| What is the result of technology use? | |
| Replacement | No change or effect besides the introduction of technology. |
| Amplification | The instructional technique is the same as might be applied without technology but there is an intensification effect - more, faster, better, clearer, stronger. |
| Transformation | The use of technology causes a novel creation effect - a previously unattainable experience, alteration, change, restructure, reorganization occurs due to the use of technology. |
The initial use of this framework has brought up questions related to what “transformation” as a result of introducing technology into the classroom looks like. When I am involved in a conversation where these questions arise, I usually share some examples from the classroom practice of elementary teacher Heather Preble. Consider the structure of the Election Unit that her students are currently working on.
To begin the unit, Ms. Preble presented the fifth graders with a learning contract for the book they are currently reading, The Phantom Tollbooth. Students chose one of two projects to work on for the election: a comparison of the candidates or a study of the election process and a political analysis of this year's election. Once students chose a direction for their learning, Ms. Preble shared web resources with her students using a tool called Symbaloo:
Students were able to use these shared resources as a starting point to springboard their research and self-guided learning about the election process.
Also as part of the unit, Ms. Preble created a class Twitter account. One of her goals for the Elections Unit was to expose her students to perspectives from other students around the world.
Here is the guide to using Twitter in the classroom that she used to get started (she found this resource by connecting with her professional learning network on Twitter). The class account was used to make a connection with a class of elementary students in Missouri who were involved in an election project called Kid Vote. The two groups decided to share resources and engage in conversation using a web based classroom software called Edmodo. Here is a sample of their dialogue:
They also agreed to video conference at least once a week. Here are some highlights from their first discussion.
This provided both classes with an audience of their peers. They used this opportunity to present the progress of their class projects and what they were learning from the process. The video sessions also provided many opportunities for dialogue, collaboration, and feedback. Here are some examples of the Google presentations (these presentations can easily be shared online) that Ms. Preble’s class collaboratively created to share what they had learned with the Missouri class.
Another way that Ms. Preble’s class explored various perspectives on the election was by creating a Google Form that they used to collect input from people around the country. They sent this survey out via Twitter, Edmodo, and their own personal networks.
A final project they did was to create avatars of the candidates using GoAnimate Election, a free app in the Edmodo App store. They then put themselves into the persona of the candidate and created digital role plays that they shared with their peers in Missouri. You can see some of their final products on the class Edmodo site.
I think it is obvious how this classroom has been transformed by the introduction of technology. How differently would this unit have looked if the pool of knowledge that the students could access on the election was limited to the books, knowledge, and people that are in the building? Certainly the students would have had less opportunities to refine their conceptual understanding of the election process if they were limited to learning activities that could be done with paper and pencil. Furthermore, the opportunities for learning to collaborate and communicate with people coming from a range of different backgrounds and with different perspectives would have been nearly impossible without technology. Also consider the numerous opportunities for developing the digital age skills that these students are going to need to be successful that occurred in this unit (I'm pretty sure the students had the opportunity for growth related to all of ISTE's standards for students ). Finally consider the student engagement in learning that is driven by this type of instruction. A parent of a student in this class recently told me "I knew my daughter was really excited about learning when she asked me to turn of the ball game so she could watch election coverage".
Also as part of the unit, Ms. Preble created a class Twitter account. One of her goals for the Elections Unit was to expose her students to perspectives from other students around the world.
Here is the guide to using Twitter in the classroom that she used to get started (she found this resource by connecting with her professional learning network on Twitter). The class account was used to make a connection with a class of elementary students in Missouri who were involved in an election project called Kid Vote. The two groups decided to share resources and engage in conversation using a web based classroom software called Edmodo. Here is a sample of their dialogue:
They also agreed to video conference at least once a week. Here are some highlights from their first discussion.
This provided both classes with an audience of their peers. They used this opportunity to present the progress of their class projects and what they were learning from the process. The video sessions also provided many opportunities for dialogue, collaboration, and feedback. Here are some examples of the Google presentations (these presentations can easily be shared online) that Ms. Preble’s class collaboratively created to share what they had learned with the Missouri class.
Another way that Ms. Preble’s class explored various perspectives on the election was by creating a Google Form that they used to collect input from people around the country. They sent this survey out via Twitter, Edmodo, and their own personal networks.
A final project they did was to create avatars of the candidates using GoAnimate Election, a free app in the Edmodo App store. They then put themselves into the persona of the candidate and created digital role plays that they shared with their peers in Missouri. You can see some of their final products on the class Edmodo site.
I think it is obvious how this classroom has been transformed by the introduction of technology. How differently would this unit have looked if the pool of knowledge that the students could access on the election was limited to the books, knowledge, and people that are in the building? Certainly the students would have had less opportunities to refine their conceptual understanding of the election process if they were limited to learning activities that could be done with paper and pencil. Furthermore, the opportunities for learning to collaborate and communicate with people coming from a range of different backgrounds and with different perspectives would have been nearly impossible without technology. Also consider the numerous opportunities for developing the digital age skills that these students are going to need to be successful that occurred in this unit (I'm pretty sure the students had the opportunity for growth related to all of ISTE's standards for students ). Finally consider the student engagement in learning that is driven by this type of instruction. A parent of a student in this class recently told me "I knew my daughter was really excited about learning when she asked me to turn of the ball game so she could watch election coverage".
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