This blog is devoted to teachers involved in the INTEL Teach Essentials Course. We will use this blog to reflect on modules, collaborate with peers, and to share ideas.
April 18, 2011
Module 4 Reflection
How can technology be used most effectively to support and assess student learning?
Technology is the glue of the modern-day lesson/unit plan. It is the thread that weaves together for me the classic elements of literature and writing with the technology geniuses sitting in my class! It also is the one thing I can incorporate that not only connects us to the world but also keeps everyone engaged.
Technology can be used to gain students' interest. Anytime I describe a project that involves the use of technology, students get excited and eager to get started.Technology can also be used to take the learning to a deeper level. After planning this unit, I have had to narrow my lesson focus but the lesson appears to take the narrow topic to a deep level. What's more important to me is that, now that students will have a product to share, more students will be impacted by the information.
The technology has to be important to the students. If they are doing something that will not be checked or shared with other students they see it as unimportant and they do not do it correctly or even at all. Technology should also be used to get the students excited and wanting to do the assignment that is related to the curriculum being assessed. Technology is a way to get students to want to answer those higher order thinking questions on a specific topic.
Technology can be used the most effectively when it is interactive. When we can see students interacting on blogs, creating powerpoints, participating on webquests, etc., then we know some learning is occuring. There is really never any way for us to really know what is going on in our student's minds, but we can assess what we see. We can observe when students are completely engaged in the task at hand.
A teacher can assess student learning through the use of technology in several ways. A blog where students can reflect on what they have been doing, voice concerns, and ask questions can prove to be invaluable to a teacher. He/she can then simply respond to the student's individual needs or if a pattern of questions arises, the teacher can devlop a lesson to address the needs of the class. Additionally, the use of sites such as etherpad allow the students and teacher to respond to each other's needs in a real time manner. To support student learning, the internet is only as effective as the framing questions. Students have to be frontloaded the proper direction in which they are expected to go in order to be successful. If they are given too much "wiggle room" they can get lost, frustrated, and give up.
Using technology to help students gather and present information will aid in their understanding of material. Teaching students how to use a variety of tools, such as e-mail, blogs, skype, etc., in their learning will enhance their learning. It will give them the opportunity to learn from many other people. It will help them be more responsible for their learning instead of the teacher spoon feeding information to them. Having students use present their learning through presentations, flyers, brochures, etc. will help teachers assess the learning in their classroom.
Technology can support students' learning because it can address students' learning styles. We can differentiate the projects by allowing students to create projects according to their strengths. Students who are visually oriented can use presentation software, such as PowerPoint or Movie Maker to organize and present their learning; linguistic learners can use word processing or desktop publishing software will allow students to write to show their learning.
Technology will also allow students to take more ownership of their learning since they can pursue their own "agendas" for the topics. We know that students do not always have the same agenda as their teachers.
Students use technology every minute of the day to communicate with each other. I think this is a great means to reach all students, especially those who are sometimes “difficult”. You as the instructor, have the opportunity to show students that you can meet them half way, but they have to do their part.
Technology, when used in the classroom, provides variety. It presents opportunities for the use of other tools (internet, blogs, etc) to be used in addition to traditional projects and assessments. Technology allows students to use higher order thinking skills.
The technology has to be important to the students. If they are doing something that will not be checked or shared with other students they see it as unimportant and they do not do it correctly or even at all. Technology should also be used to get the students excited and wanting to do the assignment that is related to the curriculum being assessed. Technology is a way to get students to want to answer those higher order thinking questions on a specific topic.
How can technology be used most effectively to support and assess student learning? Today instructors are given tremendous sources for learning on the Internet. Teachers world-wide provide lesson plans, assessments, resources, guides, for other teachers to use in their classrooms. Data bases, universities, colleges provide help for teachers to construct valid assessments. Today, because of Web 2.0 teachers are given opportunities to look at online assessments and use these in their classrooms. Today the Internet is like a huge library that never runs out of ideas for everyone.
