The title of this post is not the kind of title I usually dive into and read about, but for some reason, and I'm jolly glad I did, I looked at this article in my reader and then clicked on the link.
This link took me to what could be one of the best sites I have ever seen for resources and ideas on how to integrate technology into the classroom and ensure that it enhances student learning; surely the grail of most of us. I know for myself that it is all too easy to get excited by the latest new application without necessarily thinking thoroughly about how it could improve learning rather than simply being a fun tool.
This resource has been put together by Sherri Miller who is an Instructional Technology Resource Teacher for the Gloucester County Public Schools in Virginia, USA and is based on research into finding the teaching strategies which have the most impact on learning. (Classroom Instruction That Works, by Robert J. Marzano, Debra J. Pickering and Jane E. Pollock.)
In this research 9 strategies with highest probability of enhancing student achievement for all students in all subject areas at all grade levels" were identified. This website compiled at the behest of teachers looks at examples and templates of various technologies which could be integrated with these strategies.
This interactive chart on the site's front page identifies these strategies, all of which make perfect sense to any reflective teacher.
Having only just looked at the site I'm not in a
position to review the activities here, but here are a couple of
tasters that have leaped out at me.
In each of the categories Sherri gives readers a definition of that strategy, as outlined by Marzano and cites some of the author's recommendations for classroom practice. For example the most effective instructional strategy is that of identifying similarities and differences. One of the stages in doing this is by classifying. (In MFL we use classification activities to identify parts of speech or gender from a text for example.) Examples given are from proprietary software such as Kidspiration but there are such a proliferation of flash based tools on the web now (ClassTools) that it shouldn't be much of a problem to create something similar.
Another instructional strategy is that of non-linguistic representation, in other words using imagery along with language to try to instill knowledge. (Flashcards anyone). By giving students the tools to create a representational image of what they are learning, recall becomes more effective. This is what I was trying to do in my recent post with my son trying to learn about the menstrual cycle. Miller gives lengthy examples of how to go about this.
All in all this is a superbly presented resource, and all the better for being on the web.
Thank's NCS-Tech for sharing your find and thanks to Sherri Miller for her work. Brilliant.
Technorati Tags: sherrimiller, teaching, learning, technology, robertmarzano
Comments