Technology
provides students with many different ways to be reflective of their work and
evaluate their progress. One way that students can do this is through the use
of a blog. The students can talk about what they are learning, what’s troubling
them, things they find interesting, and so much more. Teachers can also use
online surveys, such as ProfilerPRO, to find out students learning styles and
needs. When the students know how they best learn, they can be proactive
towards their success. Other online surveys include SurveyMonkey and Zoomerang.
To get
the students minds ready for a project, it is important to tap prior knowledge
and generate student’s interest. Get the students to think, wonder, talk about,
and ask questions about the subject you will be diving into. One way to do this
is through the introduction of something related to the topic, using pictures,
old posters, movie clips, anything that will cause the students to wonder.
Encourage students to talk about these things with their family and friends.
When
beginning a project, it is important to remember to teach the basics/fundamentals
so that students have the knowledge and background information necessary to
reach their fullest potential of learning. One key ingredient in a successful project
is setting the stage for inquiry. Students need to be aware of what they know
and don’t know about a project. To help students think about this, you can have
them fill out a KWL chart, but it’s important not to introduce a KWL chart too
soon. Teachers should also share the assessment rubric. Expectations for
students should not be kept in the dark. When students know what is expected of
them, they can better produce a quality project worth being proud of.
There are
several important steps for preparing students for technology use. One way to
familiarize students with technology is setting up a technology playground.
Students can play around with the technology they will be using with the
project. It’s also important to use your resources. Your students! A lot of
students are very tech savvy. Use that to your advantage. The students can help
each other learn. Another step is introducing project-management tools. These
can be as simple as checklists, project logs, or journals. It is also helpful to
demonstrate how to use the tools, if you don’t feel comfortable demonstrating,
see if the media specialist can help out.
There
are several ways to promote inquiry and deep learning. It’s important to guide
students to ask deep, meaningful questions that will result in powerful
learning opportunities. Encourage the students to ask questions that are not
limiting.
This
chapter relates to our project because we need to be sure that we are setting
our students up for success. Preparing our students for the tasks ahead will be
crucial. Students need to have the proper knowledge to complete projects, such
as knowing their fractions so that they can use measuring cups.
I agree that it is very important to promote inquiry and deep learning. We need to use these technological tools now so that we can teach and use them with our own students.
ReplyDeleteYou did a good job of including all the important points from chapter 6. I agree that we need to set up our students up for success, preparing for tasks and proper knowledge on projects.
ReplyDeleteGood job with covering all the main points of this chapter. I like how you pointed out that it is useful to set up a technology playground. I agree that setting up a technology playground allows students to explore the tool that they will be using independently. I like how you touched on the point that it is helpful to tap prior knowledge and generate student’s interest. I agree that this helps students to get engaged with the topic that they will be getting into, and working on. Good job!
ReplyDeleteI agree that we need to prepare our students for success. That is our main goal as teachers and sometimes it can be hard to remember that when we're worried about curriculum issues and other things.
ReplyDelete