Blog Entry Two: More example of Engaged Learning

I have just found two more great models of technology supported by engaged learning. They both have high LoTi levels. My favorite example would be A Commitment to High Tech Education. It is found at http://www.edutopia.org/harrison-high-school-technology-integration-video. This would be a great model for teachers in middle and high school education. Harrison Central High School in Gulf Port, Mississippi really shows a LoTi level 6. Their technology use is spanned across many different subject areas and it is so hands on. All their projects are standards based, challenging, and student facilitated which are all great engaged learning indicators. Teachers can use this as an example on how to help and motivate their student athletes with problems in athletic activities being solved in a mathematics classrooms. This video shows students continually problem solving which is higher order thinking. It is also a great model for showing how to use different types of technology like the internet for virtual field trips, cameras to video students engaged in school athletics, computer software to collect heart rate and river water quality data, response remote systems, and even GPS devices. This school does it all.



My runner up video is called From Worms to Wall Street: Projects Prompt Active, Authentic Learning at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=&feature=player_embedded. This would be a great model for a teacher in the elementary school. It is based at Newsome Park Elementary school in Newport News, Virginia. If you are an early childhood education teacher you should definitely see this video. It shows how an entire school uses project based learning and how students decide what to learn about. They become the teacher, explorer, or scientist. The teacher is just there to guide them, which makes their learning so meaningful. The teacher is also the co-learner/co-investigator she even admits she doesn’t know all the answers to what the students are learning, so they do it together. They even bring in experts to talk with them. All these concepts surely make this a top engaged learning video. The technology that the school used such as digital slideshows, thinking map software, and the software used for sales brochures was not overwhelming or too challenging. Teachers new to technology could use these ideas when they implement project based learning. This video is definitely a LoTi level 5. The work that the students produced using all these technologies directly reflected the amazing learning that was going on.

After viewing all of my classmates engaged learning videos I saw a distinguished pattern. Most teachers enlisted in the help of the outside resources or experts willing to contribute to their projects. This is another great way to make a child’s learning experiences more meaningful. I will most definitely do this more often for my students. Doing this will also help build a better community for learning. I do wonder how long it took for schools like Harrison Central and Newsome Park to become so effective in the use of technology for their engaged learning projects?