If you are reading this blog, you have taken the first step in advancing your child’s digital education {insert audio: crowd cheering with gratification, excitement and a sense of opportunity}! Your interest and support will only advance our efforts to provide the most up-to-date version of educating utilizing everyday technology for your 2010 second grader. Give yourself a pat on the back for initializing this growth in your child’s life! Being an active parent is so very important as we teacher’s cannot do this alone. With parents partnering, we can raise the efforts and funds necessary to give your second grader the most advanced digital education available.
Why a digital education? As you know, computers in the classroom are few and far between and so is the support for the advance. As a teacher who values the use of technology in the classroom for the betterment of your child’s future, I would like to address the questions and skepticism. This is all about perspective. Your child may only see computers as entertainment, but it is our duty to educate and train them to utilize all features and opportunities that computers have to offer. Advancing your child at the youngest age possible as to the use of computers will only open doors to worlds they have yet to explore. As we find that almost every aspect of our lives has been turned digital, we cannot doubt the fact that we will only continue advancing in the digital world and it would a disservice to our children to not bring them up with this kind of forward-thinking perspective.
“The current role of educational technology is shaped primarily by two kinds of factors: available technology resources and our perspectives on how to make use of them.” (Roblyer, 2007, p. 5)
Application
How are we integrating technology in the classroom? How are our children learning? There are 2 methods/schools of thought…
Directed Learning Theory– Objectivism:
An example of this theory is this; Students are an audience as a teacher “lectures” about a topic which may be supported by a Power Point Presentation, a video, etc. Students are listening, processing and absorbing the lesson individually as they ask questions, take notes and/or are informally quizzed with the same method and standards during the lesson. They may be asked to apply the lesson in homework assignments and standardized tests.
Constructivist Learning Theory – Inquiry Based:
An example of this theory is this; Students are asked to conduct research as a group on the suggested list of pre-screened web sources, and then apply their research with a group presentation which is filmed and shared with the class. This filmed short can be in a sense “produced and directed” by members of the group with the assistance of their teachers and older students with camera operation, structuring advice, management and editing.
The following is an opinionated dramatization of the 2 theories...
Although this video is created with appeal to the constructivist theory, it is still a valid example of both styles. Imagine the level of advancement which technology could bring in both settings and I think we would see an overall increased level of interest and overall educational advancement.
Why a digital education? As you know, computers in the classroom are few and far between and so is the support for the advance. As a teacher who values the use of technology in the classroom for the betterment of your child’s future, I would like to address the questions and skepticism. This is all about perspective. Your child may only see computers as entertainment, but it is our duty to educate and train them to utilize all features and opportunities that computers have to offer. Advancing your child at the youngest age possible as to the use of computers will only open doors to worlds they have yet to explore. As we find that almost every aspect of our lives has been turned digital, we cannot doubt the fact that we will only continue advancing in the digital world and it would a disservice to our children to not bring them up with this kind of forward-thinking perspective.
“The current role of educational technology is shaped primarily by two kinds of factors: available technology resources and our perspectives on how to make use of them.” (Roblyer, 2007, p. 5)
Application
How are we integrating technology in the classroom? How are our children learning? There are 2 methods/schools of thought…
Directed Learning Theory– Objectivism:
An example of this theory is this; Students are an audience as a teacher “lectures” about a topic which may be supported by a Power Point Presentation, a video, etc. Students are listening, processing and absorbing the lesson individually as they ask questions, take notes and/or are informally quizzed with the same method and standards during the lesson. They may be asked to apply the lesson in homework assignments and standardized tests.
Constructivist Learning Theory – Inquiry Based:
An example of this theory is this; Students are asked to conduct research as a group on the suggested list of pre-screened web sources, and then apply their research with a group presentation which is filmed and shared with the class. This filmed short can be in a sense “produced and directed” by members of the group with the assistance of their teachers and older students with camera operation, structuring advice, management and editing.
The following is an opinionated dramatization of the 2 theories...
Although this video is created with appeal to the constructivist theory, it is still a valid example of both styles. Imagine the level of advancement which technology could bring in both settings and I think we would see an overall increased level of interest and overall educational advancement.
Parents, you may also enjoy getting more information here.
