Redesign of MATLT Activity
The MATLT activity chosen for redesign comes from the Week 6 Assignment for the course, Teaching and Learning with Technology. The assignment instructions for Week 6 Assignment, Integrating Technology, required research of various technologies using the course textbook, Teaching and Learning with Technology, the World Wide Web, and the Ashford Online Library. The next step required a review of the provided Assignment Prompts, selection of one technology from the research to incorporate into each, for a total of three separate technologies. The key to the assignment was to be mindful of various learning preferences and types of intelligence when selecting technologies.
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Original Instructions
The following instructions were provided to me and other students:
The technologies you select should be fully integrated into the assignments, so you will need to edit the prompts. Feel free to be creative in your edits.
Assignment Prompts
Writing the Final Paper
The Final Paper:
a course developed in CourseSites, Introduction to Sociology, SOC101. In Module 2, a summative assessment was created, where students will be assigned to teams of 2- 5 students and given the task to create a presentation, either on Social Diversity or Elite Deviance and Conformity, as related to social media.
The original assessment was designed as follows:
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Original Submitted Activity/ Assignment
The following information was included in my originally submitted assignment:
Assignment Prompt One
Using the mind mapping and brainstorming tool, Bubbl.us, create a concept map that will discuss the powerful movements that transformed European society during the early modern era. Visit https://bubbl.us. Briefly describe the origin of each, and how it affected society as a whole. Your mind map should be designed so that you create sharing capability and generate a link to share with your classmates and teacher. In identifying the transformation of European society, ensure your mind map creatively displays hierarchy, relationships, or processes necessary to distinguish between each powerful movement. Ensure your bubbles include files and images that best depict each topic identified.
Assignment Prompt Two
Using three eBooks on slave trade, trace the development of the slave trade. Under what circumstances did the slave trade begin? How did the Islamic Slave Trade change the existing system? How did it change again during the Atlantic Slave Trade? Finally, what impact did slave trade have on Africa and the Western world? In your answers, be sure to cite at least three references in APA style.
Assignment Prompt Three
Utilizing R.S.S. feeds related to Islam, subscribe to three feeds to research and discuss the emergence of Islam. In conducting the research, find an article feed, blogs feed, or forum feed
that provides articles of interest related to the emergence of Islam and answer the following questions: Who was the founder and what was his background? What are the key beliefs of Islam? Compare it to other religions that existed at the time of its development. What elements are similar? What elements are unique to Islam? Trace the spread of the religion. How did it absorb other cultures? In turn, how did it influence others?
Evaluation of Technology: Bubbl.us
The research findings pertaining to Bubbl.us as it relates to teaching and learning include its non-linguistic representations as a core strategy for improving instruction. In providing non-linguistic representation, Bubbl.us provides the creation of graphic representations, the generation of mental pictures, and the drawing of pictures (Bubbl.us, n.d.).
The type of intelligence that will be supported by this brainstorming and mind mapping tool to discuss the transformation of European society in the early modern era is spatial intelligence, which involves the ability to think in pictures and vision abstractly. Additionally, intrapersonal intelligence will be supported by this technology, as it requires insight. Finally, to better illustrate the effects on society, a naturalist intelligence requires a relationship with the natural world, and existential intelligence calls for students to consider and deal with questions of human existence (Lever-Duffy & McDonald, 2011).
I selected this brainstorming and mind mapping technology for this assignment because it aids the student in organizing thoughts and ideas through the use of colorful text bubbles linked to a parent bubble/ main idea (Bubbl.us, n.d.). This technology method will prompt the student to use critical thinking skills to analyze the critical elements that make up / contribute to the transformation of European society. Creativity is encouraged through the display of images with symbols and colors – all of which contribute to memory retention.
What I hope to accomplish through this technology in terms of teaching and / or learning is the opportunity for students to organize their thoughts to generate ideas for presentation to their peers. This technology will also aid in exploring relationships with initiation for group discussions and incorporating multiple intelligences
Challenges I expect to encounter when using this technology include the limitation of only having permission to create and save three mind maps at once. Otherwise, students will be required to delete previously created maps or apply for a subscription upgrade to create more than three mind maps.
