Description/Experience
The technology discussed in the seminar was about the use of Edmodo. The main thing that I took away from the discussion was that it was very relatable to the students because of it's resemblance to Facebook. The site offers teachers and students a way to interact, distribute and turn in assignments, give and receive awards, and discuss certain points in-depth in a way that is very engaging for the students.
Application
My host teacher and I could use Edmodo for an assignment during his West Virginia history class. The objective would be for students to gain a better understanding of the civil war in West Virginia. The class could be started by an open discussion followed by an assignment on the Thinkpad laptops that the students have at their desks. The students would then submit the assignment through Edmodo, where my host teacher could provide feedback and spur further discussion if necessary.
Reflection
Pedagogy-Content
I would represent the content on an overhead projector through either a slide presentation or a short video, after opening the class with discussion. Being that the students are from West Virginia, they should bring some basic conceptions about the Civil War into the lesson, such as who won, main causes of the war, famous West Virginians in the war, etc.
Technology
The major function of Edmodo is to help students interact with their instructor via the internet, a way that is already very familiar to them. It is very accessible because you just have to get online, go to the website, and log in to use it. There is nothing else directly involved besides the student and the computer.
Technology-Pedagogy
The technology would be used as a way to submit the assignment and also further discuss the lesson after class, if necessary. The technology would change the teaching strategy in this activity because it puts the lesson almost entirely in the students hands once they begin the assignment, so it's important to monitor them so as to be available to answer any questions and provide feedback. The teacher would need to have a very active classroom management approach by walking up and down the aisles and asking if any of the students needed help.
Technology-Content
The content would be presented in the same way as it would be if Edmodo was not used, it is a means of completing and submitting the short assignment mainly. Since the students would be obtaining most of the information from the Thinkpad laptops directly, as well as being supplemented with discussion and an additional visual aid, they should be able to retain the information at a much higher rate.
Technology-Pedagogy-Content
This technology would greatly enhance the subject matter because the information is being relayed to them in several fashions: an oral discussion, a visual presentation, a hands-on assignment, and a recognizable interface on which to submit and discuss the assignment. It's important to take a constructionist approach when teaching this lesson and using this technology
Nice blog Ryan. I thought it was a great idea to use edmodo and thinkpads to do a lecture on the civil war. It is very similar to my idea of using the same technology to perform a presentation on the American Revolution. I also thought it was intelligent to have the West Virginia students bring in any previous knowledge about the civil war, since west Virginia was a very important state in the war. Students bringing in their own knowledge spurs discussion and allows the students to contribute, and learn more successfully. Great idea.
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