CEDO 525 Enhancing Learning Materials through Technology Week one

I really liked the quote

"Learning results from what the student does and thinks and only from what the student does and thinks. The teacher can advance learning only by influencing what the student does to learn."

Herbert Simon

A good thing to keep in mind when setting up your class for next year. The articles we read this week discussed using more quantitative analysis when looking at both the use of technology and educational practice overall. The School District of Waukesha has been focusing on best practices which for the most part means Practices that have been analyzed and effectiveness demonstrated. As a science teacher I would strongly agree to this approach.

Week one Article Summary
Enhancing learning week one Terry Johnson

Learning results from what the student does and thinks and only from what the student does and thinks. The teacher can advance learning only by influencing what the student does to learn.

Herbert Simon

learning principles

prior knowledge
Motivation
organization of knowledge
meaningful engagement
goal directed and targeted feedback
Metacognitive

Teaching principles

1. teaching students not content
2. aligning learning objectives, assessments, and instructional activities
3. clear expectations and objectives
4. Prioritize the knowledge and skills we choose to teach
5. effective teaching role
6. improve our course through experience

Meta-analyses and scientifically determining the effectiveness of technology on learning.

Summary

Technologies change and are very different today than 10 years ago or even 5 years ago. In addition teachers experience or expertise in using technology has increased at a rapid rate as well. Therefore the measurements from available studies may not be reflective of the true effectiveness.

In addition some studies indicate that technology can increase the student-centered classroom approach where students work cooperatively, and have a more active role in their learning.


The results of this quantitative synthesis show a modest, positive effect of teaching and learning with technology on student outcomes.
Waxman, H. C., Meng-Fen, L., & Michko, G. M. (2003). A meta-analysis of the effectiveness of

teaching and learning with technology on student outcomes. Retrieved June 27, 2009, from

Learning Point Associates Web site: http://www.ncrel.org/tech/effects2/waxman.pdf


The Text looks to be a very good resource for implementation of technologies in the classroom and I have started to book mark some of the resources listed as possible useful applications.

Week 4 blog

After reading through the week four blogs, I found out a couple of interesting things. One, I am not the farthest behind in my work Sheww..... or some such word expressed while wiping my forehead, and it was easy to discern those blogger's with younger children from those without or with older children. If you have children and a computer you have already heard much of the common sense issues involved with online safety. If your child is online late and or with out supervision there are probably other issues the family could use help with as well.

It was interesting to read about the privacy issues surrounding the social networking applications that are so popular. I also believe that online information and privacy will continue to be a problem in the future use of this technology.

The virtual classroom as I stated in my critique does hold some promise but has the same privacy and safety issues for adolescents that are found in some online environments.

Wonderfully, fascinating

Week 3

The tools we explored during week three were diverse and impressive. There seems to be an explosion of web applications designed to increase my online efficiency. On one hand it is about time as I have been puttsing around on the internet for many years getting lost and cluttering up my desktop with shortcuts and such. On the other hand it feels like just yesterday I was at my high school getting a pass out of study hall so that I could go down to the Calculator lab and safely land the Lunar Lander on the moon using the cool state of the art calculator. So things have definitely improved no more key punch cards and green and white sheets of paper with syntax errors everywhere. Now I magically travel almost anywhere and gather more information than I can handle. In fact that has been the problem. Book marks galore, files of interesting links and daily emails from friends and colleagues with more links to more interesting sites.
So over the last year I have been introduced to Google docs so I can collaborate long distance and store information in the clouds, there is Delicious which allows me to book mark and manage my list of websites online. Now there seems to be an ever increasing number of wonderful, fascinating web applications that will assist me in my online world. I just wish someone would produce a wonderfully fascinating application to manage my ever increasing number of wonderful fascinating applications.

Week 2 reflections

Confession time, this is not week two I believe this is week four but I seem to have lost track. By the sounds of things many of you are also feeling the pinch here at the end of the semester. While my situation is similar there is an additional factor that makes this particular part of the semester uniquely difficult. Our students do not have due dates, actually they only have one due date that is this week. All their semester work is due on one day and then we have a week for submission of the final exam. Now most of my students work close to on pace at least the successful students do. So here I am scrambling to grade and learn. So the tools we have been exploring are interesting and I can see that many are useful, I can’t wait for this summer and the start of next semester so I can incorporate these tools in to my work.

Sorry short and sweet this week which again is not really this week so there will be more this week which will be week three even though this is week four. Sorry, Sorry Sorry….