Learning Theory Reflection

Looking back upon my “Personal Theory of Learning” I still believe that students learn best when they are active participants in the learning process. When students are active and engaged in learning, they are able to connect to the learning and make it meaningful to them. When students construct and manipulate the information, they make connections that allow them to remember and recall the information much better. I still am in support of the Constructivist Learning Theory. However, I have become more ecliptic in my approach to learning after taking this class. I have a greater understanding of all the different learning theories and the strategies that help students learn with these different perspectives in mind. I am looking forward to implementing these new strategies and tools into my classroom. I have already begun using mind maps with my students on a regular basis.

Two immediate instructional practices regarding technology that I would like to implement are the use of VoiceThread and PowerPoint. These two tools will allow my students to actively use technology as they are learning content. These tools also approach student learning using multi-sensory applications that provide students with the opportunity to represent their knowledge in a variety of techniques.

Two long-term goal changes that I would like to make are to get more computers in my classroom or get the district to provide a lab on a cart, and the second goal is to transition my technology tools from instructional to learning tools. These two goals go hand in hand together. The more access to computers the more opportunities I will be able to get technology into my student’s hands. I will also continue to seek district-sponsored professional development after I have completed this masters program. I am going to be taking two technology courses Advance PowerPoint, and Advanced Google Tools this spring.

Social Learning Theory

Social learning theories are based on the belief that students actively engage in constructing artifacts in a social setting where students can have conversations that help contextualize the information. According to Beaumie Kim, “individuals create meaning through their interactions with each other and with the environment they live in.” “Meaningful learning occurs when individuals are engaged in social activities.”(Orey, 2001)

Using the strategy “Cooperative Learning” as an instructional tool in the classroom definitely promotes the ideas of social learning. Cooperative learning allows students to construct meaning and knowledge together by working side by side with other students. “By combining teamwork and individual accountability, students work toward acquiring both knowledge and social skills.”(Orey, 2001)

I really liked the two-week movie project that students constructed about a famous mathematician in cooperative learning groups. I really like that the students not only work together to do the research, but they are working together to teach the information to other students. They become the so called experts in the field. These students are creating an artifact in a social setting that will make the learning meaningful and fun for the students.

Orey, M.(Ed.). (2001). Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

VoiceThread

Here is the URL to my VoiceThread. My problem is where to go with a student who is struggling to write.
http://voicethread.com/#q.b883774.i0.k0

Constructivism in Practice

Constructionism is a theory of learning that believes students learn best when they build some sort of artifact that allows them to construct their own meaning. Basically students need to have first hand experiences with the content so that they can construct knowledge through experiences. Technology tools presented this week are used to allow the students to conduct these experiences with the content presented in the classroom.

I really enjoyed reading and learning about the interactive savings and investment spreadsheet created in Microsoft excel in Ch. 11 of Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works. Mrs. Omar designed three scenarios for students to hypothesis and test using Microsoft Excel. The students were able to enter the data and manipulate the information. After the students conduct the test by entering the data they get to see the results in a line graph and compare these results with their hypothesis. This activity is allowing students to experience and create an artifact that shows understanding of savings, investments, and interest rates. The students are an active participant in the learning that is taking place.

I also believe that Dr. Orey’s example of using PowerPoint with students is another great way to engage students in a constructionist tool. When using PowerPoint the students are engaged in creating some sort of artifact that they can present. The artifact that they are constructing is a direct link to the knowledge that they are creating. I shared the pamphlet idea with one of my colleagues that teaches language arts and she thought it was an excellent idea and is going to try it next quarter on a book project. I also believe that I could easily adapt this pamphlet idea into a social studies unit.

Constuctionism alone is not the answer to all the problems that we face as educators, but it is an essential piece to the puzzle that we must allow are students to experience.

Cognitive Tools

Cognitive learning theorists believe learning is a process that takes place as information enters through the senses. The information is processed and stored in short term memory and long term memory. Short term memory can store and process 7, plus or minus two, pieces of information at one time. To become long term memory, the information is connected to other information and is stored as a declarative memory, procedural memory or an episodic event. The more connections students build the more information they can store and remember.

