I believe the social learning theory is another effective way of educating students. Michael Orey reports social learning as a way for students to learn through interactions with others. The theory suggests that students will be impacted by the social interactions that occur while working with their peers. One way the theory is put to the test is when students must teach their peers. An example discussed was when medical students could articulate a solution to a problem, but not actually apply their learning to solve the problem. Michael Orey described this as situated cognition. The social learning theory is one way to help dissolve this issue as peers are responsible for teaching one another while the teacher acts as a facilitator.
The Internet makes the social learning theory more suitable in classrooms today. There are many resources on the Internet that allow students to work collaboratively on projects via the Internet. Technology can facilitate group interactions while providing structure for group tasks, and allows members of groups to communicate even if they are not face to face. Technology allows schools to service students at anytime and facilitate their growth into lifelong learners.
There were several resources listed this week. One that I am familiar with and have used in the past is WebQuests. WebQuests are activities that allow students in a class or from different locations to work on a project or tackle a particular problem. They focus on using information rather than finding it. I designed a WebQuest for sixth grade students that took them on an African safari. The students had to gather the supplies they needed and then change routes as they encountered issues with the animals. This is definitely a task to be taken on in groups. The students worked together to complete the webQuest.
Social sites were listed as a resource as well. I have began to use edmodo in my class for my students. Only my students and their parents are allowed to log into our account. We began to use it as a place for discussion about books. We have taken surveys on this site. Students have shared accomplishments with one another. I believe that our class is more of community since we began this site. I like the way the students drive one another on this site. There are times during classroom discussions that I must stifle the conversation for lack of time, but on this site they can carry one the conversation. At times, I have posted a comment from class that day just to continue the conversation.
Social learning theory is like the other theories. It has a place in my classroom with behaviorism and constructivism. They are all embedded into my classroom. I believe to reach all students you need a variety of teaching styles.
Voice Thread
https://voicethread.com/?#u2624020
References
Pitler H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011). Social Learning Theories. [DVD]. Bridging Learning Theory Instruction and Technology. Baltimore, MD: Author
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Instructional Strategies for Constructivism and Constructionism
Both constructivism and constructionism theories deal with students creating their own meaning by constructing it themselves. This involves the students being very active in learning. Teachers are more of facilitators in this type of environment which can be very challenging at times.
This weeks resources focused on how technology can help students with this type of learning environment. Michael Orey suggested allowing students to create meaning through the use of PowerPoint. Turning students loose to research information and then organize it in a manner that is presentable can be a very challenging task. I believe students need to be taught to learn in this manner. They need to be shown proper ways to research and organize information. This is where the challenge happens in classrooms. Teachers think they must spend so much time teaching content standards that they do not take the time to teach these other important skills. I realized the hard way that my students were ready for this type of learning. I allowed my students to research an area in the state of Indiana and make a brochure to persuade others to visit the area. The students were engaged in the learning and were teaching each other how to find information. Most all of the class was active in this process. I was surprised at their creativity with this learning activity. I have also allowed my students to make news broadcasts telling everyone about the upcoming weather and how to stay safe. This was after reading books in our reading workshop time about weather. I gave them a rubric of expectations and turned them loose for four days to prepare. The ideas they came up with were more creative and brilliant than I ever could have created. It also built on 21st century skills of collaboration which proves to difficult for fourth graders with no exact direction.
It is difficult for some of my students to not be given very specific directions, but I am learning there is great value in me taking a step back and having them create their own meanings. I am fortunate enough to be able to give my students these opportunities with technology. It concerns me though the students who are not fortunate to be able to learn through this manner.
This weeks resources focused on how technology can help students with this type of learning environment. Michael Orey suggested allowing students to create meaning through the use of PowerPoint. Turning students loose to research information and then organize it in a manner that is presentable can be a very challenging task. I believe students need to be taught to learn in this manner. They need to be shown proper ways to research and organize information. This is where the challenge happens in classrooms. Teachers think they must spend so much time teaching content standards that they do not take the time to teach these other important skills. I realized the hard way that my students were ready for this type of learning. I allowed my students to research an area in the state of Indiana and make a brochure to persuade others to visit the area. The students were engaged in the learning and were teaching each other how to find information. Most all of the class was active in this process. I was surprised at their creativity with this learning activity. I have also allowed my students to make news broadcasts telling everyone about the upcoming weather and how to stay safe. This was after reading books in our reading workshop time about weather. I gave them a rubric of expectations and turned them loose for four days to prepare. The ideas they came up with were more creative and brilliant than I ever could have created. It also built on 21st century skills of collaboration which proves to difficult for fourth graders with no exact direction.
