Train ride...

Hello fellow technology integration learners. There's nothing better to clear the mind and inspire beautiful thinking than taking a cross country train ride.

About MKHort

My current work focuses on creating sustainable communities of technology integration.

I am not teaching specific programs or platforms; rather, I tend to the humans that are

running the technologies and devices. I focus on the sustainable societal characteristics

that make technology users become comfortable in exploring and trying new things

and spaces. I am currently working as technology integration training consultant in the

K-12 system, however, sustainable technology skills are very transferable to corporate,

professional, and military settings. The focus is to create an infrastructure of experts in

specific areas so that collaboration and sharing may occur, giving purpose, responsibility,

and recognition to all community members. This in turn creates loyal committed parti-

cipants in the technology community. Research tells us that the adult learner of

technology adaptations, learns best with access to a technology facilitator (Reinhart,

Thomas, and Toriskie, 2011), adequate time and speed with which to develop their

newfound skills (Antonia, and Tuffley, 2015), and peer collaboration (Hartshorne,

Ferdig, and Dawson, 2005). Technology integration trainings should be shared in small

ingestible bites.

A disorienting dilemma may occur when technological skill level does not match

academic knowledge and intellectual ability (Hoggan, Malkki, and Finnegan, 2017).

“Although providing internet access may help alleviate some problems of the digital

divide,” according to Hargittai, technology users “may still continue to lack effective

access in that they may not know how to extract information for their needs from the

Web” (2002, Conclusion section, para. 2). A second-level digital divide is formed

(Hargittai, 2002; Reinhart, Thomas, & Toriskie, 2011). The divide in technology

skills creates “disturbances in communication” (Habermas, 1981, p. 139). This

disturbance generates hesitant technology users.

Prior to this consultation work, I worked as a teacher leader at large Missouri K-12,

100% free-and-reduced lunch school. I collaborated with teachers, and taught

teachers technology integration educational platforms and cultivated their sustain-

able technology skills. Along with this collaborative training, I served as sight test

coordinator for two separate state testing platforms for middle and high school. It was

my job to aggregate data from test scores and classroom grades to direct curriculum

choices and populate remedial services for during and after school. I was involved

with creating, dispersing, training, and implementing district and school curriculum.

As teacher coach, I encouraged, challenged, taught, co-created, held accountable,

and prepped for administrative evaluations, following up with struggling teachers and

improvement plans.

As a middle and high school teacher in urban Oklahoma, I taught reading, English,

Language Arts, speech, drama, debate, and dance. I served as department chair for

two departments simultaneously. I co-initialized a remedial READ 180 program for

the middle school. During this time I created a living Success Zone that ran like an

online social platform, for students to encourage one another and celebrate in

successes. Ninety-six percent of the students were at or above grade level by end

of year, many moving multiple grades to catch up to their peer reading accomplish-

ments. As co-initializing agent of  the pilot program for college credit for high

School students, Advanced Placement Capstone Seminar and Research  I lead

students in community symposiums that were comprised of influential members

of the community such as leaders of diversity, state department of education

representative: Tulsa Students Ask Tough Questions at Police Tactics Symposium

and Tulsa Students Question Experts on Education funding Crisis. I served as team

member on two accreditation programs, one each for middle and high schools.

While teaching in the classroom, I served as choreographer for student plays and

presentations.

I was adjunct professor and guest speaker at colleges and universities. As adjunct

professor I taught teacher candidates and freshman orientation. As guest speaker

I presented curriculum for teacher candidates based on the mind-body connection

and movement notation. I have been a member of the National Writing Project

and have co-led a local affiliate.  

Habermas, J. (1981). The theory of communicative action [Kindle version].

Retrieved

from Amazon.com

Hargittai, E. (2002). Second-level digital divide: Differences in people's online skills.

First Monday, 7(4).

Hartshorne, R., Ferdig, R. E., & Dawson, K. (2005). Preparing current and future

teachers to teach with technology: An examination of school-university

collaborations. Journal of Computing in Teacher Education 21(3), 77-85.

Hoggan, C., Malkki, K., & Finnegan, F. (2017). Developing the theory of

perspective transformation: Continuity, intersubjectivity, and emancipatory praxis.

Adult Education Quarterly, 67(1), 48-61.

