Assignment #1 - Technology Literacy

Part I: ERIC Database Article

Righting the Writing Process by Alan Dessoff

Form the District Administration Magazine

This article is about the use of technology in helping students learn how to write better. Studies have shown that since certain school districts have started implementing laptops in the classroom that writing scores have gone up.

The idea is that students are used to using computers; they use them at home, and get bored with pencils and paper. There are many programs out there, like MY Access, that help with the writing process while using technology. One pro to using technology is the instant feedback it provides to teachers to let them know where their students are without having to grade dozens of papers. They can provide instand feedback, which helps the students to learn the correct way as they do it.

One program, called, Kidspiration, helps K-5 students organize their writing. It is a great visual for teachers when doing book reports. Programs like this help students be able to do their pre-writing on a computer instead of the discouraging task of pre-writing on paper, then doing a first draft, then revising your first draft and so on. Kidspiration gives them the ability to organize it efficiently and to see it visually.

What I learned form this article is that children are already tuned in to technology. Teachers need to be aware of the fact that some of the things we've been doing for years and years are outdated. Though I can't imagine ever eliminate writing with pencil and paper, I can see the point that for many students (especially those with learning disabilities) using that process can be a daunting and time consuming task that doesn't really help them learn the content of what they're studying, but makes them concentrate on the actual hand-writing exercise instead.

Another thing I learned is that technology can raise the question of creating teachers who are more "guides on the side" than actual teachers. The challenge is to make technology the teacher's tool and not the other way around. It also enables the teacher to change from the role of the evil grader to a coach. For example: traditionally, a teacher gives an assignment to be graded and the student gets it back with a grade. With technology, the teacher can be there to correct a problem and "coach" the student in the process, therefore helping the student learn as he does, not after the fact.

In applying this article to future classroom use, I definitely would use technology like laptops to help students in writing papers and organizing their writing. Not only does it help in writing skills, but it also helps in typing and documentation skills, which is an invaluable ability to have these days. As in everything, I would have a balanced approach to using technology in my classroom. I would not have the students do every single writing assignment on a laptop, but would use it to my discretion when I think it would be benneficial, especially when considering which grade I will teach. 5th or 6th graders would probably bennefit more from it than a 2nd or 3rd grader.

Another thing I can apply to the classroom is the use of technology for formative assessment. Using technology for that can really help the teacher to know that the students are really learning what they're supposed to be learning.

Kidspiration Example: Shows how students can visualize information from the story in order to organize it into thoughts for their writing.

Part II - NETS for Teachers

The NETS I am choosing to focus on this semester is #2: Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments

Teachers design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessment incorporating contemporary tools and resources to maximize content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified in the NETS•S.

Teachers:
a. design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity.

b. develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress.

c. customize and personalize learning activities to address students' diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources.

d. provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and technology standards and use resulting data to inform learning and teaching.

This is important to me as a teacher because I will be developing learning experiences, which really describes using technology in a classroom. Technology creates experiences and I find that to be inspiring. I want to be an engaging teacher that has an infectious enthusiasm for learning.

Ways I will work on this this semester is,

1) through adapting my learning about teaching to include technology. I can already see this happening in other classes and getting ideas about how to do this or that with technology.

2) to think about how I can use technology to reach students with different learning styles and abilities. Technology can help teach to every multiple intelligence from musical to kinesthetic and I want to be able to possess the knowledge to do that.

3) familiarize myself with the wide span of technology available to me as a teacher. The more I learn about the options out there, the more I realize I don't know! The possibilities are endless, but the more I learn about what is out there, the more I can pick and choose what will be best for my teaching style.

Part III - NETS for Students

The NETS for Students I am focusing on is #2: Communication and Collaboration

Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others.

Students:
a. interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media.
b. communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats.
c. develop cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with learners of other cultures.
d. contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems.

This standard struck a chord with me because I think collaborative learning is an effective tool for teachers to use. Working together on projects promotes co-operation and communication, an imprtant skill for children to learn.

Project #1

The first assignment I could do with my students using this standard is to emphasize point c. by having the students write to penpals from different countries through email. We could focus on one country, or have teams that would cover certain countries and then teach the other students what they are learning from their penpals. Another option is to get in contact with a classroom from another country, match up students to be penpals, and then possibly have a "party" with video streaming at the end of the year. This would be a great way to teach students about not only communicating with people from your own country, but from other countries as well. You can pull so many different things into this like geography, food, dance, music, art and clothing.

Project #2

Another assignment I could do is to have the students create a story complete with pictures on the smartboard. There could be teams where the students would have to co-operate with each other on the storyline, the illustrations, the characters, etc. This could be after a lesson on plot, setting and theme and they would have to follow a certain pattern of story writing. Laptops would be a great tool for this so that each team could work on their own laptop. This lesson would emphasis creativity, communication and collaboration all while using technology.