Chapter 3
New technologies have brought about many new learning opportunities for students. These technologies allow for students to go beyond the textbook to get a better understanding of the topic and possible relate it to their own lives. Wiske, Franz, and Breit (2005) mentioned that different technologies, such as the Internet, expand the variety of curriculum materials and means for accessing information. I agree that these new technologies will help students to become more engaged in their learning. I also that that students learn better when they are able to connect what they are learning to past experiences and able to relate what they are leaning to other topics from other subjects.
Chapter 4
It is important that teacher make educational goals clear for student so that they students will fully understand what their teacher expects from them. Wiske, Franz, and Breit (2005) mentioned that the teacher’s goals should be explicit, clear, and coherent so that student can achieve. I think when it comes to technology many teachers do not fully know how to integrate it into their lessons so their goals are not clear about it use in the classroom. Once there are clear educational goals, teachers can think of ways to integrate technology to support and achieve these goals to help students learn for understanding.
Chapter 5
I agree with Wiske, Franz, and Breit (2005) about how it is important for students to be active in their learning and stretching their minds and not always passively receiving knowledge from their teachers. I think when student are more actively involved in their learning than they are more likely to understand what they are learning. Integrating technology into the lessons can help in active learning and teaching for understand. I like that idea of performances of understanding requiring students to go beyond what they have been told or what they read in a textbook. Technology can help student research these ideas more to learn different view points of a particular topic.
NCLB
For schools and teachers, NCLB brings about more accountability. More responsibility is place on schools and teachers for the learning and achievement of students. Also NCLB gives schools more funding for students’ educational needs. I think these are positive aspect of NCLB. All students should have the best educational possible for them regardless of their background. The negative side of these aspects is that there is a lot of pressure placed on schools and teacher to ensure that all students achieve. Because of this, many schools and teachers are more focused on their students passing particular tests and meeting certain goals instead of teaching for understanding.
NCLB allows for parents to be more involved in their child’s education. Parents are provided with report cards so they can see the progress of their child’s school. NCLB also allows parent the choice to have their child attend another public school at the schools school’s cost if their particular school is not reaching certain goals and needs improvement. I think the NCLB has the best interest of students in mind. But overall it seems to me that NCLB is frustrating a lot of teacher who are trying hard achieve these goal so that all of their students will achieve.
References:
Wiske, M., Franz, K., & Breit, L. (2005). Teaching for understanding with technology. Market Street, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
U.S. Department of Education (2005, September 19) No Child Left Behind. Retrieved
February 19, 2007, from http://www.nclb.gov
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5 comments:
When it comes to using technology and enhancing learning, I try to let the kids teach me a few things along the way. I agree with your post from Wiske in that we can extend the curriculum through technology. Next time you do a project, leave it open ended and you will be surprised some of the software that the kids can teach you how to use in the process.
Technology has the potential to connect students with their learning through experience and engagement - and the potential for us to incorporate active learning into our classroom.
It is important to connect all learning experiences with a students prior experiences. This way our students can make necessary connections with the content. It is also a tremendous idea to provide connections throughout the curriculum. Imagine if we provided learning experiences for our students that demonstrated connections between math, literature, and science.
Technologies certainly do help get kids engaged, and that is a great thing. I do think we need to balance things a little so that kids do not forget how to use a pen and paper, however the more we can get different technologies involved, the better.
As for goals, I always try to explain why we're doing an assignment so my students know there was planning involved (not just busy work). I think it's the least we can do for the kids, especially if we're asking them to commit a lot of time and effort to something (this lesson has a purpose)
Not sure I agree with your NCLB thoughts. While it does bring about accountability (which is good), I think the expectations are unrealistic and the funding a Catch-22 (if you fail, you do not get funding...without funding, it's hard to get the resources to improve). I do think we need to be accountable, but I think that should be administered by the teachers/administrators and not the Feds.
It seems to me that NCLB could be revised so that it works to everyones benefit and includes a strong technology provision. I think it would be hard to force teachers to complete a program like ours, but with all of the tools that are out there (for every subject area), it would make sense that teachers would want to learn more and utilize these tools in their classrooms.
Possibly NCLB could force school districts to include more professional development with technology-which would in turn create interest and opefully use of tech products.
Yes, NCLB certainly has good intentions but yes, teachers - good teachers- are being let go b/c of unattainable goals not being reached. And for parents to be able to send their child to a chartered school b/c of scores is just not fair. So many parameters fall within NCLB that one never knows why a school didn't make AYP. We didn't make AYP one year b/c of one math class, a special ed. math class.
I just think it's very difficult to hold all kids accountable for the same test. Sped. kids are not in the same learning env. and have been diagnosed with learning disabilities, etc. so why make them take the same test as those without learning disabilities?
When I read the articles I felt like lots of money was just thrown into the speeches, legislation but no help for teachers in terms of how to reach certain goals.
Good post.
joanne
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