Impact on Higher Order Thinking

• What types of skills and thought processes are considered higher-order?
According to Blooms Taxonomy of Thinking, there is are several levels of thinking. It begins with simple recall or remembering information, which requires less cognition than the other levels of thinking such as analysis, evaluation and creation. For example, it is requires less cognition to recite the reasons why the United States entered World War II. Now, to present students with the same reasons and them ask them to make predictions on how certain historical figures might react would require more cognitive processing, therefore it is considered higher order thinking. Likewise, to learn a song on the guitar is much lower than it is to take chords that have been learned and create an original song.


• Why do we seem to focus more on higher-order thinking skills now than we did in the past?
As more and more research is done on this subject, results paint a pretty clear picture. As educators teach students higher-order thinking skills, meaningful learning happens. Thinking is required for learning to happen. When a student does drill and kill exclusively, they learn the process, but not any deeper meaning. It is and should be about what we do with the information we learn, not the information itself (Alvermann & Phelps, 1998).


• How does/might technology hinder and/or enhance specific higher-order thinking skills?


Creation is at the top of Bloom's Taxonomy. There are so many apps, programs, devices, assessments and so on that can help students create an original product to demonstrate students' learning. In my opinion, technology is only a hinderance when it becomes a distraction. The amount of resources at our fingertips with technology is staggering. Those resources can help students analyze, cross-reference, and broaden their own understanding.

Impact on Higher Order Thinking

• How does/can technology impact or enhance sensory perception, processing, and storage? 

To increase sensory perception I like to use visuals in my teaching. The easiest way to do this is with technology. As I am discussing a concept, particularly a difficult one, I use images and videos and even sound so that students' attention is grabbed, held, and they can make connections to the images. As students use various technology programs. they are encouraged to gain a deeper understanding of content and in creating they need to process in order to gain a deeper understanding. Google, icloud, phone contact lists require us to remember less and less and increase our capacity to access information.

• How does/can technology utilize the brain's reward systems to reinforce learning?

One example is the Duolingo app. They have a rewards/achievement system in this app. As you login and complete tasks to learn a second language these achievements are awarded, releasing dopamine and reinforcing as we learn a new language. Geomasters is an app that I have used to help students learn the names of countries. It's fun, competitive, and effective. Competition has a reward system.

• How does/can technology engage students' emotions in learning?

Showing images or videos to increase students' empathy of people around the world. I've shown them pictures from the Holocaust, videos from Vietnam, music from the counterculture movement all to get them to feel something. It has proven very effective. Even to the point of having students in tears. I've used music in my teaching to enhance a lecture or a historical speech.

• How does/can technology immerse students in enriched learning environments?

I've had students use technology to research, I've used it to assess, I've had students use it to create projects and products of their learning and when I do, the students seem to be engrossed with what they are doing, varying degrees but in my own classroom I have noticed that when I incorporate technology, the students seem to need me less, and rely more on themselves and the technology to solve a problem or create a product. It's a beautiful thing.

• How does/can technology promote consideration of multiple perspectives and the social negotiation of understanding?

Technology is an incredible tool for enhancing students perspective on social issues and providing them with multiple views on any topic. As a social studies teacher I am constantly looking for ways to expose my students to different sides to a multiple of topics. Tough topics like immigration, racial, gender, and transgender inequality, religion, and many more.