As this course comes to an end, I reflect on how much I have learned through the integration of technology across the content areas. Teaching students with disabilities always requires me to differentiate my instruction and find several avenues for my students to show what they know. With the use of technology, they are able to use their creative sides and produce work they feel proud of. "While technology is not essential to creating authentic, learner-centered instruction, it offers a powerful resource for engaging students in authentic experiences, typically increasing both their motivation and their learning" (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009, p. 51).
Through the use of the GAME plan, I learned how important it is for my students to become self-directed learners. When they can create goals for themselves, monitor them throughout the learning process and evaluate their own learning, it helps them create more meaningful experiences with the content. While technology is not the end all be all to learning, it enhances students' learning so that these meaningful experiences can occur. Students become creative thinkers where they are confident in their own ability, motivated to achieve the goals they have set for themselves, and are flexible to any changes that may need to occur throughout the process (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010). Ultimately we want to create authentic learning environments that develop these critical and creative thinking skills while teaching the content standards and the GAME plan does exactly that. As I enter into the next school year, I plan on getting more involved with my goals and work on creating more of these meaningful experiences for my students with the use of technology.
Giving students alternatives to the traditional paper and pencil method of showing what they have learned is something I plan to do in the future with my lessons. I really think my students would benefit from the use of digital storytelling where they are given the option to incorporate pictures, music, narration and words to convey their message to more than just their classmates. I also like the idea of incorporating problem-based learning into some of my lessons because it will encourage students to work together and think outside the box on issues that are real to them. They are able to learn content deeply and can apply this learning to new situations. I want my students to be critical thinkers of all things, and the use of problem-based learning helps them achieve those goals.
Technology is a wonderful tool because it hits upon all the learning styles and all levels. If a student is completely turned off by the subject material, there is generally a reason. Technology provides the means for students to become engaged so that the content becomes more meaningful to them. By having students utilize technology, we are opening their eyes to a whole new set of skills that will be required of them once they leave us.
Cennamo, K., Ross, J. & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. (Laureate Education, Inc., Custom ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
Laureate Education, Inc. (2010). [Executive Producer]. Promoting Self-Directed Learning with Technology. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Monitoring Your GAME Plan Progress
After we have set goals for ourselves and begin to put our GAME plan into action, we must monitor and evaluate our progress toward obtaining those goals. Just like we want our students to assess their learning throughout a lesson, we must assess our goals in order to know where we are going and how we are going to get there (Laureate Education, Inc, 2010).
As the school year is coming to an end, I am realizing how difficult it is to take my lessons and begin to find ways to integrate technology into them. This is definitely a project that I will want to really dive into over the summer and at the beginning of the school year. I have been successful at finding some resources to help me along the way. Technology integration is definitely something that requires advance planning in order to reserve resources and be sure I know how to operate the device before setting my students on it (even though they probably know more than I do!). I have found that it is also important to have a back up plan just in case that particular digital tool does not want to cooperate that day! The nice thing about that is I already have the general lesson planned so that can be my back up if the technology is not working out for me. One lesson that I have already transformed and implemented with my students involved having them respond to their novel prompts through a classroom blog that I set up instead of writing or typing them and only submitting them to me. This easy transition has allowed my students to collaborate more with each other and leave really constructive feedback. They have really impressed me with this and it took virtually nothing for me to set up the blog!
I have also done some research in terms of technology conferences that are going to be offered next year that I would like to attend. I found one that is really interesting to me called The Teaching Professor Technology Conference http://www.teachingprofessor.com/conferences/technology-conference-2013. It is a little distance away and costs more than the usual conference so I will have to broach it with my headmaster before the year is over so we can work to see if there is money in the budget for me to attend. I would really like our technology teacher to be able to attend as well so we can collaborate and bring back great ideas for our faculty for next year!
