Insights and Reflections

            As I look back at my philosophies on learning that have been developed over the years, I realize that they are simply a work in progress.  That goes for the things that I learned during my undergraduate degree as well as those that I added in my current course.  A good quarterback will lead a team by giving a hundred percent on the field.  A good boss is one that has high expectations and leads his employees by example.  Similarly, a good teacher should lead their students by also being good learners.  Teaching is not a profession that has one blueprint to be followed until the year is over to produce a perfect outcome.  Each teacher brings their own thoughts and prior experiences to the table just as the students do and needs to use those experiences to try to make connections in the classroom. 

Teachers create cues and advanced organizers to help students make connections to previous knowledge in order to create a foundation in which students can build new understandings. (Pitler et al., 2007)  During week one of my current course, I reflected on my undergraduate degree and the learning theories that I most identified with.  My focus was on Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligences and I cited pieces of technology that I used in my own classroom that supported his theories.  After learning more about the beneficial integration of technology in the classroom, I see now that some of the ways I have implemented technology in the classroom have been teacher centered and may not have had the desired results with respect to the learning outcomes I wanted students to experience. 

            I think the main change that I will make regarding my technology implementation in my classroom is to try to find ways for the students to learn from the technology.  My eyes have been opened to the fact that I use technology frequently in a lecture type of atmosphere so that the class is centered on what I am doing rather than what the students are learning.  After trying different projects, I have seen the positive results of proper use in the classroom.  There are two different tools that I plan to use in my classroom as a result of my new outlook on technology use.  The first is the Voicethread tool that I experienced during my bridging learning theory course.  This Internet based technology allowed my students to create their own version of vocabulary and kept their interest better than many of the other vocabulary techniques that I have used over the years.  The second is an idea that I have come up with on my own after reflecting on the different things that I have read over the duration of this course.  I recently purchased an iPad for my own personal use.  It has a program on it called iMovie and is basically a video editing program which is fairly easy to manipulate.  By allowing students to access the cameras that are built into the device,  they can create their own videos and mini documentaries that could engage them further and help them to develop a better understanding of certain areas of the curriculum.  Each person relates to new knowledge by actively constructing their own meaning based on prior experiences. (Laureate, 2011)  Students can use each of these tools to work in groups and create products that enhance their understanding and allows them to learn in new, more exciting ways.

When I decided to become a teacher, my decision was reached from a desire to help students learn and to connect with them in ways that I felt were being overlooked.  I have had teachers in my life that were very exciting and I have also had some that were incredibly ineffective.  Over the years I feel that I myself have become a little stagnant and perhaps have lost sight of my original intention.  After reflecting on my classroom and the techniques that I use to teach my students, I find myself wanting to accomplish two things in the coming year.  I would like to recapture my own desire to connect with students in a meaningful way and I would also like to find ways to use technology in the classroom so that students are excited about the content and are eager to become immersed in the learning process.  Each of these desires can be achieved by using technology in ways that are not just teacher centered.  Finding new tools, learning to use them myself, and then implementing them in the classroom are only a piece of the puzzle.  I feel it is equally important for me to be excited about the material and find ways to use my own experiences to enhance the lessons.  By finding new and exciting ways to learn, I will then be able to transfer that excitement to the students in my classroom and lead by example rather than to lead by lecture.

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011). Program seven: Constructionist and constructivist learning theories [Video webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Retrieved from http://laureate.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5700267&CPURL=laureate.ecollege.com&Survey=1&47=2594577&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=0&bhcp=1

Social Learning, Voice Threads, and Technology

Jason Hoffman’s Voice Thread  www.voicethread.com/share/2299644/

The technology that is available today can be both a hindrance as well as a benefit.  Sometimes the only difference between the two depends on how and for what reason the technology is utilized.  Students today are immersed in technology.  They have video game systems that connect to the Internet.  The phones in their pocket can do as much as many home computers from any location.  Even the mp3 players that they use can do many things that were unheard of a short time ago.  These devices provide instant feedback in multiple formats and students have become accustomed to this steady flow of data and information.  Traditional methods of teaching such as lecture or worksheet teaching simply will not hold their interest. 

