Teaching Students and Managing Instruction: Digital Learning Environments
Inquiry-Based Instruction
An old adage states: "Tell me and I forget, show me and I remember, involve me and I understand." The last part of this statement is the essence of inquiry-based learning.
The power of an inquiry-based approach to teaching and learning is its potential to increase intellectual engagement and foster deep understanding through the development of a hands-on, minds-on and ‘research-based disposition’ towards teaching and learning. Inquiry honours the complex, interconnected nature of knowledge construction, striving to provide opportunities for both teachers and students to collaboratively build, test and reflect on their learning.
"Inquiry" is defined as "a seeking for truth, information, or knowledge -- seeking information by questioning." Individuals carry on the process of inquiry from the time they are born until they die. This is true even though they might not reflect upon the process. Infants begin to make sense of the world by inquiring. From birth, babies observe faces that come near, they grasp objects, they put things in their mouths, and they turn toward voices. The process of inquiring begins with gathering information and data through applying the human senses -- seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, and smelling.
Direct Instruction
Direct Instruction is an approach to teaching. It is skills-oriented, and the teaching practices it implies are teacher-directed. It emphasizes the use of small-group, face-to-face instruction by teachers and aides using carefully articulated lessons in which cognitive skills are broken down into small units, sequenced deliberately, and taught explicitly.
Direct instruction derives mainly from two lines of scholarship and curriculum development. One line of scholarship is based on a synthesis of findings from experimental studies (conducted by many different researchers, working independently, mostly in the 1980s) in which teachers were trained to use particular instructional practices. These practices then were assessed for their effects on student learning, and the effects were compared with effects for similar students who had not been taught according to the experimental method. The synthesis growing out of these studies identified common "teaching functions" abstracted from the experiments that had proved effective in improving student learning. These teaching functions included teaching in small steps with student practice after each step, guiding students during initial practice, and ensuring that all students experienced a high level of successful practice. Instruction of this sort was described variously by the people who used it and discussed it. It was sometimes called systematic teaching, or explicit teaching, or active teaching. In an influential essay, Barak Rosenshine and Robert Stevens (1986) called it direct instruction, and this is the name by which it is now most often known.
Teacher-Centered vs. Student- Centered Instruction
Teacher-Centered Instruction
In teacher-centered education, students put all of their focus on the teacher. The teacher talks, while the students exclusively listen. During activities, students work alone, and collaboration is discouraged.
Pros
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When education is teacher-centered, the classroom remains orderly. Students are quiet, and the teacher retains full control of the classroom and its activities.
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Because students learn on their own, they learn to be independent and make their own decisions.
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Because the teacher directs all classroom activities, they don’t have to worry that students will miss an important topic.
Cons
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When students work alone, they don’t learn to collaborate with other students, and communication skills may suffer.
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Teacher-centered instruction can get boring for students. Their minds may wander, and they may miss important facts.
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Teacher-centered instruction doesn’t allow students to express themselves, ask questions and direct their own learning.
Student-Centered Instruction
When a classroom operates with student-centered instruction, students and instructors share the focus. Instead of listening to the teacher exclusively, students and teachers interact equally. Group work is encouraged, and students learn to collaborate and communicate with one another.
Pros
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Students learn important communicative and collaborative skills through group work.
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Students learn to direct their own learning, ask questions and complete tasks independently.
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Students are more interested in learning activities when they can interact with one another and participate actively.
Cons
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Because students are talking, classrooms are often busy, noisy and chaotic.
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Teachers must attempt to manage all students’ activities at once, which can be difficult when students are working on different stages of the same project.
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Because the teacher doesn’t deliver instruction to all students at once, some students may miss important facts.
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Some students prefer to work alone, so group work can become problematic.
Digital Learning
Personalization: Digital learning offers an unprecedented ability to provide educational experiences that are tailor-made for each student. As pupils advance in programs on English, math, science, history, art or other subjects, teachers can now track their individual progress, identify specific areas of focus for each student with actual data to back it up, and present solutions that address their specific needs. As has long been established, students thrive most in situations where educational experience has been customized to their unique needs, and digital learning provides teachers with the tools and opportunity to offer individualized learning programs.
Accessibility: By embracing digital devices and connected learning, classrooms around the country and around the globe can not only connect to one another to share insights and boost learning, experience and communications skills. The practice also allows educators to enjoy a level playing field, where inner-city classrooms, charter schools, private schools and even homeschooled children all have access to the same learning and opportunities. Even smaller and less well-staffed or -funded schools can tap into the trend to provide extensive course programming and curricula, as well as insight into non-traditional topics that may not otherwise be accessible for budgetary or resource-related concerns.
Cultural Relevance: Nearly every aspect of the real world has gone digital, including fields such as manufacturing, science and medicine as well as pop culture-related industries such as art and entertainment. Not only are employers increasingly turning to interactive training tools to boost engagement, learning and retention. Even before students enter the workforce, any college experience involves the use of a dizzying array of technological devices and connections. Digital learning in elementary, grade and high schools prepares students for the reality of secondary education and modern careers.
