Education & Learning

Instructional Design by Meredith Barker        I have the opportunity to engage pre-preschoolers through fifth graders in science, technology, engineering, art, and math (S.T.E.A.M.) daily. Every day is full of adventure, problem-solving, and learning. Students are collaborating, researching, designing, and constructing. As I am teaching this range of students, I must consider how to reach each grade level in ways that are appropriate for them. As Brown and Green (2024) state, "understanding the target audience of learners and determining in advance what they can and will do is an essential element of any instructional plan" (p. 84). What are ways I can engage the age range of my students? Read below to find out!  Engaging Young Learners      Although I teach an extensive age range of students, one instructional design strategy engages all of my learners: pictures, videos, and infographics. Researchers Sering and Khan (2022) "found...

  Using Immersive Technology in the Classroom by Meredith Barker      Teachers are tasked with integrating technology in insightful, engaging, and effective ways. With so many technology platforms and resources, finding the right tool to use with your students can be challenging. Recently, I had the opportunity to learn about virtual reality and augmented reality which are two types of immersive technologies. Through reading The Immersive Classroom: Create Customized Learning Experiences with AR/VR by Jaime Donally, I learned these tools can open a whole world of possibilities for engaging your students. When using augmented reality in the classroom, students perform at higher levels (AlNaidi, 2022, para. 1). If you are looking for a technology tool to try this year, these are two excellent tools that can bring your classroom to life in new and exciting ways! AR vs. VR: What's the Difference?       Virtual reality completely transforms t...

  Social Media in Education by Meredith Barker      The use of social media continues to grow yearly. Children and adults of all ages frequently scroll on their phones to check the latest posts on their preferred social media site(s). After surveying teens ages thirteen to seventeen, Pew Research Center concluded that 95% of teens had used social media (Pew Research Center, 2023, para. 1). With social media's popularity, should educators use it with their students in the classroom? How do educators set up students for success when using social media?       We need to understand the effects social media has on children. A recent study found that "although social media use demonstrated to be of utility, an excessive or non-correct use may be a risk factor for mental health, including depression, anxiety, and addiction" (Bozzola et al., 2022, para. 1). The study continues to conclude that the incorrect use of social media can also cause unh...

        As an educator, I am constantly brainstorming new and fun ways to engage my students in learning so they will continue paying attention to the presented content. Keeping students interested in the information can be challenging as students can grow bored with the most fun games as they get accustomed to them, and it becomes a routine instead of a new practice. Brown & Green (2024) elaborate on the difficulties of instructional design in the classroom by stating, " creating  learning environments and producing activities that carry out instructional goals and objectives are two of the most exciting and challenging aspects of instructional design" (p. 137).  Think-Pair-Share      I have noticed students ages four to eleven all enjoy talking with their peers. Instead of attempting to get students to sit quietly throughout lessons, allowing students to talk about the subject matter helps keep them engaged. The strategy used for this ...

Learning Through Video by Meredith Barker         Technology is all around us and constantly at our fingertips. Children love screens and engaging with technology from a young age- so much so that medical institutions such as Mayo Clinic release yearly screen time limit recommendations and provide screen safety tips. When children engage in media, it is strongly encouraged that programs are high-quality (Mayo Clinic, 2023). As an educator, I am constantly striving to engage my students in the best ways. Engagement through technology is my most successful tool in the classroom. From pre-schoolers to 5th graders, students get excited when we use technology (robotics, Chromebooks, videos, etc.) in school. The encouragement from Mayo Clinic has pushed me to reflect on my technology use to determine if it is high quality for my students.  High Quality Media in the Classroom      There are constantly more expectations placed on educa...