Research-based methods will be important to my practice as a teacher and this is no different when it comes to technology. I will implement technology in my classroom based on proper evaluation of the tool to ensure that it adheres to findings from research. This involves applying general ideas, such as blending instruction to include both face-to-face and online interaction, as discussed by the International Society for Technology in Education. That is, I do not want students engaging only with the online material, but also with their peers and myself. The mix between technology and person-to-person instruction has been demonstrated to be most beneficial. Therefore, before using a tool or technique, I will ask myself, "Is there an appropriate blend in the lesson?" Further, research has shown that students learn more thoroughly when the material relates to real-life situations and when they are able to engage and collaborate in the material for an extended period of time. This research on powerful learning will make me ask, "How is the knowledge I am teaching connected with the students' everyday lives?" and "Does the project allows students to immerse themselves in the material of a sustain amount of time?" By having projects be ongoing and sustained for a period of time, I also believe that students will be able to be more creative in their products.
Since students spend such a significant amount of time online, it will only be an advantage to incorporate this online and media experience into the classroom. The hope is that using technology will engage students in the material so that they learn more deeply. As mentioned before, this requires proper evaluation by me as a teacher that we are meet the learning goals. When students have the chance to teach the material rather than simply read or hear the lesson, they learn to a greater degree. Therefore, having students express what they have learned through podcasts, movies, interactive PowerPoint presentations, screencasts and other tools will enhance the understanding of the material. A great advantage to using this type of technology is that it can be shared with peers and parents on a blog or website! Having students learn from their peers with these tools will also build a rich, interactive classroom community. One tool for learning that will require extensive evaluation will be the use of games. Although I believe sometimes these can contribute to learning, the independent nature of games may not meet the criteria for creating powerful learning, creating a disadvantage in their use. Games can build problem solving skills and potentially increase engagement, but I will be using this online rubric in order to determine whether a particular game will be beneficial to the students. With games, I think it is pivotal to consider how students will interact and problem solve in the game (not just myself or other adults) in order to make sure it is meeting the learning objective.
I have already began to discuss some of the specific technology I will use so students can express what they have learned. This idea of expression of learning is derived from my consideration of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Implementation of UDL will drive my specific use of technology in the classroom. I believe it is important not only for meeting the needs of diverse learners, but for reaching every single student in my classroom. I want to build in a variety of ways that I present the material to the students using technology. I will do this by using WebQuests, PowerPoint presentations that incorporate multimedia and Google Docs, where access and alteration of the display can be easily changed. These tools will also contribute to engagement by the student. Of the three areas of UDL, I believe that technology will play the largest role in expression of knowledge in my classroom. As mentioned before, podcasts, movies, screencasts and interactive presentations will often be used by students for demonstrating what they have learned. I also believe that there are many online tools that would be engaging for students as they create projects, such as Wordle and VUVOX. There are a tremendous amount of online tools that could potentially add to the acquisition of information in my classroom, and I plan on assessing and discovering which of these will be the best for my students.
When creating assignments, projects and activities, I will consistently be considering how I can incorporate technology in order to enhance the presentation and expression of learned information. But as always, I will thoroughly evaluate the tools that I utilize on their merits for adding to the classroom learning experience.
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