Efficiency: Digital learning solutions also bring to bear a number of key efficiencies, both real and virtual, that can't be matched by traditional learning techniques. Whether it's the environmental impact recognized by the need for less paper for handouts and books, time savings provided by pupils' unprecedented access to information and the ease of research facilitated, or the cost savings to be had due to the multiple functions today's Swiss Army-like devices offer, realize. Digital learning provides an effective way to cut costs, maximize resources and heighten both reach and impact from myriad angles.
Performance: Studies have shown that students using technology as an education tool become more engaged in the process and more interested in growing their knowledge base -- in some cases, to the point that they don't even realizing they're actively learning. Likewise, research has demonstrated that interactive solutions boost retention rates and test scores, being far more engaging and memorable than voluminous textbooks or one-sided lectures. Online and high-tech programs not only often provide better context, a greater sense of perspective, and more arresting activities that allow them to better connect with students. They also frequently offer a more interesting and involving way to digest information.
Social Media in the Classroom
12 Ways Teachers are Using Social Media in the Classroom Right Now
1. Tweet or post status updates as a class.
2. Write blog posts about what students are learning.
3. Let your students write for the world.
4. Connect to other classrooms through social media.
5. Use Facebook to get feedback for your students' online science fair projects.
6. Use YouTube for your students to host a show or a podcast.
7. Create Twitter accounts for a special interest projects.
8. Ask questions to engage your students in authentic learning.
9. Communicate with other classrooms.
10. Create projects with other teachers.
11. Share your learning with the world.
12. Further a cause that you care about.
Full-Time Online Schools
Pros of Online Schools
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Time flexibility. Online courses are convenient because students may log into the course material whenever it suits their schedule. Of course there are deadlines regarding homework assignments and discussions, but as long as the student meets these deadlines, they can read and review course material at their leisure. This is particularly great for those also juggling a career and family.
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Availability. There is a growing number of online schools being established each year. This means that people considering pursuing an online degree can shop around for schools, finding the one that best suits their educational needs and desires. Online degree programs are available that offer certificates, online associates, bachelors, or masters degree.
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24/7 access to course material. In the traditional college setting, students must rely on their notes in order to remember class lectures. With online school, written lectures are available throughout the course of the semester, so going back to review course material is always an option.
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Location flexibility. With online schools across the world, students can now take classes from a different state or country without leaving the comfort of their own home. This also increases diversity among students, as classes may be composed of people with different backgrounds from around the world.
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Zero commute. This is one of the most appealing advantages to online school, as the extra time it takes to commute to classes, could be time spent completing homework, studying, working, or raising a family.
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Self-Direction. Students choose when and where they complete schoolwork and are able to determine their own pace.
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Multi-media presentations. Many online courses use a variety of media, such as CD/DVD's and a Web Cam, to teach lessons and to aid students in completing their homework.
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Variety of course options. There is virtually no limit to the variety of classes offered through online schools. Students are able to take courses ranging from an associates degree in criminal justice to a bachelors in business administration to a masters degree in nursing.
Cons of Online Schools
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Limited interaction with instructor. Online professors usually have a limited role in teaching, as they primarily guide students through the pre-written or pre-recorded course material, rather than teach it. The majority of the interaction with professors comes from class discussions and feedback on assignments. Some students who thrive in one-on-one interaction with their professors, may have trouble with this format of schooling.
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Technology requirements. Not everyone has access to a computer in their homes, or their computer might not be equipped with the latest technologies, which inhibits their online learning experience. Many online schools are still working to build their technical support, so students may be on their own when attempting to troubleshoot problems.
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Social interaction. One of the benefits of attending courses in a traditional bricks-and-mortar school is the peer-to-peer interaction. Although most online courses do have a discussion area where students are required to talk about specific questions pertaining to that week’s lesson, this is done primarily through writing, making it more difficult to form lasting bonds.
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Campus environment. Online schools lack valuable campus resources such as extracurricular clubs and activities that can be both enriching and educational. This is particularly important for undergraduate students coming directly from high school, as they may find that they miss these opportunities for personal enhancement.
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Time management. Individuals who are prone to procrastination will have an especially difficult time adapting to the structure of online school. Hours of self-directed work are necessary to get through all of the material, including course lectures, video supplements, assignments, assigned textbook reading and discussions. Sometimes obtaining your online degree, especially an online masters degree, require a greater amount of work.
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Stigma. Although online schools have gained more credibility over the past few years. There is a common misconception that online school is easier than traditional schools, and employers may not take your degree seriously. However, 60 percent of employers report that they value an online degree.
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Credit transfer. Until the stigma of online school is eradicated completely, it will remain slightly more difficult to transfer online course credits to a traditional school.
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Financial aid. Not all online schools will accept financial aid, so students who will require financial aid to assist in paying tuition should do their research before sending out any application.
