Response to Chapter 7

In chapter 7, the main idea focuses on helping students to become effective information users. First, it explores today’s information environment. More information has been produced in the last 30 years thank in the previous 5000 years. Information is everywhere- on TV, in books, on billboards, in magazines and newspapers and on the internet. Then, there are some challenges of teaching students to live in an information age. For example, a shift curriculum design from focus on knowledge and skills changes to problem solving and critical thing with an authentic assessment modal. Nowadays, students can get information as much as they want to know from a variety of methods, such as look up books or search on the internet. How to get the information is not a big problem for students but how to deal with information, how to create a new idea through information they already know, and how to communicate the concepts with others by using information. Because it is an information overload environment, teacher needs to help students determine what information is truly related to their needs and interests and what information is unimportant. This skill is very important for students now. They need to find the useful information efficiently to solve the problem.

Response to Chapter 8

In chapter 9, the discussion of community and its role in learning examines communities of diverse learners. Nowadays, there are more and more different races students in the same class. Teacher needs to leave aside racial stereotypes of students and be equal to treat every student. Minority students often have less opportunity to use computers or just use computer to do drill and practice in language arts and mathematics. Actually, the situation has its own reason and teacher needs to know why it may become the situation. First, the minority students’ family may originally in the low class, and they don’t have many chances to use computers or technology like other students. Some students don’t have computer or internet at home, and some students even don’t have TV at home. Because they don’t have enough chances to practice how to use the technology, they can’t do well in the beginning like other students. Teacher may think they don’t have enough ability to do it well and give them easy task to accomplish. Maybe they just need more opportunity to practice. If they have enough time to do, they can do well like others. Teacher has to remind himself/herself of creating more opportunity for the minority students.

Response to Chapter 9

In chapter 9, the assessment is important in education. Test may derive the curriculum. In traditional education, teachers and students pay much attention to perform well with high score in testing. We always focused on the result of the test in the past. However, learning is not just for tests but students need to have the ability to communicate with each other and to use the knowledge they learn from school in practical ways. Technology gives teachers more opportunities to create different assessments for students. Nowadays, education not only focuses on the result but also the process of learning and the possibilities for increased interaction with others. Technology also changes the ways to test. For example, TOFEL test was in paper and handwriting in the past but now it changes into using Computer to take the test. TOFEL CPT can save time and money to check the answers. Moreover, in order to improve students’ ability of listening, the TOFEL changed into IBT to increase reliability of the test. Therefore, the need of society changed and the methods and approaches for education also need to change.
Alternative assessment is very important for students to accomplish complex and meaningful tasks. Process is viewed to be as important as product. For example, when I were elementary school to learn the change of cloud in science class, teacher just showed us the pictures on book and asked us to memorize whole the names of cloud. We only can recognize the cloud in the book, however, when we go out to see the sky, we don’t know what kind of cloud today is because it’s different from the science book. We can get great score on test, but we can’t use the knowledge to observe the nature. Teacher only focused on the result of test but not on the practical use. Nowadays, I was an elementary school teacher, and I will use different ways to teach my students and focus on learning process. First, I explained the features of different kind of cloud in the textbook and using Power Point to compare different pictures in the same name of clouds with analyzing features. Then, I asked students to be group of four to five people. I prepared digital camera for the whole class. Students need to take a picture of cloud everyday and observe what kind of cloud it is and post on their blog with picture to analyze the feature of cloud. In science class, I give them open discussion time to check the other groups’ blog and I would give them some feedback on blog. After the task, I knew every of students know how to observe the cloud, and they are familiar with the features of different cloud even the names of cloud. This is a kind of task activity for students to accomplish. They don’t feel it’s a serious assessment but it’s what they are willing to know and to understand.

Response to Chapter 6

In Chapter 6, teachers need to promote a broader conception of literacy by designing instruction. Nowadays, students have to acquire the ability to understand letters and use them. There are a variety of symbols students need to know from traditional printed symbol system to technological symbol system. Therefore, teachers have responsibility to help students understand different symbol systems. Through technology materials, it is important to help students to improve their reading comprehension and problem-solving ability. For example, in Ms. Angell case, the problem-solving programs can promote students’ motivation to read. People love to take challenge and explore new things and the computer programs can offer this kind of task for students to practice. Learning motivation is the most important factor for students to learn well. If students have strong motivation to learn, they must improve the ability significantly. Therefore, the reading comprehension and problem-solving abilities of students using software programs improved significantly more than students who were taught reading using a skills approach. We can’t compare which approach is better, but students’ motivation is the main factor to learn well.

