Internet 2.0 Technology in the Classroom: a Retrospection

 
I have never considered myself to be proficient in all the uses of Internet resources, other than browsing or networking via facebook. In fact, while I've been aware that there is a plethora of utilities out there, I've felt as though the world of Internet 2.0 was passing me by. After taking this class, however, I feel as though I'm prepared to catch up. More importantly, the exposure to instructional technology has opened up some avenues for exploration in the classroom, and enhancement of student learning. I feel as though I would failing in my responsibility to help students develop the skills necessary to be productive citizens in the 21st century if I were to not integrate this technology into my teaching. The tools will only continue to evolve as we progress toward an Internet 3.0 world, and I want to ensure that my students never feel as though the technology is passing them by as well.

I don't anticipate using all of the tools we've explored, but that may simply be because I have yet to really delve deeply into some of them. Wikis are fantastic, and I can't see teaching a class without one. Google Docs is another instrument that will most likely prove to be invaluable. Because I know I will learn from my students, I would like to have them utilize some of the tools as well, such as creating a video in iMovie or Animoto for a project or working on an Internet Workshop. I may be able to introduce the tools to them, but they will undoubtedly create things that I would never have thought of.

My comfort level with using instructional technology varies. I feel as though I have a pretty firm grasp on wikis and Google docs, but will need to become more familiar with them. One piece of technology that I wish I could have had more exposure to in class in the use of a SMART Board. Regardless, I feel that I am much more prepared to promote collaboration, exploration, creativity, and critical thinking in my classroom.



photo from:
Sandoval, L. (2010). tereas de liliana. La web 2 y el internet 2. Retrieved from http://lili-secretariado.blogspot.com/2010/03/la-web-2-y-el-internet-2.html

Perusing Peer Posts to Promote Pupil's Proficiency

There are numerous benefits to utilizing Internet 2.0 tools. In reading through the blog posts of my peers, I came across many commonalities, such as the appeal of Google Docs and Wikis for providing students with information and a place for collaboration. I'd like to highlight a few key aspects of Internet technology that I feel are important in enhancing classroom learning.

COLLABORATION
With 21st century technology, students are no longer confined to the classroom. Many of my peers see collaboration as a vital skill to be developed in today's students. Kelly and Rich both recommend Quest Atlantis for fostering collaboration. Rich even mentions that students get to "role play" as a scientist (for example), a great way to get students engaged. Collaboration will be vital to my teaching biology, as this is an integral part of doing science in the real world.


CONNECTEDNESS
Connecting with other students, whether in your class or around the world, goes hand-in-hand with collaboration. One aspect of our 21st century technology that is sometimes disparaged, however, is the idea that people are anonymously interacting with a computer, rather than with actual people. This is obviously untrue, as there is going to be someone on the "other end" reading or viewing your input.  Kelly recommends the use of Netiquette to introduce students to the appropriate use of Internet technology, and the importance of remembering that they are interacting with actual humans!

INTERACTION
Internet tools that promote interaction and a sense of exploration aid in creating relevance in student learning. Melissa had a great idea when she came across a Wikipedia article that was inadequate or incomplete regarding the content students were studying in class.  Why not have the students write a Wikipedia page?  This would not only give them ownership of their work, but would be a lesson in properly conducting research.

AUTONOMY
It is important that students be allowed to express themselves if they are to develop their skills as critical thinkers. Sarah mentioned having students create blogs in place of conventional writing journals.  I think this is a great tool for expression, and will allow students to see their peers in ways that they may not otherwise do.

EXPLORATION
One of the challenges in teaching science is that students often have a preconceived notion that the content is too difficult to understand. This has the effect of limiting their choices in life. Effie had a great idea -- using orlive.com to introduce students to real world applications of the dissections they are performing. This may get students to realize that they can do this kind of work if they so choose.

INCLUSION
This is big.  It is important that all students learn, regardless of past experience or any disabilities they may have.  Most of my peers recommend the use of speech recognition software and DAISY for such purposes, great tools to foster inclusion.

