Selecting
and
Evaluating
Technology
in the
Classroom
Evaluating
Technology Use in
the Classroom
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Typical Process of
Technology Adoption
(from Marc Prensky article in Edutopia)
1.Dabbling with technology
2.Doing Old things in Old Ways
3.Doing Old things in New Ways
4.Doing New things in New Ways
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1.
Dabbling with
technology
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Dabbling with Technology
▧ the use of a particular piece of technology because
it happens to be in the room
▧ The teacher dabbles with technology, not having a
real focus on its use within the lesson but uses it as
an add-on or at a very basic level (no real impact on
the learning process)
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2.
Doing Old things in
Old Ways
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Doing Old things in Old Ways
an example of this are:
▧ Publishing a piece of writing in Word rather than
hand writing it
▧ using an LCD projector instead of a white/black
board for a lesson.
▧ researching on the Internet rather than in an
Encyclopedia.
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Doing Old things in Old Ways
▧ These are all great things, and great ways to use
technology, but they are only replacing the way we
have always done things with something that might
be faster, easier, and more accurate.
▧ In the end however, they are still the same old
things we have been doing for years in education.
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3.
Doing Old things in
New Ways
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Doing Old things in New Ways
an example of this are:
▧ watching Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech
▧ listening to a recording of Stalin.
▧ visiting a battle site via Google Earth
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Doing Old things in New Ways
▧ We used to read Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech
to the class, now we can watch him give his
speech in Washington D.C.
▧ We used to read the words of Stalin, now we can
hear him speak them.
▧ Instead of talking about a battle site, we can now
visit that site virtually.
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Doing Old things in New Ways
▧These are not new things; they just
enhance the old ways of doing things.
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Doing Old things in New Ways
But there are many more old things children are doing in new ways --
innovations they have invented or adopted as their preferred method of
behavior -- that have not yet made their way into our schools
An important question is:
▧ How many of these new ways will ever be
integrated into our instruction -- or even
understood by educators?
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Doing Old things in New Ways
▧ If we want to move the useful adoption of
technology forward, it is crucial for educators to
learn to listen, to observe, to ask, and to try all the
new methods their students have already figured
out, and do so regularly.
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4.
Doing New things
in New Ways
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Doing New things in New Ways
▧ Is the technology creating new and different learning experiences for
the students?
▧ Does the technology allow students to interact with
information in a way that is meaningful and could not have
happened otherwise?
▧ Does the technology allow students to create and share their
knowledge with an audience they never would have had
access to without technology?
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Doing New things in New Ways
▧ For the digital age, we need new curricula, new
organization, new architecture, new teaching,
new student assessments, new parental
connections, new administration procedures,
and many other elements.
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Evaluation Criteria
When Searching
the Internet for
Resources
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C.R.A.A.P
.
Test
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C. R . A . A . P
Test
▧is a simple way to evaluate a website
using 5 different categories: Currency,
Relevancy, Authority, Accuracy, and
Purpose.
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1.
Currency
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Currency
▧refers to the
timeliness of the
information.
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Currency
Ask:
▧ When was the information posted or published?
▧ Has the information been revised or updated?
▧ Does your topic require current, up-to-date
information?
▧ Are the links functional?
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2.
Relevance
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Relevance
▧ refers to the
importance of the
information to your
topic
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Relevance
Ask:
▧ Does the information relate to your topic or answer your
question?
▧ Who is the intended audience?
▧ Is the information, language, and terminology at an
appropriate level (not elementary, not too technical)?
▧ Does this source add to your body of knowledge on the topic?
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3.
Authority
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Authority
▧refers to the
source of the
information
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Authority
Ask:
▧ Who is the author/publisher/source?
▧ What makes this author/publisher/source an authority on this
topic?
▧ What are the author's credentials?
▧ What is the URL domain (.com, .gov, .edu, .org)?
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3.
Accuracy
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Accuracy
▧refers to the
reliability,
truthfulness and
correctness of the
content.
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Accuracy
Ask:
▧ Is the information supported by evidence such as links to
other credible sources or a reference list?
▧ Has the information been reviewed or refereed?
▧ Is the language unbiased and objective?
▧ Are there spelling, grammar or typographical errors?
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3.
Purpose
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Purpose
▧refers to the
reason the
information
exists..
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Purpose
Ask:
▧ What is the purpose of this information? Is it to inform,
teach, sell, entertain, or persuade?
▧ Does the author express personal opinions?
▧ Is the content objective and impartial?
▧ Is the content trying to sell a product, service or idea?
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END!
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