POST #2: Challenges to Using Iowa AEA Online Resources

Going through the expansive list of resources and how they are used, I see two broad areas of concern… access and time.

We are still a year away from being 1:1 with internet capable devices in the classroom. This does provide a slight hurdle in implementing some of the resource students interact with directly. We do have mobile and static computer labs available, but access isn’t a guarantee in a large school. Initially I expect to have my students benefit from these resources through my use of them in the classroom.

I know I’m preaching to the choir when I say time is an issue among a group of teachers. I time as a challenge in two ways. First, time to sift through the large collection of resources to find what works best. Though, I’m sure this class will help with that. Second, time to integrate it into my current classroom routine. I need time to build these resources into the curriculum, but also time to train the students in using these resources.

A few days ago, I was discussing this course with a colleague and we were talking about how awesome the AEA online resources are, but how it is similar to "trying to find a needle in a haystack."  By this we mean that there are so many resources available and it takes time to find which resource fits your need the best for your particular lesson or content area, which may be challenging.  It's like anything, it takes time and trial and error.  Having taken this class and noted which resources would work best for me in my content area and compliment the way I teach, I am now at an advantage.  Another potential issue is technology itself.  There are days, when the internet or the "system" is down.  This poses a major challenge for a classroom teacher, especially since we are always on a tight schedule to get through everything we need to.  But, for a substitute teacher, this is a worst case scenario, because often times, the teacher does not have a backup plan.  As they say....technology is great......when it works.        

As a principal, the biggest challenge my teachers face is of course time. They need to have time to sift through the massive number of resources and choose which ones best meet the needs of their students. For example, my social studies teacher (6th, 7th, and 8th grades) uses many online videos and images of primary resources in his instruction. He needs to vet all of these in advance to make sure they are conveying what he needs, and then design his lesson plans in such a way that he can clearly identify which is the new social studies standards are aligned to the use of each resource in his lesson plans. Therefore, the biggest challenge in my opinion is the lack if time.

To overcome this challenge, my teachers would need to intentionally set aside some of their prep time on at least a weekly basis in order to review and plan to use these resources. As a principal, I can support this by providing time (via early-dismissal Wednesdays, for example) for teacher to utilize paid time to review resources and select those most useful to their students.

The first challenge that comes to mind is finding extra time to find the resources that best fit my science curriculum.  I found that the explanations regarding refining your searches were helpful and when I become more familiar with these, I believe they will be time savers.  Also, during Christmas vacation this year, I would like to spend some of my free time exploring the different databases on AEA's website.  The more time I spend with learning the "in's and out's" of these new resources initially, the less time it will take me in the future to go back and find resources when I need them.  So yes, initially it seems that it could be time consuming to learn how to use these resources, but if I take the time now...it will be a time saver in the future!  Another challenge that I face is our students have limited access to technology, computers, Internet, etc.  In our k-12 school, we have one computer lab with 30 computers (approximately) and 2 chrome book carts that can be checked out.  So in order for our students to have access to a computer, it takes lots of collaboration with other grades/teachers for that to happen.  We need to improve the student/computer ratio in our school, but also our technology department should be teaching our students about the available resources through AEA's online website.  

I think my biggest challenge with using these resources would be selecting the right ones for the lesson. Now that I have taken the course, I have a much better idea of how to use the different resources. I have a lot of different ideas, but I think I need to start with one and then expand to other lessons. Often, I have too many ideas after a training and then struggle to find the best way to implement. Another challenge might be finding time to allow students to explore some of the different options. I feel that our days are often jammed full, but I think they would enjoy the different reading options like TrueFLIX and MackinVia. I would love to see this course updated with more information on MackinVia. I think that sometimes I get stuck on the idea that they should read a physical book, but they can access so many more options through the AEA Online resources via their iPads.

