E-Books vs. Traditional Texts

E-Books vs. Traditional Texts

12:41   #ebooks, #edchat, #edtech, #learning, #mrozarka, #teaching,

I recently read the following article (http://campustechnology.com/articles/2015/09/01/survey-most-students-prefer-traditional-texts-over-ebooks.aspx) on a survey in which about 72% of students say they prefer traditional text over e-books.

The reasons for the preference are the following:

• Reasons commonly cited by students for preferring traditional books include:
• They are easier to read;
• Students like to physically highlight selections;
• They're cheaper;
• Students prefer the formatting;
• They're easier to navigate and bookmark;
• E-books make students' eyes hurt;
• Students find it harder to concentrate on e-books;
• Traditional books do not require Internet access;
• Students like to write on the pages;
• Tablets or laptops are not allowed in class;
• Availability of e-books is limited; and
• Students end up printing the pages of e-books anyway.
• Among the 27 percent of respondents who do prefer e-books, common reasons for the preference include:
• E-books are cheaper;
• They are lighter;
• They don't have to be returned;
• They are more environmentally friendly than paper books;
• They are searchable;
• Print size and brightness is adjustable;
• They can convert text to audio; and
• They can be used with apps.

There is a scientific reason for students preferring traditional texts to e-books. As this article (http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/reading-paper-screens/) points out, you remember the information in a traditional text easier due to the fact that it has a "real" location in your mind compared to e-books which can be scrolled through but always end up being shown on the same output. Traditional texts offer new “3-D outputs” on each page as well as margin.

That being said, just because traditional texts are preferred, does not mean they are better. Remembering is the lowest level on Bloom's taxonomy and should not be stressed as much as the understanding, analyzing, synthesizing, creating, etc. Being that much of the testing is still didactic, it's no wonder that students prefer traditional texts beyond the reasoning listed above. A shift in how assessments are designed as well as added functionality to e-books will be needed before people start preferring e-books over traditional texts for their studies.

I will be looking for some research about non-academic and more “reading for fun” preferences as they might shed some light on whether the preferences are academically linked.

Bloom's Taxonomy

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30 Trends in EdTech for 2015

30 Trends in EdTech for 2015

08:48   #edchat, #edtech, #edtech #google #hack #edchat #timers,

Click to enlarge!

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My Response to "Why Are We Learning This?"

My Response to "Why Are We Learning This?"

12:50   #edchat, #education, education, why are we learning this,

I love this quote:

When students ask "why are we learning this?", I make an extremely strong effort to explain it to them. When I was a kid, I was one of those students that always, always had to know why something is the way it is. I wanted everything analyzed to its very nature so that I can understand. Learning this way takes much more time in the beginning. However, helping a student become more inquisitive and want to know why, will end up saving more time in the long run as the students will understand what they are doing and why.

I'm sharing this quote I found on Twitter from an author describing the very thing that I am talking about. One issue that I find with non-teacher opinions on education is that they never tell the whole picture. Namely, what I feel is being lost in this quote is the fact that many students may ask "why are we learning this?", but I would say that many of them do not care about whatever answer you tell them. They are simply seeking a way to complain about what they are learning and could care less about why.

So what do I do to try to counteract this? Before answering the question, I simply ask the student if they are open-minded enough to accept my answer (in a nice way of course) or if they are just looking to complain. If they choose the former, then I try to reiterate the concepts of my teaching that are introduced to students in the beginning of the year. I also may advise them to check my website which has all of those same reasons and ideas behind my teaching and why I teach what I do.

Being that I teach math, many students feel as though they will NEVER use what they learn in my class. Now, rather than disagree with them, I partially agree. They will most likely never directly use any of the content that I teach them, however, they will use the 21st century skills that are practiced each and everyday while learning the content. Things such as the Habits of Mind:

1. Persisting
2. Managing Impulsivity
3. Listening with Understanding and Empathy
4. Thinking Flexibly
5. Thinking about Thinking (Metacognition)
6. Striving for Accuracy
7. Questioning and Posing Problems
8. Applying Past Knowledge to New Situations
9. Thinking and Communicating with Clarity and Precision
10. Gathering Data through All Senses
11. Creating, Imagining, Innovating
12. Responding with Wonderment and Awe
13. Taking Responsible Risks
14. Finding Humor
15. Thinking Interdependently
16. Remaining Open to Continuous Learning

Here is a list breakdown of those skills based on The Partnership for 21st Century Skills:

1. Learning Skills
• Critical Thinking
• Creative Thinking
• Collaborating
• Communicating
2. Literacy Skills
• Information Literacy
• Media Literacy
• Technology Literacy
3. Life Skills
• Flexibility
• Initiative
• Social Skills
• Productivity
• Leadership

Long story short, why are we learning this?

To help foster 21st century skills. Thankfully, these skills can be taught with any subject regardless of its apparent lack of future use.

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How I Schedule Remediation/Retesting

How I Schedule Remediation/Retesting

18:26   #edchat, #edtech, #google, #googleforms,

This is a brief tutorial on how I schedule remediation/retesting with my students.

Applications used: Google Sites (any website would work), Google Forms, Google Calendar, Google Sheets

If you would like a copy of the Google Form, please email me at mrozarka@gmail.com.

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How I Do Bell Ringers

How I Do Bell Ringers

18:21   #edchat, #edtech, #googleforms #google #googlesheets #chromebook,

This is a video that I created about how I do bell ringers (and exit tickets) using Google Forms. It includes a self-grader, item analysis, and creation of a graph to go over with the students.

This is to be the first of many "how I do" things in my classroom.

If you are interested using this method, please let me know and I will share the Google Form and Google Spreadsheet.

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