Class 3/14/13:

The takeaway from this lesson is the plethora of multimedia and interactive resources available for use in the classroom by teachers and students.  As an ever-increasing amount of material becomes available, educators, especially social studies teachers, have more opportunities to provide students with meaningful activities and lessons that enhance and improve the value of their learning. Whether it be a virtual trip to Mount Rushmore or a 360 degree view of the Hagia Sophia, the possibilities are endless for revolutionizing education in the classroom and allowing students to see, hear and touch the subjects they are learning about. I am especially excited about the increasing abilities to share lesser known topics and material that the limitations of older methods and materials prevented. This is perhaps the greatest benefit of the emerging high technologies.

Visions of the Future

by Matthew Joachim 

            During this week’s readings, two major ideas in particular caught my attention in Chapter 4.  In describing technology-using educators, the text asserts that they are those teachers who “explore technology by using it in the classroom while analyzing its role in schools and society” and “promotes change at the classroom, school building and system levels (Maloy, Verock-O’Loughlin, Edwards & Woolf, 2011, p 89).”  I wholeheartedly agree with the necessity of critically evaluating technology in order to improve instruction and assist students in realizing their full potential.  By doing so, we ensure that curriculum standards are being met while also engaging the individual strengths and interests of all students.  This is imperative for ensuring that a thorough and complete differentiation is taking place in our classrooms, allowing our students to learn through a plethora of mediums, experiences and materials.

 



 

 

            As a result, simply choosing resources for use in class are not enough for the successful integration of technology with pedagogy and content area knowledge.  Just as in writing, we must ask ourselves what, when, where, how and why we utilize such resources in order to ensure a truly effective lesson.  For example, showing students full movies or video clips without providing background and purpose diminishes the educational value of such tools.  Additionally, lack of reflection or analysis before, during or after the viewing further erodes value until we are left with time killers whose only purpose is to run out the clock until the students can move on to their next class.  In the same vein, when completing research papers, it is not enough to simply direct students to look up certain information or visit particular websites.  Teachers must provide a format so that students know where and how to locate information, evaluate it for accuracy, bias, relevance, etc. and develop their own arguments without plagiarizing others' work.  In this way, students hone their critical thinking abilities as they become more familiar with exploring multiple sources and points of view, helping mold their own opinions,  instead of mindlessly copying someone else’s work from the first hit they found on Google.

 



Old Long Island  Blog Image: Land's End
 

            For my Webquest, I hope to highlight the importance of providing students with carefully-planned purpose and direction when utilizing new technological resources.  The main focus will revolve around Long Island’s “Gold Coast” era, a relatively brief period in which the north shore of the island attained a legendary status in US history as the home of the American elite during the first decades of the 20^th century.  My aim is to help students understand how the great wealth and prosperity of the “Roaring 20s” helped give rise to the great estates that came into being during this period.  Consequently, the webquest will seek to highlight how the economics and culture of this decade are represented through these grand homes and their owners. 
 

Old Long Island  Blog Image: Killenworth

            Currently, most of the information about the estates and their owners can be found in large reference books that would be more suited for living room coffee tables than students’ desks.  As a result, it had traditionally been difficult to teach this lesson due to a lack of appropriate, readily-available materials.  But with the advent of the Internet and other online sources, I believe this lesson's time has come for use in the classroom.  Assisting me in this educational enterprise is Old Long Island, a historical blog “dedicated to the preservation Long Island’s ‘Gold Coast’ estates and other things old.”  Created and maintained by Zach, an architecture major at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, the blog draws its material from primary and secondary source materials such as pictures, brochures, blueprints, articles and the aforementioned reference books.  As a result, it has become a comprehensive source for information on Long Island’s “Gold Coast” and even garnered recognition from Newsday, the official newspaper of Long Island.  I can verify its accuracy and authenticity since I own most of its source materials and keep in regular contact with its author, who is a passionate student of architecture seeking to preserve and raise awareness of this fantastic yet forgotten period of Long Island history.  He updates the blog with new entries on a daily basis and has catalogued it so users can search for information by house, owner and/or architect.  Additionally, he provides links to other blogs and sites with similar content.  As a result, students will find that most of the information they need to complete the webquest is located on this blog.  For additional assistance, I will also provide links to the Wikipedia entries on selected homes and owners.  These entries are sourced with the same references utilized by Zach and complement students’ research.  Because of this, and combined with the fact that the "Gold Coast" is not a controversial or divisive topic, I feel that Wikipedia is warranted for use in this case.  Additionally, since I own many of the print materials that Old Long Island and Wikipedia reference, it only enhances the plethora of sources available for students’ use. We shall see how it fares…

Three Questions:

1) What are some other websites that we can use?

2) Are their any standardized lists of educational sites and resources we can use?

3) Is there a limit to technology's potential?

