Tag Archives: engaging

Reflections on Anchored Instruction Posts/Discussion

 

After reading through the myriad of posts in the Anchored Instruction portion of module B several themes seemed to stand out. When discussing the Jasper Series videos the value of this type of teaching and learning was evident. My peers spoke to the abstract thinking that is an outcome of learning. In addition, the positive learning that occurs through collaboration, having an authentic purpose for learning, engaging students, a student centered and constructivist approach and scaffolded problem solving were all hilighted.

On the other hand, many also alluded to the possible drawbacks to using this style of teaching/learning. The lack of teacher understanding of how to use the videos effectively surfaced, as well as the problems with lack of technology training for educators, which may leave them at a disadvantage when attempting to incorporate anchored instruction using these videos or technology in general.Several peers also mentioned that these videoes were a bit outdated and that newer technology(ies) could provide the same type of anchored instruction. Virtual reality was suggested, as well as videos that are even more interactive and open-ended.

It was interesting to read that several peers were attempting to integrate anchored instruction in their own classrooms but tailoring it to meet both their own needs and the needs of their students. I think seeing the videos provided some with a springboard which they could then use to change or start to change their math program. If nothing else, the videos provided a new way to look at math instruction and although there would be a learning curve before fully integrating this type of instruction in a classroom, many felt that anchored instruction and using videos would be a valuable component of a student centered classroom.

I still have questions about evaluation/assessment as well as how to properly scaffold group work and collaboration. I believe in constructivist teaching/learning but I also understand that it is not a linear way to teach and learn and it takes a lot of work and flexibility in approach. This may not be comfortable for some educators and having a mentor to help them through developing a classroom with anchored instruction components would be beneficial.

Considering WISE Design and Jasper Adventures

Wise research aims to bridge the gap between the research that shows the efficacy of inquiry learning in science and the method in which science is generally delivered. In science specifically it has been found that students have many misunderstandings developed either through experiences, concepts or examples (Linn, M., Clark, D. & Slotta, J., 2003). In order to address these, WISE curriculum projects promote knowledge integration through providing inquiry projects which are flexible, customizable and adaptive. They also believe in sustainability. Through field testing and multiple cycles of trial, adaptation and refinement the inquiry projects are continually honed to meet the specific needs of the students. In this way WISE is a bottom up approach rather than a top down approach and is meeting the educational goal of delivering curriculum in a differentiated way, which is one of the goals of education.

In addition, WISE supports the provision of an instructional pattern to assist students through the inquiry. These include eliciting student ideas, adding ideas to these and supporting the process learning to improve understanding. In this way WISE is able to scaffold the students’ learning in an indirect way, while still providing them with many pathways to reach their conclusions. WISE guides the students through the inquiry project without being prescriptive, which leads to deeper learning.

In addition, WISE project teams are made up of diverse partners so as to provide a more holistic inquiry. These include pedagogical specialists, scientists, teachers, and technology designers. WISE framework design principles include making thinking visible, making science accessible, helping students learn from each other, and  promoting lifelong learning, all goals of 21st century education as well as sound pedagogy.

Further to this, many WISE inquiry projects have been designed with detailed steps for the first inquiry investigation and then providing less detailed steps in subsequent projects. In this way students are able to move from supported learning to more independent pathways. This method is debated. When considering the Jasper Series, the belief that students can develop basic skills in the context of meaningful problem posing and problem-solving activities rather than isolated “targets” of instruction seems to refute this. That being said, the Jasper Series coincides with WISE with its emphasis on complex, problem solving, communication and reasoning and in connecting mathematics to the world outside the classroom. (Cognition and Technology and Technology Group at Vanderbilt, 1992).

Looking at this more closely in WISE design it has been found that students prefer to not have a lot of detail before they begin their inquiry, but rather work well with an  initial page that provides an entry into the disciplinary knowledge and provides hyperlinks for students who wish more detail. In this way, making science accessible may not mean making it simple (Linn et al., 2003). This mirrors the anchored instruction shown in the Jasper Series as well.

Another link between the Jasper Series and WISE seems to be the belief that the educator should be a facilitator rather than the disseminator of information. In WISE an inquiry map helps students work independently on their project with prompts that help guide through process. Teachers can also easily customize the projects to match their curriculum and students.

The flexible, continually changing approach to WISE is based on the need for scientific materials that enable local adaptation along with support from multiple cycles of trial and refinement. Students’ needs and what scientific inquiries which engage them are also closely considered. Providing students with content they are interested in and that may have an impact on them is part of the real-world problem solving that is encapsulated in anchored instruction.  This continual refinement is also found in the Jasper Series. Technology can provide for this, whereas traditional textbooks cannot. Furthermore new technologies can be integrated into WISE and the system itself scaffolds the use of offline activities by providing a project context, a pedagogical framework, and proven curriculum design patterns.

