Engage, Enhance, Extend Using Technology

When integrating technology into your classroom, as a teacher it is very important to understand what exactly the terms engage, enhance, and extend refer to. In the Article,  "Engage, Enhance, and Extend Learning!" the author, Liz Keren Kolb defines each of these terms and provides three scenarios which outline specific scenarios that do or do not engage, enhance, and extend student's learning.

There are many resources students and teachers use in their everyday lives, that when used properly, can really engage, enhance, and extend student's learning such as Active Inspire Flipchart, SMART Board, Glogster, as well as social media sites such as Twitter. By utilizing tools such as these, students will be interested, develop a deep understanding, and extend their learning beyond the school and continue to grow even after the school day ends.

Many teachers do not realize although tools such as Power Point and Prezi are great ways to present their content in an appealing, neat, colorful way as well as integrate videos and pictures they do not always enhance and extend the student's learning. If the teacher is not getting the student actively involved, often students will quickly loose interest.

Teachers may use videos in a Powerpoint presentation or Prezi to hook disengaged students, but by also including tools such as SMART Board and Twitter the teacher can keep those students hooked. For example, after a teacher may hook the students the teacher may also use SMART Board to have the students come to the board to reveal hidden facts that go along with the lesson they are teaching that day. Then the teacher may choose to split the class into two teams that will compete using the facts they just learned to complete SMART Board activities they have prepared (this will help the student develop a deep understanding). To extend the students learning the students learned that day the teacher may have each student create a twitter account or use their personal account to tweet three facts they learned that day at the teacher's professional Twitter account as well as follow one account that relates to or has more information on the content they learned that day.

Integrating technology into the classroom is a great way to hook students, help them develop a deep understanding, and bring their learning outside the classroom. It is important for teachers to understand the terms engagement, enhancement, and extension and what they exactly mean in technology integration. By incorporating multiple technology resources, including personal devices, the teacher can be sure they are engaging, extending, and enhancing their student's learning!

References

Kolb, L. (2013). Engage, Enhance, and Extend Learning! Learning & Leading with Technology,
       20-27.from https://e.edim.co/398708/engage_enhance_and_extend52.pdf?

SMART Technologies. (2014, January 1). Training, Content, and Community. Retrieved 
       September 3, 2014, from http://exchange.smarttech.com/#tab=0

The Epoch Times (2012) SMART Technologies Retrieved From:

       http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/united-states/classroom-technology-connects-the-globe-  292879.html

Thompson, J. (2014, January 1). 40 Active Learning Strategies for Active Students. 
       Retrieved  September 3, 2014, from http://teaching.monster.com/benefits/articles/8414-40-active-learning-strategies-for-active-students-