Supporting Information Literacy and Online Inquiry in the Classroom

Through the past eight weeks I have broadened my insight on information literacy skills and learned how to teach these skills to students through inquiry-based learning. Students need to hone-in on their internet skills. This does not mean faster ways to find their favorite internet games or selecting three random websites to use as references but, the proper way for searching, evaluating, and synthesizing the information from the internet.

As Beth Phillips (2007) emphasizes, students need to use the ABC’s approach when looking at a web site. The ABC’s of a web site have students look for important information to validate the web site such as the authors name, the basis and content of the site, dates the information was published, and if there is an editor. These ABC’s will help students validate the information and see if the information is safe to use. I feel it is very important for students to validate their information so they understand that they are not re-writing something that may not be valid.

One of my favorite assignments we completed was a think out loud evaluation on a website. I used a camcorder to record my think out loud evaluation where I went through and used the ABC’s approach to validate the site. Along with the ABC’s approach, David Warlick (2007) stresses to look at the URL and see where the web site is coming from. If a site has a .gov, .org, or .edu typically the site will have valid information. Dot-Com sites are different being they are commercial web sites.

I feel that students need to understand the proper way for searching, evaluating, and synthesizing the information from the internet. Students need to ask questions throughout any activity they work on. I agree with Eagleton and Dobler (2007) statement which is, “The most compelling inquiry questions are student-generated” (p. 82). They need to be able to evaluate and respect the digital information they find. First they need to validate the information then they need to give proper credit to the owner(s). Finally, they need to understand that synthesizing is gathering information on a topic and then transforming that information into answers through a process of deduction.

References
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). Information Literacy: Evaluating Information (DVD). New Literacies. Baltimore, MD: Author
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). A Teacher's Perspective: Evaluating Information Online (DVD). New Literacies. Baltimore, MD: Author
Eagleton, M. B., & Dobler, E. (2007). Reading the Web: Strategies for Internet inquiry. New York: The Guilford Press.

Personal Theory of Learning

I feel that students learn best when they have ideas or goals set for the day and for the end of a unit. I see my students succeed when I incorporate technology into the lecture along with not allowing students to have down-time. My curriculum is broking up into 4 units with multiple lessons, activities, and a major project for each unit. When I start a new unit with the students we go over what the unit is about and what the outcome should be. Also, I write daily objectives on the board, so the students can see what the goals are going to be for that day.

I use a lot of technology in the classroom, but there is always room to grow as technology will continue to improve. My goal is to stay up to date with current technology and to incorporate new technology into my curriculum. The first piece of technology I plan to use in the future is a VoiceThread. Students will have the ability to use a VoiceThread when they work on their virtual design challenge with other students from around the States. The other piece of technology I would like to incorporate into my curriculum is online testing for students. Online testing would allow the students to take exams and have their scores generated for them right away. This would make my life easier being the computer will do the grading which would allow me to spend more time helping students or preparing lesson plans.

Reference
Lever-Duffy, J. & McDonald, J. (2008). Theoretical Foundations (Laureate Education, Inc., custom ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Can we go on a virtual field trip?

There are three video clips here.

Connectivism and Social Learning in Practice

This week I explored how social learning theories provide students with the ability to be activily engaged in constructing artifacts and conversing with each other. I have my students spend about half their time through the school year working collabrativly and the other half working indivdually. I feel students have a sence of control when they work collabrativly because they are in-charge of their learning. They keep each other going while understanding that I am their to act as a guide if things start to get out of hand or they have a question that no one in the group can answer.

When students interact with each other, a piece of technology such as a computer, or with the teacher, I feel they are able to retain more information. When they help each other it allows the student to feel good about themselves and it shows the teacher that they have retained the information. Also, this shows the teacher that not only does the student understand, but they are able to teach the information to others in the class and the student has gone above inert knowledge. Using a piece of technology such as the computer, Skype, or a VoiceThread allows the students to not only interact with their peers in the classroom, but with other people across the globe.

References:

Laureate, Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). Connectivism as a Learning Theory [DVD]. Baltimore, MD: Author

Laureate, Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). Social Learning Theories[DVD]. Baltimore, MD: Author

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Constructivism in Practice

This week I learned about constructivism and constructionism theories used in the classroom. Constructivism states that each individual activiely constructs his/her own meaning. Constructionism states that people learn best when they build on external artifacts or something they can share with others. My classroom theories are based on contsrtuctionism. My students use technology everyday to produce products on the computer and 3D models of their products, power point presentations, and tri-fold displays.

A concept that teachers could incorporate into their classroom is the ability to allow their ability to allow students to generate and test hypotheses. Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski (2007) state "when students generate and test hypotheses, they are engaging in complex mental processes" (p 202). I feel that constructionism and generating and testing hypotheses go hand and hand. When students generate and test hypotheses they are in control of what they want to learn. This allows students to stay in equilibration.

A great activity that I use in my classroom is I have my students reverse engineer a product to see how the product functions and how they can improve it to make it better or easier to use. This allows the students to be engaged in problem solving, invention examine, experimental inquiry, and decision making. For the most part, the students have full control over all these aspects in their reverse engineering project with some guidance from myself.

Reference:

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M. & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Cognitivism in Practice

Cognitive learning theories allows a student to make a connection with what he or she is reading with a visual artifact. Wheather the artifact is a painting, an image, or a video the students have the ability to make a connection with an image and the text. Cognitive learing theories could allow a student to process and retain information for a longer period of time. In the video clip “Spotlight on Technology: Virtual Field Trips” Dr. Orey discusses how using virtual field trips in the classroom can create an enriched environment for students.

Using the technology of virtual field trips correlates with cognitive learning theories because it allows the students to put visualizations to text. This can help a student retain information and make it eaiser for a student to recall on such information at a later time. Giving a student the opportunity to make connections with what he or she is learning, such as virtual field trips, makes processing and recalling information easier for the student.

Does anyone have insight on cognitive learning theories? Do you use this method in your classroom and if so; how?

References:

Laureate, Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). Spotlight on Technology: Virtual Field Trips [DVD]. Baltimore, MD: Author

Behaviorism in Practice

When a teacher uses a behaviorist teaching method they have positive rewards for right answers and use reinforsement for wrong ones. A behaviorist tends to use technology to reinforse what is being learned. In the book Using technology with classroom instruction that works by Howard Pitler, Elizabeth R. Hubbell, Matt Kuhn, and Kim Malenoski they talk about how using technology can keep track of a students' effort and how using technology for homework and practice provides the student with a better understanding of what he or she is doing and learning.

These strategies correlate with the behaviorist method because it allows the students to use technology to reinforse what they are learning. I feel that technology can be a powerful tool and students should use it as much as possible. Students now days are brought up in a technological era and that is what they are comfortable using. Using technology as a guide (or a helping hand) will allow the students to learn what is being taught while receiving reinforsement throughout the activity or project.

For me being a high school engineering teacher I, along with the students, have technology surronding us. I use technology such as a computer and a projector to demondtrate to the students then they turn around and use a computer, software, and sometimes tutorials to complete an assignment.

Reference:
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.