Week 3
Student As Contributor: The Digital Learning Farm by Alan November
p. 1 – “To prepare for the industrial economy, students were required to attend schools where teachers became central figures and where children took on more passive roles within their communities.”
The notion that the industrial revolution brought about such a profound role reversal of children within their communities had never occurred to me until reading this. It makes perfect sense, and I wonder why it was that teachers felt they had to treat children simply as receptacles of knowledge. Probably because the evolution of teaching and learning has revealed many counterproductive practices.
p. 2 – “How many eyes do you think would be opened by the differing views that occur during the debate?”
In addition to the considerable benefit students would garner from working cooperatively with one another in contributing valuable skills to the classroom community, using technology in the classroom has a huge draw for many students, making the learning inherently rewarding. I have seen this in classrooms that I have been in this semester and last semester. Kids want to use the Smart Board, computers, and other technologies. It’s part of the life that they bring into the classroom, so why shouldn’t it be part of their classroom lives?
p. 3 – “Kiva is one of today’s most important social responsibility Web sites.”
I had heard of Kiva before but had never considered using it in the classroom. What a great way to tie in every discipline (Math, language arts, social studies, science, etc.) into one large socially conscious project!
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3 comments:
I am currently in a classroom that has smart technology. The teacher uses the technology quite often, but the students are RARELY, if ever, given the opportunity to use it. I am kind of disapointed that the students aren't given more ownership of what is available in their classroom. That's great that you have been exposed to classrooms and educators who allow students a part in using the technology (other than basic computer use...AR tests).
I've never heard of Kiva? What is it?
I agree I think it is great when these students are able to use the technology and not just be viewers of the technology. In order for them to grasp the power it has they need to experience it for themselves. I have seen a few classrooms where K/1 students are using some of the Smart Board options themsleves. They truely enjoy using it and it enhances their engagement. Key at such a young age.
Very simply, Kiva is basically an organization that coordinates loans from willing participants and folks from typically third world countries. The loans go toward the survival of people's families/villages, etc. More info can be found here -
http://www.kiva.org/
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