In 21st century, students need to have the ability not only in received information from teacher but also seek the useful related information through different tools. The technologies of the school had changed from books and paper and pencil as the primary modes of communication to a multiplicity of tools. Moreover, students also have to create their own words to communicate with others. Communication today doesn’t mean face-to-face meeting, but we can communicate with each other through words, such as e-mail. In language class, teachers will give students a supposed situation for students to communicate in email to practice writing skill. For example, teacher might ask students to write a job application letter to introduce themselves and why the employer needs to hire them in e-mail. Teachers can give different samples for them to learn and compare different forms which suit to different situation. Therefore, teachers need to consider for design opportunities for students to develop the ability to understand and use a variety of symbolic system through multiple tools.

Response to Chapter 5

In Chapter 5, it explores how teachers can design learning for thinking and problem-solving learners. In every chapter, the author often mentioned that we live in a time of rapidly changing conceptions of what students need to know and be able to do. Learning doesn’t refer to observable, reinforceable behavior. Current education focuses on authentic problem solving. Students need to acquire the ability to use technology and solve the problem in social contexts. Moreover, the author gives some examples of teaching, such as the concept map- the designs for problem solving and power point with hyperlink. There is an example about metacognition that Mr. Foster used LEMMINGS to design a nine-week course. He used technology with different teaching materials to help students complete the problem to learn more. In this case, students learned not only the knowledge what teacher set for the discourse but also learned how to use the software program, Lemmings. They learn how to operate a computer, learn to use software such as databases, spreadsheets, word processors, graphic programs, but also they have the ability to use computers to solve problems and to think about their thinking when they were solving the problem.

In foreign language class, teacher often uses the tasks for students to achieve. The activity need to finish different tasks through the target language. In this kind of exercise, students have the opportunity to speak the target language and they have the ability to solve the problems and to think about their thinking when they were solving the problem.

Response to Chapter 4

In Chapter four, all the designs incorporated the electronic technologies and used the problem-centered approach. The author describes many cases with technology and problem solving tasks. The most important idea is that the electronic technologies as discourse do not replace traditional discourse but offer additional patterns of possibility for knowing. Because technology using in discourse is very popular now, many teachers may overuse the technology in class instead of checking whether it is the most effective and useful for the lesson. However, teachers need to understand that traditional discourse has advantages, but technology can give students additional opportunity to learn differently and creatively. The example of biological structure that is boring to students if teacher asks them just memorize whole the functions and systems. However, Mrs. Sheldahl used different materials to make the discourse more interesting. They used a combination of textbook readings, movies and filmstrips and participating in experiments. Students also did a series of different exercises, for instance, they took their blood pressure. The teacher not only used related computer program to enforce students’ knowledge which they must to memorize but also design different activities for students to practice more.

In my experience, I was an elementary school teacher in Taiwan. We often used technological materials such as television, video and power point to enhance the change of the discourse. Students love to watch TV in science class because it’s more interesting to watch real animals or do real experiments on TV.cu, this kind of discourse designs still below to teacher-centered activity. Teacher must think the designing learning opportunities for students that focus on the development of knowledge. Moreover, students should be built on their abilities to solve the problems and expand the knowledge by themselves. Teachers can use technology to promote their creation and efficiency in designing discourse.

Response to Chapter 3

In Chapter 3, the author gives educators a great concept that a teacher’s most important role is that of instructional designer. The role of the classroom teacher changes these days. In traditional way, the role of teachers is described as a director. Nowadays a teacher is a facilitator who design instruction for learners what they need. FACTS of Design are five major pieces for design puzzle. It gives teachers a direction to design the instruction and the items to assess whether their design is suit for students or not. The selection of tools is important in learning design. Although there are many schools with good technological equipment, many schools don’t have such tools. Therefore, teachers need to use tools what they already have to design the efficiency instruction.

In my experience, as an elementary school in Taiwan, teachers can use computers, video and audio in class. However, there is not enough equipment for every student to use computers in class. Only when students take computer class, each of them can use computers to do some drills with computer program, such as Word, photo impact, etc. Therefore, searching information or do deeper learning is for after school learning. Teacher can give students directions and opportunities to learn more at home, but teacher can’t design this kind of activities in class.