Bridging Learning Theory, Instruction, and Technology Reflection

I started this course believing I was a cognivist at heart. After eight insightful weeks of class, I still stand firm in believing in the cognivist learning theories described in this course, but I have also learn to accept other learning theories to be of great value. I still believe that every child learns in a different way and it is our duty as educators to get to know each of our students' personal learning styles to best cater to their needs to ensure success. My goal each day is to get to know each of my students just a little more so I can design lessons that are engaging to them and are presented in a way that they will be able to store that information in their long-term memory for years to come. This is, essentially, modeling my classroom around Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences. I have always conducted my classroom in this way and will continue doing so.

Even though I'm a cognivist at heart, I do realize the potential of other learning theories such as the Constructivist and Social Constructivist theories. In today's workforce based on mass global communication and teamwork, Social Constructivism really caters to preparing students with the necessary 21st century skills students will need to be successful in the future. Students working together to accomplish one common goal is a exactly like the successful business models of many multimillion dollar companies. This is something that has always been implemented in my classroom, I just now have the realization of the label and an understanding of its benefits.

In terms of technology, this course has also taught me the importance of using PowerPoint as a learning tool, rather than simply an instructional tool. Each component of my lessons contribute to its success. My presentations need to be more interactive and filled with images to promote the "dual coding" process. Also, implementation of Web 2.0 tools such as virtual field trips, interactive concept maps, and VoiceThread will prove to be crucial in my students educational development.

In fact, one of my goals throughout this year is to get my classroom, and eventually my school on board with utilizing the power of VoiceThread. I have already talked to my vice principal about its potential and have priced out some hardware to be used in the classroom and, if the budget allows us, we should be able to order them within the month. Once I have the supplies, I would like to train my students on how to use VoiceThread. I would show them how to create one, respond to one, and everything else that goes along with it. I plan on doing this throughout the third and fourth marking period and would like for them to have a completed product by the end of the year.

Another goal of mine is to make my PowerPoint presentations more interactive. I am receiving a SmartBoard sometime in January and my goal is to make my "instructional" PowerPoints more of a learning tool. Basically by utilizing the hardware and software that comes with my new SmartBoard, I'll be able to accomplish this goal. My ultimate goal is to ensure the success of each student that walks into my classroom. This course has given me the tools and ideas on how to conduct my classroom to help me reach my ultimate goal.

Cooperative Technology

Tomas Friedman quotes "we are living in a time when learning and innovation are increasingly global. 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" (2005). With that idea in mind, I have fully embraced the idea of utilizing various forms of educational technology to aid the social learning process. And to top it off, I'm pretty pumped about it!

I remember when I was a student in ninth grade, one of my favorite assignments was a group project in which we had to create a video illustrating our view on the effects of media and the human mind. We all did our research, came together to discuss our findings, and cooperative created a video with a camcorder and index cards for on-screen text that we were really proud of at the time. This is a prime example of social constructivism and social learning.

Looking back on this video, which I still have by the way, I can only imagine how much better it would have looked if we recorded it on a digital video camera, inserted titles and texts with our computer, and maybe even added some special effects digitally. These multimedia upgrades allow students to produce a better looking product in only a fraction of the time.

A more global form of social learning which is becoming easier by the day is the creation of student websites. Programs like Microsoft Office Publisher, TOWeb, and SiteSpinner can allow even the most novice of students to create a professional looking website. Students can easily collaborate their ideas to construct a worthwhile artifact.

Even gaming has taken a form of social learning. Games and websites such as www.homesofourown.org, www.jigsaw.com, and even Sid Meier's Civilization III allow students to work cooperatively to accomplish a common goal, thus emphasizing social learning. The best part is, just about everything I have mentioned is at the fingertips of all our students in our very own classroom. The possibilities are endless and with a steady stream of Web 2.0 applications like VoiceThread developing everyday, its only going to get more and more global and educational.

Check out a VoiceThread I made about how students can use VoiceThread to create presentations at voicethread.com/share/786134/.

Learning by Construction

Constructionism is "A theory of learning that states people learn best when they build an external artifact or something they can share with others" (Orey, 2008). Constructionism is a way for students to work cohesively as a group, but at the same time, each task can be focused on the individual learner. In many constructivist activities, the product is only as good as the sum of its parts. Dr. Orey discusses the power of PowerPoint software in which you can have students model Project Based Learning in a cooperative creative activity that also focuses on each individual contribution. In doing research for many PowerPoint projects, students often have to accommodate to the new information they learn in order to retain their equilibration.

In Generating and Testing Hypothesis in Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Words, the authors discuss the use of web resources "in the form of interactive applets and simulations, that allow students to use background knowledge, make decisions, and see the outcome of their hypothesis, often in virtual situations" (Hubbell, Kuhn, Malenoski, and Pitler 2007). This section of the book really reminded me of the "Stock Market Game" played at my school. In Math, we assign stock market "teams" of 4-5 students, give them $10,000 of fictional money to invest in real life stocks. Through the use of background knowledge of individual companies, current spending trends, and just flat-out blind faith, students strategically chose and hypothesize the positive outcomes of their investments. Their progress is checked once per week and they compete with not only our school, but other schools from around the U.S. Once the project is done, the students have to present a PowerPoint project describing their wins or losses in this project. This whole experience is all about constructing their success. Whether they make money or not, the knowledge that these students have gained by doing this project-based constructionist activity, is priceless!

