Reflection on my assigned reading, value, and examples of learning:
In chapter 3, Levinson's states, "Just as iTunes has changed the way we consume music by making custom playlists available, ubiquitous computing offers schools the opportunity to customize learning for each student." (Levinson, 2011). I learned that this quote is one of many that Levinson uses to report how he feels about schools and their need to individualize learning for students in schools. He claims that this can easily be done with the explosion of now being able to learn online. I agree with Levinson on the need for student customization in order for students to be successful and engaged in school. I feel that with many schools increasing their class size it is only going to get harder for teachers to reach all levels of student interest and ability successfully. However, in thinking about the multiple intelligences, I am left wondering the following questions. Do all students learn best online? Does learning on line enable students to be actively involved within Gardener's MI approaches? I think that if we follow Levinson's advice on using online learning as a tool to tailor the learning to the needs and interests of each student in our classes then yes, we can still include the approach to using the multiple intelligences.
The following example of one school's attempt at such learning really has really inspired me to read and learn more about online learning. At the School of One, a pilot program in New York City, individualization and customizations are of the priority of their day, which I feel is a wonderful representation of putting students first. The school set up, "flight boards" on screens in the classroom where students find out what their daily departure and itinerary look like. However, instead of attempting to herd the whole class, the teacher moves individual students at their own pace. The teacher is able to implement this approach by using different online activities and assessments for the students to progress through. As much as I love this approach because it is important for students to move at their own pace, I would not want students to only be learning online. I am a little fearful that this approach would not be completely successful without the integrated use of some off line work, small group, and partner work. I especially feel that in the younger grades, time spent talking to the class with face to face human contact and knowing how to talk and work without a computer are also beneficial real-world skills too.
I was disappointed to read that this was the only information Levinson reports on at the School of One. I would love to have learned more about their approach and the results reported after the pilot was over. I will see if I can find out more information myself online.
I found more info!!
Ways to apply my reading with 21st century skills and digital citizenship with my current curriculum and instruction:
Collaboration: Teachers and students need to be able to work one on one in order to be a successful team. In order to do this, I feel that I need to administer more pre-tests before just jumping right into my lessons. I need to take a look at my students interests by having them fill out interest inventories to discovers ways to encourage their motivation and engagement. I like how the School of One gives students an intensive diagnostics test at the beginning of the year to determine their academic strengths and weaknesses. I feel this would be beneficial to my own classroom because it would make planning out the rest of the year easier.
Communication: There is often little time in the day to communicate all feedback results immediately to all of my students. I know that in my class it usually takes me at least a day to hand back feedback on assignments and assessments. I like the idea of a computer tallying up results and giving students instantaneous feedback on what they just completed, as would my students. It is important for my students to go back and fix their mistakes right away in order to meet all curriculum and instruction goals.
Creativity: I do feel that only using computer tailored programs will eventually get old to my students. I would keep the creativity flowing in class by still incorporating hands on math, reading, writing, science, social studies, and drama stations and activities. My students really enjoying working with their hands to create and explore, especially in science. I would still expect my students to work together to talk about and solve problems out loud in face to face scenarios without technology in order to keep them socialized.
Critical Thinking: I like the idea of my students getting the message that if a skill hasn't been met, they need to keep working on mastery it until they can move on to another skill. If my students are using tailored programs they also won't have to sit through class learning about skills that they already know. It also allows students who do not easily grasp materials to work at their own pace.
Ways to connect my reading to technology, common core, and state standards:
In reading, this approach is almost totally dedicated to technology, expect for homework completion. I think as long as students are engaged in their learning and accomplishing all that is expected to learn in regard to the common core and state standards, this is a successful approach. I would love to have a fool proof way of knowing that my students are meeting each strand and standard. I also think being able to show students and parents which strands and standards they have and have not met would really help plan out how to support each child's needs. In my class, I struggle with assessments and I would want to use this approach to help eliminate my concern. This approach would really help my students in math class. There are so many strands that need to be meet and it would be helpful to see which one need a greater focus. The strand below is broad, as can be word problems, which are tricky for my students to solve. I would love to see a tailored program on teaching students how to answer an array of word problems in my classroom.
- CCSS.Math.Content.3.OA.A.2 Interpret whole-number quotients of whole numbers, e.g., interpret 56 ÷ 8 as the number of objects in each share when 56 objects are partitioned equally into 8 shares, or as a number of shares when 56 objects are partitioned into equal shares of 8 objects each. For example, describe a context in which a number of shares or a number of groups can be expressed as 56 ÷ 8.
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