At this point, I do not feel that I need to revise my plan, but I will definitely need to continue to monitor my progress especially as I put into action more throughout the summer and beginning of next year. One thing that I need to always remember when embarking on this GAME plan is that "technology should only be used when it facilitates learning, and not simply as a novelty" (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009, p. 146). I do not need to transform every lesson, but only where it deems appropriate and where it will enhance my lessons for my students.
Cennamo, K., Ross, J. & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. (Laureate Education, Inc., Custom ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Assessing Student Learning with Technology. Baltimore, MD: Author.
As the school year is coming to an end, I am realizing how difficult it is to take my lessons and begin to find ways to integrate technology into them. This is definitely a project that I will want to really dive into over the summer and at the beginning of the school year. I have been successful at finding some resources to help me along the way. Technology integration is definitely something that requires advance planning in order to reserve resources and be sure I know how to operate the device before setting my students on it (even though they probably know more than I do!). I have found that it is also important to have a back up plan just in case that particular digital tool does not want to cooperate that day! The nice thing about that is I already have the general lesson planned so that can be my back up if the technology is not working out for me. One lesson that I have already transformed and implemented with my students involved having them respond to their novel prompts through a classroom blog that I set up instead of writing or typing them and only submitting them to me. This easy transition has allowed my students to collaborate more with each other and leave really constructive feedback. They have really impressed me with this and it took virtually nothing for me to set up the blog!
I have also done some research in terms of technology conferences that are going to be offered next year that I would like to attend. I found one that is really interesting to me called The Teaching Professor Technology Conference http://www.teachingprofessor.com/conferences/technology-conference-2013. It is a little distance away and costs more than the usual conference so I will have to broach it with my headmaster before the year is over so we can work to see if there is money in the budget for me to attend. I would really like our technology teacher to be able to attend as well so we can collaborate and bring back great ideas for our faculty for next year!
At this point, I do not feel that I need to revise my plan, but I will definitely need to continue to monitor my progress especially as I put into action more throughout the summer and beginning of next year. One thing that I need to always remember when embarking on this GAME plan is that "technology should only be used when it facilitates learning, and not simply as a novelty" (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009, p. 146). I do not need to transform every lesson, but only where it deems appropriate and where it will enhance my lessons for my students.
Cennamo, K., Ross, J. & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. (Laureate Education, Inc., Custom ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Assessing Student Learning with Technology. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Carrying Out Your Game Plan
In order to continue with my GAME plan, I must look into the variety of technology tools that I have available at my disposal. "Digital tools can help you customize and personalize learning activities to address students' diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources" (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009, p. 109). When we incorporate technology into our lesson plans, we are hitting upon all learning styles so that we may reach and teach all students.
In order to begin to carry out my first goal of my GAME plan, I knew I could use the help of our technology specialist at the school. I sat down with her to discuss the different technologies we have at the school and we talked about ways to use them in my current unit on a novel that we are reading, Across Five Aprils. She discussed ways for my students to use a web tool called "Toondoo" to create comic scenes representing main events in the story. She also showed me how my students could create concept maps for each of the characters to help them remember the different traits of each as we read since there are several throughout the book. Another avenue I would like to seek out is the help of my other English colleagues to talk about ways we can enhance our units to incorporate other classes so that we open up a wide range of collaboration between the grades.
I may need to wait to carry out the second goal of my GAME plan until the next school year begins considering we only have 9 class days left in this year. I have started to research different conference offerings for next year around my area and have also talked to our technology specialist about having her join me as well. I find it is always best to have someone else go with you to a conference because you can come away with different insights and ideas to share with the rest of our school. I have made a tentative plan with her to meet several times next year so that she can help me work on incorporating technology into my units throughout the year as well as ways we can share our learning with the rest of the school so that we hopefully start a trend with technology integration within our school.
Our population of students all have special needs and I think would really benefit from digital tools being incorporated into their classrooms so that all learning styles are being met. I think we may see many of their "disabilities" become their "abilities".
