I am currently teaching developmental preschool. Since I couldn't find the taxonomy for my content area, I choose to read K-6 content taxonomy (http://activitytypes.wmwikis.net/K-6+Literacy). Through my reading, I learned that Scholastic offers interactive, leveled reading software for children Pre-K through sixth grade as well as a subscription to view online books!
The following links are all pieces of software which I hope to integrate into my developmental preschool classroom (with the exception of timeliner--I just had to include this piece of technology on my blog because I don't want to forget about it!)
Wiggle Works: This piece of technology offers interactive, leveled readers on the computer!
http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/wiggleworks/index.htm
Storyonline.net: This FREE website provides read-alouds by famous actors!
http://www.storylineonline.net/
BookFlix: You can purchase access from Scholastic to view online books!
http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/bookflixfreetrial/
Leap Frog: This company provides a variety of technology to help children with phonological awareness and reading!
Interactive Smartboards: This piece equipment allows students to interactive with software in whole-group settings.
Elmos: The piece of equipment is the new and improved overhead that allows the teacher to show images in full color!
Timeliner Xe: This software allows the learner to create a timeline/powerpoint presentation of the content they are learning in class. http://www.tomsnyder.com/timelinerxe
Monday, January 18, 2010
Meaningful Learning
What is meaningful learning? We all have are unique ways in which we learn. Howard Gardner defines these unique differences as the multiple intelligences. Some of us learn through movement, while others of us learn through song and music. Some of us enjoy learning together, while others need solitude. Some of us enjoy linguistic activities while others enjoy problem-solving activities. Needless to say, meaningful learning varies from person to person.
In the book, Meaningful Learning With Technology, David Jonassen outlines five principles of meaningful learning: (1) active, (2) constructive, (3) intentional, (4) authentic, and (5) cooperative. According to Jonassen, human beings have a unique need to learn and interact with their environment; therefore, teachers must facilitate this unique need by creating purposeful activities that will allow the learner to observe, manipulate, question, and reflect upon their surroundings. Even though activities must be intentional, Jonassen argues that they also must be authentic and meaningful. Activities are meaningless unless they are relevant and students can apply personal connections to what they are learning. In addition, Jonassen asserts that learning must be cooperative. Every day, human beings are exploiting each other’s knowledge and skills to solve problems and perform tasks. Why should the classroom be any different?
Coming from a constructivist mindset, I couldn’t agree more with Jonassen’s five basic principles of meaningful learning. The constructivist theory asserts that individuals learn through experiences and assimilate this knowledge into their already existing brain framework. Learning by doing is a very popular teaching philosophy that dates back to an ancient Chinese proverb. In fact, Albert Einstein and C.S. Lewis also share the same philosophy :)
“Tell me and I'll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I'll understand.”
--Chinese Proverb
“I never teach my pupils; I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn.”
--Albert Einstein
“Experience: that most brutal of teachers. But you learn, my God do you learn.”
--CS.Lewis
In the book, Models of Teaching, Joyce, Weil & Calhoun, discuss four different types of learning environments and models of teaching: information-processing, social, personal, and behavioral.
The information-processing model highlights the way human beings acquire and organize data and solves problems. The information-processing model includes topics such as inductive thinking, concept attainment, picture-word inductive model, scientific inquiry, mnemonics, synectics, and advance organizers. The social learning model focuses on building a learning community and includes topics such as partners in learning, group investigation, role playing, and jurisprudential inquiry. The personal learning model attempts to shape education so individuals can understand themselves and take responsibility for their education. Topics in personal learning model include nondirective teaching and enhancing self concepts through achievement. The behavioral systems model focuses on topics such as mastery learning through programmed instruction, direct instruction, and learning from self-training.
In my opinion, all four models of teaching are relevant, pertinent, and useful depending on the goals and objectives of the course. Effective teachers know when to incorporate a particular pedagogy into a specific course. In the article, Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge: A framework for teacher knowledge, Mishra & Koehler assert effective teachers must understand technology, content, pedagogy, and knowledge—and know how to use all four skills for instructional purposes. Different subjects require different methods of instruction. For example, a science course would involve the information-processing model to learn and understand the content. On the other hand, the science lab would require the social learning model for instruction.
