Journal #2 KM - Finding Students Who Learn With Media - NETS-T 5c for all journals - NETS-T 2a (article focus)

Bull, G., Alexander, C., & Ferster, B. (2010). Finding students who learn with media. Learning & Leading with Technology, 37(5), Retrieved from http://www.learningandleading-digital,com/learning_leading/201002#pg38

NETS-T - 5c - ENGAGE IN PROFESSIONAL GROWTH AND LEADERSHIP
- evaluate and reflect on current research and professional practice on a regular basis to make effective use of existing and emerging digital tools and resources in support of student learning

I am a member of ISTE, and reading/evaluating various journal articles helps me discover emerging digital tools that can be used in the classroom to support student learning.

ARTICLE FOCUS: NETS-T - 2A DESIGN AND DEVELOP DIGITAL-AGE LEARNING EXPERIENCES AND ASSESSMENTS
- design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity

The topic of this article encompasses the idea of making historical documentaries by using digital tools, which will promote student learning and creativity.

This article summary was written directly onto a "new post" on my blog using the Blogger tool.

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This article talks about incorporating media into learning by using student created media. The students in the article used Primary Access and Primary Access Storyboard. The article found that 40% of the students were engaged in both the media and the historical content that was being included in the presentations. The authors also discussed how using regular Primary Access to create a historical documentary takes three class periods to finish. However, the use of Primary Access Storyboard only took one class session. It was also noted that Primary Access can also perform online assessments evaluating a student's performance on a task without having the student engage in a traditional multiple choice exam. Therefore teachers are given feedback about how a particular student manages his/her time on a project and how effectively they use the media.

Question #1: Is it worth utilizing this type of media in the classroom when only 40% if the students are fully engaged in the activity?
Overall, I think this type of media is useful for classroom use. Obviously, for the forty percent of the students the Primary Access Storyboard is a terrific activity. However, the remaining sixty percent of the students are not fully benefiting from the activity. An option might be to group the students in pairs, with one from the forty percent group teamed with a classmate. This would greatly increase the engagement of the students in the activity. The "more engaged" students would assist the lesser engaged students with using the media and they would also help spur an interest in the subject matter. In this way, it is worth utilizing this type of media. For the 15% that were not engaged at all by the media or historical content, the teacher might need to work one-on-one with them to help them gain confidence in using technology. These are most likely the low-end students. However, an alternative might need to be considered where an alternate activity would be provided so these non-engaged students have the opportunity to learn the same subject matter.

Question #2: Is it a good idea to incorporate movie making into the curriculum?
When time is so precious in the classroom and so many standardized tests required teachers have to utilize what little time they have in the most efficient manner. However, one key aspect of education is the engagement of the students. Any activity that makes learning fun for students should be embraced in the classroom. The idea of making a movie to learn about history is unique and would be appealing to many students. It provides a chance to allow for creativity to flourish in a classroom. The days of the rote learning of historical dates have long since passed. Creative ways to impart curricula should be every teacher's goal.