Our Pioneering Past


   The Agrarian Economy


  The Industrial Age Economy


 Our Global Future


Tomorrow's Pioneers
Preparing our students for their tomorrow!

How do we prepare the students and ongoing learners of tomorrow, today?
 
                             INTRODUCTION

"What", "how", and "why" we teach are all changing.  Educating tomorrow's learner requires that we create an information-literate person to prepare our students for their future.   An information-literate person has "learned how to learn".    A person who has learned how to learn can define the need or ask the question.  A person who has learned how to learn can find and access information resources.  A person who has learned how to learn can evaluate and select the information needed.  A person who has learned how to learn can organize the information and communicate and use the information to meet a need or answer a question.  They can do this through the utilization of technology.  To prepare our students for their future, we must provide the training. The considerations for integration of technology and engaged learning  and to have information-literate students include multiple intelligences, learning styles, communication skills, critical-thinking skills and technology skills.

Technology integration means to use technology and to teach students to use technology as a learning and work tool to help each student meet his or her own potential and to learn how to communicate and problem solve. The integration of technology and engaged learning can take many forms to provide learning opportunities to meet  their current individual needs and their future workplace needs.  Their future is working collaboratively in groups and on teams to solve problems in the workplace.   Students must start to learn  how to work collaboratively in a group or on a team as part of the educational process as preparation for their future.  Students need to have buy-in and take responsibility for their learning. Ownership is part of the learning process and choices lead to ownership. Options provide choices suited to the different learning styles and multiple intelligences of each student.  Out in the workplace, the student's unique qualities will be why they are hired as part of a workplace team, to fill a need.   Building on student interests and strengths in education  will allow for the strengthening of  the weak areas. Curriculums where students are engaged in their learning, students are rewarded for their differences. The differences in learning styles, multiple intelligences, aptitude and abilities make each contribution and end product unique.

In the links below, what information did you find that would be of assistance to you in developing your own teaching style to meet student needs?  How does the information below help you understand the need for integration of technology and engaged learning to improve student achievement?

DESIGNING EFFECTIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS
http://www.ilt.columbia.edu/ilt/papers/berry1.html

Grouping Strategies
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/farmer/gftscgrp.htm

Inquiry Based Learning and Teaching
http://www.bsu.edu/teachers/burris/iwonder/

Cluster Grouping
http://www.gifted.uconn.edu/gentry.html

The ACOT (Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow research)
http://www.apple.com/education/k12/leadership/acot/history.html

Challenge 2000 Multimedia Project research by SRI, International
http://pblmm.k12.ca.us/sri/SRIEvaluation.htm

SCANS information
http://www.academicinnovations.com/report.html

NCRELs Indicators of Engaged Learning
http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/engaged.htm

Bloom's Taxonomy
http://www.coun.uvic.ca/learn/program/hndouts/bloom.html

Bloom's Taxonomy Task Wheel
http://www.stedwards.edu/cte/bwheel.htm

Constructivism
http://www.ilt.columbia.edu/k12/livetext/docs/construct.html
http://www.inform.umd.edu/UMS+State/UMD-Projects/MCTP/Essays/Constructivism.txt
http://www.inform.umd.edu/UMS+State/UMD-Projects/MCTP/Essays/Strategies.txt

Piaget
http://www.piaget.org/biography/biog.html
http://www.time.com/time/time100/scientist/profile/piaget.html

John Dewey
http://www.utm.edu/research/iep/d/dewey.htm
http://www.ilt.columbia.edu/projects/digitexts/dewey/d_e/contents.html

Seymour Papert:
http://papert.www.media.mit.edu/people/papert/
http://www.papert.com/
http://gsep.pepperdine.edu/~gstager/planetpapert.html
 
                             SECTION ONE:
                                        Learning Styles, Teaching Styles and Multiple Intelligences

"Multi-sensory approaches work well because of the way our brain is organized. When we learn, information takes one path into our brain when we use our eyes, another when we use our ears, and yet a third when we use our hands. By using more than one sense we bombard our brain with the new information in multiple ways. As a result we learn better." (http://members.aol.com/susans29/lsa.html)

Learning must take place from the viewpoint of the learner. The teacher can set up learning opportunities where students make choices, talk, write, and have an end product that include student choice. Students can make choices on what they will research and what their end product will be within content areas based on  Learning Standards and curriculum.   Students can be given the opportunity to select a form of end product to demonstrate and share what they have learned.   These presentations may be

PowerPoint, Hyper Studio, or Kid Pix slides
Web Pages
Web Quests
Spreadsheets
Video
Brochure
Paper
Calculators
Probes
Mapping using Inspiration software
Telecommunications projects through collaborative online projects, web quests, KeyPals/ePals, online simulations and games, Ask An Expert or skill and drill;
Multimedia, technology, or other traditional methods of presenting information (role- playing, plays, fine arts displays and performances, etc.) may be utilized to organize and present their content;
Or other student options may be considered to present the information.

What are other options for demonstrating or presenting and sharing what their information?

You will find information at the following web sites on learning styles and multiple intelligences.

Howard Gardner: Learning and teaching styles are tied together and tied in with educational philosophy. The web pages below review teaching methods and styles. Check out these links to learn or refresh your recall on the research, theories and philosophies dealing with teaching styles and methods in education.

Teaching Styles
http://web.indstate.edu/ctl/styles/tstyle.html

Teaching Style Inventory
http://www.fcrc.indstate.edu/tstyles3_instructions.html

Search Teaching Methods and Pedagogy
http://www.britannica.com

Teaching Methods
 http://www.indiana.edu/~teaching/handbook_1.html

How can taking learning styles and multiple intelligences into consideration when developing learning opportunities maximize student performance and minimize disruption in the classroom to improve classroom management? How can inclusion of learning styles and multiple intelligences help provide student responsibility and opportunities for student success?
 
