Elizabeth Rosinski
NLGL Creative Synthesis
Abstract:
Looking at my classroom of 21st century learners, I decided that I would spend my time in the NLGL program to figure out more effective ways to incorporate technology in my classroom. After reflection, I found myself asking "How can technology support engagement and authentic assessment in an elementary setting?"
This question began to interest me as I listened to my students in the classroom. Every day, my students would come to class sharing with their peers the best things they found on the internet, the newest skill they mastered in a game, or the newest gadget they'd received for their birthday. Their excitement was contagious and it sparked an interest in learning and finding some of these things myself, and researching the different technologies that were electrifying my students. I also realized that having my students sit and read from a textbook was, in many ways, taking a step back from the forms of learning and information that they found in the modern world. The new generation of learners has been molded from birth with technology and trying to engage them with books and paper was a poor way to prepare them for their future. With this in mind, I decided to change some of my lessons to incorporate more and new types of technology, even if it meant pushing myself out of my own comfort zone and giving some of the control over to my students to allow them to teach me some of their knowledge.
Over the course of these lesson changes, I found much success with the engagement and assessment levels with my students. During lessons that incorporate technology, I found my students more engaged and focused with the task presented to them. All students, including struggling students, were able to learn better and gain a deeper understanding because of the diverse modes of presentation available through websites, videos, and other programs. Students were also developing their metacognition skills, by thinking about their learning before using it in the given assignment. In assessments, students were considerably more confident in displaying their knowledge and understanding of the content. Diverse tools and applications to help learn, edit, and present content allowed the students to be much more innovative and creative in the final products that were asked for. Finally, my eyes were opened to the vast knowledge retained by so many of my students in such a wide variety of ways. I found that technology is an incredible asset to any classroom even, and perhaps especially, in the early elementary years.
NLGL Creative Synthesis
Abstract:
Looking at my classroom of 21st century learners, I decided that I would spend my time in the NLGL program to figure out more effective ways to incorporate technology in my classroom. After reflection, I found myself asking "How can technology support engagement and authentic assessment in an elementary setting?"
This question began to interest me as I listened to my students in the classroom. Every day, my students would come to class sharing with their peers the best things they found on the internet, the newest skill they mastered in a game, or the newest gadget they'd received for their birthday. Their excitement was contagious and it sparked an interest in learning and finding some of these things myself, and researching the different technologies that were electrifying my students. I also realized that having my students sit and read from a textbook was, in many ways, taking a step back from the forms of learning and information that they found in the modern world. The new generation of learners has been molded from birth with technology and trying to engage them with books and paper was a poor way to prepare them for their future. With this in mind, I decided to change some of my lessons to incorporate more and new types of technology, even if it meant pushing myself out of my own comfort zone and giving some of the control over to my students to allow them to teach me some of their knowledge.
Over the course of these lesson changes, I found much success with the engagement and assessment levels with my students. During lessons that incorporate technology, I found my students more engaged and focused with the task presented to them. All students, including struggling students, were able to learn better and gain a deeper understanding because of the diverse modes of presentation available through websites, videos, and other programs. Students were also developing their metacognition skills, by thinking about their learning before using it in the given assignment. In assessments, students were considerably more confident in displaying their knowledge and understanding of the content. Diverse tools and applications to help learn, edit, and present content allowed the students to be much more innovative and creative in the final products that were asked for. Finally, my eyes were opened to the vast knowledge retained by so many of my students in such a wide variety of ways. I found that technology is an incredible asset to any classroom even, and perhaps especially, in the early elementary years.
In the following interview, students themselves share reasons why technology should be implemented more in the classroom settings.