In my personal experience working with 5th
grade students and currently 1st grade, I don’t think there is a
necessity to break down technology from Lower Order Thinking Skills (LOTS) to
Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS).
Students by nature use what they remember, understand and apply that
knowledge to evaluate and create the end result of the technology tool they are
using. Blooms taxonomy order from LOTS to HOTS is used in technology without
realizing it. As Prensky mentions in his article, students
are native speakers of technology, video games and the Internet. Many of the times I have my 1st
grade students showing me themselves on how to use a certain app and provide me
suggestions what will make it look better.
I always try to implement HOTS during my instruction and have noticed
that the best way to implement it is by engaging and having that collaboration
among my students and myself. I am
constantly trying to keep up with technology and could be called a digital
immigrant. I realize that today’s
students are 21st century learners and the importance to adjust my
style of teaching to their style of learning.
I have seen how some high schools and middle schools are starting to let
students use their phones and I pads in math and language arts classes and how
some teachers are reluctant to allow students to use them because of the misuse
of them. I believe that is a process
were we have to teach responsibility and provide rubrics like we do with any
other lesson we give. It is something
that will take time to make it part of the academic curriculum.
In deciding and explaining why I would need
a certain app in the library I would keep in consideration Prensky’s point of
views but will probably requested using terms of Digital Taxonomy because
Blooms taxonomy most of the times is embedded in the academic curriculum used
for student learning and it will be easier for administrators to accept my
request. Additionally, I feel technology
is a tool we use for student learning and not a foundation for learning. In my campus, we lack the means to provide
students with I pads and enough computers to make it part of their daily tools
of learning. I think that with today’s
21st century learners it is important to keep up to date with their
needs especially as a future librarian to be able to develop student
information skills using technology and provide resources with technologies
rapid changes.
This year I had the opportunity to
incorporate Big Brainz (basic fact game) with my 1st graders. Most of my students learn their basic facts
in addition and subtraction because they were engaged and thought they were
playing. Students have different ways
and styles of learning. Technology
allows the opportunity to incorporate the skills of those students that prefer
hand on crafts and those that enjoy the use of digital devices. It is a combination of collaboration among
students.
Finally, Prensky’s thought of digital
natives support both Digital Taxonomy and Kathy Shrock’s guide to everything. The main goal is to provide student academic
learning by using high order thinking skills that can be use in today’s technology
by our 21st century learners.
Collaboration and engagement are powerful elements to have independent
learners in this changing technological world.
References:
Prensky,
M. (2006). Listen to the Natives. Retrieved June 04, 2016, from
http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/summer06/vol63/num10/Listen-to-the-Natives.aspx
This is interesting~ so you see that students really don't need the differentiation in terms of how they use the technology-- they just use it? Do you think the differentiation helps teachers reframe uses for technology in the classroom so that they can better understand how to use it?
ReplyDeletePersonally speaking, the differentiation of terms has helped me reframe uses of technology to better understand how to use technology in my classroom. I can plan lessons using technology with high order thinking questions and implemented in my classroom. It doesn't apply to every teacher. Some teachers might just use it as a guide to planning. It was interesting and helpful for me to read Kathy Shrock's guide to everything and see how she broke down the technology apps from LOTS to HOTS.
ReplyDeleteI was not incorporating a lot of new apps and etc. in my second grade classroom because I didn’t feel like I had time to teach the kids how to use them. Finally, I realized they could usually figure them out on their own. If the app was more complicated, I taught a couple of kids and then they taught the other students. I also like what you said about students having different ways and styles of learning and how technology allows opportunities to incorporate the skills of different students. Not all children are immediately drawn to technology when problem solving. I love rainy days and indoor recess because I can see what my students choose to do when allowed freedom. It is interesting to see which children are immediately drawn to technology, which ones want to create with building blocks and Legos, and which ones others would rather create games using scraps of construction paper or etc.
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