Teaching for Understanding – Chapter 2: Using New Technologies to Teach for Understanding.
1. Wiske defines new technology as much more than the newest electronic device that’s on the market. She terms it as “any new tools for information and communication beyond the ones traditionally used for teaching and learning” (p.15).
I love this definition. I always thought of new technologies as the newest gadget or electronic that is on the market. This explanation is more user friendly. It can be a wide range of items such as the internet, digital photography, software or such items like alpha smarts. The broader definition allows new technology to be anything that will aid understanding, like math manipulatives. I am very familiar with base ten blocks, however, some teachers are not. I showed a teacher how to use the base ten blocks to help students visualize long division. For that teacher, those base ten blocks can be considered a new technology when considering this definition. Again, the important thing to keep in mind is that the tool is used in a meaningful way.
2. A great resource for teachers is the technology specialist.
On page 17, Wiske gives four ways that technology specialists are vital to the effective integration of technology in the classroom. These four ways are “Technology Integration Specialists can help teachers define goals, identify suitable technologies, plan ways to connect the use of technology with the curriculum and assist in class as students use new tools”. I think it is important to point out that in order for all teachers to use the specialists effectively, that there needs to be the support for the specialists. I doubt that one technology specialist can serve the entire school body. At least, it has been my experience at Triangle Elementary that one tech specialist can not met the demands of the teachers, students, administers, and the state standards. I would have liked to have collaborated with the specialist, but she never had the time to meet in order to team teach or show me the resources that were available.
Wiske, Martha Stone. (2005). What is teaching for understanding. In Teaching for understanding with technology.(pp. 15-23). Jossey-Bass, CA: San Francisco.
http://learnweb.harvard.edu/ALPS/tfu/
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Teaching for Understaning Chapter 1
Wiske explains technology integration as an “educational process”. In order for integration and technology to be effective, it must be understood in relation to its importance in education. There are no quick fixes.
As stated by Wiske on page three, “Integrating new technology into educational practice is not just a matter of learning how to use the technology. It is also a process of reflecting on how technology –enhanced practices challenge assumptions about what and how to teach and how students can learn most.”
I think that technology education is much more than the tool itself. In fact, that has been the main idea of the readings from the following two weeks. It is important for teachers to use technology in meaningful ways for themselves as well as for the students. You should make all of your instruction meaningful. It is great to give notes to students using PowerPoint, but it is more meaningful if that presentation is interactive and includes links to primary sources and pictures. It is important for them to see it as a tool that can open doors and making learning more engaging and fun. Part of this educational process Wiske discusses is making meaning experiences for all involved and doing so across the subject areas.
Teaching for understanding should be a goal for all teachers. It is a practice that requires teachers to reflect and examine which topics are worth understanding, which aspects need to be understood and how students can apply this understanding.
On page five, Wiske defines understanding as “being able to explain, justify, extrapolate, relate and apply in ways that go beyond knowledge and routine skill”. In short, I can say that understanding is synthesizing and applying information. I think that this should be a goal of all teachers. All teachers should aim their instruction for this acquisition of higher learning in all of their students. The SOLs are, in my opinion, just a guideline for instruction. I do not let them restrict my instruction and therefore, I do not teach to the test. I do make sure that the essential knowledge is covered. However, I have found that I can not talk about acceleration with my fourth graders without talking about velocity. I can not talk about friction as a force without talking about gravity. Gravity and velocity are not considered essential knowledge for the fourth grade curriculum. I believe that if I teach for understanding, then my students will be more prepared for the SOLs and should not have a problem doing well on them. They will understand the information and how it all relates, rather than just knowing facts.
The framework for teaching understanding to all students is flexible and encourages on going assessments.
Its flexibility allows teachers to use a variety of instructional strategies and encourages them to use a wide range of tools, assessments, and modifications. This opens doors to teachers and students for more meaningful experiences in learning. On-going assessments allow for more student friendly assessments such as rubrics, portfolios, observations and reflections.
In my classroom, I use a lot of rubrics, reflective questions, and observations. However, I have to admit that the occasional pop-quiz is much more time effective. At the end of each unit, there is a formal assessment. Triangle Elementary administration supports the use of Flannigan tests.
I think I would like to guide my teaching more towards the performances of understanding and a more balance of assessments between formal and informal methods of testing. I would also like the students to reflect more on their assessments and tests, rather than just asking provoking questions and assigning reflective writings.
Wiske, Martha Stone. (2005). What is teaching for understanding. In Teaching for understanding with technology.(pp. 3-13). Jossey-Bass, CA: San Francisco.
As stated by Wiske on page three, “Integrating new technology into educational practice is not just a matter of learning how to use the technology. It is also a process of reflecting on how technology –enhanced practices challenge assumptions about what and how to teach and how students can learn most.”