Evaluation of Technology: eBook
The research findings pertaining to an eBook as it relates to teaching and learning show that students are engaging more than ever with electronic devices like tablets, smartphones, e-readers and computers (Miller, 2013). Students are now reading eBooks at the highest rate ever, for the purpose of entertainment and education. The introduction of eBooks to students is a way of presenting them with tools they are already familiar with. The average student relies on internet
research and social media – a digital environment that can be navigated with ease. Teachers can keep students engaged and positively influenced through the use of interactive technologies in both brick and mortar classrooms, as well as in virtual settings. According to Miller (2013), “Incorporating eBooks engages reluctant readers and busy students who are looking for an exciting way to access reading material 24/7, no matter where they are and no matter what device they own (para.5). One awesome benefit of the eBook is the ability for a student to highlight pertinent information, as well as perform searches for vital information. Even for the student with disabilities, the feature that allows one to adjust font size on-screen is a great benefit to the dyslexic or visually impaired.
The type of intelligence that will be supported by the use of the eBook and search engine technology tool to discuss the development of the slave trade is spatial intelligence, which involves the ability to think in pictures and vision abstractly, interpersonal intelligence, intrapersonal intelligence, naturalist intelligence, and existential intelligence, which involves consideration of and dealing with human existence.
I selected this type of technology for this assignment because, according to Lever-Duffy and McDonald (2011), “educational technologies can be used to enhance and support the teaching-learning process at any number of points in the process. Educational technology is one of the supports for teaching and learning that both teacher and learning can call on to help ensure the opportunity for optimum performance” (p. 37). Since most students will have the convenience of accessing an eBook, even when there is no internet connection available, they can continue to benefit from instant access and responsive design.
What I hope to accomplish through this technology in terms of teaching and / or learning is enhanced access, compatibility and measurability. The future of eBooks with HTML5 is expected have great potential, as students will be evaluated by their reading habits, and the benefits to students, educators, and school librarians will be the ability to evaluate the eBook platforms for student reading preferences, skill levels, and reading style, which will all be determined by reading preferences. An additional benefit to the technology of an eBook for teaching and learning is its transition from PDF to new formats that enhance content of exams and revision aids. The content is therefore, cost effective with ease of discovery, delivery, consumption, and reuse.
Challenges I expect to encounter when using this technology include the issue of the eBook landscape, wherein the delivery platform has traditionally been the PC, and the eBook has been delivered in PDF format. The evolution of the eBook provides that its landscape more often includes eBook readers and tablet devices. Business models are evolving, which results in the dilemma of libraries meeting the challenge of collecting books, versus managing them for academic institutions. Another issue for academic institutions is that many students are acquiring and funding their own eBooks digitally, delivering through an iPad for example, and this minimizes the chances of institutions gaining from the direct sales of eBooks to students.
Evaluation of Technology: R.S.S. Feeds
The research findings pertaining to R.S.S. Feeds as they relate to teaching and learning provide that teachers and students have the option to subscribe to content related to a specific topic of interest, which further allows them to control the flow of information and scan multiple content streams. The benefit of an R.S.S. feed is that it will provide students with news headlines and content summaries that will not overwhelm the reader, and it can be arranged according to the student’s preferences, which further eliminates the need for filtering spam, age guidelines, or privacy policies.
The type of intelligence that will be supported by this technology tool to discuss the emergence of Islam is logical-mathematical intelligence, which would involve the student’s conceptual skills geared toward the key beliefs of Islam and its comparison to other religions. Another type of intelligence supported by this technology would be interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligence. With interpersonal intelligence, the student has the opportunity to respond to others in the blogs. In terms of intrapersonal intelligence, the student has the opportunity to provide some insight into the spread of the religion of Islam, how it absorbed into other cultures, and the influences it has on other cultures or religions. Finally, this type of technology could further be supported by existential intelligence, which would deal with the questions of human existence and why Islam exists or why it has such a strong following.
I selected this R.S.S. feed technology for this assignment because it will provide the most current filtered information pertaining to Islam as soon as it is published. Another advantage for students is avoiding the need to visit sites individually.
