education (CDE), these efforts have taken the form of an initiative known as Brokers of Expertise. Those at the heart of the initiative understand that teachers and administrators around the state – in addition to others charged with supporting K-12 education, have developed expertise in diverse areas. Making the exchange of this expertise easier, along with providing easily searchable, high-quality resources, are the goals of the Brokers of Expertise initiative.

The platform for providing these resources and access to each other are being tested in a pilot. This community pilot will examine how teachers use the resources, how they interact with each other, and how useful teachers find the resources and these connections to be. Closing the achievement gap and raising overall student achievement across our large and diverse state is the overarching goal.

Revolutionary New Laptop

Apple Introduces Revolutionary New Laptop With No Keyboard

Astronomy Night: We Went to Mars!

Google Earth In the Classroom

Google Earth (No Longer Google Dirt)

Thanks to Daughter #3, I am informed that there are some cool new features on Google Earth. She wanted to be sure I saw this LA Times article. In the article, I learned that Google Earth has been downloaded to half a billion computers. What is that, 500 million? In any event, as often happens, I was not up-to-date on my version of the software. By updating, I am now able to explore the oceans of the planet. In addition, I can leave the planet and explore the surface of Mars.

No less than Al Gore (who also happens to be a Google board member) spoke at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco about this "extremely powerful educational tool." I would agree with that assessment, and so would my students. They never tire of using it. And I never run out of new ways to use it.

If you don't have Google Earth, click here to get the free download. If you already have it, be sure and update! (Go to "Check for Updates Online" in the Help menu)

Glorious Google Goods Galore

I have been a Google products fan for awhile. Now my task (for my graduate course) is to write about these tools. Where to begin?

First of all, of course, is the fact that this blog is made possible by Google Blogger. Then, there are the websites I have made using Google Pages (no longer available, but Google Sites works too). I really like Google Calendar, which I use both for my personal (rather busy) calendar, and for the calendar on our school website. I use Google Docs to collaborate with my colleagues and save important files. I plan to also start using it with my students. GMail seems to be the only e-mail I can use to send outgoing mail on my phone, and it is the key to using all these other Google products.

Google Reader helps me keep up with my daughter's Blog posts. Google Earth is downloaded onto my computer and is one of my students' favorite programs. I really do think Google Maps is the best of all the map/directions websites, and I used it for our school website. My personal homepage uses iGoogle, and I love the fact that when I travel and am on some other computer, I can go to a page that looks just like my good old laptop. Google Toolbar is a must for my browser; it is a big time saver.

Picasa is a great way to store and share photos. I use it all the time. Although I can't use YouTube at school, it is a great way to post a video I have made for friends and family to see. I have told lots of people about Goog-411 to save money on those annoying Directory Assistance charges. Finally, we all know that the word "Google" is a synonym for searching for something on the web. (My students tend to call out "Google it" when I confess ignorance of a certain factoid.) Google search gets better all the time. I really like the image search and the news search as well.

So there you have it. There are actually a few Google products which I have not yet used. I probably should check them out, because all the others are fantastic tools. What is YOUR favorite Google product?

Peeps: You'll be LTS, LOL, LMAO, ROTF, ROFL, ROTFLMAO

This is actually part of the syllabus for one of my courses. I love it!

Dear student in my course,

I am your instructor. I am not your BFF. I do not WTGP? with you. I'm sorry if that makes you :-( IRL, when you write emails using poor grammar, sentence structure, and include only minimal amounts of information, it makes me >:-||

IMHO (and this is JMO), I have NP using this type of slang in a chat room, like a virtual classroom. It's a quick and easy way to communicate in a fast paced environment, and sometimes typing a whole phrase is much slower than slang. LOL, I get it.

But OMG, if I receive another email from peeps that shows what a noob you are in the professional world, where you don't clearly tell me who you are, what class section you are in, that has a vague or non-existent subject line, and no background information -- that makes me write back to you just to find out WT? you are talking about, I'm going to scream.

Writing to your PPL on FB is different that writing a letter to your instructor. PLZ take the time to get used to constructing professional emails for folks in RL. It will help avoid a SNAFU in the future, I promise. TC, TTYL, and TIA.

TNT, L8r -- Your Instructor.

NOTE: Click here if you need an Internet slang glossary to understand this letter. (I did)

My Classes This Semester

Instructional Design Systematic design of products for education and training. Use of cognitive task analysis to determine instructional content. Development of instructional goals and product specifications. Rapid prototyping of instructional products.

Technology for Course Delivery Use of technology to support planning, presenting and managing instructor-led courses.