How can authentic learning tools improve student engagement and deepen learning? What does the apprenticeship model tell us about learning?
Authentic learning is the idea where you create an experience for a child to learn something. A teacher actually immerses the child into the subject, while minimally using a textbook. Oftentimes teachers try to create authentic learning experiences that a child will often prompt a child to further explore and discuss a topic, much more in-depthly than if the experience was not authentic. This process often leads to further inquiry from the student and allows the teacher to guide the students learning.
The apprenticeship model parallels authentic learning and is the idea that students learn through actively experiencing something. Actively using newly acquired knowledge is important because it is then committed to long term memory. Oftentimes newly learned material is easily forgotten because the learner has not had the opportunity to apply what he has learned. Hence, the apprenticeship model is very important in learning theory.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Sunday, May 18, 2008
EDC 668--Blog 2
Why do educational organizations choose to employ portfolios? What value does the use of rubrics in evaluating activities and portfolios bring? How can peer review affect learning progress and growth?
Educational institutions are not the only organizations that use portfolios to showcase work. Models and artists use portfolios to show potential employers their accomplishments, their capabilities, their particular growth within the industry, and what they have to offer their future employer. A portfolio not only shows off an artist's or model's best work, but work throughout their careers. It is also important for employers to see the potential of their employee.
An educational portfolio is quite similar to that of a model or artist. Educators employ portfolios as a means showcases the work of a student over period of time. These portfolios contain pieces of work from throughout the school year that usually show a student's growth. Oftentimes portfolios are used as a means for a child to reflect upon the work that is done. A student will then have a more thorough picture of their growth within a subject over a particular time period.
According to Dr. Helen C. Barrett's article "The Research on Portfolios in Education" portfolios are often a means of assessment. http://electronicportfolios.com/ALI/research.html
"In their synthesis of "Portfolio Research: A Slim Collection," Herman and Winters (1994) note the following:
Well-designed portfolios represent important, contextualized learning that requires complex thinking and expressive skills. Traditional tests have been criticized as being insensitive to local curriculum and instruction, and assessing not only student achievement but aptitude. Portfolios are being heralded as vehicles that provide a more equitable and sensitive portrait of what students know and are able to do. Portfolios encourage teachers and schools to focus on important student outcomes, provide parents and the community with credible evidence of student achievement, and inform policy and practice at every level of the educational system. (Educational Leadership, October 1994, pp. 48-55)
Rubrics are a great way to assess learning and give students an understanding of how they will be graded prior to completion, whereas tests can be a hit or miss. Rubrics also give the instructor an idea to which degree a student has mastered a concept and allows a child to present these concepts in a variety of ways. Howard Gardner is a known researcher of learning and says that there are 8 different ways students learn. It is important to hone in on the skills that students have a strength in and allow students to learn through these new lenses.
Peer review is method by which a person's peers scrutinize the work that you have done. I feel that peer review is a very practical way to learn. It is important to get insight from the "equivalents" within your industry or field. As a student, and a teacher, I feel that I often learn a lot more from my peers. They often give me insight into something that I would not have thought of. To me, peer review is more of a less threatening atmosphere, than that of a review of experts.
Educational institutions are not the only organizations that use portfolios to showcase work. Models and artists use portfolios to show potential employers their accomplishments, their capabilities, their particular growth within the industry, and what they have to offer their future employer. A portfolio not only shows off an artist's or model's best work, but work throughout their careers. It is also important for employers to see the potential of their employee.
An educational portfolio is quite similar to that of a model or artist. Educators employ portfolios as a means showcases the work of a student over period of time. These portfolios contain pieces of work from throughout the school year that usually show a student's growth. Oftentimes portfolios are used as a means for a child to reflect upon the work that is done. A student will then have a more thorough picture of their growth within a subject over a particular time period.