            Social learning has been a large part of how I have mastered concepts and ideas since I can remember.  It still is.  Whether it’s watching older boys jump their bike a certain way, buying clothing seen on a television ad, or bouncing ideas off colleagues at a staff development meeting, we all participate in some form of social learning.  Even little things, like following a crowd to the entrance of a ball game, are learned responses to observed behavior.  Most human behavior is learned observationally through modeling: from observing others one forms an idea of how new behaviors are performed, and on later occasions this coded information serves as a guide for action (Laureate Education, 2011). 

            Most educators and students alike are familiar with social networking tools such as Facebook, My Space, Twitter, and YouTube.  Countless hours are spent looking at what other people have done or created and then commenting on it or mimicking it.  Technology is already being used in people’s personal lives to exchange information, form ideas, and engage in ongoing conversations.  They may not always be positive, but they still fit the concept of social learning and connectivism.  With all this technology available in so many facets of society, it makes sense that the classroom should utilize some of the available tools to engage students in learning.  A simple tool like voice threads can enhance a lesson and help to make connections in learning that may not otherwise have been possible.  Students can collaborate and build on each other’s ideas to form a final product that is much more powerful than copying definitions onto paper.  In the voice thread linked above I experimented with some simple definitions since math vocabulary is sometimes difficult to develop interest in.  What I found was that students visited the site from home on their own, discussed it amongst themselves, and talked about it the next day without being prompted.  Integrating technology into lessons that are based on group collaboration and experience based learning not only allows students the chance to learn from each other, it builds a much stronger foundation of knowledge that may not have existed with a more traditional approach to teaching. 

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011). Program eight: Social learning theories [Video webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Retrieved from http://laureate.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011). Program nine: Connectivism as a Learning Theory [Video webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Retrieved from http://laureate.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn

Constructionism and Technology in the Classroom

Constructivism and technology have a complementary relationship.  Implementing them together only strengthens the lesson and allows a deeper connection in the learning process.  Technology in the classroom needs to be viewed from the perspective of constructing knowledge.  Constructivism is derived mainly from the work of Piaget, Vygotsky, and Papert.  It assumes that learning takes place in contexts, and that learners form or construct much of what they learn and understand based on their prior knowledge and experience (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011). Constructivist learning environments combined with cognitive technology tools help to guide and activate critical thinking and the construction of a deeper knowledge base.

This week we looked at different types of technology that can be used to enhance the learning process.  The main tools were spreadsheets and data collection tools.  Microsoft Excel is the most widely used and accessible tool, but there are certainly many others that can be utilized.  Programs like Excel, if they are implemented correctly, can have a strong impact on a learner and can allow them to delve deeper into the content than they may have otherwise.  I have witnessed, in other teachers classrooms and sometimes my own, Excel being used to simply enter data and make a graph.  I believe the difficulty in using technology for many teachers is using it in a meaningful way. 

Our county has spent quite a bit of money on SMART boards, projectors, wireless tablets, and Microsoft software.  They often give these tools to teachers without providing the training that would undoubtedly assist them in the implementation process.  Consequently, teachers only scratch the surface of potential for these tools.  One project I implemented last year was a flora and fauna identification lab.  Students went into the grove of trees outside of our school with tape measures and string.  Each group marked off a two hundred and fifty square foot area.  They then used books to identify the types of plants and trees in the space.  They took that information and put it into Excel where they created graphs.  They then make brochures using Microsoft Publisher to make a travel brochure which included graphs of tree types, percentages of different trees, and types of flowers that could be used.  They used actual photographs that they took to enhance the brochures.  This was a constructivist activity which allowed students to build on knowledge they already had and use knowledge that was recently gathered.  Projects like this one show that technology use under the constructivist umbrella can be a powerful tool and can only enhance the depth of knowledge that students acquire in the long run.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011). Program seven: Constructionist and constructivist learning theories [Video webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Retrieved from http://laureate.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5700267&CPURL=laureate.ecollege.com&Survey=1&47=2594577&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=0&bhcp=1

