Module 1

Going Digital

21st century teachers like you are aware that we are living in a digital age, a time when
technology holds great promise for improving people’s lives, an era where technology is
playing a more prominent role in how we play and work. As teachers in this digital age,
you have the exciting task of bringing that technology into the classroom in ways that
will make learning meaningful, relevant, and engaging, while, at the same time, building
your own confidence with technology.

To start you on this important journey, in this first module, Going Digital, you will reflect
on the digital world of 21st century students and the classrooms that will meet their
learning needs.

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LEARN
21st Century Students

You may have, or may soon have, students like Maya, a secondary student who lives
in a world where the lines that divide in-school and out-of-school, formal and informal,
and individual and collaborative learning are increasingly blurred. At school, Maya has
some access to connected computers with a mobile lab that teachers can reserve and a
few devices in the library that students can sign up to use during the day. Maya’s most
necessary technology is her smartphone, her constant companion. This device keeps
her connected, and she uses it in creative ways, both for school and for her personal
life.

7:00 AM When Maya wakes up in the morning she checks her cell phone to read texts
from her friends, look at upcoming assignment due dates, and review her schedule
on her calendar. She has a text from a friend who wants to borrow her notes from the
previous day’s biology lecture, so Maya puts a reminder in her calendar to get them for
her friend.

9:00 AM Maya’s geometry class has the mobile computer lab today, and they use a tool
to create tessellations in their study of symmetry. Maya is not particularly interested in
geometry, but she does love art. Using the tool seems more like art to her than math.

12:00 PM At lunch, Maya and her friends watch a funny video of a cat and a dog on
an online video-sharing site on her phone. She also gets a text from her soccer coach
reminding her of an early practice time that evening, as well as a reminder that her
language arts project is due in three days.

2:00 PM In literature class, Maya meets with her group to work on a video of a scene
from a novel they have read. They wrote a script together during class, and now they
are using Juan’s phone to record the performance. Maya is surprised at how much she
had to think about the novel to write the script, since they couldn’t film it exactly how
it was written but had to keep the spirit and theme of the book. Two of the scenes have
to be filmed in a park, and three of the students in the group will meet after school to
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finish the recordings.

7:00 PM Maya checks in to the social network that her literature class is using to
discuss the project. They plan to see if they can use a computer in the school library
during their literature class to edit the video and add fun things like titles and credits.
Then they will find a time with good connectivity at school to post their project to
an online video-sharing site. After they do that, they’ll send their teacher the link.
Hopefully, they will even finish a day early, so they’ll have less stress!

When we think about Maya and her relationship with technology, we can draw several
conclusions about 21st century students that matter to their teachers:

• Technology keeps them constantly connected with all the people and subjects that
matter to them.

• They expect to be able to learn anytime and anywhere, not just within the classroom
walls.

• Technology helps them consume, create, collaborate, and share content online.

The 21st Century Classroom

For young people of the 21st century, often called “digital natives” for their comfort with
and enthusiasm for each new wave of devices and tools, educational applications of
technology occur seamlessly and naturally. Students, like Maya, use their smartphones
to organize their lives, communicate with peers and teachers, and collaborate on
research and projects.

On the other hand, the use of technology in the classroom has often lagged behind
what both students and teachers are doing outside of the school environment. Today,
as computing devices become mobile and affordable, schools are finding ways to make
technology available to students and are looking for ways to ensure they add value to
students’ learning and help them meet academic standards.

Devices alone, however—even in the hands of motivated and inspiring educators and
engaged students—may not deliver on the promise of educational transformation.
Computers and other digital devices can just make ineffective teaching practices

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more efficient. Or, they can transform classrooms into places where students are
engaged, active participants in their own learning. The key is how well the technology
is integrated to extend and enhance learning and classroom practices. Ruben
Puentedura's Model describes what he calls SAMR1, four levels of educational technology
integration.

SAMR

Substitution

Substitutes for traditional tools with no change in functionality

Augmentation

Substitutes for traditional educational tools with improved functionality

Modification

Allows the use of technology to redesign traditional learning tasks in significant ways.

Redefinition

Enables new kinds of learning experiences unimaginable without technology.

When technology is used effectively, classrooms are transformed into places where
standards drive instruction, and students make choices about how they will learn and
demonstrate their learning. Students use technology to redefine how to communicate,
collaborate, and think critically.

TRY IT
The 21st Century Classroom
In a small group, discuss a video of student learning in action:

• How is this classroom different from the 20th century classroom?

• How digital are your students?

• How does your classroom compare with the 21st century classroom that is described
here?
With your facilitator the group will create a timeline of their experience as a student and
a teacher. Brainstorm descriptions of a classroom at three different times:

• Your classroom when you were a student

• Your classroom now
• What you would like your future classroom to be

Technology Options
• dippity: Online timeline tool

• Timeline: A timeline tool that uses Google Spreadsheet

Offline Option
• Use local software, such as Microsoft Office, chart paper, whiteboard, or chalkboard
to create a timeline.

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APPLY
Classroom Connection

TIP
As you take this course, you will be adding to a Classroom Connection
document. Throughout the course, you will receive prompts to record notes in
this document. These notes might include names of tools, questions you’d like
to look into later, or any other information you want to be able to access easily
when you return to your classroom.

In the Apply section of each Lesson, you will also be asked to create lessons,
resources, or tools to use with your students in your Classroom Connection
document where you can find them easily.

1. Create a Classroom Connection document or use the template provided in the course
resources. If your Internet connection is dependable, you may want to use an online
document, such as Google Docs or Microsoft® OneNote, so you can access the
file from any connected device. If you have frequent connectivity issues, you will
probably want to create and save a document on the device you are using for the
course.

2. Personalize your document in one of the following ways.

• Insert a photo uploaded from one of your devices.

• Search the Web for a copyright-free image that represents you, download it to your
device, and insert it into your document

• Insert clip art available in the application on your device that shows something
important about you

3. Save your document in a place where you can find it easily.

4. You may choose to share your personalized document with a small group as a way to
introduce yourself to your colleagues in the course.
Technology Options
• Google Drive: A cloud storage site for creating and saving files so they can be
accessed from any device with an Internet connection

Offline Option
Use a local word processing application to create the document.

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SHARE & REFLECT
Discuss the following questions with a partner or small group. Record notes and goals in
your Classroom Connection document.

• What about your classroom reflects the digital world of your students?

• If you use technology with your students, where do you fit in with the SAMR model?
• What goals do you hope to achieve with this course?

What’s Next?
In the rest of this course, you will learn how to make your classroom a 21st century
digital classroom. In each module, you will learn about tools and strategies for
integrating technology effectively to support communication, collaboration, creativity,
and critical thinking.