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Resources

Cunningham, M. (2011). Web resources. Falling Star's Blog. Retrieved from http://fallingstar44.blogspot.com/2011/06/web-resources.html

Gavrilis, E. (2011). Web resources for the classroom. effie. Retrieved from http://effie4.blogspot.com/2011/06/web-resources-for-classroom.html

McGary, K. (2011). The wonderful interactive web world. McG's World. Retrieved from http://mcgsworld.blogspot.com/2011/06/wonderful-interactive-web-world.html

Moreno, R. (2011). Technology in the classroom week 5. Nice People make things. Retrieved from http://richundo.blogspot.com/2011/06/technology-in-classroom-week-5.html

Pierz, S. (2011). Web resources for teachers: wikis and google docs and blogs - oh my!. Language Arts in Action. Retrieved from http://mrspierz.blogspot.com/2011/06/web-resources-for-teachers.html

Web Resources for Teachers

One of the advantages to teaching in the 21st century is the vast amount of online resources available for use in the classroom.  Here are just two examples of sites that I may use in my classroom:

PBWorks (formerly PBwiki)

My classroom will be student-centered, and this collaborative editing website would be a great way for me to engage the students in their learning. I can use the site to create a central area (called a workspace) for students to access information, videos, lesson plans, reading materials, homework assignments, etc.  Workspaces have main pages that are basically Wikis, but one of the more useful features is a page that allows you to access material straight from a list of files that have been uploaded. Although a lot of the workspaces I've looked at from other teachers seem to involve mainly teacher-posting and student-viewing, my goal would be to have the students create their own artifacts. I'll have a Wiki for students to access important information, but I would want our PBWorks space to be mainly for the students to use.  They could post videos, hold discussions, or even submit assigned projects. I think that having a space that is somewhat "teacher-free" will be very empowering for my students.

The National Library of Virtual Manipulatives (NLVM)

NLVM is a great site that gets students engaged in solving math problems by using interactive Java applets. I'm sure this would be a great resource for math teachers, but as a biology teacher, this type of tool may prove invaluable. I don't want math to be a barrier to learning the science content that we'll be covering, and I could use this site in class or to assign homework. Students in my class will need to understand measurements, graphs, charts, histograms, and data analysis -- all available as fun and interesting activities at NLVM. 

References

PBWorks. (2011). Retrieved from http://pbworks.com/content/edu+overview

The National Library of Vitual Manipulatives. (2011). Retrieved from http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/siteinfo.html

Finally... Some Biology in our T2P

The study of learning theories have been immensely useful in helping me to frame a philosophy of education as I develop tools that will help me more deeply understand how students learn. Today's instruction added an extra layer of complexity, as we explored some physiological foundations for how adolescent brains make sense of the world.

The brain essentially functions as a network of neurons, the connections of which manifest in our particular emotions, ideas, and dispositions -- in short, our identity. We can say that as adolescents develop, they progress through a process whereby neural networks are pruned of connections that are no longer used frequently, while other connections become more robust.  While we, as teachers, may not be able to take action to change or create connections (at least, not in the short term), it is nevertheless useful to be aware of this physiological process.

So how can I make this relevant to the classroom? Perhaps the best approach would be to connect this physiological underpinning to learning theory. If teenage students are encouraged to explore the various options (academic, social, artistic, etc.) available to them, then they will develop the problem-solving skills necessary to progress through their lifetime of learning. These skills will create a sense of intrinsic motivation if tied to positive emotional responses, creating a positive feedback loop. This will be carried with them through life, allowing for the critical thinking necessary to face future challenges. Erik Erikson would argue for a rich and complex learning environment that fosters exploration. If I can create such an atmosphere, and be aware of the decision-making choices available to my students, then I will be confident in my students' abilities to develop positive connections to learning for learning's sake.      

Good Teacher

A Good Teacher
A good teacher is one who values learning for the sake of learning, because it is through fostering intrinsic motivation that students are best prepared for a lifetime of achievements and challenges. I may never know down what future paths my students travel, but by instilling a sense of self determination within them, I can be confident that my students will be able to face challenges with a critical eye, and contribute to society in meaningful ways. If I am to affect positive change in our culture, I must do so by liberating the moral citizen and critical thinker within each and every student.  


