...the 21st century seems quite different than the 20th in the capabilities people need for work, citizenship, and self-actualization. - Dede, 2007
Compelling Question Response
The world has changed. Students have changed. Instruction must reflect this change. The students of today are digital natives; technology is a natural, integral part of their daily lives. As a result, adolescent readers are motivated, interested, and engaged when they use technology to express their thoughts and ideas, explore literature and its contexts, and collaborate to discuss what they are reading. Web 2.0 tools and classroom technologies such as Smart Boards, iPads, and flip cameras, allow students to discover characters, themes, settings, cultural connections, and historical events in an authentic, interactive, student-centered way. Additionally, cool tools such as Google Earth, ePals, Skype, and virtual classrooms, increase students' global awareness, an essential component of 21st century learners, by creating opportunities to learn about the cultures, background, contexts, and settings of books in a more engaging manner. By embracing the TPACK model, I have learned to strategically weave pedagogical knowledge, content knowledge, and technological knowledge to foster students' interests, motivation, and engagement in reading.
The TPACK Model
The most important piece of wisdom I gleaned from our discussions, cool tool blitzes, and readings is the confidence and courage to experiment with the TPACK framework within my classroom. - A quote from my ECI 546 final exam
New Literacies and Media
Independent Learning Project:
For my ILP, my partner and I explored the use of interactive concept mapping for students to construct understanding of A Raisin in the Sun. Through collaborating, another key component of 21st century learning, with a partner, they explored the relationship between the play and Dan Pink's six senses. Each pairing was assigned one sense to address and create a virtual concept map. By using this tool, students became active participants in the learning process, and I served as the facilitator.
For my ILP, my partner and I explored the use of interactive concept mapping for students to construct understanding of A Raisin in the Sun. Through collaborating, another key component of 21st century learning, with a partner, they explored the relationship between the play and Dan Pink's six senses. Each pairing was assigned one sense to address and create a virtual concept map. By using this tool, students became active participants in the learning process, and I served as the facilitator.
Results and Reflection - An Excerpt from my ECI 546 Final Exam:
Incorporating my ILP project allowed me to see my students, who typically struggle to critically think about literature, thriving an environment focused on the TPACK model using 21st a century tool. My students often have difficulty working with partners or in groups because they do not always stay on task, but during this lesson my students rarely needed to be redirected. Initially, I admittedly doubted their ability to comprehend Pink’s six senses, but they exceeded my expectations by fully grasping the concepts and making strong, interesting connections to the play. By combing technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge, my students showed a heightened level of engagement and interest in the task: a detailed, concept map analyzing what they were reading.
Incorporating my ILP project allowed me to see my students, who typically struggle to critically think about literature, thriving an environment focused on the TPACK model using 21st a century tool. My students often have difficulty working with partners or in groups because they do not always stay on task, but during this lesson my students rarely needed to be redirected. Initially, I admittedly doubted their ability to comprehend Pink’s six senses, but they exceeded my expectations by fully grasping the concepts and making strong, interesting connections to the play. By combing technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge, my students showed a heightened level of engagement and interest in the task: a detailed, concept map analyzing what they were reading.
Promoting Global Learning
Background
In addition to increasing collaboration, motivation, and engagement, technology can be utilized to foster global learning and awareness. More than ever before, students need to be globally aware due to the interconnected, interdependent, interactive nature of the world, which is a direct result of new literacies and technology. Tools such as ePals, Skype, virtual classrooms, and Google Earth are a few ways to use technology to expose students to global issues, raise cultural awareness, and increase reading motivation. |
Philosophy of Global Learning
The following audio recording contains an excerpt from my essay describing my philosophy on global learning crafted during ECI 524. This excerpt highlights my desire to incorporate a global perspective in my classroom. Click to set custom HTML
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Exploring iEARN
The following document is a copy of a Moodle Post I submitted during the course Teacher as Global Learners. The post describes iEARN, a non-profit organization promoting collaboration on projects through the Internet and new communication technologies for teachers and students throughout the world.
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Comparative Educational Systems Study:
For my final project in ECI 524, I compared the use of technology in education in China, India, and the United States. My research revealed that all three countries utilize technology in the classroom with varying levels of accessibility, but with a shared purpose - to prepare students to compete, succeed, and flourish in a globally connected world. |
Reading Practicum
During the reading practicum, my partner and I explored how to utilize IT Tools to teach prefixes, suffixes, and roots. We then implemented the tools with the student we were tutoring to test out the instructional effectiveness. We quickly discovered that our student loved playing the games online and asked each week if he could use them. He was motivated to build his vocabulary through technology! The document below highlights the best resources we discovered and used.
it_tool_handout.pdf | |
File Size: | 214 kb |
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Incorporating Web 2.0 Tools
There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate's loot on Treasure Island. - Walt Disney