Blog #10: Revolutionizing Learning

Today technology is growing rapidly and affecting our school systems greatly. However, I believe that educators do not know how to use the technology to get the most from it (White & Kelley, 2002). After read the article, Revolutionizing Learning in the Digital Age by Mitchel Resnick, it reinforced my outlook on this issue. I completely agree with this paper and believe that educators need to rethink their approaches on learning and education to include technology to make students better thinkers and learners (Resnick, 2001). Technology in the past has been a great tool for drill and practice, but students learn with technology when they are in a more active role (White & Kelley, 2002). Students need to be taught how to be creative, experiment, explore, and find the answers for themselves, not just given the answers by their teacher. Resnick’s article stated that “childhood is one of the most creative periods of our lives” (2001, p. 62). But in today’s society students are not taught to think for themselves but to memorize or regurgitate information for testing situations. Technology is a great way for teachers to help reestablish the ideas of creativity within the classroom or demonstrate difficult material to the students. Technology can allow the students to reach their full potential and to think for themselves. This will help them be better prepared for other classes, college, or the real world, which is what I believe the school system is trying to do but could better prepare students using technology.

Technology should be used to help students become active, experimental learners. I loved the quote “people don’t get ideas; they make them” from the Resnick article (2001, p. 47). People have the technology available to them to create wonderful masterpieces without the difficulties our past inventors had. Our students are our future and need to be our inventors for the future. Within the school system students need to be prepared to live and work with technology because it is not going anywhere, we instead will need to modify our life styles and school systems to meet our ever-changing technological society. I truly believe that “technology is changing not only what students should learn, but also what they can learn” (Resnick, 2001, p. 60).

Resources:

Resnick, M. (2001). Revolutionizing learning in the digital age. Publications from the forum for the future of higher education. Boulder, CO: Educause. Available online at http://www.educause.com/reources

White, N., Ringstaff, C., & Kelley, L. (2002). Getting the most from technology in school. Knowledge Brief. West End. Retrieved September 9, 2006, from ERIC database.

Blog #9: Alternative Assessment

As society is changing, the way school systems teach and administrator assessment needs to change. Society requires their employees to be able to go into the workforce ready to make decisions for themselves and work as a team to be an effective worker, not just someone that is book smart. Students need to not only obtain basic reading and arithmetic skills but also be able to utilize these skills to make educated decisions. Within the workplace, students need to take their basic information to interpret, analyze, and use information to be successful on the job and work with other employees to make these important decisions (Bond, 1995). The school system today focuses on two abilities: regurgitating information and the ability to solve small word problems (1993). As stated in the Alternative Assessment and Technology article if students were asked what qualities they though make a good scientist or any job, they would say a wide range of abilities not just the two abilities indicated above. Students need to learn and be testing from a range of abilities so they can become skilled at using information effectively to meet any purpose (1993).

All teachers have learned about using cooperative learning for group work and testing to multiple intelligences throughout their schooling and career. As a teacher, I feel that these are two very important aspects to consider when teaching and testing. Teachers use cooperative learning within their classroom to keep students learn how to work together as a group. I feel this is a great exercise for the classroom but also could be a great assessment strategy. If a teacher believes in multiple intelligences then he/she understands that all students are not alike within the classroom and excel in different subjects/aspects of learning. If all students are good at something different than why are they all given the same objective test? Not all students are good test takers (Boe, 1996). Therefore, educators should test students in different ways. Students can be tested using portfolios, group projects, debates, simulations just to name a few alternative assessments. With alternative assessment students still need to understand the information but they also need apply it to accomplish a task or goal. This would also help meet society’s objectives for them in the workplace and to reach Bloom’s higher order thinking skills (Dalton, 1986).

Even though I feel alternative assessment is a more beneficial testing method, I understand that a paper/pencil test can sometimes be more appropriate. I feel the best bet within the classroom is for the teacher to use a wide range of testing strategies so all students will have the ability to use their intelligential strength within the classroom.