Customizing WISE would be beneficial. If I were to use any of the inquiries I could integrate the climate and realities in Northwestern Ontario or the Canadian Shield. In addition I could integrate information about Lake Superior, one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world, which is situated in Thunder Bay (the students’ hometown). Local flora and fauna could be considered. The seasons and the weather locally could also be integrated. These are just some examples.

Linn, M., Clark, D., & Slotta, J. (2003). Wise design for knowledge integration. Science Education, 87 (4), 517-538.

Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt (1992). The jasper experiment: An exploration of issues in learning instructional design. Educational Technology Research and Development, 40 (1), 65-80.

Video Cases- My Reflections

The collection of videos I watched in Module A reflected current successes and concerns around the use of technology in math and science classrooms. Although they highlighted the underlying issues with the integration of technology into the math and science classrooms they also showed the light at the end of this tunnel.

The issues seemed to correlate with my thoughts as I unpacked some of my own assumptions. Access to computer labs as well as time came up several times within the videos. In addition, the lack of training or perceived lack of competence using technology to teach was revealed when the new teacher said she felt that she wanted to incorporate technology in her teaching, but that she felt pressured due to time constraints and the fact that she felt that she didn’t have enough prior knowledge of the technology to teach it properly. She also felt unprepared to troubleshoot in the moment, which seemed to make her fearful of trying to incorporate the technology.  Considering student issues with technology, interestingly one of the students videoed reflected on the graphing calculator and although she used it because she said it saved time and she was “lazy”, she also relayed the fact that she felt that it disguised her mathematical problem solving and that she preferred pencil and paper to work out her math problem, at least initially.

I also noticed that technology was viewed as a “time” saver in some ways, and in another way was used for project based work, which tended to take more time and be more in depth. I think this was based on how the technology was used, whether for solving a specific problem or creating a presentation. This was just a reflection.

Another theme I noticed was that the technology used seemed to be limited to a few “tried and true” uses. This is not an underlying issue, just a reflection I made as I watched the videos. I think with technology often educators become familiar with a specific set of technology uses or presentation tools and stick with them. They also share these with other educators and so these get used more and more. One example of this would be the overuse (in my view) of PowerPoint when there are many more varied options available to present information in the same way.  Again, this is probably due to time and training.

On the positive side technology was being used in many of the classrooms. From Powerpoint to podcasting, internet researching, animated GIFs, Flash presentations, graphic calculators to problem solve, videotaping creative dramatic science representations, soundscapes, etc. Both educators and students found it engaging and it helped to promote teamwork and partnered problem solving. In addition, pencil and paper was not thrown out the window but was seamlessly incorporated as part of the learning process, technology working alongside this. Different student learning needs were met with the variety of ways they could both access learning and present their understandings.

In considering a response to some of the underlying issues I chose to focus on using the resources available to the best of their capabilities. New teachers should be mentored and supported through being teamed up with more seasoned educators and then allowed to use technology in their teaching with guidance and supports. In addition, educators should be given time to share technology tools at staff meetings or division meetings. Students should also be utilized as an important resource when integrating technology in your teaching. Often the students are able to figure out how to use the technology, or already know how to use it and can show the teacher. Teachers need to bring the technology in, even if they are feeling a bit unsure. Even if the educator can wrap there head around one new technology tool, it may promote them to use it and to slowly integrate technology into their classroom.

In summation, I think it is important that technology is providing for differentiation. Students are not only bound to textbooks and written work, but are able to act, produce, reflect, create, problem solve, hypothesize, cooperate and present using technology as a tool. This is important and is providing for a deeper and more engaging learning experience for many.  I look forward to reading your reflections.

Observing and Analyzing Digital Technology In Science Classes-Video Reflections

Following are some of my reflections after watching the first set of videos in the “grounding issues” section of the course.

Firstly, the educators believed that technology allowed them to provide the students with open ended questions that allowed them to do more critical thinking, think more in-depth and to actually try alot harder when they tackled problems posed. So, teacher perspective on the value of technology was a factor.

In addition, when viewing the video in which the students are growing crystals, I found it interesting that this was actually not part of their curriculum but the educator saw the connections between the growing of crystals and his subject area (physics) and so allowed them to do the experiment and find connections betweeen the chemistry and physics organically. This interdisciplinary approach allowed the students to work on an engaging activity while still learning about thermodynamics (for example).

Technology was used through a “mini-computer” that allowed the students to regulate and display temperature, amongst other capabilities and thus combined chemistry with electrical engineering. The learning looked to be cooperative and engaging and one of the students remarked that “experiencing” the learning first hand was of great value to him.

One thing I thought of when watching these videos is that the technological competence of the teacher seemed high, and this may not be so for all teachers. He would be a great resource in a school as his expertise could be used to help other educators to incorporate technology in their classrooms. I also wondered if he learned this on his own because of his self-interest in technology or if there was training provided.

So some main ideas:

Interdisciplinary Approach

Teacher Efficacy

Open Ended Problem Solving Approach

Cooperative Learning