This week’s resources are full of excellent cognitive tools to enhance instructional strategies. Concept mapping helps keep the information manageable and organized in a manner that replicates the network model of memory. Combining concept mapping with brainstorming questions helps students make connections to the content that will enable them to store the information. Using visual representations in concept mapping is also a very effective tool in helping students store and remember information. I also enjoyed the rule based summarizing for note taking in Microsoft Word. It will help students keep the information manageable focusing on the content that is important. I am looking forward to trying this with my fifth grade class during a social studies lesson. Another example that I found to align with cognitive principles is the Virtual Field Trip. The Virtual Field Trip builds numerous connections to stored information and can help create episodes that become stored in long term memory. These cognitive based tools can help increase student engagement, understanding, and ability to recall information.

Behaviorism in Practice

This weeks learning resource, Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works, explored two strategies that closely align with principles of the behaviorist learning theory. First, “Reinforcing Effort” and relating it to immediate feedback is an example of reinforcing desirable behaviors and punishing or presenting no reinforcement for undesirable behaviors. This strategy uses each student’s level of effort and its relationship to achievement. If students gain positive rewards for high achievement due to putting forth effort, they will continue to put forth effort in the future. An example that my fifth grade team and I use to reinforce effort is a bulletin board in the hallway titled “Excellence Requires Responsibility”. Every student gets their mug shot photo placed on the board. If they have a missing assignment, their photo is removed from the board. At the end of each quarter, the students who have remained on the bulletin board receive some sort of positive reinforcement.

The second strategy, “Homework and Practice” is another example of using behaviorist methods. Not all homework and practice activities are alike, but some homework and practice activities require immediate feedback to the students. Almost every teacher that I have observed uses some form of positive reinforcement or negative reinforcement after students have completed homework. This feedback provides students with a stimulus that increases the probability that the students will do it again or will correct the mistakes made. Students need to practice concepts and skills that they have learned, so they become proficient. For example, fifth graders need to learn the multiplication table. To become efficient with the multiplication table, students need to practice over and over improving on their speed and accuracy of recall. Students receive immediate feedback by answering quickly and accurately. After reading the spreadsheet software section in the text, I could have the students record their results every week in Microsoft Excel and then graph the information in a bar graph or line graph charting their results and progress. There are also examples provided in the text that present information in a programmed instruction format. One of these examples is Eddie Awards. The EdAlive program is formed to help every child flourish when their sense of self-worth is affirmed. I could not explore the entire program without purchasing the program, but the tutorial gave affirmation when responses were correct. I understand that behaviorist methods alone are not enough to meet the needs of my students, but they are valid in some situations to help students learn.

Reflection Post

As this course draws to a close, I realize how much more confidence I am in my technology skills. I have learned how to use podcasts, wikipedias, and blogs to help become a more effective teacher. This class has given me the passion to continue to learn the new technologies that are presented and apply them to the classroom.

Being a recent graduate of an education program in 2003, they spoke to us about the methodology transformation from being teacher-centered learning to a learning-centered approach. When I got my first teaching job, I didn’t understand how to apply this learning centered approach to my job. My co-workers definitely did not support this idea of a learner-centered approach. Since then, I got a new job at an elementary school that is into teamwork and support. With the knowledge that I have gained from this class, I am beginning to see how technology is an important piece to the puzzle to create a learner-centered environment. Allowing students opportunities to seek out the information not only develops excellent skills that they will need in the future, but it allows them to construct the information in a meaningful context. Technology allows this construction of learning to take place in a fast, easy, anytime, anywhere environment if students are provided the tools and training. Before taking this class, I didn’t understand how important it is to have students prepared for 21st century literacy technologies. I now understand how important it is to provide my students with opportunities to learn using 21st century skills that will be essential to their success in the future.

To continue and expand my development in teaching and learning using 21st century technologies, I need to seek more professional development. I need to continue to learn and find training on implementing these technologies into the classroom. I also need to make time to use the community of educators that are online using educational blogs and websites like the Partnership for 21st Century Skills.

The first long term goal for transforming my classroom environment is to get more computers into my classroom, so that students have access to the technologies that are available. I currently have 3 student computers in my classroom. By working with my school district technology coordinator and applying for grants, I hope to have 10-15 computers in my classroom within the nest 2 years. The second long term goal that I would like to accomplish is to use podcasts or wikis in my classroom every quarter as a performance assessment. Within every quarter, I would like to give my students the opportunity to produce something that will be published world wide. The largest obstacle will be time. It will take time early in the school year to train my students on how to use podcast and wikis properly.