Resources:

Boe, B. (1996). Diversity in assessment procedures. (ERIC document ED 392781).

Bond, L. A. (1995). Critical issue: rethinking assessment and its role in supporting educational reform. North Central Regional Educational Laboratory. Retrieved November 14, 2006, from http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/ areas/issues /methods/assment/as700.htm.

Dalton, J. & Smith, D. (1986) “Extending children’s special abilities – strategies for primary classrooms”. Retrieved November 14, 2006 from http://www.teachers.ash.org. au/researchskills/dalton.htm.

(1993). Alternative assessment and technology. (ERIC Document No. ED365312).

Blog #8: Bloom’s article

After reading Bloom’s article, “Learning for Mastery” it reminded me of the first day of school when I say to my classes that everyone is capable of getting an A in this class and I truly believe that. As a teacher, I would like my most of my students to get an A and agree that 90% of students can master what they are taught (1968). However, I do not agree with the bell curve and feel students should be graded on their own efforts not their efforts compared to the class.

A good teacher should challenge students, convey high exceptions, and provide diverse learning experiences (Hargrove, 2005). Within my classroom if most students receive an A or B on a test, I know I taught the material well. Having a bell curve makes a small potion of the student fail the test or class which does not motivate students to learn the material if they know they are grade this way from the start. Teachers should grade each student by their efforts and help them learn the material in a fun and exciting way so they want to develop mastery for the subject area. The bell curve just ends up discouraging a few students from either learning the material or being a life-long learner.

When I tell my students that everyone can get an A in my class, it is expected that some students will need to put more time and effort forth to achieve that grade than others do (1968). Students need to work at their grades, but teachers also need to be willing to help students not only in class but also outside of class (Hargrove, 2005). This gives student who need individual help the opportunity to receive it. Therefore, I agree with Blooms article when it states that there needs to be alternative methods for help students master a subject either being working one-on-one with a tutor and/or the teacher use differentiated instruction to meet all student learning needs or styles (1968).

My HTML class is a great example of what Bloom’s article explains. For example, some students definitely master the HTML coding language sooner than other students. This class can be very frustrating for high school students since their code and tags need to be perfect to make the website work in the browser. When frustrated students devote time to the material, get individual help, and receive additional feedback they are able to better understand the material and master it. At the end of the class many students that were originally discouraged, inform me that they are upset to leave since they are finally understanding the material, feeling excited to come to class, and mastering the concepts.

Resources:

Bloom, B. S. (1968). Learning for mastery. Evaluation Comment, 1(2), 1-12.

Hargrove, K. (2005). What makes a “good” teacher a “great”? Gifted Child Today, 28(1), 30-31.

Computers as Mindtools
Blog #7

Everyday society and businesses are using technology. However, technology within in the school system is commonly researched to evaluate if it is an improvement or detriment to educating our students. I feel that technology is a great asset to any school system, but only if it is being used correctly. Technology is usually used one of two ways within the school setting; to enhance learning or as a primary teaching tool. I believe that the article, Computers as Mindtools for engaging learners in critical thinking is correct when it states, “technologies should not support learning by attempting to instruct the learners” (Carr, 1998). I feel that technology is not being used correctly, within the school setting, if it takes the place of the teacher. Instead, technology within the classroom needs to reinforce what the student has learned and utilize their higher order thinking skills such as synthesis or evaluation in Bloom’s Taxonomy (Dalton, 1986).

Mindtools are computer applications that can help teachers reach higher order thinking skills since they required students to take technology and conceptualize, organize, and solve problems” (Hertzog, 2005). If instructors used Mindtools within their classroom, they are allowing the student to think for him or herself and represent the concepts to meet their own individual learning needs or styles. After students create something, they are proud of their results, get excited, and want to share what they learned with other students or teachers. I believe that using Mindtools within the classroom will help students feel more confident and help them feel excited about school. I remember as a student if my teacher had us complete a project, create a poster, or use technology to represent data; I would remember the information better for my test since I applied what I learned instead of just regurgitate the information onto a test.

