Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works-Week 2

The readings for this week covered three different strategies. The first was Cues, Questions and Advanced organizers. This chapter gave us plenty of examples of how to incorporate this strategy both with and without technology. I know that I give my students guiding questions and cues to help them move through their learning more efficiently and successfully. When students feel like they “figured” it out, they tend to become more empowered and self-motivated. I do struggle with how much guidance is too much. I also find it difficult to use advanced organizers in art with the limited about of time we have as well as the nature of the projects.

The second strategy was nonlinguistic representations. I feel really confident with using this strategy with my classroom and teaching. Given the subject area, art, it is easy to use pictures, images, video, and kinetic learning activities to promote learning. My students have to demonstrate what they know through physical evidence as well as written. I also teach them using real life demonstrations, you tube videos, and give them step by step instructions through pictures. I have been using visual prompts this year at the beginning of my classes to help access prior knowledge as well as make them better visual literacy learners. So far, so good! The students enjoy learning through pictures and have told me that it is easy to get exited about the lesson when they aren’t always reading or writing. I think it also promotes strong creativity.

The last strategy for this week was summarizing and note taking. I have begun to really embrace note taking the art room over the last year or two. I have a line I use in my room about note taking. We make notes we don’t take notes. In order for my students to fully understand an art process like perspective drawing, they have to remember the steps. These steps need to be done in order and with the correct tools and vocabulary. As we are learning how to draw in 1-point perspective, I have them follow along. (I am at the smartboard or document camera and they are at their desks.) Once we have completed a series of building, I have them take some time to “make notes”. They must have a complete step-by-step guide using pictures or words on how to create a building in 1-point perspective. These small note taking/making sessions go really quickly and are personalized by the student. They are allowed to make their notes however they want to as long as it makes sense to them. We use these notes during our final project then. It makes the students more responsible for their learning and helps free up time for me to have more 1:1 time with the kids. I spend less time re-teaching and more time interacting. It becomes a win- win.

As for this chapter, I found that it had some great ideas for using more tools in note taking. The inspiration concept maps would work well with my art history units and could become an on going concept map throughout the year. (Only problem is having the technology available). The section about Wiki’s I found interesting as well. I am planning on creating a moodle or wiki this year but never really thought of it as a summarizing or note-taking helper. Cool ideas!!