Throughout
this course, we have covered a variety of topics that, if integrated properly,
can truly transform a good classroom into a great classroom. Studying and
focusing on Bloom’s Taxonomy has taught me that it is extremely important to
challenge your students when it comes to thinking about what they are learning.
Educators should encourage students to think deeper about the material being
taught. Teaching students to ask deeper questions can challenge them to dig
deeper into the meaning of what they are reading. This helps them understand
the material better and it teaches them to provide evidence from the text or
material they are reading when they are answering questions or thinking on a
more profound level (Ferlazzo, 2011). When implementing Bloom’s Taxonomy into
the classroom, educators are developing students’ critical thinking ability,
which, research shows, strengthens the brain. This relates to the educational
environment I am currently working in because New York State is requiring much
more from students, especially when it comes to thinking deeper about what they
are learning, explaining things on a higher level, as well as, making
connections to real life situations. With asking higher-level questions,
educators are activating students’ minds to think at a higher level. This
allows students to make connections between what they have learned and what
they already know, create new pathways for new information, and increase the
likelihood that the new information that is being taught will be stored and
saved for future use (Ferlazzo, 2011). This is so important to do in the
classroom and it is something that the teachers in my building are focusing on.
If students are able to understand material taught on a deeper level and able
to apply it to other situations (make connections), they are thinking
critically and integrating the information into their lives. In my future classroom, I know that I will
challenge my students and encourage them to think and understand at a higher
level. After my studying of Bloom’s, my goal is to create lifelong learners
that are prepared to go into the real world and be able to apply what they have
learned to everyday situations.
In addition to Bloom’s
Taxonomy, technology integration has been the main focus of this course. Before
taking this course, I knew, because of my own experience in the classroom, that
the integration of technology in the classroom creates a more engaging
environment for students, which in turn results in more motivation to learn.
However, after “diving deeper” into different pieces of technology and
reviewing research-based evidence that shows the effectiveness of technology in
the classroom, my views have transformed. Educators should understand that
technology is a powerful tool that can truly change the whole dynamics of a
classroom. Research has shown that integrating technology into the learning
environment improves students’ learning processes and outcomes (CITATION EDUTOPIA).
By utilizing technology in the classroom, we are preparing our students for
today’s world. Integrating technology allows students to work on their
planning, critical thinking, reasoning, and creativity. Technology also is a
great collaborative tool, which helps students practice the skill of
communicating.
I have always integrated
technology in my classroom, whether it was doing lessons on the SmartBoard or playing
instructional videos for students that applied to the lesson. After learning
about a numerous amount of different technological tools, I am eager to
integrate more technology into my future classroom. The use of iPads and/or the
computers allows students to utilize a variety of different programs, games,
and websites to support their learning and to problem solve. Integrating
technology into the classroom does change the role of the teacher and student
in that the teacher becomes more of a facilitator and the student has more of a
responsibility for their learning ("Why do we," 2008). With that,
integrating technology into the classroom also adheres to Bloom’s Taxonomy
because when effectively integrating technology, students are able to research
and learn on a deeper level. They have more resources available to them that allow
them to dive greater into what they are learning. The key to success of
integrating technology into the classroom is the educator’s evaluation of the
technology before integrating it. It is important to make sure that the
technology supports active engagement, participation in groups, frequent
interaction and feedback, and connection to real-world experts ("Why do
we," 2008).
Overall, my knowledge of technology integration has truly enhanced and will
continue to grow, as the resources I have gained are endless. In my future
classroom, I only hope that technological tools are available for me to utilize
as I feel it can truly enhance the learning process for all students.
My journey through this course
has been one of the most effective and beneficial learning experiences for my
professional field. The amount of resources and the endless approaches to
teaching will remain with me throughout my professional career. Even though we
learned about integrating Bloom’s Taxonomy in the classroom, I personally feel
that we integrated it into this course due to the higher level of thinking we
all pursued. We dove deeper into what we were learning and had to apply it to
our own educational experience/environment. This learning journey was not easy
as it required thinking critically and creatively, but it was beneficial because
I am able to take the resources learned back to my own environment to create a
more productive learning atmosphere for my students.
References:
Churches, A. (2009, january 4). Bloom. Retrieved from
http://post.blackboard.com/bbcswebdav/pid-1215260-dt-
p
content-
rid11574500_1/courses/EDU625.901198020059/EDU625.90119802
0059_ImportedContent_20121220101950/MasterCourseEDU625_
ImportedContent_20121019125930/bloom's Digital
taxonomy
v3.01(1).pdf
Ferlazzo, L. (2011,
May 7). Why is it important for students to learn about bloom’s
important-for-students-to-learn-about-blooms-taxonomy/
Why do we need
technology integration?. (2008, November 05). Retrieved
from
Jamie,
ReplyDeleteJust like your educational environment, I am challenged with getting students to think critically about their learning. As you probably already know, with the onset of Common Core Standards, students are being asked to extend basic concepts into more authentically higher order thinking questions and research. The task that this course has given me is to figure out a way to get students to use technology to authentically create and be innovative at the same time. Much of the technology that is out now already has a purpose attached to its design. That's good for engaging the students, but it doesn't do a whole lot for the higher levels of Bloom's where students are having to synthesize and create. I want students to use technology in ways that even the creator of the technology might not have thought to use it. When students are able to do this, I think they show the higher order thinking skills that will get them ready for the Common Core requirements and objectives.
I enjoyed your reflection. I learned some things from this post and even some new questions arose for technology in my own learning environment. Thank you.
Tavares