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| Figure 3.1: Elements of Lesson Development |
While figuring out how to teach this content material, technology can act as an important tool as well. The text cites its usage in presentation software, web based diagram- and flowchart-making software, teacher developed websites, WebQuests, and movie-making software, to name a few. Certain sites and materials that I am familiar with come to mind here. The first is Prezi. This site allows teachers and students alike to create presentations in a new and original way. Information is not deliver linearly, but rather encapsulated in the context of an image. Check one out here and see what you think: http://prezi.com/ftfsnhhbvyfr/a-year-at-mission-hill-reimagining-public-education/. Another tool that came to mind is the KhanAcademy website. Here, videos are provided to aid students in their comprehension of content knowledge. This teacher developed website is useful for learning or reinforcing knowledge. Check one out here: http://www.khanacademy.org/math/algebra/systems-of-eq-and-ineq/systems-with-substitution/v/solving-systems-by-substitution-1. Lastly, WebQuests and Curriculum Webs can be used by educators to teach a topic to students through the use of a self-created comprehensive and interactive website. A single lesson or an entire unit can be delivered to students through this medium. In another technology class I took in a prior semester we created one; check mine out here: http://samanthaaccurso.weebly.com.
Additionally, technology can be used in creating and delivering learning assessment in an attempt to uncover what students have learned as a result of the lesson. These assessments can be delivered in three ways: summatively, formatively, or diagnostically. In order to create truly effective lessons, all three forms of assessment should be used to assess student knowledge. These assessment can be done by administering electronic tests or quizzes, by having students create digital portfolios, through online survey software, and by creating online evaluation rubrics. If you explore my Weebly in depth, you will see all three of these assessment techniques.
This leaves me with three questions for consideration:
(1) In what ways is technology advancing student learning? Is technology hindering student learning in any way?
(2) While our classrooms grow more technological and our lesson developments engage technology more comprehensively in every aspect of their development, why are our standardized tests not following suit? Is it fair to students to assess them in ways completely different that the ways the state and federal government are evaluating their grasping of knowledge and performance? Do you foresee this dichotomy ever shifting to becoming more aligned?
(3) What will be your preferred method of assessment for students in your own classroom? Through test assessments or performance assessments? Through norm-referrenced tests, criterion-referrenced tests, or through standards-bassed assessments? Electronic-based or traditionally? Why? How is this beneficial for your students?
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ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your assertion that “additional content knowledge can be gained from internet searches, electronic databases, blogs, and wikis.” New forms of technology are revolutionizing instruction and teachers should be at the forefront of incorporating the most effective and appropriate programs and materials into their lessons. Consequently, we will expand the possibilities for ensuring that valuable, meaningful learning takes place.
ReplyDeleteAs you stated, Prezi is an excellent tool for providing new material especially when PowerPoint becomes too monotonous or impractical. Its interactive layout and format allows for greater differentiation, engaging students with more interesting and innovative learning experiences. In the same vein, Khan Academy is also a great asset for teachers in regular instruction and with those students requiring extra assistance. The ability to view and listen to new ideas will appeal to our students’ various learning styles, since material is presented through a multi-sensory approach.
Finally, in response to your question about whether it is “fair to students to assess them in ways completely different than the ways the state and federal government are evaluating their grasping of knowledge and performance” I would say it is not. This divide is part of a larger problem of government meddling in education, which has severely inhibited teachers’ ability to provide effective instruction and learning experiences. Given the nature of politics, it is not surprising that state and federal assessments are designed simply to show the populace that the government is doing something. As a result, we have monolithic, artificial tests that are mindlessly created by anonymous bureaucrats with little to no knowledge or experience in education. This arrangement exists to make the politicians’ jobs easier but places students and teachers at a grave disadvantage. When children have become nothing more than a number or statistic, it becomes clear that nationalized education is not always the ideal arrangement. Rather, returning to the localized approaches of the past where each individual town or school district makes their own decisions and provides their own assessments would be a far superior alternative. Because they have control over their own students’ learning, these local institutions can design far more authentic and effective instruction and assessments, while also ensuring that real learning occurs since they no longer have to meet the distant, robotic demands of overbearing governments that really have no business in education. Once this occurs, we will begin to see the emergence of more appropriate assessments since they will be created by the folks on the ground and responsible for student learning, namely their teachers and parents.
Great summary and analysis, Samantha.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to address some of the questions you posted, particularly the first.
Technology is advancing student learning in more ways than we could probably put measure to with the current framework. Students are gaining the ability to make instant connections between ideas and concepts not just by way of easy access to said concepts, but because they can, with technology, create new ways of organizing and then later reapproaching that knowledge. The entire concept of studying has evolved since you or I was in middle or high school- the students we will be teaching have an intimacy with computers that has resulted in the creation of digital study guides becoming part of the studying process.
But you ask an interesting question. Is technology hindering student learning in any way? I think that it is, but not in any historically significant way. As society is reshaped by technology, so to will our model of teaching and the values we hold be shifted. Our current students represent the unfortunate middle ground, where society is shifting but education has not caught up. Our students are missing out not so much on the education that we are shifting away from, but by nature of their 'early adopter' status, they are missing out on the education possibilities which they are the guinea pigs for our shaping of.
I love that you introduce Prezi. I have seen this used before and I was completely blown away by it. We had to do a presentation in one of my first classes for my master's. We did a lesson plan about a chapter in the book for the course. So in a sense, we were the professor for that day. One of my classmates used Prezi to present her chapter and it was fantastic. The way that everything was tied into each other it was just so cool to watch. She used audio clips, visual aids, videos, and she also had some tangible handouts and worksheets. It was the perfect way to have the old and new combined.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to the question about is technology hindering or advancing the students' learning, I have to say I think it is more of a negative. The reason I say this is that students do not know what information is acceptable on the internet and what information is irrelevant or even fictional. Before we do a research paper the students have to be taught year after year which websites are acceptable, where to find valid information, and how to do careful research. It's great to be able to google where a restaurant you want to eat at is, or what your favorite pop-star's food is, but when it comes to getting the real information it has to be much more specific than that. The "google search" is also making kids extremely lazy, they think that just because they have the actual tools to acquire the information that means research should only take about 30 seconds.
I do think that technology really caters to the creative students. The website designs and graphic design that I have seen students complete far exceeds my capability. I hope that students will learn that they can use their computers, ipads and iphones for something other than poking each other on Facebook.
For your third question, I think my prefered assessment should be performance assessments.Performance is measured in tangible,real-world terms that can stimulate students' interests and push them participate in it activly. At the same time, it also provides opportunities to express themselves and communicate with others.
ReplyDeleteNice post Sam, I definitely like the reference to weebly, since that was the first platform I ever learned to build a website on. Weebly is very user friendly and definitely friendly for anyone not familiar with HTML. To answer your first question, I think technology can hinder peoples learning if they allow distractions to dictate where technology allows their mind to wander. Whereas with a book, pen and paper often distractions were still present in the form of drawings on the side of the paper, etc. Like Robert said I think technology is hindering certain peoples learning, however not in any significant way.
ReplyDeleteBack to Weebly, I think it is an excellent supplement to learning. It would make a great project for students to build a website through weebly then introduce them to HTML afterwards depending on the relevancy to the class.