In order to begin to carry out my first goal of my GAME plan, I knew I could use the help of our technology specialist at the school. I sat down with her to discuss the different technologies we have at the school and we talked about ways to use them in my current unit on a novel that we are reading, Across Five Aprils. She discussed ways for my students to use a web tool called "Toondoo" to create comic scenes representing main events in the story. She also showed me how my students could create concept maps for each of the characters to help them remember the different traits of each as we read since there are several throughout the book. Another avenue I would like to seek out is the help of my other English colleagues to talk about ways we can enhance our units to incorporate other classes so that we open up a wide range of collaboration between the grades.
I may need to wait to carry out the second goal of my GAME plan until the next school year begins considering we only have 9 class days left in this year. I have started to research different conference offerings for next year around my area and have also talked to our technology specialist about having her join me as well. I find it is always best to have someone else go with you to a conference because you can come away with different insights and ideas to share with the rest of our school. I have made a tentative plan with her to meet several times next year so that she can help me work on incorporating technology into my units throughout the year as well as ways we can share our learning with the rest of the school so that we hopefully start a trend with technology integration within our school.
Our population of students all have special needs and I think would really benefit from digital tools being incorporated into their classrooms so that all learning styles are being met. I think we may see many of their "disabilities" become their "abilities".
Cennamo, K., Ross, J. & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. (Laureate Education, Inc., Custom ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Developing Your Personal Game Plan
Just as our
students need to continue to learn new content everyday, we too as educators
need to do the same. The GAME plan “requires you to think about and take steps
to direct your learning process, specifically while learning about technology
and how to integrate it into the curriculum” (Cennamo, Ross & Ertmer, 2009,
p. 3). Overall, I have always felt very comfortable with technology since I
grew up in the beginnings of the technology era. With that being said, I still
feel like I have a lot of work to do with many of my lessons to integrate
technology and make my lessons more interesting and engaging for my students as
much as possible.
While looking at
the National Education Standards for Teachers in regards to technology, there
were two areas that I would like to work on in order to provide my students
with the best possible education. One goal that I have for myself is in working
with the Design and Develop Digital Age Learning Experiences and Assessments
standard (NEST-T, 2008). I would like to take enhance my lessons and my
students’ learning experiences through the use of digital tools and resources.
The second goal that I have for myself is in working with the Engaging in
Professional Growth and Leadership standard (NEST-T, 2008). I would like to attend
more technology conferences and learn about the new technologies that continue
to arise and ways that I can incorporate it into my classroom. With that, I
would also like to start presenting my findings during our share sessions at
school so that my colleagues can be informed as well.
In order to
achieve these goals, I must have a plan of action in place. I can begin
designing and developing digital age learning experiences for my students by
taking a look at my lessons one at a time and collaborating with my colleagues
to enhance lessons and eventually units. This could take a lot of time and
effort on my part, but if I work on it little by little, I would have several
lessons that have been improved through the use of technology. I can also begin
looking into local conferences around my county as well as online videoconferences
to continue learning about the latest technologies that will enhance my
lessons. I need to talk to my head master ahead of time, to schedule a share
session twice year to provide information to my colleagues as well.
Once I have set
my plan into action, it is important to always monitor whether I am making
progress on these goals and find ways that I would need to improve if I am not
finding the information that I need. It is important to be sure that I am not
centering my lessons around the technology, but that I am using it to enhance
my lessons. My first goal can be a large one to tackle so I need to be specific
in how many lessons a semester I plan on evaluating.
As with any
lesson, I must evaluate and reflect on my progress to be sure goals have been
met and how I can change things for the future to correct any problems. The
best way for me to do this is through my students’ reactions and knowledge
learned from lessons that I have enhanced. Even asking feedback from them would
give me an idea of what I can improve upon next time. Continuing to be a
life-long learner myself will help me create more active and engaging for my
students and keep my lessons current. Technology is a great tool that we can
use to help bring our students to a better understanding of the skills that we
present to them on a daily basis.
Cennamo,
K., Ross, J. & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful
classroom use: A standards-based approach. (Laureate Education, Inc.,
Custom ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
International Society for Technology in Education. (2008).
