Having read pages 146-277 in Linda Darling-Hammond’s The Flat World and Education, in which the educational systems in Finland, Singapore, and South Korea are highlighted, here are the key elements to include in my classroom to prepare my students for the future:
Opportunities for Collaboration The most successful educational systems include opportunities for students to collaborate. Learning how to collaborate helps students to develop essential 21st century skills: relationship-building, listening, communication, planning, and self-awareness. In addition, studies show that students engaged in effective cooperative learning perform better on independent tasks later on. In all three countries, students engage in independent, partner, and group work in all areas of the curriculum. In Singapore, for example, students work in groups during PE to design games, and then teach them to the other students. Inquiry-Based Learning Inquiry is a priority in all three educational systems. In Finland, direct instruction for 50 minutes is rare; instead, students solve real-world problems, build, write for real audiences, and participate in investigations. Learning is grounded in discovery, and the discovery is applicable to real-world situations. This makes the learning more relevant, and makes it stick. Linda Darling-Hammond cites numerous examples of how these lessons engage students in real thinking about real-world problems. It was interesting to note that, according to one of the teachers interviewed, one of the more challenging elements of implementing inquiry-based learning is changing the “culture of right answers” so that students learn to ask good questions and to understand that there may be no clear correct answer. Education in Values In all three of the countries, instructional hours are spent on values and character development. Character development is such an integral part of learning in South Korea, for example, that “Moral Education” is listed as a content area, along with math and reading. Interestingly, the number of hours spent on Moral Education is fixed until 7th and 8th grades, when it almost doubles, then drops back down again in 9th grade. Opportunities for Innovation Linda Darling-Hammond cites an example of innovation in Korea, in which biology students developed an environmentally-friendly insect repellent that ultimately was a finalist in a national contest. Innovation is connected closely to inquiry; it develops the ability to solve problems in daily life through creativity and critical thinking. Reflection on Learning and Growth Built into each of the three educational systems is a system of assessment designed to help students become aware of and accountable for their own learing and growth. In Finland, for example, many students set weekly goals with their teachers in specific subject areas, then determine a path they will take to achieve these goals. This helps students understand how they learn best so that they can assess their own work and independently become better learners. Teachers also view assessment as a means to help students reflect on their own learning. Assessments are generally performance or portfolio-based. In Finland, for example, the main purpose of assessments is to “guide and encourage students’ own reflection and self-assessment.” Professional Development While this isn’t part of a students’ classroom experience, it’s an essential element of effective teaching. According to Linda Darling-Hammond, the most successful educational systems provide rich, frequent, and mandatory professional growth opportunities for their teachers. In addition, teachers in these countries have more time to collaborate, plan, reflect on lessons, participate in lesson study, and more. The teacher preparation and professional development programs model the characteristics of their effective school systems; they provide opportunities for teachers to collaborate and self-assess and they encourage innovation and creativity.