I think that technology education is much more than the tool itself. In fact, that has been the main idea of the readings from the following two weeks. It is important for teachers to use technology in meaningful ways for themselves as well as for the students. You should make all of your instruction meaningful. It is great to give notes to students using PowerPoint, but it is more meaningful if that presentation is interactive and includes links to primary sources and pictures. It is important for them to see it as a tool that can open doors and making learning more engaging and fun. Part of this educational process Wiske discusses is making meaning experiences for all involved and doing so across the subject areas.
Teaching for understanding should be a goal for all teachers. It is a practice that requires teachers to reflect and examine which topics are worth understanding, which aspects need to be understood and how students can apply this understanding.
On page five, Wiske defines understanding as “being able to explain, justify, extrapolate, relate and apply in ways that go beyond knowledge and routine skill”. In short, I can say that understanding is synthesizing and applying information. I think that this should be a goal of all teachers. All teachers should aim their instruction for this acquisition of higher learning in all of their students. The SOLs are, in my opinion, just a guideline for instruction. I do not let them restrict my instruction and therefore, I do not teach to the test. I do make sure that the essential knowledge is covered. However, I have found that I can not talk about acceleration with my fourth graders without talking about velocity. I can not talk about friction as a force without talking about gravity. Gravity and velocity are not considered essential knowledge for the fourth grade curriculum. I believe that if I teach for understanding, then my students will be more prepared for the SOLs and should not have a problem doing well on them. They will understand the information and how it all relates, rather than just knowing facts.
The framework for teaching understanding to all students is flexible and encourages on going assessments.
Its flexibility allows teachers to use a variety of instructional strategies and encourages them to use a wide range of tools, assessments, and modifications. This opens doors to teachers and students for more meaningful experiences in learning. On-going assessments allow for more student friendly assessments such as rubrics, portfolios, observations and reflections.
In my classroom, I use a lot of rubrics, reflective questions, and observations. However, I have to admit that the occasional pop-quiz is much more time effective. At the end of each unit, there is a formal assessment. Triangle Elementary administration supports the use of Flannigan tests.
I think I would like to guide my teaching more towards the performances of understanding and a more balance of assessments between formal and informal methods of testing. I would also like the students to reflect more on their assessments and tests, rather than just asking provoking questions and assigning reflective writings.
Wiske, Martha Stone. (2005). What is teaching for understanding. In Teaching for understanding with technology.(pp. 3-13). Jossey-Bass, CA: San Francisco.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Summary of Debbie Abilock's Article: Using Technology to Enhance Student Inquiry
I have numbered the key points to this article as I have percieved them to be.
1. Collaboration and team teaching is key to integrating technology in the classroom. Using resources such as the librarian or the computer lab teacher opens lessons and learning to a wide range of technology tools and mediums.
“Fundamental to the collaboration between librarians and other educators is the design of curriculum for active, authentic student learning.” (Abilock, 2001, 3)
“Collaboration between librarians and content-area teachers produces a rich environment for student investigations.” (Abilock, 2001, p. 14)
2. Simulations and project based learning are great ways to incorporate technology across the curriculum. Lessons should focus on investigations and creating solutions to student centered problems.
“A series of on-line research investigations supported students’ acquisition of knowledge and helped them locate the visual materials and develop the written texts for their project scrapbooks.” (Abilock, 2001, 13)
3. Technology has an essential role in the research and learning process.
“Students developed visual literacy skills (Abilock, 2000b) to understand artifacts and used the primary record, including digital libraries, to formulate historical questions for further research.” (Abilock, 2001, 14)
Abilock, Debbie. (2001). Using Technology to Enhance Student Inquiry. In John F. LeBaron & Catherine Collier, eds. Technology in its place: Successful technology infusion in schools. Jossey-Bass. CA: San Fransico.
1. Collaboration and team teaching is key to integrating technology in the classroom. Using resources such as the librarian or the computer lab teacher opens lessons and learning to a wide range of technology tools and mediums.
“Fundamental to the collaboration between librarians and other educators is the design of curriculum for active, authentic student learning.” (Abilock, 2001, 3)
“Collaboration between librarians and content-area teachers produces a rich environment for student investigations.” (Abilock, 2001, p. 14)
2. Simulations and project based learning are great ways to incorporate technology across the curriculum. Lessons should focus on investigations and creating solutions to student centered problems.
“A series of on-line research investigations supported students’ acquisition of knowledge and helped them locate the visual materials and develop the written texts for their project scrapbooks.” (Abilock, 2001, 13)
3. Technology has an essential role in the research and learning process.
“Students developed visual literacy skills (Abilock, 2000b) to understand artifacts and used the primary record, including digital libraries, to formulate historical questions for further research.” (Abilock, 2001, 14)
Abilock, Debbie. (2001). Using Technology to Enhance Student Inquiry. In John F. LeBaron & Catherine Collier, eds. Technology in its place: Successful technology infusion in schools. Jossey-Bass. CA: San Fransico.
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Welcome to my blog. I will be posting my comments and thoughts about readings and research for my ITEC 545 class entitled: Leadership in Education Technology. Please commment freely. I am open to suggestions and ideas from many different points of view. Enjoy!
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