Hidir, K & Mehmet, G. (2007). The Effect of Constructivist Learning Principles Based Learning Materials to Students' Attitudes, Success and Retention in Social Studies . Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, 6, 3.
This study investigates whether technological learning materials, based on constructivist learning principles, have an effect on fifth grade social studies students' attitudes, academic success, and retention. The study participants were fifth grade students at Sehit Ali Gaffar Okkan Elementary School in Eskisehir, Turkey. Students were divided in half into a control group and an experimental group. The students were given a questionnaire for demographic information, and pre- and post tests containing open-ended essay type questions to measure their academic success and retention. The Social Studies Attitude Scale, developed by Deveci and Guven (2002), was used to determine students' attitudes. Research findings indicate that constructivist learning principles based learning materials increase students' academic success and retention in Social Studies but don't increase attitudes.
I'm lucky I had an idea what constructivist learning principles were, because this paper failed to go into detail, though that was the basis of their theory. They also did not mention what exactly the difference between the experimental and control group was... which I'm pretty sure is one of the main parts of a research paper. But besides that, it seems their results reflect the results of the other seven articles I have read. Technology is important, regardless of grade level or subject area.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Using the Theory of Habitus to Move beyond the Study of Barriers to Technology Integration
Belland, B.R. (2009). Using the Theory of Habitus to Move beyond the Study of Barriers to Technology Integration. Computers & Education, 52, 353-364.
The author speaks of integrating technology into K-12 classrooms aimed at shifting to a more student-centered classroom. The article focuses on schools in Northern New Jersey, and finds that the growth in access to technology in school has not been accompanied by an equal growth in technology integration, and it seems that teachers are not taking advantage of these valuable resources. The article focuses on teachers pedagogical beliefs as "the final frontier in our quest for technology integration." Belland interviews 105 teachers of various backgrounds to explore this idea. He finds that indeed it does seem that regardless of evidence showing how effective technology integration is for students, it is the teachers' perception of the pros and cons of integrating technology that dissuades them from using it as much as possible. Further more, it was found to be statistically significant that most teachers that have been teaching for ten plus years, feel that the time and energy put into integrating this technology is not worth it's benefits.
The results of this article are a little sad. You would hope that a teacher would put their students first and realize that technology integration is worth the effort. However, I am a bit younger and have grown up in a technological world and cannot understand having to relearn all of it. Still, I hope to incorporate technology into my classroom as I feel it is beneficial to learning.
The author speaks of integrating technology into K-12 classrooms aimed at shifting to a more student-centered classroom. The article focuses on schools in Northern New Jersey, and finds that the growth in access to technology in school has not been accompanied by an equal growth in technology integration, and it seems that teachers are not taking advantage of these valuable resources. The article focuses on teachers pedagogical beliefs as "the final frontier in our quest for technology integration." Belland interviews 105 teachers of various backgrounds to explore this idea. He finds that indeed it does seem that regardless of evidence showing how effective technology integration is for students, it is the teachers' perception of the pros and cons of integrating technology that dissuades them from using it as much as possible. Further more, it was found to be statistically significant that most teachers that have been teaching for ten plus years, feel that the time and energy put into integrating this technology is not worth it's benefits.
The results of this article are a little sad. You would hope that a teacher would put their students first and realize that technology integration is worth the effort. However, I am a bit younger and have grown up in a technological world and cannot understand having to relearn all of it. Still, I hope to incorporate technology into my classroom as I feel it is beneficial to learning.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Promoting Girls' Interest in Technology through Technology Education: A Research Study
Ingelore, M. (2004). Promoting Girls' Interest in Technology through Technology Education: A Research Study. International Journal of Technology & Design Education, 14, 89-100.
In this article, the author sought to investigate girls' interest in technology and ways to increase that interest. The reason for the study was the low numbers of women receiving technolgy-based degrees and persuing technical occupations, leading to gender discrimination. The study was performed in Germany, in four third grade classrooms. Interest levels of the boys and girls were determined by a survey. After exposure of a treatment group to technology education, two of the classrooms had the effects of the treatment measured with a second survey. The other two classrooms were control groups and had no technical training, but were also given a second survey. The surveys were compared and results showed that the interest of both boys and girls were heightened by the education, and gender differences reduced dramatically.
The findings of this study suggest that it is essential to intensify technology education in elementary school because it is the earliest opportunity to diminish gender differences in technical occupations in the future. I think this was a good article with a good message, and that technology can help students in a lot of ways. It should be incorporated into the classroom as a universal method to aid student learning. Dina always talks about the automatic door... it was made for disabled people but ended up helping all people. I think this is a good analogy for technology in the classroom as well.