The biggest challenge I face with using the Iowa AEA Online resources is the same challenge I face in my classroom on a daily basis - TIME.  Having time to implement the use of these resources is something that will definitely prove to be a challenge.  I see my students for 90 minutes and have to teach reading AND writing in that time frame.  I utilize every single moment I have on these two activities.  One way I will try to overcome this huge obstacle is by asking “specials” teachers to teach students the routines of logging in/logging out, bookmarking resources frequently used, and navigating the websites.  If students know which site to go to, how to log in, and then where to go once they get there, that will save me tons of time in the process.  Teaching the process is very important, but it is also very time consuming.  Unfortunately, time is something that there is just not enough of these days!

One of my biggest challenges is to not overthink what I want to do.  AEA Online has so many resources to use that I will question if the one I chose is the best one to use or should I search/use another one (I love how many resources are cross-curricular). To help overcome overthinking, I think I will first dig deeper into the resources I have used in the past and practice/implement the new features learned about those particular resources throughout this self-paced course. Another challenge is co-teaching because I will need to find additional time to meet with my co-teacher and teach how to use some of the AEA Online resources, discuss why it is a valuable tool, and collaborate on ideas on how to incorporate into the classroom. One final challenge will be selling it to students, especially when researching. My observations of students when researching, is that they go to google and type in a keyword (and unfortunately, in my opinion, this is too common of a practice in educational settings). The google results are so overwhelming in number, in challenging vocabulary, questionable if it is even a reliable source, and frequently difficult to even accurately cite the source. I want all students to understand that if they use AEA Online, that all the materials are relevant, up to date, accurate, and they have permission to use. This challenge will need to be overcome by consistent use of AEA Online, frequent teaching and conversation, and trying to encourage more teachers to use.

As a music teacher implementing a new curriculum this year, I know that the biggest challenge for me will be finding the time to really dig and practice using the resources available through the AEA.  I know that there are resources I could use, especially in the audio and video areas, but sorting through and finding them will take time.  As with any resource (including that new curriculum) the more I use it, the easier and quicker it gets to fit it to my needs.  I look forward to searching, not only for specific content areas, but also just browsing to get a feel for what is out there.  
An added challenge could be the restrictions put on teacher’s computers in our district.  I have already found one circumstance where I was unable to use an item from the clip art data base because my computer needs an administrator password to download almost everything.  I’m sure that if I contact the tech department, however, they would be willing to un-block those sites.  

At Bondurant-Farrar we are extremely lucky to have great technological resources. This has been something that has been greatly improved recently. I would say over the last six years we have gone from having only a few Promethean boards to having one in every classroom. And although we are not completely one to one, we have a Chromebook cart in almost all of the classrooms. With this being said, my biggest obstacle is going to be time and planning. Like every teacher, more and more seems to be asked of us in each subject. With more and more planning, I tend to find myself falling back into something that is comfortable, familiar and usually something that I have done before. I do realize that this is not the best practice and is not the most beneficial for more students. What I think that this course will do for me is make me get more familiar with the individual resources the AEA online has and not be fearful of this giant website that “ I will never have time to find anything”. Once I have identified the key resources or programs that will fit best into my classroom, I will start to slowly implement them. I do feel that I need to set a goal, like trying to use a program at least once per week. I feel that this will help me from slipping back into my comfort zone.

I think there are three challenges for me to overcome in using AEA Online Resources.  First, deciding which resources would be most beneficial to my classes.  Some might fit history better, others geography or economics.  Second, and probably the biggest one, is becoming more comfortable using these resources myself.  While I am not completely technologically challenged, I am not a natural either.  Third, being able to teach students to use the resources and troubleshoot when obstacles occur.  it is easy to assume that students know how to use technology better than me, and most the time this is true, but not always the case.

The easiest way to overcome these challenges is probably to dive in and get started.  Looking at lessons using these resources that are available is probably the best first step to get going.  Next step, choose a resource and introduce it, keeping it simple to start with.  Finally, implement that resource in a lesson and see what happens. Learn from the experience and make changes the next time.

