Hi everyone! I'll be posting two articles for discussion this week. The first is an article on how technology impacts thinking and learning, and implications for technology use in the classroom.
You can find the article here and an overview of the article here.
Please comment on the following questions...
-What have you observed when students interact with technology in your classroom? What are you currently doing and how can you use technology more effectively after reading this article?
-What role does working memory play in the effectiveness of technology? What considerations need to be made to differentiate for all learners when we use technology in the classroom?
I incorporate technology into my Talented Theatre classes on a daily basis. My three Title I schools have received grants to purchase instructional equipment such as microphones, light boards, theatre Parnell lights, and soundboards. When casting any show, some students audition for my cast, while others beg to be crew members who open the stage curtain, run the boards, stage manage, etc. I am also a strong proponent of using videos as exemplars of outstanding work. I utilize Youtube and BlueGobo.com to show students different speeches, accents, and clips from plays and musicals. Recently, my students completed a playwriting unit entirely on computers, improving their keyboarding skills. We also use computers when analyzing/reviewing/critiquing peer work. Finally, I always start class with an improvised scene and use a stopwatch to time student progress.
ReplyDeleteAs the article indicated, students need working memory space to accommodate multimedia and technology in the classroom. Therefore, teachers that incorporate technology have to account for students' individual differences in working memory capacities. As Zadina states in Chapter 3, students with a lower capacity may experience anxiety when this capacity is overloaded. Teachers should use a variety of modalities in teaching and allow for varied modalities for students to express what they have learned. Additionally, based on research about the brain's plasticity, teachers incorporating small doses of technology and scaffolding students may actually see a genuine improvement in students' working memory.
-Jamie Hipp
So far in my classroom, technology is rarely used. We have a Smartboard but it is mostly just used for bellringers at the beginning of class and the students do not interact with it at all.
ReplyDeleteWorking memory seems to play a role in the effectiveness of technology in the classroom differently for each student. Depending on what kind of working memory a student has determine whether or not technology will be beneficial to the student. I think it is important for teachers to offer multiple forms of technology integration in order to cater to all of her students. Some students' working memory uses technology better than others therefore it is important to keep this in mind when lesson planning for technology in the classroom.
Shelli and Jamie - thanks for sharing your experiences.
ReplyDeleteShelli - do you think the Smartboard would be helpful at all to use with your main lessons?
Jamie - I think you make a good point about potentially overloading students with technology. Have any of your students shown anxiety with using technology in your theater productions? Or do you think it helps to give them a choice for whether or not they sign up?
Maya,
DeleteIn reflections and feedback exercises, my kiddos have expressed that they believe being a crew member is way more difficult than being a cast member. We are constantly discussing the issue of "rehearsal." Actors and actresses can rehearse their lines at home or with a buddy at recess. They can work on character voices, movements, and facial expressions just about anywhere. Students working with technology, though, are limited to working with it onstage or backstage.
I have attempted putting student-made tutorial videos for various technology that we use (light board, sound board,etc.) online for student perusal at home. I have found, especially in elementary school, that the students are not independent enough to take the initiative to watch the videos at home.
-Jamie Hipp
I think the Smartboard could be helpful at times, but I teach English so it is not as useful as it would be in a Math classroom. Although, last semester I taught 6th grade and occasionally we used it for an interactive quiz. The kids really enjoyed that because they could see the results immediately after each question. Also we frequently used it to keep notes and student contributions for each class during class discussions. I guess now that I am thinking about it more and how often we used it in 6th grade maybe I should try to incorporate it into some of my lessons for my 9th graders.
ReplyDeleteHow can you use a smartboard for an interactive quiz? That sounds interesting. And I agree about having trouble finding uses for a smart board (I even feel that way even with math). There should be PD on ideas for smart board usage in classrooms of all subjects!
DeleteI am currently student teaching Algebra I for 9th grade students. We use our Smartboard on a daily basis. It is a great tool that easily allows us to create graphs and work problems with the students. We can also save the slides and give them to the students who were absent, which is something you can't do if you used a whiteboard. In addition, the students use our classroom set of graphing calculators on a daily basis. I think that because they are allowed to use the calculator every day, they have become somewhat dependent on it. Their basic arithmetic skills are so poor that they type things like 2 x 4 into the calculator.
