The educational technology in the science and mathematics classroom course has brought forth the idea of \u2018working towards a common goal,\u2019 in my opinion. As clich\u00e9 as it may sound, this course relates to this idea in that we moved through various stages and challenges, learning as we went, about how we could improve on our current practice as professionals, but the ultimate goal remained the same \u2013 educating students with accurate information, that they will understand deeply and meaningfully.<\/p>\n
My overall goal for this course was to learn how best to use educational technology in the math and science classroom from the point of view of an instructional resource teacher. I work, day after day, with students ranging from kindergarten to grade 11, with specific learning disorders, and learning challenges that consistently make everyday learning in their classroom a struggle. It was important for me to use the information I learned in this course to reach my students on a different level, as they learn quite differently. It was also important that I could learn various ways and forms of technology to enhance their learning so it could alleviate some of the stresses they have from their learning struggles. As I moved through the course, I also learned that another valuable tool for me to learn was how to enhance the learning experience of my students since they live in an extremely isolated, rural location. Thus, limiting the number of educational experiences they have. I learned that through various types of technology, I could expose them to different content without having to leave the classroom.<\/p>\n
The information from the course, as well as the content gathered in this inquiry eFolio, demonstrates the significance of the role of the teacher in a technology-rich learning environment. In the first weeks of this course, I wrote about unpacking assumptions:<\/p>\n
\u201cGood use of technology in math and\/or science learning environments consists of active, eager learners that are very engaged with the task at hand. The technology being used has to support the learning goals in order to be considered \u2018good use,\u2019 in my opinion. This takes a bit of planning on the teacher\u2019s part, but it is really important for the technology to be directly tied to the goal. I think there should also be a variety of different types of technologies for students to use to appeal to the different learning styles.\u201d \u2026 \u201cWhen teachers can take a step back and allow students to be interactive and experiment, it shows that it is a good use of technology.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n As I moved through the course, I solidified this thought. The terms, \u2018active,\u2019 \u2018eager,\u2019 \u2018engaged,\u2019 and \u2018experiment,\u2019 continue to be important aspects of great use of technology. I learned that it\u2019s important to allow my students to be or do all of these so I can reach their preferred and successful method of learning.<\/p>\n It also become evident that students come to us with misconceptions that need to be broken down, and then built back up with accurate information. Driver, R., Guesne, E., & Tiberghien, A. (1985) explain that children will likely have interpretations on a topic even before learning it since they form their own ideas from their everyday experiences, life, and conversations, and these ideas will often persist even when they are shown differently. When a student comes to school, they are not blank slates, and their previously acquired knowledge will effect how they interpret and understand new information. Through this topic it became evident to me that many of my students likely have many misconceptions that are confusing the intake of new information. In the case of A Private Universe<\/em>, we watched, as students would revert back to old information that they had stored in their brains when pressed with an unknown question. Driver et al. (1985) also explain that since every student will likely have different misconceptions, the same lesson that is taught can be interpreted differently by each individual student. These are all factors that we must take into account when encountering learning challenges. Relating back to the idea of working towards a common goal, we learned that it took various strategies to reach the educational goal in order to get through these misconceptions.<\/p>\n Through the case studies provided in Module A, as well as my interview with the math\/science teacher in my school, it was apparent that the attitudes of teachers had a lot to do with the successful implementation of technology in the classroom, as well as using it in the correct way. Technology in education is more than just the device that students use. It is how the devices are used to solve problems, change thinking and develop positive attitudes towards learning (Shyu H. Y. C., 2000). If the teachers don\u2019t have a positive attitude towards the technology, or they only used it as a time-filler, it is not being used to enhance or reach the goal of the lesson. Good use of technology in the classroom allows for students to be independent\/active learners, not relying on the teacher to do the whole thing. As stated by my interviewee:<\/p>\n \u201cTechnology also evens the playing field for a lot of my students. In science, I teach grades 7, 8, and 9 together, and there is a big jump between some of the grade 7s and 9s. When we can use technology, it gives some of the weaker students the ability to be on the same level as the older students \u2013 especially those that have learning disorders in reading and writing.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n This teacher learned to use technology to enhance the learning for all students, and they were able to reach their goal regardless of learning needs in the classroom.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Moving on to Module B, we learned about technology-enhanced learning experiences (TELEs). While analyzing the various technologies, I kept the following definition in mind:<\/p>\n \u201cMuffoletto (1994) observes that, \u201cTechnology is commonly thought of in terms of gadgets, instruments, machines, and devices\u2026\u201d but that it \u201c[I]s not a collection of machines and devices, but a way of acting.