Integrating Tools into the Classroom
An essential question to consider: How can you integrate these tools into your classroom to promote higher order thinking in your students' learning experience?
Colin and Nicole have asked Catherine and I to lead the Twitter conversation this week so I spent a fair amount of time investigating some tools that might lead to higher level thinking skills in the classroom. I started off my search by going back to a lesson I did a few years ago in Physical Science using a Roller Coast Builder on www.brainpop.com/games . We were learning about momentum and velocity. Momentum is a function of velocity and mass. The Roller Coaster Builder allowed students to play with the mass of the coaster as well as the height of hills which changed the potential energy. In building the Roller Coaster, one had to build it in such a way as to eliminate any potential energy by the end of the ride to prevent the roaster from crashing.
While the Roller Coaster is no longer available, there is something similar kids could do with a Skate Park designer https://www.brainpop.com/games/energyskateparkbasics/ . This addresses the kind of play that is advocated for by Howland, Jonassen & Marra (2012). Students are able to play with the variables for momentum, velocity and friction to understand the concepts more deeply. Brainpop games has a number of simulations in Science, Social Studies, English, Math, Arts and Music, Engineering, and Health.
In terms of design, I found a too called Tinkercad. Tinkercad is a web based version of Autodesk that allows students to design virtual objects including electrical circuits. Additionally, the 3D objects can be exported and used for 3D printing. This tool would be useful in the prototyping and modeling type activities outlines by Howland, Jonassen & Marra (2012) in chapter four.
As for communicating, one of the tools I have been playing with that might address chapter five (Howland, Jonassen & Marra, 2012) is Canva . This has been useful in getting ready for the Twitter session this week. It allows you to make slides, posters, letterhead etc. What I am learning from the Twitter exchanges is that it also helps to get around that 140 character limit in Twitter or just makes your tweets more dynamic.
Howland, J. L., & Jonassen, D. & Marra, R. M. (2012). Experimenting with Technology. In Meaningful Learning with Technology (52-71). Boston: Pearson.
Howland, J. L., & Jonassen, D. & Marra, R. M. (2012). Designing with Technologies. In Meaningful Learning with Technology (72-90). Boston: Pearson.
Howland, J. L., & Jonassen, D. & Marra, R. M. (2012). Communicating with Technologies. In Meaningful Learning with Technology (91- 130). Boston: Pearson.
Colin and Nicole have asked Catherine and I to lead the Twitter conversation this week so I spent a fair amount of time investigating some tools that might lead to higher level thinking skills in the classroom. I started off my search by going back to a lesson I did a few years ago in Physical Science using a Roller Coast Builder on www.brainpop.com/games . We were learning about momentum and velocity. Momentum is a function of velocity and mass. The Roller Coaster Builder allowed students to play with the mass of the coaster as well as the height of hills which changed the potential energy. In building the Roller Coaster, one had to build it in such a way as to eliminate any potential energy by the end of the ride to prevent the roaster from crashing.
While the Roller Coaster is no longer available, there is something similar kids could do with a Skate Park designer https://www.brainpop.com/games/energyskateparkbasics/ . This addresses the kind of play that is advocated for by Howland, Jonassen & Marra (2012). Students are able to play with the variables for momentum, velocity and friction to understand the concepts more deeply. Brainpop games has a number of simulations in Science, Social Studies, English, Math, Arts and Music, Engineering, and Health.
In terms of design, I found a too called Tinkercad. Tinkercad is a web based version of Autodesk that allows students to design virtual objects including electrical circuits. Additionally, the 3D objects can be exported and used for 3D printing. This tool would be useful in the prototyping and modeling type activities outlines by Howland, Jonassen & Marra (2012) in chapter four.
As for communicating, one of the tools I have been playing with that might address chapter five (Howland, Jonassen & Marra, 2012) is Canva . This has been useful in getting ready for the Twitter session this week. It allows you to make slides, posters, letterhead etc. What I am learning from the Twitter exchanges is that it also helps to get around that 140 character limit in Twitter or just makes your tweets more dynamic.
Howland, J. L., & Jonassen, D. & Marra, R. M. (2012). Experimenting with Technology. In Meaningful Learning with Technology (52-71). Boston: Pearson.
Howland, J. L., & Jonassen, D. & Marra, R. M. (2012). Designing with Technologies. In Meaningful Learning with Technology (72-90). Boston: Pearson.
Howland, J. L., & Jonassen, D. & Marra, R. M. (2012). Communicating with Technologies. In Meaningful Learning with Technology (91- 130). Boston: Pearson.
I teach elementary, but the by the sounds of it you teach secondary? I am curious, if you have been teaching for a while, if you have noticed student engagement increase when using these tools?
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