Let them construct something!

When you are teaching students in a classroom there will always be a few tapping their pencils, rummaging through their pencil box, or swaying their chair back and forth. Many students get antsy when they are sitting in a chair and are forced to listen quietly and have no discussions. Constructionism is the theory of learning; As stated by Dr. Orey, “people learn best when they build an external artifact or something they can share with others” (Laureate Education, 2009). When students are given the opportunity to explore a concept by manipulating, building, or creating something, it will increase interest and help them retain the information better compared to simply reading about it.

Pitler et al. (2007) explain that students who are given the opportunity to use technology to learn a new concept or build knowledge of an old concept, it allows students to gain a deeper understanding and requires them to use critical thinking skills. Spreadsheets for example are a great tool to use for teaching hypothesis in mathematics and science. Students can make predictions, collect data, analyze the data for patterns, and create and revise their hypothesis.

“Using data collection tools enables students to see the bigger picture and recognize patterns” (Pitler et al., 2007,p. 210). One science class compared pH levels of water in their community with others to see if their city gets acid rainfall (Pitler, et al., 2007). Other tools that students and teachers should use are web resources and gaming software. In gaming software (think Oregon Trail or Battle Ship Online) it allows students to use what they already know, make decisions, and see the outcome of their actions and predictions. “Simulation software also can provide incredibly engaging learning environments, resulting in increased motivation and retention in learning” (Pitler, et al., 2007, p. 213).

Giving students problems without the solution is a great way for them to learn. It is up to them and their peers to come up with a list of solutions and try to solve the problem. This could be using in content areas (math, science, language arts) or real-life situations. Allowing students to create a hypothesis and giving them tools to discover the solution is helping prepare them for the future; in life and in their career.



References:


Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2008). “Cognitive learning theories” [Educational video].

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K.(2007). Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD

Web sites to visit:
http://office.microsoft.com (spreadsheet templates, help, and how-to’s)
www.globalschoolnet.org or http://collaboratory.nunet.net (collaborate project website)
www.making-history.com (WWII strategy game)
http://davidmcdivitt.wordpress.com (Mr.McDivitt’s blog about gaming and his student’s experience)
www.smogcity.com (weather/population/emissions interactive website)
www.pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig (learn about bridges, domes, skyscrapers, dams, and tunnels)
www.ciconline.org/windward (game about weather/wind patterns)
http://meted.ucar.edu/hurrican/strike/index.htm (Simulation of hurricanes)

HEMET: High school uses texting, Facebook to teach | Hemet-San Jacinto | PE.com | Southern California News | News for Inland Southern California

HEMET: High school uses texting, Facebook to teach | Hemet-San Jacinto | PE.com | Southern California News | News for Inland Southern California

Memorizing vs. Understanding: Using Technology to Help Students Retain and Understand Information

As a college graduate, I have many experiences in classes where I simply memorized information for a test or quiz, and shortly after….the information magically disappeared from my brain. By cramming for a test or simply memorizing information instead of understanding it, I was storing information in the short-term memory part of my brain. So as a teacher, how can we get our students to store important information in their long term memory so they are getting the full understanding of the concept?

The Cognitive theory is a learning theory of psychology that attempts to explain human behavior by understanding the thought processes. Allen Paivio’s “dual code theory” he states that people process visual and verbal information differently. Dr. Orey (Laureate Education, 2009) discusses how Paivio believes that people store images, labels, and smells. So if you saw a picture of Abraham Lincoln or heard a speech you would store this information better than simply reading it. The “Elaboration Theory” states that the primary mechanism for storing information in the long term memory. By making connections and associations with the information being learned, it will be stored in the long term memory. One example that Dr. Orey (Laureate Education, 2009)discusses is if you are learning about the Civil War and need to know the name of the general from the south, you can make a connection to remember General Lee’s name. You could think of Lee jeans or a friend named Lee and make that connection; you will most likely remember it.

Now that we know how students learn best, we can begin to think of strategies we can use in the classroom to help our students succeed. “For many students, multimedia is very effective because it helps them both activate prior knowledge and develop a mental model to help them understand new information” Pitler, et al (p. 82, 2007). Using a variety of media to help students organize and store new information is one strategy teachers can use. Graphic organizers, outlines, graphs, and concept maps are a few examples. Programs like Kidspiration and Webspiration can help students organize their thoughts and information in an organized way. If you scroll down the blog page you will find an example of a concept map created at readthinkwrite.org.Other forms of media such as videos and audio can enhance students’ learning. I like the websites Brainpop.com and discoverykids.com for informational videos.

