Times have
changed in education, and we are now teaching groups of digital natives. No
longer are students and teachers solely responsible for paper and pencil
assignments and tests, and no longer is the communication between students and
their peers, and students and their teachers only done face to face. Today,
technology is being integrated into the classroom more than ever through the
use of various Web 2.0 tools and devices. For example, my district allows, and
encourages, students to participate in a program called Bring Your Own Device (BYOD). Within
this program, students have to pass an online test provided by the district,
and upon passing, they are able to bring in any device that they have. The use
of that device can vary from classroom to classroom with the understanding that
the device is to be used for educational purposes to enhance their learning.
The National Educational Technology Standards
for Students (NETS-S) were developed by the International Society for
Technology in Education (ISTE). The purposes of the standards are to help
students prepare to work, live, and contribute to the social and civic fabric
of their communities. I have noticed that the NETS-S directly relate to the
idea of teaching 21st century skills to our students to ensure that
they will be contributing members of our society. The standards identify
several higher-order thinking skills, and the meaning of digital citizenship,
which are both critical components for creating lifelong learners. The
standards are designed to show, and teach, students how to live productively in
our emerging global society. If we are to prepare our students for the real
world, then we must educate students in the way that they will live and work in
their futures.
The NETS-S cover the following areas:
1.
Creativity and Innovation
2.
Communication and Collaboration
3.
Research and Information Fluency
4.
Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making
5.
Digital Citizenship
6.
Technology Operations and Concepts.
On the NETS-S
page itself, these areas are bulleted with more specific examples of these
standards. What is even more beneficial to educators who intend to implement
these standards, is the NETS-S student profiles page. They
describe what technological learning activities students should be involved
with when using technology at different grade levels. These profiles were
developed with the intention of bringing the standards to life and
demonstrating the variety of activities that are possible.
From a teacher’s standpoint, the best thing about these standards is that they
can be met through the use of Web 2.0 tools in the classroom. There are various
Web 2.0 tools and resources available for teachers and students, and they all
contribute to the advancement of our students in today’s classroom, and in
tomorrow’s world. Web 2.0 tools can be divided into three domains that include
communication, collaboration, and publishing. All of the domains help to meet
the NETS-S standards, but are also easily adaptable to meet the needs of our students
in our classrooms.
Any teacher can find ways to incorporate Web 2.0 tools into the classroom that
will benefit the students and meet the NETS-S. For example, in my classroom I
am currently teaching a unit on the Iditarod. Students are working with a
partner to conduct online research to find information on the history of the
race, a musher on the trail, the care of the dogs, and the rules of this event.
Through this online research consisting of videos, online discussion boards,
interviews, etc., students can formulate an idea of what life is like as a
musher on the Iditarod Trail, and what one’s life is like when following their
passion for dogs and mushing. Along with creating a research paper, the students
will take the idea a step further, and use a Web 2.0 tool, such as Glogster,
to digitally design an online poster representing an area of choice relating to
the Iditarod. Students will also use a application like Garage Band or Voice
Thread to record their voices, which will act as narration for their
project. The student's entire process of researching, designing, and then
displaying his or her product via a Web 2.0 application, will help bring the
student's creativity and innovation full circle. This will not only provide
them with choice and a sense of ownership for their learning, but it will also
allow each of them to put their digital and 21st century skills to
use.
Through the use of Web 2.0 tools, students collaborate and communicate
globally, conduct research, use digital citizenship, and become more critical
thinkers and problem solvers. In the end, it becomes a "win win"
situation for everyone involved!
Resources:
National
Educational Technology Standards for Students. (n.d.). NETS For Students 2007.
Retrieved February 21, 2013, from www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-students/nets-student-standards-2007
After reading the three articles and watching the video segments that were included,
I noticed that all three Project Based Learning situations had many things in
common. I particularly noticed this when it came to the overall project design,
and the roles of those who were involved. All three of the projects involved
both students and teachers; however, there seemed to be a slight role reversal.
Teachers were doing much of the “behind the scenes” planning and organization
of the project, while the students were very much in charge of their own
learning on a daily basis. The planning and organization of the project needs
to be conducted by the teacher to ensure that the State Standards are being
met, along with the fact that various subject areas are being woven into the
project. The students who are participating are directly involved, extremely
engaged, and anxious to continue the project each day at school.
Students were first able to conduct a project that was chosen by the class
that provoked their curiosity and interest. They then conducted experiments,
research, and activities that helped to bring the project to life, while creating
a learning experience that was one of a kind. The projects allowed students to
work as, for, and with, other community members so that their experiences with
the project could be more lifelike. For example, the high school students’
future schools were judged by local architects, who volunteered their time, to
judge the creations based on real world standards. The project involving the
study of asthma and Cystic Fibrosis had a lot of real world application to the students
due to the fact that one of their classmates was dealing with this disease. The
idea of having a local nurse come in to explain some of the symptoms of Asthma
and Cystic Fibrosis was key to the students’ understanding of the diseases so
that they could better conduct their research.
Throughout the duration of all of the activities involved with the projects,
teachers were able to conduct various assessments that supported the learning
process, and they were able to see direct, real-world connections being formed
from the students’ perspectives. All of the projects increased students’
awareness of the world around them, and allowed them to display their projects
using the latest technology available to them.
I loved the idea of these types of projects in a classroom because they
really seem to spark an incredible interest in students that is otherwise not
always there. Students participating in Project Based Learning have a hands-on experience
like no other, and that engagement can often lead to a better understanding of
the concept being taught. Throughout the entire process, not only do students want to do the work, but students learn how to work. They do so by working
collaboratively with others while using their 21st Century Skills
such as problem solving, critical thinking, and questioning.
Once I narrow my focus on a particular area, I’m excited to give
PBL a try in my classroom:)
The articles listed below have active links that you can use to view the
information that I discussed above…check them out!
Hello Everyone! Welcome to my EDIM 502 Blog...Project Based Learning. I am very excited to get started and learn about the many ways that I can include a variety of projects within my classroom that will spark collaboration, creativity, and interest amongst my students. Happy blogging!