National education standards for teachers (NETS-T). Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers
Laureate Education, Inc.
(Executive Producer). (2009). Enriching Content Area Learning Experiences
with Technology: Part 2.
Baltimore, MD: Author.
Friday, February 22, 2013
Final Reflection
At the beginning of this course, I felt that I more closely related to the constructivist perspective. I felt that learning is entirely based on the individual and their experiences with the mental processes created (Lever-Duffy, & McDonald, 2008, p17). As I have ventured through this course, I find that my perspective is much the same, but I also have been leaning more towards the social learning theories. By collaborating and conversing with others, I feel that students have a better understanding of the content being presented and can work on building artificats together. As Dr. Michael Orey stated, "we often learn best when we can teach the material to others" (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011). This course has helped me realize that this instructional strategy is a key component to what my students will be involved in when they enter the workforce and that I need to be providing as many opportunities as possible for them to collaborate with one another. By incorporating technology tools, I am able to tap into the diverse needs of my students and expose them to more engaging lessons that surround them in their every day lives.
As I reflect on the adjustments that I need to make in my classroom regarding technology integration, I find that I will need to begin slowly and find the best tools that will work with each of my lessons. I have been exposed to quite a bit of technology tools in this course that I have never had experience with, so it will take some time on my part to understand the benefits and best practices before I introduce them to my students. Being that I teach students with disabilities, it is important that I am very concrete in my directions on how to use the particular devices and I give them ample opportunities to practice using them. I have also looked at not only using technology to enhance my lesson presentations, but also the difference of having students use them as learning tools and creating their own artifacts. It is important for me to be able to incorporate technology in both ways to make sure I am meeting the needs of all of my students.
One technology tool that I would like to start using more with my students is the Smartboard. I often use it more to display my lessons and keep students engaged, but it is a great tool for students to use even for drill and practice lessons that are often daunting for them. Incorporating that kinestic movement will help students retain the information better. I would also like to start using blogs and wikis more with my students and have them branch out to communicate with others in the community on novels that we have read and have meaningful discussions that way as well. The web opens up a variety of ways for students to become experts on certain topics, and what better way than to have them working with others out in the community.
One long-term goal that I have for myself in regards to technology integration, work on tweeking my PowerPoint presentations so they involve more visual features rather than words so that the lessons are more engaging for my students. This will take some practice because I do tend to forgot everything I want to present to my students and the text on the PowerPoint often is a great reminder for me, but what Dr. Orey mentioned about Paivio's dual coding hypothesis, this would be a much better way to present my material (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011). Another long-term goal I have for myself is to continue to become more knowledgable about the technology tools that are available and how I can integrate them into my classroom. The more I can saturate my students in technology, the better prepared they will be for the future.
Lever-Duffy, J., & McDonald, J. (2008).Theoretical foundations (Laureate Education, Inc., custom ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education
As I reflect on the adjustments that I need to make in my classroom regarding technology integration, I find that I will need to begin slowly and find the best tools that will work with each of my lessons. I have been exposed to quite a bit of technology tools in this course that I have never had experience with, so it will take some time on my part to understand the benefits and best practices before I introduce them to my students. Being that I teach students with disabilities, it is important that I am very concrete in my directions on how to use the particular devices and I give them ample opportunities to practice using them. I have also looked at not only using technology to enhance my lesson presentations, but also the difference of having students use them as learning tools and creating their own artifacts. It is important for me to be able to incorporate technology in both ways to make sure I am meeting the needs of all of my students.
One technology tool that I would like to start using more with my students is the Smartboard. I often use it more to display my lessons and keep students engaged, but it is a great tool for students to use even for drill and practice lessons that are often daunting for them. Incorporating that kinestic movement will help students retain the information better. I would also like to start using blogs and wikis more with my students and have them branch out to communicate with others in the community on novels that we have read and have meaningful discussions that way as well. The web opens up a variety of ways for students to become experts on certain topics, and what better way than to have them working with others out in the community.
