Reading Reflection #8

           Kim Poe

Reading Reflection #8

Integrating technology helps student to reach an authentic audience. This audience can include family members, peers, local community members, as well as a much wider world. An example of this is using blogs to improve student writing. Knowing that others will be reading, watching, listening, and commenting on their work can be a powerful motivator. Digital-age projects also offer almost unlimited opportunities for branching out from the classroom. This can include connecting with fellow learners as well as consulting with experts.

The EAST initiative model stands for the Environmental and Spatial Technologies. There are four essential ideas as part of the original design of the EAST model. These four models are, student driven learning, authentic project-based learning, technology as tools, and collaboration. Educators take on a new title as facilitators. Interdisciplinary learning, teaming, authentic projects, and student-driven learning are new concepts for many educators. Teachers must also learn to let students take the lead.

Through letting students take the lead, they can tackle an issue in their own life, such as a student creating a website about living with dyslexia. They learn to think as detectives, journalists, folklorists, scientists, and historians.

This chapter connects to my project because it demonstrates the importance of letting students take the lead. Students can learn much more when they are working at their own pace. They can also learn about something that is very important to them, which inspires them and makes the learning more meaningful.