Reading Reflection #6

Technology tools can encourage students to be reflective and evaluate their own strengths in many different ways. Blogs offer students space where they can reflect over time about what they are learning. ProfilerPRO allows you to identify the learning characteristics of an individual and also among members of a group, and you can identify interests, strengths, and weaknesses, and use this information as you guide learning. Tools such as online survey sites, Zoomerang and SurveyMonkey, can help you set up online surveys and use the results to track trends and help students see how their self-assessment compares to the larger group. Several ways in which you can get students’ minds ready for a project is by starting with students’ prior knowledge, get the students’ attention and give the idea time to settle in their imaginations, invite them to open their eyes to possibilities before digging in, encourage students to explore and think about the topic, and to discuss their ideas with friends and at the dinner table for several days. Discrepant events and role-playing predictions are two ways to arouse curiosity and start students thinking about the learning ahead. The elements of teaching fundamentals first are set the stage for independent inquiry and share the assessment rubric. Students need to know their starting point and have some idea of their destination. When students are aware of what they know and don’t know, they can establish a point of departure and a sense of purpose. Teachers need to give students an assessment rubric because it’s the students’ roadmap toward great achievement. A good rubric shows students what performance look like through a qualitative description of each rating. The most important steps in preparing students for using technology in projects are set up a technology playground, tap student expertise, introduce project management tools, demonstrate, rely on your technology specialist, and one size fits all – or not. Set up a technology playground where students can explore and encourage students to teach each other. Let technically able students teach each other. Set up computer stations, each with one tool students will use in the project, possible an online database at one station, a presentation software on another, and a shared wiki on another. Have small groups rotate from station to station as the student trainers demonstrate how to use the tools. Encourage students to write about their own progress toward goals because you as the teacher can gain in insight into where and why they may be struggling or falling behind. If you are comfortable enough with the tools students will use, demonstrate their use. Collaborate with your technology specialist to match learning objectives with technologies that help students meet them. Think about the usefulness of the technical skill within and beyond the project will help you decide what and how much students need to learn. Ways to promote inquiry and deep learning are to transform limited questions in questions for a deeper inquiry, guide students toward skilled questioning by imagining what practitioners or experts might ask, consider guiding inquiry using question starters such as, “which one” questions, “how” questions, “what if” questions, “should” questions, and “why” questions. “Which one” questions ask students to collect information and make informed decisions. “How” questions as students to understand problems, to weigh options from various points of view, and to propose solutions. “What if” questions ask students to use the knowledge they have to pose a hypothesis and consider options. “Should” questions ask students to make moral or practical decisions based on evidence. “Why” questions ask students to understand cause and effect and helps us understand relationships. The concepts in this chapter relate to our project because as teachers we need to know how to get our students’ minds ready as well as promote inquiry and deep learning for our students. If we can get them interested in the topic, students will be more accepting to learn deeper about the topic at hand. They will be able to open their eyes to many possibilities. Getting our students interested in the topic will also help promote students to get a deep learning and ask more advanced questions.