PART B: Application of TPACK: Basic description of each of these areas and important characteristics of these areas as related to this project.
What is the TP knowledge for the solution? (i.e., how does the technology you have chosen support the teaching strategies and methods you have chosen?)| An
important part of my teaching is discussions. Students engage in
discussions about a variety of content including books, social studies
topics, science experiments, and even each other’s writing. Edmodo will
allow discussions that typically take place in class to occur online
(which means students could also be involved in them at home). A
potential benefit of this over face to face discussions is that it will
give every student the opportunity to share their ideas. Whereas in
class, there may be difficulty getting to everyone’s ideas due to time
constraints and some students may not feel comfortable sharing their
ideas. Using Edmodo will allow everyone to share their ideas and give
students the opportunity to read what others think (or even see if
students make a video) and have the opportunity to respond. Another method that is particularly important is having students engaged in higher order thinking. This is accomplished through a variety of methods including (but not limited to) having students apply their knowledge to new situations, compare and contrast ideas, create solutions to problems, debating responses to open-questions, or summarizing information from multiple sources. Edmodo can support these activities by giving students a “safe place” to do these things. Going back to the discussions described in the previous paragraph, students who are shy or feel overwhelmed by the whole-class presence, are more likely to feel at ease debating their ideas online because it is less confrontational. Edmodo will also allow students to complete these types of activities in more creative ways. For example, rather than writing down a summary or solution, they could create a video, Glogster, podcast, or use another tool to share their ideas. Students could then share their products with the class or just the teacher using Edmodo. |
What is the TC knowledge for the solution? (i.e., how specifically does this technology make the content in your problem more intellectually accessible? Be sure to think about representation.)
| The
fourth grade social studies curriculum is focused on regions of the
United States. Using Edmodo will give students the opportunity to learn
about other regions from first-hand accounts rather than just reading
about it in a textbook. This will be accomplished by connecting with
other fourth grade students around the country and sharing information
about their region, this may be done through pictures, videos, or
written accounts. Students will not only be exposed to the physical
geographical differences but also how it affects life in that region. I
will be able to connect with teachers from other regions through the
professional learning group “Fourth Grade Teachers” of which I am a
member. The connection with these classes as well as through the Global Classroom Project will also allow students to engage in discussions with others who may have different experiences and perspectives on topics such as books or current events. These differences will help students understand different points of views. This may be particularly important since students at a given school may have similar experiences. This opportunity helps address several key standards from the Common Core State Standards:
Furthermore, using Edmodo will help make writing more purposeful for students. Many students do not enjoy writing in school partially because they feel it is not useful. Edmodo will make writing more purposeful by giving students an audience as well as letting them read what others have to say. Students will learn that writing can be used to convey experiences, share opinions, and have interactive discourse about different issues. Another way Edmodo makes content more accessible is by giving students more options for displaying what they have learned. Edmodo will allow not only traditional quizzes, but it is a platform that students can use to submit videos, PowerPoint presentations, or just engage in discussions. The discussions that students engage in through Edmodo allow teachers to better understand their thinking and have evidence of it, which is important for accountability. |
What is the PC knowledge for the solution? (i.e., how specifically do your pedagogical choices make the content in your problem more intellectually accessible? Be sure to think about how the student will experience the content given these instructional strategies.
| The
use of discussions allows students to learn about a wide variety of
content including geography, reading, and writing (as described above).
Discussions are particularly useful because they require students to
examine different perspectives on issues. Students are able to examine
these opinions in a safe environment because they don’t have to be
afraid of confrontation. When having a discussion, they may be required
to support their beliefs with evidence. This discourse not only expands
students minds and point of views of issues but it also allows teachers
to see this change. Teachers can also take part in the discussions and
push students thinking by asking questions. The higher-level thinking activities described above are an important component for teaching any content because it requires students to have a deep understanding of the content knowledge. For example, if students were to create a project comparing and contrasting two regions, they must first understand characteristics of those regions in isolation before they are able to define their similarities and differences. |
I love this project=8-) Edmodo is the perfect LMS tool for the younger student. Many elementary schools are using it, rather than Moodle for the very reasons you outlined in your blog. After reading your post, I have identified a couple of areas that need a bit of clarification or revision. you do a masterful job of outlining how you will use the Discussions area help develop writing and thinking skills; however, I'm not seeing how the quiz feature, or allowing them to turn in videos, Glogs and podcasts relates to writing, unless you are going to have students comment on the work of their peers. Second thing I'm curious about is this project's focus - you may want to consider rephrasing the main topic to writing across the curriculum using Edmodo Discussion Forums. Or, using Edmodo to create a hybrid class for your 4th graders. Thoughts?
ReplyDeleteI like Edmodo, too and have been using it a bit with the MSU classes I teach. I hope to expand it to my ESL class this year, although many of my students do not have computer access at home, so it will be hard to use it as a complete learning management too. I like your idea about having your students get first-hand accounts of different areas across the country - they could even share links to videos and articles they find with each other. It would also be interesting to see them comment on the works/posts of other students in the class - one of the ways to help them better self-evaluate is to have them evaluate others constructively.
ReplyDeleteL ilke that you are using Edmodo for this project. I really just used it very briefly at the end of the school year so I really don't have much advice on pitfalls or anything that will impact its use. How would the quizzes work with Edmodo? Are you able to get a quantitative look at responses/grade through Edmodo? I also likes Ben's idea of letting students post constructive comments on each others work. This is an area I know my principle would love. Great job Allison it sounds like this is going to work out well.
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