Possible Starts:

CultureGrams in World Geography
SIRS Issues Researcher in Street Law
GALE in American History for research papers

I think a challenge I face is knowing how to properly use each resource.  The brief introductions to each resource was amazing but actually teaching students how to use the material would be tough.  I would need to spend lots of time becoming familiar with the resources.  I do think this would be a fun project to work together with the media specialist or encouraging our tech committee to pinpoint a few AEA resources and give us time to navigate through them with some guided help during some PD time that they have available. These look like some fantastic resources that should be used by more educators.  The kids would love them and with more of our classrooms going 1:1 it is finally an option.    

One of the biggest obstacles I see when implementing the AEA's resources is the sheer volume and quantity of materials available. There is so much helpful information, that it can be somewhat overwhelming, and might turn some educators off to the idea of using the AEA's content. I know that this is how I felt when taking the course. I often found myself swamped with information. I think that the key to using these resources is to have an honest reflection about what would not only work for your class, but what would work for you. Students will always have questions about how to use a resource (even if we describe it a hundred times). The teacher needs to have a solid fundamental understanding for what the resource is, what its intended purpose is, and how to properly use it for the benefit of the class. Teachers need to pick a few resources that would work for them and their class. I think that focusing on these resources will not only make them more adept at using them, but also clear some of the clutter that comes from information overload. Teachers should not ignore the other resources. They should continue to explore them as they feel comfortable, but should continue to focus their efforts on an area that they can truly work into their classroom.

   For my subject area -Family Consumer Science, I have used Learn-360 and that was about it. So many other resources seemed to be aimed towards Elementary and Language Arts. After going through the course I am happy to find a couple other great options for Child Development and Independent Living discussions. I just need to take the time to do more in depth research, and get comfortable navigating the site. I am so happy I have figured out how to do the Online classes.
   I have ideas to incorporate the sites into the lesson plans that I already have completed. We have a wonderful Tech teacher that has helped me every time I want to try something new so I will seek her help to feel more confident in using these new ideas.I will use more Clip Art to make sure the images are suitable. I want to use SIRS Researcher for my Senior class discussions. I will continue using Learning-360 but until this class I didn't know the best way to search for content, now I am excited to find more resources. The new resource I did not know about was Culture Grams which will work perfectly for my Foods of the World Unit, but I need to be proficient in navigating the site to inform my students.

I think having time to plan to incorporate these resources is challenging. Mostly because, as far as I know, the basic information students need to use these resources has not been included in previous curriculum. All the things mentioned at the beginning of this session are so important. Especially having them understand how to use the reliable research that is not published in the mainstream and understand what makes a quality site. If they have learned this information, I am unaware of when and what was discussed. Finding that out also takes time. I can review the information with them which would take time away from experiencing the process of art making. That being said, using these resources is very important to creating art and learning the value of the process. It really needs to be built into the curriculum.
 
I believe once I understand what is available and how to use it, I will be able to more consistently use these resources in my direct instruction and curriculum. The culture of my classroom is to enable students in their learning and now that we have technology readily available, I think it is important that students “do” when it comes to learning deeper with the incorporation of technology, media, and online resources.

The biggest challenge for me in implementing the AEA resources is the fact that I do not have the privilege of meeting with students.  I serve as a teacher-librarian license fulfilling a state requirement for my school district.  I work one a day a week, if possible, and I sometimes reduce that amount.  Serving as a resource for the paraprofessional who IS actually working in our school libraries has been my role.  Training this person to accomplish as many of the duties as I can is my mission.  

The person we have in this para role has been outstanding (since she is a certified teacher).  Overcoming the challenge of my not being present has been made much easier due to her experience level and willingness to pretty much tackle any assignment.  For example, we recently introduced MackinVia for our school.  We worked as a team to learn about the resource, communicate the need to our tech person to get it set up and then to roll it out to staff and students.  We are still in the process of educating our staff and students. We both make presentations whenever opportunities become available and I am very proud of how well this has been accomplished.