\u201d Educational technology is a combination of the processes and tools involved in addressing educational needs and problems, with an emphasis on applying the most current tools, such as computers and their related technologies.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n It was important to view the content in the course as not just solely the technology, but how the technology could enhance the learning process. Not only does this tie into the theme of working towards a common goal, but it also deepened my thought process of the construction of TELEs and the concept of TPACK. Since technology is becoming ever so prevalent in education, it is important to understand how to incorporate it appropriately to develop TPACK in the classroom. Just using the tools itself does not create TPACK. The teachers need to understand the technology, and then combine it with the other factors to ensure productive use and positive learning. \u201cProductive technology integration in teaching needs to consider all three issues not in isolation, but rather within the complex relationships in the system defined by the three key elements\u201d (Mishra & Koehler, 2006). Technology in education is more than just the device that students use. It is how the devices are used to solve problems, change thinking and develop positive attitudes towards learning (Shyu H. Y. C., 2000). It is also built upon the concept that learning is cooperative (Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt, 1992). Students have the ability to not only work together with technology, but also work with people around the world since\u00a0technology offers so much in the way of allowing learners to extend beyond the confines of the classroom walls. Students are building conceptual understanding by global networking. Thus, the ideal TELE would be cooperative, engaging, positive, interactive and global.<\/p>\n The various TELEs that we were educated on all rested on the constructivist theory and all had commonalities in the roles of the teachers and students. In The Jasper Series, Ski and WISE, LFU and TGEM learning all occurred through constructing and modifying existing knowledge. The role of the teacher remained the same in that they would act as facilitator of learning and provide scaffolding when needed, to \u201ctransform the teacher from a director of inquiry to a facilitator of inquiry\u201d (Linn, Clark, & Slotta, 2003). The role of the student was to develop meaningful skills, become independent thinkers and learners as well as understand the when, how, and why we use these skills or concepts. Reviewing these TELEs, while some were outdated, allowed me to become exposed to how these learning experiences and how they could enhance the learning experience in the math and science classroom. Not only would they be using technology in the class, but it would be used in a way to make learning meaningful and deeper. Christopher Clarke (2019) mentioned in his discussion post:<\/p>\n \u201c…<\/em>they are all different takes on technology that are designed around specific learning goals related to STEAM disciplines. They work towards uncovering and rectifying prior misconceptions held by students through inquiry-based activities, and they give the students space to explore, fail, and pick themselves up again while being in a safe, controlled environment.\u201c<\/em><\/p>\n This statement was important to me because it explained the process that students would go through while working through the learning experience.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em>Overall, my practice has been influenced, and it is something I will think about as I move through my teaching career. Students come to us with misconceptions, and these have to be worked through in order to serve them with accurate and meaningful knowledge. The theme of working towards a common goal still holds true as ultimately we want our students to work through whatever misconceptions they may have, while using technology to enhance their learning. As long as the technology is serving that purpose, it is being used in an appropriate manner. I have learned that my students with significant learning challenges can still be an active member of the classroom, and by letting them guide their learning by making mistakes, and exploring new things, lets them navigate these misconceptions and change their wealth of knowledge. Using theoretical frameworks, we can work towards the common goal of educating our students.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n References:<\/p>\n Clarke, C. (March 4, 2019). Web log comment. Retrieved from: https:\/\/canvas.ubc.ca\/courses\/19803\/discussion_topics\/209321<\/p>\n Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt (1992). The Jasper experiment: An exploration of issues in learning and instructional design.\u00a0Educational Technology, Research and Development, 40<\/em>(1), 65-80.<\/p>\n Driver, R., Guesne, E., & Tiberghien, A. (1985). Children\u2019s ideas and the learning of science. Children\u2019s ideas in science, 1-9.<\/p>\n Linn, M., Clark, D., & Slotta, J. (2003). Wise design for knowledge integrations.\u00a0Science Education, 87<\/em>(4), 517-538. DOI: 10.1002\/sce\/10086<\/p>\n Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. J. (2006). Technological pedagogical content knowledge: A framework for teacher knowledge.\u00a0Teachers College Record, 108<\/em>(6), 1017-1054. doi:10.1111\/j.1467-9620.2006.00684.x<\/p>\n Muffoletto, R.\u00a0 (1994). Technology and restructuring education:\u00a0 Constructing a context.\u00a0\u00a0Educational Technology<\/em>, 34(2), 24-28.<\/p>\n Shyu, H. Y. C. (2000). Using video\u2010based anchored instruction to enhance learning: Taiwan’s experience.\u00a0British Journal of Educational Technology, 31<\/em>(1), 57-69.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The educational technology in the science and mathematics classroom course has brought forth the idea of \u2018working towards a common goal,\u2019 in my opinion. As clich\u00e9 as it may sound, this course relates to this idea in that we moved … Continue reading