EDU 2.0 is used throughout the Santa Barbara district, and the more I use it the more effective it seems. Oddly, many teachers are barely skimming the potential of the program, while others have blended their classrooms and regularly have students take quizzes, communicate with the blog option, and keep parents up to date with news and other items from the class and the school.
One aspect of this tech integration is the number of students who still don't have ready access to devices.
I've talked to several students who are either failing or are about to because their teacher assigns multiple assignments digitally, many of them on EDU, and the student gets zeros because he doesn't have access. I asked if the teacher had assessed the class for digital accessibility, and the student just laughed, saying he couldn't take the quiz because it was online—and he doesn't have a computer at home.
While that student was partially being lazy, considering that schools have computer labs, computers in the library, and public libraries also have digital access, the problem is real. Most students won't go out of their way to be one of a very few who have to use the computer lab as their primary source of internet access. Further, the internet, as superb as the whole concept is, still falters on a regular basis. A teacher in my PLC had a 20 minute online intro for her lesson to ready the students for the play of Anne Frank's diary, but three minutes into The Secret Annex online, the internet decided to take the day off.
Back to the hardcopy.
The amount of data that EDU 2.0 provides, if used correctly, could allow teachers to manipulate their lesson plans for slower and faster learners. Plus, with incorporation of Google Forms and other frequent assessments that students might even consider fun because they're quick and online, the teacher could get regularly feedback as to the student's comprehension and enjoyment of any particular lesson.
 |
| Useful and colorful at the same time. |
At its simplest level it's used as a grade book, but with the ability to incorporate Skype, Google Forms, and provide full analytics on student lessons, including both teacher-created and default Rubric forms from all disciplines and from college level courses, it's somewhat astonishing that more teachers aren't merging their entire curriculum into the program. It also has a plug and play option to map lessons and units into the Common Core ... and if you get confused it even has a searchable Help Center.
One aspect of this tech integration is the number of students who still don't have ready access to devices.
 |
| Totally cool: a built in CSU writing rubric. |
While that student was partially being lazy, considering that schools have computer labs, computers in the library, and public libraries also have digital access, the problem is real. Most students won't go out of their way to be one of a very few who have to use the computer lab as their primary source of internet access. Further, the internet, as superb as the whole concept is, still falters on a regular basis. A teacher in my PLC had a 20 minute online intro for her lesson to ready the students for the play of Anne Frank's diary, but three minutes into The Secret Annex online, the internet decided to take the day off.
Back to the hardcopy.
The amount of data that EDU 2.0 provides, if used correctly, could allow teachers to manipulate their lesson plans for slower and faster learners. Plus, with incorporation of Google Forms and other frequent assessments that students might even consider fun because they're quick and online, the teacher could get regularly feedback as to the student's comprehension and enjoyment of any particular lesson.
Hi Jesse,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your blog post and learning more about Edu 2.0. It sounds like it provides a somewhat comprehensive data collection feature. What about qualitative data (e.g., notes from conferencing with students?)? Also, it depresses me to hear that the teacher failed to assess the students' technology accessibility. Homework is already boring and painful enough, but if there's another obstacle in the way (e.g., no Internet access), it becomes even more of a challenge to complete. Thanks for sharing!