Pitler et al. (2007) explain that summarizing and note-taking is a skill that is helpful for students to learn in order to better understand and process information. By integrating various forms of technology students will be able to organize important information by summarizing and take notes effectively. Using programs such as Inspiration and PowerPoint to make notes is one strategy discussed by Pitler et al. (2007). Notestar.4teachers.org allows students to take information from the web, organize it, and automatically create citations for it.

References:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Bridging learning theory, instruction, and technology. Baltimore: Author.

Pitler,H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works. Denver, CO: McRel.

Using Technology to Motivate Student Achievement

As teachers or psychologists we have all heard of behaviorism and remember experiments done by B.F. Skinner (rat presses lever, gets food) or Ivan Pavlov (dog salivates when bell is rung). Almost every teacher I know uses behaviorism in their classroom with their students in order to keep students in control and to behave. Teachers give rewards for students who are behaving appropriately, and punish or give a consequence to those who are not behaving in the appropriate way. How can we use technology as an instructional strategy while incorporating behaviorism? In the book Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007) I have found several strategies that are simple and helpful for students and teachers.

The Reinforcing Effort chapter discusses using software computer programs such as Microsoft Excel to track student effort and achievement. Teachers can show students how to do this and students will see the relationship between their effort and grades. This will in turn, give students confidence because they can visually see themselves grow in a specific content area. Personally I wish I could have done this throughout high school with math in particular because I never felt confident in math, and I began to have a negative outlook on all my math classes and assignments.

Homework; it’s been a topic of controversy with students, parents, and teachers for years; should students have it, how much, and what it should look like. Pitler et al (2007) has a whole chapter dedicated to homework. “Typically students need about 24 practice sessions with a skill in order to achieve 80 percent competency” (As stated in Pitler, et al., p. 188, 2007). This tells us that students do need practice; enter- homework. Teachers and parents can work with students to help them do homework with a few tools described by Pitler et al. (2007). When a student is using a work processor, they can use tools such as research, thesaurus, definition, and auto summary to guide them to a successful paper. Also teachers can expose great educational websites to students where they can practice skills learned for the test on Friday. Some I liked were:

www.starfall.com
www.iknowthat.com
www.flashcardexchange.com
www.brainpop.com
www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise

“Technology is most effective when remediation activities are minimally incorporated” (Laureate Education, 2009). We have all heard the phrase “practice makes perfect”, and in education it does sometimes work that way. Integrating technology into the classroom is something that is not a ‘quick fix’. If students are performing lower than expected sending them to the computer lab for an hour or so to play an educational game or practice a skill will not dramatically raise their performance or test scores. Technology can however be a great tool for students and teachers to use in combination with effective teaching. In conclusion, behaviorism is connected to observing and measuring human behavior. When students put forth the effort in their classwork or homework the outcome is the grade they earned. By using graphing tools or spreadsheets, students can see their effort (hours spent studying/completing) and their outcome (grades/scores).

References:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Bridging learning theory, instruction, and technology. Baltimore: Author.

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Integrating Technology Into the Classroom Reflection

During my recent classroom course I have broadened my knowledge and experience on understanding the impact of technology on education, work, and society. I have realized that integrating technology into my lesson plans does take time and is not needed for every single assignment; however, I know how important it is to teach our young children the foundations of technology. Since being introduced to the 21st Century Organization and exploring their website, I have learned how crucial technology will be in my students’ future and careers.

Since most young children today already use a wide variety of technology in their lives, it is challenging to re-teach them how to use the internet for example, in an effective and safe manner. In their generation the idea that you can find anything on the internet has been ingrained in them and the thought of reading anything online by any imaginable source can be overwhelming. I have learned that it is my job as an educator to teach students how to find reliable information and also using precaution when posting anything online. I have also learned that many of my students are very creative in the assignments they complete and for me to act as more of a guide than a dictator. I have learned from my students that many of them use the computer and other technologies daily in their personal lives and educational lives as well.

Some ways I plan to continue my knowledge of learning, teaching, and leading with technology to increase student achievement is to continue to read educational journals, articles, and blogs so I can stay up to date on the latest research and technologies. I also plan to attend a variety of educational conferences and seminars to learn from experienced educators and researchers. In order for me to transform my classroom environment I plan to work with my school’s administration to have a space where students can use computers with their class at a scheduled time and also on their free time such as after school or during lunch recess. I hope that having a space for a computer lab will cause other teachers to integrate technology into their lessons as well. My second goal for my own classroom is to begin a classroom website at the beginning of the year that includes my student’s goals for the school year as well as an introduction of themselves. I will also have students posting reflections about work created, various discussions about what we have learned, and contributing to online study guides for various subjects.

