Monday, January 22, 2018

EDTC 6431 Learning with Technology - Module 1 Solution


How can technology be used to build a trusting relationship between myself and my students to better engage them in their learning, is there technology to help build these important relationships and trust so learning can take place?

While looking for answers to my question, I read two articles (cited below) from our classroom readings that helped me find ways to integrate technology into my teaching, that will allow my students to be engaged while learning and also have a voice within the class.

In the article Supporting Autonomy in the Classroom the simple idea of giving students more choices and control of their learning created an environment within the classroom that helped students want to learn, which helped them be engaged in lessons and classroom discussions. The idea of giving autonomy to students can be hard for teachers, the thought of putting student's learning and test scores into their own hands can be stressful and, personally, I may find it hard to do my first year teaching. One way to remind myself and to help maintain a level of autonomy is to have my students keep in check, respectfully. One way I can do this is through a short survey or poll. Of course I'm not always going to be able to please every single student at any given time but if the students feel they have a voice that is heard and respected, it will also help build a trusting relationship and maintain the autonomy in the classroom. The article mentioned three different types of autonomy within the classroom, with the most important being cognitive autonomy. This is the type that deals mostly with their education. Cognitive autonomy promotes learning because it allows students to be heard and freely discuss or debate, it gives them the independence to solve problems in their own way and has the teacher listening more than lecturing. They not only build trust with the teacher but also with each other. In regards to letting students have a voice, the article 7 Keys to Effective Feedback, explains the importance of students getting feedback and the difference between feedback and advice. Sometimes, as humans, we are quick to give advice thinking we are giving feedback. The article also mentions the importance of allowing students to give the teacher feedback. To tie the two articles together, there needs to be a level of autonomy and trust for students to know they can give feedback without being punished or embarrassed in front of their peers. I believe a way to do this is, again, through the use of online polls or surveys. Lastly, the article mentioned the timeliness of the feedback and how important it is to give feedback as soon as possible so ideas remain fresh and at the front of the mind. The two articles had me searching the internet, where I came across a website rating the 10 best feedback tools to use in the classroom. My favorites were those like NearPod and Socrative, where students can interact, in real time, with the presentation. There's opportunities for them to compete against one another, play games, add commentary to the classroom discussion via digital sticky notes, and even take small quizzes or polls. The idea is to have students be engaged in classroom presentations or lectures by actually being an active participant instead of just sitting in the classroom listening to the teacher. They're allowed to be heard and the teacher can get instant feedback and/or responses from the students. By doing so, they are an Empowered Learner, which according to ISTE standards, is a learner that participates in the classroom with the use of technology.

The article, Ten Best Classroom Tools for Gathering Feedback, also mentioned the use of Google Forms. This reminded me of a teacher who came to one of our classes and talked about his management style and how he connects with his students. He used Google Forms at the start of every class. As students walked in and got settled, they new they were to get on their computers and take part of the daily survey or poll. Each day was the same questions - on a scale of 1-4 rate how you're doing health wise, in the classroom, and why for each. Some students explained they were a 1 because they were tired or they were a 4 because the material was making sense or they received a high score. Some answers were more personal such as a pet passing and others were merely a period with no other response. Meanwhile, he would sit at his computer and as soon as the students submitted their poll, he could see their answers and respond immediately through email. His students new he cared because he would ask them follow up questions, congratulate them on extracurricular activities and/or clarify questions. This has really stuck with me and is something I plan on using in my own classroom. As I've gone through the program I've thought of ways to connect with students and have their voice be heard and all my ideas seemed to be very time consuming. Using Google Forms and allowing roughly 5 minutes at the start of class to connect and immediately respond takes away the daunting task hearing each voice in every class. The also address the timeliness factor in regards to giving feedback (Wiggins, 2012) as well as helps the student become a Creative Communicator, stated in the ISTE standards.

Another ISTE standard being addressed throughout the entire classroom and will be part of classroom management is Digital Citizen. Students will need to learn what's appropriate and what's not in regards to posting within the classroom and interacting with their fellow peers. The rules will be set in place and respect among each other and myself will be given at the beginning of the year but they are expected to maintain the standards and rules set out throughout the entire year. 




Reference

Stefanou, Candice R., Perencevich, Kathleen C., DiCintio, Matthew, & Turner, Julianne C. (2004). Supporting Autonomy in the Classroom: Ways Teachers Encourage Student Decision Making and Ownership. Educational Psychologist, 39(2), 97-110.

Wiggins, G. (2012, September). 7 keys to effective feedback. Education Leadership. 70 (1).