TECHDUCATION: Integrating technology into education

       Constructivist and constructionist learning theories are very similar in that both propose that learning is not just transmitted from teacher to student but rather actively created in the mind of the learner. Constructivism strategies encourage critical thinking and encourage independent learners guided by the teachers to build understanding based on their previous knowledge (Mohammed, 2020). Constructionism builds upon the idea of constructivism but also suggests that those new ideas are created and solidified by students engaging in and constructing an external artifact that they can share and reflect upon with their peers and others (Orey, 2010). Constructionism also emphasizes social interaction and collaboration to increase the meaning-making by the learner (Quay, 2003). These interactions can be enhanced by a plethora of digital technologies that encourage social interactions like video sharing sites, blogs, and social networking like Twitter a...

Where do we find geometry in building houses?    Students will use a graphic organizer while taking a virtual tour of some building sites to figure out where we can find geometry when building a house. After the tour, students will collaborate and add any information to their graphic organizer that they did not have previously. They will also choose a room in their house and calculate what they will need to paint the walls and cover the floor. Blank graphic organizer Completed graphic organizer Virtual Field Trip: math in the real world References Butts, C. (2020, April 21). Virtual field trip - Math in the real world [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcw_79bFYpo  

Behaviorist learning theory emphasizes changes in the behavior of the learner influenced by a  positive or negative stimuli (Orey, 2010). If an educator wants a behavior to continue, they will want to reinforce and recognize desired behaviors. Teaching strategies that use behaviorism principles to help students engage include guided practice strategies like drills, regular review problems, and question and answer. These strategies can be combined with technology to give students immediate feedback and the ability to self-pace and improve their learning (ISTE, 2016). Each time a learner receives positive reinforcement for the desired behavior, they will continue to want to do that behavior and, in general, will avoid behaviors that solicit unpleasantness (Orey, 2010).      Currently, one behaviorist-based instructional strategy that I use is guided practice with review problems. Since I have had limited face-to-face interaction this trimester due to hyb...

  At the beginning of this course, I thought I was competent in integrating technology into my classroom, but this course has opened my eyes to many tools that I never thought could be a part of my teaching. I have also learned that integrating technology is much more about the students and not myself. I plan to use my new knowledge to set some goals regarding technology in the near future for myself, my colleagues, and my community.      Will Richardson’s (2010) book, Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms has been a great starting resource for me. I had never thought of incorporating Twitter, weblogs, or podcasts into learning. Previously, I thought of those tools as fun social media that students only used in their free time to connect with other people outside of school. All of Richardson’s Big Shifts make sense to me, but the two that resonate with me the most are: “Teaching is conversation, not lecture” and “Contribution, ...

    A blog for my classroom would be used for students to reflect on lessons or homework assignments and to discuss topics they do not understand. They could also include strategies or techniques that they enjoy, which help them to learn. Other students could comment on solutions or different strategies that they used to understand the topic. Sometimes students can explain things in a way that is easier for their peers to understand. Those student-teachers can contribute to best practices that they would like the teacher to use more or changes to strategies they already use. In an article promoting interaction through blogging, “blogging was seen to enhance interactive discussion with their peers and promote collaborative learning” (Gunduz, 2016, p. 440). This blog would also be used by teachers to get constant feedback from students regarding their understanding of topics and acquire ideas for improving their teaching.      I teach math to ninth and t...