Cognitive Learning Theory - Connective Learning

The cognitive learning theory is all about "connections". The human brain can only register 7 +-2 forms of stimuli at any given time. If the stimuli is material being taught to the student that the student cannot connect to, then that information is lost and will not be "elaborated" into the long-term memory. In order to ensure proper connections are being made in the classroom, Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works, suggests a series of "advanced organizers" to promote the necessary connections of learned information to aid the "elaboration" process. Inspiration's Rapid Fire Tool and Kidspiration both prove to be valuable organizing tools, very similar to the concepts maps that will be explored in this week's application.

Another valuable concept to promote elaboration is the process of "dual coding". Studies suggest a child is more apt to put images into their long-term memory due to the dual coding process. Students will store the memory of the image in one area of the brain, and the label that goes along with the image in another. This promotes multiple connections to a singular concept and also produces multiple "pathways" to access a certain memory. Many PowerPoint applications, websites such as BrainPop, and United Streaming do a great job giving concrete images to abstract concepts, thus promoting "dual coding." Cognitive learning theory is all about making information relevant through connections. Connections promote education.

Behavioral Technology

The behaviorist learning theory bases itself on the fact that students' behaviors are a "result from stimulus-response associations made by the learner" (Standridge, 2002). The immediacy of results from such "practice" technology like online or computerized math games give students that immediate response they desire. My issue with many of these "technological advances" is they tend to show only a desirable response or an undesirable response. If a student gets an undesirable response, rarely will the computer analyze what went wrong to correct the students misconception. To me, this eventually leads to basic wrote memorization of the process, and not an understanding of the components of the process. In this case, I feel that this technology is only effective to a certain extent.

One effective use of technology in a behaviorist light is the use of spreadsheets and graphs to monitor a student's "effort" to change undesirable to desireable behaviors. These graphic representations can really show a concrete increase or decrease in desirable or effective classroom behaviors and practices. This can then result in more effective "stimulus" that will really empower the student to exhibit the behaviors that are desired in the classroom.

Understanding the Impact of Technology on Education, Work, and Society: A Reflection

As a younger teacher in my school, I have always taken a bit of pride in being one of the more technologically advanced teachers. I thought that my PowerPoint presentations, streaming videos, and instructional websites were so cutting edge and cool. Over the past four years, I have heard of "blogging" and used "wikis" to do research, but I felt that Wikipedia was simply just a great research engine and that blogging was for MySpace fanatics and people who just wanted the world to know what they are going at the current moment. And forget about trying to make a podcast. I thought that was something only ESPN did to hear about sports on the go. Boy was I wrong. As a digital native, I should have much more accepting of these powerful Web 2.0 tools and should have investigated and became more familiar with them much sooner than I did.

This class has shone a light on these amazing tools and has shown me how easy these tools are to manipulate and help educate the workforce of tomorrow. I created my own Podcast, worked collaboratively to create a wiki, and am currently blogging with ease! All of these skills I can now infuse into my classroom instruction to finally "do something different", instead of "doing things differently". (Thornburg, 2009)

The resources my profession has chosen to present to us also has opened my eyes to the 21st century skills necessary for my students' future success in the workforce. Many of these skills were already a staple of my instruction, but now I recognize their importance and will continue to promote skills such as critical thinking, working collaboratively, being technologically sound, and communicating globally. My students and my teachings will be able to reach a more global audience. My online lessons will no longer be a step by step instruction lesson dictated by me, they will be lessons of self exploration and cooperative learning. I will now be the facilitator I should be instead of the director that I used to be.

All these discoveries can prove to be absolutely worthless unless I apply them in my current teaching situation. All this work will be in vain if it doesn't benefit my students in some way. My students need to be exposed to the same powerful Web 2.0 tools and 21st century skills that I have been exposed to in this class. In order to ensure this, I have to set some goals for myself. Goal number one: I will have my students become familiar and comfortable with blogging by having them participate in online blogging literature circles. In order to do this, I first must ensure we have the appropriate resources (IE, enough computer time) and parental or digital immigrant support for this project. I need to convince the parents them importance and also assure the safety of communicating to a global audience. As our school has just recently earned "Green School" status, I feel that this idea will easily win over our administration and I plan on being very convincing towards the parents during Back-to-School-Night.

Another goal is to have my class participate in a collaborative wiki project with a very culturally diverse group of students from around the globe. I have a friend who teaches 11-year-old Taiwanese children English in Taiwan. I would like to start a project using a wiki in which my class has to create a wikispace with a groups of students from Taiwan. The topics of the wikispaces have yet to be determined so I fully encourage any ideas that my global audience may have. This is something I wish to develop over the course of this year and put into full practice by next year.

