EDMS 550 - A Good Presentation

A presentation is beneficial if the speaker successfully achieves his/her goal in making the presentation. In general, if a presentation is good the audience was engaged and gained a benefit from the presentation such as receiving information, being motivated to do something, or persuaded to act.

EDMS 550 - Journal Review

Harry Steinkamp

Technology and Topics

Journal Review

1/20/11

            The journal article I read is entitled, “Virtual Warrensburg:  Using Cooperative Learning and the Internet in the Social Studies Classroom.” The article was written by a high school social studies teacher explaining the benefits of students working collaboratively using technology to investigate local history topics. In the example project the teacher used in his classroom, students were assigned to investigate a variety of topics concerning the local history of the city where the school is located. Students worked in teams collaboratively to research the assigned local history topic and then created web pages to share and communicate the information obtained during field trips to the city’s historical museum.

            I found this article to be very interesting and potentially very useful to me when I become a high school social studies teacher. One of the primary benefits I obtained from the article was a thorough and detailed understanding of the difference between cooperative learning and group work. The author analyzed the PIES (Positive interdependence, Individual accountability, Equal participation, Simultaneous interaction) model for cooperative learning describing each element that was required for an effective cooperative learning activity. After reading the article, I now have a working knowledge of what cooperative learning is, and I have a working model (provided in the article) to use to create a wide variety of cooperative learning activities to fit different educational situations and meet different education goals as necessary. Not only can cooperative learning be used to study local history topics, but it can be used for other historical research or in place of group activity projects.

            The other primary benefit I obtained from the article was a real-life example of an effective cooperative learning activity utilizing technology designed specifically for a high school social studies classroom that I can use when I become a teacher. The investigation of local area history topics is a universal activity plan that can easily be adopted and modified to any school in the country. If I am teaching in Cincinnati, a field trip to the Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal, where the historical society is located, is most likely feasible and a good educational experience for high school students. There are also other venues where students could go to research the history of Cincinnati such as the Public Library of Cincinnati and the Underground Freedom Center. There are also a multitude of topics to research and investigate regarding the local history of Cincinnati. Everything from important locations to important people, important buildings, and important events, Cincinnati offers a wealth of potential research topics for high students to investigate and learn more about.

            The article also provided some important information regarding the benefits of using cooperative learning in the classroom. Research was cited indicating learning gains for both low and high achieving students after participating in a cooperative learning activity. Approximately one hundred studies confirm the positive benefits of cooperative learning including long-term retention, intrinsic motivation, time on task, and critical thinking. Students gain important skills such as learning how to collaborate with others, maybe with other individuals from different backgrounds, and how to use technology. Both skills are required skills for success in the twenty-first century work environment, regardless of the career or job one chooses. Additionally, students participating in cooperative learning learn valuable social skills, including respect for others, after working closely with others to achieve a common goal. These facts and statistics are important to know to persuade students, parents, and faculty/administrators of the effectiveness of using cooperative learning activities in conjunction with technology in the social studies classroom to improve both the academic achievement and social skills of students.

Scheuerell, Scott. “Virtual Warrensburg:  Using Cooperative Learning and the Internet in the Social Studies Classroom.” Social Studies 101 (2010):  194-199. Accessed January 20, 2011. doi:10.1080/00377990903493861.

First Blog

This blog was established for my Technology & Topics for Educators course at XU.