EEND 676 Module 2 discussion
Hello class,
Although I have been using digital tools in the classroom since I begun teaching 12 years ago, this year it has ramped up to a new level due to our school going to 1:1 instruction. Our students having chrome books is an incredible opportunity to introduce more tech in the classroom, but also added another responsibility on the teacher's plate to make sure the technology fits, engages and supports the curriculum. Simply put, I work hard to make sure I'm not just using the computer to use the computer. I don't want to just put my paper worksheets online, but rather use technology to enhance the curriculum and engage the students in the lesson material. Because of that, these are the 3 criteria I feel are important for teachers to consider when evaluating which tool to use to enhance their existing curriculum.
The first criteria I look at when choosing which tech resources I want to use in class is how ENGAGING the technology is for the students. Sure it is important that the technology teaches or aids in the teaching of the content, but if the resource isn't engaging it quickly just becomes busywork for the students involved. Because of this, in my science classes, I look for websites that are interactive and provide authentic experiences for the students. Often times this includes gizmos, online labs, or webquests that students can get involved with and manipulate or mimic a real "wet lab" experience. If students don't feel engaged with the material, or don't find the information useful to their lives they will quickly disconnect and rarely value the experience enough to commit it to long term memory.
The second criteria I use to determine if a tech tool enhances my curriculum is if the material can be DIFFERENTIATED, or accessible to different level learners. I teach co-taught freshmen biology, and have students that read at an elementary level all the way up to honors classes level sitting in the same classroom. Because of this, differentiating material I use in the classroom becomes a necessity for everything I expect the students to use to understand the material. I am very fortunate to have a co-teacher who is excellent at helping me chose resources that lend well to every level of learner and have learned a lot about differentiation through the 10 years I have taught this class. Although many online sources don't differentiate themselves, I judge the online tool on how easy it is for me to differentiate or how well it applies to different levels of learners.
The last criteria I had a couple in mind but I decided to go COLLABORATION. It really is icing on the cake if the website allows the students to collaborate with each other, very similar to the way this class is run. I really like setting up Google communities for this very feature. I use google communities for group projects, setting up study groups, posting student made wevideos to a group for review, and even to set up movie premiere parties where we can watch a documentary at the same time from the comfort of our own homes and even comment live with each other. I think one of the strongest applications of technology is collaboration beyond the classroom. Where once limited by distance, and whether parents could drive group members to each other's houses, now group work outside of the classroom is really pretty easy. Skype is a tool that can also be used to set up study groups, but I worry a bit about the safety of this application.
Thank you,
Jim Nielsen
Although I have been using digital tools in the classroom since I begun teaching 12 years ago, this year it has ramped up to a new level due to our school going to 1:1 instruction. Our students having chrome books is an incredible opportunity to introduce more tech in the classroom, but also added another responsibility on the teacher's plate to make sure the technology fits, engages and supports the curriculum. Simply put, I work hard to make sure I'm not just using the computer to use the computer. I don't want to just put my paper worksheets online, but rather use technology to enhance the curriculum and engage the students in the lesson material. Because of that, these are the 3 criteria I feel are important for teachers to consider when evaluating which tool to use to enhance their existing curriculum.
The first criteria I look at when choosing which tech resources I want to use in class is how ENGAGING the technology is for the students. Sure it is important that the technology teaches or aids in the teaching of the content, but if the resource isn't engaging it quickly just becomes busywork for the students involved. Because of this, in my science classes, I look for websites that are interactive and provide authentic experiences for the students. Often times this includes gizmos, online labs, or webquests that students can get involved with and manipulate or mimic a real "wet lab" experience. If students don't feel engaged with the material, or don't find the information useful to their lives they will quickly disconnect and rarely value the experience enough to commit it to long term memory.
The second criteria I use to determine if a tech tool enhances my curriculum is if the material can be DIFFERENTIATED, or accessible to different level learners. I teach co-taught freshmen biology, and have students that read at an elementary level all the way up to honors classes level sitting in the same classroom. Because of this, differentiating material I use in the classroom becomes a necessity for everything I expect the students to use to understand the material. I am very fortunate to have a co-teacher who is excellent at helping me chose resources that lend well to every level of learner and have learned a lot about differentiation through the 10 years I have taught this class. Although many online sources don't differentiate themselves, I judge the online tool on how easy it is for me to differentiate or how well it applies to different levels of learners.
The last criteria I had a couple in mind but I decided to go COLLABORATION. It really is icing on the cake if the website allows the students to collaborate with each other, very similar to the way this class is run. I really like setting up Google communities for this very feature. I use google communities for group projects, setting up study groups, posting student made wevideos to a group for review, and even to set up movie premiere parties where we can watch a documentary at the same time from the comfort of our own homes and even comment live with each other. I think one of the strongest applications of technology is collaboration beyond the classroom. Where once limited by distance, and whether parents could drive group members to each other's houses, now group work outside of the classroom is really pretty easy. Skype is a tool that can also be used to set up study groups, but I worry a bit about the safety of this application.
Thank you,
Jim Nielsen
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