What is active learning? How do you engage learners and teaching colleagues in the active use of technology in classroom programs?
One factor to making learning active is ensuring time for students to talk about the topics, engage in meaningful discourse around ideas and bring their thinking to clarity by mirroring and comparing concepts to others. Applying a ‘think, pair, share’ strategy is an effective mechanism to allow time to talk. Another factor is creating something that has personal meaning and then sharing it with a specific audience. This can be done individually or in groups. A variety of creative strategies are applied in the classroom. Concept mapping is one such tool that provides a window into thinking. Video production is another tool used to capture process and product. Digital tools can be applied to these creative endeavours. Active, engaging and meaningful learning are elements of the theory of constructivism that is integrated into current educational practices and processes. |
Let’s begin with this video clip of a PREZI presentation. Although the context is college or university classrooms, we’ll discuss how this applies to the elementary classrooms in which you will teach.
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The Surprising Truth about what Motivates Us
Autonomy, mastery and purpose underly our motivation to create, collaborate, communicate and critically think. This is true about teaching and learning when applying digital technology. It is an underlying truth in education, at all levels of learning. Kindergarten students strive to master tying their shoes or creating the perfect picture in KidPix. Grade six students need compelling purpose to communicate information they have mastered, be it the perfect basketball lay-up or the digital presentation about electrical circuits they have created. |
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