Higher order thinking skills

http://www.questgarden.com/

WebQuests were invented by Dr Bernie Dodge from San Diego State University.  These are lessons based on web content, and from an ELT perspective I see them as a guided online reading task, which requires students to analyse web content, summarise and explain their findings to their peers and then work together on a collaborative task, such as a group presentation.  Learners are often assigned a role and then are signposted to specific websites in order to gather and sort relevant information, which they then transfer to the rest of the group.  Discussion is followed by a group project, which ends with a product. Possibilities are vast, but on the QuestGarden website we can see examples of travel plans (A trip to London), room design, an exhibition, story writing, putting together a time capsule.  The model is based on the assumption that

- authentic tasks are engaging
- collaborative tasks enhance learning
- evaluation of online data leads to higher order thinking skills

these are:

analysis:  sifting through online content and selecting relevant information

synthesis:  bringing information together, combining information into a logical pattern

evaluation: judging, comparing, reasoning, deciding

In this YouTube clip, Dr Bernie Dodge describes what processes need to be followed to produce an effective WebQuest:

"Been there, done it!"

I have used similar materials in my ELT lessons, without using a webquest site.  Just like the digital format, I have presented an idea to the class via a video or images:

 A worksheet has then guided them to a specific website for reading and information gathering (pairwork).

Worksheet

go to:  http://www.comicrelief.com/rednoseday

Have a look around the site and answer these questions:

1. In what year did the first Red Nose Day take place?

2.  Does this event take place every year?

3.  What happens on Red Nose Day?

4.  How can people raise money on Red Nose Day ?(list 4 different ideas) [what is the best link to click on to get this information?  Hint:  we are looking for ideas!]

i)

ii)

iii)

iv)

5.  What, in your opinion, is a good way to raise money?

6.  Link: =  Fundraising Tools.  Find a kit that will help you to raise money.

7.  Task: Present your fundraising ideas to the rest of the class.  

Summary:

I think this activity is very similar to the webquest model, in that:

- it uses authentic materials

- it uses information from the web

- it requires analysis, synthesis and evaluation of information

- it leads to a group discussion and a presentation task 

In conclusion, I believe that all the affordances of a webquest and the pedagogy and learning outcomes that underpin this tool can be realised without the $20 subscription to QuestGarden. It takes a considerable amount of time to design an effective webquest, whereas my collaborative Red Nose Day task (and other similar activities I've designed) was compiled in a matter of minutes. 

  

ICT in the classroom - why bother?!

Is it worth the effort?

Before exploring this, please answer my extremely simple survey.

Imagine it's your birthday and you have two packages to open.  Don't think too deeply about this question....

Which would you be more excited about?

Package A                                                                                 Package B

                                  

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey , the world's leading questionnaire tool.

Survey Results

Thank you to everyone who took part in my survey.  I had 22 responses and here are the results:

I have to admit, I'm rather surprised at these results and really intrigued to know the reason for your choice.  I opted for Package A, because, for me, it promises something special inside, as whoever wrapped it up took time and effort to do so.  What informed your choice? 

My thinking was tied up with theories that assume that all 21st century learners are interested in, motivated by and experts at using digital technology.  (see my earlier post of Heidi Hayes Jacob's talk).  These theories are underpinned by the assumption that technology in the classroom excites and engages students.  Package A could represent a digitally-rich lesson, making use of different tools to present and play with language.  Package B is the session which does not make use of technology.  Does that make the content any less valuable?  Does it mean that 21st century students will not be stimulated or fully engaged?  As you can see from the results of the survey and the comments that have been posted, a large percentage are wary of ostentation.  It brings Shakespeare to mind:

All that glitters is not gold

This means that not everything that is shiny and superficially attractive is valuable.  Shakespeare demonstrated this in 1596 in The Merchant of Venice. It resonates today with my thoughts on ICT in the classroom. It cannot be used in isolation, but needs to be aligned to learning objectives.  Lessons of true value aim to accommodate all preferred styles of learning by following the teaching and learning cycle:  identifying needs, planning, implementing, assessing, evaluating.  All domains of learning need to be satisfied; cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills) and affective (emotional).  If digital tools can assist in achieving this, then they are adding true value to the teaching and learning experience.  However, the "wow" factor does not need to be present in a lesson in order to motivate the students and promote learning.  It's structure that makes a lesson great, not 'pizazz'! 

