Again and again, it’s easy to see how research-based strategies can have a powerful impact in the classroom. But one of the challenges is, “What happens when you try to blend technology into them?” One of my concerns is that the effectiveness of a strategy goes down as you change it. This turns the instructional strategies into never-changing approaches and that’s not really realistic. How do you strike a balance between effective strategies that work and blending in experimental technologies that add value, rather than take away?

A part of my search is really to find out how others are thinking this through. I’ve shared a few blog entries here, and will be adding more in the future. However, listening to other people struggle with this is great.

Podcast #1: Grantwood AEA Digital Learning

• Visible Learning with John Hattie (Jonathan Wylie, Mindy Cairney and Gina Rogers host this particular one…it’s a new podcast for me, so I’m thrilled to have had it pointed out to me!) The site linked above shared these blog posts so I thought I’d also link a few of them here but you can find more at the link above:
• Concept Mapping: The Map that Leads to Effective Instruction
• Reciprocal Teaching, it’s Not Just for Literacy Teachers!
• Putting it all together: Using the Jigsaw Method with Instructional Technology
• Riddle Me This? Incorporating Questioning into Instructional Technology

Podcast #2: Pedagogy Non Grata

• Interview with John Hattie – On how do we improve teaching?

Podcast #3: Daniel Jackson at TeacherPD