Teaching with Technology: Chapter 5 Problem-Centered Learning and Anchored Instruction

1. Teaching with Technology: Chapter 5 Problem-Centered Learning and Anchored Instruction Martin Perna EDTC6341-Fall 2010

2. Introducing… • Martin Perna • 3rd year in M.Ed / Ed Tech Program • Married, lives in East Austin, Texas • Work: • Dubspot online curriculum designer • www.dubspot.com • Moonlights as a musician • Antibalas.com • Ocotesoulsounds.com • Tvontheradio.com

3. In this presentation… • Problem-centered instruction • Anchored instruction • ABCS of Activities • Authentic Activities • Building Knowledge Activities • Constructing Knowledge Activities • Sharing Activities

4. What is Anchored Instruction? • Instruction centered around broader learning activities, such as problem-solving. • Emphasizes doing over mastery of discrete pieces of information

5. Anchored instruction: In short Learn by doing

6. Anchored instruction : WHY? • Permits sustained exploration by students and teachers • Understand real world problems • Use knowledge that experts use

7. Anchored Instruction Promotes cognitive development

8. Characteristics of anchored instruction Challenge students with appropriate activities

9. Contextualize • Make sure problem is significant to students • Provide ways for student to enter community and culture of practice • Experts • Practitioners • Problem-solvers • What tools and strategies do the experts use? • How can we use them in appropriate and relevant ways to our problem?

10. ABCS of Activities S

11. ABCS of Activities • Authentic • Building Knowledge • Constructing Knowledge • Sharing Activities

12. It all begins with A: Authenticity

13. Authentic Activities • Authentic activity=ordinary practices of a culture • Knowledge gained is linked to activities performed to attain and use that knowledge • Provides experience and confidence for future learning

14. Authentic Activities • Bridge from inert knowledge to culture of practice • Motivates learners to engage as rigorously as experts because of significance • Provides experience and confidence for future learning PRACTICE! Knowledge

15. Building Knowledge Activities which link discrete facts to a wider understanding

16. Building Knowledge Facts and content Context Concepts and problem solving

17. Building Knowledge: EXAMPLES Reading and discussing ideas

18. Building Knowledge: EXAMPLES Viewing films

19. Building Knowledge: EXAMPLES Completing structured experiments

20. Building Knowledge: EXAMPLES Watching a demonstration

21. Building Knowledge: Summary Use knowledge building activities to: connect facts to webs of meaning

22. Constructing Knowledge Activities in which learners create products and enjoy opportunities to demonstrate knowledge

23. Constructing Knowledge Criteria: • Product must be authentic and meaningful • Must be contextualized • i.e. relevant to a product produced by professionals in the field

24. Constructing Knowledge Key Questions: What products do the experts in these fields produce? What similar types of products can the students produce?

25. Sharing • Students need opportunities to • Test their knowledge and • Judge their products

26. Sharing: Why? • Opportunities to share in a public forum • Demonstrate knowledge • Build confidence • Opportunities for feedback • Peers • Teachers • Parents • Experts in the field

27. Sharing: Why? • Promotes rigor • Opportunities to be challenged with • Missing or incorrect information • Faulty conclusions or applications • Compare the meanings of their work with others in same domain of knowledge

28. Questions? Comments?