One long-term goal that I have for myself in regards to technology integration, work on tweeking my PowerPoint presentations so they involve more visual features rather than words so that the lessons are more engaging for my students. This will take some practice because I do tend to forgot everything I want to present to my students and the text on the PowerPoint often is a great reminder for me, but what Dr. Orey mentioned about Paivio's dual coding hypothesis, this would be a much better way to present my material (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011). Another long-term goal I have for myself is to continue to become more knowledgable about the technology tools that are available and how I can integrate them into my classroom. The more I can saturate my students in technology, the better prepared they will be for the future.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011). Social Learning Theories [Video webcast]. Bridging learning theory,
instruction and technology. Retrieved fromhttp://laureate.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5700267&CPURL=laureate.ecollege.com&Survey=1&47=2594577&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=0&bhcp=
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011). Technology:
Instructional Tool vs. Learning Tool [Video webcast]. Bridging learning theory,
instruction and technology. Retrieved fromhttp://laureate.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5700267&CPURL=laureate.ecollege.com&Survey=1&47=2594577&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=0&bhcp=
Lever-Duffy, J., & McDonald, J. (2008).Theoretical foundations (Laureate Education, Inc., custom ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Connectivism and Social Learning in Practice
In this week's learning resources, Dr. Michael Orey highlighted upon the importance of social learning theories in education today.We are seeing these theories becoming more and more prominent in education as we move through the 21st Century as students are engulfed in technology. Social constructivism states that students learn best when they are actively engaged in constructing artifacts while conversing with others (Laureate Education, Inc, 2011). By communicating with their peers, students are able to make concepts more concrete and participate in higher level thinking.
The instructional strategy that was discussed this week that correlates with the social learning theories is cooperative learning. Students are building knowledge together and are each responsible for learning information and teaching it to each other. One thing Dr. Orey mentioned that really stuck with me is that we learn better wen we are able to teach the material. I think back to myself in grade school and how difficult it was to master certain concepts and then when I turned into a teacher, those concepts became so much more clearer as I taught them. In order for students to be "prepared for the fast-paced, virtual workplace that they will inherit, today's students need to be able to learn and produce cooperatively" (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, p.139). Having students use multimedia and web resources, students are able to create videos, power points and hands-on projects which can take their learning to a higher level. No longer are students limited to their own classroom to work with their peers, they can use Skype to connect to friends in other schools and children around the globe to learn about new cultures and concepts.
Social learning theories were definitely not a thing of the past, but we will be seeing them become the predominant learning theory in the classroom as we go through the 21st Century. With new technologies that continue to evolve, students are getting so many opportunities to participate in engaging lessons and teach other!
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011). Program three: Social Learning Theories [Video webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Retrieved fromhttp://laureate.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5700267&CPURL=laureate.ecollege.com&Survey=1&47=2594577&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=0&bhcp=
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
VoiceThread: http://walden.voicethread.com/share/4099284/
The instructional strategy that was discussed this week that correlates with the social learning theories is cooperative learning. Students are building knowledge together and are each responsible for learning information and teaching it to each other. One thing Dr. Orey mentioned that really stuck with me is that we learn better wen we are able to teach the material. I think back to myself in grade school and how difficult it was to master certain concepts and then when I turned into a teacher, those concepts became so much more clearer as I taught them. In order for students to be "prepared for the fast-paced, virtual workplace that they will inherit, today's students need to be able to learn and produce cooperatively" (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, p.139). Having students use multimedia and web resources, students are able to create videos, power points and hands-on projects which can take their learning to a higher level. No longer are students limited to their own classroom to work with their peers, they can use Skype to connect to friends in other schools and children around the globe to learn about new cultures and concepts.
Social learning theories were definitely not a thing of the past, but we will be seeing them become the predominant learning theory in the classroom as we go through the 21st Century. With new technologies that continue to evolve, students are getting so many opportunities to participate in engaging lessons and teach other!