Blogging

Communication in action

This communication tool can be put to good effect in the ELT classroom.  Blogging fosters interaction and, a well-structured blogging task can build confidence in reluctant writers.  

Many students find writing the hardest skill of all, and some avoid doing writing tasks when they are set for homework.  Many writing tasks appear meaningless and outdated in today's digital world.  How many young people will need to write a formal letter of complaint?  Nearly all communication is done online nowadays and students need to be working in appropriate platforms in order to value their learning.  

Blogs (or web logs)  are very easy to set up.  Blogger is a Google application, accessed through Chrome, which simply requires a gmail account. Students can blog individually or as a group and chose who they share their blog with.  Sharing is an important factor, as fundamental to blogging is the role of audience.  This gives writing tasks a real purpose - not just to practise language and engage with ideas, but to use writing as a genuine means of communication - sharing ideas, discoveries and opinions with others and receiving comments in return. Receiving comments can encourage and motivate bloggers to write more, in that they feel their thoughts and opinions are valued and acknowledged.  

Blogging can promote:

motivation      language awareness     self-expression      self-evaluation    learner autonomy

However, tasks need to be thought through and carefully managed, with learning outcomes clearly defined.  The teacher needs to guide and support, ensuring that peer-feedback and interaction takes place.  Teacher feedback will enhance self-esteem and promote motivation and lead to students evaluating their work, bringing higher-order thinking skills into play. 

I would use the following YouTube video to explain to my students what a blog is and why and how they are used. 

 

Blogging has the power to change your life!

In the movie Julie and Julia, we see someone's life turned around through the medium of blogging.   I'm not claiming that blogging will change my students' lives, but signposting them to the film could be a fun and engaging way to show the power and potential of this tool - with the added benefit of being immersed in the target language for entertainment purposes.  A lovely, heart-warming film - I recommend it.

Interactive White Boards

Promoting interaction and collaboration

A very expensive classroom tool, which replaces the traditional whiteboard and offers many more features.  It can be used in the same way as a whiteboard, with different coloured pens and an eraser which works just like a board rubber.  However, if the IWB is used in this way, it is not being put to good effect.  The board is touch-sensitive and is designed to enable users to interact directly with the different elements that can be incorporated: text, graphics, sound, animation and video.

A promotional video from Smart (other IWBs are available!) shows how IWBs can be used in a classroom, and clearly explains the affordances of this tool:

collaboration    active participation     engagement

For me, the most important factor is that the IWB can meet the needs all preferred learning styles, especially visual and kinaesthetic.   The stimulating, visual aspect can be used not only to present information, but allows learners to manipulate and work with images in ways that require higher order thinking skills. The tool fosters student participation and engagement and this leads to enhanced learning, as students who are engaged are more motivated to learn and therefore will be more successful in their efforts.    In the language classroom, learners can collaborate on the IWB to solve problems, sort, label and match vocabulary (many of these can be produced through Triptico) and their work can be saved, printed or shared electronically.  

"People do dumb things with smartboards" (Heidi Hayes-Jacobs)

The efficacy of IWBs has been questioned, with claims that they can promote  teacher-centred learning.  This is clearly in situations where this complicated piece of kit is being used solely to present information and ideas and not to promote interaction.  Teacher training is vital to ensure that money invested in an expensive tool is not being wasted, and this in turn makes the equipment even more expensive.  A teacher needs to invest a considerable amount of time and dedication to produce appropriate materials and activities that will lead to active participation and interaction, however the effective language teacher has always had to do just that.  The cards and labels we cut out and laminate, the pictures we collect - all of these can now be stored electronically and put to use on the IWB.  However, within a large classroom, where there over 20 students, not all learners can engage with the IWB at the same time.  This means that some students will be sitting passively watching their peers interacting with the materials.  With low-tech materials, such as paper and post-it notes, all learners can be active and engaged at the same time, working collaboratively in pairs or groups.  In this respect I see the IWB as a tool which enables the teacher to apply effective teaching methods in a different, more up-to-date way.  The effective teacher does not need an IWB to produce an interactive lesson and promote student engagement, but it is a tool (albeit a very expensive one) which can enable this.  