                             SECTION TWO:
                                         Advantages and Disadvantages of Media and Technology

In giving some thought to how you will meet the individual needs of your students,  provide them with an opportunity to utilize their multiple intelligences and learn how they learn best by designing units, here are some links to information on the Advantages and Disadvantages of Media and Technology to take into consideration when planning. This will aid you in determining whether you have students use low or high tech, multimedia, or other means to present their material or in your presentations to them.   Keeping in mind the end goal is a student who is succeeding in meeting the goals for the lesson and working towards meeting Learning Standards.

Technology enables many alternatives, but we must keep in mind we must not totally use the technology and the Internet to replicate  ordinary traditional instructor-led classroom activities, but combine instructional formats enabled by technology.  Technology does not replace the need to learn and understand, but can be a tool for learning and understanding and encourage students to think creatively, discover, and explore for themselves to learn how to become life long learners.

Two advantages to utilizing technology:

          Students should  have shortened lecture and instructional periods to allow for individualized learning  and utilize technology  for information access and learning.  Learning can be self-paced to meet individual needs while still working from a timeline.          Students can read as well as hear the information and ask their questions.  Students are provided with a longer time to respond and think about their response. What are some other advantages?

Disadvantages or challenges of working  with technology are:
            The Internet is down and you must have an alternate lesson.
            The computer(s) are not working properly or the computer lab is not available when it fits into your lesson.
           How do I effectively use technology with only one computer in the classroom?
          How do I find the time to find web sites?
          What other disadvantages or problems can you encounter?  How do you plan for these disadvantages?

Explore each of the web sites provided to increase your knowledge base on integrating technology and engaged learning into your classroom to help your students succeed and to prepare them for their future.

Using Technology to Improve Student Achievement
http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/methods/technlgy/te800.htm

Why Change is so Challenging for Schools
 http://www.nsdc.org/library/jsd/senge223.html

Kids Make a Difference
 http://www.anovember.com/kids.html

Reasons For Bringing Technology Into Schools

http://www.ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/EdTech/reasons.html

 
                              SECTION THREE:
                                          Effective Use of Technology

In the links below you will find examples of lesson and unit plans utilizing technology.   Use these sites to get ideas and to brainstorm how you can effectively use technology to engage students in their learning.   How can you help them to "learn how to learn" and problem solves. Remember that technology is a tool not only to help a student learn, but to prepare them for their future in the ever-evolving information based electronic culture. We are living in an electronic culture that is constantly changing and it is changing the world around us.

What do you see as effective use of technology?
What is the true purpose of education?
What are authentic activities in your content area?
How do we not use the technology and the Internet to replicate ordinary traditional instructor-led classroom activities, but combine instructional formats enabled by technology?
 
                              SECTION FOUR:
                               Technology Integration

In the links below you will find technology integration sites to help you in implementing the integration of technology and engaged learning into your curriculum.  Keeping in mind that
"understanding is developed through continued, situated use " (from: http://www.ilt.columbia.edu/ilt/papers/JohnBrown.html), how will you integrate technology and engaged learning into your classroom.  Section One provides some of the way students can be given the opportunity or you can use technology to integrate technology and engaged learning into the curriculum.

Good WebQuests require critical thinking that will help prepare your students for what they will need after they complete school.   Employers are looking for people that can problem solve, can use technology, are creative thinkers and know how to find information for possible solutions.   Learning just to the level of recall, just answering questions from memorized facts, doesn't prepare students for their future.   Knowledge acquisition is the starting point not the final product of learning.

           WebQuest Web Sites

                              SECTION FIVE:
                                          Evaluation and Assessment

In integrating technology, there are many evaluations and assessments to be performed.   Evaluation and assessment can be evaluation and assessment of the student, the lesson/unit, technology, programs (School Library Media Program Plan, Technology Plan, School Improvement Plan, etc.), software, web sites  or any number of areas that can ultimately have an affect on student achievement.  Any assessment needs to be ongoing and integrated into the process to assess what can affect student success and achievement.

Software Evaluation is important to provide the right software to meet the needs of the student.   At the cost of technology and software, we want value for our dollar with expectations of results in improving student achievement.   Put a query out to a listserv to ask personal experiences or recommendations of software to meet specific needs.  Read software reviews.  To evaluate software, one must determine the goals and student outcomes to see if the software meets those needs.  The software must also be user friendly and the proper hardware to run the software must be available.    Look at the software review web sties.   What other software evaluation web sites can you find?
 


When looking at the web, you need to remember to evaluate the sources and teach students how to evaluate web resources.   Check out the web pages listed.  Go to the  web site evaluation information on the Resources web  page.


Rubrics are often used for assessment.  Rubrics allow for objective and consistent assessment once the goals and criteria to be evaluated are established.  View rubrics at the web site links listed below.  What other rubric web sites can you find?
 

Student assessment can be: The same principles can be used by the teacher in a lesson/unit to make adjustments for future use of the same lesson.   A teacher can evaluate the lesson as well as requesting student evaluations.   A teacher will look at instructional design of the lesson.  The next time the teachers uses the lesson, it still may have to be adjusted to meet the special needs of the students in the class at that time.


In the link below you will find evaluation and assessment web sites and links to assist in developing authentic and alternative assessments to evaluate students, technology and engaged learning within your classroom.



Images and Background from Microsoft Office 97 ClipArt
Created and Copyright by Gail Wright
July 12, 2001
Revised July 28, 2001