Modeling Knowledge in Elementary Schools

Benefits/Drawbacks

Benefits: Easy to understand, visual, can be simple or complex

Drawbacks: Can't be too detailed

How Would I Use It?

Outline a story

Brainstorm an idea

Map out a series of related ideas

Meaningful Learning?

Students can show their understanding

Can show relationships between many topics

Makes students have a higher though process

Examples

Stella, VenSim, OiwerSim, and Model-It

Would I Use It?

Generally, too difficult for elementary students

Model-It may be appropriate, but website has no information?

Does It Create Meaningful Learning?

No: If students don't understand what they are doing, how can the learning be meaningful?

Should not be used in the elementary classroom for the most part.

Benefits/Drawbacks

Benefits: works with numbers, easy calculations, can include graphs and charts

Drawbacks: relationships may be hard to identify, set-up is hard, mathematics is more advanced

How Would I Use It?

Authentic Assement would be great to use with spreadsheets

A lot of teacher input would be required, but I think students could do it

Students could input new mathematic rules they learn and see the relationships with a variety of numbers

Meaningful Learning?

Students can explore numbers in a different way with technology

Use the technology in a way that is authenic to them

If used CORRECTLY, can definitely create meaningful learning

Benefits/Drawbacks

Benefits: students learn rules and information, have to think about the information they know

Drawbacks: if student gives incorrect information, they will recieve faulty answer

How Would I Use It?

As a teaching tool to build relationships between what my students know and what they are going to learn

To have my students think more deeply about a topic they are already learning about

Meaningful Learning?

Students, when searching for the right answer, have a deeper level of thinking

They are not showing the full extent of their knowledge

Some meaningful learning, but not the best activity for elementary students.

Benefits/Drawbacks

Benefits: compare/contrast ideas, share stories, learning from other students

Drawbacks: may not be a reliable source of information

How Would I Use It?

stories database is a wonderful idea for students to share their stories

have students review stories' information such as goals, reults, lessons, etc. and share what they have learned

have students submit their own stories to share with other students all around the globe

have students submit stories about their culture or hertiage to share

when students learn from one another, they have some type of meaningful learning

get ideas for myself from the Knowledge Innovation for Technology in Education on how to use technology in the classroom

Meaningful Learning?

when students share a part of their lives, they are engaging in meaningful learning

using databases such as the story database will create meaningful learning, but they will not always if not used corretly