Original T2P Week 4
If a student is to be prepared to affect change in their life and in their community, then a teacher must cultivate an atmosphere of mutual respect in which the student’s voice is heard, because it is within this framework that a student is empowered. Further, such a learning environment will be advantageous to both student and teacher, as an open exploration of the student's past experiences will allow for each to act as both learner and teacher. Paulo Freire suggests that students will learn values that they can utilize outside the classroom when the teacher is a transformative intellectual, one who applies a pedagogy in which students are treated as critical agents. In this way, a teacher can help a student gain the confidence, esteem, and disposition to critically assess their world and work for change in the face of convention or injustice.


Update to T2P Week 4
If I am to have a lifelong impact on my students' abilities to navigate their world as ethically- minded citizens, then I have an obligation to develop their sense of empowerment. As Paulo Freire suggests, I must pass on to my students values of confidence and self-esteem so that they may critically assess their world and work for change in the face of convention or injustice. Without these tools, my students will be prepared only to settle for decisions that are made for them. In teaching my students to learn for themselves, they will think for themselves and will develop their own critically conscious voice. To be most effective, I must also be aware that I act as an ethical agent and role model to my students at all times.

For GNA

Learning Theories spreadsheet

Learning Theories Week 4

Original Statement (from Week 3 T2P)

If teachers are to truly assess student learning and deep understanding, then they must be prepared to consider how these are affected by past experiences, developmental stages, social settings, and the environment, because no one theory on learning is applicable to all.

Note that in the first 2 T2P’s below, components of reflective pedagogical thinking are found in brackets after the component. 

Revised T2P Statement

If teachers [IF] are to effectively assess student learning [EVENT], then they must be prepared to consider how understanding is affected by various factors [THEN], such as prior experiences, developmental stages, social settings, and the environment. Students will all come to an understanding of content in different ways [BECAUSE], and by developing a synthesis among the prevailing theories on learning, a teacher will be best prepared to help all students develop that understanding [AND]. Jerrid Kruse notes that a student's mental activities will often reflect a synthesis of several different learning theories [EVIDENCE]. For example, if a student exhibits misunderstanding of an abstract idea, social and developmental learning theories may both explain why -- the student and teacher may have different understandings of the concept based on their particular social interactions, but the student may also be at a developmental stage that initially puts the concept beyond their grasp. It is the responsibility [MORAL/ETHICAL] of a teacher to account for these varied aspects in order to assess not just the student's understanding, but to assess why misunderstanding occurs.

SDT Case Study

If students [IF] are to develop their own sense self determination [EVENT], they must be supported by a social environment in which every student is encouraged to explore concepts on their own and share ideas [THEN]. Students will then be able to construct meaning and achieve understanding if they can make personal connections to the content [BECAUSE], and if they have access to the thought processes of peers and of more knowledgeable people [AND]. Vicki Davis' classroom is a center for collaborative learning in which students work in teams within the classroom, and connect to other students from around the world. The result is that her students are able to construct their own meaning of new ideas [AND], while gaining the benefit of social learning in a way reminiscent of Vygotsky's theory (learning is social and interactive) [EVIDENCE]. One way in which Ms. Davis's pedagogy reflects this is by having students independently look up the definitions of unfamiliar words. She also fosters autonomy, competency, and relatedness by having her students take turns at teaching a new idea to the class. The students are teaching to others, on their own, some concept that they have come to understand. And by doing so, teacher and student develop a sense of mutual respect [MORAL/ETHICAL]. It is important to cultivate the aspects of Self Determination Theory within students, as this will set them up to confidently face any learning obstacles they may encounter throughout life [MORAL/ETHICAL].

T2P Week 4

If a student is to be prepared to affect change in their life and in their community, then a teacher must cultivate an atmosphere of mutual respect in which the student’s voice is heard, because it is within this framework that a student is empowered. Further, such a learning environment will be advantageous to both student and teacher, as an open exploration of the student's past experiences will allow for each to act as both learner and teacher. Paulo Freire suggests that students will learn values that they can utilize outside the classroom when the teacher is a transformative intellectual, one who applies a pedagogy in which students are treated as critical agents. In this way, a teacher can help a student gain the confidence, esteem, and disposition to critically assess their world and work for change in the face of convention or injustice.

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Link to Learning Theories spreadsheet