Week 2 Blog Assignment

Part 1 

The AIW framework uses three different principles to confirm students are receiving an engaging higher level educational experience. Traditional approaches focus more on repetition and memorization, as well as standardized testing. The AIW approach is more to engage students in a deeper level of thinking. Through the AIW framework, students will show mastery through their ability to problem-solve and use higher-order thinking. With this approach, retention of information is more advanced and students are able to show a true understanding of the skills. 

The three components of AIW are construction of knowledge, disciplined inquiry, and value beyond school. The construction of knowledge involves one's ability to organize, interpret, evaluate, and synthesize prior knowledge to solve new problems (King et al, 2015). This is considered the higher-order thinking pillar of the framework. Disciplined inquiry is what guides construction of knowledge. Students must use their prior knowledge, strive for in-depth understanding, and be able to develop and express their new findings through elaborate communication (King et al, 2015). This is the second pillar of the AIW framework. The third pillar of the AIW framework is value beyond school. The idea for value beyond school is for students to find the connections between academic knowledge and situations in the real world in a way that will enhance the importance of the knowledge (King et al, 2015). 

The component of the AIW framework that resonates with me most is the value beyond school. This component is one that I look at and try to use as my approach in each of the lessons within my classroom. I want my students to see how learning these skills will help them or be useful in the real world. When students understand that the things they are learning within the classroom are more than just something they will see on a standardized test, but something that may help them save money or run a company one day they will more likely want to learn. When students have tangible outcomes to their learning it will increase their motivation to complete the tasks. 

An example of AIW in my classroom that we have used previously is s project based learning where students would randomly be put in families where they would choose jobs, house, and community. Then students would be given an account balance and a checkbook. Students would then as a group decide how to budget and live as a family for a month. They would have to figure out what activities the kids could do, what groceries they could buy, and what extras they could afford. Through this activity, the students learned the value of money and also had to do addition and subtraction. It also taught students how to work as a team and to compromise on decisions. This activity uses all three components of the AIW framework and is a great activity that really engages students in the learning process. 

Part 2 

The 2024 NETP focuses on transformative and inclusive education, by ensuring that every student no matter their background can benefit from the integration of technology within their learning (Unknown, 2024). Like the AIW framework, the NETP is made up of three main components as well. The NETP frames three key divides that are limiting technology within education. The three key divides are the digital use divide, digital design divide, and digital access divide (U.S. Department of Education, 2024). The goal of the NETP is to focus on these three divides and how to use educational technology to develop learning experiences that will promote successful educational opportunities and outcomes (U.S. Department of Education, 2024). With AIW the goal is for students to problem-solve and use high-order thinking to accomplish mastery of a topic. Through “digital use divide” students should use technology to strengthen their learning by using said technology to explore, create, and engage in inquiry of academic content and knowledge (U.S. Department of Education, 2024). A way to connect “digital use divide” and AIW would be giving students the opportunity to conduct a research project like the wax museum project I mentioned last week, without giving the students so many specific parameters to follow within their research. For example, I would not give the students the best websites to use and I would not give them preformulated slides and questions. This would allow the students to explore and grow a deeper knowledge base on the individual which they have chosen to research for this project. It would also teach the students the skill of identifying the most important information. 

Part 3 

There are very clear similarities between the AIW framework and Kolb’s Triple Es framework. Each of these frameworks have three main components which make up the frameworks and some of these components do overlap. The focus for both of the frameworks is to reinforce learning and engagement within the classroom. With the project based activity I have described above, student engagement is at an all time high, because students find this activity more meaningful and less of a rote learning experience. In this project, technology would enhance the project because it would allow the students to research the cost of real world items and have a true understanding of the cost of living today. Both of the frameworks discuss the importance of extending the learning beyond the classroom and this project truly does that through the students learning about today’s economy as well as learning life skills about budgeting. 

King, M. B., Newmann, F. M., & Carmichael, D. L. (2015). Authentic intellectual work: Common standards for Teaching Social Studies. Social Studies Today, 1(73), 43–49. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315726885-12 

State Educational Technology Directors Association. (2024, February 5). NETP - leadership, technology, Innovation, learning. SETDA. https://www.setda.org/netp/ 

U.S. Department of Education. (2024, January 22). U.S. Department of Education releases 2024 National Educational Technology Plan. U.S. Department of Education Releases 2024 National Educational Technology Plan | U.S. Department of Education. https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/us-department-education-releases-2024-national-educational-technology-plan