Media-infused
presentations or activities are an untapped resource for classroom teachers
today. This type of tool provides content and activities using resources that
our students are familiar and comfortable with. By using technology to create
this type of presentation, we are providing content that meet the instructional
needs of our students, while also providing motivation by using something they
are familiar and interested in. Students in our classrooms today are digital
natives and have grown up never knowing a time without technology. When
teachers are able to use technology, they are essentially “speaking the
language” of their students. Students are more highly engaged and actively
participate in these activities or presentations as it is a delivery they are
familiar with.
Media-infused
presentations and activities can also help the development of what Gardner
defines as the “disciplined” mind by allowing students to experience content
differently than in the traditional “sit and get” delivery. Gardner clearly
lays out a four-step plan for developing a disciplined mind. Media-infused
presentations meet all four of these steps. Gardner’s first step is to “identify
important topics or concepts” (Gardner, 2008) which is done in a multi-media
presentation or activity both directly and indirectly. First, the topic is
identified by the statement of purpose at the beginning of the activity, then,
identified again in each component. This helps the learner clearly define what
the content is, as well as the important supporting information. Gardner’s
second step, “spend a significant amount of time on the topic” and his third step,
“approach the topic in a number of ways” (Gardner, 2008) are both clearly supported
in a multi-media presentation or project as the content is presented repeatedly
using a variety of methods such as video, podcast, image or activity. This
allows the student to experience the content in a variety of different ways as
well as providing multiple opportunities to interact and experience the
content. Additionally, these activities will take more time than in the
traditional “lecture” or presentation style of instruction. Gardner’s final
step, which he identifies as the most important “set up “performances of
understanding” and give students ample opportunities to perform their
understandings under a variety of conditions” (Gardner, 2008). These
opportunities for “performances of understanding” can be set up as a part of
the presentation or activity through interactive activities, polling, or
projects utilizing digital tools that the students complete. Developing a
disciplined mind can be clearly supported using this type of presentation or
activity when they are well designed and implemented.
The
synthesizing mind can also be fostered through media-infused presentations and
activities by providing opportunities and guidance in ordering, connecting and
making sense of information from various sources and in a variety of methods. Students
take this information and make sense of it, connect it to prior knowledge and
other related concepts. They can be given the chance to synthesize the information
from different sources and develop new understandings and knowledge. As the
students move through the different components of the presentation or activity,
they have the opportunity to put all of the pieces together into a complete
picture. They can then share this picture with others through interactive
activities or collaboration to further cement their understanding.
Using
multi-media infused presentations or activities can not only support our
students in their learning style and preferred modalities, it can also help
them develop their disciplined and synthesizing minds, as defined by Harold
Gardener. This will help our learners develop deep understandings of the
content in our classrooms, as well as help them become better thinkers and
leaders in their futures.
Gardner, Howard. (2008). Five minds for the future. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
No comments:
Post a Comment