My question was; how can students use technology for problem-solving activities?
The ability to problem solve effectively has been, and continues to be a crucial life skill. It is used both in academic settings and in everyday life. This means that it is absolutely necessary for students to learn and for educators to teach. There is a strong correlation between problem-solving and decision-making. Both are skills that will be of great use to students beyond the classroom, extending to their daily lives. Developing the aforementioned skills can help students avoid conflict and be more empathetic. Technology can be effectively incorporated into the teaching of problem-solving. Using technology allows students to identify problems more efficiently and also facilitates stronger and more in-depth analysis of more complex problems. Technology also allows students to find information from a wide variety of sources. It fosters creative thinking. One great use of technology to develop skills is coding. “Coding is the language of critical thinking. It requires students to define problems, break them into parts, and be resourceful in finding the answers to their problems” (Kiang, 2014). Teaching and using coding can be a great tool for facilitating student engagement and supporting learning in different content areas as well as at different levels. It is creative, has a lot of freedom, empowers students and is highly interactive. Coding also allows for collaboration and is helpful in building powerful skills the students can use in the future.
Sources:
Saxena, S. (2014, January 8). Problem-Solving Activities With the Help of Technology. Retrieved July 26, 2015, from http://edtechreview.in/trends-insights/insights/749-problem-solving-activities-with-the-help-of-technology
Kiang, D. (2014). 3 ways coding and gaming can enhance learning. Edutopia. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/coding-and-gaming-enhance-learning-
MAT Blog of Danielle Petrovich 
Hi Danielle,
Interesting topic! I was extremely impressed with your Coogle! Wow! You did a great job at integrating so many different ideas and concepts into your main idea. This is a great representation of a very useful website!
Katie
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Thank you! I have been enjoying Coggle, I can definitely see myself using it outside this class to organize my thoughts for papers and other notes.
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Thanks for the interesting blog post. This past year, my class participated in the “Hour of Code,” and they loved it. There were numerous coding activities to choose from, and every student was engaged. I agree that coding is very empowering. Thanks for the great blog post.
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I’ve heard about the Hour of Code! Sounds like an awesome opportunity for students! Thank you for reading and commenting
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I like that you mention that these skills will extend past the classroom and into students’ daily lives. So many adults I know of lack problem solving skills. I can’t help but wonder if they had been taught these skills in school with more of a focus on empathy toward others and understanding other individuals, would they have turned in to more productive adults? Interesting topic and something for me to consider as I make the transition into the teaching profession, thanks.
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