It was very interesting to see the different definitions and compare all the different ideas. One thing that stuck out to me was the length of the definition from the 70s compared to the 90s and current definitions. The definition from the 70s is definitely more wordy. I think in the 70s everything was still very unknown in technology, so there had to be a variety of examples and boundaries set. Now, looking at the current definition and the 90s, it is more open-ended. We have more accessibility to a variety of resources and media.
My definition of educational technology relates more to the current definition. The main reason is the word "appropriate." I feel that some teachers just want to get credit or recognition for using technology in their classrooms. Not only have you wasted your time planning the technology, but you have also wasted the students' time if the technology is inappropriate.
This is my third year as a primary school teacher. During my first year, I had access to a portable laptop lab to use in my classroom. I was just focused on trying to stay above water. However, I did use the laptops often. The most important thing I learned that year was always to have a back up plan with technology because you never know what might happen! My second year, we had a 2 to 1 ratio of students to ASUS Transformer tablets. I, along with the students, was walking in uncharted territory. I was still new to Android devices and learning the different ins and outs. Now, during my third year, we have a 1 to 1 ratio of students to tablets. Not only do I feel more comfortable, but the students do as well. This year has started off very smoothly with the tablets, and I am looking forward to an exciting year.
My definition has changed by including processes. It is very important to teach students the process of completing an activity or the process of creating a product. Students need to be able complete activities or projects independently for their future.
2nd grade, Science
My students chose an animal to research on PebbleGo.com and created a cartoon on ToonDoo sharing their research. First, partners had to agree on an animal to research. Next, the pairs researched on pebblego.com and found different facts about their animal. They had to find at least 3 different facts. Next they created a story board for their cartoon. This was mainly to get their ideas down, so they wouldn't be so overwhelmed while creating their cartoon. After their story board was completed, they worked together to create their cartoon. Each frame had to have a background, characters and a speech bubble with their fact in it. The students presented these to the class. Each group was graded on a rubric that addressed the different parts that were mandatory. It also graded their creative side.
I thought this lesson was pretty well-rounded. The students and their research were the focus. The ending goal was to create a cartoon involving their animal. The design was meaningful to the students because it was designed by them! The product was graded using a rubric to which the students had access during the entire project. It was definitely a team effort from start to finish. I think a way to improve this lesson was the actual data collection. I could have required the students to find different facts they didn't already know about their animal or they could have compared their animal to another.
I think this diagram shows the different parts of any type of project whether media is involved or not. It is similar to the circle of life because it keeps repeating the process over and over. There is always going to be a new and improved way to develop and implement an idea which will lead to analyzing and designing. However, no matter what stage you are in there can always be some type of evaluation, which is where a facilitator or teacher comes in. The kind of project determines whether the teacher, chalkboards or textbooks are instructional media. If students are taking information from their textbooks and creating a virtual poster I believe that textbook served as an instructional media resource. It all boils down to how the student is using the resource.
Hi Jennifer,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your post and I can relate to many of the ideas you have put forth.
I agree that many teachers like to use technology in a way that will get them “credit” for using classroom media, but they don’t spend a lot of time thinking through how to use the technology to achieve classroom objectives. I think in some cases this may just be due to limited knowledge of what the technology can actually do and offer in a classroom environment.
I enjoyed your description of your lesson using ToonDoo and PebbleGo. I like the idea that the students are creating something for which they can take ownership. I think this is such an important factor to consider when we’re deciding what technology to use in our classrooms.
I like how you point out that a plain old textbook can indeed be a media resource depending on how it is used. I really do believe it is all about evaluating for effectiveness. Great post!
Jennifer Day,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your blog post. It gave me a better understanding of the reading!
1. It is interesting to see how our definitions of instructional technology changes over time. The definitions in the text changed and evolved as advances in technology became accessible to schools just like our definition of instructional technology evolves as we become more experienced teachers. My definition of instructional technology has changed similar to yours. The first year of teaching is definitely about maintaining order and getting the information to the children as best we can! Throughout the years, we realize instructional technology is not only about the students handling the technology and writing Word documents, but it requires meaningful experiences that will transform the student’s understanding of the topic. The students need to “solve problems, analyze data, develop multimedia presentations, and create visual displays” to partake in meaningful educational technology, Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and Technology (p. 21).
2. I agree that your second grade science lesson follows the steps of instructional design. The lesson is definitely student centered and goal oriented. The lesson is meaningful since the students are self-selecting the animal and creating a final product on their own. Using a rubric is an excellent way to ensure understanding of the expectations for the final product. You also had a chance to check the students understanding of the assignment and final product throughout the lesson. I might be interpreting the team effort aspect incorrectly but I think it is referring to the team of creators. A lesson can always be taken a step further when we collaborate with a team of teachers. We can collaborate with the school librarian, instructional facilitator, and other teachers on our team.
3. I like your illustration of the circle of life. Creating a lesson requires constant re-evaluation which can lead to repeating steps. I think the teacher, chalkboard, and textbooks can be used when implementing instructional media in a lesson. In some cases, without the teacher, chalkboard, or textbooks, the students would not understand the role of technology in the lesson so I believe they are necessary but not considered instructional media.
Sara Dalton
Jennifer,
ReplyDeleteI am on the same page with you on teachers using the appropriate education technology in their classroom. You have many teachers thinking that are up on the latest technology and use in their class in an beneficently way. It's how you use the educational technology is what counts not just if you have it at your disposal to use.
As teachers we have many hats that we wear but it is how we conduct ourselves in each that benefits the students' success in their educational development. A lot of thing go hand and hand but it boils down to capturing the students' interest. Students today are digital natives and it's going to take a new style of teaching to help them learn. The material is still quite similar to what we had as students back then but with the advancement of technology it has to be delivered in a format that they mostly understand and that is through technology.
Jennifer,
ReplyDeleteI agree with the word appropriate as well. The analogy of using incorrect tools goes something like: "if all you choose to use is a hammer, all your problems start looking like nails"
I am very curious how things are going with the tablets. I have witnessed computer carts and most of the time the laptops are used for online tutorials and/or research.
The processes for using the technology is certainly key. In a previous class it was mentioned that a 3:1 ratio of students to tablets might work better than 1:1. Process would play a role in each scenario.
I am very glad that this six characteristic question was included in this prompt. There are many ideas and implementations described that offer some keen insight for a pre-teacher like myself. I can use past experience and analyze what worked well for me as a student (a perspective that is quite helpful to any teacher), but being the man behind the curtain entails different points to think about. Your method to help them dump their ideas so they'll have them later seems quite helpful and educates them on a process. The use of a rubric and the fact that the goal was to center the learning around student participation demonstrates the characteristic. I am curious how you would measure knowledge that they do not know? I guess if you see a range of facts rather than a small collection/sample, that it would indicate a venturing out. Maybe another approach would be like the capstone video we are required to create for this class?
The design diagram is a gem. It is amazing how many words it speaks with the simple arrows and bubbles. I see action. No where does the process sit still as it requires action to move either to the next phase or turns inward for reflection.