ReplyDeleteEach student has a personal laptop to use at school. We don't incorporate using the laptops into every lesson; I would say maybe one lesson per week incorporates about 30 - 45 minutes of laptop use. This week, the students were learning how to graph quadratic functions. We developed a lesson in which they used a great website in which you type in an equation and it graphs your equations in different colors. This allowed the students to see the differences in the equations and sort of discover the concept on their own. The directions were very straight forward and easy to follow, so the students spent their time focusing on the lesson content and not trying to figure out what we expected them to do. We also used the Smartboard to work an example with them on the website so that they could see exactly what we were looking at.
I think if a teacher incorporates technology into a lesson, it can be overwhelming for the students especially if they don't understand what they are expected to do. Instead of using technology as a tool, it becomes more difficult for the students to learn the material. Like Shelli, I think it is important to offer multiple forms of technology incorporation so that you aren't just appealing to the working memory of one type of student.
Amy - the example of discovery learning is a great example of using technology in the classroom. What a great way to teach quadratic functions in a way that the content will stick.
DeleteOne challenge I'm finding with CCSS math standards is that a lot of the online content available is more procedure based and less concept based. I teach younger students, but if you have any recommendations on useful sites or programs I'd be interested!
Maya,
DeleteHere are a couple of sites that might be useful to you. The first is just a set of virtual math manipulatives. I though that this would be great for using with a Smartboard; I'm sure the students would love come up and use the manipulatives on the board. The second is sort of a game site; you can choose your grade level and then there are options as to what you choose to play. I thought that maybe the brain teaser type questions could be used to more deeply explore content rather than procedure. The final site is IXL math. It is aligned to CCSS; you select a grade level and it gives you a list of the standards for that grade. Listed under the standards are questions aligned with that standard. Some of them are procedural based, but again some are very concept based.
http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/grade_g_1.html
http://www.eduplace.com/kids/mw/
http://www.ixl.com/standards/common-core/math?gclid=CNq8mZum3akCFeVx5QodoFbvbQ
I hope these are somewhat helpful!
Thanks! These look great.
DeleteMaya,
ReplyDeleteLast semester I student taught in a flipped classroom where we made video lessons so the kids could watch them at home. This could be very beneficial for students that need to pause and rewind and have more time to digest the content before coming to class the next day and discussing it and asking questions. However this only works if the students have the initiative to watch the videos and come to class with questions. This semester I am in a classroom that has a smartboard and the kids love taking turns going to the board and writing on them. I think it can be a great tool for interaction. My only concern with this is for the introverted kids, they don't always want to go write on the board. I have seen other classrooms use neopod and I think this can be great for kids that don't want to go upfront and work problems for the whole class to see. This would be great for differentiation because the shyer kids can get feedback without the whole class knowing who did what, but the teacher knows.We also provide internet links to the students to look at to help with their learning, but I honestly don't know if any of them even use the links provided. The students also use an computer software for their math homework, which I think helps some students. I feel like technology can enhance learning, but I don't think it can be the sole method of student learning in the classroom. I would love to learn about other ways to incorporate technology in the classroom for when I have my own classroom.
Meredith, I love the idea of a flipped classroom model. Did you receive any specific training or read any books to prepare for this? I'd love to learn more about it.
DeleteMaya, what a fabulous article!
ReplyDeleteMy school is blessed with a lot of technology We have a set of 20 ipads for our 52 1st graders and both classrooms have a new SMART board (new in the past month). I remember we had the ipads last year and the students enjoyed them, but grew bored rather quickly. We had downloaded some games and spent a little money, but the interest soon wore off. This year we got a program called Dreambox,. It is a math app where students log in to their name and the game let’s them pick up where they left off in the program. The neat thing is that the game tracks not only correct answers, but also their hand movements on the game to let them know how students are solving problems, then giving them new challenges intended to strengthen their skills. For example, when asked to put 26 apples in the basket student A might grab apples in groups of 2 and make 13 swipes to move the apples, student B might grab 2 groups of 10 and then 6, and student C might grab apples one at a time. Each student answered the question correctly, but student C is at a different level of understanding of the concept. The app would then give student C tasks to strengthen that skill. It’s quite incredible! Challenging… check! Solvable… check! As I’m sure you’ve guess my students are totally hooked! So, no, the ipads in of themselves are not engaging, but as the article states, a teacher must know what to do with them. This year I feel like we are using that technology truly to engage and help students learn.
`The second half of the article made me think a lot about my use of the SMART board in my classroom. It’s brand new, so I am still adding ways we use it to our daily routines. We have not gotten any training on it, but I am hoping that we do soon! I have been using SMART exchange and that has helped. So far I have just been basking in the ability to show my students things on a big screen and being able to prepare material ahead of time. One limitation I have found is that students only see what we are talking about during the lesson. For example, I had my morning calendar time of the SMART board, but then realized students couldn’t refer to it throughout the day. I realized that I needed to have important learning on the walls where they could have access to it.
