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Technology Will Not Replace Teachers

The statement that technology will not replace teachers has been something that resonates with me daily. I think about how technology has changed teaching and the positive outcomes of a global paradigm shift that is occurring in education. Over the past few years there has been much written about technology and education. Below are a few of the articles that have resonated with me.

edtechinschools1
Image via: edtechreview.in

2013
Technology Will Not Replace Teachers

The article asserts that once you mention the word technology, everyone focuses on the shiny new doodad. When, in truth, technology should just be another tool in an educator’s toolbox. In today’s “Information Age”, teachers are no longer the source of all knowledge that is to be doled out at a predetermined rate. Technology has put all of human knowledge into the hands of students and the role of the teacher has evolved to help students become critical thinkers and problem solvers.

2014
“Technology will never replace great teachers, but technology in the hands of a great teacher can be transformational.” – George Couros

I have always enjoyed listening to George and Alec Couros speak about how education is changing to meet the demands of the modern world. George’s book, The Innovator’s Mindset, should be a must read for today’s educational leaders. However, it is his quote about technology and the transformation of education that gets me thinking about the evolution of education. Things like the chalkboard, the ball point pen, the overhead projector, the photocopier, and the laptop are all technologies that have changed and shaped education. For me, it isn’t just about the newest tools, it is about how teachers embrace the new technology and transform their practice to help students learn in new ways that were not even imagined prior to the advent of the the technology.

2015
“Teachers will not be replaced by technology, but teachers who do not use technology will be replaced by those who do.” – Hari Krishna Arya

On the surface, this quote sounds similar to the previous quote from George Couros. When you take a closer look and read a little deeper, a disquieting message appears. Like George, Hari asserts that technology will not replace teachers; when you read the article you see that he shares similar thoughts about the transformational power of education and technology. When I read George’s quote, I feel inspired by the potential of technology in the classroom. Conversely, Hari’s statement fills me with dread. Hari poignantly illustrates the glacial pace of educational change and the aversion some of my colleagues have about the transformational power of technology in education. Do we really need to wait for the luddites to leave education before they are replaced by educators who see technology as a worthy and transformational part of their pedagogical toolbox? Or, is there a way to encourage all educators to embrace technology, no matter their tenure?

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Flipping Your Lesson with EdPuzzle

edpuzzleI have always been a huge fan of EdPuzzle. This Chrome Web Store Extension will allow you to use video from many popular sites and modify it for your requirements. It is the ideal tool for flipping your lesson.

An example of how to use EdPuzzle, you found a Crash Course video that you want to use, but only parts of it apply to your lesson. After installing the extension you will see a new EdPuzzle button on the video’s YouTube page. After clicking on the button and signing into EdPuzzle you will be presented with 4 tools. You will be able to trim the length of the video, you can replace the entire audio track with your narration, you can pause the video and insert an audio note (reminds me of when I would pause the VHS video and provide commentary to my class), or you can insert a formative quiz. After preparing the video, you can share it in Google classroom or any other LMS that you are using.

If you would like more information about flipping your lesson, check out this resource from Anita Brooks Kirkland and myself.

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The New Google Sites

what-is-google-sites copyI had a chance to play with the new Google Sites this week and thought I would share a short “first look” video.

The new Google Sites has a simplified and intuitive interface that follows the Material Design that Google is using across all its services. I think the new Google Sites will disappoint a few who would like to have more control over the “look and feel” of a site. However, I feel that the streamed down interface will make it easier for anyone to create and publish a website quickly and easily.

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Tip: Favourite Google Drive Keyboard Shortcuts

Image from NOGRAN s.r.o. - http://tvorbaweb-stranok.sk/
Image from NOGRAN s.r.o. – http://tvorbaweb-stranok.sk/

Keyboard shortcuts are a great way to get to the built-in functionality of many programs. We are all familiar with ‘Ctrl+c’ for copy and ‘Ctrl+v’ for paste, but when I am using Google Drive there are a some that I can’t live without.

The ‘move’ shortcut will move your file to a new location and the ‘add’ shortcut will allow you to have the same file in multiple locations.

  • After selecting a file hit the ‘z’ key to move the file to another folder.
  • ‘Shift + z’ will allow you to add a file to another folder, letting you have the same file in multiple locations – remember that if you make changes to the file in one location it will also change it in the other.
  • Bonus tip: if you hit ‘z’ first and then use ‘Ctrl’ on Chrome OS and Windows or the ‘Alt’ key on a Mac, you can cycle between move and add.

zkey  shiftz

 

 

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Making with a Raspberry Pi

Pi as a Time Machine via TechRadar
Pi as a Time Machine via TechRadar

I have always had a fondness for the Raspberry Pi microcomputer for maker type projects. For example, two years ago I made an Apple Time Machine to wirelessly backup two Macbooks in our home using the original Raspberry Pi and a 1TB hard drive. I wrote a “how-to” blog post about it on a website that has been retired. Since then, there have been 2 major revisions to the Raspberry Pi and a Raspian upgrade (the Raspberry Pi version of Linux). After a quick search I found that there were some really well written instructions out there, so there was no need to create a new “how-to”. Personally I like the one from TechRadar.

The Time Machine backup device is in a closet in the basement and is only accessible via my home network. In order to keep the software patched and up-to-date, I use SSH (secure shell) to log into the Raspberry Pi. On a Mac you can use the terminal to access the Pi but I also use a Chromebook. To access the Pi via the Chromebook I use Secure Shell from the Chrome Web Store. I also use it to access the server for this site and run this “Update and Clean” script:

echo "Update and Clean" &&
sudo apt-get update &&
sudo apt-get -y upgrade &&
sudo apt-get -f install &&
sudo apt-get autoremove &&
sudo apt-get -y autoclean &&
sudo apt-get -y clean

However, since the Pi is sitting in the closet without a monitor or keyboard, I have no way to use it for its intended purpose, to learn about coding. I found that I could install VNC (Virtual Network Computing) onto the Raspberry Pi and use the desktop interface remotely. I followed the instructions from Adafruit about how to install VNC on the Pi and how to make it autostart after a reboot. I can now use a VNC client to access the desktop of the Pi. There is even a Chromebook VNC client so I can use the Pi from my Chromebook.

Pi Desktop via adafruit
Pi Desktop via adafruit

Because we never stop learning, today I learned that there is already a VNC client in my Macbook. I followed these instructions, here and here, to create a “share screen” button that now appears in the Finder of my Macbook and it allows me to remotely access the desktop of my Pi.

Now my Pi is serving a dual purpose. I am using it back up my Macbook and I am also remotely accessing it to learn about Linux and explore the coding apps found on the Raspberry Pi.

One more thing, Adafruit is one of my favourite “go-to” sites for everything Raspberry Pi and Limor “Ladyada” Fried at Adafruit is a fascinating role model for coding and building.