Assignment Two: The Key to
Meaningful Teaching and LearningTaking on the Role of "Coach" and Relinquishing the Role of "Expert"
Assignment Two: The Key to
Meaningful Teaching and Learning
Taking on the Role of "Coach" and
Relinquishing the Role of "Expert"
Technology is most effective as a method
of teaching for learning when the teacher accepts the role of "coach" and the
student becomes the "expert." Giving the child power of responsibility for
his/her own learning, affirms the natural ability of every child and heightens
his/her excitement for learning. In such technology-based learning, students
envision, question, collaborate, problem-solve, invent, evaluate, and reflect,
guided by purposeful questions from their teacher.
As "coach", the teacher is responsible for creating technology applications which are relevant, involve a variety of learning strategies, and promote collaboration among students. Meaningful learning occurs when students understand the purpose of the application, are challenged to derive their own conclusions , and are required to put information to immediate use. Therefore, as "coach", the teacher is responsible for providing clear instructions for the application, assisting in acquiring direct access to information, and monitoring student progress.
Student engagement in learning increases when the student perceives the product of his/her work as valuable. Actively engaged in learning, the student will stay on task, collaborate within a small peer group, conscientiously complete the responsibility assumed by the role of "expert", and typically exceed the teacher's expectations for his/her learning. These "Infotectives" (McKenzie, 1998) are capable of asking important questions and forming new understandings. They soon become skilled thinkers, researchers, and inventors by collecting the most important "clues" from the vast array of information accessible to them.
Health/Physical Education Application:
Introduction: Only 40%
of today's youth are physically fit. Children as young as 10 years old
who
are overweight, inactive, and eating high fat diets are placing
themselves at early risk for diabetes and heart disease. Physical activity which
increases the heart rate can reduce the likelihood of health risk.
Purpose:Insure that every student (in the experts' grade level) participates in 5-10 minutes of physical activity during class time, three times every day. Planning for one age group will produce the same target heart rate requirement.
Outcome:Students will apply information learned to create a plan to include 30 minutes of physical activity every day during school for every child in their specific grade level.
Tasks: The following
will assist the "experts" in completing the outcome:
1. Review the web links provided below. Develop a brief and concise explanation
of the benefit
for including 30 minutes
of physical activity each day during school. This explanation
of
benefit can be provided to the
principal when the project proposal is submitted.
2. Review the games
listed in several of the links provided. Select out those that you
believe
will increase heart rate
and could be done in a classroom. Identify your target heart
rate.
For those activities you
have selected for possible use, conduct an experiment. Do each
of
the games/activities taking a
pre and post heart rate (count your pulse at the side of
your
neck just under your jaw for
one minute). Select those games/activities that got your
heart
rate to your target zone. Be
sure that the physical activity takes no more than 10
minutes.
Identify the three times
during the school day that the different activities can be
done.
Have a variety of activities
to keep it interesting for your grade level peers.
3. Write up your
proposal using a computer, word processor. Meet and discuss your
proposal
with your
principal. Anticipate some of the concerns the principal may have with the
plan
and be prepared to answer
those concerns.
4. Write your
reflections on this activity on the Discussion Board. Ask your teacher
to
instruct you on how to
use the discussion board. Your reflection is to include how
you
accomplished the
task; what was easy and what was difficult; what you learned.
Note to the
teacher/coach: For this second assignment, you may either use the above
application or create an application of your own involving the student as
"expert' and the teacher as "coach." All subsequent assignments will require
that you create your own application after reading a
model. Your reflections and your student's reflections are to be posted by
February 16,2001.
Instruct your selected
student "experts" to post their comments in the student section identified for
your school. You are to post your reflection comments in the teacher section for
your school. Your reflections are to include (1) what originally selected
technology standards were met by this application? (2) what went well and what
was difficult in your role as coach and the students' role as expert? (3) how
did the students exceed your
expectations?
Be sure to prepare
the principal for the discussion of the student's proposal so that it is a
positive experience for all.
Suggested links:
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dash/phactaag.htm
http://www.gamekids.com/gkgame6.html
http://chitrib.webpoint.com/fitness (target heart rate calculator is in Fitness Fundamentals)
http://tqjunior.advanced.org/4139
http://http://www.bennygoodsport.com/