  Because there are so many wonderful resources for me, as the Library Assistant at 3 libraries, the biggest challenge will be finding the classroom time to be able to train the students and staff how to use the resources, especially because of the newness of every resource and becoming familiar with them. Because there are so many that are valuable , I could start with the ones that could be used easily, like Teaching Books.net. I also think that Book FLIX, True FLIX and Atomic Learning might be good resources to share in a library setting. Hopefully, by using the resources more my self, I'll become more confident about the content and will be able to regularly add them to the library curriculum I use.

I think the biggest challenge will be the age of my students and their abilities to use the online resources.  The students that I teach are seven and eight years old.  Some are more tech savvy than others.  We are a 1-2-1 district now, so it’s getting easier to use technology and online resources with them because they have had more exposure to it each year.  Also, the more modeling I do with the AEA resources, the more they will pick up, as it is with everything.   I think it will be fairly easy for them to use BookFlix and TrueFlix.  I am hoping that using iClipart will be relatively easy for them as well as I want them to use iClipart in their projects to show their learning.  Using iClipart will enhance their projects and it’s something that I won’t have to worry about in terms of keeping it appropriate for their viewing and selecting!  That is the best part!  Piece of mind that what they are seeing with the AEA online resources are appropriate!

      I feel like there would be two main challenges when trying to implement these resources in my classroom. The biggest challenge being the age group that I work with. Because I teach Pre-K (4 and 5 year olds) accessing the resources and implementing them into a lesson would strictly be done by myself or my associate. Although many 4 and 5 year olds already know how to "navigate the internet" (sad but true) I don't think they would understand how to move through these resources, nor would they understand why they are doing it.
        The second biggest challenge would be the time it takes to learn how to use the resources . I feel like a lot of the resources that are available are above the age group I work with. So I really need to take the time to navigate through the resources available and really get a "feel" for what they offer. This sounds like a good summer project, really digging into the resources and fully understand how/when to use them in my lessons:)

Time. I think time will be the biggest challenge to implementing more of the AEA resources in my classroom. There are some really great things I would like to get a little more familiar with GALE, the AEA Digital Library, Learn 360, iClipArt for Schools, Soundzabound, and TrueFLIX. I think the first step I need to take is to prioritize my needs for the classroom. Second, start with the list and take one resource at a time and skim through it to find the treasures that are hidden within. Third, take everything one step at a time and don’t get frustrated or overwhelmed. I might challenge myself to find one new video every two weeks.

I use a lot of YouTube videos for musical examples where I don’t have particular instruments in my classroom or concerts that would be great for my students to experience but we cannot travel there. With YouTube, there are a lot of inappropriate pictures that can pop up which is frustrating. Then there is always the copyright worry. Having a set of resource videos that can provide students with the experiences I’m looking for within a safer environment is very important for me to look into. Locating those resources and creating a file or bookmark folder to access those videos or even photos would be most beneficial. The Learn 360, would be my starting place and then I will branch out from there.  

I think one of the biggest challenges is pulling the students away from google searches, where they may be finding information that is inaccurate, and teaching them each of the uses of the AEA online resources. Google searches are something they are familiar with, and trying to get them to see value in other resources may be challenging. The AEA online site gives them all kinds of information at their fingertips, but teaching them how to use keywords has already proved to be tricky. The students just want the answers quickly, and a lot of times will not look through information to find the answers. Finding the time to go through each resource, and show them each of the features may be hard to find the time for. I think the the best thing would be to introduce one resource at a time, spend some time showing them the features, and then give them some time to experiment with them. I would maybe even give them a set of questions and even key words that they have to use  while searching the site. It will give them a purpose to use the resource, and a little guidance. I would introduce the first one or two, and then give them a project to complete using the resources we practiced with before adding additional resources. When they become familiar with them, I would add more.