Reinhart, J. M., Thomas, E., & Toriskie, J. M. (2011). K-12 teachers: Technology

use and the second level digital divide. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 38(3),

181-193.  

Pros & Cons of blogging for AL

Pros

Weblogs offer an opportunity for casual conversation with deep level thinking. "Students can define their positions in the context of others' writings as well as outline their own perspectives on particular issues (Oravec, 2002, p. 618). Although face-to-face classes offer immediate connection, internet associations of blogging allow for thought out responses and conversations. "Weblogs are thus well suited for distance learning and other educational settings in which individuals pursue independent research yet coalesce into a learning community for certain purposes (Oravec, 2002, p. 617). Knowledge is collaboratively built and allows students to be "engaged in a form of social co-participation in a community of learners" (Carter, 2011, p. 92).

"Blogs offer an innovative way for students to engage in reflective writing on classroom topics in a familiar medium (Santos, 2011, p. 18). As adult learners read blog posts which inspire response, they have opportunity not only to question the poster, but also to question or deepen their beliefs and concerns. "A blog is a tool for socially mediated learning as much as it is reflective practice" (Carter, 2011, p. 99).

The blogging platform uses hyperlinks which offer immediate reference. Adult learning communities rely on viable resources to support opinions and hypothesis. The blog reader can "connect to other Web sites by hyperlinks, resulting in an interactive publishing space linking resources as well as authors to permit easy sharing of information" (Carter, 2011, p. 90). This immediate sharing also allows the adult learner to delve deeper into the understanding and questioning of influential voices of the blog.

Cons

Educational blogs may take a while to regulate community engagement properly. In the Talkback Project, developed by Witte and colleague, a study was conducted on blog conversations about novel reading requirements between preservice teachers and middle school students (2007). Witte "quickly learned the importance of clarifying expectations for both students and preservice teachers" was needed (2007, p. 93). She went on to say that the preservice teachers "tended to use the blog spaces as a live Internet chat space and to post things that were not alt all related to the discussion" (Witte, 2007, p. 93). While the students "had problems accepting the preservice teachers as collaborators" and "felt as though they were being 'talked down to' at times" (Witte, 2007, p. 93). Using blog postings for academic communities means that the teacher is not always in control of the path that evolves. This is a risk that needs expert guidance by the teacher, and anticipatory preparations for conversations that stray from the guided path.

There is a lack of privacy on internet meanderings. This became a problem in the previous referred to study (Witte, 2007). One of the middle school students referred to the neighborhood in which they lived. Although the middle school students wrote under pseudonyms, the teacher, leaders, and professor of the preservice learners first tended to the situation by closing the blog; later opened the blog again with more commitments to privacy. This was a collaborative learning moment in which even the leaders and professors grew. Teachers of adult learners may responsibly bring attention to this concern. Such as Kang's warning, "Remember, your blog will be outside of password-protected K-State Online system and everyone who has Internet access can visit your blog(s). Sp, DON'T post any information you don't want to share with the public on your blog." (Kansas State University, Week 3 Announcement, para. 3). In addition, the internet evolves around commercial financial support, therefore a lack of privacy exits when entities solicit the blogger's attention (Oravec, 2002, p. 618).

Concluding thoughts

Internet connections are the expected norm of 21st century learning. If properly tended to, blogging communities are reasonable mediums to establish for adult learning, and meaningful, purposeful engagement will transpire. However, it is imperative that the instructor be clear on blogging expectations and cautious with privacy concerns.

References

Carter, T. J. (2011). The professor's guide to taming technology innovative perspectives of higher education: Research, theory and practice [Kindle version]. King, K. P. & Cox, T. D. (Eds). Information Age Publishing. Retrieved from Amazon.

Kansas State University. (2019). EDACE 765 Adult learners and integrating technology into curriculum Spring 2019 syllabus. Available from Kansas State University Canvas website: https://k-state.instructure.com/courses/73658/discussion_topics/476724.

Oravec, J. A. (2002). Bookmarking the world: Weblog applications in education. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 45(7), 616-621.

Santos, A. (2011). Blogs as a learning space: Creating text of talks. Contemporary Issues in Education Research, 4(6), 15-19.

Witte, S. (2007). That's online writing, not boring school writing: Writing with blogs and the Talkback Project. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 51(2), 92-96.