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011). Program three: Social Learning Theories [Video webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Retrieved fromhttp://laureate.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5700267&CPURL=laureate.ecollege.com&Survey=1&47=2594577&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=0&bhcp=
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
VoiceThread: http://walden.voicethread.com/share/4099284/
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Constructivism in Practice
Dr. Michael Orey discussed constructivism this week and defined it as "a theory of knowledge stating that each individual actively constructs his or her own learning" (Laureate Education, Inc, 2011). The main focus lies on getting students to build things and having students engaged in their learning and the process of creating artifacts.
One instructional strategy that we looked at this week talked about students generating and testing hypothesis. When doing this, students are "engaging in complex mental processes, applying content knowledge, and enhancing their overall understanding of the content" (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, p. 202). Allowing students to create their own hypothesis and then test them out, we are giving them the freedom to construct and build new knowledge. As teachers, we must be giving some of the reins to our students so that learning can occur. Activities such as problem solving, experimental inquiry, and decision making all give students the power to build their knowledge. Oftentimes, I will put my students in groups for such activities where they can build on their knowledge together and construct new ideas and hypothesis. I find that more students are more engaged and enjoy learning more when they are able to go off on their own and investigate. Technology can play a big role in this instructional strategy by taking the tedious part of an activity and making it much quicker so that students can focus on the actual content and learning. Using the Internet for research projects and data collection is also a great tool for students to use while generating and testing their hypothesis. Dr. Michael Orey also discussed the benefits of using power point in classrooms for not only displaying new information, but allowing students to create their own to show knowledge. I am currently using this technology tool in my classroom as my students have just finished reading their own "Who Was" biography and will be using power point to present important findings. They are also encouraged to dress up as their person to enhance their presentation. By doing this, students are building on their knowledge and presenting it in a way that is all their own.
Overall, the constructivism theory is all about students building and constructing their own knowledge. Students are taking more control of their learning within this theory and continue to test and question the information that they receive. I think this theory will become more and more prominent as we go through the 21st century.
One instructional strategy that we looked at this week talked about students generating and testing hypothesis. When doing this, students are "engaging in complex mental processes, applying content knowledge, and enhancing their overall understanding of the content" (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, p. 202). Allowing students to create their own hypothesis and then test them out, we are giving them the freedom to construct and build new knowledge. As teachers, we must be giving some of the reins to our students so that learning can occur. Activities such as problem solving, experimental inquiry, and decision making all give students the power to build their knowledge. Oftentimes, I will put my students in groups for such activities where they can build on their knowledge together and construct new ideas and hypothesis. I find that more students are more engaged and enjoy learning more when they are able to go off on their own and investigate. Technology can play a big role in this instructional strategy by taking the tedious part of an activity and making it much quicker so that students can focus on the actual content and learning. Using the Internet for research projects and data collection is also a great tool for students to use while generating and testing their hypothesis. Dr. Michael Orey also discussed the benefits of using power point in classrooms for not only displaying new information, but allowing students to create their own to show knowledge. I am currently using this technology tool in my classroom as my students have just finished reading their own "Who Was" biography and will be using power point to present important findings. They are also encouraged to dress up as their person to enhance their presentation. By doing this, students are building on their knowledge and presenting it in a way that is all their own.
Overall, the constructivism theory is all about students building and constructing their own knowledge. Students are taking more control of their learning within this theory and continue to test and question the information that they receive. I think this theory will become more and more prominent as we go through the 21st century.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011). Program five: Cognitive learning theory [Video webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Retrieved fromhttp://laureate.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5700267&CPURL=laureate.ecollege.com&Survey=1&47=2594577&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=0&bhcp=1
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with
classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with
classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Friday, January 25, 2013
Cognitivism in Practice
This week's focus was on the cognitive perspective and looked at how two instructional strategies from the learning resource correlates with this theory. Dr. Michael Orey noted that the cognitive learning theory revolves around information processing and how students need to build many connections in order to learn new material and retrieve it for future use (Laureate Education, Inc, 2011).
