Category Archives: Module A

The videos showed some great and noteworthy uses of technology in the classroom. I was happy to see that most teachers focused on creating inquiry based activities and allowed student to build knowledge and in a sense answer their own questions by implementing proper use of technology. I really enjoyed the one point teacher F made in saying that the technology allowed students to push a question and inquiry beyond the limits that would normally have been afforded. He also noted the importance to create student groups with varied levels of technology proficiencies to allow peers to support one another.

One of the most interesting set of videos I found were the ones from learning environment 4. I didn’t find the lesson activity as interesting as some of the others but I did however note the interviews made between the retiring teacher and the new teacher. Neither teacher seemed to be comfortable with the use of technology in the classroom. I often have heard this opinion from older teachers but was very surprised to hear it from the new teacher. I was also shocked with the reasons they gave. The new teacher said she didn’t have exposure in teachers college? I was surprised by this because four years ago I went to teachers college and was amazed with the amount of technology training. However, my undergraduate degree in Computer Science and although I teach in primarily in an elementary setting, I do have high-school teachable courses in Math and ICT. Perhaps there should be more of a focus for computer professionals teaching in elementary settings?  I was also shocked that the new teacher didn’t have any complaints about technology availability. For me availability has been the most prominent barrier for technology integration. The excuses of not having enough time to practice and become comfortable with technology to me seem strange. I can’t imagine that while completing university today you wouldn’t need to be well versed and comfortable catching on to new technologies in tight deadlines?   I would certainly hold the opinion that pre-service teacher training needs to ensure that new teachers are given access to the use and training of new technology. There should also be some assessment done to ensure that graduates are comfortable and proficient with plenty of new technology.

Keith

Digital technology in math or science classrooms can sometimes be used more of an accommodation rather than a tool that inspires and facilitates student to extend their understanding. Good use of digital technology requires a good plan of pedagogy and lesson planning around the use of the digital technology. The lessons should not simply ‘tack-on’ technology as a crutch or a modification to a lesson that could function without digital technology. The students should explore the use of the technology in an inquiry based learning experience and develop their own understanding of how the technology works and how it can help them learn.

I also feel that proper use of technology should promote students to become self -directed, work at their own pace, and track progress over time. Today, it is much more feasible to provide each student a personalized experience based on a particular need. If a student struggles with a concept then more practice and explanation should be provided. If they have acquired or mastered a skill, they should be able to move on to the next concept or receive an engaging activity that enriches their knowledge. This would ensure that students are remediated or enriched as needed and create a differentiated learning experience that meets the needs and interests of a diverse population of individuals.

Keith Greenhalf

Heather had some very common science misconceptions such as the seasons being caused by the distance to the sun. I think this misconception comes from 2 things one a basic logical assumptions that would assume if the sun is a source of heat than the further away we are the colder it is. This logic falls apart when you take in to account the northern and southern hemispheres have summer at opposite times of the year. I also think this misconception comes from being taught incorrect science. I have personally observed on more than one account, teachers teach this very incorrect assumption and in honesty thought that the clip of the teacher’s moon phase lesson was awful and confusing at best for the kids. Most primary teachers have little to no training in math, science, or technology.  I’d rather a student learn no science that backward science. It is much easier to learn and commit a new idea to memory than it is to correct or ‘un-learn’ and incorrectly learned idea.

I remember having a frustrating discussion with my 78yr old grandmother about how rotting meat actually doesn’t turn into maggots. Even though Francesco Redi dispelled the idea in the mid 1600’s, parts of society and even teachers still held the notion of meat turning into maggots in the early 1930s when my grandmother was born. She actually told me that is what she was taught in school. I tried to ‘un-teach’ my poor grandmother the spontaneous maggot generation theory but I think after 78 years she will likely not remember my new teachings over her original conception.

Something in science that is a pet peeve of mine is the commonly taught idea of the tongue map. The tongue map or taste map is a common misconception that different sections of the tongue are exclusively responsible for different basic tastes. It is illustrated with a schematic map of the tongue, with certain parts of the tongue labeled for each taste. Although widely taught in schools, this was scientifically disproven by later research; all taste sensations come from all regions of the tongue, although parts may be more sensitive to certain flavors. I found an interesting article addressing the misconception of the tongue map idea titled “The Tongue Map, Real or Not?” (Marshall, 2013) In this article a teacher uses an inquiry based lesson to have students taste different flavors interpret the results and decide for themselves what to believe about the concept of the tongue map. I found this to be an excellent approach to battling misconceptions that would likely never be an issue for these students again afterward.

Reference

Marshall, P. (2013). The Tongue Map, Real or Not?. The American Biology Teacher, 75(8), 583-586.

I remember when the iphone was first introduced. I was a computer science student at the time and was amazed with the technology. They weren’t available in Canada yet but since we lived in Windsor ON some of my fellow classmates had gone over to Detroit, bought one and then ‘jailbroke’ the phone so it could work with a Canadian sim card. It’s hard to believe this was only 2007? Today a touch screen is as normal to children as a television was to me.  In teachers college I was impressed with the training and experience I was able to have using interactive whiteboards. The first time I used a SMART Board my face lit up like a Christmas tree. I was astonished by the power and the potential to create new and unconventional ways of teaching and instructing. However I have been a little disappointed with my observations of how the school boards use the levels of technology available. I imagined that observing what takes place in education now should be revolutionary in comparison to when I went to grade school but I often see the exact same lessons and pedagogy just projected on a more colorful interactive screen. I actually still see many teachers still using overhead projectors. I am left wondering if education is something that can keep the course and be ok or if we are quickly falling behind in properly training students to be on the forefront of research and innovation?

Hello everyone. My name is Keith Greenhalf . This is the end of my second year as an MET student this semester I am taking 3 courses and will complete my 9^th course thus far in the program. I worked as a special education teacher for the last 4 years in a small First Nation community called Kitkatla, British Columbia. Before that I worked as a developmental service worker supporting individuals with exceptional needs.

My wife and I had a little girl last spring and have moved back to our home town Windsor Ontario to be closer to family. I am currently working part time as a Mad Scientist which is an educational organization that provides an entertaining show and workshop experience for school aged kids while learning how to be a new dad.

I look forward to meeting some of my classmates online and learning together.

Keith