With the advent of common core standards, we are moving away from an instructional model that supports accumulation of facts and knowledge to a process or inquiry based model of searching for answers to driving questions.  In the past, teachers have been expected to impart information to students but now they must transform their instruction to a more collaborative, process-oriented and facilitated instruction.  Rather than thinking of this as an add-on requirement, teachers need to reassess their learning outcomes and find ways to redesign their lessons that will still have an end-goal in mind but also deliver the same content in a collaborate, inquiry, project-based model allowing students to synthesize the information they encounter.  This transformation can't be done overnight, so in order to maintain balance teachers need to make these changes in small steps.  One way would be to start with one content area such as social studies and then gradually add other content areas.  They need to also understand that the old ways isn't necessarily wrong or bad and that using old methods can still be integrated in with the new methods.

In order for inquiry learning to be successful. Several factors need to be considered and implemented:

• Standards should be the foundation of the inquiry and the project.
• Rubrics must be developed and shared with students to ensure clarity of the expectation of how they will be assessed.
• Every project should start with an end goal while avoiding "canned" projects.
• Before starting any inquiry project, students need to determine what content they know and what they need to know.
• Student journals facilitate student reflection and help teachers monitor student progress.
• Peer support (Teacher-Teacher and/or student/student) provides a means for feedback and to gain new ideas and perspectives.
• Final presentation and projects allow students to share their findings and demonstrate knowledge of the content.

Technology is not a required element in inquiry-based learning.  However, it can enhance the experience by providing a medium with which to search for information, share information and collaborate with others on a global scale. Technology is effective when in enhances learning and activities that would occur with or without the technology, but adds value to the learning by extending how, when and where the learning occurs.  

Reflective Blog Post Week 5

Technology has unbridled potential to transform instruction and student learning in the classroom.  However, integrating technology requires careful preparation and planning before it is implemented in order to ensure a positive experience for both teacher and students.  

Planning for Success:

Before starting a unit that involves the use of technology, one of the first things to consider is the viability of the infrastructure in the school.  Is there enough bandwidth to accommodate the need?  Will there be Internet access?  Is there a server space for students to save their work? Will students have the ability to share their work?  Is the hardware and other technology in good working condition to do what it needs to do? Is there adequate accessibility to the technology for all students to participate?   

Before a technology tool is chosen, curricular and learning goals for the unit should be set. With this information, a critical search and evaluation of possible technology applications or software that can effectively accomplish the project or task should be done.  Additionally, teachers who familiarize themselves or are trained in the use of the technology tool have more confidence and can provide a quality learning experience.  The technology tool(s) must also be skill and age appropriate for the student population.

Students should be well-versed and educated in digital citizenship and appropriate use before they can use the technology.  Acceptable use policies should be required and discussion of what is and is not acceptable must be communicated to and understood by students

In my teaching situation, I have a computer lab equipped with 30 new, Windows-based PCs.  Additionally I have a document camera, projector and screen.  Each and all day, I teach with technology.  Although I know that my equipment is new, I still check to make sure that everything is working before my day begins.  I always visit any websites that we might be using to make sure that it is loading properly with the browser.  Each week before I plan a new lesson or teach a new skill, I take inventory of my classes to ensure that they have the skill set to be able to execute the unit or project.  I also review the application or tool to make sure that I can use it effortlessly and am able to help them use it.  Most importantly, I always have a backup plan in the event that something doesn’t work properly.

Digital citizenship mini-lessons occur every day and are integrated into my lessons and class discussions.  On some days the lesson might be about netiquette or about appropriate searches.  It all depends on what tool we are using and the skills we need to employ. 

Evaluating Success:

So how do you know that the technology is making a difference in your teaching and ultimately in student learning? There are a few ways to qualitatively evaluate the success of a unit or lesson.  My first and initial way of knowing is observing the students to see their attitudes about their learning.  Are they engaged in the activity?  Are they motivated or do they seem anxious and uncomfortable?  Is there collaboration between students and is everyone using the technology for its intended purpose?

Another way of evaluating is through written responses or oral interviews from students.  A questionnaire or survey can be used either online, written or in face to face interviews that ask questions to students about their perceptions and specific information they learned.  Students can also be given prompts and can respond in a blog, written journal entries or podcast about their experience using the technology for learning.

And finally, through final product we can evaluate degree of success.  In a project-based unit, students go through the process of inquiry and end up with a final product.  Evaluating the product with a rubric can provide quantitative and qualitative information about the level of understanding of the content as well as their ability to use the technology to create the final product.

Dissemination of the Experience:

There are a number of ways to share the information that you have gleaned from your technology integration experience.  Fortunately, technology provides us with more ways to make our information more accessible and ubiquitous.  After I had written a grant to get equipment to do a podcasting project with my 4^th graders, my students and I appeared before the school board and spoke about what we learned from the experience. Students also shared their podcasts which were products of their learning.  This could also be done at a staff meeting.

Another way to disseminate the information is electronically through email, your school or class website or blog or through social media. 

Integrating technology in your classroom should be done in small increments.  Small successes lead to positive attitudes, engaged learners and hopefully student achievement.