What I hope to accomplish through this technology in terms of teaching and / or learning is aggregation, where students can view and scan multiple content streams quickly and efficiently. Students will also have the freedom to view feeds without spam and keep privacy with hassle-free subscribing and unsubscribing.
Challenges I expect to encounter when using this technology include the lack of sufficient graphics and pictures. Additionally, traffic demands on the server can be high – especially when the R.S.S. links redirect the user to other websites - and many sites do not yet support R.S.S. feeds because of the XML code used.
The types of technologies chosen to complement each assignment prompt were done so with careful consideration for various types of intelligences and learning preferences possessed by each individual student. In order to deliver effective teaching, there must be a great understanding of individual learning style, cognitive style, and dominant intelligence. Teachers typically do teach according to their individual learning preferences (Lever-Duffy and McDonald, 2011). It is critical for teachers to make history news – especially current events- a learning tool. Through current events, students have the opportunity to compare their current lives with the events of the day. A wonderful suggestion that teachers can create for history class activities is a comparison of current events with historical events. This keeps the student’s interest when they can view or discuss a timeline of historical events.
The ultimate goal with integrating technology into a history lesson is to incorporate technology-based activities and projects into the curriculum so that both teachers and students are familiar with the use of the technology tools and the terminology required for participation.
References
18 Free Mind Mapping Tools for Teachers and Students ~ Educational Technology and Mobile Learning. (2012, June 18). Retrieved October 5, 2014, from http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2012/06/18-free-mind-mapping-tools-for-teachers.html
Bubbl.us, a Web 2.0 teaching tool supporting 21st century learning skills. (n.d.). Retrieved October 5, 2014, from http://www.web2teachingtools.com/bubbl_us.html
Inkscape. (n.d.). Retrieved October 5, 2014, from http://www.inkscape.org/en/learn/faq/1qq
Lever-Duffy, J. & McDonald, J. B. (2011). Teaching and learning with technology (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc./Allyn & Bacon.
Miller, Ed. M., H. (2013, December 18). The future of eBooks in the classroom. SEEN- Southeast Education Network.
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Activity Redesign
The redesign of the activity involved added technology to assist students with creating the required activities. The mind map on https://bubbl.us for example, can better be created with the added technology of a tutorial provided below, for how to use the brainstorming tool:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RDSnRolrhA
The three eBooks to trace the development of the slave trade can be suggested with links to eBooks below, which will offer students with free trial periods to download the books for free.
The Reading Room, for downloading free eBooks: https://www.thereadingroom.com/landing-page/free-ebooks?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Free%20Books%20(US)&utm_term=ebooks%20free
Islamic Slave Trade:
https://www.scribd.com/book/285505607/The-Ottoman-Slave-Trade-and-Its-Suppression-1840-1890
Atlantic Slave Trade:
https://www.scribd.com/book/262341329/The-Black-Urban-Atlantic-in-the-Age-of-the-Slave-Trade
Impact of Slavery on African and the Western World: https://www.thereadingroom.com/book/the-slave-trade/1476367
Principles and Theory Chosen
The principle chosen for the redesign of the activity included the theory of multiple intelligences, to include spatial, intrapersonal, naturalist, existential, logical-mathematical, and linguistic intelligences, as described in the original assignment above. Linguistic intelligence involves the learner’s potential to think in words through auditory development. The linguistic learner uses technology tools such as eBooks to retain information through the use of speaking or visualizing words. Linguistic intelligence deals with a learner’s sensitivity to the meaning and order of written and spoken words used to enhance learning.
The theory chosen for the redesign of this activity was the information processing theory. This theory involves sensory memory, working memory, and long-term memory. Sensory memory screens incoming stimuli and processes that which is most relevant. Within the information processing theory are four critical implications for improving learning and instruction.
The first suggests that memory stores are extremely limited in both sensory and working memory. In order to cope with limited capacity, effective learners use the strategies of selectively focusing attention on relevant information and engaging in automated processing. This involves letter and word decoding, number recognition, spelling, and handwriting.
The second implication suggests that relevant prior knowledge facilitates encoding and retrieval processes. Highly effective learners possess general problem-solving, critical thinking skills, and organized knowledge. The ability to retrieve prior knowledge aids the learner with developing expertise (Alexander, 2003).
