I Used to Think, but Now I Think...

My Thoughts on ITD 7061 Instructional Design & Ed Tech

REALLY???

Foreword

This course introduces several aspects of both instructional design and the use of technological tools in the modern classroom. Since I am a totally new teacher (eight weeks worth) and come from 45 years in private sector business, most of this was totally new territory for me; hence, I don't have a lot of "used-to-think" perspective, at least from a teaching aspect. Being a novitiate does, however, give me an advantage in terms of reporting my "newbie" impressions, so here goes...

Lesson Objectives

I had never heard of Bloom's Taxonomy before taking this course, so I really can't give a "used-to-think" perspective; however, it seems to be a very useful and logical tool for laying out learning goals and objectives, and I can see utilizing it on almost a daily basis to insure that a lesson stays on track and meets required standards. I very much like its scaffolding approach (progressing toward higher skill levels on the part of the student), which, to the extent possible, enables the teacher to design lessons at the correct level for every student. It is straightforward in its application, which makes it both understandable and easy to apply - both major positives in my opinion. Good stuff!

Google Docs

WOW!! Before ITD-7061, I had no knowledge that Google Docs even existed, but I am certainly thankful that I have that knowledge now! Though they are very similar to MS Office in function (an advantage, as most individuals have used all or some of the MS Office tools extensively), what makes G-Docs tools really stand out is the fact that multiple parties can both view and edit documents simultaneously - could be a wonderful tool for students who are collaborating at a distance, or even in the same room. I actually experienced the same-room scenario during a lesson planning faculty meeting at one of my TOSA schools - it blew me awayi! I do have one issue, however: it seems that it is not possible to save and rename a document, which is really inconvenient. There is probably a way, but being new to the G-Docs Suite, I have not as yet discovered it.

Visible Thinking Routines

Again, no real "used to think" here, but I now realize that I have basically always used this approach to initial information gathering and discovery, and I am very enamored of it. With my background being in science (my undergraduate is in chemistry), I personally find that the see/think - puzzle - explore routine remains an excellent approach to organizing problem analysis and experimental design, and this would no doubt be true for students as well. Moreover, post-routine group discussion offers the opportunity for students to bounce observations and opinions around, and to ultimately cull erroneous and/or superfluous information before proceeding further with the lesson.

Another thumbs-up!

Learning With Technology - Animated Videos and Cartoons

As an individual who is 1) really not very tech-savvy, and 2) not a seasoned teacher, I used to think that incorporating electronic technology as a teaching medium was obvious - a "no-brainer". I still see the utility; however, I now have significant reservations, which I will discuss later. The animation exercise was fun - making a basketball ask about the forces that make it do what it does was a very interesting way to both introduce a topic, and to probe for further exploration in it. I can definitely see using this as an attention-grabber at the beginning of a class/introduction of a new topic/unit, etc. It could also be useful as an assigned student exercise with specific listed requirements. Students would both become familiar with the tool, and gain specific subject knowledge due to researching the content of the animation. Good approach? Yes. Necessary? No.

Assessment - Assistive Technologies

It has never even occurred to me that the use of electronic forms, text-to-speech, etc. had a place in the classroom, and could be a boon to learning for certain students. It is now very clear - text to speech could lift a heavy burden from a dyslexic student who needs to hear rather than read in order to grasp lesson material. The use of a basic Excel spreadsheet to organize and record the progressive steps in the solution of a math or chemistry problem could ease both the student's requirements (e.g. "show all work"), and hugely facilitate grading for the teacher by 1) increasing basic legibility (many students do not write legibly - they are no longer taught to do this) and, 2) demonstrating the student's real understanding of the required systematic approach to the particular problem being solved; i.e. being able to follow the student's logical process. On this one, I'm a convert!

Assessment for Degree of Mastery / Grasp of Topic - Further Commentary

I used to think that the only way to measure grasp/mastery of a quantitative subject was via a written exercise; e.g. quiz, test. Although I have now had my eyes opened to other alternatives, my position still remains essentially the same, with some flex. Please keep in mind that my subjects (and expertise) are math and chemistry I can definitely see the use of tech-based projects to conduct formative assessments. For example, a great way to evaluate students' progress in understanding the aircraft cruise - approach - landing topic that I have chosen as the basis for my lesson plan would be to have them live video (if possible) actual approaches and landings at a close by airport, present the video to the class at large, and pause it to narrate exactly what is happening during each phase. Discussion and evaluation by the class at large would follow.

Assessment for Degree of Mastery/Grasp of Topic - Further Commentary

I would then base my assessment of a particular group's level of understanding on both the class's input and my own interpretation of subject matter grasp as illustrated by the presentation. With regard to summative assessment, however, I am "sticking to my guns" - unless some truly revolutionary tool comes along, I will always use a written exam to assess a student's level of mastery in a chemistry or math class. There is simply too much detail involved in true understanding, the grasp of which I feel could not be accurately evaluated using any other approach. In these subjects, right is right, and wrong is anything else. To give the student the impression that "close is okay" would literally be cheating him/her by allowing them to believe that they have achieved mastery, when in fact that might be far from the case. This lesson did give me a useful nudge and changed my mind in some ways.