Technology tools in lesson planning!

 

Technology has revolutionized the way humans interact and connect with each other, and modern classrooms, homes, and offices are drastically different from how they were just 20 or 30 years ago. Students today need to prepare for a workplace more exposed than ever to social media, television, video games, and other technological advancements. By bringing technology into the classroom, teachers help prepare students to handle the professional world of the future.

Some ways teachers can leverage the Internet and other technologies to enhance classroom learning!

When using the Internet, teachers and their students have the opportunity to access seemingly limitless information. School projects are no longer confined to the reach of textbooks within their local libraries. Students can use Google to learn more about topics in far less time. Teachers can use the information students have at their fingertips to challenge them and encourage them to delve deeper into subjects and master the information.

Modern language skills are extremely valuable in the professional world. Allowing students to communicate with native speakers of that language is just one of the uses of technology in education. Students are able to hear the language, practice speaking skills, and enhance their overall understanding.

Students enjoy finding meaning to their work. While in the past they could create reports and projects that would be viewed only by their teacher and fellow students, their work can now be easily displayed online. They can create materials to be used by other students and get feedback on their ideas from students in other schools all over the world. This will help students take pride in their work and find meaning in their assignments.

 

Here are some tools that we can use during the lesson!

Audio

Use audio to provide feedback, add narration to a PowerPoint or Keynote presentation, image or b-roll, or an expert interview. Use audio to humanize an asynchronous discussion.

Blogs & Wikis

Blogs typically are an individual space for publishing content, allowing users to comment, and facilitating reflection. Wikis typically are a collaborative space where content can be added, edited, and removed. They are good for building a shared resource.

Video

Use webcam and lecture capture tools such as Panopto. Try Cintiq for drawing and writing. Use web conferencing for lecturing, office hours, or student group work.

 

 Padlet

 

It enables to create a blended learning environment which, through the intentional use of technology, would be a place where all student voices would be heard. Padlet is a great tool to encourage student communication and collaboration, and is used in my classroom at least on a weekly basis. Teachers can use a collaborative tool like Padlet as a bellringer activity, a backchannel for class discussions, a review or research activity, or to introduce themselves to students from around the world!

 

 

Theory of Multiple Intelligences!

 

The theory of multiple intelligences (MI) was first advanced by Dr, Howard Gardner, Hobbs Professor of Cognition and Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and adjunct professor of psychology at Harvard University,  in his 1983 book Frames of mind.

Challenging the traditional concept intelligence, the theory of multiple intelligences suggest that each individual has eight different types of intelligences. These intelligences combine to form any individual’s specific cognitive potential. 

 

 According to Dr.Gardner we all possess eight different types of intelligences.

 

1.     Verbal-linguistic intelligence, “word smart”.

2.     Logical-mathematical intelligence, “maths smart”.

3.     Visual-spatial intelligence, “picture smart”.

4.      Musical intelligence, “music smart”.

5.     Naturalistic intelligence, “nature smart”.

6.     Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence, “body smart”

7.      Interpersonal intelligence, “people smart”.

8.     Intrapersonal intelligence, “self smart”.

 

These intelligences, although separate, work together, in an infinite number of combinations, in each of our learning experiences.

What effect does this have in learning and education?

many people will tell you that someone is intelligent when they are good at maths, or science, or when they are articulate or speak several languages.

Although educational practices and theory are in constant evolution, our culture and many school systems still have a tendency to value linguistic and logical-mathematical abilities over others. An important part of the learning is geared towards developing those areas, or presented in a way that resonates more to and relies in greater part on the abilities of a linguistic/ logical-mathematical mind.

As a result of this, children who have a more dominantly linguistic/ logical-mathematical mind tend to do better in most traditional school systems, having their abilities being reinforced and having learning experiences that resonate with how they specifically process information. At the same time, children who show other sets of strengths, often for example related to the arts, receive much less reinforcement of their skills and  a learning experience that does not always resonate with or allow them to use their abilities.   

  By applying the theory of multiple intelligences in the classroom, educators take into consideration the different types of learners they might have in their class, reinforce all types of intelligences in every student, and allow for an individual learning process that will ultimately enable each learner to utilise his or her specific abilities and demonstrate learning.

Presenting topics using the theory of  multiple intelligences, that is using different pathways and tools to study information, can have a very positive effect on our students’ learning experience. Incorporating for example, role play, collaborative work, picture puzzles or field trips allows for a learning experience that will not only allow different types of learners to learn but will enrich every individual’s understanding of the topic.

Cooperative Learning !

 

 Cooperative Learning!

Cooperative learning is the process of breaking a classroom of students into small groups so they can discover a new concept together and help each other learn. The idea of cooperative learning has been around for decades, but it never got to the same prominence as blended learning or differentiated instruction.

Cooperative learning is based on group work, but it’s also so much more than that.The core element of cooperative learning is to showcase the positive effects of interdependence while underlining the importance of personal responsibility.

This happens naturally in cooperative learning since students work with one another, but they all have a different task to accomplish or concept to explain.As a bonus, your students are being social while they’re working in cooperative learning. That could be an advantage or disadvantage for you, depending on the class.

According to David Johnson and Roger Johnson (1999), there are five basic elements that allow successful small-group learning:

·         Positive interdependence: Students feel responsible for their own and the group's effort.

·         Face-to-face interaction: Students encourage and support one another; the environment encourages discussion and eye contact.

·         Individual and group accountability: Each student is responsible for doing their part; the group is accountable for meeting its goal.

·         Group behaviors: Group members gain direct instruction in the interpersonal, social, and collaborative skills needed to work with others occurs.

·         Group processing: Group members analyze their own and the group's ability to work together.

Cooperative learning changes students' and teachers' roles in classrooms. The ownership of teaching and learning is shared by groups of students, and is no longer the sole responsibility of the teacher. The authority of setting goals, assessing learning, and facilitating learning is shared by all. Students have more opportunities to actively participate in their learning, question and challenge each other, share and discuss their ideas, and internalize their learning. Along with improving academic learning, cooperative learning helps students engage in thoughtful discourse and examine different perspectives, and it has been proven to increase students' self-esteem, motivation,and empathy.

Some challenges of using cooperative learning include releasing the control of learning, managing noise levels, resolving conflicts, and assessing student learning. Carefully structured activities can help students learn the skills to work together successfully, and structured discussion and reflection on group process can help avoid some problems.