According to Dr. Helen C. Barrett's article "The Research on Portfolios in Education" portfolios are often a means of assessment. http://electronicportfolios.com/ALI/research.html
"In their synthesis of "Portfolio Research: A Slim Collection," Herman and Winters (1994) note the following:
Well-designed portfolios represent important, contextualized learning that requires complex thinking and expressive skills. Traditional tests have been criticized as being insensitive to local curriculum and instruction, and assessing not only student achievement but aptitude. Portfolios are being heralded as vehicles that provide a more equitable and sensitive portrait of what students know and are able to do. Portfolios encourage teachers and schools to focus on important student outcomes, provide parents and the community with credible evidence of student achievement, and inform policy and practice at every level of the educational system. (Educational Leadership, October 1994, pp. 48-55)
Rubrics are a great way to assess learning and give students an understanding of how they will be graded prior to completion, whereas tests can be a hit or miss. Rubrics also give the instructor an idea to which degree a student has mastered a concept and allows a child to present these concepts in a variety of ways. Howard Gardner is a known researcher of learning and says that there are 8 different ways students learn. It is important to hone in on the skills that students have a strength in and allow students to learn through these new lenses.
Peer review is method by which a person's peers scrutinize the work that you have done. I feel that peer review is a very practical way to learn. It is important to get insight from the "equivalents" within your industry or field. As a student, and a teacher, I feel that I often learn a lot more from my peers. They often give me insight into something that I would not have thought of. To me, peer review is more of a less threatening atmosphere, than that of a review of experts.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Reflection 1: EDC 668
Melissa asks: What is the role of an electronic portfolio in my ongoing academic and professional career in educational technology?
Electronic portfolios are being used now more than ever to show growth and knowledge in a variety of areas. According to http://www.eduscapes.com/tap/topic82.htm:
"Electronic Portfolios are a creative means of organizing, summarizing, and sharing artifacts, information, and ideas about teaching and/or learning, along with personal and professional growth. The reflective process of portfolio development can be as important as the final product. In many cases, they are used as part of faculty and student evaluation along with other assessment tools such as standardized tests. A portfolio is a sampling of the breadth and depth of a person's work conveying the range of abilities, attitudes, experiences, and achievements."
I am very happy to be creating an electronic portfolio for my last semester in the Educational Technology Program at Pepperdine. This portfolio will showcase my talents and capabilities within technology, as well as my growth over the year. I personally feel that this portfolio will serve as a basis for the next step in my career and show potential employers the full picture of myself. Not only will the portfolio, show my dedication, commitment, and expertise, but my character as well. This portfolio will give anyone that views it, a well-rounded picture of me!
Electronic portfolios are being used now more than ever to show growth and knowledge in a variety of areas. According to http://www.eduscapes.com/tap/topic82.htm:
"Electronic Portfolios are a creative means of organizing, summarizing, and sharing artifacts, information, and ideas about teaching and/or learning, along with personal and professional growth. The reflective process of portfolio development can be as important as the final product. In many cases, they are used as part of faculty and student evaluation along with other assessment tools such as standardized tests. A portfolio is a sampling of the breadth and depth of a person's work conveying the range of abilities, attitudes, experiences, and achievements."
I am very happy to be creating an electronic portfolio for my last semester in the Educational Technology Program at Pepperdine. This portfolio will showcase my talents and capabilities within technology, as well as my growth over the year. I personally feel that this portfolio will serve as a basis for the next step in my career and show potential employers the full picture of myself. Not only will the portfolio, show my dedication, commitment, and expertise, but my character as well. This portfolio will give anyone that views it, a well-rounded picture of me!
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Digital Native vs. Digital Immigrant vs. Digital Progressive?
Through the course of my action research project and in setting up the technology club, I have noticed something completly different about the avenue today's new generation's (our kids) approach technology. Digital Immigrants and Digital Natives are the current buzzwords for technology knowledge and usage today, but what do we term today's students.
Digital Immigrants are people that were not born into technology, merely saw it evolve before their eyes. As Marc Prensky states: Digital immigrants learn to adapt to their environment (various technolgical mediums), like most immigrants to a new country need to adapt to their surroundings. Adapting to these new technolgoies can be challenging, as many immigrants tend to be hesitant and resistant to the new change and ease of life that technolgoy brings. Oftentimes Digital Immigrants are reluctant to change their ways for fear that the technolgy will fail them. One such example is using email. Oftentimes Digital Immigrants feel it is important that even when they use technology, like sending an email, they should phone the reciever to make sure that the email was received. Digital Immigrants can become Digital Natives as their comfort level and technolgy use broadens.
