Edutopia+Video+Summary


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Technology Integration Introduction [|www.edutopia.org/technology-integration-introduction-video] The wave of the future is technology. Integrating technology into the classroom is the key to reaching the 21st century learner. Instead of textbooks, students need to be using laptops. The laptop will give them access to the textbook, other sources, visuals, videos, etc. Students are not limited to just getting information from the textbook. This video also showed the value of using clickers and video to keep students engaged in the lesson. Finally, the teacher needs to use the data available to meet the needs of the students they are teaching. Technology is vital for the future of education.

Scroggs Elementary School: Technology Integration Video [|www.edutopia.org/scruggs-elementary-school-technology-integration-video] At Scroggs Elementary, each class has its own webpage. Parents, students and teachers know what the expectations are for the class every day. Teachers and parents have constant contact through email. Students can send assignments through email and teacher feedback is much quicker than traditional paper assignments. The students at this school have a live newscast of the announcements every day. They include school, community and world events in their newscasts every day. At this school there are 5 wireless computer labs and at least 5 computers per classroom. This gives the students constant access to using computers and 2.0 tools in their daily lessons. Many times students work in pairs using the constructivist approach to learning. Using technology every day is important in the 21st century.

Project Based Learning Overview [|www.edutopia.org/project-based-learning-overview-video] Many schools today are using project based learning in their curriculums today. A high school project included students designing a state of the art high school for the near future. A fifth grade class was designing a tool to put out fires in space. In a health class, students were studying disease and creating a graphic organizer showing how each disease progresses. These are all real world projects, themes that the students can relate to, not a bunch of abstract concepts. Students work together, give presentations using a variety of hardware, software and web 2.0 tools. Its out with the old technology, classroom with textbooks, and in with new ideas and innovation.

Bank Street College School of Education [|www.edutopia.org/schools-of-education-bank-street-video] At this college, education majors actually teach in a real classroom throughout their undergraduate work. Many collages just give education students a few classroom observations and student teaching. There is a charter school of PreK-8 at the college. Students in the education program continually work with master teachers in real teaching environments. The college instruction is more than just a textbook for information from the web, it is real live teaching situations. Master teachers mentor these learning teachers so they will be very successful when they graduate and take over their own class. This is engaging for the elementary and college students. What better way to learn than by doing?

Integrated Studies [|www.edutopia.org/integrated-studies-overview-video] Integrated Studies is a very interesting concept. Students learn concepts in the classroom, then they go out into the field to study and examine what they have been learning. This idea combines curriculum from 2 or more disciplines, so teachers collaborate on the lessons. Students learn such skills as collaboration and critical thinking. By going into the field, students experience real world applications that they will be able to use in their future careers. Many integrated studies experiences last the entire school year. Students often form teams and compete with each other on various tasks.

Comprehensive Assessment [|www.edutopia.org/comprehensive-assessment-overview-video] Many schools are not seeing the benefits of standardized testing. Having students memorize a bunch of information for a test does not measure a student’s intelligence. These schools are turning to performance based assessments. These tests are project based. They can be for one discipline or a combination of 2 or more disciplines. Student have written and oral components to the test to ensure that they have an understanding of the concepts being taught. Rubrics are complex for comprehensive assessments, instead of just a bubble filled in with a right or wrong answer on a standardized test.