Sample Learning Activity

In the event you are needed additional inspiration for technology in the classroom, here is a sample learning activity scenario for you to try!

* Students often comment that math is the hardest subject to learn or their least favorite. We are about to make it fun for them! Let's say you are working teaching a subject that may not be fun for them; we will use multiplication for this scenario. Asking students to memorize these subjects without any catch or hook may result in them not being good or even having the motivation to learn. If you give them worksheets and ask them to solve the multiplication tables in their heads, then we may just assume that they are not catching on because they aren't given a good way to memorize them. Now, if we incorporate technology in the form of the internet and YouTube, then we can give them a fun way to practice memorizing the multiplication tables. We simply pull up a YouTube video; a song that recites the multiplication facts of as an example, fours. The song would have a tune of a song popular to the kids and would have catchy, rhyming lyrics that recites the fours (four, eight, twelve, etc.).

By using that scenario, standards or curricular resources that guide instructional design would be covered because if the standard states I can recite the multiples of four, then it is covered because they are recited in the song and the students could memorize the song. It is much easier to memorize a song than a list, after all.

Formative Assessment strategies would be covered by quizzing them with online assignments posted daily and a quiz after completing one set of numbers such as threes. If the students make a good grade on the quiz, then the concept would be mastered. The online assignments would be done on a software supporting student learning such as IXL or Blackboard so educational technology is integrated into this part of the lesson. IXL in particular allows the students to review and redo/practice problems as much as they want, so technology would play a big part in helping the students learn multiplication facts.

For a summative assessment, songs in the style of what we mentioned above could be used for each of the numbers covered for the grade level, and following all the lessons, a summative assessment would be given. Just like the formative assessment, if the students make a good grade on the quiz, then the concept would be mastered. Since the students are getting to do something fun like songs, they would efficiently use technology for educational purposes as well as complete the standards and assessments needed for success all at the same time. Just like the formative assessment, the quiz/test for the summative assessment would be administered online, via an educational software supporting student learning. The test/assessment would be proctored by the teacher and would not allow the use of a calculator. However, the students would be given a digital piece of paper to work out answers using a software such as Microsoft Paint. Afterwards, they would receive a grade, showing what they got correct and allowing for extra practice on the type of problems they missed, continuing to practice the same problems until they get them correct, giving them plenty of math practice via technology.

Student data and the success rate would be gathered via the worksheets, formative quizzes, and summative assessment at the end of the unit. The student data would be used to see how efficient using technology in the classroom is and see how it could be enhanced and added to in the future for rising students.