Instructional Technology

Meaningful Learning With Technology

Eight Schools of Exploration

Children, on average, will have spent over 10,000 hours playing video games, over 200,000 emails and instant messages sent and received, over 10,000 hours talking on digital cell phones, over 20,000 hours spent watching TV with many of these on the fast speed MTV variety, over 500,000 commercials viewed and all of this will happen before they leave college according to the work done by Prensky (2001).  Prensky (2001) also points out that the average child will only spend about 5,000 hours reading a book in that same time frame.  When technology is integrated into the classroom the transition will be easier for a digital native, or the twitch generation, as the younger students are immersed in technology as they grow and experience life around them.  Learning with technology soon becomes second nature and the learning process can become a meaningful process in the classroom when integrated effectively. 

Investigating with Technologies The Internet is rapidly serving as one of our primary sources of information. In a sense, it has become our library, our laboratory, and a major communication system. In fact, Google has now entered our vocabulary as a verb and an adjective, as well as a noun. More... Experimenting with Technologies The Internet presents a marvelous environment for experimenting. Sometimes we refer to experimentation in this environment as “playing around on the computer.” Feel free to play! Experimenting involves exploration, hypothesizing, conjecturing, testing, determining cause and effect and recognizing errors in judgment and gaps in knowledge and then exploring further to correct those. More... Supporting Writing (and Reading) with Technologies Much of the Internet is still text-based, and one of the most frequent Internet assignments involves researching information to support a writing assignment. But the Internet provides so much more: There are organizing tools, support for presentation writing, for creative writing, for collaborative writing and opportunities for peer editing. There are also a growing number of sites that provide help for those learning to read or trying to improve their reading. More... Modeling with Technologies One of the best ways for us to fix information in our minds and increase our understanding is to make a model of it. Seeing something and constructing the components and the processes help us to understand. We can identify computer tools that aid us in modeling as Mindtools. The software and web-based programs that make up this category may offer opportunities to make models visual and tangible, to work with “what if” type questions, to analyze, explore and hypothesize. Now all of these tools are easy to use immediately, but all are very powerful and worthy of the time and effort to learn them. More... Community Building with Technologies Virtually all of the studies on 21st century skills and changing knowledge and skill requirements for the jobs and careers that are being invented as we speak point out that an individual’s ability to communicate and work effectively with people from different cultures and different countries is essential. Now instead of simply teaching students to play well with others, we much help them learn to play well globally and in cyberspace, too. This section focuses on Internet tools that enable local, national and international community building for learners of all ages. More... Communicating with Technologies Methods of communication have moved far beyond speaking, listening, writing and reading, although each of those methods retains its importance. In addition music has always been an additional way of communicating, although not usually in a day-to-day, person-to-person way. The rise of visual and graphic media has expanded opportunities to communicate visually as well. And the rapid expansion of computer and telecommunication capabilities has expanded our communication opportunities to handheld computers, mobile phones, synchronous Internet contact and more. You will find many of these devices still banned from many schools, and yet many educators are experimenting to find ways to use these devices as learning tools. This station is a good place to play and think and experiment and come up with new ways to expand learning opportunities. More... Designing with Technologies Designing is the ultimate problem-based learning opportunity. It is a whole-brain activity, involving elements of problem-solving including analysis and evaluation. There is also a creative element of synthesis involved as well. Much of our world of commerce depends upon designs to make people more productive, more comfortable, and more efficient. We also design for entertainment. Designing is an ideal activity for engaging the entire spectrum of Bloom’s Taxonomy, providing learners the opportunity to solve challenging, fully applicable problems and engage in creativity and even enterprise. More... Visualizing with Technologies Representing ideas visually as well as or instead of verbally is a rising capability made easier with an array of digital tools. Visualizing is linked to understanding. Consider that when one person attempts to explain something to another, the response “I see” is frequently used to denote understanding. Seeing or visualizing makes learning meaningful and lasting. This station provides access to some important tools that give learners control of solidifying their visualizations and making them available to others. More...

Jonassen, D., Howland, J., Marra, R., & Crismond, D. (1999).  Meaningful learning with technology.  Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. 

Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants part 2: Do they really think differently? On the Horizon, 9(6), 1-6.  Retrieved March 6, 2009, from ProQuest Education Journals database. (Document ID: 1074252431).              

Prensky, M. (2005). Learning in the digital age. Educational leadership, 63 (4), 8-13.   

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