W2 Reading

Building the Cognitive Bridge: Children, Information Technology and Thinking

     In the United Kingdom, the Department for Education and Skills categorized three areas for supporting and increasing student thinking. The three areas that teachers and researchers are focusing on are philosophical, cognitive intervention, and brain-based learning methods. In this case study, children ages 10-11 from two elementary schools completed software based graphic organizers. Students worked collaboratively to support exploration of their ideas. The results from this study provided a bridge for individuals to increase cognitive skills for an agreement to a group harmony setting, as well as collaboration for group presentations.

Engaging students in multimedia-mediated Constructivist learning- Students’ perceptions

     Researchers collected data through student observations and a survey to understand students’ perceptions working with multimedia projects in a constructivist-based learning environment.  In this study, students worked in groups and created interactive multimedia applications in Macromedia Director.  Students used critical thinking, communication, presentational, and creativity skills, and demonstrated motivational and team-working abilities to produce a multimedia project.  The results from this study indicates strong support for educators to utilize multimedia technology along with constructive learning to increase teaching and learning in today’s classroom. 

Having Our Say: Middle Grade Students Perspectives on School, Technologies and Academic Engagement

     In this study, Spires, Lee, Turner, and Johnson, (2008) focused on what engages middle school students to learn through surveys and focus groups.  Their findings consisted of student perceptions of school, technology usage inside and outside of school, and engagement of academic students.  The purpose of this study was to understand what engages middle school students for successful achievement.  Spires, Lee, Turner and Johnson conducted a survey about demographics to 4,000 middle grade students that participated in a North Carolina after-school program.  The focus group procedures consisted of three geographic areas, with two randomly chosen from each region.  Within this focus group, 8-10 students were selected for an interview process.  Final data collected resulted in four themes for researching purposes.  Quantitative and qualitative results displayed middle school students significantly using computers more at school than at home.  Middle school students had significantly more knowledge of basic computer skills, word processing applications, and spreadsheet abilities they learned at school, rather than at home.  Students reported more usage of PowerPoint, and creation design tools then those did not know how to use these tools.  Students displayed to significantly use the Internet for researching purposes rather than a book.   Students using technology for communication and entertainment displayed high usage of cell phones, video games, Web-based games, and listening music.  Students rated computer usage and completing research on the Internet their favorite activities in the classroom, while teacher lectures and completing worksheets were their least favorite activities.  Student results expressed , “a desire for having more technologies in school for learning purposes” (Spires, p506). 

Digital native, Digital Immigrants

    Marc Prensky stated that today’s students in the 21^st century classroom are digitally native.  Prensky definition of a digital native is a student that has spent their entire lives encircled with technology from Kindergarten through college.  These students process information differently than their ancestors.  They can multi- task due to the usage of cell-phones, computers, video-games and Internet.  Prensky recommended that Digital Immigrant teachers, these are teachers that can seem to speak the same language as digital natives, learn to adapt and modify their lessons to stay in contact and communication with their 21^st century students.