EDTC6433 Module 2 Triggering Event Question Reflection

EDTC6433  Module 2 Triggering Event Question Reflection

Thinking about the different students that come through my classroom on a daily basis helped me create my triggering event question for Module 2.  More and more students are asking for technology to be incorporated into the lessons we do in class.  The question I researched and am looking for answers to is: How can I create authentic learning experiences in my high school math classroom that incorporate contemporary tools and align with the common core state standards?  Through my research I found an article titled Technology-Enhanced Formative Assessment: A Research-Based Pedagogy for Teaching Science with Classroom Response Technology by Ian D. Beatty and William J. Gerace.  This article talked about using CRS (Classroom Response Systems) to perform both summative and formative assessments of students.  This article has given me a renewed desire to try and use technology for formative assessments.  According to the article, “An assessment-centered learning environment weaves formative assessment deeply into the fabric of instruction, providing continual, detailed feedback to guide students’ learning and instructors’ teaching.” (Beatty, Gerace, 2009)  I agree that class needs to be a constant place of assessment and adjustment.  Having the technology to poll students throughout the class and adjust my teaching based off of their responses will not only give them a better education but help improve my teaching and awareness of my student’s level of understanding. 

While keeping my triggering question in mind, I was reading the assigned reading for ISTE Standard 2.  In the assigned article EPIC WIN Inspire Engagement through Online Competitions and Collaborations by Learning & Leading with Technology they talked about creating online competitions for students.  Talking about teachers they said,  “Then they can begin to incorporate online competitions into their classroom as tools to teach and assess those standards.” (Mote, Kafai, & Burke, 2013)  I think giving space for competition within the classroom is important to the development of students.  I particularly think competition on an online platform would be beneficial for students.  If it is part of an online platform it could reach a different set of students than your typical day to day lessons.  Making an online competition would be an interesting and fun summative assessments for students.  I am going to continue to look into this option for my classes.  I am unsure at this point how it would work in a math classroom but I am hopeful I can find a way to incorporate an online competition or a project that is similar.

(Spante, Vea Karlsen, Nortvig, & Christiansen, 2014)

As I continued thinking about how to incorporate technology into my lessons, I read an article by my learning circle member Katie, titled, Cross-border collaboration in history among Nordic students: A case study about creating innovative ICT didactic models.  It talked about the TPACK (Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge) model that we talked about in the class discussion for this module.  It helped explain the model and how it could be used in my classroom.  “The TPACK model separates three specific skills of teachers, linked to pedagogical (PK), content (CK) and technical knowledge (TK) in learning situations within given contexts.” (Spante, Vea Karlsen, Nortvig, & Christiansen, 2014)  This article helped me think about different ways to incorporate technology into my lesson.  It made it clear that I should look for where technology could fit into what I am already doing.  As I work on my lesson plans for the coming weeks, I will be looking for where I can add technology into my lessons.  I will look for places students can use technology to aid in the learning, assess their learning, and/or give feedback on a lesson.  I will also be looking for where I can use technology with the whole class.

After my research, I feel confident in my ability to try out some of the different technology strategies I found.  I am going to try incorporating more technology based formative assessments and looking for where I can enhance my current lessons with technology.  Some questions I still have are, how to I make sure all students have access to the formative assessment technology, how can I help students access the technology resources offered at home, and what are some ways to bring technology into my classroom on a daily basis to help students connect with the math?

Works Cited

• Beatty, I. D., & Gerace, W. J. (2009). Technology-Enhanced Formative Assessment: A Research-Based Pedagogy for Teaching Science with Classroom Response Technology. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 18(2), 146-162. doi:10.1007/s10956-008-9140-4
• Spante, M., Vea Karlsen, A., Nortvig, A., & Christiansen, R. B. (2014). Cross-border collaboration in history among Nordic students: A case study about creating innovative ICT didactic models. The IAFOR Journal of Education, Volume 2 Issue (2), 55-85.
• Mote, C. W., Kafai, Y., & Burke, Q. (2013, December). EPIC WIN Inspire Engagement through Online Competitions and Collaborations. Learning & Leading with Technology, 16-21.