It is difficult for some of my students to not be given very specific directions, but I am learning there is great value in me taking a step back and having them create their own meanings. I am fortunate enough to be able to give my students these opportunities with technology. It concerns me though the students who are not fortunate to be able to learn through this manner.
References:
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer) (2010) Constructionist and Constructivist Learning Theories.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer) (2010) Constructionist and Constructivist Learning Theories.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Cognitive Learning
Cognitive Learning happens in three stages. Students engage in sensory input. This information is stored in the short term memory or working memory. Then once it has been put to use enough or connections have been made the information becomes stored in long term memory. This is the ultimate goal in terms of learning. The trouble with this type of learning is that not all students are going to make the same connections thus not all will store the new learning in long term memory. This is where the use of organizers is beneficial to all students.
The idea of concept mapping is not new to education. It is a great way to organize thoughts. The use of technology in concept mapping is a new idea to me. Concept maps allow students to make a dual coded connection. Michael Orey reports that dual coded connections are more likely to create long term memory. Students will get the benefit of visual and text with concept mapping. I believe concept maps would be very beneficial in the beginning for introduction of a unit or at the end to summarize the learning.
Graphic organizers can be used in many ways to introduce new information. This would be one way to tap into the learners background knowledge and possibly expand it for working memory to take place.
Using technology as a tool for introducing new materials will spark interest in students. Most students are familiar with technology well beyond that of their teachers. Allowing students to engage in the creation of concept maps and graphic organizers will likely produce long term memory.
The idea of concept mapping is not new to education. It is a great way to organize thoughts. The use of technology in concept mapping is a new idea to me. Concept maps allow students to make a dual coded connection. Michael Orey reports that dual coded connections are more likely to create long term memory. Students will get the benefit of visual and text with concept mapping. I believe concept maps would be very beneficial in the beginning for introduction of a unit or at the end to summarize the learning.
Graphic organizers can be used in many ways to introduce new information. This would be one way to tap into the learners background knowledge and possibly expand it for working memory to take place.
Using technology as a tool for introducing new materials will spark interest in students. Most students are familiar with technology well beyond that of their teachers. Allowing students to engage in the creation of concept maps and graphic organizers will likely produce long term memory.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Behaviorism
When I initially think of behaviorism, I think of what some people would call the "old school" way of teaching. This comes to mind for two reasons: one is B.F. Skinner's idea of operant conditioning. This means that we reinforce the desired behaviors with praise or reward. An example would be rewarding the students who turn in all their work on time with free time. The hope would be that this would promote this positive behavior thus increasing the learning taking place. The other side of this theory is to ignore or most often punish the undesirable behaviors as a way of trying to decrease the behavior. An example would be taking away recess for a student who did not complete their work. I believe this is used in some form in most classrooms. I know that I try to use praise and reward as an effective method, but sometimes consequence and punishment are used also. Both can be an effective way to manage behavior in the class. The second idea of behaviorism is that drill and practice are the best methods to teach skills.
The drill and practice of skills is particularly important when thinking of remediation of students. Michael Orey states that students are sent to practice skills on a computer because they have not mastered the skills in the classroom. He notes there is a negative connotation with this. The resources provided this week are drill and practice sites that students could use to gain expected skills for the classroom. I believe the skills that could be practiced are valuable to students. Some of them like math facts or grammar rules are skills that I think students would benefit from the practice and drill method of behaviorism. I think students would enjoy the ease and simplicity of the sites while still mastering an important skill. I also believe that this type of learning could be used for summer practice and practice at home.
All teachers want students to learn. It is our job to be certain to find the best method for each child. I believe a variety of methods is most effective in meeting the needs of students. The sites listed follow the behaviorism method of teaching through practice and drill. I believe there is room for this in the classroom, but do not believe it should be the only method of teaching any skill.
