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Active Learning Leads to Technology Use in Class |
Active learning involves having students become a part of the learning
process. No longer is the teacher always the center of the learning
process. It is a multi-directional learning experience where learning
takes place through teacher to student, student to teacher, and student
to student.
This is the third in a series of articles written by Mark Benn,
technological consultant to StarTeaching, which deals with the
importance of changing the way we teach while integrating technology
into the curriculum. In the first article, I briefly discussed the
importance of involving the students into the learning process and
teaching the students to become self directed learners. In this article
I will present why I support the information on the site cited below.
Observations in my classroom over the past three years have directly
coincided with this information. Arguing over the validity of the
research doesn't change the fact that it is accurate in practical
classroom settings.
You can find more information on this article series by checking our our website at http://www.starteaching.com/technology.htm
There
is nothing more enjoyable within the classroom than listening to
students in groups or pairs when they get involved in their own
learning.
Too often we as teachers think that we are the
knowledgeable ones and must know all the material before we present it.
At the rate that knowledge is advancing in today's world that is very
hard to do. In the same way if we want to use any technology within our
curriculum we think we have to know how to use it first.
It's
time that we give students some credit and empower them to become
self-directed learners. Our job is to set the overall goals and then
become the coach on the sidelines stepping in when needed. A coach
provides the direction and vision, but lets the students move forward
with that vision. It's time to allow the student to take ownership of
their own learning.
The following website shows how much better
a learner retains what they have learned when they become active in
their own learning compared to having things told to them. Last month,
we highlighted the learning pyramid located at this web site:
http://www.acu.edu/cte/activelearning/whyuseal2.htm
I
think you will find after looking at this pyramid and comparing it to
what you have seen in the classroom, that though the percentages may
differ, the order of retention is correct.
In the next
article I will discuss a look at the future of education, integrating
the hand held computers (formerly called Palm Pilots) into the
classroom.
For more information, Mark Benn can be reached online
at his blog site, www.furtrader.blogspot.com He welcomes comments and
shared discourse on the subject of educational technology.
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To
view the next article in this series, as well as to see our archives of
teaching and educational ideas, check out our website at the quick link
below:
http://www.starteaching.com/technology.htm
Frank Holes,
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Frank Holes,
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Check out our website at:
http://www.starteaching.com
Article Source: http://www.EzinePlug.com
Frank Holes
Hi I'm Frank Holes, a middle school teacher in Michigan, and I publish
a FREE e-zine called StarTeaching, with articles and products on
teaching, techniques, stories, e-books, lesson plans, and other
resources aimed at new teachers, student teachers, teacher-interns, and
of course veteran teachers.
View all articles by Frank Holes
Tags: technology professional development self-directed learners |
