What factors must teachers consider when planning data analysis activities?
Teachers must consider age and skill level of students when planning data analysis activities. One does not want the activity to be too challenging or not challenging enough. Students should be exposed at a young age and increasingly build skills and work their way up to more sophisticated concepts and procedures. Teachers must also remember not to rely on software to teach higher-order thinking skills. Students should also be encouraged to explain their thinking during the process.
Information obtained from: Bitter, G. & Legacy, J. (2008). Using Technology in the Classroom. Pearson: Boston.
I agree that teachers should most definitely consider the ability level of their students. Some students are not as technology literate as others, and some students will be more technology literate than others. Some students do not have access to computers outside of schools, which affects their level of understanding.
ReplyDeleteGreat post. I agree that technology activites should be challenging but not too difficult for students. It is important for students to use technology but just as important for teachers to use it effectively. Teachers should take each student's abilities into account when designing technology activites.
ReplyDeleteYour response goes along well with what we have been hearing throughout our teacher preparation: students need the instruction delivered on their levels. Teachers need to differentiate instruction, even when implementing data analysis activities.
ReplyDeleteIt is important to know the strenghts and weaknesses of the students to detmerine where to begin with the technology. I like how you stated that teachers should not rely on the software to get the students to use higher-order thinking skills. Whether they are using technology or not, it is important to teach students strategies and to teach them to explain their process of finding an answer. They must be able to explain their reasoning at any age.
ReplyDeleteGood answer Christie!
ReplyDeleteAge and different generations have a lot to do with computer skills. I am one of those who has to take the computer slow, I don't have the time nor do I enjoy using the computer for certain things that the kids today use it for. I do think it is a great idea to teach computer skills to children at a young age - then maybe they will like to use it more. Knowing how things work and how one got their answer should never be completely left to a computer.
Cindy