Blog #3

I found the article "Oh the Changes" very interesting. I think it is crucial for every teacher to know the difference between first-order technology integration and second-order technology integration. The first-order is known as amplification and is considered more "old fashion" in that it uses technology to perform tasks that are used in the classroom already, such as flash cards (p. 7). My early educational experiences focused on first-order technology integration, which was effective in achieving repetition and fact memorization but wasn't nearly as exciting as second-order technology integration. Second-order integration uses technology to actively engage students in their own education and allows for more student independence and critical thought; aspects that benefit both student and teacher. Overall, the progression of technology in the classroom has moved towards a constructivist approach where the learning becomes student-centered and the teacher's role moves from being "Sage on the Stage" to "Guide on the Side", which encourages students to become motivated learners. The most interesting part of the supplemental article was the concept of multi-age student grouping where a teacher is responsible for two consecutive grades of students. This classroom concept allows for teachers to get to know their students better and allows for the older grade students to act as peer tutors to the younger students. I think that the implementation of multi-age classrooms would allow for more quality instruction and student collaboration since there would be a much smaller learning curve for both the students and the teachers. In class this week, I learned about the advantages, for students and teachers, of providing rubrics for all assignments. Rubrics provide a guide for students while they are working on projects and assignments; thereby, allowing the student to better focus their work. For teachers, rubrics keep the grading process more fair and precise. Furthermore, rubrics provide a solid reference point for teachers to stand behind if parents and students feel the need to argue a grade. I thought that the web site we visited in class was of great value. I am sure that all of us in the class will be using this site to create rubrics in the future!

IMPORTANT: I posted this blog on Sunday (2-10-08) but I accidentally posted it as a "new blog" instead of a "new post" (I e-mailed you about it). So, today I moved it here (in the correct place) and deleted the old blog (2-12-08).