Jamie, I was especially interested in how you used technology in a theatre class. What a gift to be able to expose students to such a variety of other actors, productions, accents etc.
Shelli, I am wondering if you could use the SMART board to project the writing of others, each other and people outside their world. It might be fun for them to use the colored pens to notice things about other’s work and use that to improve their own work.
Amy, I loved hearing about your students using computers in math. I remember learning math as a set of steps and never really understanding what it meant. I can still remember the quadratic equation, but I have no idea what it means… I just know that I plug numbers into it, and out pops the answer I want! Do you find the working memory problem the article talked about? Did the graphing overwhelm any of your students? Thanks for sharing your websites! I have been looking for some online manipulatives. These are perfect!
Meredith, I’ve always heard about flipped classrooms, but I’ve never talked to anyone who actually tried it out. How it work out? Did most students do the work outside of class? Was the technology required a blessing or did it crash or have technical complications a lot? Those are both roadblocks I imagine in a flipped classroom
Katy,
DeleteI have to agree that it is a special gift to be able to provide access to the amazing technology that is available at the elementary theatre level! I feel strongly about reminding my students that good theatre can be done anywhere (I encourage them to write/perform original works at home and with their friends) but it transcends what we do to an entirely different (almost professional) level when we incorporate the technology. I find that my students take such ownership of their work (and think deeper!) when they wear microphones, perform under stage lights, and sew their costumes. It is no surprise that your students are hooked on the math app and probably take ownership of their work and think more deeply!
-Jamie Hipp
Katy - I'm glad you enjoyed the article! I enjoyed reading your reflections on your own use of classroom technology.
DeleteDo you think the iPads are any easier for students to use than a laptop or desktop? We mostly have desktops for our younger students and I'm curious to know about the iPads. Thanks!
Katy, I'm so glad that the manipulatives were useful to you! I actually did not find that activity was overwhelming to any of my students. Some of them even commented that it really helped them to see the graphs and they were glad that we used the computer to learn this concept. But like I said, the directions were very clear and I worked an example with the students on the Smartboard using the website so that they could focus on the content rather than interpreting the instructions. I think that this is important to keep in my mind when we incorporate technology in our lessons.
DeleteIt seems that technology has become a staple in classrooms today. In my teaching experience, students are very interested in technology. This is more so when the students have hands-on experience with the technology being used. If technology is incorporated correctly, the students are engaged throughout the entire lesson. My students are excited about technology about 90% of the time. Although technology can be wonderful resources, there are times that I find my students can get sidetracked. This usually takes place when they are required to watch a video. Overall, I believe technology is needed in classrooms today, but teachers have a big responsibility when they incorporate technology in their lessons. As it was stated in the article, the technology being used has to be directly related to the content and main ideas of the lesson. I believe that it is also important not to use the same modes of technology constantly. The “new wears off” and students begin to lose interest. If the students lose interest, the technology could be seen as more of a distraction in the classroom. The working memory of a student could be negatively affected by this. If the technology is not making a positive impact on the lesson, it could lead to the students to multitask, which could possibly lead to less cognitive ability. This could be because the students would be thinking of other things instead of the objective of the lesson. Although there can be cons with all things, technology is a great addition to classrooms, because it peaks the students interest (if incorporated correctly). Educators just have to make it a point to incorporate technology that has a purpose and direct impact on the lesson being presented.
ReplyDeleteI think technology is wonderful, but I totally agree about the sidetracked statement and the importance of incorporating technology correctly! Last semester I was in a school that was 1 to 1 with laptops and every teacher tried to incorporate fun lessons for the students so they could use their laptops, but many of the students would quickly lose interest or they would go on a website during class or do other homework and it was hard to monitor all 33 students. It came to a point where we had to take certain students laptops away, but then they couldn't do the same assignment as everyone else or they had to share computers. And students weren't allowed to bring their chargers to school, so by 5th period the laptops would die. It was kind of a chaotic mess. And teachers kept having meetings about ways to address these issues, and they never really came to a consensus. This is a prime example of how technology can easily go wrong in a classroom.
DeleteAshley and Meredith - these are great points about potential challenges with incorporating technology. We have also had challenges with laptops losing their charge and not being near the charging station. It seems that teachers will need to develop systems and structures specifically related to whatever technology is introduced, like we do for other supplies and routines (sharpening pencils, lining up, etc.)
DeleteA charging station would be a good idea, I didn't even think of that.
