“ICT supports knowledge-building among teams and enables team members to collaborate, inquire, interact and integrate prior knowledge with new understanding.”
In my history classroom, I and my students, use ICT on a regular, if not daily basis. History is all about finding, questioning and interrogating sources to build knowledge and develop understanding.
Being able to use the internet is a valuable tool in the history classroom. Students love any opportunity to get on a computer and surf the web, so my theory is why not let them, and incorporate it into your lessons. Also, it lets the students have the opportunity to take control of what they are learning (“students plan their investigations, and report on their findings” VELS level 5 History). I find that if the students have the opportunity to research a topic themselves (with a bit of a nudge in the right direction from me!) then they are able to take in more of the subject and deeper understanding and appreciation as well as taking ownership of their learning.
When you incorporate ICT into team activities you can easily see that it is such a valuable tool. As the VELS quote states, it does enable team members collaborate, inquire, interact and integrate prior knowledge with new understanding. Computers, the internet and the myriad of other ICT is such fantastic way to foster an appreciation for learning and education.
A very interesting post given my experience with students wanting to use the web at any opportunity.
ReplyDeleteThe opportunities for students to take responsibility for their own learning are seldom afforded them. However, the internet is a notable exception to the traditional classroom milieu of didactic instruction.
In my experience, students are easily engaged when asked to commence an open inquiry project using the internet. The research possibilities cater for multiple learning styles and students can research and transform knowledge into understanding by researching sources which allow teachers to give students an authentic learning experience.
I'm wondering what the opportunities for gaming are in History? When you think of all the historically based computer games that are out there (Where in time/ the world is Carmen Sandiago?, Age of Empires...), I wonder if they are being overlooked as a useful and potentially incredibly engaging tool for teaching history. James Paul Gee says that "video games are largely just problem-solving spaces and if people found them difficult to learn or unengaging, the companies that make them would go out of business." Therefore, the use of these texts (and there must be many more that are specifically designed for educational purposes) could be a rich platform for exploring other cultures and histories, with students seeing the results play out in 'real time'. I am sure it would be possible to incorporate assessment tasks that combine the gaming, or merely to use them as an initial engagement tool or reward for the completion of book work. Variety is the key.
ReplyDeleteGee, J (2009) Digital Media and Learning as an Emerging Field. Part 1: How we Got Here.International Journal of Learning and Media, v.1, n. 2. pp.13-23