The third implication suggests that automated information processing increases cognitive efficiency by reducing information processing demands. The fourth implication suggests that learning strategies improve information processing because of learner efficiency and the ability to process deeper levels of information (Pressley & Harris, 2006).
Design and Implementation Challenges Experienced
Design and implementation challenges involved finding e-books outside of the institutional library, where students could gain free access. There were some sites available that offered 14-day free access for a trial period. Because of the simplicity and immediate availability of R.S.S. feeds, it would be difficult to provide the most current technology to students, as they could find more relevant, more updated information as they access the feeds during research for the assignment.
References
Alexander, P. A. (2003). The development of expertise: The journey from acclimation to proficiency. Educational Researcher, 32, 10–14.
Pressley, M., & Harris, K. R. (2006). Cognitive strategy instruction: From basic research to classroom instructions. In P. A. Alexander & P. H. Winne (Eds.), Handbook of educational psychology (2nd ed., pp. 265–287). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
The MATLT activity chosen for redesign comes from the Week 6 Assignment for the course, Teaching and Learning with Technology. The assignment instructions for Week 6 Assignment, Integrating Technology, required research of various technologies using the course textbook, Teaching and Learning with Technology, the World Wide Web, and the Ashford Online Library. The next step required a review of the provided Assignment Prompts, selection of one technology from the research to incorporate into each, for a total of three separate technologies. The key to the assignment was to be mindful of various learning preferences and types of intelligence when selecting technologies.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Original Instructions
The following instructions were provided to me and other students:
The technologies you select should be fully integrated into the assignments, so you will need to edit the prompts. Feel free to be creative in your edits.
Assignment Prompts
- Assignment Prompt One
Discuss the powerful movements that transformed European society during the early modern era. Briefly describe the origin of each, and how it affected society as a whole. - Assignment Prompt Two
Trace the development of the slave trade. Under what circumstances did the slave trade begin? How did the Islamic Slave Trade change the existing system? How did it change again during the Atlantic Slave Trade? Finally, what impact did slave trade have on Africa and the Western world? - Assignment Prompt Three
Discuss the emergence of Islam. Who was the founder and what was his background? What are the key beliefs of Islam? Compare it to other religions that existed at the time of its development. What elements are similar? What elements are unique to Islam? Trace the spread of the religion. How did it absorb other cultures? In turn, how did it influence others?
- Brainstorming/Concept-mapping tools
- Computers (individual or part of network)
- Database Management Systems
- E-Books
- Educational Games
- Electronic Spreadsheets
- Illustration Software
- Internet video
- Podcasts/Webcasts
- R.S.S. feeds
- Search engines
- Special needs software
- Touch screens
- Virtual Reality
- Web 2.0
- Word Processors
- World Wide Web
- Revised assignment prompts:
- Revise each prompt to incorporate technology.
- Revise each prompt to incorporate technology.
- Evaluation:
- Evaluate the process of incorporating technology into these learning activities by addressing the following elements for each of the three technologies you selected::
- Summarize the research findings pertaining to the selected technology, as it relates to teaching and learning.
- Identify which type(s) of intelligence you expect each assignment and the corresponding technology to support.
- Explain why you selected the technology for this particular assignment.
- Describe what you hope to accomplish through this technology, in terms of teaching and/or learning.
- Describe what challenges you expect to encounter when using this technology.
- Evaluate the process of incorporating technology into these learning activities by addressing the following elements for each of the three technologies you selected::
Writing the Final Paper
The Final Paper:
- Must be formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
- Must include a title page with the following:
- Title of paper
- Student’s name
- Course name and number
- Instructor’s name
- Date submitted
- Must address the topic of the paper with critical thought.
- Must use at least five scholarly sources, including the course text.
- Must document all sources in APA style, as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
- Must include separate reference page(s), formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
a course developed in CourseSites, Introduction to Sociology, SOC101. In Module 2, a summative assessment was created, where students will be assigned to teams of 2- 5 students and given the task to create a presentation, either on Social Diversity or Elite Deviance and Conformity, as related to social media.
