Learning Needs First: Technology Enhancement Grounded in Content & Planning

Technology in the classroom should be based around planning and learning needs. Planning and learning needs should not be based around technology. This is the main idea of the articles that we read for homework. Often teachers focus on technology first and then planning. Maybe they are excited about a new technology or see technology as a silver bullet. This is called "technocentric" instruction, and puts the emphasis on the technology instead of the learning. "Grounded Tech Integration" hearkens back to the problems that we identified with technology as a class early on in the semester. Some teachers throw technology at a class regardless of whether or not that technology fits with their content and pedagogical goals.

Harris and Hofer remind us that the approach to technology integration needs to support students "standards based learning needs," it needs to be usable by teachers with different levels of tech understanding as well as different teaching styles, it needs to be easily learned and implemented, and it is dependent on teachers truly having control over their planning and implementation processes.

The way to meet these specifications is to focus on planning first and choosing the appropriate technology to match the content and skill goals LAST. Technology options should specifically relate to or match learning activities. This called an "Activity Types" approach to tech enhancement. Harris and Hofer state that there are five steps to planning a learning event:

1. As stated above, first and foremost, learning goals must be chosen.
2. Pedagogical decisions are then made. Harris and Hofer suggest using 8 pedagogical decisions for this process.
3. Select the activity types that will be used to achieve the learning goals. These will differ depending on the content area.
4. Select formative and summative assessment strategies to monitor student achievement of learning goals.
   
5. Select appropriate tools and resources. By choosing recommended technologies to support and enhance appropriate activities, teachers are able to incorporate technology without overshadowing the overall skill and content goals.

Harris and Hofer have pulled together lengthy and informative lists of activity types specifically for each content area and the corresponding recommended technologies for those activities. For example, with Social Studies, a teacher who is interesting in having students view images can integrate technology by using PowerPoint, Photostory, Bubbleshare, Tabblo, or Flickr. Or, if a teacher wants students to create a timeline, suggested technologies include Timeliner, Photostory, Word, or Bubbleshare. As you can see, with this method, you think about content and pedagogy FIRST, and THEN choose the technology.

When reflecting on using Activity Types approach, it is very apparent that this aligns with the way that we are asked to do lessons in Dr. Stoddard's methods course. He always asks us to identify the content topic and learning/standards objectives FIRST. All other work in the lesson planning process must flow out from those goals. I think the Activity Types approach is extremely useful because I often find myself thinking, "Okay, so I want to achieve x content goal and y skills goal, but I don't know how to do it and make it fun with technology." The Activity Type list cuts down on that "not knowing what to do" anxiety by giving you multiple options for every activity you could think of as a teacher. I will definitely be using it in the future! The one area that I was a little confused on was step 2, making pedagogical decision with the 8 categories. That part is something that I am not used to doing and would like to go over in class.

Five potential topics

These five topics are applicable to the introductory biology courses that I am involved with:

Energy cycling,

Nutrient cycling,

DNA replication,

Historical figures in evolution

Pollutants and biomagnification

THe Possibilities Are Endless: But Here Are Five

The Gilded Age is always a possible focus point for me. It is one of my favorite time periods. An often overlooked or under-appreciated era of history, it intrigues me immensely. The Gilded Age is arguably the birth of America as we know it today, and specifically American culture. The dawn of the entertainment industry and print media played a large role in this phenomenon; and so their is great potential for students to encounter this, engage with, and maybe recreate this time period and the print culture using technological tools and mediums.

For my African American History class, it might be interesting to have students compare and contrast the way leaders of the Civil Rights Movement rallied and engaged their followers to the ways activists employ the used or technology and media for similar ends.

Not long after the birth of our nation and the ratification of the Constitution, presidential elections were becoming more competitive and many times contentious. Comparing political slander in the media between then and now could be another interesting focus.

Another couple of focus points could be industrialization and urbanization, since I have written an inquiry lesson on the subject for my Methods class. I could certainly bring in technology as a way of introducing the new sources. I have also written a concept formation lesson on de facto segregation. I'm sure I can connect this to technology as well; if not directly, then as part of a follow-up lesson/assignment.

Lesson Plan Ideas

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The Charge of the Light Brigade

The following is Sasha's lead-off post. She's not listed as an author for the blog and therefore couldn't post new material, so she sent me the text to post on her behalf. Enjoy!
-Matt

Like everything else in Education, all aspects of the grander technology issue need to be considered before any broad-spanning decisions can be made about how a teacher should use technology as a medium of communication from their classroom to the world. And even after that, some people may still not be satisfied, no matter who wants the issue to be permanently resolved.

The Communicating with Parents article states that “parents are only worried about their children.” Nothing could be truer. Therefore, these technology enhancements could provide a great service. Yet, so many people make this issue heavier than it is and drag it through the mud. I have a feeling this issue is going to be like the Priesthood in the Catholic Church. As 0.3% priests are pedophiles, there will be a similar number of sex scandals among teachers. This does not make the issue any better, however what should the other 99.7% of teachers do who would like to utilize the new technologies as timesavers, aesthetically pleasing means of communication, and the educational tools of a new knowledge base?

A more rhetorical question was never asked. Teachers are going to be using the new technologies such as web pages, Twitter, texting, and Facebook to communicate with students and parents. In my opinion, there are simple, common-sensical rules that teachers should follow to score brownie points with parents and colleagues. The one I like the most is the posting of credentials online. My doctor, lawyer, insurance agent, and former professors all had their diplomas hanging in their office somewhere. No less should be asked of teachers. This is in agreement with some of the issues raised by the Writing for the Web article.

Also, there should be some kind of standard that the teacher keeps. Now that all these new technologies are available, there is no need for the teacher to go all freakish. I would say “inform the parents as to what to expect.” Unless an issue arises which needs immediate and extra parental contact, communicating once a month in progress reports is: 1) more than my teachers did when I was the age of my students, and 2) plenty, in my opinion. Teachers are busy.

I thought about this and came up with a delineation of the major topics I will have to communicate to home about. An organized teacher will have all of this already outlined in a syllabus in the beginning of the year. I already know that, mainly, I will want to communicate with parents regarding field trips, laboratory information, special supplies needed, a general outline of the course, and monthly progress reports. Other communication dictated by behavior or the school (for reasons outside of the classroom) will be taken care of on a case-by-case-basis. I think the simplest way to communicate is a class website, upon which everyone can be communicated to at the same time and where class updates can be posted.

This however brings up another issue of student:teacher relationships outside of the classroom. The way I feel about this is also light. Teachers and students are both supposed to be active members of society. Students see their teachers in civic action, church groups, through athletic leagues, and just about the town in general. It is silly, stupid, and pointless for these people to pretend they do not know each other. I solely bring up the issue of student:teacher relationships in public because I do not condone in and believe it will inhibit the use of parent-sanctioned technology when using programs that are not education-specific. If there was to exist a Facebook program that was to be the TeacherTube version of YouTube, this would be much better for professional correspondence.
-Sasha Dofflemeyer