Learning Challenge |
Technology |
Relative Advantage |
Expected Outcome |
Giving students timely feedback on classroom practice and assessments.
|
Student Response Devices (aka clickers) http://www.quizdom.com, www.ASSISTMENTS.org, www.3dgamelab.org
|
In the case of clickers & ASSISTments, answer keys can be provided in the system to supply students with instant feedback on multiple choice questions. ASSISTments allows for built in scaffolding and tutoring for students when they get a question wrong. In the case of ASSISTments & 3d Game Lab, both of these programs are learning anytime & anywhere there is an internet connection.
|
When students receive timely feedback they are able to adjust their schema at a quicker pace and correct misconceptions. Students can see progress real time which is very important in the media rich society they are existing in. Student response clickers have features where you can print reports for students to view their responses and which question they got wrong. These can be passed out as study guides for upcoming assessments.
|
Getting timely feedback to students and parents.
|
|
The more parents are informed the less surprises there are later on. Keeping parents informed about what is going on in the classroom in a manageable way for classroom instructors is important. When parents know what the expectation is of students they can support the learning at home. This ongoing communication creates a partnership between home and school.
|
Students needing to give presentations that are not comfortable speaking in front of a class.
|
Flip Video Camera, Camera in I Pad or I Pod Touch,
|
The use of these technology tools can minimize student anxiety about giving presentations. Allowing students options to create the same end result without having to stand in front of peers is important for students to begin to gain self confidence about giving presentations. Using voice thread over a PowerPoint presentation can allow students to get across the same content in a similar model. This allows students to meet content standards in a way that works best with their learning style.
|
Students become less anxious about giving presentations to class. It allows students to demonstrate their learning in the same means without having the anxiety of an audience being directly in front of them while creating their final demonstration of learning. The end result can still be shared with the class as a whole.
|
Acquiring grade level data on school district common assessments in a timely fashion
|
The benefit is that multiple teachers can administer the same assessment and share data from all students in the grade. The multiple choice questions are automatically scored within the system saving teachers and administrators valuable time. In addition, the free online program can generate item analysis, identify common wrong answers, and reassign assessments to students scoring below the desired score.
|
Results are recorded quicker than by administering paper copies. As a result, teachers and administrators are able to quickly identify areas that need to be address to improve student understanding in a timely fashion. As a result, student gaps can be diminished quickly improving overall understanding of the content.
|
Student citation on research based projects.
|
Use of these digital tools can simplify the citation process for students and improve the quality of students bibliographies.
|
Students will be more likely to cite sources using these online tools. Citations will appear in the uniform and proper format making grading and checking sources more efficient.
|
.
Students are not spending time reviewing content area.
|
www.quizlet.com, www.studystack.com, GFlash App (I Pod, I Pad, Kindle Fire)
|
The using of mobile technology as a study tool is more portable than a binder or textbook. Using online tools student can get instant feedback regarding progress of content specific vocabulary. These activities can easily be linked into quest based learning as well using the 3d Game Lab platform.
|
With increased study material provided around content knowledge students assessment scores and understanding of content vocabulary will increase.
|
Students are unable to visit places discussed in class on a field trip.
|
If you teach about ancient cultures, states on the other side of the US, or other countries, and World Wars it can be a challenge for students to understand the geography of the land, size of a structure, or get a sense of a culture with out actually visiting the location in which these things occurred. Technology can bring these places alive via a virtual tour. Teachers can make their own using push pins in Google Earth or they can explore premade topics such as Virtual Rome in that platform. There are also many other sites that give a 360 view of a location where students can feel like they are really there.
|
When students can visualize the landscape or path events have taken it is easier for them to put things into contents. Any time a visual image can be tied to historic events there is a greater impact upon students being able to remember that time or event. For many students reading about history can be a challenge, however, they can experience it pictorially and get much of the same information
|
Engaging students to complete work outside of the classroom.
|
When work can be done anytime/anywhere with materials for successful completion embedded into the assignment there is a greater chance for student success and motivation. Using these technologies creates an environment where success is continuously rewards and instant feedback is given.
|
Students are motivated when they see progress instantly. Due to the fact, they can see their successes instantly they keep going. In particular, with the gamification model of education student choice is also build in. Because students have some choice they feel empowered to continue "playing the game" or completing the academic work.
|
Incorporating higher order thinking skills in the content area.
|
Intel Education Thinking Tools encourage students to explain their though process through several online tools. These tools are Visual Ranking, Showing Evidence, and Seeing Reasoning. The Visual Ranking tool has students explain in the graphic organizer their rational for why something has been placed first, second, third, and so on. The Seeing Reasoning tool has students mind map, however, it goes deeper than the traditional mind mapping. Seeing Reasoning adds descriptors for the connections of increases the results or or decreases the results of. This makes students think beyond the fact that these items are connected; it forces students to think about how the items influence each other. The Showing Evidence tool is a tool for creating a research based project. This tool helps students document their research sources and explain how it will be used in terms of supporting their thesis statement.
|
When students think deeper about the relationships between events, products, and people then they can begin to evaluate, synthesize, and create new meaning from the content presented. These tools create a process using technology that guides students through a project based assignment designed for gaining deeper meaning and understanding of the content presented.
|