Week 7

This week, we saw the initial findings on my classmates’ group inquiry projects. Some topics covered included the effects of social media on students’ learning and mental well-being, gamification of learning, and digital footprints/online safety. It was cool to hear what everyone else was discovering with their topics. My group presented on the effects of screen time on children’s cognitive and social development.

After each presentation, we posted 2 stars and a wish on Padlet for feedback. I liked using technology in this way to further education and learning. It is an easy, anonymous way for groups to get feedback on their presentations, and teachers can set up prompts or have students free-think. The 2 stars and a wish method is a good way for students to give feedback without it being necessarily positive or negative. The wish category is structured more as something they could add to make it better, rather than something they did poorly.

This checkpoint was a good way for us to share some preliminary research and thoughts without the pressure of developing a whole presentation. I liked the way we did things in class, and I think I will be using this method of a “checkpoint” in my future teaching.

We also looked at the SAMR model, reflecting on how to integrate technology in the classrooms. The SAMR model looks at moving from enhancing learning with technology to transforming learning. The steps are Substitution (tech acting as a tool substitute), Augmentation (tech acting as a substitute with functional improvements), Modification (tech allowing for significant task redesign), and Redefinition (tech allowing for creation of previously inconceivable tasks). SAMR is designed to target higher-order thinking skills as teachers move up the ladder, transforming learning rather than just enhancing. As a small group activity, we redesigned a lesson using the SAMR model to transform the learning.

The last thing we looked at this week was the application Classroomscreen. It is essentially a screen to put up that has tools for class polls, instructional texts, name randomizers, visual timers, backgrounds, and more. It seems like a great way to get students involved in learning through polls and other tools. We did a quick poll as an example, and it was easy to use.