The original assessment was designed as follows:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Original Submitted Activity/ Assignment
The following information was included in my originally submitted assignment:
Assignment Prompt One
Using the mind mapping and brainstorming tool, Bubbl.us, create a concept map that will discuss the powerful movements that transformed European society during the early modern era. Visit https://bubbl.us. Briefly describe the origin of each, and how it affected society as a whole. Your mind map should be designed so that you create sharing capability and generate a link to share with your classmates and teacher. In identifying the transformation of European society, ensure your mind map creatively displays hierarchy, relationships, or processes necessary to distinguish between each powerful movement. Ensure your bubbles include files and images that best depict each topic identified.
Assignment Prompt Two
Using three eBooks on slave trade, trace the development of the slave trade. Under what circumstances did the slave trade begin? How did the Islamic Slave Trade change the existing system? How did it change again during the Atlantic Slave Trade? Finally, what impact did slave trade have on Africa and the Western world? In your answers, be sure to cite at least three references in APA style.
Assignment Prompt Three
Utilizing R.S.S. feeds related to Islam, subscribe to three feeds to research and discuss the emergence of Islam. In conducting the research, find an article feed, blogs feed, or forum feed
that provides articles of interest related to the emergence of Islam and answer the following questions: Who was the founder and what was his background? What are the key beliefs of Islam? Compare it to other religions that existed at the time of its development. What elements are similar? What elements are unique to Islam? Trace the spread of the religion. How did it absorb other cultures? In turn, how did it influence others?
Evaluation of Technology: Bubbl.us
The research findings pertaining to Bubbl.us as it relates to teaching and learning include its non-linguistic representations as a core strategy for improving instruction. In providing non-linguistic representation, Bubbl.us provides the creation of graphic representations, the generation of mental pictures, and the drawing of pictures (Bubbl.us, n.d.).
The type of intelligence that will be supported by this brainstorming and mind mapping tool to discuss the transformation of European society in the early modern era is spatial intelligence, which involves the ability to think in pictures and vision abstractly. Additionally, intrapersonal intelligence will be supported by this technology, as it requires insight. Finally, to better illustrate the effects on society, a naturalist intelligence requires a relationship with the natural world, and existential intelligence calls for students to consider and deal with questions of human existence (Lever-Duffy & McDonald, 2011).
I selected this brainstorming and mind mapping technology for this assignment because it aids the student in organizing thoughts and ideas through the use of colorful text bubbles linked to a parent bubble/ main idea (Bubbl.us, n.d.). This technology method will prompt the student to use critical thinking skills to analyze the critical elements that make up / contribute to the transformation of European society. Creativity is encouraged through the display of images with symbols and colors – all of which contribute to memory retention.
What I hope to accomplish through this technology in terms of teaching and / or learning is the opportunity for students to organize their thoughts to generate ideas for presentation to their peers. This technology will also aid in exploring relationships with initiation for group discussions and incorporating multiple intelligences
Challenges I expect to encounter when using this technology include the limitation of only having permission to create and save three mind maps at once. Otherwise, students will be required to delete previously created maps or apply for a subscription upgrade to create more than three mind maps.
Evaluation of Technology: eBook
The research findings pertaining to an eBook as it relates to teaching and learning show that students are engaging more than ever with electronic devices like tablets, smartphones, e-readers and computers (Miller, 2013). Students are now reading eBooks at the highest rate ever, for the purpose of entertainment and education. The introduction of eBooks to students is a way of presenting them with tools they are already familiar with. The average student relies on internet
research and social media – a digital environment that can be navigated with ease. Teachers can keep students engaged and positively influenced through the use of interactive technologies in both brick and mortar classrooms, as well as in virtual settings. According to Miller (2013), “Incorporating eBooks engages reluctant readers and busy students who are looking for an exciting way to access reading material 24/7, no matter where they are and no matter what device they own (para.5). One awesome benefit of the eBook is the ability for a student to highlight pertinent information, as well as perform searches for vital information. Even for the student with disabilities, the feature that allows one to adjust font size on-screen is a great benefit to the dyslexic or visually impaired.
