Reflection: Final Blog Posting

       
     WOW! Another 8 week course is coming to an end...and what a course it has been! I've learned so much as a student in this course. This area of how students learn and how we as educators can engage learners in meaningful situations is my passion. My other passion is technology. I could spend eight more weeks on the topics we have covered!


It's been really interesting to look back over our first application from the initial week of this class in the light of the knowledge we have gained. I will have to say, for the most part, I would still define my personal theory of learning in the same way. I still strongly believe that our brains are uniquely wired in such a way that we all learn differently (Laureate Education, 2009). I would have to add that I've become a firm believer in more cognitive tools and I also know the difference between constructionism and constructivism. At the beginning of this course, I agreed whole heartedly with Piaget and I still do. But I think my Constructionist beliefs, now, line up more with Papert. I believe project based learning is key! When I think back to my experiences as a student, I don't remember specifics about teachers or curriculum, but I remember projects and I remember what I learned from them! So, I would have to say that, I am more of a Papert Constructionist than Piaget (Orey, 2001).


As far as adjustments to my instructional practice regarding technology, the one topic that immediately comes to my mind is technology being used as an instructional tool vs. technology being used as a learning tool (Orey, 2001). As I said to begin with, I love technology. I love using technology to teach. I love exposing my students to new ways of presenting information. But I've discovered this is also a downfall. I have enjoyed the technology. I have used the technology. I've realized I need to share my love for learning and my love for technology by using technology as a Learning Tool and not just a Teaching Tool. It's not enough for me to use the technology tools to teach, I must teach the students how to use the tools themselves to learn. This was a key component for me in this course.


Two tools that I am looking forward to using are concept maps and collaborative learning. First, I want to teach students how to not only make concept maps, but how they can be used to organize their thoughts and new knowledge. I used www.bubbl.us for this class, but I want to learn how cmaps work, and use this tool a bit more. Creating an artifact using this method is a great way of helping the students visualize how what they are learning all is connected. Secondly, I want to introduce my students to the fact that they are part of a global system of learning. I want them to see that there is more out there besides themselves and the 100 mile radius that they are aware of. I want them to be strong group participants. I want them to know how to communicate with others, in their classroom, in their school, in their state and in their world. Our world is literally becoming "flat". I want them to not only know how to create a document, but how to share their information through blogs, voice threads, and wiki's.


Two long-term goals....so many ideas, so little time! If I had to pick two, this is what they would be: integrating concept maps in a research assignment and integrating Google documents to increase collaborative learning.


GOAL #1 - Integrating Concept Maps in a Research Assignment


I would love for students to do research, note taking, organizing and writing all on the computer. These skills will take time for the students to learn and for the teachers to be comfortable with as well. This is would be a goal for 6th grade in computer lab. I would work with the English teacher to educate her on the topic of concept maps, how they work and what they can do. One area that I know the 6th grade science teacher wants to add is an ocean animal research paper. This is a short 1-2 page assignment. The three of us would come up with a general outline of the main topics to cover. For example, physical features of the animal, its habitat, what it eats and how it lives. I would show them prior to this research, how to create a concept map and how to manipulate it. I would then provide website and online resources in which they will do their research. Instead of writing their notes on cards or paper, they would type the information they find into their concept map. Once the concept map is completed, they would create an outline with their information. From their outline, they could write their research paper. From this, they could create a project, like a power point or a voice thread about their animal.


GOAL #2 - Integrating Google Documents to Increase Collaborative Learning


This is one area that I honestly have not use, but need to learn more about it and then in turn teach other teachers about it. Our students need to be 21st Century learners. Most colleges have students turning in papers electronically to be graded. We need to educate our students how this is done, what it looks like to get a paper back with changes on it from another person and how to make those change to their paper. Again, I would use this in 6th grade first to see how it works. I would start again, by educating the teacher in this tool and provide any assistance I could give her in how to use this tool. I would also teach the 6th grade students how Google documents work with collaborative writing and/or correcting. Once the skills for Google documents have been achieved, we would put the skills to action. The students in 6th grade already type their paragraphs or writing assignment for this teacher. For one assignment, I would like for the students to write and save their paper in Google documents. They would then be required to peer edit another students work and make corrections or suggestions using Google documents. When the final paper is ready to be handed in, they would do so electronically to the teacher to grade and return to the student, again, electronically.


References:
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Bridging Learning Theory, Instruction, and Technology. Baltimore: Author.