The first instructional strategy that we looked at this week was on Cues, Questions, and Advance Organizers. This strategy focuses on "enhancing students' ability to retrieve, use, and organize information about a topic" (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, p.73). I use this instructional strategy quite often in my classroom because my students need the guided notes and graphic organizers to help them focus their learning. I use KWL charts to help my students at the beginning of a unit to test what knowledge they already know and it also helps me focus my attention on how I can bridge gaps and connect their prior knowledge to new knowledge. Incorporating technology and using word processing programs to help create these graphic organizers and charts, "will help students organize their thoughts around the essential information and get them thinking about what they know about the topic before the teacher has fully begun the lesson"(Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, p. 76). We also just began using the Webspiration program in our school, which I think is a great tool for students and teachers to help organize information. I enjoy it because it allows me to place visuals with my information so it cues into two different areas for my students. It also allows my students to create their own representation of the information they have just received into a way that best fits their needs.
The second instructional strategy that we look at this week was on summarizing and note taking. This is a skill that I feel many students struggle with and often many teachers neglect in teaching. We want our students to take good notes so they can study for tests, but we never truly model how to take notes. Summarizing and note taking "focuses on enhancing students' ability to synthesize information and distill it into a concise new form" (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, p. 119). I really liked the summarizing feature in the word processing applications. I had never heard of this before, and really think my students could benefit from this. It also gives them more opportunities to use technology, which could turn a mundane task into something more enjoyable for them. This strategy is critical in the cognitive perspective because it looks at enhancing students knowledge of a particular topic and helps them organize their information to form new connections. Notes are personalized tools for students and I know that I personally need to work on this strategy with my students.
Overall, I feel that the cognitive perspective is very relevant in today's classrooms and can often be one that is neglected the most due to the time consuming note taking and organizing tools. Even so, it is extremely important that students learn how to utilize these tools in order for information processing to occur.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011). Program five: Cognitive learning theory [Video webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Retrieved fromhttp://laureate.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5700267&CPURL=laureate.ecollege.com&Survey=1&47=2594577&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=0&bhcp=1
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with
classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
The first instructional strategy that we looked at this week was on Cues, Questions, and Advance Organizers. This strategy focuses on "enhancing students' ability to retrieve, use, and organize information about a topic" (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, p.73). I use this instructional strategy quite often in my classroom because my students need the guided notes and graphic organizers to help them focus their learning. I use KWL charts to help my students at the beginning of a unit to test what knowledge they already know and it also helps me focus my attention on how I can bridge gaps and connect their prior knowledge to new knowledge. Incorporating technology and using word processing programs to help create these graphic organizers and charts, "will help students organize their thoughts around the essential information and get them thinking about what they know about the topic before the teacher has fully begun the lesson"(Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, p. 76). We also just began using the Webspiration program in our school, which I think is a great tool for students and teachers to help organize information. I enjoy it because it allows me to place visuals with my information so it cues into two different areas for my students. It also allows my students to create their own representation of the information they have just received into a way that best fits their needs.
The second instructional strategy that we look at this week was on summarizing and note taking. This is a skill that I feel many students struggle with and often many teachers neglect in teaching. We want our students to take good notes so they can study for tests, but we never truly model how to take notes. Summarizing and note taking "focuses on enhancing students' ability to synthesize information and distill it into a concise new form" (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, p. 119). I really liked the summarizing feature in the word processing applications. I had never heard of this before, and really think my students could benefit from this. It also gives them more opportunities to use technology, which could turn a mundane task into something more enjoyable for them. This strategy is critical in the cognitive perspective because it looks at enhancing students knowledge of a particular topic and helps them organize their information to form new connections. Notes are personalized tools for students and I know that I personally need to work on this strategy with my students.
