“What does/can it mean that cognition is distributed between and among students and the technologies they learn with or teachers and the technologies that augment their classroom practices?” will be the final question I will answer for this series of posts. What I have found is that distributing cognition is occurring between students and technology, objects, teachers, and even their classmates. As for the teacher, distributed cognition is occurring when utilizing Martin’s tools (monitoring, off-loading, translation, and connections). It’s crucial that the teacher uses technology to leave a positive impact on his/her students. There is an appropriate time and place for technology in the classroom, and it’s important for teachers to find that balance.
During one of my observations, I was able to see a centers lesson that was focused on the life cycle of a plant. At one center there was interaction between the teacher and students in a choral reading activity. After reading, the teacher used the monitoring strategy to assess student learning by asking questions. Another group of students were working on an individual “Life Cycle” booklet, again monitoring what the students have learned. The last group was assigned to conduct internet research on the life cycle and record their findings. This would be an example of Saloman’s effects with technology, since there is an application of performance through technology. Technology is used here as a connection by providing students with online resources, which is explained in Lee’s article. Also, because the information provided allows students to share their findings with a group of peers, creating a collaborative environment.
Technology and well thought out activities have allowed this teacher to keep all of her students on track, even when she’s focusing on a small group. From my observations, I would agree that technology does make you smarter. Sure, there are disadvantages, but technology allows students to gain independence while in the classroom. Being involved in this second grade classroom at Gesu has really opened my eyes to the world of technology and how it is utilized in schools today.
Sources:
Martin, Lee. Connection, Translation, Off-Loading, and Monitoring: A Framework for Characterizing the Pedagogical Functions of Educational Technologies. Technology, Knowledge and Learning vol. 17, no. 3, 2012, pp. 94.
Perkins, D. & Soloman, G. Do Technologies Make Us Smarter? Intellectual Amplification With, Of, and Through Technology. Intelligence and Technology: The Impact of Tools on the Nature and Development of Human Abilities, 2005, pp. 72-77.
Haley's Educational Technology Class 