DeleteMeredith I am currently experiencing some of these issues at my placement. I ask the students to take out their laptops and some of them haven't charged their computer and don't even have the charger with them! I think a charging station is a great idea! I try not to let this type of issue sidetrack the class for too long. I partner these students with others as quickly as possible and they can make it work. As far as students losing interest, I think it is a good idea to keep the tech lessons short at first. I have found that if I incorporate technology the students start out well and they participate and follow directions, but if the activity gets repetitive this is when they think they have time to sneak away to another site!
DeleteIn my classroom technology is mainly used as a reward especially computer time. Because my students are in and out of the classroom all day it’s a rare occasion when everyone is able to use the computers related to an academic assignment. I use the Promethean board for shake breaks or videos that involve only music and pictures as a form of relaxation. I don’t use technology as much to teach math or reading I use it more to enhance what they already know. I use a lot of hands on activities to help improve motor skills and social skills. I find that the more my students use technology in the classroom, more so the computer, they become more disconnected from their piers especially my students with autism. I try and limit the amount of time they can spend on the computer in the classroom because I think it affects their working memory in a negative way especially when it comes to verbal information like conversation skills. Visually I believe that it positively affects their working memory because they are able to identify pictures and relate ideas.
ReplyDeleteWhen I taught in the general education classroom I used many forms of technology. The students had iPad’s there were computers in the classroom and a projector. We used the iPads for research projects for science and social studies. I used the projector to show videos related to the lesson. I definitely enhanced their technology skills as well as their academic skills because the apps on the iPads provided instant feedback and they were able to track their progress. iPads are one resource I wish I had in my class now especially to better communicate with students with limited verbal ability. It would definitely help break the monotony of the daily routine for the rest of the students.
Morgan Walker
I like your statement that mentions computers can cause a disconnection among peers. It is important for educators to be aware that although technology is a wonderful resource tool, sometimes it can interfere with social interactions among students. Technology is something that majority of students are interested in, and can be of great use in the classroom. Yet, educators need to find a balance for incorporating it into lessons. Students must also know how to interact with other people and technology can not always provide those interactions.
DeleteMorgan - this is a good point about the trade off between technology and hands on instruction. For example, with math, the virtual manipulatives are still more pictorial than concrete. Does anyone have good ideas about when to transition students from concrete experiences into technology?
DeleteTechnology is a huge part of my classroom. We have a massive 70+ inch smart board on wheels. My mentor teacher often teaches lessons from it, using Powerpoint or Word to explain a concept in writing (they’re working on research papers right now). Additionally, we have a cart of 35 laptops that the students have periodic access to when the activity calls for it. Lately they’ve used them to work on their papers in class. The school also has two sets of iPads that can be checked out from the school library. Earlier in the semester, the students used them to make mini-movies related to a unit on drama.
ReplyDeleteOften times in class when the students have a direct task to work on for an extended period of time, we’ll put on light classical music (usually simple piano and strings kind of stuff) for them to listen to. The class definitely works more consistently (not better necessarily) when music is playing, which contradicts one of the claims in Furnham and Bradley’s article, “Music While you Work: The Differential Distraction of Background Music on the Cognitive test Performance of Introverts and Extroverts.” They write about another study in 1972 (Fox and Embrey), “…when music was played consistently throughout the duration of a task, there was no resultant difference in the level of performance to when the task was completed in silence.” This has not been my experience at all. The kids I teach work so much better when music is playing. In fact, last week we didn’t play music during one period (we forgot I guess) and the results of working in silence were less than desirable. I would venture to guess that it keeps them focused on what they’re working more than being something enjoyable for them to listen to. If they were listening to music they enjoyed, it would probably be little more than distracting. It seems to me that when a student is listening to music and studying successfully that he/she is not multitasking at all, the music instead seeping into their subconscious.
While I agree that students with different working memory space need different levels of multimedia and technological instruction, I think technology is important. I don’t see any reason why it should be neglected by instructors if they have ready access to it. I’m reminded of an interview I once saw with Roger Waters, bassist of Pink Floyd, concerning new musical technology such as synthesizers. He said, “It’s all about using the tools that are available…” I feel similarly about new technology and its uses in the classroom. I’ve met some teachers who think incorporating tech in the classroom is a huge mistake but I strongly disagree and have seen how it can be utilized effectly.
heres a link to that article i cite in this post:
Deletehttps://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=listening+to+music+while+studying&hl=en&as_sdt=0&as_vis=1&oi=scholart&sa=X&ei=7lDaVMe4BIWeyQSakYGQAw&ved=0CCQQgQMwAA&surl=1&safe=active