Welcome Parents!
As you know our school is interested in increasing the access students have to valuable technology. To do this we need your help! The PTA is working hard raising funds to add new pieces of equipment to the classrooms. I understand that everyone is concerned about the benefits of technology use in the classroom because children are seen playing games, chatting online, and having fun on the computer instead of using for educational purposes. As much as these students love having their playtime on the computers at home, there are many ways that we could use them here in the classroom to add to our knowledge base for assignments.
By integrating technology into the classroom, we can motivate the students, provide new instructional methods, increase productivity, and teach new information age skills. There are two different learning theories about how technology integration into the classroom, objectivism and constructivist.
Objectivism focuses on teaching facts and quantified data. The objectivist teaching method assumes that content is presented from the teacher to the student and the student is told if the answer is correct and given positive reinforcement if it is. Atkinson and Shiffrin were two theorist that worked on this type of teaching. They developed a cognitive theory that showed how humans learn and remember, information-processing theory. They hypothesized that we process information much like a computer.
- Sensory registers receive information from one of the senses then the information is either lost or moves to the...
- Short-term memory (STM) holds new information for only 20 seconds before it gets processed and sent to the...
- ·Long-term memory (LTM) where information is held forever. This new information is easier to remember if it is linked to preexisting knowledge.
The three concepts that are useful when teaching new information are
- Using eye-catching material
- Providing instructions that link to information that they already know
- Providing plenty of practice time
Constructivist learning holds that learners should generate their own knowledge through experience-based activities rather than being taught it by teachers. One theorist who followed this belief was Lev Vygotsky. He created the term zone of proximal development (ZPD). When teachers know each child’s ability level they are able to plan activities that allow the child to accomplish the task with little assistance from the teacher. When the task is slightly out of reach for the child, the teacher or more experienced peer can use a process called scaffolding, which allows the child to receive just enough help to boost them to the next level of development.
By having the access to technology in the classroom we would be able use it for many different activities.
1. The children would be able to practice their mathematics and language arts skills using specialized programs that fit into the objectivism category of teaching. The programs use eye-catching graphics and provide many opportunities to practice the skills that each individual student is needing to work on.
2. The students would be able to work in pairs or small groups doing research. They would work together to learn about our city’s history and then put together various displays showcasing what they learned. When working together they would be able to use the ideas of Vygotsky’s scaffolding and help each other reach the next ability level without needing the help of a teacher.
3. The classroom could work together to create a webpage for homework announcements, daily reflections, and classroom information. This page would be a benefit to the students as well as their families since it would increase awareness of classroom activities. The children would work on language skills as they help write the daily information and provide their own thoughts and ideas on design and functions of the webpage.
I am very interested in everyone’s input about this fundraising topic. Please use this blog as a place for questions, comments, and discussions about technology!
References:
Roblyer, M. D. & Doering, Araron H. (2010). Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching 5th Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Educaiton, Inc..
