Experimenting with Technologies

After reading chapter 3, I really felt that there were positives to all of the principles listed. However, based on the assignment, we are to select 3 that we find important for education. I felt that the Active, Critical Learning Principle was definitely important. I have always believed that it is much more important to help students understand how to interpret and think critically as opposed to simply memorizing a concept. Thinking critically is what allows you to really utilize the information you have learned. The Practice Principle was also a very important one on my list. I will be teaching math at some point, and if nothing else, practice is by far one of the most important concepts in math. It is crucial to understanding and retaining what you learn. The final principle that I chose to discuss is the Discovery Principle. Allowing students to to truly and explore and discover will allow them to not only retain information, but it also feeds off of practice and critical thinking. In order for students to experiment and discover things, they have to be able to use critical thinking, and it will likely take many trys before a student comes to a final conclusion.

I feel like in a math classroom, simulations are definitley something that could be utilized. Math is very much real world, and it seems as though this is one of the hardest things for students to grasp. They feel as though math is not important and they will never use it. Simulation provide an opportunity to let students use math in simulated situations, which can then be related to real life. The book reviewed one particular simulation called SimCalc which was a specific simulation geared towards elementary mathematics. Even building simulation would in some way incorporate math ideas. Another benefit is that of simulations being seen as games. If students feel like they are having fun while learning, they are more likely to stay engaged.

This was an interesting way to look at technology in the classroom. Most of what we have reviewed this semester, has been in regards to web 2.0 concepts. This was a different concept with games and simulations; however, it is something that seems like it would still be very beneficial in engaging students. What I find to be beneficial about this lesson is that, we have learned how not every student learns the same. I think this concept could very well apply to the technological aspect as well. Gaming and simulations may be a fantastic tool for some students, but not others. Whereas, blogging could be what really helps other students. It is really beneficial to know many different avenues for supplementing a lesson.

Jonassen, D. Howland, J. Marra, R. & Crismond, D. (2008). Meaningful Learning with Technology. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.