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/
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2 comments:
I agree that this definition puts new technologies in our reach. The authors will do that throughout the book but be prepared … they will push you to think big as well.
I hope that each of you become more confident with technology tools and at the same time the resources that you have available to you – your ITRT and librarians to name just two.
Good posting!
Well, I sure hope that we can keep the ITRTs as a resource. I did follow through with that email you sent use concerning the funding cutbacks.
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