Inquiry & Multimedia: Are Students Really Constructing Knowledge?

Find out how journal writing, collaboration, scaffolding and information technologies can be brought to bear on student inquiry and knowledge construction. You will learn many techniques to develop students’ deep understanding of the content and of their thinking processes.

Many students are engaged in inquiry-based projects and in creating ‘multimedia presentations’ to report their project findings. These presentations typically include graphics, text, sound, animation, and video. Many of these projects are attractive and interesting, but:

What knowledge have the students constructed in their creation or was it merely a ‘cut and paste’ activity?
Did they learn procedural or metacognitive knowledge that will add to their expertise as a learner? That is, did they learn more about how to learn?

Audience: All levels

Resources:

Brenda Sherry online: wiki (many resources!), website, Twitter
Peter Skillen online: website, Twitter
The Maker Movement: getting kids creating with Maker Faires and Maker studios: http://site3.ca, http://makerkids.ca, http://www.thingtanklab.com/makerpassport/canadian-maker-spaces/
Big Thinkers: Sylvia Libow Martinez & Gary Stager’s Invent to Learn, Seymour Papert – on Constructionism, Early Video,
Using TurtleArt: TurtleArt, Video tutorial, Gallery, TurtleArt stamps,
Scaffolding for deep understanding
Student samples: Tobacco, Texting, Hidden
Knowledge Building, Visible Thinking, Natural Curiosity (and video)
Ministry of Education: Capacity Building Series, Inquiry-based Learning (pdf link)

About the Facilitators:

Brenda Sherry is currently an Itinerant Technology Coach at Upper Grand District School Board in Guelph, Ontario, after 20 years as a regular classroom and special education teacher. She has co-founded Minds On Media, works on the Educational Computing Organization’s Annual Conference, develops and facilitates professional learning for the Ontario Teacher’s Federation and Wilfrid Laurier University (AQ Courses) and has been a Connected Coach and a Community Leader with the PLP Network, a professional learning community for educators.

Twitter: @brendasherry

Blog/Website: The Learning Zone www.brendasherry.com

Peter Skillen has been involved in technology supported, project-based learning since the late 1970s and continues to explore & develop deep applications of the latest Web 2.0 technologies – particularly as it relates to learner agency, passion, motivation and cognitive intent. Peter is Manager of Professional Learning with the YMCA of Greater Toronto, co-founder of Minds On Media, and also serves iEARN-Canada, Teacher Learning & Leadership Program (TLLP), Educational Computing Organization of Ontario (ECOO), International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) as global ambassador, and teaches online & face-to-face with the Ontario Teachers’ Federation. His latest passion is involvement with Global Dignity Day! Twitter: @peterskillen Blog: peterskillen.org

Accessibility Skip to:

Text size

History:

Learning

Skip to: