Background Information:
I teach three sections of a Humanities class at White Pine Middle School. I am also involved with a grant called Nevada Pathways that has provided me with a fair amount of technology. I share 18 laptops and 32 Itouches with my colleague, who is also participating in the grant.
I am creating and teaching new curriculum with new technology so it has been an exciting and at times overwhelming year so far! What I am getting at is that I have not yet identified my question, although I have an ideas of what I want to focus on. The direction that I want to take is dealing somehow with technology. My Possible question is: What is the impact of technology based activities on student learning and motivation? Do these activities promote higher levels of thinking (Depth of Knowledge)?
This a huge question, so I am thinking of ways to narrow my question. If you have suggestions, please let me know. Finally I am not sure what types of data I want to use. Again, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! :)
In thinking about your possible question, I see two parts to that question: motivation and student learning. I am wondering if following one of those would work. If you went the student learning route, then maybe you could use MAP data. You have the fall data and then we retest in January. What is you tracked student learning in regards to one strand of MAP is improved. ??
ReplyDeleteLiz, This sounds like a great question!
ReplyDeleteWhat is the impact of technology based activities on student learning and motivation? Do these activities promote higher levels of thinking (Depth of Knowledge)?
So, have you thought about the activities you are asking your students to do, rating them by level of rigor and or depth of knowledge, and then comparing to see if the product and student learning based on assessments equates to that same level of DOK and rigor? I think this is a very important question as we start to use technology in our classrooms. How do we maintain a high level of rigor with what we ask them to do? It's one thing to have fun, do a cute activity, be engaged...it's completely different when asking about the level of rigor! Keep moving forward. Your question will continue to focus and evolve! Hope this helps!
Holly
Liz, A whole new idea would be to create a project that incompases the use of technology and determine how many skills students gain through the completion of the project, both technologically and contentwise. Just a thought. Cherié Baker
ReplyDeleteI like what Lisa said about using the MAP data to check and see how student learning is improved through the use of technology.
ReplyDeleteI think you could still look at motivation in the students as well. If you use what Holly suggested about DOK and compared that with how willing students were to participate with the technolgy you might find some interesting things.
Not sure if you want to do both though! You are right it is a big question! Hope this helps.
I would be most interested in technology impact on higher level thinking, but this might also be the hardest thing to figure out how to measure. Would you need to compare findings with a class that doesn't use the technology regularly? What if you came up with some complex assignments/quizzes and a rubric to evaluate the higher level thinking?
ReplyDeleteLiz,
ReplyDeleteI also am interested in how technology can be used to create/implement higher levels of thinking and deeper understanding. Since technology is not going away, it would be wonderful for us to find valuable ways to use it in the classroom,but how you go about doing that in a measurable way, especially in a humanities class, I couldn't say. However it is the aspect of your question that I find most interesting.
I agree with the project idea, I know that you have been doing projects using technology. Do you feel that they are learning more and more motivated to complete the project compared to past years without the technology. If you have seen improvement than I feel this would be a great avenue to follow.
ReplyDelete