In this article, the author sought to investigate girls' interest in technology and ways to increase that interest. The reason for the study was the low numbers of women receiving technolgy-based degrees and persuing technical occupations, leading to gender discrimination. The study was performed in Germany, in four third grade classrooms. Interest levels of the boys and girls were determined by a survey. After exposure of a treatment group to technology education, two of the classrooms had the effects of the treatment measured with a second survey. The other two classrooms were control groups and had no technical training, but were also given a second survey. The surveys were compared and results showed that the interest of both boys and girls were heightened by the education, and gender differences reduced dramatically.
The findings of this study suggest that it is essential to intensify technology education in elementary school because it is the earliest opportunity to diminish gender differences in technical occupations in the future. I think this was a good article with a good message, and that technology can help students in a lot of ways. It should be incorporated into the classroom as a universal method to aid student learning. Dina always talks about the automatic door... it was made for disabled people but ended up helping all people. I think this is a good analogy for technology in the classroom as well.
Rethinking the Technology Integration
Staples, A., Pugach, M.C., Himes, D.J. (2005). Rethinking the Technology Integration Challenge: Cases from Three Urban Elementary Schools. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 3, 285-311.
The authors chose to investigate the integration of technology in elementary schools by conducting case studies of three urban elementary schools over the course of three years. Participants were observed and interviewed. The analysis following the study identified three issues that greatly influenced and/or challenged technology integration in the classroom: alignment with the current curriculum, teacher leadership, and what the authors called "public/private roles for technology integration".
This last issue was never fully explained by authors, here lying my biggest concern with the study. What I took most from this article was the fact that teacher leadership had a causal relationship with technology integration. A good teacher will stop at nothing to improve learning methods for their students.
The authors chose to investigate the integration of technology in elementary schools by conducting case studies of three urban elementary schools over the course of three years. Participants were observed and interviewed. The analysis following the study identified three issues that greatly influenced and/or challenged technology integration in the classroom: alignment with the current curriculum, teacher leadership, and what the authors called "public/private roles for technology integration".
This last issue was never fully explained by authors, here lying my biggest concern with the study. What I took most from this article was the fact that teacher leadership had a causal relationship with technology integration. A good teacher will stop at nothing to improve learning methods for their students.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Perceived importance and manageability of teachers toward the factors of integrating computer technology into classrooms
Lih-Juan, ChanLin. (2007). Perceived importance and manageability of teachers toward the factors of integrating computer technology into classrooms. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 44, 45-55.
In this study, 407 elementary school teachers from 21 volunteering schools in Taipei County, Taiwan were given a 28-item questionnaire focusing on environmental, personal, curricular and social factors related to integrating technology in the classroom. A factor analysis was conducted; first to test the reliablitiy of the questionnaire and then Cramer’s V Analysis was used to reveal the relationship between time of involvement in computer use and the teachers’ perceived importance of said technology in each of the four categories. All of the factors were found to be perceived as important by the majority of the teachers, with a statistically significant positive correlation between computer use in the classroom and perceived importance.
Honestly, I found this article extremely confusing, even with a background in psychology and many statistic classes. I also found the author’s results to be intuitive and somewhat obvious. To me, it of course made sense that a teacher who used technology more in the classroom would deem it more important to use in the classroom. I do think the article could be useful in promoting the on-going investment of hardware and software in schools and the importance of integrating this technology on a regular basis in classrooms.
In this study, 407 elementary school teachers from 21 volunteering schools in Taipei County, Taiwan were given a 28-item questionnaire focusing on environmental, personal, curricular and social factors related to integrating technology in the classroom. A factor analysis was conducted; first to test the reliablitiy of the questionnaire and then Cramer’s V Analysis was used to reveal the relationship between time of involvement in computer use and the teachers’ perceived importance of said technology in each of the four categories. All of the factors were found to be perceived as important by the majority of the teachers, with a statistically significant positive correlation between computer use in the classroom and perceived importance.
Honestly, I found this article extremely confusing, even with a background in psychology and many statistic classes. I also found the author’s results to be intuitive and somewhat obvious. To me, it of course made sense that a teacher who used technology more in the classroom would deem it more important to use in the classroom. I do think the article could be useful in promoting the on-going investment of hardware and software in schools and the importance of integrating this technology on a regular basis in classrooms.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Teaching and learning with a visualiser in the primary classroom: modeling graph-making.
Mavers, D. (2009). Teaching and learning with a visualiser in the primary classroom: modeling graph-making. Learning, Media, & Technology, 34, 11-26.