My one concern about Mindtools is that today’s educational setting seems to be focused on the PSSA tests instead of students being creative or learning different ways. Teachers are being pushed my administration to meet requirements and it seems like they do not have as much time to have students be creative. I feel that it is essential for teachers to take time to use Mindtools within in the lesson to help students become more confident in their own abilities and become stronger students since it helps them create their own views on the classroom concepts.

Resources:

Carr, Chad., Jonassen, David H., & Yueh, Hsiu-Ping. Computers as mindtools for engaging learners in critical thinking. Techtrends. Mar 1998. Vol 43, 2. pg 24-32.

Hertzog, Nancy & Klein, Marjorie. Beyond gaming: a technology explosion in early childhood classrooms. Gifted Child Today. Summer 2005 Vol 28, 3. pg. 24-31.

Dalton, J. & Smith, D. (1986) “Extending Children’s Special Abilities – Strategies for primary classrooms” pp 36-7. Retrieved October 31, 2006 from http://www.teachers.ash .org.au/researchskills/dalton.htm.

Blog #6 A Word For Learning:

As students and teachers are being pushed into a more demanding school learning environment it is hard for them to have the time to teach learning techniques or strategies. As the students advance to college or the work force from the high school/PSSA testing setting will they ready for real world? I asked this question to myself after reading the article, The Children’s Machine, by Seymour Papert. Papert is asking the reader to think about learning and how students learn in today’s society (1993). Are teachers teaching students how to think or how to use their problem-solving skills instead of memorizing concepts or details? As a high school teacher, I feel that students do not know how to learn the material or study for a test. They just memorize the material and then regurgitate out the information to pass the test. This is not only the students fault, teachers need to help students learn to think or study. Teachers need to take the time to help students make connections throughout their lectures to make learning easier and more enjoyable for the student (Papert, 1993). Teachers also need to let the students search for the answers or test their knowledge with experimentation instead of just giving them the answers. Making connections between the knowledge the student already knows to the new classroom information will help them learn the material, make personal connections, and remember the facts for a longer period of time (Schwarm, 2003).

Prior knowledge is not the only aspect that can help students learn. If students think or been told that they are not good at a subject area, they tend to create a mental block. For example, when I was younger a teacher told me that I was not a good writer so I always dreaded writing papers. However, throughout college I worked at this skill and was able to improve it. Students need to be accountable for understanding how to retain knowledge just as much as teachers. They cannot just expect the knowledge to evaporate into their minds; they need to work at it. Just as Papert stated, “anyone who is not mentally defective can solve any problem, if we are willing to take the time” (1993). This statement means that really anyone can be good at something as long as they put their mind to it.

One other aspect students need to take into consideration is their mindset. Before the student can make connections or learn methods for assimilating information, they need to have the correct mindset for learning (Schwartz, 2004). Students need to want to learn and know that just like a sport or musical instrument they need to work hard to understand the subject matter. Learning is an invaluable skill for every person and something everyone can improve throughout their life.

Resources:

Papert, S. (1993). The children’s machine: Rethinking school in the age of the computer. New York, NY: Basic Books.

Schwarm, S., VanDeGrift, T. (2003). Making connections: Using classroom assessment to elicit students’ prior knowledge and construction or concepts. ACM SIGCSE Bulletin, 35(3), 65-69.

Schwartz, D., Sears, D., Chang, J. (2004). Reconsidering Prior Knowledge. Stanford University. To appear in M. Lovett and P. Shah(Eds.), Thinking with Data. Mahwah,NJ: Erlbaum.

Blog #5 review of Now More Than Ever: Will High-Tech Kids Still Think Deeply?

