Designing Lessons and Developing Curriculum with
Technology is the focus of chapter four. Specifically, for me, three of the strongest
focuses found in the chapter centered on how technology can help with lesson
planning, the different applications available to help teachers, and the various
assessment options available for teachers to use.
Firstly, lesson planning is an unavoidable part of teaching.
The task, especially for new teachers, seems frightening. What is encouraging
is knowing that when lesson plans are correctly drafted it produces a win-win
situation for the students and the teacher. “Plans and assessments are
indispensable road maps that chart the course and direct the learning for
students and teachers.” For me, the time element seems the most positive aspect
of lesson planning. I mean, most classes are only 45 minutes long and in that
short time there are so many other things to do other than teach curriculum-based
information. Teachers have to take attendance, collect work, distribute work,
deal with late students, stop disruptive behavior, deal with outside
interruptions, and so much more. If a teacher has a lesson plan available it
helps to give time for such disturbances. To make this process easier, it’s
nice to know that there are countless electronic resources available to help
support, guide, and develop lesson plans. As such, some of the web resources
offered in the chapter have a lot of good ideas for teachers to use to build
lessons around; however, most of the mentioned websites centered on core
courses: English, Math, Science, and the Social Studies. Out of all the sites I
actually logged into, only one of them, PBS Teachers, offered guidance in the
area of health and fitness, for physical education lesson planning. However, I
am glad that I decided to extend my research beyond what the book offered. In
fact, I think one of the websites I discovered, HotChalk Lesson Plans, offers
better resources for lesson planning for secondary physical education majors
than does the PBS web resource mentioned in the chapter. I think, using
resources already available that other teachers have used and has proven works,
will make the art of lesson planning much easier.
Moreover, it is
not only important to plan lessons to maximize learning, but it is just as
necessary to deliver those lessons in a way that will have a maximum impact on
student learning. Technology helps that to happen. Within the chapter, I
learned about many application available to teachers and students alike that
can help improve the teaching and learning process. From iBooks to technology
based reinforcement games like BrainPop Video and Children TV, lessons can move
from the old school tradition of books, paper, and pencil to a more exciting
way of technology integration. For example, I had a teacher in high school
English who had been teaching for 28 years. Mrs. Pop, because no one knew how
to spell her last name, was an amazing person; however, she was boring! Her
lessons consisted of lecture, notes she wrote on a white board, we copied, and then
distributed handouts to complete and turn in. Now, I’m not saying I didn’t
learn anything, but I can truly say that Sophomore English with Mrs. Webster
was far better. Instead of copying notes and missing half of what was being
said because I was writing, she was able to use technology to generate PowerPoints,
make side notes and comments generated during class discussions, and give them
out as handouts. Also, having access to our COW, Computers On Wheels, gave
everyone an opportunity to access information immediately versus having to wait
to get home and running the risk of forgetting the information. What I think I
will like to implement in my own classroom beyond the common tools available in
most classrooms are the computer game based assessment applications. I don’t
think tests have to be boring. I think, I want to be the kind of teacher who
knows if my students got it or not by having them engage in practical
assessments that take the pressure off of structured testing modes. For
example, Brain Pop offers over 21 different game resources to teachers who
teach health and fitness and they are only one of many application available.
Kahoot, Zaption, Plickers, and Chatzy are a few others that are available to
turn assessing into fun.
Lastly, with the
mention of assessments, it is important to understand that students must and
should be assessed. How can a teacher judge whether they were successful in
delivering a concept if there is no assessment? What I gained from reading this
chapter is that technology opens the doors with how assessing can be
accomplished. With the state governing so much of student success and learning
gains, teachers must drive curriculum so that students can stand a fighting
chance of succeeding on state mandated tests. However, teachers can do this by
not simply teaching to the test, but by making the information and the delivery
of that information so memorable that the concepts are embedded and learned not
memorized for a moment only to be forgotten under pressure. I think it is
important to assess throughout lessons, making sure everyone has a grasp on one
concept before moving on to another. How can I teach how to shoot a ball in
basketball, if students haven’t learned what the rules are first? Learning is on-going
and accessing should be also. It is important to remember that testing offers
students a taste of the real world. In college and in the work field students
will be accessed in various ways, so why not expose them early to that reality
of differentiated assessments? Also important is the tools used to record
assessments. I think any software that allows students to access their grades
quickly and consistently is a great software program. Electronic grading
systems, even in the moment electronic tools like Grade Pro, allow for students
to know what is always going on with their grades and their individual degree
of understanding of specific concepts.
In the end, computers
and on-line resources can help in the three phases of the teaching/learning process.
Technology can help with lesson design, delivery, and assessment. As soon to be
new teachers, on-line resources are vital in making the transition into the
career field easier.
Work Cited
"Find a Plan." HotChalk
Lesson Plans Page. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2016.
"Kahoot." Kahoot.
N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2016.
No comments:
Post a Comment