Class Post on Tech Integration

In my lesson, students will act as history researchers in trying to determine the real reason immigrants wanted to come to the United States of America. They will discover the unrest people went through and what they had to leave behind to start a new life in the main land. 

“While technology is not essential to creating authentic, learner-centered instruction, it offers a powerful resource for engaging students in authentic experiences, typically increasing both their motivation and their learning” (Cennamo et al, 2009, p.51).  Technology is such a great tool for enriching our lessons.  It opens doors for students to resources that might not ever had had access too.  For my lesson, this will be vital.  Since students are researching the different reasons why immigrants came to America, significant resources will be needed for students to really understand the reasoning behind the choice they made.  I will be utilizing technology in two ways that were discussed in our readings, computer as a mind tool and computer as a conversation support.  “Mindtools are computer applications that enable learners to represent manipulate or reflect on what they know, rather than reproduce what someone else knows” (Cennamo et all, 2009, p.56).  Mindtools require students to think deeply about the task.  As students generate their questions to help guide their inquiry, they can utilize concept-mapping tools to help organize their questions and the answers they find.  Students will also be utilizing databases as they search for information to answer their questions.  In the state of Wisconsin, we have access to many wonderful databases because of our department of public instruction.  These databases have a plethora of information for students to search through, even those tied to the Wisconsin Historical Society.  Students will have access to primary resources to help them understand the reasoning behind the immigrant’s choices.

Throughout my lesson, I really want students to be communicating and discussing what they find while exploring the resources.  “The computer as an interactive tool can contribute to conversations among learners and thus contribute to group and community learning outcomes” (Cennamo et al, 2009, p.70).  I want students to feel free to talk about what they found to really analyze with each other how their findings apply to the essential questions.  I also want students to feel comfortable commenting on blogs to gain more information or emailing experts who might better be able to explain an important piece that they are missing.  There are so many experts in the field of history and genealogy that why should not students feel free to communicate and collaborate with them.  Between the iPads, desktops, and Chromebooks, students will be able to explore the vast resources that relate to our immigration history to really create a rich informational project.

Resources

Cennamo, K., Ross, J. D., & Ertmer, P. A. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: a standards-based approach. Mason, Ohio: Cengag Leaning.