Destination 6: Wat Xieng Thong (ETEC 533) - Technology in the Mathematics and Science Classroom
The building pictured above, taken in Laos at the Wat Xieng Thong ("Temple of the Golden City" ວັດຊຽງທອງ), stood out from the rest of the Buddhist temples, as it contained a mosaic of images of daily life from the city's past. This mosaic uses to tiles to represent images of animals, trees, workers, farmers, fishermen, and Buddhist motifs.
As a science teacher, I often use imagery to help explain scientific theories and ideas. This course gave me many opportunities to use my creative side when building and presenting different ways teachers can use technology in science (and math!) classrooms, while using and applying strong foundations in current educational theory.
As a science teacher, I often use imagery to help explain scientific theories and ideas. This course gave me many opportunities to use my creative side when building and presenting different ways teachers can use technology in science (and math!) classrooms, while using and applying strong foundations in current educational theory.
PAPER TRAIL: LEARNERS AND LEARNING IN SCIENCE & MATH CLASSROOMS
This part of my journey was interesting in that most of the colleagues who joined me were in similar professional environments: teachers in science and math classrooms. In this assignment, we were asked to write a reflection paper on learners in today's classrooms. I had not considered metacognition, learning science, and the underlying constructivist theories that underpinned much of my learning both within the MET program, and in my profession. The research I conducted for this paper, and the dialectical nature of theory and practice, allowed me to consider how my teaching practice has been influenced, and the nuanced changes in my own thinking about science, math, and technology in the classroom. "[T]o truly take advantage of technology in education, we need to fully understand relationship between technology, content, pedagogy and context." (Couture, Tamane, & Ross, 2016). As I strive to fully integrate technology into my own teaching mindset, as well as incorporation into my everyday teaching, theory has informed practice - but my practice has undergone significant change (consciously, and subconsciously) through the consideration of how learners learn in 21st century science and math environments.
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As I have mentioned elsewhere on this site, I am always attempting to seek out the best ways of turning educational theory into the best practice. In this paper, I discuss many recurrent themes: the 1-to-1 program, inquiry learning, STEM and STEAM initiatives that are being brought forward by the Ministry of Education in BC, and how all these things can be used to create excellent teaching and learning environments in the modern classroom. Many of these topics are explored in the paper I wrote (right), entitled "A Theoretical Reflection Paper on presentations about learners and learning in today's science and math classrooms".
READING MATERIAL: KEY REFERENCES for LEARNING in MATH & SCIENCE
Bransford, J. D., Brown, A. L., & Cocking, R. R. (Eds.). (2000). How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience and School. Washington, DC: National Academy Press
Couture, D., Tamane, S., Ross, M. (Group 8). (Jan 24, 2016). ETEC533 assignment 2 group 8. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/2CmEajlYQBI
Donovan, S., & Bransford, J. (2005). How students learn history, mathematics, and science in the classroom. Washington, D.C: National Academies Press.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press.
Couture, D., Tamane, S., Ross, M. (Group 8). (Jan 24, 2016). ETEC533 assignment 2 group 8. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/2CmEajlYQBI
Donovan, S., & Bransford, J. (2005). How students learn history, mathematics, and science in the classroom. Washington, D.C: National Academies Press.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press.
TOUR HIGHLIGHT: GET GOING WITH G.A.F.E.
Click image to visit "Get Going with GAFE"
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I am particularly proud of this website; I played a large part in its overall design, and personally created several video tutorials specifically for the site. For example, I created a tutorial using Google Sheets that allows teachers to share grades with individual students using a 'master' spreadsheet and separate student sheets (the benefit being, that only the 'master' needs to be updated!). I also demonstrated how Google Drawings can be used in Biology class. In both cases, I have had much positive feedback from my colleagues, and many of them are using Sheets to share marks (as well as Google Drawings for diagrams).
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The site also offers many tips, tricks and tutorials within GAFE, as well as using the various other connected apps, like Lucidchart and PowToon, that can be connected and used within GAFE.
