There are many theories in the field of education. As a teacher, different theories need to be applied to the classroom for teaching, learning and assessment. Every child should be treated as a "unique" individual because not every student learns the same way. From my experience of teaching and observing classes, general education students can be in a class with IEPs and ELLs. Teachers have to be able to accommodate all students. It is a challenge for both students and teachers. Technology is one tool in aiding and accommodating different students in one classroom. When I think back to my own learning, most of it comes from other people (teachers, parents, friends, etc.), active learning environments and personal experience. "Behaviorism, Cognitive Science and Constructivism" can be incorporated into a classroom. I tend to lean more towards "Cognitive Science" and "Constructivism." In an English class, memorizing Vocabulary words are important for Vocabulary Tests and SATs. How many of those words do students truly remember in the future? It's the active learning, thinking and collaborative projects that students remember. The "metacognitive awareness" is the most valuable lesson because a student can think about his or her own thinking. Reading circles are good ways for students to interpret literature amongst themselves. If one student does not understand the reading, then another student may be able to help the other. This type of learning environment is "student-centered." Students assess their own learning. Another example for students to assess their own learning is by creating a portfolio of written work. The portfolio shows how the student develops his or her own thought process through writing. Is a "teacher-centered" learning environment necessary? Absolutely, students need structure and guidance to reach the goal. Old and new ways of teaching methods can be integrated into lesson planning.
Questions:
1. According to Chapter 3, "Standards-based assessments" are important in measuring what is expected of a student for a certain grade level. Do standardized tests truly measure how much a student will succeed in life? And if the answer is no, then why is there so much pressure on students and teachers?
2. Students and teachers are able to express their creativity by using Technology. How much technology should be utilized in lesson planning for a 40 minute class?
3. How do we as teachers or educators assist those students who do not have access to technology 24/7 as oppose to those who do?
Jennifer,
ReplyDeleteI do believe that there is too much pressure on students and teachers when it comes to standardized test. even though tests are important way of accessing children I do not think it shows how successful the child will be in the future. yes a test can show how much information that student knows about the certain topic given but it doesn't show how the person can communicate with others or the different strengths the child has. I think the test should be something that the schools look at for providing the student feed back on how he or she can do better, but not looked at as a deciding factor whether the child is going to get into a special college.
Within a 40 min lesson I think the technology can be the main focus of the lesson for 10/15 mins tops!. I think the technology can be the attention grabber for the students. get them involved in the lesson and then once the teacher feels they are involved he or she can move onto the main chunk of the lesson. some teachers can choose to continue their lesson on the computer or smart board by teaching with smart notebook or PowerPoint but I believe that isn't the technology being the center of attention and instead being teacher centered.
Teachers do have to be able to accommodate to all students. Every student is different and to find what works best for each child can be a challenge. that is why assessments are crucial. There are so many various assessments we can use. using technology and other resources can definitely assist us in measuring our students. as stated in my reflection I don't believe standardized testing measures how much a student will succeed in life. standardized testing should not be the only means of assessing our students and we should not let these "tests" keep us from teaching other important values our student need.
ReplyDeleteHi Jennifer, As you mentioned in your reflection, in our general education classrooms, students are usually in a class with IEPs or ELLs. I think it's fairly challenging for teachers to accommodate every single student at the same time. In terms of each individual, they may have different needs. Besides what Glenda's suggestion regarding the importance of assessments, how can we use technology to meet students' needs
ReplyDeleteindividually and efficiently?