Read and Reflect #6

Technology can be very helpful for students in many ways.  Blogs offer students a place where they can keep track of and reflect what they are learning over a period of time.  An online survey tool such as ProfilerPRO allows you to identify learning characteristics of individuals and also members of a group.  SurveyMonkey is a website that allows you to set up online surveys.  Students can use these results to track trends and help them see how their self-assessment compares to the larger group.

Some ways to get students' minds ready for a project include getting their attention and giving them time to settle in their imaginations, invite them to open their eyes to the possibilities before digging in, and encouraging students to explore and think about the topic, and to discuss their ideas with friends at at home with family for several days.  It is also important to show students the rubric first, as this will give them an idea of what is expected of them.

As a teacher it is important to think about teaching prerequisite knowledge or skills students need in order to work with a degree of independence.  The point of doing these projects is so that students can take hold of their learning and be in charge, which inevitably will require a bit of prior knowledge on technology and possibly the topic they are doing the project on.

Some important steps in preparing students for technology include:
Set up a technology playground - Think about how you might set up opportunities for students to learn by and among themselves, rather than just giving them direct instructions on how to use a new technology tool.
Tap student expertise - Let students who may be more technically advanced teach other students in the class.
Introduce project-management tools - Project logs or journals can be very helpful for students.  They can use these tools to track what parts of the project they have already completed, and what they have yet to finish.  This can also be a helpful tool for the teacher, because if the student is documenting their progress the teacher can find areas where the student is struggling.
Demonstrate - As a teacher, if you are comfortable with the tools your students will use, then demonstrate their use.
Rely on your technology specialist - If you are not familiar with the tools your students will use, that is why there is a technology specialist, so they can assist.  You can also collaborate with them to match learning objectives with technologies that help students meet them.
One size fits all-or not - A question to ask yourself is "Does everyone need to master this tool or application?"  If the technology will be useful in lifelong learning that answer should be yes.  There are also some tools that not every student needs to master, such as setting up a blog.  There can be designated jobs in running the blog, rather than everyone knowing exactly how to do everything.

There are several ways to promote inquiry and deep learning.  Learning outcomes that all students should understand include:

• There is a relationship between need and opportunity, and between scarcity and abundance
• Money, bartering, and other means of exchange have existed throughout history and across civilizations, and they continue to change
• Modern money has symbolic worth as an exchange medium
• Economics, health, and well-being are related
• Money means different things to different people
• Humans are interdependent

Several of these concepts relate to our project of creating the living museum of Kalamazoo history.  Knowing how to prepare students for technology seems to be extremely important.  Students will continue to use technology throughout their lives, and technology will be changing as they grow up, so it is important to make sure they are prepared.