Journal #2 - Transforming Learning with Unique, Powerful Technology
Focus Question: In what ways does technology promote unique, powerful, and transformative learning for students?
Transforming learning with unique, powerful technology, we mean tools, concepts, innovations, and advancements that are utilized in diverse educational settings, to serve varied educational purposes.
Teachers experience technology as an effective tool for professional learning and develop skills to powerfully use technology to improve student learning. I the think teacher develop confidence and effectiveness in designing and supporting technology rich environments that maximize students learning.
There are five kinds of unique, powerful and transformative learning experiences: visual learning, accessing and assesing information, student engagement and collaboration, feedback, and creativity.
- Visual Learning - consists of sofware programs, internet sites, videos, etc
- Accessing and Assessing Information - use of websites, google, digital dictionaries, etc. These resources help the student gain informational literacy.
- Engagement and Collaboration - This method is much different than the traditional approach of a lecture from the teacher and worksheet, but rather work in groups on a project to keep them interested and focused.
- Feedback - Way that a student and teacher can communicate on a different level.
- Creativity - characteristic that is beneficial to a students growing process. Web processing, drawing, design and paint programs are to name a few ways one can express their individuality.
Teachers who have experienced technology as teaching tool for professional learning, and who in the process have developed the skills for powerful use of technology in the classroom, can greatly improve student learning. It also provides teachers with new tools and challenges that can transform instructional roles, curricula, and practices.
A range of hardware and software applications supported these students roles. Students had access to vast stores of information like Visual Dictionary Online (http:/visual.merriam-wester.com). In addition, they had a variety of tools that could use to transform this information into knowledge, tools such as word processors, graphics, multimedia, and web development software.
Conclusion:
Finally, technology is applied effectively, it can be a strong force for promoting learning. Technology plays a role in this approach of providing students with tools and information that support their problem solving, communication, collaboration, and knowledge creation. I think one of the valuable aspects of technology is that it lets a teacher engage his or her students on the students' level.
Resources:
Maloy, R. W., Verock-O, R. E., Edwards, S. A., & Woolf, B. P. (2010). Transforming teaching with new technologies. Allyn & Bacon
Again, remember to personalize the information you have read to your own situation - that is more important than describing the detail. What do you think about the Visual Dictionary? Would you use it in your future classroom? Why would that be better (or not) than using a paper text dictionary? Those are the kinds of things you can write about as an example for this chapter's text tool - and do for the focus question and the conclusion, as well.
ReplyDeleteI like that you attempted the hyperlink - but unfortunately, it does not link...looks like just a typo, so you can correct.