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Video 1: Differentiated Instruction Through Interactive Games
http://www.edutopia.org/tech-to-learn-differentiated-instruction-interactive-games-video In this case, the 2nd grade teacher is using MacBooks, iPads, and iPod Touches in order to provide additional practice for students learning addition and subtraction. The primary goal of using the technology is to provide the students with opportunities to practice, while giving them immediate feedback on their calculations. The teacher has already taught addition and subtraction using whole-class instruction, guided practice, and independent practice; he is using the technology to provide additional independent practice for students while he works with small groups of students who need additional reinforcement. The teacher likes to use technology instead of worksheets because he finds the iPads to be more “engaging”; in addition, there are always more games to be played, so the students don’t wonder what to do next. I know that the students are learning because I see their calculations on their personal whiteboards. I see that the students are engaged in their practice because they are focused; in the classroom there are some children working with the teacher, some working on whiteboards, some working on MacBooks, and some using iPod Touches. The teacher explains in the video that computers, fingers, and whiteboards are all valid math “tools;” the students learn to choose which tool or combination of tools works best for them. I observed multiple teaching methods, including whole-class instruction, using mini whiteboards, and small group instruction. The teacher used an iPad to virtually “manipulate” ten rods and unit cubes to illustrate subtraction in his small group. The teacher also uses technology for independent practice. The students use Planet Turtle on the MacBooks for a first formative assessment; this provides basic practice for all students, and is not differentiated. If the students get 80% or more correct, then they can play DreamBox on the iPod Touch; DreamBox is differentiated for each student. I could potentially use math apps on the iPad for rote independent practice in first grade; however, I prefer apps that also develop critical thinking or communication skills. One of my favorites is EduCreations, which acts like an interactive whiteboard to allow students to record their math thinking. I would rate this lesson 4/5. Video 2: Free Online Resources Engage Elementary Kids http://www.edutopia.org/tech-to-learn-free-online-resources-video In this case, a fifth grade class is using technology to create a portfolio of their work. Using a variety of applications, the fifth graders can choose to design a video autobiography, a poem, a tutorial explaining a concept (for example, a math concept that they’ve mastered), or a personal narrative. All of the final products were under 3 minutes in duration. The teacher emphasizes that the applications that the kids are using are all free. I know that the students are learning because they can explain what they are doing. Several students were interviewed in the video, and were able to articulate how they were designing their projects, the purpose of the apps that they were using, and the way that the apps are integrated to create their final products. The students were using applications like Sumopaint, Psychopaint, SplashUp, Google Docs, Garage Band, and iMovie to develop their projects. They also used iLife for photo and video editing inside of iMovie and iPhoto. Students articulated the steps they would take to create the project, including how to storyboard it, organize it online, and create the final product. The teacher spoke with students, asking them to articulate the steps of their projects. She created an environment of collaboration to help students get ideas, and so that they could help each other with their projects. The teacher incorporated reading, writing, organization, and technology in order to make the technology meaningful. The teacher understands the concept of the “authentic audience,” and talks to the students about how to create a project that is engaging for their real audiences. I could potentially use elements of this lesson, including project choice. I also like the idea of emphasizing the authentic audience so that the students are motivated to create their best work. I’d rate this lesson 5/5. Video 3: Poetry Workstations https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/poetry-and-technology In this case, a fourth grade class is using technology to reflect on a poet or a work of poetry. The students have learned about different poets, have studied elements of poetry, and were given a choice of three different projects they could use to reflect on a particular poem or poet. The projects choices were: creating a blog about a particular poet or poem (using blog-creation software on a laptop), creating a podcast about a poet (on an iPod), or watching a Poetry in Motion poem (a video depiction of a poem) and writing a reflection on the poem. The teacher introduced the projects after a whole-class review of poetry and literary language, during which she used a SmartBoard with a classroom response system. I know that students are learning because they talk about what they’ve learned. The students describe how to use Poetry in Motion and what they like about it (it’s helpful to hear the poem being read aloud to them when they visualize it, rather than reading it themselves); they talk about how they are pretending to be a poet interviewed on a radio show for their podcasts; they talk about how they post about a poem on their blog, then someone comments, then they respond, and it becomes a conversation. I can see that the students are engaged both in their learning about poetry and poets, and in the technology that they’re using to demonstrate their learning. I observed a variety of teaching techniques in the lesson. I saw the teacher using whole class instruction to review the elements of poetry, and that she was able to do a quick formative assessment using the SmartBoard and the classroom response system. The teacher checked in with the students as they were working, and asked specific questions that allowed her to assess the students’ understanding of the project and the content. I saw that the teacher encouraged collaboration and discussion among the students so that they were engaging in productive conversation about poetry and poets. I could potentially use elements of this lesson. I like the teacher’s use of choice so that students can demonstrate their learning in the way that most appeals to them. I like the teacher’s facilitation of conversation among the students; discussing poetry is a wonderful way for students to deepen their understanding. I like that the teacher is developing the students’ proficiency in relevant technology, but that the proficiency is a side-effect of creating a meaningful poetry project (not technology for technology’s sake). I’d rate this lesson 5/5. |
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