The type of intelligence that will be supported by the use of the eBook and search engine technology tool to discuss the development of the slave trade is spatial intelligence, which involves the ability to think in pictures and vision abstractly, interpersonal intelligence, intrapersonal intelligence, naturalist intelligence, and existential intelligence, which involves consideration of and dealing with human existence.
I selected this type of technology for this assignment because, according to Lever-Duffy and McDonald (2011), “educational technologies can be used to enhance and support the teaching-learning process at any number of points in the process. Educational technology is one of the supports for teaching and learning that both teacher and learning can call on to help ensure the opportunity for optimum performance” (p. 37). Since most students will have the convenience of accessing an eBook, even when there is no internet connection available, they can continue to benefit from instant access and responsive design.
What I hope to accomplish through this technology in terms of teaching and / or learning is enhanced access, compatibility and measurability. The future of eBooks with HTML5 is expected have great potential, as students will be evaluated by their reading habits, and the benefits to students, educators, and school librarians will be the ability to evaluate the eBook platforms for student reading preferences, skill levels, and reading style, which will all be determined by reading preferences. An additional benefit to the technology of an eBook for teaching and learning is its transition from PDF to new formats that enhance content of exams and revision aids. The content is therefore, cost effective with ease of discovery, delivery, consumption, and reuse.
Challenges I expect to encounter when using this technology include the issue of the eBook landscape, wherein the delivery platform has traditionally been the PC, and the eBook has been delivered in PDF format. The evolution of the eBook provides that its landscape more often includes eBook readers and tablet devices. Business models are evolving, which results in the dilemma of libraries meeting the challenge of collecting books, versus managing them for academic institutions. Another issue for academic institutions is that many students are acquiring and funding their own eBooks digitally, delivering through an iPad for example, and this minimizes the chances of institutions gaining from the direct sales of eBooks to students.
Evaluation of Technology: R.S.S. Feeds
The research findings pertaining to R.S.S. Feeds as they relate to teaching and learning provide that teachers and students have the option to subscribe to content related to a specific topic of interest, which further allows them to control the flow of information and scan multiple content streams. The benefit of an R.S.S. feed is that it will provide students with news headlines and content summaries that will not overwhelm the reader, and it can be arranged according to the student’s preferences, which further eliminates the need for filtering spam, age guidelines, or privacy policies.
The type of intelligence that will be supported by this technology tool to discuss the emergence of Islam is logical-mathematical intelligence, which would involve the student’s conceptual skills geared toward the key beliefs of Islam and its comparison to other religions. Another type of intelligence supported by this technology would be interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligence. With interpersonal intelligence, the student has the opportunity to respond to others in the blogs. In terms of intrapersonal intelligence, the student has the opportunity to provide some insight into the spread of the religion of Islam, how it absorbed into other cultures, and the influences it has on other cultures or religions. Finally, this type of technology could further be supported by existential intelligence, which would deal with the questions of human existence and why Islam exists or why it has such a strong following.
I selected this R.S.S. feed technology for this assignment because it will provide the most current filtered information pertaining to Islam as soon as it is published. Another advantage for students is avoiding the need to visit sites individually.
What I hope to accomplish through this technology in terms of teaching and / or learning is aggregation, where students can view and scan multiple content streams quickly and efficiently. Students will also have the freedom to view feeds without spam and keep privacy with hassle-free subscribing and unsubscribing.
Challenges I expect to encounter when using this technology include the lack of sufficient graphics and pictures. Additionally, traffic demands on the server can be high – especially when the R.S.S. links redirect the user to other websites - and many sites do not yet support R.S.S. feeds because of the XML code used.
The types of technologies chosen to complement each assignment prompt were done so with careful consideration for various types of intelligences and learning preferences possessed by each individual student. In order to deliver effective teaching, there must be a great understanding of individual learning style, cognitive style, and dominant intelligence. Teachers typically do teach according to their individual learning preferences (Lever-Duffy and McDonald, 2011). It is critical for teachers to make history news – especially current events- a learning tool. Through current events, students have the opportunity to compare their current lives with the events of the day. A wonderful suggestion that teachers can create for history class activities is a comparison of current events with historical events. This keeps the student’s interest when they can view or discuss a timeline of historical events.