The drill and practice of skills is particularly important when thinking of remediation of students. Michael Orey states that students are sent to practice skills on a computer because they have not mastered the skills in the classroom. He notes there is a negative connotation with this. The resources provided this week are drill and practice sites that students could use to gain expected skills for the classroom. I believe the skills that could be practiced are valuable to students. Some of them like math facts or grammar rules are skills that I think students would benefit from the practice and drill method of behaviorism. I think students would enjoy the ease and simplicity of the sites while still mastering an important skill. I also believe that this type of learning could be used for summer practice and practice at home.
All teachers want students to learn. It is our job to be certain to find the best method for each child. I believe a variety of methods is most effective in meeting the needs of students. The sites listed follow the behaviorism method of teaching through practice and drill. I believe there is room for this in the classroom, but do not believe it should be the only method of teaching any skill.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011a). Behaviorist Learning Theory [DVD]. Bridging Learning Theory Instruction and Technology. Baltimore, MD: Author
Smith, K. (1999). The behaviourist orientation to learning. In The encyclopedia of informal education. Retrieved from http://www.infed.org/biblio/learning-behavourist.htm
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Final Reflection
This course has been the most beneficial course I have taken. The requirements for the course have pushed me to leave my comfort zone and work with technology in ways that I had never dreamed I would. Not only has it sparked my interest in technology it has also helped my students. They are excited about the new changes happening in our classroom. I have incorporated a wiki for the intermediate teachers in our building. My students are blogging and I am going to begin a wiki for our classroom as well.
I am finding that although I am a learner also in the process of using the technology tools the students are still receptive to the changes. They are showing me new tools and are excited about what is happening in our class. Their enthusiasm for learning pushes me to incorporate more and more technology into our daily class. It feels good to know that I am giving my students the best possible tools for learning and they are enjoying their learning more and more. Providing students with 21st Century Skills is very important to me. I want to prepare them to the best of my ability.
Technology has also made the students be responsible for their own learning. They are posting to discussions, making weather reports that we video taped, and they are working in groups to create rather than listen. I have found that I am more of a facilitator or coach in the process than the leader. According to David Hall being able to collaborate and communicate is a necessity for students since the jobs of the future will have employees all over the world working through the use of technology.
I have changed a few things since the beginning of this course. I make an effort everyday to use technology in an exciting way whether it be the Internet for research, finding a video to expand an idea, or allowing the students to use the interactive whiteboard to do Math. I am beginning to have students work more in groups to collaborate on projects than I did in the beginning of the year. There are always ones who cannot get along very well and those are the students I try to be certain are getting along because they need to develop the skill more than anyone.
One long term goal for my classroom is to create and utilize a wiki for the class. I want students to have a place where they can log their work they have found on famous Hoosiers. I think this would be such an accomplishment for the students to see at the end of the year. It would also enforce collaboration and communication skills. I need to teach the students how to use the wiki and then require a posting or two a week to maintain it. Another goal of mine is create student portfolios that are electronic. I think this would be a way to showcase work as well. Each student is given an account on our server. Students would have a place to store their work. I know that as a writer I rarely write with pen and paper anymore so I would like to teach students about the writing process with the computer in mind. Most often my students do not enjoy the writing process because of revision and editing. I think the use of the computer may change this fact.
I am finding that although I am a learner also in the process of using the technology tools the students are still receptive to the changes. They are showing me new tools and are excited about what is happening in our class. Their enthusiasm for learning pushes me to incorporate more and more technology into our daily class. It feels good to know that I am giving my students the best possible tools for learning and they are enjoying their learning more and more. Providing students with 21st Century Skills is very important to me. I want to prepare them to the best of my ability.
Technology has also made the students be responsible for their own learning. They are posting to discussions, making weather reports that we video taped, and they are working in groups to create rather than listen. I have found that I am more of a facilitator or coach in the process than the leader. According to David Hall being able to collaborate and communicate is a necessity for students since the jobs of the future will have employees all over the world working through the use of technology.
I have changed a few things since the beginning of this course. I make an effort everyday to use technology in an exciting way whether it be the Internet for research, finding a video to expand an idea, or allowing the students to use the interactive whiteboard to do Math. I am beginning to have students work more in groups to collaborate on projects than I did in the beginning of the year. There are always ones who cannot get along very well and those are the students I try to be certain are getting along because they need to develop the skill more than anyone.