Class 2/21/13:

The discussion focused on the use of Wikipedia in the classroom and whether it is an appropriate tool.  For myself, the role of "casual observer" also applies here because Wikipedia, like most things, possesses a number of strengths and weaknesses.  The biggest problem I anticipate is the ability of anonymous users to add their own opinions and views to entries regardless of factual truth or objectivity. For example, the case of the former assistant to Robert Kennedy who found himself falsely connected with the assassinations of both JFK and RFK on Wikipedia is extremely problematic especially since this information was allowed to remain on the database until he became aware of it.  Topics that generate extreme controversy such as politics & government are the most susceptible to this kind of manipulation.   Opponents will attempt to pass off their views as "truth" and continually strive to forward their agendas regardless of objectivity or the facts.

On the flip side, Wikipedia is also a virtual airport, or in this case "infoport," where data from around the world arrives and departs in the continual renewal and improving of the material contained on the database.  Consequently, it offers a plethora of opportunities since it allows educators to find many separate sources discussing the same topics in the same place. As a result, it is incumbent upon educators to teach students how to not only effectively utilize the site, but also discern the quality and credibility of the sources from which the Wikipedia entries are composed.  This will require some individual lessons in order to be effectively taught, instilled and reinforced.

There’s a Place for Us

by Matthew Joachim

 

After reading Chapter 5, we have received a thorough overview of the policies and procedures for researching and evaluating Internet information.  As a result, it is our responsibility as educators to ensure that our students are capable of accessing and assessing new information when it is encountered.  For myself,  this can be successfully achieved through the use of highly-organized, carefully-planned lessons which incorporate specific websites and search engines that directly address learning objectives.  Additionally, when all of these tools and strategies are skillfully employed during instruction, it creates truly valuable learning experiences that integrate the three domains of knowledge while also providing differentiated instruction for all learners.

 

 

Consequently, I found myself drawn to Table 5.1, the list of specialized search engines and databases, on page 120.  These resources are valuable tools when designing lessons because they allow students and teachers to narrow searches for information relevant to the topics being covered in class.  For example, the Library of Congress American Memory seems like an extremely valuable tool for providing students with primary source documents for reading and writing assignments on US history.  It is oftentimes difficult to find history materials from a single, comprehensive source which makes the format of this database all the more attractive.  Compiling all relevant content area knowledge into a single database provides an extremely valuable advantage for teachers since they now have resources dedicated to their specific subjects.

 

 

Aside from the Library of Congress, numerous other organizations have introduced their own online databases for use in the classroom.  Among them, the History Channel, National Geographic and the Discovery Channel are perhaps the most prominent.  All three have been staples of educational reading and television for decades, helping teachers validate their credibility and reliability.  Additionally, their online databases are merely more innovative and interactive versions of the material presented through traditional forms of media.  They contain lessons, graphics, videos, assessments, etc. to help incorporate multiple forms of learning through the integration of technology.  Combined with traditional modes of instruction, these databases have great potential for transforming history lessons into engaging, relevant experiences for students on a daily basis.  As a result, teachers are able to provide more effective and meaningful instruction through sources students will not only enjoy but also recognize from their own lives.

 

Three Questions:
 

1)      Given the wide availability of new databases such as those mentioned above, what are the prospects for   future development of search engines/databases created and administered by the DOE or individual school districts?
 

2)      Who determines objectivity when dealing with issues that evoke a variety of different view and opinions such as politics?
 

3)      Since all three of the aforementioned databases strive for accuracy, isn’t it possible that technology can be manipulated to forward popular if incorrect beliefs?

 

 

Class 2/14/13:

Lesson Idea:

What were the lives of wealthy people like in the 1920s?

Reflection:

During this class, we explored the three major theories influencing modern education. Among them, constructivism is the most fascinating.  Given its emphasis on the individual, constructivism succeeds in breaking the old notions that all students must learn in the same ways. By allowing educators to focus on students' individual needs, especially strengths and weaknesses, instruction can be modified and enhanced to provide greater opportunities for meaningful learning experiences for students. Additionally, it improves the quality of teaching by helping educators become more attentive, reflective and innovative as they tailor instruction to provide the most effective instruction for the largest group of learners.

Consequently, constructivism in its purest form will unavoidably lead to the deconstruction of large, generalized and nationalized curriculums and the adoption of more individualized, local ones addressing the needs of students as individuals.

On the Edge of a New Frontier

by Matthew Joachim

As the snow begins to fall, I cannot help but think of how the countless number of tiny, individual snowflakes reminds me of each individual student all teachers will encounter over the course of their careers.  As they fall to earth, the flakes combine to form a fresh, white blanket of snow which will cover everything for the next few days.  This coming together is most like our classrooms, where students gather together each day to learn the same material and carry that knowledge with them as they progress through life.  However, the blanket is only possible due to the combination of these individual flakes, just as our students retain their individuality when in the communal environments represented by their classes.

