reading reflection

 I read "UNIT9. Using Technology to Teach Thinking Skills" by Chi-Fen Emily Chen



  The development of technology is growing up and up. It is not an optional but essential. We, as a teacher, need to learn and think how to use it for students effectively. There are many ways to use technology in learning. I think that the most important thing in learning, not just in learning language, is making students think by themselves. This is why I picked this article for the reflection to know how technology can be used to teach thinking skills.
  Technology supports thinking in three ways in general. Technology tools are selected to support thinking within an learning approach based on an understanding of inquiry, problem-based learning, and language learning. Technology needs to be examined in terms of a constructivist learning environment where students are allowed to construct meaning for themselves and learn more deeply. Also, computers are used as cognitive enhancers. It scaffold thinking and support collaborative problem solving. for example, it helps learners to remember, comprehend, apply, analyze, and reflect on information through writing, sketching, or recording with multiple modalities. Providing interactivity and user-control is an important reason why computers and the networks are likely to have a longer instructional shelf life than traditional media. There are two thinking skills. Perceptual skills, conceptual skills, Students learn through the senses first. Technology can provide visual perception to help students build a visual and intuitive understanding of objects. To make students become self-directed learners, we need to teach them how to understand program and how it works rather than just asking them to follow teacher’s directions. Web-based learning activities, such as WebQuests, can be designed to gain procedural knowledge. Webqeust is an inquiry-oriented activity which are designed to use learners’ time well, to focus on using information rather than looking for it, and to support learners’ thinking at the levels of analysis, synthesis and evaluation.
  Although the advancement of technology has provided immeasurable benefits and is highly advantageous in aiding the student learning, it should not be considered a replacement for independent problem solving skill development – a crucial aspect of the learning process. This is why we should build student’s thinking skills instead of just providing knowledge through technology.