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With the lack of available professional development, educators can view the integration of technology as an additional element to implement with their classrooms. Within the article Technology as Inquiry Teaching Partner, Gerard, Matuk, and Linn (2016), seek to argue that technology should be viewed as a tool that works alongside educators. When technology is viewed as a teaching partner, educators have the opportunity to transform the inquiry process.
Within the inquiry process, students can be at all different stages at multiple times, while also studying various different topics. Gerard, Matuk, and Linn (2016) argued that technology can assist teachers in monitoring and tracking student progress throughout the various phrases of their inquiry. Similar to this course, we used Trello to track and identify the steps of our learning journey. With young learners who are just beginning to read and write, how would this monitoring occur? Would a video log be a possible option to support younger learners process?
Independence and Agency
The use of technology in the class can help create independent learners who are able to address new problems based upon their prior knowledge. Gerard, Matuk, and Linn (2016) described autonomous learners as “individuals who possess self-awareness; an ability to identify and critically evaluate resources necessary to advance their own learning; and who are able to deal with new, complex problems that may arise in their lives” (p. 3). Fostering the growth of autonomous learners promotes students to feel agency over their learning.
Virtual Models
Technology transformed the learning process through the unique opportunity of creating complex visuals and virtual scientific models for young learners. Often complex scientific concepts are challenging for our youngest learners to conceptualize as they not concrete. Take learning about an atom for example. Young learners may not be able to fully understand the concept as they are not even able to see atoms since they are so small. When I taught a unit on matter and atoms, two years ago, they most common question I received was “how can they be real if see can not see them?”. Virtual models may help students visualize what they otherwise fathom to understand. Such models could be useful for educators to create and as well as the students themselves to showcase their understanding. The National Science Teaching Association provides teachers with science and engineering practices of creating and developing models in relationship to elementary curriculum. What applications have you used to create virtual models with students to represent their learning?
Assessment
Gerard, Matuk, and Linn (2016) additionally stated that technology can be used to embed assessment within the inquiry process directly. If educators are already using technology to monitor student process, their argument is to use this data to formatively assess students. I believe there would be value in identifying and monitoring the progress students have have made throughout their inquiry; however, I am not sure if it fair to assess students’ learning process when learning within inquiry is not stagnant. Additionally, this form assessment negates the students voice. If educators are seeking to create student agency through inquiry, then the students also need to be a part of the assessment process as well.
Gerard, L., Matuk, C., & Linn, M. C. (2016). Technology as inquiry teaching partner. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 27(1), 1-9. doi:10.1007/s10972-016-9457-4
Hello,
I am not sure that we need to use technology to assess student learning so much as track students’ learning journeys as they work through their inquiries. What we learn through documentation can support us as educators in guiding our students through their inquiries in an emergent curriculum.