When i consider the benefits to raising funds for more technology in the class room, my wish list grows by the minute. However, I have a couple lessons in mind which feature technological advancement and a need for it in the classroom...
It is never to early to learn how to express your thoughts and present ideas. Journaling is an effective way to organize thoughts, present ideas and brainstorm and develop ideas. Today, journaling has turned digital with web logging - blogging. As you know personally by accessing this lil' outreach of mine, journaling and sharing thoughts has gone beyond the page with online journals, articles and, most popular, blogs. In my opinion, one is never to young to learn the benefits of sharing creativity and ideas with the "written word" and also to learn the security precautions that go along with utilizing the internet fopr sharing. With computer laptops available to all students in the classroom, students can design their own blogs centered around a year long lesson which develops and grows as they learn to further develop their ideas. By creating the blog from scratch, they will learn how to construct the skin and appearance of the blog, post approved images and content to the blog, learn how to hyperlink and properly source/reference and more. This exercise will ask students to submit drafts of their ideas for teacher approval via email and blog updates will be shared using projector technologies to the entire class. Some blogs can be collaborative and can require team work and even parent involvement with surveys and pictures. This lesson will integrate the use of other technologies such as video recording for blog video uploads and digital camera usage for image uploading.
This blogging lesson can be most associated with the constructivist theory as students are asked to creatively take direction and learn by experimenting with functions and operations within the blogging program. However, this lesson could also be based on objectivism as students follow a teacher guided lesson on how to navigate the program and discuss what content is approved and appropriate.
This blogging lesson can be most associated with the constructivist theory as students are asked to creatively take direction and learn by experimenting with functions and operations within the blogging program. However, this lesson could also be based on objectivism as students follow a teacher guided lesson on how to navigate the program and discuss what content is approved and appropriate.
Another lesson I would love to develop is a televised weekly report by students. This lesson would be based upon the objective of filming a short that would summarize a weekly report for parents. This would involve team work among students and interchanging roles as the responsibilities rotated so that every student may experience all roles of video production. Having the students learn the process of video production will allow them to be more imaginative and visual with their expression of ideas and will allow them to experience using technologically advanced devices to a certain extent at a young age. Students will develop a comfort in front of and behind the camera. They will also have experience in uploading video to the collaborative website or blog where they can later access the video from their home computer with parents and family members. This is the ultimate was of translating a lesson for parents in which the student takes pride and ownership.
Check out this website which assists students and teachers with video production in the classroom. There are great samples of student videos to view as well.
This weekly televised summary will cover the most up to date info about classroom education projects in process, this week's lesson and student feed back about their favorite learning activity of the week. Each student will have their moment to be interviewed and all will contribute to this classroom production. This lesson will be most definitely associated with the constructivist theory as team work, creativity and their knowledge tests are hands on and student constructed.
How can you help these lesson ideas become reality?
1. Take an interest in your child's digital education by reading this blog and doing your research. (Check!)
2. Participate in our fund raising opportunities for technology in the classroom by volunteering your time and efforts and/or by donating funds!
The world of technology when intergraded in the classroom is beyond exciting. By making technology available to learning students on a daily basis, we are empowering them with the tools and opportunities that computers will have to offer. Kids obtain their information much differently in 2010 as televised internet news, games and communications are mainstream. We need to introduce them to the full extent of technology and enforce innovation and creativity when it comes to expressing themselves and applying lessons.
Parents, with your help, we can start of this technologically advanced journey and allow our children to grow with the most advanced tools available.
"The fact that individuals bind themselves with strong emotional ties to machines ought not to be surprising. The instruments [we] use becomes...extensions of [our] bodies." (Roblyer, 2007, p.73)
Your involvement and feedback is welcome! I would love to hear from you, so feel free to leave a comment!
References:
Fi3021. (2008, October 11). What should education look like? Retrieved on April 10, 2010 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58K_aikV0YQ&feature=player_embedded.
Roblyer, M.D., & Doering, A.H. (2010). Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching. (5th ed.). Boston: Allen and Bacon/Pearson.
Vrasidas, C. (2000, December). Constructivism versus Objectivism: Implications for interaction course design, and evaluation in distance education. International Journal of Educational Telecommunications. Retrieved April 11, 2010 from http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G172890602/constructivism-versus-objectivism-implications.html.
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