Overall, I feel that the cognitive perspective is very relevant in today's classrooms and can often be one that is neglected the most due to the time consuming note taking and organizing tools. Even so, it is extremely important that students learn how to utilize these tools in order for information processing to occur.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011). Program five: Cognitive learning theory [Video webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Retrieved fromhttp://laureate.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5700267&CPURL=laureate.ecollege.com&Survey=1&47=2594577&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=0&bhcp=1
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with
classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Behaviorist Learning Theory
This week's learning resources centered around the behaviorists theory of learning and looked at different instructional strategies that help to reinforce this theory. Dr. Michael Orey talked about Operant conditioning and how behaviors can be reinforced through rewards and they can be punished if the behavior is undesirable (Laureate Education, Inc, 2011).
One of the instructional strategies discussed the benefits of reinforcing effort. By doing, students see the correlation behind their behavior (how much effort they are putting into something) to their successes with learning new material. My school uses a contract system for every student and they carry it with them from class to class each week. They can earn a total of 4 checks per class and one of them focuses on whether the student has put forth their best efforts. This helps our students be more accountable for their actions and take control of their own learning. When students start to see that they have power in their learning, I believe the more learning occurs. Another way that I help my students monitor their own effort, is through the use of rubrics. I love the Rubistar tool discussed in this week's learning resources and I use it with my students on almost all of their assignments. Part of my grading system has the students grade themselves on their rubrics before I do so that they can have a part in their grade as well. I have found that most of my students are completely honest and are often harder on themselves than I am! Using technology tools like surveys and spreadsheets, allows the students to take ownership of their effort and see how the success and effort correlate.
The second instructional strategy discussed this week was on homework and practice. This gives students the chance to review the skills learned in class and apply them independently at home. It also goes hand in hand with the behaviorists perspective through using technological activities for homework, students get reinforced while completing assignments. "Technology facilitates homework, making it easier for students to work on collaborative homework assignments and providing "drill and practice" resources that help students refine their skills" (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, p.189)I have been doing better about assigning homework that involves my students interacting with websites, collaborating with each other through blogs and creating presentations. In doing so, I have seen an increased desire in my students and their willingness to complete homework. They see it as something fun to do, rather than another tedious worksheet. I also enjoy grading different assignments as well!
These two instructional strategies correlate with the behaviorists theory since they focus on rewards and punishments. Students behavior gets managed in both situations and we find more often than not, it is in a positive way!
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011). Program four: Behaviorist 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
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
One of the instructional strategies discussed the benefits of reinforcing effort. By doing, students see the correlation behind their behavior (how much effort they are putting into something) to their successes with learning new material. My school uses a contract system for every student and they carry it with them from class to class each week. They can earn a total of 4 checks per class and one of them focuses on whether the student has put forth their best efforts. This helps our students be more accountable for their actions and take control of their own learning. When students start to see that they have power in their learning, I believe the more learning occurs. Another way that I help my students monitor their own effort, is through the use of rubrics. I love the Rubistar tool discussed in this week's learning resources and I use it with my students on almost all of their assignments. Part of my grading system has the students grade themselves on their rubrics before I do so that they can have a part in their grade as well. I have found that most of my students are completely honest and are often harder on themselves than I am! Using technology tools like surveys and spreadsheets, allows the students to take ownership of their effort and see how the success and effort correlate.
The second instructional strategy discussed this week was on homework and practice. This gives students the chance to review the skills learned in class and apply them independently at home. It also goes hand in hand with the behaviorists perspective through using technological activities for homework, students get reinforced while completing assignments. "Technology facilitates homework, making it easier for students to work on collaborative homework assignments and providing "drill and practice" resources that help students refine their skills" (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, p.189)I have been doing better about assigning homework that involves my students interacting with websites, collaborating with each other through blogs and creating presentations. In doing so, I have seen an increased desire in my students and their willingness to complete homework. They see it as something fun to do, rather than another tedious worksheet. I also enjoy grading different assignments as well!
These two instructional strategies correlate with the behaviorists theory since they focus on rewards and punishments. Students behavior gets managed in both situations and we find more often than not, it is in a positive way!
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011). Program four: Behaviorist 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
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
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