Guiding
Question:
How do
you plan and design effective learning environments and experiences supported
by technology? What research resources have supported these initiatives?
In
order to promote successful education in a diverse class of students, it’s
important to design instruction that recognizes this diversity. Students learn in different ways and
instruction needs to be designed with this in mind. While there has been a continuous
debate between ‘progressive’ teachers and ‘traditional’ teachers, I believe a
combination of the best practices of both philosophies would be the most
beneficial to students. In EDU 545, we discussed the many theories involved in
curriculum development and evaluation.
I have always felt that there are times when traditional “prevailing
school practices” (Walker & Soltis, 1997, p.18) are appropriate. There are some things students just need to
memorize, or have drilled into them, as many traditionalists believe. There are certain basic subjects that cannot
be left out of a curriculum. As a
teacher, however, I must be more than a dispenser or source of knowledge. I’m of the philosophy, along with the
progressive educators, that a teacher is a facilitator that directs kids to
self-discovery, not just a dispenser of facts (Walker & Soltis, 1997). During classes, I design questions in a way
that probes student knowledge and leads them to success. I utilize group work that encourages
discourse among the students and empowers them to learn and discover on their
own. For example, I’ll have students
work in groups to explain mathematical reasoning behind word problems.
In
EDU 555, Education and Society, we learned of the constant shifts in education
and the major people that brought some of them about. Howard Gardner, for example, has suggested that there are at
least seven ways that people develop an understanding of the world (On Purpose
Associates, 2001). These “intelligences” are groups of abilities that allow
people to resolve problems. I believe
that students differ when it comes to how they learn best. Some students may benefit most from
verbal-linguistic instruction. Others
may befit more from visual-spatial instruction. I believe that students gain and retain knowledge in different
ways. Some students only need to read
material, and they gain a great understanding of it. Others need to explore a concept hands-on to fully understand
it. I develop lessons that optimize
learning for all students, by accounting for all the various learning
styles.
I
design instruction in alignment with local and state standards. Teachers should plan lessons that meet
standards established by their district, and deliver that instruction in a way
that meets the needs of all students. I
teach material in a sequence that allows skills to build off each other. Lessons should build off the prior knowledge
of students in a class. Students should
be able to make ‘real world’ connections.
Lessons should also incorporate a variety of methods that appeal to all
of the ‘multiple intelligences’.
Well-rounded lessons are very effective at building student skills and
knowledge. In EDU 545, Curriculum
Development and Evaluation, I collaborated with another student to develop an
authoring cycle to cover instruction of colonial times (see Appendix E).
This lesson design enabled me to organize learning experiences for
students that meet their diverse needs.
Lessons in this unit allow students to draw from life experiences,
provide uninterrupted personal engagements, provide opportunities for students
to explore and construct meaning through collaboration with others, allow for
students to reflect and revise, and give opportunities for them to share
learning with others. This
comprehensive unit design provides a range of activities that accounts for the
varied learning styles. I utilized
these lessons in my classroom and found the students to be engaged and eager to
participate.
Educational Technology supports my plan to design effective learning environments and experiences for students. McDonald, Mizell, and Lever-Duffy (2005) define educational technology as any technology used by educators in support of the teaching and learning process. This definition includes technologies such as textbooks, posters, video, bulletin boards, and globes. Today, educators and coordinators tend to focus on computer technology when developing lessons rich in technology. Computer technology specifically has revolutionized the methods we can use to educate children. In EDU 577, I learned a great deal about the theories and practice of educational computing and their implication on lesson design. According to Holmes and Gardner (2006), education has becomes more reliant on new access to knowledge created by the Internet. Due to the World Wide Web and new computer technology, knowledge is more accessible to a larger number of people than ever before. Students can look up information and view nearly anything from the seat in front of their computers. Technology development has impacted all subject areas in education.
I
have developed thirty-three language arts grammar lessons that integrate
technology and are motivational to students.
For example, Appendix A shows one that deals
with the topic of sentence structure.
Students watch while I teach the concept using the Smartboard, and then
work on their own computer to complete the assignment. This program allows
students to work at their own pace and save work to their network folders. I then design future instruction based on my
evaluation of this work. In an article
titled “A Friend for the Language Arts: How Technology Can Enrich Reading and
Writing Instruction,” Stephen Marcus (1998) noted many benefits to
integrating technology with Language Arts curriculum. He feels that computers can offer direct instruction while
showing incredible patience. He also
wrote that technology could be very motivational. Kids really get excited about literacy when exploring its depths
on a computer.
This
year, I teach additional science classes.
While attending EDU 542, Current Issues and Trends in Science, I
explored the benefits of technology on science instructional design. An article by Buckshaw and Lyon (2006),
titled Integrating Technology and Science, shows the positive impact of
technology on a science program in New York.
Greece Central School District has always encouraged teachers to
integrate technology into all areas of their curriculum. Greece adopted the Full Option Science System
(FOSS) in 2002. This provided the
school system with a science program that allowed teachers to integrate
technology with their science curriculum.
Because of this new curriculum, student achievement in science and
reading increased. On the New York state
science test, 98 percent of the students met or exceeded the state standard on
the science test. That number
represented a 5 percent increase from 2003-2004 and a 13 percent increase from
2002-2003. I have integrated technology
in nearly all of my science classes.
For example, I include all notes and activities from a science concept
on PowerPoint. My PowerPoint on the
concept of Earth and its moon serves as an example (see Appendix
B). I can then teach from this and
attach the notes to my class web page (see Appendix G). I also use my class web page to provide
instructional opportunities in other subjects.
Students can complete math activities, review spelling words, and access
a study guide.
Finally,
technology has served to improve my instructional design by allowing me to
access material and provide units that accentuate cultural diversity. For example, as part of a group, I developed
a curricular unit titled “Culture Through the Asia” (see Appendix
F). This integrated
Social Studies and technology unit focuses on Asian immigration to the United
States, web research, and the production of PowerPoint presentations. It
includes lecture, independent study, cooperative teamwork, and technological
application. It also utilizes timelines
and web resources to trace Asian immigration to the United States. The lessons
also examine the effects this immigration had on both Asians and US citizens.
The culminating activity involves the showcase of student generated PowerPoint
presentations. I implemented this unit
with a social studies class last year, and my students found it interesting and
were very engaged with the hands-on learning.