Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Sunday, August 22, 2010
A look at Integrating new Technologies and Inquiry into Content Instruction
When I first entered a classroom to teach my very first lesson independently, I brought with me only foundations skills I learned from my cooperating teacher. He had been teaching for close to thirty years and was well grounded in his craft and highly respected. As a matter-of-fact, he was the most senior teacher in the department. We spent many hours reworking my lesson plans until they received his approval. Then, it was important to engage the students with a gripping “do-now” and “motivation” move on to a mini lesson which was basically lecture-based, present them with some bit of text with which to engage either individually, in pairs or small groups then more lecturing and board notes. I came to learn that for most lessons, “chalk and talk” was the order of the day.
Learning about the teaching of new literacy skills has revealed a great deal about how students are learning, what they are learning, and the sources of their information. I now realize that teaching 21st century learners in the method I had been taught was outmoded then, and is even more so now. Because of the tremendous changes that students face in terms of their access to information, it behooves the teaching community to become prepared to instruct, and facilitate these new literacies to incorporate the use of the Internet and other ICTs along with traditional literacy skills. Students still need to be grounded in the foundations of traditional literacy skills, but they also cannot be left alone to navigate the vast network of information technology without proper guidance. November (2008), wrote: “Now it is essential that we teach our children the discipline of making meaning from a very complex and constantly shifting global warehouse of information and communication.” I strongly believe that the chasm in pedagogy which often is as a result of some educator’s resistance to learn and incorporate the new literacies for 21st century teaching and learning, can contribute to student’s lack of desire towards inquiry.
What resonates most clearly in my mind is the structuring and delivery of content as presented using information technology. I am now aware that every of the lesson or unit must be scaffolded for content and use of technology, and that literacy standards must by adhered to throughout the differentiation of instruction, from the motivational “hook” to the assessment/s. It is no longer sound pedagogy to deliver content to students and provide a single summative assessment based on recall. The process of learning content needs now more than ever to be inquiry based and students need to be taught to ask effective questions. Thornburg (2004) explained the importance of students moving away from rote learning, and the importance of deep inquiry. He cites the outcomes that content will be retained indefinitely, and that students will develop the desire to be life-long learners.
My approach to teaching has already changed because what I have learned about the new literacies and the inquiry-based instruction. As I prepare for the upcoming fall semester and the commencement of a new school year, I am very excited about the new lesson plans I will develop to include the new information literacy instruction I have learned. I will certainly model every aspect of what I expect students to perform and now I can arm them with the correct tools and approaches to truly make web research sound and effective (AASL, 1998) in their learning process.
My desire for future professional development lies in serious curriculum development of the integration of web 2.0 technologies with content area into the state curriculum. I am quite appalled that the state standards have not been amended to include the new literacies for 21st century teaching and learning. I especially would like to become involved in group projects, whether within the school at an inter district level, or on global collaborative efforts such as the flatclassroom projects. I believe my approach should be to research professional development opportunities and then present them to colleagues and administrators for feedback about the possibility of facilitation. Another approach is to simply explore and participate independently in professional development; I now have a vast number of resources available to me that I did not have before taking this course - Supporting Information Literacy and Online Inquiry in the Classroom. Remembering my own personal commitment to remain a life-long learner will always be foremost in my mind, ever being aware that the end of learning will result in stagnation and discontent with my chosen profession. I can’t wait to see where the information technology and web 2.0 will take us. One thing is certain, that it will be exciting, intriguing, and life changing.
References
Eagleton, M. B., & Dobler, E. (2007). Reading the web: Strategies for internet inquiry. New York: The Guilford Press.
Kuhlthau, C. C., Maniotes, L. K., & Caspari, A. K. (2007). Guided inquiry: Learning in the 21st century. Westport: Libraries Unlimited. Retrieved from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=4252866&Survey=1&47=6207531&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=1&bhcp=1
November, A. (2008). Web literacy for educators. Thousands Oaks: Corwin Press.Gardner, H. (2004).
Thornburg, D. (2004). Inquiry: The art of helping students ask good questions. (Executive
Briefing No. 402). Retrieved from http://www.tcpdpodcast.org/briefings/inquiry.pdf
Learning about the teaching of new literacy skills has revealed a great deal about how students are learning, what they are learning, and the sources of their information. I now realize that teaching 21st century learners in the method I had been taught was outmoded then, and is even more so now. Because of the tremendous changes that students face in terms of their access to information, it behooves the teaching community to become prepared to instruct, and facilitate these new literacies to incorporate the use of the Internet and other ICTs along with traditional literacy skills. Students still need to be grounded in the foundations of traditional literacy skills, but they also cannot be left alone to navigate the vast network of information technology without proper guidance. November (2008), wrote: “Now it is essential that we teach our children the discipline of making meaning from a very complex and constantly shifting global warehouse of information and communication.” I strongly believe that the chasm in pedagogy which often is as a result of some educator’s resistance to learn and incorporate the new literacies for 21st century teaching and learning, can contribute to student’s lack of desire towards inquiry.
What resonates most clearly in my mind is the structuring and delivery of content as presented using information technology. I am now aware that every of the lesson or unit must be scaffolded for content and use of technology, and that literacy standards must by adhered to throughout the differentiation of instruction, from the motivational “hook” to the assessment/s. It is no longer sound pedagogy to deliver content to students and provide a single summative assessment based on recall. The process of learning content needs now more than ever to be inquiry based and students need to be taught to ask effective questions. Thornburg (2004) explained the importance of students moving away from rote learning, and the importance of deep inquiry. He cites the outcomes that content will be retained indefinitely, and that students will develop the desire to be life-long learners.
My approach to teaching has already changed because what I have learned about the new literacies and the inquiry-based instruction. As I prepare for the upcoming fall semester and the commencement of a new school year, I am very excited about the new lesson plans I will develop to include the new information literacy instruction I have learned. I will certainly model every aspect of what I expect students to perform and now I can arm them with the correct tools and approaches to truly make web research sound and effective (AASL, 1998) in their learning process.
My desire for future professional development lies in serious curriculum development of the integration of web 2.0 technologies with content area into the state curriculum. I am quite appalled that the state standards have not been amended to include the new literacies for 21st century teaching and learning. I especially would like to become involved in group projects, whether within the school at an inter district level, or on global collaborative efforts such as the flatclassroom projects. I believe my approach should be to research professional development opportunities and then present them to colleagues and administrators for feedback about the possibility of facilitation. Another approach is to simply explore and participate independently in professional development; I now have a vast number of resources available to me that I did not have before taking this course - Supporting Information Literacy and Online Inquiry in the Classroom. Remembering my own personal commitment to remain a life-long learner will always be foremost in my mind, ever being aware that the end of learning will result in stagnation and discontent with my chosen profession. I can’t wait to see where the information technology and web 2.0 will take us. One thing is certain, that it will be exciting, intriguing, and life changing.
References
Eagleton, M. B., & Dobler, E. (2007). Reading the web: Strategies for internet inquiry. New York: The Guilford Press.
Kuhlthau, C. C., Maniotes, L. K., & Caspari, A. K. (2007). Guided inquiry: Learning in the 21st century. Westport: Libraries Unlimited. Retrieved from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=4252866&Survey=1&47=6207531&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=1&bhcp=1
November, A. (2008). Web literacy for educators. Thousands Oaks: Corwin Press.Gardner, H. (2004).
Thornburg, D. (2004). Inquiry: The art of helping students ask good questions. (Executive
Briefing No. 402). Retrieved from http://www.tcpdpodcast.org/briefings/inquiry.pdf
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