Orey, M.(Ed.). (2001). Emerging Perspectives on Learning, Teaching, and Technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Main_Page

Voice Thread Link

This is the link to my voice thread. We will need to upgrade our computer labs in a few years.  We are trying to decide if another room set up with 24 computers is the best choice or should we have a mobile lab in which teachers could check out the computers and take to their classrooms.  I'd love to hear the pros and cons of both ideas!

http://www.voicethread.com/share/896237/

Connectivism and Social Learning in Practice

This week our focus was on connectivism and social learning.  Highlights from this week's reading and viewing:

• Connectivism - integrates technology, social network and information.

• Connectivism 
• knowledge is networked
• knowledge is in the patterns and connections
• the act of learning is the act of forming the networks

• Zone Approximal Development & The More Knowledgeable Other
• the "zone" is the frame of things a particular child can learn
• information below the frame is knowledge they already have
• information above the frame is knowledge they are not able to understand
• therefore a child needs a more knowledgeable other to learn the information

• Situated Cognition 
• inert knowledge - knowledge that can't be applied
• most learn new concepts in a real life context
• this in turns leads to social learning

The main ideas from this week were we need to make connections with the new information we take in and the more connections a student can make to real world situations, the more likely the information will be remembered.  One way these connections can be made are through the many sources of technology.

The topic in our book was on cooperative learning.  Quoting Thomas Friedman, "our world is flat" and we are living in a time in which our world is very global (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, Malenoski 2007).  The following are ways that technology can be used as cooperative learning tools.

• Multimedia - creating videos as a project - graded on a rubric as a group and as an individual
• Web Resources - collaboration through the web with other students, experts or anyone in the world
• Keypals - similar to penpals
• WebQuests - inquiry based online activites
• Web Site Creation - templates available to use
• Collaborative Organizing - shared calendars, shared bookmarking, course management
• Web-Enabled Multiplayer Simulated Games - virtual real life situations
• Communication Software - skype

The world is literally at our fingertips as we process, connect and share the information we collect using technology and the social groups around us!

References:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Bridging learning theory, instruction, and technology. Baltimore: Author.
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Constructivism in Practice

Create an artifact.  Those seem to be the key words for this week's topic.  What kind of artifacts do we want our students to create?  I think most educators want their students to create new connections in their mind between old and new information.  But, we also want them to have something tangible to take with them to show their hard work and effort in using this newly acquired knowledge.

A constructivist wants to see their students actively involved in their own learning process.  One area that was touched on this week was generating and testing hypotheses.  Technology has allowed students to spend more time interpreting data than gathering data (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007).  A web site like NOVA Building Big allows students to learn about a topic, such as structural building and apply it to a fictional situation.  Based on constructivist theory, this new knowledge will either lead to assimilation or accommodation.  By being able to test a building's structure for purpose and integrity, the learner can quickly and easily test their hypothesis using the technology on the web site.   Dr. Orey reminds us that technology can be used to keep the student fully engaged, and that is a key to the constructivist theory (Laureate Education, 2009).  From this internal artifact of knowledge, the student can create in drawing or a model an example of a structure they discovered either proved or disproved their hypothesis.

Personally, I love the constructivist theory of learning.  Having students use their knowledge to personally create something is awe inspiring!  Because they are totally engaged in the learning process, from research, collaboration, time management, presenting and evaluating, the student is learning to assimilate or accommodate the new information.

Looking back, way back, to my years as an elementary age student, I will have to say that much of what I remember or took from that time were "projects" that I either created by myself or worked on as a group member.  One such activity revolved around the pilgrims coming to America.  Now we didn't have computers in the mid 70's, but our teacher ordered a simulation for the class.  We were put into groups and based on the roll of a die or a card drawn, we earned money to buy supplies, build a ship and sail to the new world.  The dice and cards were the masters of our fate while on the ships and once we landed.  This activity was a highlight of my 6th grade year, and I remember being so taken with this activity that when I taught 6th grade history about 8 years ago I set out to find something similar to do with my class.  Just 2 days ago, I saw a student I taught that year and the first thing he said to me was, "Mrs. Stone, do you know what I remember most about your class in 6th grade?  It was that thing we did setting up a colony".  Now, I will admit, there wasn't much technology involved, but it made a huge impact on him as it did on me so many years ago.

I'm also excited about finding the web site Project Base Learning http://pbl-online.org/.  I've always wanted to create some kind of project, but didn't know where to start.  This site looks like a great place to start.

Technology gives us new means to help our students create artifacts whether they are internal or external.  It also gives teachers the ability to create artifacts ourselves that we will share with our students.

References:
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Bridging Learning Theory, Instruction, and Technology. Baltimore: Author.


Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using Technology with Classroom Instruction That Works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

My Concept Map

Cognitivism in Practice

Wow!  Another new learning theory this week.  This week, Dr. Orey from the University of Georgia explained the basics of the Cognitive Learning Theory.  It was a good reminder of a topic that I haven't covered in about 25 years.  These are the concepts of the Cognitive Learning Theory that I took away from the videos.

