The TechNollerGist Episode 6: No Fear!

the TechNollerGist Episode 6...No Fear!

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Don't Fear Student Agency in Ed Tech

The TechNollerGist (David Noller) goes next level regarding how teachers can leverage technology in their classrooms. Below are a few examples allowing students to direct their own learning with the help of technology. 

Differentiated, even individualized?

How can it be done without opening the floodgates?

Example 1: Questions within a framework or project
  • Game: Escaping Afghanistan

• Students select modes of transportation within the game
• Students select methods of information gathering 
• Students decide how to report their findings

          - Econ/Business: Spreadsheets
          - English/Lit/Writing: narrative
          - Science/Math: statistics and graphs
          - Social Studies: comparison to historical examples

Example 2: Peer teaching
 • Sociology: Guided Research

• Student groups become experts to teach classmates about variety of units not studied in class
• Models in class provide demonstrations of sociological thinking
• Ss choose mode of presentation, methods on inquiry, etc.

How do you get there?

Establish a culture of inquiry… throughout the course, offer opportunities for students to select methods, sources, topics, etc. Even if you’re all in the same unit, students can collect resources according to their interests.


Topic: Race/Ethnicity
 • Avenues of research:

• Music—hip-hop, rap, rock, and folk
• Sports--the language used to describe black and white athletes
• Arts—Urban arts and artistic value
• Medicine—diseases associated with POC tend to receive less funding
• Skateboarding—history of a white kid’s sport
• Drama—racial disparity actor pay and participation
• Math—standardized testing and race/ethnicity
• Politics—I mean, ... , there’s so much
• Criminal Justice—there’s just so much

 • So I can have a goal of what I want my student to know, learn, understand, and demonstrate. And then I can have them discover and analyze sources that are of high interest to each of them, and these can be used in their own personalized assessment.

Writing Prompt for Assessment

As a sociologist, you have been asked “Is there a problem with race, ethnicity, nationality, heritage or culture that creates a system of institutional discrimination in the United States?” Based on the three articles you researched for this test, how would you respond? Connections to the videos on the Amish, the housing issue, Duane Buck case, and information related to the NBA Players research, or other materials have already been discussed. This is a chance for you to examine the issue in light of the information that YOU found to be interesting or worth looking into.

Transcripts are still in the works...getting there.  Enjoy the show!

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