Chapter 3: "Transforming Learning with Unique, Powerful Technology”
One of the first things that caught my eye in this chapter was the section on groupwork and collaboration (Maloy, et al, 2014, p. 61). I think that having students work together in class is a great idea. It can open up a student’s horizons as it exposes students to a variety of viewpoints. I’m also okay with group discussions, such as the ones we do in this class. They serve the same purpose to expose students to different ways of thinking, as well as creating a sense of community (especially important in an online class). I do have one objection to groupwork, group projects in online courses. I find trying to do a group project completely online to be so tedious and cumbersome. I like to get my work done ahead of time, but even if you try to start the project early, many won’t want to start it yet. Some people also only get on the website once a week, so you are left waiting on them to join in. I know we have a group project in this class, and I’m not looking forward to it. Who knows, maybe this project will change my opinion….
I also liked the section on creativity. Students don’t have to do something that’s never been done before; instead being creative simply means doing something that’s new for them (Maloy, et al, 2014, p. 63). I think it is important to encourage creativity, because creativity lends itself to problem solving and thinking outside the box. In my class, students are encouraged to be creative when they learn Microsoft Publisher. First, they follow step-by-step instructions to become familiar with the program. Next, they are given an image to create. There are no directions; they have to figure it out themselves. Last, they design their own Publisher document for a fictitious company.
I found the section on Seymour Papert and his vision for technology learning environments very interesting (Maloy, et al, 2014, p. 64). He explains that humans learn lots of things outside of school without having formal teachers. For example, babies learn to talk on their own, no small task. His goal is to use technology to make learning any subject a more informal, natural process – like learning to talk. This is a really intriguing idea to me. I had never really thought before about how much children are able to learn on their own. I’m not sure how he and others will go about creating these types of learning environments, but I think it is a wonderful idea. I would definitely want to use a program that uses student-centered learning and allows students to learn in a natural way through trial and error.
Overall, I enjoyed this chapter and discovering how technology can be used to foster creativity, groupwork, and a natural, informal style of learning.
Resources
Maloy,
R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2014). Transforming learning
with new technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.
Roberson,
C. (2015, January 21). Ways to use technology for creativity. Created with Piktochart.
http://magic.piktochart.com/output/4207684-ways-to-use-technology-for-cre
I emphathize with you regarding online group projects, but you not only have one, but two, in this class. The first one will be building a wiki together and one of the important points there is that the collaboration is done entirely online with transparent discussions and very well documented as to 'who does what when'. Also, in this one the majority of the grading is based on what you do individually so you'll be able to work at your own pace....still, some will involve some coordination with others (even the less responsive ones).
ReplyDeleteIf you are intrigued with Seymour Papert, I would strongly recommend you check into the "maker movement" in education. I just returned from the Florida Educational Technology Conference and listened to one of the authors of "Inventing to Learn" who emphasized the importance of allowing students to "tinker' as a way to discover their own learning. Interesting stuff!