During the first week of this course I completed a checklist of my skills and practices that I currently use in my classroom. Since that time I have changed my answers in regards to my participation in developing a vision for technology integration as a leader in my school. I have been more involved in the decisions our school makes in regards to technology, as I have attended leadership meetings with my colleagues. In the future, I plan to seek our other professionals at my school site and in the larger global community to learn from and collaborate with to benefit my school and students.

Integrating Technology Into the Classroom Lesson: American Hero

A postcard to the hero.

Graphic Map : A timeline of positive and negative events that occurred in the heroes' life.
Both projects were created online and printed out from www.readthinkwrite.org


Lesson Plan: American Heroes Graphic Map

Goal or Objective: Students will research an American hero and create a graphic map about their life and create a postcard addressed to the hero.

Content Curriculum Standard(s):
3.4.6. Describe the lives of American heroes who took risks to secure our freedoms (e.g., Anne Hutchinson, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King, Jr.).

NETS*S Standard(s):
Find and evaluate information related to a current or historical person or event using digital resources. (3)
Conceptualize, guide, and manage individual or group learning projects using digital planning tools with teacher support. (4,6)
Demonstrate the ability to navigate in virtual environments such as electronic books, simulation software, and Web sites. (6)
Select and apply digital tools to collect, organize, and analyze data (3,4,6)

Grade Level & Subject: Third Grade Social Science

Prior Knowledge:
This lesson will be used to introduce students to American heroes. Students are introduced to some of these important figures in first and second grade so the names will be familiar and some students may know some information about them from previous readings and assignments in class.

Preparation/Materials:
Classroom computers will need to have internet access and printers.
Students will need references about their hero (library books, classroom books, and or online research from a credited source.
Projects created from: www.readthinkwrite.org

Classroom Configuration:
A school computer lab would be the best choice for this project since each student needs to have their own computer. However, students can take turns working in their classroom on computers (Group 1-Monday, Group 2-Tuesday, etc.). Students will have a block of time each day to work on their projects and will need to make time to work on them if absent during their computer day(i.e. recess, lunch, before or after school, or at home).

Introduction:
I would introduce the lesson by brainstorming with students what a hero is and the qualities of a hero. Next, I would model what their assignment will look like by showing them the final product (graphic map and postcard). I would let students know that the work will be done during class time, but if needed due to absences or other interferences they can access the website from any internet capable computer at home or at a library.

Procedure:
1. Tell students that for the next week they we will learning about American heroes and important events that occurred in their lives.
2. Have students brainstorm in small groups American heroes they know about and write their answers on a poster board. Have a representative from each group share what names they came up with and why.
3. Using a large screen and a computer, connect to the internet to show students how to navigate the website and go over instructions with them. First, I will show the graphic map and then the postcard project.
4. Assign students to their own computer or assign four or five to groups and pass out books then have them start researching which hero they are going to choose.
5. They will each complete a timeline in their notebook on their hero using at least five important events and use the information to create a graphic map. They will need to decide whether the event was positive or negative in the heroes' life by placing a smilie face/ sad face or +/-.
Students will get in groups with classmates who researched the same hero and share their ideas. They will begin writing their hero a postcard with this format:
I admire you because...
I think it must have been hard fro you to....
I wonder if you...
If I met you I would...
Each student will then print out their graphic map and postcard and present their hero to their group. Each student will have a comment card with two positive statements and one question or suggestion to write down and submit to me as part of their grade. Each student will get these comment cards after grading to evaluate their work.

21st Century Skills:
Students will work independently for the most part but their peer’s collaboration during this process will provide students with skills in communication and collaboration. Students will learn to respectfully comment on another student’s work and experience receiving comments from others about their own work. A standard for communication and collaboration for the 21st century states that students will ... “Demonstrate ability to work effectively and respectfully with diverse teams” (Partnership for the 21st Century Skills).

Assessment:
Students will be assessed by their finished products (graphic map and postcard), in which the map must have at least five important events the hero experienced and the postcard is written by following the format described above. Students will also be assessed during the group presentation time and their comment cards to other students.


Resources
Partnership for 21st Century Skills. (n.d.). A report and mile guide for 21st century skills. Washington DC: Author. Retrieved from http://www.p21.org.

Graphic Map: http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/graphicmap/

Post Card: http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/postcard/

Podcast

Students in this generation are using and learning technology more than ever. In the podcast below I describe my school's population and interview three students about their use of technology at home and school.



Shorter Version