Topic 8 - Instruction Technologies Continued

When planning a lesson I think the most important thing to ask yourself is, "What are my objectives?" I think we often design a cool technology project and then try and fit your educational objectives into the project. You have to take a step back and figure out what exactly you are trying to teach and then decide what is the best type of technology you should use. Ask yourself this things: What media would help reinforce this?, What tools do we need?, How do I get from point A to point B and what are all the necessary steps?, What is my end result?

These are questions I have to ask myself when I am trying to plan instruction using technology. After I work through these things, I have to actually create a product myself. I think it is crucial for children to see the end result. They have to know what product they are either creating or using. I like to do things step by step. If I give a bunch of directions up front, I end up losing some of their attention and then they are lost by the time they get back to their computer.

I recently did a project on Google Earth. It was an extension of a writing assignment we had done about trips we had been on. After the writing portion was complete, I e-mailed parents to send me a digital picture of their child on a trip. I then printed a template for each child to write information on the trip. We then learned how to create a push pin on Google Earth where we had traveled. We are still working on this project, but we are doing it step by step. The end result will be a Virtual Vacation Tour and my kids are going to record themselves describing where they went. Many types of media are used here: digital photography, sound/voice/audio, web images, internet tools, different text styles.

This lesson has been so effective for my kids. It is not only a writing project, but a Social Studies project. They get very excited about learning and creating.