For my second module, I researched how to select resources in
order to use technology as a tool to lead with learning. I found a lot of
really good resources to help teachers so I wanted to share them. I found a
great essay called “The Importance of Still Teaching the iGeneration” by Thomas
Philip and Antero Garcia. This article had some helpful reminders: “the
context, not the tool, is what is important when making decisions about
utilizing new technology within learning environments” (2013, p. 309). We seem
to make the assumption that technology in the classroom leads to more effective
learning experiences (I know I do!). While technology in the classroom can lead to these
experiences, teachers have to take care to still lead with instruction rather
than the tools.
It can be tempting to use technology in the classroom just because
it’s available. There are so many neat ways to use technology, but teachers
need to analyze devices carefully so that they are leading with learning and
not the device. Philip and Antero warn, “powerful technological tools, in the
absence of powerful pedagogy, detract from rather than contribute to learning”
(2013, p. 313).
It is essential that we start with the objectives in mind in
order to lead with learning. Moss, Brookhart, and Long's “Knowing Your Learning
Target” is an excellent resource: “the first thing students need to learn is
what they’re supposed to be learning” (2011, p. 66). I really like the analogy
that they used. They compare this idea to a global positioning system (GPS). A
GPS can provide lots of information about where you are, how long your trip
will be, and directions to your destination. But a GPS first needs to have an
exact description of where you want to go. A learning target works the same
way, in providing a 'destination' for students. Learning targets, unlike
instructional objectives, are designed just for students. If students do
not know what they should be learning, they can’t know whether they’ve been
successful at the end of a lesson.
Once we grasp the concept of learning
targets, THEN we can focus on how to best utilize technology as a tool. The
authors explain that “each task [should] explicitly connect to [the] target” of
the lesson. In the same way, any technology utilized in a lesson should be
explicitly connected to the objective being taught. Technology should have a
specific purpose for enhancing a lesson, and is not to be used solely as an
attention-grabber. I found Philip and Garcia's thoughts on this right on point:
“it is critical to shift from a perception of a technological tool as an
inherent object of youth interest or as a surrogate for effective teaching to
an explication of its particular affordances within a classroom context” (2013,
p. 311).
With all this in mind, teachers should
delve into selecting the appropriate technologies to use only when they will
support learning. A tool should not be used without a specific purpose in
enhancing learning. In “6 Tips for Choosing Digital Tools to Support 21st
Century Student Learning”, Kimberly Tyson discusses the importance of helping
students choose the right digital tools stating that “tools, when chosen
carefully, help teachers support, enhance, and extend student learning” (2013).
She gives several invaluable tips for selecting appropriate technology to use in
the classroom. Research and time should be dedicated to the decision of what
technological resources should be integrated into the classroom. Tyson’s six tips are helpful and
straightforward points that give teachers guidelines on selecting technology
resources:
1. Select tools that help students
design and personalize their learning experience.
2. Choose tools that support effective
classroom instruction.
3. Find tools that facilitate
collaboration between students and teachers.
4. Select digital tools that support
students as they build and hone their curation skills.
5. Introduce students to tools that
help them get and stay organized.
6. Utilize virtual tools that support
blended learning models. (Tyson, 2013)
Although all six tips are helpful, tip number two (choose tools
that support effective classroom instruction) seems the most significant. To
me, this is another way of saying that tools are to be used as a means to an
end, not an end in themselves.
But it’s easy to say this; it’s
another thing to actually implement this idea. So then the question becomes: how does a teacher choose tools to support
effective classroom instruction? Kelly Walsh suggests that the way to select
the “Best Apps for Teaching and Learning” is to use a rubric. There are many
rubrics online for evaluating the effectiveness of apps, but one in particular
that I found really helpful was one that Walsh describes. It’s called the
Evaluation Rubric for iPod/iPad Apps. Apps are ranked on their offerings in
these categories: Curriculum Connection, Authenticity, Feedback,
Differentiation, User Friendliness, Student Motivation, and Reporting.
Resources:
Moss, C. M., Brookhart, S. M.,
& Long, B. A. (2011). Knowing your learning target.
Educational
Leadership, 68(6), 66-69.
Phillip, T. M., & Garcia, A. D.
(2013). The importance of still teaching the iGeneration: new
technologies
and the centrality of pedagogy. Harvard
Educational Review, 83(2), 300-
319
Tyson, K. (2013, June 11). 6 tips
for choosing digital tools to support 21st century student
learning.
Dr. Kimberly's Literacy Blog. Retrieved March 30, 2015.
Walsh, K. (2012, November 25).
Selecting the best apps for teaching and learning- use a rubric! Retrieved
March 30, 2015.
