In looking at the videos and
readings for week 5, I would have to say that I found much of it interesting
and learned some interesting concepts.
Some of the videos are older, but it was interesting to hear some of the
speculations as to where technology was going, and be able to assess their
accuracy in the here and now.
One of the first videos that I
watched was an interview with James Paul Gee.
James spoke about the use of videos games in education. I actually found his perspective on video
games very interesting in that he said “video games provide instant feedback
and require the student to use problem solving skills” (edutopia, 2008). I never really thought of video games in that
light, but I do agree with him because video games setup various problem
solving scenarios requiring students to use higher thinking and problem solving
skills. I can see why it would be great
to integrate more learning games into the classroom. I really think that it
fits well with 21st century learning. I know that there is a way within the games
to have constant assessments, but I am unsure as to what the process would
require.
Another video that I viewed was an
interview with Howard Gardener that was called Big Thinkers. Howard spoke about digital ethics in
technology. I thought that this video
was very insightful considering that it too was an older video, but it
definitely carries over to our 21st century learning
atmosphere. Howard had mentioned that
“digitally we were all members a larger community of unknown size” (Gardner, 2009). He even voiced his
concern that past ethical values might not be passed to the next
generation. I think that he was making
this statement to help all of us realize how big the internet is and we should
not abuse the use of it. He even briefly
touched on how parents should teach their kids a digital integrity. He went on to talk about the dangers of creating
false indemnities on the web. I for sure
agreed with Howard and do believe that teachers and parents should be mentoring
our youth on the pitfalls of bad digital citizenship, and making sure to
instill healthy internet practices at home as well as in the classroom.
A Vision for Technology in k-12
Education was another video that I viewed.
It showcased many tech tools that can be used in the classroom. I found it interesting in the fact that it
did pose a couple of good questions regarding students and 21st
century learning. One of the questions
asked what if we learn the way we want to learn, and what if teachers had more
time to teach. I found the questions
compelling because they of course were trying to show how technology can be
used in the classroom, and to not be afraid of the changes that would occur, as
well as be excited about the learning possibilities. In our readings, it seems
that student centered learning is already happening at many institutions.
It seemed that many of the videos
were geared towards interactive learning games, which I think is a great learning
tool and needs to be in 21st century learning. Sasha Barab spoke about a 3D learning
environment that he has created for students.
He claims that it helps students use real world application of what they
are learning in the classroom. Sasha
went on to say that he believes that we are in a new era of using information
and that using interactive videos g ames helps students transform in their
learning skills. Again, I do think that
interactive technologies and web 2.0 tools are transforming the classroom. At one point Sasha even said that failure can
be motivating for students, and doesn’t have to be received in the negative
sense. I understood what he meant, but I
know that I would be upset with myself on the aspect of failure, especially in
a classroom setting.
One of the readings was out of our
web 2.0 book. It spoke about using many
of the available web 2.0 tools for student assessments. I agree that this is huge in our 21st
century learning climate because educators can now have instant assessment data
to measure what students are learning the classroom. I know that using surveys has been extremely
helpful for me on several occasions, as well as clicker technology for instant
feedback.
My other
reading was from the What Works in Technology book. The passage that
made an impression on me states “One easy way to help students make the
connection between effort and achievement is by using a spreadsheet like
Microsoft Excel. The first step in the
process is to find or create a rubric that gives students a clear idea of what
efforts look like (Pitler, Hubbell,
Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2001, p. 156).
In currently being a student, and teaching a class, I can totally
relate to this passage. I strongly
believe that students that can firmly understand the steps associated with
achievement in the classroom are more confident to put forth the effort
necessary to accomplish their goals, as well as the goals outlined by their
instructor. I believe that effort can be smothered by just the fear of starting
something that is foreign to the student.
I strongly feel that a rubric is a great tool to help students not only
understand what it is that is expected of them, but also underlines the steps
necessary in order to achieve the desired outcome. It is like the old saying that you can’t eat
an elephant in one bite; however you can eat the elephant one bite at a time.
I really think that when tasks are broken down into smaller
components, they don’t seem as overwhelming.
I know that for myself, I am really going to strive to bring that into
my classroom for my current and future students.
References
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