I almost can't believe that we are already in the month of June. Last Thursday, I was so excited to get off my splint and start to be more mobile. I am also hoping to get back to work this week. I really have missed working with both the educators and the students at my school. Being home on workman's compensation for the past few weeks after my "parking lot fall, " I have realized even more how important my work in my school is.
We all go through seasons- the month of May for me was a month where I needed to focus on my health and recovery. It was hard for me to take time away from the work I love, but it was important and I am so glad that I took the time I needed to recover. As I shared two weeks ago, about a month ago, I began a new health journey to take control of my health. Since then, I have seen so many benefits to my health journey. I am able to fit into clothes a size smaller and feel like my new healthier habits are helping me heal faster.
Sometimes, we need to pause and take time to reflect on our journeys. This past month has given me a chance to do just that. I am excited to see how these habits will evolve and help me to further develop into the future me that I have been working to be.
Reviewing what are the ABCs of Transforming Learning are-
Two weeks ago, I shared a blog post called S = Seek Connections to Grow Your PLN. As educators, none of us can do this alone. Even now as I recover from my surgery at home, I am so grateful for all of the connections I have in my PLN. I appreciate all of your DMs, your replies to my posts, your likes, and more, I am part of so many communities that support and nurture each other professionally and even personally.
This week, we will focus on T = Take a Deep Dive into the Impact of a Tech Tool. Just like I took time this past month to evaluate the impact of my health journey on my life, I hope all of you will take time to take a deeper dive into the impact of a tech tool. As the school ends, this is a perfect time to do this work. In this week's blog post, I share my new and updated framework to evaluate the impact of tech tools and share how I evaluate two of my favorite tech tools.
T = Take a Deep Dive Into the Impact of a Tech Tool
As we get ready to close out this current year, it is extremely important to determine the effectiveness of the tech tools we are currently using. What is their impact? Are we and our students truly using them to transform learning? How could we take the use of these tools to the next level?
Back when I published TRANSFORM-Techy Notes to Make Learning Sticky two years ago, I discussed 3 ways that a tech tool could be a TRANSFORM tech tool. They were the following:
Provides learning that can not be done without the technology
Is versatile enough to be used with any age or subject
Enhances or transforms the learning
Taking a Deeper Dive
In the two years since the publication of my book, I have been fortunate enough to become an ISTE Certified Educator and this certification has taken so many of my previous ideas and helped to clarify and refine them. So two years later, a TRANSFORM tech tool is more than just those three things. It is a tool that elevates and amplifies student learning in the following ways:
The graphic to the right gives educators a summarized version of the eight components that I believe that are so important as we evaluate technology tools that we use with our students. After creating this framework, I realized that all of these components can be present in a variety of ways. It wasn't about a tech tool either having the component or not. It was the degree each tech tool demonstrated the components. As a result, I created the Google form below so that educators can first rate each component and then share feedback about why they chose the score that they did.
This framework helps educators to better compare technology tools. It allows us to both better compare components and also to compare overall tool effectiveness.
Let's look at two of my favorite tech tools as an example: Wixie and Book Creator.
Target a Growth Mindset:
Wixie: Teachers can provide students feedback and students can use feedback to revise"
Book Creator: Teachers can provide multimedia comments for students
Representation
Wixie: Students can share learning using video, text, speech to text, audio, images, and drawing tools
Book Creator: Students can share learning using video, audio, drawing, images, and speech to text.
Accessibility:
Wixie: Students can use text to speech for read aloud, students can also use speech to text for typing and searching for items.
Book Creator: Includes read aloud in book form
Nurture Student Agency
Wixie: This tech tool has 2 interfaces that are icon based and easy for students to navigate
Book Creator: Menus are visual and easy to navigate
5. Supports Collaboration
Wixie: This tool scaffolds collaboration- teachers can put students in teams or allow students to pick teams when needed.
Book Creator: Premium subscribers can collaborate
6. Flexibility
Wixie: This tool has a huge library of templates and curriculum items. It is best for grades pK to 6.
Book Creator: Yes, students at all ages can use and for all content areas.
7. Offer Understanding Across Languages
Wixie: This tool offers translation in French and Spanish only in menus.
Book Creator: Translation is available through speech to text
8. Reflect Learning in Authentic Ways
Wixie: Students can create comics, infographics, videos, and more.
Book Creator: Students can create a variety of products
9. Maximize Learning
Wixie: Use of cloning and magic stickers allow students to learn in new ways.
Book Creator: Students can use this tool for multimedia creation
How will you take a deep dive to see the impact of a tech tool?
Think about what I shared and consider what tech tools that you might want to take a deep dive into to see their impact. I would love for you to share the results with me.