Technology Gets to the Heart of Student Learning

I recently watched a pre-service teacher’s eportfolio presentation. She started each unit (Social Studies, Math, Science) with a book. I was amazed at how powerful each book was in getting to the heart of the learning and, at the same time, being very engaging. The book served as a wonderful springboard into related activities that built on the learning.

I wonder how many teachers use technology to get to the heart of learning through technology. A PowerPoint of bullet points doesn’t do it. Maybe the teachers use a short movie clip to highlight the critical part of an issue. Maybe they have a photo or image (or a short series of images) that clearly shows the essential part of the topic. Maybe they have a brief podcast in which an expert succintly talks about the problem. Maybe they videoconference with a person who tells his/her story. Maybe they have a graph that demonstrates the drastic changes. Maybe they do a quick experiment with digital probes to pose a problem.

How do your teachers use technology to get to the heart of the learning in an engaging way? How do they use technology to springboard into related learning activities?

—–

Education with Technology

Tech Integration Teacher, What time is it? August 23, 2016

When someone asks what time it is, that person wants to know the time, not the history of the clock, not how a clock works, and not what other types of clocks there are. Classroom teachers want to help their students improve their academic learning through technology. Sometimes they need help with technology so they go […]

hgtuttle

Curriculum Focus, Not Technology Focus July 28, 2016

In my public school career I have been a classroom teacher, a technology integration specialist and a technology administrator. In my technology role, I served under the Assistant Superintendent for Instruction. She had a simple mission: Improve students’ academic learning. My mission was equally simple: Improve students’ academic learning through technology […]

hgtuttle

Students React to Digital Badges: Pros, Cons and Interesting June 22, 2016

ISTE 2016 By Harry Grover Tuttle, Ed. D. College World Language Students’ Preferences Digital Badges – 52% Paper Certificates – 48% World Language: Can-Do Digital Badges Digital Badges Pro- – Breaks down proficiency more – Shows all badges at once – Is more attractive – Is more appropriate since we use […]

hgtuttle

Digital Badges: Naming the Badge October 29, 2015

Once teachers have selected what learning and what digital badges (individual or category badges; see previous blog), the teachers encounter another decision. What will they name each badge? Will they use the full name of the Common Core Standard or the national proficiency? For English, under “Speaking and Listening,”will they write out SL.2 “Integrate and […]

hgtuttle

Digital Badges: Better Than Grades? October 19, 2015

Teachers understand that the grade in a course consists of many different factors such as homework, participation , projects, tests, etc. Blodget observes that sometimes grades reflect attitude, effort, ability and behavior (http://www.academia.edu/9074119/Grading_and_Whether_or_not_Grades_Accurately_Reflect_Student_Achievement). Equally important, a letter […]

hgtuttle

World Language Students Use of Mobile Devices in the Classroom October 5, 2015

Do world language students use technology n the classroom? Do their teachers go beyond having their students use technology simply for the drill and practice in vocabulary and grammar? Students can use laptops and mobile devices to hear authentic language, read authentic texts, read tweets about famous performers, see up-to-the-moment culture, watch video […]

hgtuttle

Digital Badges: Individual or Categorized Learning Badges? September 12, 2015

The idea of digital badges sounds appealing for the digital children in classes. As teachers start thinking about digital badges, they have to figure out what badges will be awarded. The teachers can award social or academic badges. If teachers decide to use academic badges, then the teachers may base their badges on the Common […]

hgtuttle

English +Common Core +Mobile = Success (ISTE2014 Poster -details) June 30, 2014

Here are the ten examples I showed at my English + Common Core + Mobile ISTE 2014 Poster Session: Based on CCSS Anchor Statements: L.2 Take a Conventions Mobile Online Quiz to pick the incorrect sentence from four choices (capitalization) SL.2 Evaluate audio recording of a book chapter on mobile and predict for next chapter. […]

hgtuttle

Global Cultural Learning Using Mobile Devices (ISTE Mobile MegaShare Presentation) June 28, 2014

Based on my presentation at ISTE 2014 Mobile Megashare Why teach about other countries? Location: Large view to small on maps. Culture or culture. Find six similarities in a mobile picture from another culture (“Wars are caused by differences, not similarities.”-Tuttle.) Tell one piece of information from each different Internet visual from a place in that […]

hgtuttle

English + Common Core + Mobile = Success in Learning Poster Session at ISTE 2014 June 25, 2014

In my ISTE Sunday 8-10 am poster session, I demonstrate many diverse mobile activities to help students achieve the English Language Arts Common Core Anchor Statements through mobile devices. The mobile activities focus on free common tool apps that are available on both the Android and the iPad. The students use the apps as a seamless […]

hgtuttle

2 Responses to “Technology Gets to the Heart of Student Learning”

Feed for this Entry Trackback Address

1 realstrings May 24, 2007 at 10:58 am

I wonder if I might ask your advice? My students (Further Education in the UK) will be completing their music course in the next few weeks. They have generated work (text, video and audio) which resides in our institutions moodle and I want them to port it (or copy and paste) to an eportfolio. They will most likely use myspace for audio and video, but can you suggest a suitable web 2.0 application they should use for text assignments, so they can take their work on to higher education or employment? Many thanks.

2 hgtuttle May 24, 2007 at 4:19 pm

RealStrings,
I’m a big fan of using blogs not just for classroom discussions but as webpages to show student work. They could put each text assignment in as an individual blog and then link them all to the main page (the last page submitted to the blog).
We are fortunate that our eportfolio system (SAKAI/OSP) has a place to storage all the various media until the students move them over to their eportfolio.
H

Education with Technology Harry G. Tuttle