Transforming Learning with Unique, Powerful Technology

1. Transforming Learning with Unique, Powerful Technology Sharie Brice Anthony Holland Chasidy Taylor

2. Have you thought about it? “What can you teach with technology that you cannot teach just as well without it?”

3. Unique. Powerful. Transformative • Unique- declares that computers and digital technologies accomplish what non-electronic materials cannot- at least not in the same way • Powerful- indicates that technology’s impact in schools and society will be substantive in nature and long lasting in duration • Transformative states that technology alters how teachers teach and students learn in way that make school an increasingly relevant, more engaging place for education to happen

4. Research on the Science of Learning

5. Active Learning and Metacognitive Thinking • Active learning means that students are physically and cognitively involved in the learning process, personally doing something to compare and contrast ideas and information rather than passively sitting listening to explanations viewing videos, or reading about a topic. • Metacognitive thinking involves students learning how to think about their thinking, a process that is also known as self-assessment or reflection, in which students extend their learning by showing what they know and identifying what they still need to know

6. Implications for Teachers • Teachers must discover and work with preexisting understanding that students bring with them • Teachers must teach subject matter in depth, providing many examples of the same concept and providing a firm foundation of factual knowledge. • The teaching of metacognitive skills should be integrated into the curriculum in a variety of subject areas.

7. Learning Theories • Behaviorism • Cognitivism • Constructivism • Constructionism

8. Teacher-Centered and Student-Centered Approaches • Teacher-centered major focus and energy of a class flows from the teacher to students. • Student-centered instruction, the student actively part of all elements of a class, from planning lessons, conducting activities and experiments, engaging in discussions, and participating in assessing the learning.

9. Instructional Methods to Engage Students • One-on-one tutoring • Leaning groups • Inquiry learning • Metacognitive thinking

10. Technology and Constructivist Approaches

11. Thinking Critically and Solving Problems

12. The Role of Feedback • Tutoring systems and software • Text messaging and real-time chats • Email, online discussion groups, and blogs • Student participation systems • Tablet computers for in-class note-taking, writing, and editing • Hand-held calculators

13. Developing digital literacies • Technology has changed how people find and use information. Computer search engines, social media, electronic encyclopedias and online databases, smartphones, tablet apps, and other information storage retrieval systems make it possible to explore any topic electronically.

14. Information literacy and internet literacy • In order to achieve information literacy one must know how to: • Identify what information is needed • Understand how the information is organized • Identify the best sources of information for a given need • Locate those sources, evaluate the source critically, and share that information. Importance of information literacy is to recognize the difference among information source (ex. What is persuasive? What is objective? What is satirical?) Internet Literacy is an important part of information literacy. Internet literacy is the important to understand information presented online in electronic formats.

15. Information Literacy continue… • Information Literacy Video

16. Digital, media and visual literacy What is digital Literacy? Types of digital literacy Photo-visual literacy (reading visual images) Reproduction literacy ( creating new interpretations using existing materials) Branching literacy (creating knowledge in nonlinear ways) Information literacy (asking questions about the reliability of information Socio-emotional literacy (using analytical and critical thinking skills when using information) • The ability to use digital technology to communication tools or networks to locate, evaluate, use and create information. • The ability to understand and use information in multiple formats from a wide range of sources when it is presented via computers. • Involves a combination of technical, cognitive, and social skills.

17. Why is Digital literacy important? • It is a component of being a digital citizen- a person who is responsible for how they utilize technology and interact with the world around them. • Digital technology allows people to interact and communicate with family and friends on a regular basis due to the “busy constraints” of today’s world. • For white collar jobs digital literacy is required in the use of media to present, record and analyze data. • For blue collar jobs digital literacy is a way to increase productivity and analyze market trends.

18. Media literacy • What is media literacy? • Media literacy is where students learn to ways to think critically about their experience with entertainment and social media. • Ways to use media literacy in classrooms • WebQuests and other online research projects • Classroom websites that involve students in design and maintenance • Student created web materials • Web materials used by students for critical reviews • Online newspapers • Social bookmarking • Digital dictionaries • Multimedia timelines • Information alerts

19. Media literacy continued… • Media Literacy Video

20. Visual Learning experiences • Digital and media literacies promote visual learning. Software programs, Internet sites, videos, graphing calculators, and devices like telescopes and microscopes provide compelling ways to present information dynamically. Using computers, can recreate the past, view the present or envision the future. Teachers promote learning through “visual modes of thought.” Technologies to promote learning through learning visual experiences include: • Online simulations and experiments • 3D virtual reality presentations and tours • Real-time data displays and analysis • Online video clips and streaming video • Digitized primary sources (photographs, writing, charts, graphs, or maps) • Vodcasts (video podcasts)

21. 3D Virtual reality • Click here to play video The Virtual Playground (VP) is an engaging simulation environment for children between 8 and 12 y. old. It has been designed as part of a research study investigating the effect of interactive virtual reality environments on learning. Children wear 3D glasses and use a 3D computer mouse (called a "wand") to design a virtual playground. In this playground, the child user assumes the role of a designer that must carry out tasks, such as planning the layout of the playground by modifying, resizing and placing its various elements. These tasks require solving mathematical fraction problems. The VP is used for research in evaluating interactivity in virtual environments for learning. This research was conducted by Maria Roussou as part of her PhD work in Computer Science at the University College London. The studies were held in 2005.

22. So What is Visual literacy?? • Visual Literacy is defined as the study of visualization in all of its aspects of communication and education. Visual literacy develops through personal experience as well as from specific teaching about how color, form, and images can be used to communicate ideas and information. Visual materials increase instructional options for teachers and learning options for students. Visual literacy teaches students the skills they need to critically assess the many types of visual presentations they will encounter in school and society, including pictures, images, illustrations, diagrams, charts and graphs.

23. Communication and collaborating • Information technologies in the classroom increases communication and collaboration between students. Students work together attentively, thoughtfully and willingly on academic activities. Students use many forms of communication and collaboration outside of the classroom such as video games, text messaging, use cellphones for conversation, video chat, surf the Internet and watch television. • Technologies that promote communication and collaborations in school: • social networking and social media • Student-conducted online polls and surveys • Collaborative digital storytelling • Digital games for learning • Translation software • Online posters and website publishing • Student-friendly programming languages and environments

24. Tech Tools • Web resources and apps for communication and collaboration

25. Technology offers many ways to promote creativity Information technology and creative practice: • Word processing • Drawing • Design • Paint programs • These all help people self-express and help them be creative.

26. Redefining creativity • Today being creative does not mean you have to compose, design or develop something no one has done before. • The creative act can be what is new to the individual, not new to the world.

27. Creative ideas through social media • Blogs or wiki: teachers and students engage in online discussions of topics, post ideas and to read and respond to people’s comments. • This is another form of communication for those who do not email, instant message, and other communication tools. • An instructor might add visuals and notes on a computer as part of a class room presentation.

28. In Conclusion…..

29. Teachers use technology • To post grades • Post lessons online • Communicating with students in a Varity of ways • Technology is becoming more and more important in education.