ETEC 533 Inquiry e-folio

Final Analysis

Framing Issues

My journey through ETEC 533, Technology in the Mathematics and Science Classroom, has been guided by one particular question, “what is good use of technology in science and mathematics education [?]”. This question has not only framed and encouraged my learning throughout this course, but has inspired me to think about my current use of technology in the classroom.

Initially, I felt that good use of technology in the classroom should lead students through a meaningful learning experience where their knowledge is acquired, built upon and used throughout life. Following interviews with colleagues, class discourse, and reflection on my own practice, I came to realize that good use of technology not only provides deep and meaningful learning, but engages, motivates, and opens the learning floor to as many participants as possible. Utilizing lessons that are relevant to my students’ lives can greatly increase their motivation to engage in the learning activity (Shostak, 2006).

With this framework in mind, the next phase was for me to enhance my own teaching practice through an investigation and acquisition of meaningful technology enhanced learning experiences.

Design

From this desire to learn about specific technological applications to inform my practice, I delved into a plethora of options that are available to create a meaningful learning environment for and with my students. I also began to work on a technology enhanced learning environment (TELE) with a design group, and began to adjust my current use of technology.

Our collaborative process within our class discourse, and within my design group, introduced many applications to me, but the Web-based Inquiry Science Environment (WISE) stood out as a promising platform. We decided as a group to implement WISE within our TELE design. The design itself promotes student ownership of learning and is congruent with my current use of assessment for learning (AFL) instructional practice. WISE utilizes the potential of the internet to engage students in a web-based inquiry approach to learning where learning becomes “visible” to peers, teacher, and self (Gobert, Snyder, & Houghton, 2002).

Emerging Issues

The final “Emergin Issues” phase of our learning path in ETEC 533 has led me through challenges and personal assumptions regarding actual social and cognitive affordances of technology use in science and mathematics education. Within my design group and through class discourse, I have come to realize that good TELE designs should encourage social construction of knowledge whereby students’ epistemic understandings are challenged and built upon through reflection on their own and each others’ learning.

Of particular relevance for me during this learning module was our “resource sharing” forum where we provided each other with internet based technological tools that can be utilized in instruction. I am overwhelmed by what has been supplied to me in this course from the instructor, the students, and in particular from my growing understanding of what is good use of technology in science and math.

Now, based on my refined idea of what is good use of technology, I feel empowered to choose those TELE designs that will best meet the social and cognitive needs of my students.

References

Gobert, J., Snyder, J., & Houghton, C. (2002, April). The influence of students’ understanding of models on model-based reasoning. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), New Orleans, Louisiana. Retrieved February 23, 2009, from http://mtv.concord.org/publications/epistimology_paper.pdf 48

Shostak, R. (2006). Involving students in learning. In J. Cooper (Ed.), Classroom teaching skills (8th ed., pp. 79-103). Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.