The ultimate goal with integrating technology into a history lesson is to incorporate technology-based activities and projects into the curriculum so that both teachers and students are familiar with the use of the technology tools and the terminology required for participation.
References
18 Free Mind Mapping Tools for Teachers and Students ~ Educational Technology and Mobile Learning. (2012, June 18). Retrieved October 5, 2014, from http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2012/06/18-free-mind-mapping-tools-for-teachers.html
Bubbl.us, a Web 2.0 teaching tool supporting 21st century learning skills. (n.d.). Retrieved October 5, 2014, from http://www.web2teachingtools.com/bubbl_us.html
Inkscape. (n.d.). Retrieved October 5, 2014, from http://www.inkscape.org/en/learn/faq/1qq
Lever-Duffy, J. & McDonald, J. B. (2011). Teaching and learning with technology (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc./Allyn & Bacon.
Miller, Ed. M., H. (2013, December 18). The future of eBooks in the classroom. SEEN- Southeast Education Network.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Activity Redesign
The redesign of the activity involved added technology to assist students with creating the required activities. The mind map on https://bubbl.us for example, can better be created with the added technology of a tutorial provided below, for how to use the brainstorming tool:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RDSnRolrhA
The three eBooks to trace the development of the slave trade can be suggested with links to eBooks below, which will offer students with free trial periods to download the books for free.
The Reading Room, for downloading free eBooks: https://www.thereadingroom.com/landing-page/free-ebooks?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Free%20Books%20(US)&utm_term=ebooks%20free
Islamic Slave Trade:
https://www.scribd.com/book/285505607/The-Ottoman-Slave-Trade-and-Its-Suppression-1840-1890
Atlantic Slave Trade:
https://www.scribd.com/book/262341329/The-Black-Urban-Atlantic-in-the-Age-of-the-Slave-Trade
Impact of Slavery on African and the Western World: https://www.thereadingroom.com/book/the-slave-trade/1476367
Principles and Theory Chosen
The principle chosen for the redesign of the activity included the theory of multiple intelligences, to include spatial, intrapersonal, naturalist, existential, logical-mathematical, and linguistic intelligences, as described in the original assignment above. Linguistic intelligence involves the learner’s potential to think in words through auditory development. The linguistic learner uses technology tools such as eBooks to retain information through the use of speaking or visualizing words. Linguistic intelligence deals with a learner’s sensitivity to the meaning and order of written and spoken words used to enhance learning.
The theory chosen for the redesign of this activity was the information processing theory. This theory involves sensory memory, working memory, and long-term memory. Sensory memory screens incoming stimuli and processes that which is most relevant. Within the information processing theory are four critical implications for improving learning and instruction.
The first suggests that memory stores are extremely limited in both sensory and working memory. In order to cope with limited capacity, effective learners use the strategies of selectively focusing attention on relevant information and engaging in automated processing. This involves letter and word decoding, number recognition, spelling, and handwriting.
The second implication suggests that relevant prior knowledge facilitates encoding and retrieval processes. Highly effective learners possess general problem-solving, critical thinking skills, and organized knowledge. The ability to retrieve prior knowledge aids the learner with developing expertise (Alexander, 2003).
The third implication suggests that automated information processing increases cognitive efficiency by reducing information processing demands. The fourth implication suggests that learning strategies improve information processing because of learner efficiency and the ability to process deeper levels of information (Pressley & Harris, 2006).
Design and Implementation Challenges Experienced
Design and implementation challenges involved finding e-books outside of the institutional library, where students could gain free access. There were some sites available that offered 14-day free access for a trial period. Because of the simplicity and immediate availability of R.S.S. feeds, it would be difficult to provide the most current technology to students, as they could find more relevant, more updated information as they access the feeds during research for the assignment.
References
Alexander, P. A. (2003). The development of expertise: The journey from acclimation to proficiency. Educational Researcher, 32, 10–14.
Pressley, M., & Harris, K. R. (2006). Cognitive strategy instruction: From basic research to classroom instructions. In P. A. Alexander & P. H. Winne (Eds.), Handbook of educational psychology (2nd ed., pp. 265–287). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.