On to the next class.... I am ready to get going on our next class, but I have a feeling this class is going to be more like college courses I took years ago rather than the classes we have taken so far in this Cohort.
One of our first assignments was to take a look at the Principles of Teaching and Learning. I have looked at these before, awhile ago, but at the time I was thinking of them in relation to a reading/social studies curriculum. Today when I read though the principles I was thinking about how they would affect my technology curriculum. I think all of these principles should be used in planning a technology lesson as well.
One of the Learning principles that stood out to me was Students' Prior Knowledge can Help or Hinder Learning. I think this one is especially true in a technology driven classroom. Students use technology all of the time and most of them have learned how to use it incorrectly (examples: keyboarding, Internet safety issues, how to search the web etc.). Some students might have a hard time learning the correct way to use computers. On the other hand, because students do use technology so frequently their additional learning at school should be able to build on what they already know.
All of the Effective Teaching principles seem to directly correlate it with technology. When planning a lesson you need to make sure you have learning objectives and assessments. It is also important that you adjust your plans to meet your students needs. Some students might not have computer access and therefore you can't anticipate any prior learning,
Some of the points I found extremely interesting in the Meta-Analysis were the fact that students learn better when using technology in small groups versus on their own. I would've thought that having their own one-on-one time with the computer would've been more effective. I was also surprised at how much higher her Cognitive, Affective, and Behavioral Outcomes were when using technology.
I think this class is going to help me plan effective technology lessons, but I do think I am going to miss playing around with new technologies!!!
Kristy - I, too, commented on Prior Knowledge but I don't think I gave it deep enough thought concerning how students might come into the classroom with incorrect techniques or usage history when concerning technology. It makes perfect sense, though. I envision their prior knowledge coming from classmates or peers, an older brother and self-experimentation. There is certainly "room for error" when considering those sources. I think parents are becoming more knowledgeable and aware of technology and how it impacts their children but there is still a considerable gap. I do believe it is easier to to change a student's prior views when it comes to technology vs another subject area...like science or social studies. I have found that once students see how to use technology correctly or more efficiently compared to the way they were used to using it they are much more open to change. In fact, often times they quickly adopt their newly found knowledge and are eager to pass it on. Luckily for us, kids embrace technology and are excited to learn new ways to use it. I think we can really take advantage of that in the everyday classrooms to not only enhance student learning but make some of the core subjects more exciting.
ReplyDeleteKristy,
ReplyDeleteI had the same thoughts about student prior knowledge. Most of the time prior knowledge is a good thing, but it's harder when you have to get students to "unlearn" bad habits. I also thought that the one-one use of technology would be more effective than group use. I often find that when multiple people are using the same device it seems easier for one person to do all of the work. I guess that's why we need to be even more diligent in our lesson planning, giving each student very specific roles.