I was unfortunately sick when our class toured the lab and I missed out! But I did read a few of my classmates blogs and I learned that the lab was for disabled students using assistive technology. From reading other classmates blogs, I also learned about all the awesome tech they learned about that could benefit the learning of students. The piece of technology that stood out to me the most was the Smart Pen. This tech pen allows a student to take notes and record the lecture simultaneously.
I think this is such a useful tool that a student could use because I know how much this tech would help me in college. Some professors speak quickly and if you are not on your game, you will miss something they said. Also some professors do not use any power points or any kind of written out notes displayed on the board so you just have to listen and take notes as quickly as possible.
With my missing of class, I am sure we discussed Bloom's Taxonomy, so I used google to learn more about it. I read that Bloom's Taxonomy is used to organize educational learning objectives into levels of specificity and complexity and is placed into a set of three hierarchical models. The six major categories within Bloom's Taxonomy include: Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis, and Evaluation. The modeled is named after Benjamin Bloom who was on the committee of educators that devised the taxonomy.
I would use PowerPoint to support student learning at each level of this model by starting with Knowledge in a history project on WWI. I would inform my students how to use PowerPoint and with that comprehension they can begin their work with PowerPoint on this history project with the use of application. They would analysis the information they collect on WWI and synthesis that information to create the content on the slides. Lastly, they will complete the project and evaluate their own work and see if it needs any adjustments.
I strongly agree that teachers are the driving force behind tech innovation in the classroom. I chose the tech site Tech Crunch as a way to keep up with up and coming tech trends. The screenshot is hyperlinked to techcrunch.com!
I also think that the smart pen would be the most useful of the tools that we saw at the SDRC--especially considering, as you said, instructors that don't use much visual aid.
ReplyDeleteSorry you were sick, I hope you're feeling better. The pen was so awesome. I know that it would help me in most of my classes. Imagine if we could use it in this class to study for the skill checks!
ReplyDeletegreat blog! i had a chance to visit the website you hyperlinked and I found a lot of cool technology under the news tab.
ReplyDelete