Digital Badge #E

This week’s reading was about solving problems using technology; such as software, apps, and games. I was interested to learn about problem solving and inquiry learning with technology. Before reading the chapter, I wasn’t very familiar with what these terms mean. The text states that “problem solving and inquiry learning use real-world situations and issues to actively engage students” (159). Not only are the students being taught lessons that will help them in school, but they are being presented with real-world problems that will help them in the future as an adult. The text also states that through this type of activity, students learn “thinking skills, risk-taking, creativity, and mental self-discipline” (159). All of these are qualities a modern day adult needs to possess to get through day to day life successfully. The problem with technology sometimes is that a student learns to depend on the technology for everything; through this type of learning, they are dependant on the technology to provide the problems but they are learning to figure it out on their own.
Something in chapter 7 that I found very interesting was the article listed on page 167 titled “Discovery Learning Using Squeak and Scratch”. These are two tools that I had never heard of before and I was able to spend a little time using Scratch. I was interested to see how much detail the program actually required from the user. To be honest, it was a little difficult for me to figure out even with the instructions simply because I was required to think on my own instead of the technology just doing the work for me. I believe these types of programs for students are revolutionary. Being a child who grew up with technology, I am used to the computer basically doing all the work and I feel that more and more students are developing this habit because so much technology is used in their everyday life.
Chapter 7 also talks about “gamification”. The word gamification is described in the text by EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative, 2011b, as the “application of game elements to non-gaming situations, often to motivate or influence behavior” (169). My question is, what behavior is this influencing? The text also states that when games are mentioned “many educators, parents, and students think of video games which are pervasive elements of youth culture today (Bissell, 2011)” (169). What we do not want to portray through the use of gamification in the classroom is the behavior that sits around and plays video games all day. The problem is, how do you allow students to be taught lessons through gaming but still discourage the overuse of video games? I believe this will always be a tricky subject because while using games to teach a lesson can be very useful in stimulating a student’s mind, it can also be dangerous; causing students to think that playing any type of game is educational.

Sources:

Maloy, R., O’Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dLK9-9sY

www.canva.com

Digital Badge #D

As I was reading chapter 5 in the text, within the first few pages I was interested to see the section titled “e-Books and e-Readers”. While I was not aware (before reading) of the exact numbers related to the decline in student reading, I already knew for certain that more and more students are losing interest in reading as a hobby. As the years pass, tons of new technology is being produced while schools are still expecting students to find joy in reading. My question is: why would you want to continue reading books when you have all this technology around you that is way more stimulating than words on a page? While e-Readers and e-Books incorporate technology with reading and may help to inspire some students to read, I feel like it’s not enough and it’s never going to be enough. There is always going to be something related to technology that is more interesting than reading; and this applies to a majority of students. I know, from personal experience, that someone who already does not enjoy reading is not going to find much difference in reading books as opposed to reading on a screen.
Further into the chapter, I was extremely excited to read about the article titled “Scoop.it! Digital Magazines for Teachers and Students”. This was simply because I thought it was an amazing tool that can be used in many different ways in my teaching career personally. I plan on teaching elementary school, preferably anywhere from third to fifth grade, and I feel that at these ages my students will be interested to see information that is valuable to them put into a newspaper form. Children learn by seeing what their elders do and while you may not always think so, most children look up to their elders. When a student sees an adult reading a newspaper, it makes them interested to be to the age where they can do things such as this that would make them feel more important and adult-like if you will. I think using the Scoop.it! Magazine creater would be an amazing tool to help students feel superior and important while also providing them the information they need at an easy access for teachers.
I also found the section of chapter 5 titled “Evaluating Online Information” helpful not only while I was researching for this weeks assignment, but in general. So many students are given very basic guidelines when it comes to researching information and are not given enough help that they need to find reliable information. While researching information students need to know what is credible and not, as well as where to find this credible information and what not to look for.

Sources:

Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.

Digital Badge #C

While reading chapter 3 in the text, I came across the article titled “High Tech High” and found it to be quite interesting. I had always wondered if somewhere there was a school like this that was taking the use of technology to the next level and generating powerful results. What I’m interested to know is why are these schools not being provided everywhere? High Tech High is located in San Diego, California where I would imagine there is a high income level. The article states that “Technology is a constant feature of students’ everyday educational experience at HTH.”; and this school is sending every one of it’s graduates to four year colleges/universities. If these types of schools are making progress in academics, why can’t we have them all over the United States? I strongly believe that the government should recognize where our academic low points and high points are and provide more funding for the areas where schools are struggling. Judging by the results of High Tech High, technology obviously makes a world of differences in everyday learning from adolescents to adults. The school even helps prepare the students for the real world by allowing them to shadow adults in the community. This type of technology and learning should be available everywhere so that each and every student has a fair chance of succeeding academically.

I also found the section of the chapter “Information Literacy and Internet Literacy” to be something of importance. Just like the reading stated, students are believing everything they see on the internet is true. Unfortunately, because students are being asked to use the web to search for helpful information, they are not understanding that anyone and everyone has access to the web and can put whatever they want on there. I believe it’s absolutely necessary that students learn how to search for meaningful information by being taught to have an eye for solid resources. While technology is an awesomely helpful aspect of learning, it can also be very dangerous.

In exploring the text, I found the section titled “Redefining Creativity” to be interesting, yet frustrating. I understand that by using technology students can take their creativity to the next level, but what about those students in low income households who do not have the access to the latest technology? Or what about the students who have never been taught, or don’t have the resources to learn how to use the latest technology. I believe that technology is a beautiful thing; but it’s becoming so crucial for success that it’s even commercializing creativity. I hope that while using technology to express creativity, students never lose the true creativity that comes from their own minds instead of from behind a computer screen.

Sources:

Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.

www.ToonDoo.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rv_rmJYorE