Robert Ives
Guiding
Question:
What
strategies and methods in educational technology have you used to maximize
student learning? Please provide examples for your recent teaching
experiences.
To
maximize student learning, students must be provided with a multitude of
opportunities to discover new ideas and build off their experiences. In following a constructivist theory,
students should be led to self-discovery, rather than just be fed facts and
involved in rote memorization. As
extensively discussed in EDU 545, students should also be afforded the
opportunity to work with their peers in a collaborative setting. Student discourse can lead to great
discoveries and to higher levels of student learning. It’s also important that learning opportunities be differentiated
to allow for different learning styles, interests, and abilities. I use technology in a way that enhances all
of these theories and maximizes student learning.
As
I stated in an earlier response, a teacher is a facilitator that directs kids
to self-discovery, not just a dispenser of facts. John Dewey argued that education was “the idea of learning from
experience.” (Walker & Soltis, p.17)
I also feel that students learn best when experiencing real-world
scenarios first hand, and discovering the knowledge through exploration and
investigation. There has been a
National Education Technology Plan devised by International
Society for Technology in Education, or ISTE (2005). This plan outlines action steps schools and teachers should take
in order to meet technology standards nationally. Many educators, including the Southwest
Education Development Laboratory, feel that constructivist-teaching styles
strongly benefit through the use of technology (Dimock & Boethel,
1999). Students take charge of their
own learning in a constructivist’s classroom, and they are better able to
discover new things and facilitate their own learning while exploring online
using technology. In my class, I
provide opportunity for students to be involved in collaborative activities so
they can learn more effectively, and I use technology to enhance this
process.
One
way I accomplish this is through the use of web quests and web samplers. Students form groups and use the Internet to
complete certain tasks. They are led to
discover certain content through the direction of the web sampler. By working as a group, they collaborate to
solve the problems posed to them through the sampler. For example, Appendix I shows a
sampler that students worked through during a “Rocks and Mineral” unit. Because students could work through this
sampler collaboratively, they were involved in discourse that maximized their
learning.
In EDU 577, we explored the various learning theories and the ways that the Internet can enhance instruction within these styles. I feel my theories closely align with communal constructivism. Holmes and Gardner define communal constructivism as “a process in which individuals not only learn socially but contribute their learning to the creation of a communal knowledge base for other learners” (Holmes and Gardner, 2006, p. 76). The authors discuss how communal constructivism is at the center of different learning theories, such as behaviorism, cognitivism, and socio-constructivism. The authors feel that communal constructivism is at the center of all these different learning theories, and trial and error, which is found in all aspects of learning theory (Holmes and Gardner, 2006). The Internet age has created a learning environment open to everyone. It has become the ultimate source for creating a communal knowledge base. I use Internet resources to provide opportunities for kids to learn collaboratively with people all over the world. Students are encouraged to create work they can share through the web. They have even written poems and articles for a school newspaper that is not only shared with the community, but also anyone with Internet access. This has maximized student learning by enhancing their writing abilities and sense of community simultaneously.
In
EDU 553, we discussed the use of computers in the classroom and there effects
on student learning. We read a book
titled Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching
by Roblyer (2003). He notes that by using programs such as word processors,
spreadsheets, and databases in your lessons, you are reaping several
benefits. Students have improved
productivity, appearance, and accuracy in their work. This maximizes student learning.
In collaboration with our SPICE teacher, I had students partner up to
create a PowerPoint in an area of his or her own interest (see Appendix J).
Two students chose to research the solar system and present their
research with a PowerPoint. Due to this
integration, they learned about both about the solar system and about
PowerPoint presentations.
Roblyer
goes into detail in regards to specific types of software and their use. The first type of software is “drill and
practice” activities. These programs
“provide exercises in which students work example items, usually one at a time,
and receive feedback on their correctness.” (Roblyer, 2003, p. 89). He notes
that one advantage to this type of program is that students have control over
the pace and presentation. Our new
Harcourt Math program provides Internet access to activities similar to the
ones described by Roblyer. These
activities can be accessed from my classroom web page (see Appendix G).
They allow students to solve math problems and they are immediately told
if they’re right or wrong. If they
answer incorrectly, the program provides a mini lesson. I have a students in need of intervention
use these programs in the classroom.
This provides for great differentiation, as students can work through
the programs in their own pace. They
are also very interested in using the programs because they are fun to
use.
In
EDU 545, I explored the impact of technology integration to maximize student
learning in Language Arts. In a paper
titled Technology Use in Language Arts Instruction, by Lorie Strech
(1995), many benefits of technology integration in language arts curriculum
were explored. She wrote that CD-ROM
books afford students the opportunity to work at an individualized pace when
reading and completing comprehension assignments. Strech wrote that by using these programs, teachers can better
differentiate instruction, and provide for those with different learning
needs. I often times use books on tape
or CD in my class to differentiate reading instruction. Many students’ reading comprehension
improves when they are able to hear a book while they follow along. I also use this knowledge to help students
with their writing. I utilize a program
called SOLO. When students type their
literary works into this processor, the program reads back what they’ve
written. Students get to immediately
hear what they’ve written and often times hear mistakes or areas that need more
clarity. This immediate feedback
maximizes student learning by allowing them to write more effectively, and
differentiates instruction.
In
Math class this year, students completed a unit that focused on estimation and
heavily integrated technology (see Appendix D). I included four PowerPoint presentations,
two were used as whole class lessons, and two were for individual use by
students to review material and practice.
There were also two Microsoft Word documents that students used to
record answers to their math problems.
By the end of this unit, students were able to estimate units of
measure, and also were more familiar with PowerPoint and editing fields in Microsoft
Word. This worked very effectively in
maximizing student learning. This unit
was very effective in differentiating instruction, as students could complete
these PowerPoint (see Appendix K) lessons in their
own time and focus on their own specific needs.
By
integrating technology into my curriculum, I was able to maximize student
learning in all subject areas. In an
era when it’s more important than ever to differentiate instruction and provide
opportunities for students to collaborate, current technology has made this
task easier and more effective.