In order for meaningful learning to occur, the educator must first capture the learner’s attention. Each student responds differently to attention-getting stimuli. For the most part, short stories, humor, thought-provoking quotes, stimulating questions, experiments, puppet shows, music, etc. are just some ways to capture students’ attention. Incorporating technology is another way to grab students’ attention. Using a short clip from a movie to illustrate a concept is a very popular and well-liked by students!
Once you have gain the learner’s attention, then the teacher must encode the information through careful and strategic lesson planning. Brain research indicates that multi-sensory instruction strengthens learner retention. Learners have a higher probability remembering information when they can activate various parts of their brain through an assortment of sensory stimulation. For example, let’s say a science teacher wants his students to label the parts of a cell on a science test. As part of his instruction, he could have the students make a cell using play dough. After that the students could then label each part of the cell by sticking a toothpick with a label. Next the students could draw, color, and label the cell on a piece of paper. Afterward, the students could write an informative paragraph about the functions of each cell part. To spice things up, the students could write and sing a song naming the parts of a cell. These are all multisensory tactics that encode information into the learners’ brain.
Click on this link to see brain stimulation. Please wait a few minutes for the entire website to download. http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/health-and-human-body/human-body/brain-article.html
Joyce, B., Weil, M., & Calhoun, E. (2009) Models of teaching (8th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Jonassen, D., Howland, J., Marra, R., & Crismond, D. (2008). Meaningful learning with technology (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson
In the book, Meaningful Learning With Technology, David Jonassen outlines five principles of meaningful learning: (1) active, (2) constructive, (3) intentional, (4) authentic, and (5) cooperative. According to Jonassen, human beings have a unique need to learn and interact with their environment; therefore, teachers must facilitate this unique need by creating purposeful activities that will allow the learner to observe, manipulate, question, and reflect upon their surroundings. Even though activities must be intentional, Jonassen argues that they also must be authentic and meaningful. Activities are meaningless unless they are relevant and students can apply personal connections to what they are learning. In addition, Jonassen asserts that learning must be cooperative. Every day, human beings are exploiting each other’s knowledge and skills to solve problems and perform tasks. Why should the classroom be any different?
Coming from a constructivist mindset, I couldn’t agree more with Jonassen’s five basic principles of meaningful learning. The constructivist theory asserts that individuals learn through experiences and assimilate this knowledge into their already existing brain framework. Learning by doing is a very popular teaching philosophy that dates back to an ancient Chinese proverb. In fact, Albert Einstein and C.S. Lewis also share the same philosophy :)
“Tell me and I'll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I'll understand.”
--Chinese Proverb
“I never teach my pupils; I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn.”
--Albert Einstein
“Experience: that most brutal of teachers. But you learn, my God do you learn.”
--CS.Lewis
In the book, Models of Teaching, Joyce, Weil & Calhoun, discuss four different types of learning environments and models of teaching: information-processing, social, personal, and behavioral.
The information-processing model highlights the way human beings acquire and organize data and solves problems. The information-processing model includes topics such as inductive thinking, concept attainment, picture-word inductive model, scientific inquiry, mnemonics, synectics, and advance organizers. The social learning model focuses on building a learning community and includes topics such as partners in learning, group investigation, role playing, and jurisprudential inquiry. The personal learning model attempts to shape education so individuals can understand themselves and take responsibility for their education. Topics in personal learning model include nondirective teaching and enhancing self concepts through achievement. The behavioral systems model focuses on topics such as mastery learning through programmed instruction, direct instruction, and learning from self-training.
In my opinion, all four models of teaching are relevant, pertinent, and useful depending on the goals and objectives of the course. Effective teachers know when to incorporate a particular pedagogy into a specific course. In the article, Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge: A framework for teacher knowledge, Mishra & Koehler assert effective teachers must understand technology, content, pedagogy, and knowledge—and know how to use all four skills for instructional purposes. Different subjects require different methods of instruction. For example, a science course would involve the information-processing model to learn and understand the content. On the other hand, the science lab would require the social learning model for instruction.
In order for meaningful learning to occur, the educator must first capture the learner’s attention. Each student responds differently to attention-getting stimuli. For the most part, short stories, humor, thought-provoking quotes, stimulating questions, experiments, puppet shows, music, etc. are just some ways to capture students’ attention. Incorporating technology is another way to grab students’ attention. Using a short clip from a movie to illustrate a concept is a very popular and well-liked by students!