This paper examines the technological affordances of the visualiser, and what teachers actually do with it in the elementary classroom. A visualiser is a digital display device. Connected to a data projector, whatever is in view of the camera is magnified in real time on the screen - be it a page from a book, an object, a living thing, or actions on and gestures around it. Researchers begin the study in hopes that the visualiser can be used for modeling, assessment, observation, information, and guided investigation. Participants were six third grade classes of nine- and ten-year-olds. Two classes were shown how to transform numerical values into a bar graph using the visualiser, two classes were shown using direct instruction of the teacher merely telling them, following a standard math book’s advice, two classes were given multiple worksheets aimed at learning by repetition. They were all asked to complete a bar graph after their “lesson”. The student’s bar graph’s were rated based on a previous scale made by researchers. The classes that used the visualiser had statistically significantly higher scores.
I had no idea what a visualiser was before reading this article. I think it definitely sounds like it would be helpful in the classroom for all the students to be able to see better and focus their attention. I also think that kids just love technology in the classroom, and bringing in something new would help to engage them. Again, my only concern is the cost of the visualiser. I don’t think most people doubt the benefit of using technology in the classroom it just simply and unfortunately comes down to a lack of means.
This paper examines the technological affordances of the visualiser, and what teachers actually do with it in the elementary classroom. A visualiser is a digital display device. Connected to a data projector, whatever is in view of the camera is magnified in real time on the screen - be it a page from a book, an object, a living thing, or actions on and gestures around it. Researchers begin the study in hopes that the visualiser can be used for modeling, assessment, observation, information, and guided investigation. Participants were six third grade classes of nine- and ten-year-olds. Two classes were shown how to transform numerical values into a bar graph using the visualiser, two classes were shown using direct instruction of the teacher merely telling them, following a standard math book’s advice, two classes were given multiple worksheets aimed at learning by repetition. They were all asked to complete a bar graph after their “lesson”. The student’s bar graph’s were rated based on a previous scale made by researchers. The classes that used the visualiser had statistically significantly higher scores.
I had no idea what a visualiser was before reading this article. I think it definitely sounds like it would be helpful in the classroom for all the students to be able to see better and focus their attention. I also think that kids just love technology in the classroom, and bringing in something new would help to engage them. Again, my only concern is the cost of the visualiser. I don’t think most people doubt the benefit of using technology in the classroom it just simply and unfortunately comes down to a lack of means.
Implementing STL in the Elementary Classroom
Wright, R. (2001). Implementing STL in the Elementary Classroom. Technology and Children, 6, 16-18.
Robin Wright is a fifth grade teacher, and proponent of integrating technology in the classroom. He describes technology as “the cool stuff” that keeps his students wanting to come to class. He writes that when planning for the year he always incorporates the Standards for Technological Literacy: Content for the Study of Technology (STL) (ITEA, 2000). He describes that it is set up to easily link with math, science and art objectives and is very beneficial in lesson planning. Wright attempts to incorporate projects and authentic learning tasks as much as possible. For example, he writes that fifth grade students must be able to calculate the perimeter of a geometric shape, but he takes it one step further by having students build a house. They designed an idea on graph paper, then worked with a computer program to turn it into a 3D blueprint, then built the house and even wired it with a front porch light.
I loved the author’s enthusiasm for incorporating technology in the classroom. While his students are doing something “cool” they were also getting real world experience, meeting math objectives, and approaching technology standards. The author also addresses how he manages meeting all his districts requirements as well as doing something extra by incorporating technology. His answer is that he doesn’t believe that he is doing something extra, he merely believes he is organizing lessons that will provide his students with the most learning opportunity possible by keeping them engaged, which should be every teacher’s number one priority. I agree and plan on incorporating authentic learning tasks as well as technology as much as I can when I get my own classroom.
Robin Wright is a fifth grade teacher, and proponent of integrating technology in the classroom. He describes technology as “the cool stuff” that keeps his students wanting to come to class. He writes that when planning for the year he always incorporates the Standards for Technological Literacy: Content for the Study of Technology (STL) (ITEA, 2000). He describes that it is set up to easily link with math, science and art objectives and is very beneficial in lesson planning. Wright attempts to incorporate projects and authentic learning tasks as much as possible. For example, he writes that fifth grade students must be able to calculate the perimeter of a geometric shape, but he takes it one step further by having students build a house. They designed an idea on graph paper, then worked with a computer program to turn it into a 3D blueprint, then built the house and even wired it with a front porch light.
I loved the author’s enthusiasm for incorporating technology in the classroom. While his students are doing something “cool” they were also getting real world experience, meeting math objectives, and approaching technology standards. The author also addresses how he manages meeting all his districts requirements as well as doing something extra by incorporating technology. His answer is that he doesn’t believe that he is doing something extra, he merely believes he is organizing lessons that will provide his students with the most learning opportunity possible by keeping them engaged, which should be every teacher’s number one priority. I agree and plan on incorporating authentic learning tasks as well as technology as much as I can when I get my own classroom.
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