Robert’s Blog

After reviewing the book of modeling with technology, mindtools for conceptual change that is written by Jonassen(2006), I am attracted by the author’s views about what is the meaningful learning and how mindtools support meaningful learning. According to Jonassen(2006), Meaningful learning could happen only when people intend to finish a meaningful task. Problem-solving is the most meaningful task. Problem-based leaning should be promoted in every aspect of education. Students’ understanding and remembering abilities will be enhanced when student are engaged in the problem solving. As maths teachers, we need to make sense of maths by relating mathematical concepts to the real world or students’ life. Problem-solving should be the core of maths education. Maths teachers need to set up activities with clear purposes and figure out methods and strategies to engage students into conceptual change. In maths education, we need to teach students how to analyse some real world problems, construct mathematical models, apply proper mathematical theories to solve the problems and interpret the real world problems with maths results. Mathematical modeling is one of the most powerful strategies to support meaningful learning in forms of conceptual change. In this wonderful book, author illustrates how modeling with Mindtools to support meaningful learning. It is worthwhile to read.  Modeliing with mindtools, strategies for fostering meaningful learning with problem-solving, sholud be highlighted in my pedagogical teaching.

Reference:

Jonassen, D. (2006). Modeling with Technology: Mindtools for Conceptual Change (3rd Edition). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall.

At the very beginning, I didn’t think kids would be benefited by playing games.since I have read an article, my view was slightly changed.  

As we know, some children are academically behind other kids partly because of over indulgence in games. Their parents think their kids have wasted too much time on games. Games will not be generally accepted as a learning tool by most parents. People usually have the prejudice against games.

Eck (2006) in his “Gigital Game-Based Learning (DGBL)” maintained that games as learning tools are effective and engaging. He also suggested that Commercial Off-The Shelf (COTS) games are currently the most cost-effective approach of three DGBL approaches in terms of quality and functionality.

Salend and sylvestre (2005) emphasized that active academic games can be one of  effective ways to integrate novelty into instructional process. They also believed that “games should be cooperative rather than competitive and should be structured to involve all students”.

I suggest that we should focus on

1. How effective the educational games will be?

2. What are the academic games? Or how can we choose good games with the balance of high academic quality and amusement?

3. How can we incorporate DGBL into secondary classroom?

I will continue to explore the topic of DGBL…..

I read this article and want to focus on the reality today – that the Internet plays a special role in the world of teenagers. I am interested in thinking about how a teacher can guide digital kids interests on the Internet to enhance effective learning in the secondary school classroom.

The core of Maths teaching is working mathematically. It requires teachers to consider if their teaching content is related to everyday life in the real world. It also provides teachers opportunities to become risk-takers by incorporating technology into their teaching methodology to help these digital kids ‘attack’ some real world problems. The technology includes graphics calculator, spreadsheets and geometer sketchpad software, and even more sophisicated software like Mathematica and SPSS. Using technology is one of the requirements of NSW Mathematics Years 7–10 Syllabus.

In terms of our next practicum, we have no fixed ideas about strategies to incorporate technology into our lessons. It will very much depend on the resources available at the schools and what we may learn from the remainder of this subject. We are both open to new ideas but have to be convinced that the use of technology is more than just window dressing, that it serves a real purpose in engaging the students and producing better educational outcomes.

I just read an article written by Prensky (2001) about digital natives and digital immigrants. Prensky (2001) believes that new technologies and media have positively changed the cognitive thinking pattern of today’s students whom he describes as digital natives. Prensky also points out that teachers, “digital immigrant” educators, need to be aware of the digital culture of those students. He suggests that today’s teachers have to change their traditional approaches which, although they worked yesterday, may not work today, in order to adapt the languages and styles of those digital native students.

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