Higher+Order+Thinking

__**How can technology be used to support higher order thinking?**__

Higher order thinking being able to remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate and create. This involves students using complex problem solving skills in order to solve, comprehend and create new real life problems. Technology can be a very helpful tool to support higher order thinking. Technology provides tools and opportunities to students that otherwise they would not have. Technology offers programs that help students to analyze information and interpret it (excel and word to create surveys and taking the data and applying it). Technology also provides the opportunity to watch videos or listen to podcasts to learn new things and take that information and apply it in other things (such as watching an informational video on YouTube and taking what was learned and evaluating it to see if it is legitimate information). There are also computer games being created that may help eliminate the use of books in the classroom. One example of a game is Making History which allows students to interact in World War II and learn what consequences will arise from their decisions.  Illuminations is an online resource for teaching and learning mathematics. By clicking the activities button a student can access several different programs that can help them understand certain mathematical concepts. For younger kids there is an activity called Bobbie Bear. This allows the students to actually figure out how many different combinations of clothing the bear can wear by interacting with the bear and actually dressing him. After this the student is asked to give a guess of what they believe the answer is. This allows the students to understand, apply, analyze, and evaluate the math problem.

Link to Illuminations Site: @http://illuminations.nctm.org/