Once you have gain the learner’s attention, then the teacher must encode the information through careful and strategic lesson planning. Brain research indicates that multi-sensory instruction strengthens learner retention. Learners have a higher probability remembering information when they can activate various parts of their brain through an assortment of sensory stimulation. For example, let’s say a science teacher wants his students to label the parts of a cell on a science test. As part of his instruction, he could have the students make a cell using play dough. After that the students could then label each part of the cell by sticking a toothpick with a label. Next the students could draw, color, and label the cell on a piece of paper. Afterward, the students could write an informative paragraph about the functions of each cell part. To spice things up, the students could write and sing a song naming the parts of a cell. These are all multisensory tactics that encode information into the learners’ brain.
Click on this link to see brain stimulation. Please wait a few minutes for the entire website to download. http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/health-and-human-body/human-body/brain-article.html
Joyce, B., Weil, M., & Calhoun, E. (2009) Models of teaching (8th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Jonassen, D., Howland, J., Marra, R., & Crismond, D. (2008). Meaningful learning with technology (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Donors Choose
Hi CIMT Friends!
If you haven't heard about Donors Choose---then wait no longer! You need to check out this site! Donors Choose helps public education teachers to fund special projects! Click on my personal link! http://www.donorschoose.org/donors/proposal.html?id=344187&utm_source=internal&utm_medium=email&utm_content=project&utm_campaign=TellAFriend
If you haven't heard about Donors Choose---then wait no longer! You need to check out this site! Donors Choose helps public education teachers to fund special projects! Click on my personal link! http://www.donorschoose.org/donors/proposal.html?id=344187&utm_source=internal&utm_medium=email&utm_content=project&utm_campaign=TellAFriend
Friday, January 15, 2010
Types of Teacher Knowledge
What do you think of when you hear the word teacher? Do the words knowledge and expertise enter your mind? Perhaps you think about somebody who knows their stuff and can explain it to others. These are both positive definitions of a teacher—much better than George Bernard Shaw’s, "He who can, does. He who cannot, teaches.”
What qualities constitute a good teacher? What distinguishes a great teacher from a good teacher? What do you expect from your teachers? What should society expect from public education?
With federal initiatives such as No Child Left Behind and Race To The Top, the proposed questions are extremely pertinent. Educational reform is changing the way schools operate. With federal dollars linked to test scores--you can bet your bottom dollar that government officials are asking these questions. The public expects teachers to know their stuff and to have the ability to explain it to their pupils. What does this entail? How do we measure effective teaching? What areas need to be screened? The following articles suggest ways to measure effective teaching.
In the article, Those Who Understand Knowledge Growth In Teaching, Lee Shulman discusses the elimination of content knowledge and subject matter in current teacher licensure examinations. Instead of measuring knowledge of subject matter, state licensure examinations assess organizing instructional material, evaluating student progress, recognizing student differences, having cultural awareness, understanding youth, knowing educational policies and classroom management procedures. While all of this is extremely pertinent to being a good teacher--one cannot minimize having some knowledge about the subject he/she plans to teach. Shulman makes an excellent point--not only should teachers know stuff--but they need to have the pedagogical skills to teach it!
In the article, Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge: A framework for teacher knowledge, Mishra & Koehler expound on Shulman's main points by adding technology into one of the four attributes that a teacher should have. Mishra & Koehler use the acronym TPCK to outline the four basic teaching attributes: Technology, Pedagogy, Content, and Knowledge. Teachers can be knowledgeable but the knowledge is meaningless unless they know how to use this knowledge along with appropriate pedagogy and technology. Teachers can have great pedagogy and technological skills and be ineffective teachers because they lack appropriate content knowledge. Also, teachers can know and understand technology, but may not know how to utilize it for instructional purposes. Great teaching requires a teacher to have well-rounded set of skills. Throughout the entire article, Mishra & Koehler expound how each skill is valuable, relevant, and pertinent to instruction. Teachers must know how to use each area for instructional purposes.
In the article, Teachers' and students' cognitional knowledge for classroom teaching and learning, Peterson further expounds on this topic by discussing the importance of metacognition in learning. Students must be encouraged to think about their thinking. Teachers must also think about their teaching and instruction.
