A dozen activities are presented for using an online education technology tool to engage students in classroom activities to develop a better understanding of concepts.
Benefits for creating a classroom environment for student blogging begin with establishing a foundation for their success. Why is this important? Integrating blogs transforms a classroom into a learning community where students become self-directed learners and thinkers. This in turn, causes students to use higher order thinking skills as they create and post entries in their blogs, along with commenting on other student's blogs.
"Most people would agree that a good game could help students
learn. But what, exactly, makes a game good?
With their vast popularity and singular ability to engage young
people, digital games have been hailed as a new paradigm for
education in the 21st century. But researchers know surprisingly
little about how successful games work. What are the key
design elements that make certain games compelling, playable,
and fun? How do game genres differ in their educational
effectiveness for specific topics and for specific learners? How
do kids learn when they play games? Does the setting (classroom
vs. casual) matter? How can games be used to prepare
future learning, introduce new material, or strengthen and
expand existing knowledge? How are games designed to best
facilitate the transfer of learning to the realities of students'
everyday lives? And how can we use all of this knowledge to
guide future game design?"
The seamless integration of technology into the Common Core-aligned curriculum supports learning through active participation and increases opportunities for all students to have access to the tools and information they need for success.
Oxnevad suggests, "Students can develop transferrable knowledge and skills as they engage in learning experiences that require them to construct knowledge" (¶1). She argues for "seamless integration of technology" that will enable "students students to have access to the tools and information they need for success" (¶2), and proposes five instructional strategies for teachers to use to achieve those ends, namely:
1. Preparing "complex questions that require students to use higher level thinking skills" (Help students uncover knowledge, ¶2);
2. Facilitating learning from engaging and online resources, rather than delivering content (Eliminate the front of the classroom);
3. Creating opportunities for real world collaboration (Encourage collaboration);
4. Exploiting classroom and online opportunities for "frequent [and] informal assessment to gauge the effectiveness of your instruction and make adjustments to maximize the learning experience for each student" (Informally assess students [and instructional practices]); and
5. Preparing and publishing screencast tutorials for students to peruse whenever necessary, "...[i]Instead of spending valuable instructional time teaching the same tech skills over and over again to individual students" (Provide students with built in tech support).
This October 30, 2012, post ends with an illustration comprising focus questions and a ThingLink product of fifth grade students' work. A list of links to related posts follows.
Wikis are the most popular Web 2.0 tool being used in science and math classrooms. Based on a survey of readers - 43 percent use them to support their teaching and student learning.
A Wiki is appealing, encourages participation, supports collaboration, and promotes interaction by students who love to use technology.
By the way - this includes most students today!
"Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself. Learning does not cease, its timeless and forever!" Traditional teaching has been part of formal education over years, where in students assemble together in classrooms and learn. With the advent of technology, the skills and methods of approach towards learning are changing.