Article Overview:
Can incorporating an iPad or tablet as a teaching teaching tool improve a students ability to learn a subject or topic? In an article written for National Geographic entitled iPads Improve Classroom Learning, Study Finds the author Brian Handwerk digs into this question. Handwerk discusses a study done by physicist Matthew Schneps at the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Massachusetts. Many schools are using iPads and tablets as a way to cut back on the cost of text books and are using these tools as a way to deliver the same textbook material. In Schneps study he used iPads to actually allow students to simulate things they couldn't otherwise experience using traditional teaching tools such as text books or just reading the material and having it accompanied by a traditional photograph or picture. Schneps wanted to see if using these tools to simulate a 3-D experience of a topic would this improve the learning experience for students?
The topic example used in this article was the Solar System and the study was done with high school students in Bedford, Massachusetts. The high school used the Solar Walk simulation from Vito Technology to explore a 3-D, pinch to zoom display in two different ways. The first display depicted the solar system as it would commonly be seen in text books with the features of each planet not to size and unrealistic. The second display used a true to scale mode that actually allowed students to see how small planets are compared to their orbits and showed viewers just how vast the Solar System is. After using the 3-D system students showed learning gains in as little as 20 minutes. As an end result the students were able to show improvement using both modes although the true to scale mode was effective in not only learning but also clearing up the scale misconception of the Solar System. The research suggests that tablets could aid in the study of many scientific concepts that are difficult to grasp such as the Solar System as well as other large scale subjects, distance and time.
Personal Connection:
As I was reading this article it brought me back to when I was working in a child care center helping a Kindergarten teacher. She had been teaching a unit about whales and on this day they were discussing size. They discussed the size of different types of whales and how the size of a whale compared to humans and other animals. To reinforce size she had brought her students into the hall way and using tape on the floor they measured out the size of different whales as well as other animals in an effort to demonstrate the vast size of a whale. This was probably close to ten years ago and while there were computers in the classroom there was no Internet so they used books to look at pictures and photographs to look at whales. While I still think this hands on approach was extremely effective I feel being able to view on a screen an actual 3-D whale as well as other animals to compare size could have been extremely engaging and beneficial to this unit. A 3-D image on a screen would allow a student to really connect the size that they couldn't experience looking at pictures.
Reflection:
Curious about the Solar Walk simulation from Vito Technology I searched for it online. It is an app you can purchase for download for .99. The app has won several awards; featured in Best Apps 3 years in a row, won gold with the National Parenting Publications Award in Educational Tools for Parents and Children category, and has amazing customer reviews. http://www.vitotechnology.com
I found this article interesting. Using technology as the "new tool" for teaching is everywhere these days. Although this article did demonstrate that these students were able to learn this topic using this tool it confirmed they were also able to learn this same material using traditional teaching. I think the reason why technology is so important is not because it can teach a subject better then traditional methods it just teaches it in another way. Classrooms are made up of all different types of students who all learn different ways and technology is a great tool to use to give an engaging hands on experience of a subject an educator is trying to teach. I don't believe technology should replace traditional teaching but is an incredible tool to be used to help reach more students in your classroom and really connect them to a topic.
Learning Outcomes:
# 1 - Demonstrate the understanding of how technologies can effectively promote student learning
# 7 - Demonstrate an understanding of the use of adaptive technologies and other and other digital resources to personalize and differentiate learning activities for every student
I think the idea of using apps on handheld devices to demonstrate complex learning concepts is a fantastic idea. I have always been a huge supporter of using videos and hands-on demonstrations in class to show the different processes in baking. However, in an academic setting I can see how actually viewing a to scale 3-D image would have a massive impact on the understanding of the class. When we get to see how things really work in a way that captures our imagination and makes us curios about the universe it helps students stay engaged in a lesson plan that could otherwise end up being quite dry and boring. I think it's amazing that it only took twenty minutes for the team to assess that the students had substantial gains from using the application.
ReplyDeleteI think the only danger with using iPads, computers, and other means of technology in the classroom is that they can prove to be a distraction for the students. Young children as well as teens might find it hard to stay on task if the computer or tablet the school has given them to use has other apps like Facebook, twitter, and Instagram available as well. Even in the culinary lab setting it isn't uncommon for an instructor to scold a student for having there phone out and to take it away. I suppose that this is just what we as the next generation of teachers will have too keep our eyes on while we watch the students in all of our classes.
I agree that the use of technology, specifically iPads, can be a tremendous teaching tool in the classroom.. and this is because of one word: ENGAGEMENT! In my classroom, when the kids are asked to use the iPads or computers to complete an assignment, there is a much higher level of engagement and participation. Even a task like writing, which is often a least favorite among students, takes on a whole new level of excitement with the use of technology. For example, a "boring" task like sentence diagramming and writing conventions is made exciting with a simple iPad app. Check out the app Story Dice: http://thinkamingo.com/story-dice/. This is an app specifically designed for generating sentence or story ideas. My students love writing creative sentences (where they can not only practice writing conventions, but also work on word choice and voice) with the dice pictures that come up with a "roll" of two dice. Think, for example, of a sentence that has something to do with a crown and a rocket ship. You'' get some rather creative sentences! Another fun app for writing is Toontastic: http://www.launchpadtoys.com/toontastic/. Using this app, students can learn about story elements (characters, setting, plot, climax, solution) by creating animated stories with characters of their choice. After being voiced, the stories that are created by the students are turned into cartoons which can be viewed by the class and later written about. Try to get ALL of the students in your class to be excited to learn about story elements and ALL of your students to be attentive when a listening to a classmates read their story aloud. I would say that's nearly impossible. Add a little bit of technology, and you have instant engagement and increased participation.
ReplyDeleteI wish you could edit blog replies.. found two errors after posting. Grrrr...
DeleteDoes it matter when a student uses online sources to learn something? What does the student benefit from (or lose) when doing so?
ReplyDelete