Classroom Resources

Triptico: https://www.tripticoplus.com/?

a selection of activities and resources to enhance student engagement.

Triptico offers a wide variety of collaborative activities and resources, which can be used with Interactive White Boards or computers with projectors (as long as there is an internet connection).  Resources are very easy to use and can be customised and saved for future use.  

The screen-capture above shows the variety of resources available.  Many are vocabulary and text based (quizzes, sorting and matching activities, games) and good for recapping, reviewing and reinforcing learning in an active and fun way. Game-playing increases interest and motivation, producing positive feelings towards the subject and the teacher.  The tool promotes group work, incorporating peer teaching and correcting, giving learners time to think, which builds confidence in weaker students and increases responsiveness to questions.  Group work affords individuals the chance to try out ideas before committing to sharing these with the whole class.  For the teacher, these activities allow formative assessment to take place throughout the lesson.  The strengths and weaknesses of individual learners can be identified and the teacher can check whether learning has taken place.

Students tend to chose to sit next to their friends when they enter the classroom, but the group-making tool assists in classroom management by randomising groups in a light-hearted and surprising way, ensuring that learners have the opportunity to mix and work with different students in their classes, making communicative tasks more meaningful.

The timers, which are good not only for timed activities but also to reinforce the importance of time-keeping at break time, which is an issue at my college.

Customising resources

It took me under 10 minutes to produce these activities.  The first is using "What's the Question?".  I can see this as being an entertaining way to check learning/recap a lesson focusing on question formation.  The activity can be customised according to the level of the students, who would work in groups to provide answers and gain points for their team.

In this activity teams have to form accurate questions in order to be awarded points.

Sound effects add to the excitement (a cheer for a correct answer, a groan for an incorrect one) and the teams can see their point scores throughout, adding an element of competition to promote engagement. 

Another tool I have experimented with is Word Magnets.  Again, it's very easy and quick to produce a group activity, with learners manipulating the words on the IWB to sort, match and order. Nik Peachey demonstrates how easy this resource is to use:

This activity is particularly good for low-level students, who have trouble with sentence formation.  Breaking the sentence down into composite parts, perhaps even colour-coded, can enable kinaesthetic learners in particular to manipulate words to produce meaning.  Learners can make changes and alterations as they process their thoughts - a form of rehearsal before formalising the learning - and giving learners time to think increases confidence and engagement.  

Initially I thought that Triptico provided behaviouristic activities, supporting lower order thinking skills (testing knowledge through games and quizzes), but as with most tools and resources, it all depends on how they are put to use.  If used constructively, group problem solving and discovery learning allow learners to analyse, synthesise and even evaluate their learning.

Asking the right questions

A lightbulb moment (thanks to Russell Stannard)

I think my acceptance of the implementation of new technologies into the classroom has been hindered by the need to justify it with proven added value.  Why bother, for example, to use "Tricider" to elicit ideas and promote discussion, when a simple low-tech brainstorm using post-it notes could produce the same results?
Russell put forward a very interesting idea on Friday regarding the questions we should ask ourselves......

The question shouldn't be whether or how technology improves learning.
The question should be how technology makes learning relevant for today's learners.

This is very helpful for me and I believe I can move forward in a much more positive way.

Will teachers be replaced by computers?

The Future of Educaton?

Sugata Mitra’s “Hole in the Wall” experiment (1999) aimed to prove that children nowadays do not need teachers to enable them to learn. Mitra claims that, with motivation in place and working collaboratively, children can learn from computers. Although these ideas (Mitra, 2003) have been criticised, particularly with regard maths and other skills, the fact that children needed to gain an understanding of English in order to navigate the kiosk computers does add weight to his claim that if children have interest and motivation, education will happen with or without a teacher. In Hyderabad, Mitra conducted an experiment to prove that computers can be used to adapt pronunciation. Children were observed learning to modify their speech in order to interact with the computer. Compared with the behaviourist activities of model and drill in the ELT classroom, this perhaps offers a much more effective, constructivist way to engage learners?  Mitra's TED talk is very interesting...