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Week 2 Chapter Insights


Learning With Technology: A Constructivist Perspective


Chapter 1

Learning With Technology Technologies For Meaning Making

The key words and phrases in “Learning with Technology, Techniques for Meaning Making” are constructivist, experiences, meaningful learning, and technology. The constructivist approach to teaching breaks away from the traditional conceptions of learning. Experiences are related to the constructivist view and education should engage students in meaningful learning. It is my observation that the five parts of meaningful learning are interdependent and necessary for students to learn and succeed. “Active” learning gives the students the opportunity to reflect upon their activity and develop sophisticated skills. For the past nine years of my teaching career the push has been for cooperative learning and I have implemented that strategy into my classroom. My teaching is planned for the students' best benefit. Through the use of technology, computers in my classroom and in our technology lab studemts are engaged with hands-on constructive learning situations. Through the use of collaboration of the cooperative learning groups students can obtain many resources in a short period of time and later reflect upon those resources in discussion. The text brings up a term “Intentional (Reflective/Regulatory)” which is intended to fulfill a goal set by the teacher and the students. Students reflect on the processes they understand and are able to construct knowledge in new situations. This area seems to relate to the self-fulfilling prophecy of the teacher and students. The “Authentic (Complex/Contextual)” strategy presented in the text relates to the real world and not merely facts. This strategy has been most useful while learning math, social studies, and science in the classroom. I still find that no matter how one introduces the English language structure students fall back on what they have learned at home. As I stated previously in my reflecttive response “Cooperative Collabrative/Conversational) has been used regularly in the classroom. At times this is difficult to monitor because it easy for children to talked about activities unrelated to the classroom.

The text does give some very beneficial technology examples for fostering learning which will become part of my meaningful learning and student thinking. With my students coming from a low socioeconomic area I need to teach my students to read more proficiently and have greater exposure to computer technology so they may become advanced technicians in the computer sciences.

Classroom Instruction that Works: Research-Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement


Chapter 1

Applying the Research On Instruction: An Idea Whose Time Has Come


The readings of this chapter had some ups and downs when it came to interesting information. I did highlight the sections that I felt important towards achieving my goals and accomplishing my mission statement. Teaching is being considered a science. The students which teachers make contact with are being studied along with the methodology of instruction. Factors like socioeconomic status and home environment are acknowledged as being causes for low academic performane. I work in one of those low deprived areas. Studies have also shown that teachers have a powerful effect on their students. As stated in the text “The myth that teachers do not make a difference in student learning has been refuted’ (p 3; p 370), and the ‘[...] the most important factor affecting student learning is the teacher” has given my self-esteem a boost.
I am excited about the promise that the authors offer nine instructional strategies that will maximize student achievement. The authors are honest when they concede that different strategies may work better in different subject areas and with different aged students. I feel I have already been on the right track in my teaching because I have utilized the following strategies: student-centered instruction, teaching of critical thinking skills, and use of hands-on laboratory activities. Along with these strategies the text states effective pedagogy also involves classroom management techniques, and the curriculum is designed by the teacher.
I have been through the Fred Jones Classroom Management Training which has been as aided me greatly. The curriculum is designed by the state and district at my school. I do pick an choose what material will be most beneficial to my students. I am looking forward to the further reading of this textbook.


Chapter 2

Identifying Similarities and Differences

The key notes in this chapter are the teacher’s role “ teacher-directed” in presenting explicit guidance in identifying similarities and differences is the most straightforward way to help students. This form of instruction should be filled with discussion. The second form of identifying is “student-directed” to enhance students’ understanding of and ability to use knowledge. Comparing, classifying, creating metaphors and creating analogies are the four forms of these activities that are highly effective.

The key to effective comparing (comparison) tasks is the indentification of important characteristics of similarities and differences. In teacher-directed comparison tasks the goal is that all stuents obtain a general awareness of the same similarities and differences for the same characteristics. Student-directed comparison tasks on the other hand are selected by the students for identification. Tools that are recommended for these analysis are the Venn diagram and the comparson matrix, All types of topics can be classified using the Venn diagram.

Metaphors are used to create higher order thinking of the students. The example use in the text is “Love is a rose.” There are three divisions to this term: literal, the rose: abstract, the self awareness and meaning: and literal, love. Teacher-directed metaphors are those which are presented by the teacher and completed by the student. Student-directed metaphors are fulfulled by the student once they understand the task. Analogies are used in my classroom everyday as part of what I have called "science of the mind." Analogies help students to see how seemingly dissimilar things are similar, therefore increasing ones understanding of new information. The text calls them “relationships between relationships.” What is interesting is even after students complete the tasks in class under teacher-directed format the students will take the test at a later date and make up new analogies that make sense and credit must be given to them when they can explain their reasoning as defined in the text as student-directed analogies.

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