I have spent a lot of time making sure my wicked project will be meaningful. TPACK allows me to check my project and dig deeper.
Clickers are the technology of choice for my project. The reason I am focusing on clickers is because they allow me to reach my teaching goals. As a teacher, there are two goals I strive for; to make teaching interactive and meaningful for students. The strategies I use as a teacher are based around these two goals. I feel that using clickers will help me reach my goal. If used correctly, clickers will make lessons more interactive. Students will be able to give instant feedback to questions. Students will also feel they have a role in the lesson by giving feedback. This piece will allow for a new level of interaction. This is important to me because not all lessons are hands on. Sometimes, you have to sit at the front and talk things out. Clickers will help make those types of lessons even better. My other goal is to make learning meaningful. Clickers will help me reach this goal by giving students more time to think, process and make connections. Studies show that it takes students up to ten seconds to create the question they want to ask. With clickers, they can take that time and answer when ready. Or, suppose you let students "click in" whenever they have a question. This lets students work stress free. Clickers will enhance my teaching strategies by allowing me to reach my goals in new ways.
Too often, we try to fit the content to the technology. When we do that, we tend to lose focus of what we are really doing. For me, I am trying to make the technology fit and enhance my content. My goal is to make the content come alive and become more effective by adding in technology. I feel that this is the ultimate goal. With that being said, I do not intend to make clickers part of everything. I recognize that some lessons are best without it while some may benefit. However, I feel that clickers will be incredibly effective in large group lessons and lecture based lessons. Another way to use clickers may be as "check ins" to see how small groups are progressing. For example, I would often have groups of two or three working around the room. Students could use their clickers to let me know how much time they need without getting off task. Some content will be affected by adding in clickers. However, clickers are an easy technology to learn. Because of this, clickers should not distract from the teaching. In the event that they do, it may be necessary for the teacher to store the clickers and only pass them out at certain times. The goal is not to take away from the content, but to make the content more interactive and meaningful.I have brainstormed what content and lessons will benefit the most from adding in clickers. As I mentioned above, connecting technology to the content needs to be done thoughtfully. So, I am putting in a lot of thought into how I present the clickers and in what areas they are used. The goal is for the clickers to enhance the content, not take away. One of the main reasons I like clickers is that they allow me to constantly check in without taking away. For example, when teaching a new topic, it can be challenge to know if everyone is understanding. You could use clickers to have "check ins." Ask students, "how do you feel about what you are learning; good, okay, ahh!" This will allow the teacher to adjust and not lose any time.
Excellent application of TPACK. I really like how you said this, "Too often, we try to fit the content to the technology." This is the problem when teachers are "required" to use a particular technology. Quite frankly, the content may not lend itself to the given technology.
ReplyDeleteClickers are an excellent tool that can be utilized for various content. There are certainly a number of pedagogical approaches that can be utilized when applying clickers.
Have you heard of iClickers? Go to: http://www.iclicker.com/ and you can sign up for a Pedagogy Webinar. I think there may be one on the 15th...?
Well done. Keep up the great work.
I applaud you because you have recognized that technology has to work for a lesson or it is useless. Clickers provide a voice for those children who normally would not raise their hands because they are unsure. Also give the teacher a quick check of how the lesson is going? I guess my concern with this technology is how do you determine if the response is a guess or a true answer of understanding? Do we do a KWL and check understanding at all levels or is it just for the final assessment?
ReplyDeleteI think that using clickers are a fantastic way to get your students involved and interacting with the lesson. I know that when I was in courses where clickers were involved I was usually more engaged with the class.
ReplyDeleteYour point about forcing content to fit to technology is an excellent reminder. So often we try and use technology just because we want to use technology, whether or not it truly fits with our lessons. The clicker should be a great asset to many of your lessons for many different reasons. My favorite part of how you will use the clickers is to get an idea of where your students are at throughout the lesson. With this feedback you will be better able to have your instruction meet your students' needs.
Danielle
I think clickers are a wonderful way to keep students engaged and involved in lectures. I agree with your comment, "too often we try to fit the content to the technology." I agree with you that we should be using the technology to enhance our lessons. I look forward to reading more about your project.
ReplyDelete