point a to point b » citw http://www.pointatopointb.org Technology is transforming learning. All you need is an idea of where you are, and where you need to go. Sun, 25 Jul 2010 17:50:33 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Linking Design Questions, Instructional Strategies and Technology Tools http://www.pointatopointb.org/2010/07/18/linking-design-questions-instructional-strategies-and-technology-tools/ http://www.pointatopointb.org/2010/07/18/linking-design-questions-instructional-strategies-and-technology-tools/#comments Sun, 18 Jul 2010 16:47:08 +0000 Michael http://www.pointatopointb.org/?p=1377 This coming school year our professional development program is focused on Marzano’s Art & Science of Teaching. Cross-district teams organized by grade or subject area (“Design Teams”) will be meeting to focus on design questions brought up in the book. Over the course of the next 3-4 years we will undergo district-wide conversations around the [...]]]> This coming school year our professional development program is focused on Marzano’s Art & Science of Teaching. Cross-district teams organized by grade or subject area (“Design Teams”) will be meeting to focus on design questions brought up in the book. Over the course of the next 3-4 years we will undergo district-wide conversations around the following design questions:

What will I do to…

  1. …establish and communicate learning goals, track student progress, and celebrate success?
  2. …help students effectively interact with new knowledge?
  3. …help students practice and deepen their understanding of new knowledge?
  4. …help students generate and test hypotheses about new knowledge?
  5. …engage students?
  6. …establish or maintain classroom rules and procedures?
  7. …recognize and acknowledge adherence and lack of adherence to classroom rules and procedures?
  8. …establish and maintain effective relationships with students?
  9. …communicate high expectations for all students?
  10. …develop effective lessons organized into a cohesive unit?

Woven into these questions are  Marzano’s strategies for Classroom Instruction that Works. My role as a design team facilitator is to help link strategies to technology tools that improve learning.

Last year I did an extensive book analysis of Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works, where the strategies are analyzed for which types of technology tools can support them. Click here to review the final summary, along with links to individual strategies.

As we move into the design team process, I am thinking more about the link between strategy and tool. I just recently came across a very nice interactive graphic that depicts Marzano’s 9 strategies for classroom instruction that works, from a website titled Curriculum Portal (click the image below to go to the interactive graphic at the site:

We have an extensive toolset to help students learn within the strategies. Here is a sampling of the tools we have:

These tools fall withing the categories of technology as defined in Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works:

  • Word processing applications
  • Spreadsheet software
  • Organizing and brainstorming software
  • Multimedia
  • Data collection tools
  • Web resources
  • Communication software

For me the important thing is that questions about learning begin with the need, not the tool. A question that begins with, “How can a (wiki, blog, etc.) help students…” is incorrect in my book. A question that begins with, “How can students deepen their understanding with a (wiki, blog, etc.)…” is more like it.

I’m looking forward to some great conversations!

]]> http://www.pointatopointb.org/2010/07/18/linking-design-questions-instructional-strategies-and-technology-tools/feed/ 0 Worksheets and the Internet http://www.pointatopointb.org/2009/09/16/worksheets-and-the-internet/ http://www.pointatopointb.org/2009/09/16/worksheets-and-the-internet/#comments Wed, 16 Sep 2009 15:16:29 +0000 Michael http://www.pointatopointb.org/?p=1004 Content Tech Ideas for Technology Use in the Classroom

Using a worksheet to research information on the Internet and fill in the blanks is a popular activity. In its most fundamental state, this is a form of the strategy cues, questions, and advance organizers. Students use questions on the worksheet to (hopefully) guide them through a website [...]]]> Content Tech
Ideas for Technology Use in the Classroom

Using a worksheet to research information on the Internet and fill in the blanks is a popular activity. In its most worksheetfundamental state, this is a form of the strategy cues, questions, and advance organizers. Students use questions on the worksheet to (hopefully) guide them through a website and acquire the necessary information.

When a worksheet is fill-in-the-blank, it tends to be a regurgitation of information found on the web. How might the strategy be more beneficial to the students in order for them to be not only exposed to the information, but begin to acquire, integrate and personalize the knowledge?

A word processing document set up as a KWL chart is one option. Since the students will be using the Internet for the research, using the computer to create the document is easy. Begin with a brief warm-up where students type what they know about the topic. After some sharing, move on to having them type what they want to know. Through the use of questioning, direct students to note any other information they should want to know if they did not come up with the questions on their own. During the investigation process, students look for the information based on their own inquiry, making the process more meaningful. At the end of the lesson, students indicate on the word processing document what they have learned. The entire document can be submitted or posted electronically with ease.

Worksheets structured to use the technology available can help to increase the acquisition of knowledge in many ways. Other thoughts/ideas most welcome!

Image courtesy of christopherl on Flickr

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