Reflective Blogging Assignment #2

A teacher can find balance during the transition of traditional knowledge-based content standards to more process-oriented skills by including more information related to knowledge that students already have. Re-introducing material that has been covered previously will help keep the information fresh and allow students that did not fully grasp it the first time; have a second chance. It is also imperative that Teachers receive all of the necessary training to effectively deliver information along with adjusting class time and organization.  

I will begin by saying standardized testing does not always guarantee a true picture of how smart an individual is or how much information they have obtained. Evaluating teachers on testing is preposterous to me. I feel this way because in most cases teachers do not have the time needed to ensure that extra attention is given to those students that may not understand or grasp the information immediately. The average classroom has at least thirty students. Larger classroom size makes teaching difficult. Some key factors that help improve the success of inquiry-based lessons are stimulation's of a student’s curiosity, making an inquiry easily accessible and visible, formation of questions, the manner in which the information is presented, and last but not least the use of technology.

What role can technology play in assisting with the factors previously mentioned? Technology can stimulate a student’s curiosity several ways. One example would be keeping learning fun by creating something new and researching different topics. The computer and the internet are very important as they can be used as an aid in researching. Technology can make an inquiry easily accessible and visible by sharing some projects or methods they have used. PowerPoint is one of the most well-known programs that help with delivery of research while making it look interesting. The formation of questions and development of topics are also very important. Students that are allowed to choose their own topics are generally more interested. It is also important to note that the formation of questions will determine how well the inquiry turns out. Navigating online can teach a student about the internet and how to choose reliable sources.  Online inquiry allows an individual to research a topic in depth.  Technology and inquiry work hand in hand to extend the nature of children’s reading and writing processes into multimedia composition and comprehension. ( Owens, 2002) Technology should serve as a teaching aid, not a replacement.

Roxanne Farwick Owens, Jennifer L. Hester and William H. Teale (April, 2002) Where Do You Want to Go Today? Inquiry-Based Learning and Technology Integration The Reading Teacher , Vol. 55, No. 7, Owning Technology pp. 616-625 retrieved from  http://www.jstor.org/stable/20205108

Reflective Blogging Assignment #1

Factors that played a role in ensuring positive results when technology was integrated in the classroom where: Teacher’s computer proficiency which is found to be one of the most important factors. The effects were also mostly found to be indirect. Two previous path models (Mathews and Guarino 2000;Robinson 2003), in contrast, found that the effect of computer proficiency was significant and direct. Overall the proficiency of the teachers were indirect. A teacher must be willing and possess the right attitude toward technology integration in order for it to be successful. I belief it is impossible to adequately introduce something new if the person (teacher) is not knowledgeable.

In my own classroom, I can ensure that the factors listed are present by using the pedagogy of technology, developing e-mails with other staff in my building and teachers in other districts. Using technology in the classroom would be a new concept for my future classroom; advice from seasoned teachers would help with my success. Incorporating technology with core learning goals like writing (creatively and grammatically correct), English and Mathematics. Working with other teachers to design special curricula that will keep children engaged while enjoying a fresh learning experience. My vision of a class with technology has me in a position where I can answer student’s questions quickly and accurately, I can provide a fun and engaging environment, students will learn to work in groups and independently, and at the end of my class possess the ability to manipulate modern technology with ease.

Evaluating the success of a unit or lesson is something that should be done prior to the integration of new technology.  Goldman, Cole, and Syer (1999) say, “At its best, technology can facilitate deep exploration and integration of information, high-level thinking, and profound engagement by allowing students to design, explore, experiment, access information, and model complex phenomena,". This statement could not be further from the truth as it relates to students. In today’s competitive era student’s need to think critically in order to survive in what is becoming technologically demanding world.

I would disseminate successes by closely reviewing research studies with data that support or do not support their expected rates of success. It is impossible to avoid every possible mishap but it is smart to research and plan an objective instead of using and exploratory method. For example, Adams, S. T. (2005) conducted technological study with elementary teachers that showed them leaving in-service training with advanced proficient skills when they were simply proficient prior to the in-service training. I believe that proper planning builds a better rate of success.