• Short Term Memory - people can process 7 +/-2 pieces of information at one time
• Long Term Memory - stored in a network of information (1 piece is connected to another)
• Declarative - facts & information
• Procedural - how to do things
• Episodic - events in your life
• Dual Coding Hypothesis - information is stored as images & text
• Elaboration - helps a person remember how to get to the information

I've highlight the key areas to remember.  These areas are areas that can easily be addresses with many of the technology strategies that we have available to us as teachers.

This week, we were also introduced to several instructional strategies that use technology that can enhance the key areas of cognitivism.  These strategies included:

• using cues, questions, and advance organizers
• summarizing and note taking
• concept mapping
• virtual field trips

Cues - these help students remember or give hints to help them find the information they have remembered.  Cues can incorporate images and elaboration which will aid in memory.  Cues can be used in power points, notes or drawings.  Elaboration can also be part of the cues.  Cues if used as an image will also aid in the dual coding process.  The student will remember the text and image together.

Questions - these help students focus on the purpose of the lesson.  An essential question is useful as a student searches for the facts and information to answer the questions.

Advance Organizers/Concept Mapping - these help students focus their learning.  Advance organizers will use an essential question as it's core and set out to find an answer as a map is created to show the path or pattern of knowledge.  Again, cues, images and elaboration can be included in an organizer.  Many excellent sites like bubbl.us or spinscape allow the teacher and/or student to create an advance organizer easily.

Summarizing & Note Taking - these skills again, will help a student focus their learning and will help them find a purpose to their knowledge.  Wikis are a great place for group summary of information.  Until the chapter on this topic, I had no idea of the Track Changes feature in Microsoft Word.  This is a great tool to help a student see if they have summarized an article correctly.  Advance organizers, webs and pictographs will give images to the information that is gathered.

Virtual Field Trips - these allow a teacher to provide an episodic experience.  To me, this is the gold medal of a cognitive learning method that uses technology to the fullest.  You have created a memorable experience in which the students can connect their new information.  It provides images and words that will aid in memory.  A concept mapping tool used before, during, and after the field trip will give the student purpose and help them make connections.  Students remember elaborate experiences and this fills the bill.

There are so many opportunities to provide multi-sensory opportunities to increase short and long term memory.  In the age of digital natives, educators need to make the most of the many technological strategies that are available to them to help their students acquire, connect, store, and retrieve the information that they are given.

References:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Bridging Learning Theory, Instruction, and Technology. Baltimore: Author.

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using Technology with Classroom Instruction That Works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Week 2 - Behaviorism in Practice

Behaviorism....I haven't thought about this term since college....and that was 20 years ago!  Our course this week had us focus on the relevance of behaviorist learning theory in the classroom and how technology can relate to this theory.  We were given some great sites (some of which I will be using in my computer lab) to explore.  Take a look for yourself.

Behaviorism-based Learning Resources:

• Classroom.JC-Schools.net
• Prentice Hall Social Studies Skills Tutor
• Keyboarding Practice
• WebMATH
• English Grammar 101
• DC Physics: Help for Physics Students
• Internet4Classrooms Tutorials

Two other areas we were also needed to consider were the ideas presented in chapters 8 (Reinforcing Effort) & 10 (Homework & Practice) of Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works by Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn & Malenoski (2007).  Technology can be used to make spreadsheets that the students can fill in with their grades from homework, quizzes or tests.  I really loved the idea of using a comparison bar graph, that the student fill out, to show the amount of time (effort) spent on homework and the homework grades and the amount of time (effort) studying and the quiz grades.  I think this is a wonderful idea to show the correlation between effort and achievement.  When it comes to homework and practice, there are so many wonderful sites, like the ones listed above, that can be used in conjunction with classroom instruction.  One site in particular that I like was the English Grammar 101.  The student gets immediate feedback on the choices they make.  It lets the student know not only if their answer is right or not, but gives them the correct answer.  Now, don't get me wrong!  I don't think these sites can take the place of the one on one interaction between a teacher and a student.  However, I think these sites are great places to practice new skills, remediate poor skills or help ESL students.  I don't believe behaviorist learning theories should be the only method used in the classroom, but in conjunction with others.

Behaviorism - it still has it's place in the classroom and technology will take this learning theory into the 21st century.  

References:
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Bridging learning theory, instruction, and technology. Baltimore: Author.


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


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

Welcome Classmates!

This is the first post for my new blog.  I'm looking forward to making new connections with technology!  This is my 5th class with Walden.