Chalkboard ProjectsWhen technology works (and when it doesn’t)

Let’s multitask

Draw four straight lines without picking up your pen so that you pass through all the dots once.

Let’s multitask

Draw four straight lines without picking up your pen so that you pass through all the dots once.

Fail

“The inventor of the system deserves to be ranked among the best contributors to learning and science, if not the greatest

benefactors of mankind.” ~ Josiah F. Bumstead

“The inventor of the system deserves to be ranked among the best contributors to learning and science, if not the greatest

benefactors of mankind.” ~ Josiah F. Bumstead

1841

“The inventor of the system deserves to be ranked among the best contributors to learning and science, if not the greatest

benefactors of mankind.” ~ Josiah F. Bumstead

1841

On the benefits of the chalkboard

The Chalk Board

The Chalk BoardThen:

The Chalk BoardThen:

• Innovative teaching tool

The Chalk BoardThen:

• Innovative teaching tool

• Rapidly adopted

The Chalk BoardThen:

• Innovative teaching tool

• Rapidly adopted

• Changed teaching & learning

The Chalk BoardThen:

• Innovative teaching tool

• Rapidly adopted

• Changed teaching & learning

• Probably showcased at Parent’s Night

The Chalk BoardThen:

• Innovative teaching tool

• Rapidly adopted

• Changed teaching & learning

• Probably showcased at Parent’s Night

Now:

The Chalk BoardThen:

• Innovative teaching tool

• Rapidly adopted

• Changed teaching & learning

• Probably showcased at Parent’s Night

Now:

• No longer viewed as innovative

The Chalk BoardThen:

• Innovative teaching tool

• Rapidly adopted

• Changed teaching & learning

• Probably showcased at Parent’s Night

Now:

• No longer viewed as innovative

• Widely used

The Chalk BoardThen:

• Innovative teaching tool

• Rapidly adopted

• Changed teaching & learning

• Probably showcased at Parent’s Night

Now:

• No longer viewed as innovative

• Widely used

• Price of doing business

The Chalk BoardThen:

• Innovative teaching tool

• Rapidly adopted

• Changed teaching & learning

• Probably showcased at Parent’s Night

Now:

• No longer viewed as innovative

• Widely used

• Price of doing business

• We need something cooler for Parent’s Night

Next Cool Thing

• Engaging teaching

Next Cool Thing

• Engaging teaching

•Wikipedia

Next Cool Thing

• Engaging teaching

•Wikipedia

•Classroom management

Next Cool Thing

• Engaging teaching

•Wikipedia

•Classroom management

• Facebook

Next Cool Thing

• Engaging teaching

•Wikipedia

•Classroom management

• Facebook

• Email

Next Cool Thing

• Engaging teaching

•Wikipedia

•Classroom management

• Facebook

• Email

• Takes up time

Next Cool Thing

• Engaging teaching

•Wikipedia

•Classroom management

• Facebook

• Email

• Takes up time

•Helpful software

Next Cool Thing

• Engaging teaching

•Wikipedia

•Classroom management

• Facebook

• Email

• Takes up time

•Helpful software

Or Next Chalk Board?

Puzzle Thinking

• Limited & static rules

• Limited answer set

• Clear when solution is reached

• Easy to “cheat” with technology

Puzzle Thinking

• Limited & static rules

• Limited answer set

• Clear when solution is reached

• Easy to “cheat” with technology

Puzzle Thinking

• Limited & static rules

• Limited answer set

• Clear when solution is reached

• Easy to “cheat” with technology

Puzzle Thinking

• Limited & static rules

• Limited answer set

• Clear when solution is reached

• Easy to “cheat” with technology

The Challenge of Mysteries

• Too much information

• Fluid and plural

• Absence of an outcome may be the outcome

• Need ‘framing’ rather than ‘solving’

• Technology and good teaching lead to results

The Challenge of Mysteries

• Too much information

• Fluid and plural

• Absence of an outcome may be the outcome

• Need ‘framing’ rather than ‘solving’

• Technology and good teaching lead to results

The Challenge of Mysteries

• Too much information

• Fluid and plural

• Absence of an outcome may be the outcome

• Need ‘framing’ rather than ‘solving’

• Technology and good teaching lead to results

Puzzle Solution

Puzzle Solution

What happened?• Who solved the puzzle?

• Who used the internet?

• Who worked it out for themselves?

• Who shared the answer with others?

• Who “cheated?”

• Compare this experience to the workplace

• Compare this experience to our classrooms

Now what?

• Technology lets us solve puzzles easily

• Puzzles aren’t as interesting as they used to be

• Technology can engage our learners

• But many things can’t be taught this way

Framing mysteries using effective tools has always

been good teaching.

Work Cited

"Thinking outside the box." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 3 Nov 2008, 12:02 UTC. 26 Nov 2008 <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Thinking_outside_the_box&oldid=249387189>.

Treverton, Gregory. "Risks and Riddles." Smithsonian June 2007. Smithsonianmag.com. Smithsonian Institution. 30 Nov. 2008 <http://www.smithsonianmag.com/people-places/presence_puzzle.html>.

Wesch, Michael. A Vision of Students Today. 12 Oct. 2007. YouTube. 30 Nov. 2008 <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGCJ46vyR9o>.