After our first class discussion about the threefold integration of content area, pedagogical and technological knowledge into teaching, I am far more confident that the traditional methods which have served education well will be retained and enhanced by the arrival of high technologies such as SmartBoards, mini laptops, i-pads, etc.  Additionally, I am absolutely relieved that the integration of technology does not mean the elimination of content and pedagogy from education.  Consequently, I am much more comfortable when discussions about the future of technology in education arise.

One of the greatest assets technology holds is the ability to provide authentic assessments in greater frequency and of higher quality.  As stated by the text, “Not surprisingly, new teachers are unaware or unsure of the different ways they might assess students’ learning.  Three factors strongly influence how teachers think about assessments: personal experiences, standardized testing and teacher tests” (Maloy, Verock-O’Loughlin, Edwards & Wolf, 2011, p. 67-70).  For me, the first two factors have had the greatest impact on inhibiting the creation of more effective assessments.  From my own childhood, I am used to only considering tests and quizzes as indicators of academic progress.  At the same time, I also feel handicapped by the strict adhesion to only the content that will be covered on state tests.  As a result, I find many of my lessons start off strong with engaging motivational and do now activities, but seem to lose their edge when the time comes for assessment.  Additionally, relying on tests and quizzes forces teachers to assess all students based on a single, one-time standard, one whose results could be skewed for different students by any number of outside forces.  It is difficult because so many teachers have the ability and willingness to design the activities described by the text, but fail to do so because they are unsure whether they constitute authentic assessments of student learning.

Town Hall Meeting Module from iCivics

However, as time goes on, I increasingly see the value in utilizing performance assessments, which “measure what someone actually does in a certain activity, assessing performance within the context of that activity” (p. 76).  It is important to consider these alternatives in addition to or in place of standardized, norm- or criterion-referenced tests because they evaluate each student’s individual performance, identifying and assessing their unique strengths, weakness and preferences.  This helps teachers gain a fuller understanding of students’ individual needs and allows them to design instruction to meet those needs.

Take the iCivics online program.  Designed by former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, the program is an interactive, multisensory approach that allows students to engage in the various functions of US civil government through simulated experiences.  This program allows teachers to take the pages and pages of complicated text which traditionally formed the basis of civics instruction and provide real-world applications so students gain an accurate picture of how our government functions while engaging in various processes themselves including town hall meetings, elections, debates, campaigns, petitions, etc.  What online world maps did to revitalize geography instruction, iCivics promises to do for politics and government.  Such an extensive and interactive program will surely provide numerous authentic performance assessments that ascertain student learning far more efficiently and effectively over the course of its use than a single quiz or test.

Traditional assessments such as the aforementioned tests fall short in that they treat all students like a fresh blanket of snow, thinking of them as one, monolithic whole which must act, think and perform in a particular manner.  However, performance assessments and the technology that makes them possible, such as programs like iCivics, recognize and cultivate the individuality of each student.  In this manner, they seek to engage the individual in order to, where appropriate, best tailor instruction towards particular strengths and preferences.  Additionally, these technologically-integrated assessments provide the essential content area knowledge required for learning and are delivered through carefully constructed and executed pedagogical strategies, bringing full circle the integration of the three domains of knowledge.


Three Questions:

1. What are some other kinds of technology that will help us create more performance
     assessments?

2. Should teacher preparation programs be altered to focus more on the creation of alternative

    assessments?

3. How does the class feel about the use of rubrics to evaluate student work?

Class 2/7/13:


Who are we designing for?

We are designing for those generations that will succeed us in the stewardship of our planet as well as unborn generations to come. 

What are you designing?

I am designing materials and techniques that I have found in my own experiences to be the most successful in engaging and maintaining student interest in new concepts, ideas and material.  As a result, I seek to ensure that the most meaningful and effective instruction takes place so that real learning occurs for these students and their schematic knowledge of the world expands. Consequently, I hope to help them learn as much as possible about the world around them as well as how to critically engage, reflect and comprehend it.

What is the final product of your design?

Interactive, innovative lessons that draw upon the strengths and preferences of each individual student in order to best help them succeed in their studies.

Take-Away 2/7/13:

Technology has a central role to play in the continual evolution and renewal of education given the numerous benefits it possesses for enhancing instruction for all learners. Consequently, it is important that we as educators embrace new ideas and techniques where appropriate, but also remain mindful that technology is not a replacement for content and pedagogical knowledge. Rather it is a co-partner in the endless drive to provide ever more effective instruction and meaningful learning. The 3-way Venn diagram was extremely helpful in visualizing this emerging reality and a welcome relief for those of us "casual observers" still hesitant to full include or embrace technology.