One long term goal for my classroom is to create and utilize a wiki for the class. I want students to have a place where they can log their work they have found on famous Hoosiers. I think this would be such an accomplishment for the students to see at the end of the year. It would also enforce collaboration and communication skills. I need to teach the students how to use the wiki and then require a posting or two a week to maintain it. Another goal of mine is create student portfolios that are electronic. I think this would be a way to showcase work as well. Each student is given an account on our server. Students would have a place to store their work. I know that as a writer I rarely write with pen and paper anymore so I would like to teach students about the writing process with the computer in mind. Most often my students do not enjoy the writing process because of revision and editing. I think the use of the computer may change this fact.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Technology with fourth graders
I was surprised to find out how many hours my students spend using technology. They spend more time playing video games or games on the internet than they do using social media sites, instant messaging, or text messaging. I wonder if it has something to do with the age of the students.
http://soundcloud.com/tmcnew/tech-with-fourth-graders/s-mmji3
http://soundcloud.com/tmcnew/tech-with-fourth-graders/s-mmji3
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Partnership for 21st Century Skills
The website http://www.p21.org/ explains the new common core state standards (CCSS) and the needs for the increasing technology in our school curriculum. I spent the day with the curriculum director of my school going over the common core standards and what that means for the previous standards. I came to the conclusion that it will mean teachers will need to teach for depth rather than surface coverage. I have always thought this would be the best way to teach, but have also worried about the standardized test that my students take.
The CCSS will create a national baseline for all students. This means that all students in the United States will be expected to master the same standards. This will be monitored by the key performance outcomes. The standards are based on the 3R's and 4C's. The 3R's are the core subject areas and the 4C's are critical thinking and problem solving, communication, collaboration, creativity and innovation. Higher order thinking skills will help students transfer knowledge from one subject area to another. Isn't that our overall goal?
I must admit that I am not normally a fan of change. I tend to think if something is not broken then there is no need to fix it. With that being said, I realize that many of our methods of teaching are broken. We are not preparing students for the world they will soon be required to function in properly. Combining the entire framework with the necessary support will increase student engagement in the learning process.
The site has an enormous amount of information for educators. I especially appreciated the links to professional development. I will be taking this site to my administrators and encouraging them take a look at the possibilities. I am currently learning about some of the technical aspects of teaching students for success in the 21st century, but I am worried about my peers who are not pursuing their masters degree at this time.
The ideas on the site like recording their reactions to a book and then pod casting it so that others can respond is a completely different idea than any I have thought of. I see how this is a higher level thinking skill than just a reading response. I do believe students will be interested in this type of learning. I also believe that I have a lot to learn about teaching students how to navigate the Internet as a learning tool. This is why I am here learning with the rest of you. I am excited, nervous, and exhausted all at the same time. How do you feel about the future of education?
The CCSS will create a national baseline for all students. This means that all students in the United States will be expected to master the same standards. This will be monitored by the key performance outcomes. The standards are based on the 3R's and 4C's. The 3R's are the core subject areas and the 4C's are critical thinking and problem solving, communication, collaboration, creativity and innovation. Higher order thinking skills will help students transfer knowledge from one subject area to another. Isn't that our overall goal?
I must admit that I am not normally a fan of change. I tend to think if something is not broken then there is no need to fix it. With that being said, I realize that many of our methods of teaching are broken. We are not preparing students for the world they will soon be required to function in properly. Combining the entire framework with the necessary support will increase student engagement in the learning process.
The site has an enormous amount of information for educators. I especially appreciated the links to professional development. I will be taking this site to my administrators and encouraging them take a look at the possibilities. I am currently learning about some of the technical aspects of teaching students for success in the 21st century, but I am worried about my peers who are not pursuing their masters degree at this time.
The ideas on the site like recording their reactions to a book and then pod casting it so that others can respond is a completely different idea than any I have thought of. I see how this is a higher level thinking skill than just a reading response. I do believe students will be interested in this type of learning. I also believe that I have a lot to learn about teaching students how to navigate the Internet as a learning tool. This is why I am here learning with the rest of you. I am excited, nervous, and exhausted all at the same time. How do you feel about the future of education?
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