Technology is the glue of the modern-day lesson/unit plan. It is the thread that weaves together for me the classic elements of literature and writing with the technology geniuses sitting in my class! It also is the one thing I can incorporate that not only connects us to the world but also keeps everyone engaged.
ReplyDeleteTechnology can be used to gain students' interest. Anytime I describe a project that involves the use of technology, students get excited and eager to get started.Technology can also be used to take the learning to a deeper level. After planning this unit, I have had to narrow my lesson focus but the lesson appears to take the narrow topic to a deep level. What's more important to me is that, now that students will have a product to share, more students will be impacted by the information.
ReplyDeleteThe technology has to be important to the students. If they are doing something that will not be checked or shared with other students they see it as unimportant and they do not do it correctly or even at all. Technology should also be used to get the students excited and wanting to do the assignment that is related to the curriculum being assessed. Technology is a way to get students to want to answer those higher order thinking questions on a specific topic.
ReplyDeleteTechnology can be used the most effectively when it is interactive. When we can see students interacting on blogs, creating powerpoints, participating on webquests, etc., then we know some learning is occuring. There is really never any way for us to really know what is going on in our student's minds, but we can assess what we see. We can observe when students are completely engaged in the task at hand.
ReplyDeleteA teacher can assess student learning through the use of technology in several ways. A blog where students can reflect on what they have been doing, voice concerns, and ask questions can prove to be invaluable to a teacher. He/she can then simply respond to the student's individual needs or if a pattern of questions arises, the teacher can devlop a lesson to address the needs of the class. Additionally, the use of sites such as etherpad allow the students and teacher to respond to each other's needs in a real time manner.
ReplyDeleteTo support student learning, the internet is only as effective as the framing questions. Students have to be frontloaded the proper direction in which they are expected to go in order to be successful. If they are given too much "wiggle room" they can get lost, frustrated, and give up.
Using technology to help students gather and present information will aid in their understanding of material. Teaching students how to use a variety of tools, such as e-mail, blogs, skype, etc., in their learning will enhance their learning. It will give them the opportunity to learn from many other people. It will help them be more responsible for their learning instead of the teacher spoon feeding information to them. Having students use present their learning through presentations, flyers, brochures, etc. will help teachers assess the learning in their classroom.
ReplyDeleteTechnology can support students' learning because it can address students' learning styles. We can differentiate the projects by allowing students to create projects according to their strengths. Students who are visually oriented can use presentation software, such as PowerPoint or Movie Maker to organize and present their learning; linguistic learners can use word processing or desktop publishing software will allow students to write to show their learning.
ReplyDeleteTechnology will also allow students to take more ownership of their learning since they can pursue their own "agendas" for the topics. We know that students do not always have the same agenda as their teachers.
Students use technology every minute of the day to communicate with each other. I think this is a great means to reach all students, especially those who are sometimes “difficult”. You as the instructor, have the opportunity to show students that you can meet them half way, but they have to do their part.
ReplyDeleteTechnology, when used in the classroom, provides variety. It presents opportunities for the use of other tools (internet, blogs, etc) to be used in addition to traditional projects and assessments. Technology allows students to use higher order thinking skills.
ReplyDeleteThe technology has to be important to the students. If they are doing something that will not be checked or shared with other students they see it as unimportant and they do not do it correctly or even at all. Technology should also be used to get the students excited and wanting to do the assignment that is related to the curriculum being assessed. Technology is a way to get students to want to answer those higher order thinking questions on a specific topic.
ReplyDeleteHow can technology be used most effectively to support and assess student learning? Today instructors are given tremendous sources for learning on the Internet. Teachers world-wide provide lesson plans, assessments, resources, guides, for other teachers to use in their classrooms. Data bases, universities, colleges provide help for teachers to construct valid assessments. Today, because of Web 2.0 teachers are given opportunities to look at online assessments and use these in their classrooms. Today the Internet is like a huge library that never runs out of ideas for everyone.
ReplyDelete