Designing Technology-based High Engaging Lessons

Incorporating technology in the classroom effectively, teachers must use those strategies that are directly aligned to practices that engage students in higher levels of direct learning. Teachers must be cognizant of academic learning time as they deliver a lesson, because large differences in the amount of academic learning time built up by different students generally result in wide variation in student achievement. This means that some students may choose not to engage in teacher assigned task and become complacent in learning, especially when not monitored by the teacher. For example, during the set, effective teachers focus the students’ attention on the learning outcome and prepare them to learn. Often in their zeal to get to the meat of the lesson, some teachers neglect to include the set in their teaching. One easy and quick way to get the students involved is to ask them review questions, but an excellent set technique is to begin the lesson with an activity that illustrates to the students how they will be able to use the learning in the future.

Teachers can use an assortment of technology-based tools to increase academic learning time to stimulate visually appealing organizers as a mental set to a lesson. These technology tools can then be designed as cues, questions, and advanced organizers that focus on the enhancement of the students ability to retrieve, use and organize information about a related topic or standard. To summarize some of the tools available would include online resources like mind maps, videos, rubrics, and timeline generators. Each of these tools have potential to cue students on what they are about to learn during the onset of a lesson in terms of advanced organizers. The idea is for the teacher to trigger student interest in high engaging content at the onset of the lesson to allow students to  access prior knowledge as they apply it to new concepts.

For example, a teacher introduces a lesson using a graphic organizer open source software tool like, Mindmeister, My Webspiration, Bubble us, or Dropmind, to create a concept map that scaffolds an introductory concept.  Concept maps like Bubble us and Mindmister are useful tools for helping students organize information about important topics by showing relationships between concepts and standards. To create a concept map the teacher just simply places the major concept in a center oval and connects the stems or linking words (supporting concepts) between ovals. Usually the general concept is placed in the center of the diagram with supporting statements branching out from the general concept. Most importantly, these maps once developed, can serve a posted reference by using embedded codes to a classroom wiki. The following is a list of recommended steps when creating a concept map.

1.       List the concepts to be mapped

2.       Select the main concept and rank the remaining concepts, listing them from most general to most specific.

3.       Arrange concepts in an outward branching diagram connecting supporting concepts to the main concept

4.       Concepts should be connected by stems and appropriate linking words

5.       cross linkages should be created at connecting points to establish ties between new concepts and supporting idea. 

• MarzanoGraphicA.pdf
• MarzanoGraphicB.pdf

Using EyePlorer as a Graphic Organizer

eyePlorer.com is a beta graphical search engine that provides an easy to use interface for exploring and interacting with a database of structured knowledge.  The search engine provides immediate access to facts and how these facts are related to similar content.  When used in education as a search engine it becomes a powerful graphic organizer that has the potential to help students make connections between ideas. As a teacher you can use the site to help learners put ideas into context to support a more defined point of view.  Semantic mapping is a useful tool for activating and engaging for both pre and post assessment of learning. A major strength in semantic learning is that it helps students to construct a model for organizing and integrating information that they are learning. Teacher's may want to try using the eyeplorer search engine as an introductory to a new concept and experience how the search engine systematically ties concepts together while expanding knowledge. There is  also a “notebook” on the side of the page where registered users can place the information found for review or e-mail . 

The word "semantics" itself denotes a range of ideas, from the popular to the highly technical. It is often used in ordinary language to denote a problem of understanding that comes down to word selection or connotation. 

Bubbl.usis a simple and free web application that lets you brainstorm online.  You can:

• Create colorful mind maps online
• Share and work with friends
• Embed your mind map in your blog or website
• Email and print your mind map
• Save your mind map as an image

Bubbl.us claims to be a brainstorming tool but as you can see from the example below it is presented in Mind map form. Fairly easy to use although there are no images or graphics allowed. Bubbl.us is a good tool for an interactive whiteboard.

Summer Institute of Technology Mind Map

Mind Map References 1

• Bubbl.us - A flash based brainstorming tool that you can share with others and also embed in to your site.

• Cayra.net - A desktop-only app that runs on Windows XP or Vista.

• CmapTools - Free to universities, students, federal employees, and individuals for personal use.

• CompendiumInstitute.org - A free mind mapping and brainstorming tool from the Open University. 

• DebateMapper.com - A bit of a different mapper in that it focuses on mapping out debates, whether they be political or business. 

• Gliffy.com - Draw & share all sorts of diagrams and mind maps.

• Mapul.com - Based on Microsoft’s Silverlight, offers basic and premium packages, can handle images, hyperlinks and more. 

• Mind42.com - Allows for multiple users, embedding into sites, and inclusion of items such as Wikipedia entries.

• Mindomo.com - Basic accounts are free, premium will bring you more features, but costs $6 a month. Allows hypertext, images and more.

• MindMeister.com - Basic package is free to everyone, premium and team packages available for fees.

• MindPlan.com - Free for personal use. Integrates with Lotus Notes and has XML import and export.

• RecallPlus.com - Geared towards students. Features note organization, 3D tools, and flash card studying in the paid versions.

• WiseMapping.com - Completely web-based so you can use it from any computer with a browser. Allows for numerous distinctions between topics. 

1 Mind Mapping Resources at 30+ Mind Mapping Tools