Digital Natives, on the contrary, view technology as a natural part life. In other words, they cannot live without it. Digital Natives have grown up with the technologies and feel very comfortable incorporating them within their daily lives. Digital Natives also rely on technology to make their lives easier. Marc Prensky, the person who coined the term Digital Native, states "kids born into any new culture, learn the new language easily, and forcefully resist using the old." While there are two contrasting sides, it is important that Digital Immigrants understand that there is no turning back when it comes to technology.
My generation (the twenty-somethings) feels very comfortable being Digtal Natives. We have grwon up with all of the latest gadgets and found means to master new technologies. We continue to troubleshoot problems and look for answers to help make the technology work with our lives. We are now able to survive in today's society and are even stepping up the ladder in the business sector fasterand even surpassing the Digital Immigrants. Today's Natives are more apt to work collectively within their business sectors, rather than work individualistically.
As a new generation enters the technological revolution, my colleague and I have observed that there is already a change in their beliefs about technology. This generation was born into technology and understands how technolgoy is "supposed to work." As part of my action research project, I am working with students in a technology club. These studnets are given learning adventures and they have to "solve" the problems on their own. The are to troubleshoot and work with peers, and ask the experts (the teachers) if as a last resort. Through my observations, many of the students get frustrated when the cannot solve a problem right away. They don't go and search through the "HELP" section and they do not embark on the trial and error methodology. They merely come to me and ask for help. My colleague and I have been struggling to coin a new phrase. What do we call the next generation of kids that knows how the computer should work for ease of use, yet the computer is not capable of meeting those nees yet (ex. drag and drop technique). After discussing this observation with my colleague, she termed it "Digital Progressives" The kids seen how the computer "should" work, yet is not capbable of meeting the needs just yet!
Digital Natives are people that
Digital Immigrants are people that were not born into technology, merely saw it evolve before their eyes. As Marc Prensky states: Digital immigrants learn to adapt to their environment (various technolgical mediums), like most immigrants to a new country need to adapt to their surroundings. Adapting to these new technolgoies can be challenging, as many immigrants tend to be hesitant and resistant to the new change and ease of life that technolgoy brings. Oftentimes Digital Immigrants are reluctant to change their ways for fear that the technolgy will fail them. One such example is using email. Oftentimes Digital Immigrants feel it is important that even when they use technology, like sending an email, they should phone the reciever to make sure that the email was received. Digital Immigrants can become Digital Natives as their comfort level and technolgy use broadens.
Digital Natives, on the contrary, view technology as a natural part life. In other words, they cannot live without it. Digital Natives have grown up with the technologies and feel very comfortable incorporating them within their daily lives. Digital Natives also rely on technology to make their lives easier. Marc Prensky, the person who coined the term Digital Native, states "kids born into any new culture, learn the new language easily, and forcefully resist using the old." While there are two contrasting sides, it is important that Digital Immigrants understand that there is no turning back when it comes to technology.
My generation (the twenty-somethings) feels very comfortable being Digtal Natives. We have grwon up with all of the latest gadgets and found means to master new technologies. We continue to troubleshoot problems and look for answers to help make the technology work with our lives. We are now able to survive in today's society and are even stepping up the ladder in the business sector fasterand even surpassing the Digital Immigrants. Today's Natives are more apt to work collectively within their business sectors, rather than work individualistically.
As a new generation enters the technological revolution, my colleague and I have observed that there is already a change in their beliefs about technology. This generation was born into technology and understands how technolgoy is "supposed to work." As part of my action research project, I am working with students in a technology club. These studnets are given learning adventures and they have to "solve" the problems on their own. The are to troubleshoot and work with peers, and ask the experts (the teachers) if as a last resort. Through my observations, many of the students get frustrated when the cannot solve a problem right away. They don't go and search through the "HELP" section and they do not embark on the trial and error methodology. They merely come to me and ask for help. My colleague and I have been struggling to coin a new phrase. What do we call the next generation of kids that knows how the computer should work for ease of use, yet the computer is not capable of meeting those nees yet (ex. drag and drop technique). After discussing this observation with my colleague, she termed it "Digital Progressives" The kids seen how the computer "should" work, yet is not capbable of meeting the needs just yet!
Digital Natives are people that
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)