1. “All human activity is driven by information; the more demanding the activity- the greater the need for information. Thus information can be termed the fuel that powers the teaching-learning process.”
I find in many cases someone tells you they “want to learn more about…” Whether they have this urge or you the teacher have to give them this urge, it boils down to this perception that information drives learning. As a teacher it is our responsibility to provide this tidbit of information that “hooks” the student into wanting to learn everything there is to know about the subject.
2. “At a fundamental level, it can be assumed that all learning is initiated by information perceived by the senses: specifically, what you see, hear, taste, smell, and feel.”
While some students can learn just fine from a book, most students will learn better with hands on learning. This is the basis behind laboratories in science and agricultural classes. The visual learning doesn’t have to be limited to labs. Current technology allows for more classroom visuals and pc-based learning.
3. “The master teachers of the Information Age are those who develop the capacity to navigate the worldwide oceans of information and selectively retrieve that which can provide and enriched experience for their learners.”
Many times finding accurate relevant information is like finding a needle in a haystack especially for those unfamiliar with technology. It is the teacher’s responsibility to assist students in finding the information. Giving various links to relevant information will help students greatly without having to hand deliver the information. This is also an area to allow students to explore and learn beyond the lecture. If we are briefly covering a topic and a student is interested in more details they can follow the suggested links and learn on their own.
4. “How teaches manage information has a major impact on the outcome of the teacher-learning process. Technology facilitates and amplifies the teacher’s capacity to provide learners with information of higher fidelity in an individualized, interactive mode. Thompson said that the successful teacher primarily manager information, not students.”
There is never one sure way to teach or to communicate with students. Depending on subject, individual students, facilities, and many other factors the teaching will change and vary. I think any teaching method where the students’ benefit is a good one. Romano broke teaching down into four necessary tasks: planning, communication, guidance, and evaluation. You must plan your teaching methods, communicate the information, guide students in their learning, and evaluate their performance and progress.
5. “A verbal description alone of anything that can be seen must be considered a compromise; a compromise made every day in classrooms in an age when technology makes it unnecessary.”
The technology exists to allow teachers to show students rather than simply tell them. And yet many teachers continue to simply tell. Romano put this very simply in saying that when doing such we are compromising.
6. “In great part, the effectiveness of the communications phase of the teaching-learning process determines the outcome. Additionally, there are three critical factors that determine how well learners assimilate the information made available: fidelity, relevancy, and accessibility.”
In order to maximize each of these three factors options must be given to the student. Using the snake example from the book the teacher could provide internet links to pictures and videos of snakes, tell the students where they can see live snakes, and have a 3D model in the classroom. These different options will help students with all three factors. Information will be accessible at will at a later date, repeatable as many times as desired, many different levels of fidelity are offered including the real thing, and most student learning methods should be covered by the multiple options. It is now the student’s responsibility to take advantage of the choices and information offered to them.
This class has been great for me so far. I have been terrified of going into the teaching field and being a plain Jane boring teacher who doesn’t know how to integrate technology into her classroom and falls short of my own expectations not to mention my students’ expectations. With each chapter of the book, class session, and journal article critique, I am becoming more and more sure of myself and less fearful.