The only way both of these goals can be accomplished is by my continuing professional development and continuing practice with Web 2.0 tools. Teachers who can speak Web 2.0 can teach Web 2.0. I will continue to create podcasts, contribute to wikis and, I promise you, this will not be my last blog. These are my reflective thoughts.

Thought of the Day - My First Podcast

Here is the link to my first podcast. Warning, this is a very amateur attempt at podcasting!

http://www.podcastmachine.com/podcasts/1450/episodes/6852

Thought of the Day - Partnership for 21st Century Skills

This week we have been discussing 21st century skills that our students will need to become successfull in the ever-changing technological world. To be successful in the future, our students will need to know skills such as information literacy, critical thinking for problem solving, proper global communication skills, teamwork, information technology, leadership, ethics, professionalism, social responsibility and most of all, life-long learning skills. As a teacher who studied how to teach in a more technological world rather than the industrial world of the past, these are all skills and values I personally try to instill in all of my students. Even though I have tried my best to teach these critical skills to my students, I was unaware that these skills were actually referred to as 21st Century Skills. On top of that, I was instructed to observe The Partnership for 21st Century Skills website at http://www.21stcenturyskills.org. Let me tell you, it's an impressive organization and an impressive website.

While first examining this website, I now realize just how big this organization and movement has become. On the website, you can find a bevy of articles stating everything they have done to speak to schools, influence educators, and supply resources for teachers, students, and parents to help foster strong 21st century skills. What really suprised me and impressed me is the impressive line-up of supporters on their roster. Companies like Adobe, Intel, Apple, Dell, Atomic Learning, HP, and even Lego lends their support and have current members of their companies serve on the board.

What I don't understand is why aren't more states on board with this company and this way of educating? Only ten of the fifty states support and are implementing this program. What's even more disappointing is that Maryland, the state in which I teach, hasn't adopted this yet. We were just named one of the top states in the US for elementary education, I'm not quite sure how long that title will last if we don't fully embrace the ideology of 21st century skills.

As stated previously, this website made me feel a little bit better about the teaching I've been doing these past four years. This website makes the importance of 21st century skills widely known and I hope that through this website, I can fine tune my 21st century skills so I can properly convey this important message to my students in the future. I suggest you check it out. These are my thoughts.

Thought of the Day - Blogging Lesson Ideas

Ok, here is my thought of the day. After reading a few chapters in Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for the Classrooms by Will Richardson and by examining the discussions of Dr. Thornburg in a recent class video, I have a couple ideas that involve using blogs in my fifth grade classroom. Feel free to comment, criticize, or use any of these ideas in your classroom. The first was the use of a weblog that I utilized for the past two years, but didn't even know that I was blogging, and according to Will Richardson, it isn't true blogging. To keep all my students and parents abreast of homework, due dates, field trips, etc, I utilized a website titled www.schoolnotes.com. I updated this site daily and it proved to be immensely helpful for the students who were absent or for the parents who's children tend to forget to write down their due dates in their assignment book. This also alleviated the "I didn't know it was due" excuse that drives many teachers up the wall.

Now lets talk about the future. Next year, I plan on utilizing a class blog to aid with my literature circles. My school is lucky enough to have a mobile computer lab with over 25 laptops available for my fifth grade class (by the way, only the fifth grade is allowed to use this particular set of laptops). As we get into more complex novels like Stowaway by Karen Hesse and Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh by Robert C. O'Brien, we conduct our small groups with a lot of discussion on character development. I think a fantastic use of a blog would be to have each group select one character and contribute a thought to the characters development after reading each chapter. By the end of the story, it will be a complete narration of the development of that particular character written by my students. Although the authors of many of the stories we read in class are either deceased or probably have much better things to do, since these blogs can reach a "global audience" it would be amazing to get feedback from the actual author's one day. Much like Will Richardson mentioned in his book.

To go along with the global audience idea, I feel the idea of having a child become an author to a global audience will really motivate the students who struggle with writing motivation. I was thinking of a weekly creative writing prompt to place on a weblog to have students respond to each week. This will hopefully motivate the students who aren't interested in simply writing for a class audience, or even a more introverted student who is afraid to share his writing in front of a class of peers. Having my students write a more global audience will also have them analyze their writing a little more and make them a little more motivated to proofread each assignment before submitting it. Like I said, feel free to comment, criticize, or use these ideas. These are my thoughts.

Intro into the mind

My goal is to establish an open forum for discussion about our thoughts on education. These discussions can be thoughts about new teaching ideas, new teaching technology, recent trends or studies, questions about anything in the teaching profession, or just a place to vent. Basically this blog will depend on the feelings of the day. We need a place to speak our mind, express our concerns, or ask the questions we have always been afraid to ask our collegues. This will be our place to celebrate, to look for enlightnment, or to find that shoulder to cry on. These are my thoughts.