Article Assessment 3

Tools for the Mind

Mary Burns

Tools for the Mind by Mary burns reviews past predictions of computer usage in education with current trends. In the 1990's, computers were expected to "build a student's higher-order thinking skills." Instead, computers and technology have been used in ways that inhibit the most important aspects of learning-cognition, instruction, assissment, and curriculum. Burns looks at four behavior patterns that "handicap the potential of computers to poromote higher-order thinkng."

• Teachers are trained how to use technology, rather than how technology can enhance learning
  
• Many Districts have not made necessary accommodations required to fully capitalize the use of new technology
  
• Schools have mistakenly equated the use of technology with learning and higher-order thinking
  
• All software applications are often seen as equal

Powerpoint applications do not particularly help students think or sort out complex information. Rather, we see a picture and a little information.
The internet is used to look up infromation without questioning or validating the source. Instead, cutting and pasting the data is practiced, again removing the process of critical thinking and evaluation.

Applications that do require critical thinking include:

• Data base design
  
• spreadsheet applications


• Geographic information systems

These however, are either used seldomly or in ways that mimic the "show and tell" cognition of slide show applications. They are focused more on visual display rather than allowing students to draw conclusions based on data evaluation.

Two strategies Burns proposes are to:

1. Teach critical thinking first and technology later, and


2. Focus on curriculum, instruction, and assessment.

Burns concludes by emphasizing that educational focus should be on content knowledge, curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Once these educational skills have built, technology be incorporated to support these skills, not replace them.

Personal Thoughts:
As a teacher, I find this article very relevant and eye-opening. Sometimes students use the computer in my classroom to do research. Unfortunately, I see the same behavior that Burns describes: copying and pasting of information without verifying the source, and without the need for any type of critical thinking. I teach math, so what I watch out for is how students work out certain types of problems. I still see the copy and paste mentality in some concepts, mostly in knowledge(Bloom) level type of problems. Thus, I limit those types and try to use higher-order thinking assessment questions. I recently had a student comment, "Your test questions aren't easy. You really have to think about them and know what you're doing." Score.

Energy Conservation Project

Energy conservation and environmental awareness are becoming more and more a part of modern culture and society. Issues like oil prices and global warming are at the heart of this awareness. Now more than ever, individuals are making conscious decisions that take into account the environment and energy consumption. According to an LA Times article, the sales of hybrid vehicles that are powered by both gas and electrical energy have risen, with customers willing to be placed on a waiting list. Recycling and other environmentally-friendly measures are now used in the media, somewhat creating a trend toward earth-friendly decisions.



My energy conservation project takes a look at my household's vehicle gas consumption. We own three types of vehicles, including one that cannot be used in the winter. More specifically, I researched gas consumption on our second-most gas-friendly vehicle- a 1998 Ford Escort which gets approximately 31 miles per gallon on the highway, and 25 miles per gallon in the city. Commuting from Eagle River to south Anchorage 5 days a week combines the specs accurately in my report with one exception: taking into accout the idle time used to warm the vehicle up.



The winter season takes a toll on those averages. My project looks into the idle time used to warm the Escort up to operating temperature, both with and without the use of a block heater, and how much gas and money may be saved throughout the winter. For a powerpoint presentation of my results, click here.

Article Assesment 2

Michael Bauzon
michael_bauzon@hotmail.com

The Educator's Guide to the Read/Write Web

Will Richardson

In this article, Richardson first explains the internet's most popular tools among information writers and seekers. The technologies he discusses include weblogs, wikis, podcasting, and Really Simple Syndication, or RSS. These tools allow students to work outside of school, keep a progressive electronic track of a student's work history, and in effect encourage collaboration.

Richardson says that "teachers must consider whether our curriculums should change now that staudents have the ability to reach audiences far beyond our classroom walls and to acquire their own primary sources." These changes in curriculum may also bring about different views of literacy now that the works of web writers are accessible to large audiences. Since there exists so much information, one of the defining abilities of being web-literate includes being able to "skillfully manage the flood of information now available."

Finally, as with any internet tool, Richardson discusses the risks of online usage regarding privacy issues and safety precautions.

Some of the internet tools Richardson discusses are:

• Weblogs: AKA simply as blogs, they allow anyone to create a personal web site. One can post pictures, text, and provide links to other types of multimedia online.


• Wikis: Wiki, the Hawaiian word for quick, is a Web site that anyone can edit at anytime


• RSS: Really Simple Syndication enables people to check on information as it comes in.


• Podcasting: Creating your own radio programs to be posted on the Web.

This article was very informative. Richardson explained the different web tools well, and gave me ideas about where to go next in researching ways to incorporate these technologies in my classroom. After setting up my teacher blog, the school's jounalism advisor set up a blog for the school, doubling as a school newspaper. As for me, I use a weblog to post current homework assignments. The students and many of the parents love it.

Weblogs are very useful tools for teachers that require journal entries or other reflective activities. Wikis must be used with care, as information must be supported with other reliable sources. Wikis do give a good start. As for the other technologies mentioned in the article, I don't see myself using these others yet. I teach math and chemistry, so textbooks are still very valuable. I also require special typing software (which I haven't purchased yet) that allow math and chemistry subscripts to be neatly scripted.