Cobb Ch.6 R.R

Technology tools can encourage students to be reflective and evaluate their own strengths. For example, when writing a blog students create their own space where they can reflect over time about what they are learning. Also, ProfilerPRO, which is a online survey tool that a teacher can use to identify the characteristics of an individual and those among members of a group. Other survey tools are Survey Monkey and Zoomerang.

The technology tools help students but you have to get the students minds ready. There are several ways to do this. One way to start is to present a K-W-L, (Know-Wonder-Learn) chart to the students to tap into their prior knowledge. It is your job to instill passion and transfer the project into the students hands. Encourage students to explore and think about the project through discussions with their family and friends for several days. Build the excitement of the students by having discussions about the project a few days or weeks before introduction. For instance, you can bring in posters of earths interior and discuss it with the children, as well as have the students visit a museum exhibit. The kick off of the project can be a show and tell of rocks and other earth samples.

Think about the skills that a student needs to work independently in their investigation. By preparing children with the fundamentals, you point them in the right direction for the project. The teacher has to set the stage for independent inquiry, this can be done by using the K-W-L chart. The K-W-L chart puts students in touch with their prior knowledge and helps them to imagine where they could go in their learning. A teacher should also share the assessment rubric with the student so that they know what it is that you expect.

Technology is not the project, but rather how the project gets done so students need to be prepared for using technology. The teacher should set up a technology playground by encouraging students to help each other as well as get their parents involved.  It is essential to have the technology at hand such as a computer and other tools that will be used in the project. These tools can be anything from hand held sonar devices to special calculators. Let those students who know the technology teach other students and give them all project management tools such as a journal to keep track of their progress to goals and reflect on their learning. It is also important that the teacher demonstrates to the best of their ability how to use the technology or have an expert come in and demonstrate how they will use the tools in the project.

Inquiry and deep learning can be promoted by guiding students as they choose questions, plan investigations, and put their plan into action.  A teacher can transform questions that students pose. For example, a student may ask, “do people use gold anymore? This question can be transformed into, “is any coin worth it’s value?” or “Is a paper dollar worth a dollar?”

In the Monsoons group we plan on using journals to keep track of weather and also bringing in a specialist such as a meteorologist, to show us how they use technology to track the weather.