Cognitivism and Technology

Jean Piaget stated that, “The development of human cognition, or intelligence, is the continual struggle of a very complex organism trying to adapt to a very complex environment” (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011).  This belief system falls under the cognitivism umbrella but is still very closely related to behaviourism.  Cognitive psychologists share with behaviourists the belief that the study of learning should be objective and that learning theories should be developed from the results of empirical research. However, cognitivists disagree with the behaviourists in one critical aspect.  By observing the responses that individuals make to different stimulus conditions, cognitivists believe that they can draw inferences about the nature of the internal cognitive processes that produce those responses.

This week we looked at different ways to organize data, summarize information, and take notes.  Each of these categories was approached from a technological standpoint.  Tools such as word processors, spreadsheets, and graphic organizers are a few of the main pieces of technology that were touched upon.  I have seen numerous teachers use this technology in the classroom, but it was not until recently that I came to a realization.  Without proper planning and intent, these tools can be as ineffective as a daily worksheet or some other form of busy work.  When applied within a well thought out curriculum, they can enhance the learning experience and further the cognitive process.  

I teach sixth grade math.  My students are eleven and twelve years old generally.  According to cognitive theorists, my students fall between concrete operational and formal operational periods in their cognitive development.  This means that they are beginning to master abstract, logical notions and hypothetical notions.  I believe the implementation of technology, especially graphic organizers, can have a great impact on the students learning process.  The graphic organizer in particular, for me, lends itself to this enhancement.  By being able to see a concept visually, students can assimilate it more accurately and can begin to form opinions and hypotheses about the content being studied.   Technology is certainly a useful tool in all parts of the learning process, but it needs to be applied with careful planning and must have the learner in mind.  

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011). Program five: Cognitive learning theory [Video webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Retrieved from http://laureate.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5700267&CPURL=laureate.ecollege.com&Survey=1&47=2594577&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=0&bhcp=1

Behaviorism in Today's Classroom

Behaviorism in Today’s Classroom

“Behaviorist learning theories emphasize changes in behavior that result from stimulus-response associations made by the learner” (Orey, 2001).  The emphasis on behaviorist learning has decreased in recent years.  However, this does not mean that the theories can’t be used successfully for certain applications in the classroom.  This is only one approach.  There are many and yet none of them seems to be a cure-all.  Taking important concepts from each theory and using them together requires making the same types of connections that we expect from our students. 

Reinforcing effort in the classroom is one area where a behaviorist approach can be successful.  The use of spreadsheet software to create an effort chart is a good example.  Students would become familiar with the rubric and would be conditioned to expect a certain outcome depending on their weekly progress.  A simple thing like receiving teacher praise after a week of progress could be considered behaviorist. 

Homework is an opportunity for students to practice the concepts that they covered in class that day or that week.  It is certainly necessary to help students to master the material.  Teachers frequently praise students for completing homework, put a star next to their name on a bulletin board, or even give out extra privileges in the classroom.  These are all examples of behaviorism and can be used successfully in the classroom.  

In the past, in order to encourage students to put in the effort, I have tried some unique reward based techniques.  I traded one student two tickets for a whitewater rafting trip in exchange for an entire semester of homework completion and grade improvement.  The company is one of our business partners.  I entered into a similar contract with another student where they earned a membership to Gold’s Gym which was donated after I spoke with the manager.  These worked quite well with these two individual students.  I would not use the same method with every student because those items would not interest many students.  Behaviorist theories certainly have their place in the classroom but they need to be used at the discretion of teachers that can implement them while still exploring the many other avenues to learning.  

References:

Orey, M. (Ed.). (2001). Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Main_Page