I agree that instructional strategies can and should be tied in with a constructionist learning theory. Students today are more technology fluent than many teachers in the classroom. We need to allow our students to be creative and explore the technology to create artifacts of their own after being taught how to do something. Allowing them to either work independently or in small groups will allow students to feel more comfortable with technology and gives them an opportunity to build on their prior knowledge to create their own examples. Teachers need to take a step back sometimes from their lecturing and allow their students to collaborate with each other and use technology in a method that embraces the topic of the lecture and then produce something that can be presented that demonstrates their understanding of the topic.
Using PowerPoint, Excel with graphs, Adobe Suite applications, etc. can all be used as resources that the students can use to create items that they can call their own that demonstrates prior knowledge and understanding. Working in small groups to accomplish this reinforces effort, critical thinking and understanding of the topic. Students feed off of each other’s thoughts, ideas and interpretations to create information that they can present back to the class and teacher.
I am fortunate to teach out of a lab all day and have the resources needed to accomplish this type of learning strategy. Teachers that do not have this privilege should try and get into a lab frequently, or use the technology in the classroom such as smart boards, projectors, etc. that the students can take turns using in groups and then report back when finished. Allowing time to use technology is also important. Too much time and students will drift away from the task at hand. Too short of time, and the concept of using technology to teach a lesson might not be achieved. Rehearsal of the use of technology is important and our students are already ahead of us.
I enjoyed your promotion of technology as a vehicle for constructivist learning. I was wondering though if you would agree that it is still possible, and important, to create a constructivist learning environment regardless of access to technology?
ReplyDeleteOn another thought, as "mentors" how do teachers ensure that the learning goes deeper than merely "experiencing" the technology tools? Students who are unfamiliar/inexperienced with the software can often become hindered by technology rather than assisted by it.
I have to agree with you that time is very important to using technology in the classroom. Giving students too much or too little time can take away from the experience and make it not as meaningful. Too much time can lead to the students using the technology for inappropriate things or just disturbing the class like what would happen in a regular classroom if a student had too much time. Too little time can cause students to get frustrated and take away from the effectiveness of the assignment and cause the work that is turned in to not be of the highest quality that they can produce. I think that once teachers can get a good grasp on the time that it takes for the students to work with technology, then they can truly begin implementing constructionist strategies with full effectiveness and enjoyment from all parties involved.
ReplyDeleteAs you said, using PowerPoint, Excel with graphs, Adobe Suite applications, etc are all excellent tools for students to create artifacts for presentation. Most classrooms have projectors that can be used in conjunction with the programs mentioned. I agree that computer lab time needs to be balanced to maximize its effectiveness. Unfortunately, I believe a significant draw back to using technology with constructivism in the classroom is the availability of computers in the class and computer lab availability. As noted in our readings, the different problem-based learning strategies take time to develop. Ensuring computer availability is an issue for many schools. I do not have a solution for this problem but believe educators must not let this problem deter them from using technology as much as possible.
ReplyDeleteDavid Vickery
Hi Jeremy,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your posting--I find that technology tools can be great "triggers" for creativity--they scaffold many skills--students are able to create polished art--to tap into their imaginations for animation, video--it lets them create a product.
My experience has been that a student will glance at a test paper--look at a written report--and check the grade--then they put it away. But an artifact they've created is something they are proud of--something they will look at and reflect on, long after the class is over.
Thank you for sharing.
Susan
"Rehearsal of the use of technology is important and our students are already ahead of us."
ReplyDeleteIf a teacher is to use technology, it should not be introduced half-way or three-quarters into the school year, and only using sparingly. I agree, it must be used right away, and as you said, "rehearsed." I have fallen into this predicament before. I use my same style of teaching for so many days and all a sudden out of nowhere I have my students do something extraordinary technology-wise and it completely confuses them because of lack of experience with the process.