One of the major goals I had going into the MET program, was to gain some insight into how I could relate educational theory, 21st Century Digital Skills, and Inquiry, into real-world teaching practice. More than any other project I worked on in this program, the creation of this site provided one of the best ways that I was able to actually do this, and produce something concrete and useful to the teaching and learning community. It has proven especially useful for teachers in my school (a GAFE school) on a number of occasions! I have used this site to perform Professional Development "Lunch & Learn" tutorials at my current school, and I have referred students to this website when they want to know more about what they can do with their own GAFE account.
In the future, I plan on using modified versions of some of the tutorials on this site (like the tutorial on making Mark Tables using Google Sheets) to host an ISABC Professional Development session for my peers; this was suggested to me recently by some of my current colleagues.
Click here to access our "Get Going with GAFE" website.
In the future, I plan on using modified versions of some of the tutorials on this site (like the tutorial on making Mark Tables using Google Sheets) to host an ISABC Professional Development session for my peers; this was suggested to me recently by some of my current colleagues.
Click here to access our "Get Going with GAFE" website.
READING MATERIAL: KEY REFERENCES for GET GOING WITH GAFE WEBSITE
Bates, A. W. (2015). Teaching in a digital age: Guidelines for designing, teaching, and learning. Retrieved from http://opentextbc.ca/teachinginadigitalage/
Bates, A.W. & Poole, G. (2003). Effective teaching with technology in higher education. San Francisco: Jossey Bass Publishers.
Doherty, Iain (2013). Google Apps for Education (GAFE): Giving Students an eLearning Space. Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/iaindoherty/google-apps-for-education-gafe
Keeler, A. & Miller, L. (2015). 50 things you can do with Google Classroom. San Diego CA: Dave Burgess Consulting, Inc.
Smith, C. P., King, B., & González, D. (2015). The STEAM behind the Scenes. Teaching Children Mathematics, 22(1), 46-49.
Watters, A (2012) Google Apps for Education: When Will It Replace the LMS? e-Literate. Retrieved from http://mfeldstein.com/google-apps-for-education-when-will-it-replace-the-lms/
Bates, A.W. & Poole, G. (2003). Effective teaching with technology in higher education. San Francisco: Jossey Bass Publishers.
Doherty, Iain (2013). Google Apps for Education (GAFE): Giving Students an eLearning Space. Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/iaindoherty/google-apps-for-education-gafe
Keeler, A. & Miller, L. (2015). 50 things you can do with Google Classroom. San Diego CA: Dave Burgess Consulting, Inc.
Smith, C. P., King, B., & González, D. (2015). The STEAM behind the Scenes. Teaching Children Mathematics, 22(1), 46-49.
Watters, A (2012) Google Apps for Education: When Will It Replace the LMS? e-Literate. Retrieved from http://mfeldstein.com/google-apps-for-education-when-will-it-replace-the-lms/
PAPER TRAIL: REFLECTION ON LEARNING
What was the most practical technology I took from this course? What did I learn about the science of learning? What are some of my unanswered questions? The answers given here provide some insight into the reflective activities and research I engaged in during this course, and now as I look back, it has given me insight into what I have learned in general as an experience in the MET program as a whole.
This paper neatly summarizes many of the ideas and technologies I have come across not only in this course (with its focus on science and math), but in my educational career both as a learner and as a teacher, and my progress through the final stages of my journey through the MET program.
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KEY REFERENCES: READING MATERIAL for FINAL REFLECTION PAPER
Bransford, J.D., Brown, A.L. & Cocking, R.R. (1999). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
Ge, X., Ifenthaler, D., & Spector, J. M. (Eds.). (2015). Emerging technologies for STEAM education: Full STEAM ahead. New York, NY: Springer.
Ouellette, J., Ray R., Hsueh, J., and D'Souza, C. (2016). Explain Everything Tutorial. Retrieved from https://sites.google.com/site/explaineverythingtutorial/home
Ge, X., Ifenthaler, D., & Spector, J. M. (Eds.). (2015). Emerging technologies for STEAM education: Full STEAM ahead. New York, NY: Springer.
Ouellette, J., Ray R., Hsueh, J., and D'Souza, C. (2016). Explain Everything Tutorial. Retrieved from https://sites.google.com/site/explaineverythingtutorial/home