As teachers today, we always saying we do not have enough time to get all of our instruction into the day. We are in need of teaching strategies that make the best use of our limited time, and give the student an authentic learning experience in which they can make connections to the real world. Using project based learning that incorporates technology skills is an effective way to accomplish goal. As we set our learning objective and students develop artifacts to show us they have synthesized the new knowledge, we are sure to have a higher level of student engagement if we use technology.
Many effective computer based projects can accomplish this goal. Power Points developed with a learning objective are exciting for students to build an artifact. They also give the student a chance to take ownership of the project and to make choices on how to best present the new knowledge. They can choose the image that fits their schema; they can include the music that connects to them cognitively. We can also incorporate other technologies like music downloading and CD burning. Have students create their own sound track to a book is a learning experience they give them a strong cognitive connect to the new assimilated material.
I know that learning is happening in my classroom when I am not teaching. By that I mean that I am spending my time wandering the classroom listening to the buzz of my students developing a project together that they will use to teach each other my learning objectives. Using technologies to achieve this is critical to build the bridge between what I teach plan them and what they actually learn.
Do No Harm
2 years ago
Hi Jim,
ReplyDeleteI agree that using technology in the classroom to create an authentic experience can lead to more student engagement during the lesson. I really like the idea of students creating their own soundtrack to a book that they are reading. What if they created their own songs using garageband and then wrote lyrics for the music. The lyrics could summarize important parts of the book. To take it further, students can then create a CD cover and booklet illustrating their songs.
I guess I am somewhat opposite of you because I seem to have plenty of instruction time and that has allowed me more time for the constructivist learning with projects and technology. Two years about we switch to block scheduling, but Math and L.A. are 90 minutes and they are year courses. Therefore, I am able to get through the curriculum and there is now more time to incorporate the other technologies and post-unit projects that reinfoce the objectives. I love watching the kids complete projects, especially in groups where they have to work through the social struggles as well.
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