EDLD 5364 Week 1

This course requires that I work in a group to design a lesson that incorporates technology to engage a diverse class of 30 students. I look forward to the challenge because several of my coursemates and I have discussed how technology helps to keep our students engaged to achieve lesson objectives. One video that captured my attention was about constructivism by John Abbot. He encouraged me to activate prior knowledge of students because you shouldn't teach from scratch. Students should have an established foundation of the concept before instruction begins. I like how he explained that students will all take different things from his lectures because their foundations are different.

One reading that grabbed me was written by the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory. According to SEDL (1999), "Learning is internally controlled and mediated. Learners take in information, process it to fit their personal frameworks, and build new understanding. That knowledge construction occurs internally, in the private domain of each individual." This quote explains why the learning theory constructivism focuses on the learner instead of the teacher. Constructivist teaching practices activate prior knowledge, question skillfully, monitor student discussions, and encourage students to research, interview, and share info. Teachers do not have to provide students all the answers but should provide a structure that encourages exploration. Activating prior knowledge establishes student interest, which is the foundation of what they are learning.

Technology supports constructivist teaching practices and student learning because it can create a thematic curriculum and encourage social interaction. Students can use technology to gather information for research and network with peers and experts in the content area of their lesson. Students can also present their findings through web tools and electronic reflective journaling. Although the state measures student academic progress extrinsically, teachers should not be discouraged to use intrinsic lesson plans. I am optimistic that student engagement will yield high test scores.

Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, (1999). Learning as a personal event: A brief introduction to Constuctivism. Retrieved on October 4, 2009 from http://www.sedl.org/pubs/tec26/intro2c.html