Reflecting on What I Know About Rethinking Computers and Instruction

Must I use a inquiry-based learning approach in my classroom to use computers as a tool?

I don't believe you have to use a inquiry-based learning approach in your classroom to use computers as a tool.  I believe you can use computers as a tool with multiple learning approaches; inquiry-based learning, problem-based learning, and project-based learning approaches.  Computers can assist in problem solving which is needed in an inquiry-based approach to learning beacuse the internet is full of links and websites with factual information, different opinions, reasearch, etc which can help students problem solve and reach their own conclusion.  This is a key part of learning.  Computers are also a very effective tool to use when taking a problem-based approach to learning beacause they assist in exploration, much like I mentioned above.  When taking a project-based approach to learning computers are an effective tool not only in researching information through the web but also by creating spreadsheets and graphs or charts, etc to demonstrate a students outcomes or data or simply create a presentation.  A computers ability to present ones outcomes in a variety of ways is an effective tool for all learning approaches.

Can I still use tutorial and drill-and-practice software?

Drill-and-practice software is an older concept still used very frequently today.  Drill-and-practice software provides students with a series of problems or questions to answer and then responds with one of three responses.

1. Simple identification whether the response is correct
2. Correctness of response plus correct answer if the responses was incorrect
3. Correctness of response plus correct answer, if needed, with the addition of instructive feedback to explain why the answer was incorrect. 

Tutorials present learners with new content and provide practice and feedback on the content.  The tutorial content is typically divided into discrete sections or modules that are completed in a structured linear approach or as a branched approach.  Many of the newer tutorials incorporate a multimedia format that combines text, narration, video, and images to teach targeted information or skills.

After using computers to give a tutorial on a topic of study, Drill-and-Practice software is a great way to review and reinforce the information beaing taught.  As mentioned in the text, you can use Drill-and-Practice software to create fun and inovative learning experiences for your students that allow them to test there knowledge as they go and continue to improve based on feedback. 
Tutorials can go hand and hand with Drill-and-Practice.  After setting up modules for a learning experience with Tutorials, you can test a students knowledge and allow them to improve their skills through practice by using the three types of feedback practiced in Drill-and-Practice.

Won't I have to spend a great deal of time to develop these units of instruction?

Developing units of instruction can be time consuming the first time you plan them but will gradually become less and less time consuming.  As you perform these units of instruction you can evaluate your students ability to grasp the information and make changes to improve as needed.  As suggested in the text, it is also possible to share lesson plans with fellow teachers and swap feedback with eachother to help improve units as well as comparing and cotrasting lesson plans through NTeQ.

Won't every student need a computer to use it as a tool?

Even though it would be very nice for each student to have their own computers to use as tools, this will not always be an options and in most classrooms won't be.  A way to get around this challenge is to use group learning approaches to allow classmates to work togther to collect information or do research.  This will also give students the opportunity to practice working with others in small group settings which is a skill in its own.  Working in small groups give students the opportunity to learn how to perform discussions with peers, group process, roles, leadership, and cohesion.  Often students will gain more from working together then by just listening to a teacher lecture or instruct.  It causes each student to be more accountable for their involvement and what they learn as well as increasing productivity.  If a group of students gathers the information needed for an assignment on one computer, you can have students present their overall outcomes individually in writing or work as a group to put together a presentation on the computer.  You could also allow students to create rough draft individually after collecting information as a group and as they make corrections to their drafts they can earn the privledge to use the computer to complete theur assignment.