In my opinion, all three articles make valid and relevant points in regards to types of teacher knowledge. Teachers must know their stuff, know how to teach it, and reflect on their teaching. Knowing how to teach the content includes implementing technology. Living in the digital age requires teachers to implement technology in an effective manner!
Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. J. (2006). Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge: A framework for teacher knowledge. Teachers College Record, 108(6), 1017-1054.
Peterson, P. L. (1988). Teachers' and students' cognitional knowledge for classroom teaching and learning. Educational Researcher, 17(5), 5-14.
Shulman, L. S. (1986). Those who understand: Knowledge growth in teaching. Educational Researcher, 15(2), 4-14.
What qualities constitute a good teacher? What distinguishes a great teacher from a good teacher? What do you expect from your teachers? What should society expect from public education?
With federal initiatives such as No Child Left Behind and Race To The Top, the proposed questions are extremely pertinent. Educational reform is changing the way schools operate. With federal dollars linked to test scores--you can bet your bottom dollar that government officials are asking these questions. The public expects teachers to know their stuff and to have the ability to explain it to their pupils. What does this entail? How do we measure effective teaching? What areas need to be screened? The following articles suggest ways to measure effective teaching.
In the article, Those Who Understand Knowledge Growth In Teaching, Lee Shulman discusses the elimination of content knowledge and subject matter in current teacher licensure examinations. Instead of measuring knowledge of subject matter, state licensure examinations assess organizing instructional material, evaluating student progress, recognizing student differences, having cultural awareness, understanding youth, knowing educational policies and classroom management procedures. While all of this is extremely pertinent to being a good teacher--one cannot minimize having some knowledge about the subject he/she plans to teach. Shulman makes an excellent point--not only should teachers know stuff--but they need to have the pedagogical skills to teach it!
In the article, Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge: A framework for teacher knowledge, Mishra & Koehler expound on Shulman's main points by adding technology into one of the four attributes that a teacher should have. Mishra & Koehler use the acronym TPCK to outline the four basic teaching attributes: Technology, Pedagogy, Content, and Knowledge. Teachers can be knowledgeable but the knowledge is meaningless unless they know how to use this knowledge along with appropriate pedagogy and technology. Teachers can have great pedagogy and technological skills and be ineffective teachers because they lack appropriate content knowledge. Also, teachers can know and understand technology, but may not know how to utilize it for instructional purposes. Great teaching requires a teacher to have well-rounded set of skills. Throughout the entire article, Mishra & Koehler expound how each skill is valuable, relevant, and pertinent to instruction. Teachers must know how to use each area for instructional purposes.
In the article, Teachers' and students' cognitional knowledge for classroom teaching and learning, Peterson further expounds on this topic by discussing the importance of metacognition in learning. Students must be encouraged to think about their thinking. Teachers must also think about their teaching and instruction.
In my opinion, all three articles make valid and relevant points in regards to types of teacher knowledge. Teachers must know their stuff, know how to teach it, and reflect on their teaching. Knowing how to teach the content includes implementing technology. Living in the digital age requires teachers to implement technology in an effective manner!
Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. J. (2006). Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge: A framework for teacher knowledge. Teachers College Record, 108(6), 1017-1054.
Peterson, P. L. (1988). Teachers' and students' cognitional knowledge for classroom teaching and learning. Educational Researcher, 17(5), 5-14.
Shulman, L. S. (1986). Those who understand: Knowledge growth in teaching. Educational Researcher, 15(2), 4-14.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Welcome CIMT Friends!
Beinvenidos! Welcome to the Junto. Grab a cup of coffee, and join me in some friendly banter about curriculum and instruction.
The title of this blog is coined from Ben Franklin's famous Junto. I thought the title was more than fitting since Franklin's original purpose of the Junto was to provide a structured forum for
debating and exchanging knowledge.
Drawn from diverse backgrounds, Franklin's original Junto was comprised of 12 members, each sharing the same spirit of inquiry and desire to improve themselves. Just like the original Junto, we all come from diverse backgrounds--each contributing our expertise in regards to our teaching speciality. If you also share the same spirit of inquiry and desire to improve your teaching techniques, then please contribute freely to all of my blog posts! Through your honest and sincere replies--we can learn from each other!
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