Chapter 7 - Exploring Problem Solving with Software, Apps, and Games
Focus Question: How do teachers use technology to promote problem solving
and inquiry learning among students?
Today's student-centered classroom
engages and challenges the mind of the students. Problem solving is therefore
an integral aspect of this learning environment. The reality is that problem
solving and inquiry learning demand situations that engage students.
In such a framework, students are required to understand the
problem, use solving strategies, and to check results. (Maloy, Verock-O, Edwards, Woolf, 2010). How do
teachers use technology to promote this? The identify standard and open-source
software applications that are available on the school computers; they evaluate
educational software and applications (apps); they compare and contrast
different types of problem solving and inquiry-learning software, they analyze
educational games and simulations as learning resources, they discuss with
their peers so as to give and get examples of digital games for learning. A lot
of work goes into deciding appropriate technology for our students. In
identifying the most appropriate technology for problem solving and inquiry
learning, teachers integrate these into the learning experience. It is done
through mathematics, through Language Arts and all possible subject matter to
establish an appropriate levels of competency in our students. Teachers can
draw on technology applications to simulate real-world environments and create
actual environments for experimentation, so that students can carry out
authentic tasks as real workers would, explore new terrains, meet people of
different cultures, and use a variety of tools to gather information and solve
problems. Working on "authentic tasks"(Brown, Collins, and Duguid
(1989)
Technology provides the information
and tools to promote problem solving and inquiry learning. It provides the content, the
materials, and the various avenues that students can follow.
Tech Tool link: MathBuster
A Child's review on MathBuster
I explored a
few math learning games and apps but children find Math Buster appealing. You can
play free, but there are membership options available.
Summary and
Connection
Resources :
Brown, John Seely, Allan Collins, and Paul Duguid. Situated cognition and the culture of learning. Champaign, Ill.: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1989.
Cerri, Stefano A.. Intelligent tutoring systems 11th international conference, ITS 2012, Chania, Crete, Greece, June 14-18, 2012 : proceedings. Heidelberg: Springer, 2012.
Maloy, R. W., Verock-O, R. E., Edwards, S. A.,& Woolf, B. P. (2010). Transforming learning with new technologies. Allyn & Bacon.
Your last statement says it all - and isn't that true of everything! We so often spend little time evaluating those pros and cons, allowing either our prior attitudes or the 'fad' of it determine its use. Technology, like other things, is best considered a tool that needs to be used purposefully in the right conditions! :)
ReplyDeleteYou described some highlights well - do remember that these are reflective posts so be sure to reflect and respond on the content in the text - you can certainly support those thoughts with other readings, as you've done here, but include your own ideas, thoughts, opinions, etc.