Technology is one of the best inventions that have happened for the school system. It can help students and teachers have information for projects, resources, or activities at their fingertips. Normally students enjoy working on the computer at home, so working with any type of technology at school can be exciting for them and a way for a student to show off technology skills. Not only does technology excite students but also enhances the lessons teachers create and helps touch on all types of learning styles (Brode, 2005). As a teacher, I can see how technology helps each individual student by meeting his or her learning needs. Within my classroom, I have seen students with special needs excel at the computer, which helped their self-confidence grow within that specific subject matter and school.

Computers/technology is also a great supplement to a lesson, but should not be the basis of learning. So I agree with the article, Now More Than Ever: Will High-Tech Kids Still Think Deeply, I feel that technology improves the lesson and helps students grasp the information better, but it is not something that will, in the future, take away basic skills such as reading, writing, or basic mathematics needed by every child or adult. Everyone needs to obtain the basic skills needed to think on their own, evaluate the information they are given, and communicate their thoughts and feelings. Technology will be able to help develop these basic skills by allowing for more student engagement within the classroom, motivation, improved communication skills, and to preparation for the working world or instructional institution (Brode, 2005).

Technology should be used in the school system to simulate real-life situations, improve thinking skills, help students become better researchers, and develop problem-solving skills (Brode, 2005). Technology is definitely something that is not going to go away in any students’ lifetime, so it is important for them to become comfortable with different types of technology and the Internet, but teachers need to help educate students on how to use these resources efficiently and effectively.

Resources:

Brode, A. (2005). Ways in which technology enhances teaching and learning. (ERIC Document No. ED490591).

Tarlow, M. C., & Spangler, K. L. (2001, Nov). Now more than ever: Will high-tech kids still think deeply? The Education Digest, 67(3), 23-27.

Blog 4: “Reeves Article”

The article, An Evaluator Looks at Cultural Diversity really helps the reader understand the importance of cultural diversity within the communities and schools. Our world is changing on a daily basis with more people immigrating to the United States. With people coming to America it means schools and communities are going to need to embrace their cultural differences and sensitivity to others beliefs and needs. Some of the most important people to have a cross-cultural understanding are teachers (Dong, 2006). The ultimate goal of all educators is to improve the quality of life of the individuals that they teach (Meyer & Rhoades, 2006). Teachers especially need to understand that their values, experiences, and perceptions shape who they are as a professional and what students think about them (Monroe, 2006). It is proven that most teachers are European-American which means that they will have cultural and language differences between them and their students. So it is important for teachers to find ways to increase their cross-cultural understanding (Dong, 2006).

Within the classroom teachers are responsible for relating the classroom materials to students, but with the growing number of multicultural students they might have a harder time completing this task. For instance, if students are from diverse backgrounds the examples or textbook readings in class might not make sense to them. If the teacher is not aware of their students’ cultural differences they may be misinterpreted as lazy or unintelligent (Monroe, 2006). If a teacher develops their cross-cultural understandings they will be able to relate the materials the student is learning at school to their home life or cultural background which in turn will help students succeed within the classroom (Monroe, 2006).

As a teacher I understand how cultural diversity is affecting the school system and educators. This issue is not something that is going to go away. People from all different cultures are going to continue to move into the United States and change the way teachers are educating today’s students (Meyer & Rhoades, 2006). Instead of teachers and communities seeing cultural differences as a setback they need to adjust their teachings and values to welcome these students and set the standard for how other individuals should be viewing these differences. Educators should be proactive in adjusting their lesson plans and teachings to help understand cultural differences within the school system (Reeves, 1997).

Resources:

Dong, Y. R., (2006, Summer). Bridging the cultural gap by teaching multicultural literature. The Educational Forum, 69, 367-382.

Meyer, C. F, Rhoades E. K., (2006, Winter). Multiculturalism: Beyond food, festival, folklore, and fashion. Kappa Delta Record, 82-87.

Monroe, C. R., (2006, Summer). Misbehavior or misinterpretation? Kappa Delta Record, 161-165.

Reeves, T. C. (1997, March/April). An evaluator looks at cultural diversity. Educational Technology, 37(2), 27-31.