Teaching for Understanding with TechnologyChapter 4: Understanding Goals and New Technologies

Martha Stone Wiske et. al.

Introduction

Often, teachers fail to be entirely explicit on the goals that should be achieved in each lesson.

In order to facilitate achievement, teacher goals must be “explicit, clear, and coherent”.

This will also help move away from “learning about technology” to “learning with technology” and help teachers use technology as a means to enhance understanding.

What are understanding goals?

Goals that enable students to think with what they know and “apply knowledge flexibly and appropriately”

Goals that do not focus on memorizing content or practicing skills

Key Features of Understanding Goals Focus on big ideas Encompass multiple dimensions within or

across subject matters Define coherent connections between any

lesson or learning activity and broader overarching goals

Are stated explicitly and shared publicly

Factors That Must Be Coordinated When Defining Understanding Goals

Teacher’s deeper purposes, core values, and hopes for the students

Mandates for curriculum content coverage Required textbooks and other curricular material Standardized tests and other accountability

measures that require preparation time.

Effective understanding goals are…

Focused on student understanding of knowledge, methods, purposes for learning, and forms of expression

Relate short-term goals of lesson/unit to long-term goals of term/year

Invite others into the process of generating goals Are developed on an ongoing basis (revision)

Less effective understanding goals are… Focused on isolated knowledge/behaviors Address student enjoyment over big ideas Have no connection between short-term

and long-term goals Unclear to students Set with no discussion or collaboration

with others

Integrating New Technologies: Issues Selecting appropriate technologies Planning to gain significant educational

benefits Preparing teachers and students to use

these new tools Organizing access to the tools and

orchestrating effective interactions

Activity

By yourself or with a partner, develop 3 good understanding goals that you could use in your classrooms. Try to integrate technology into at least one or two. For some ideas, refer to the Water Habitat Case

Study on pgs. 44 – 47 of Teaching for Understanding with Technology or check out its website at http://learnweb.harvard.edu/ent/gallery/pop3/pop3_1.cfm