Week 8 - Reflection EDUC-6711I-3 Bridging Learning Theory, Instruction, and Technology

       In my original “Personal Theory of Learning” from the beginning of this course, I state that one of my responsibilities to my students is to provide experiences that promote higher-level learning.  After taking this course, I still believe this is my obligation, but I am more aware of new learning theories and learning strategies to achieve this goal.  I continue to believe that all students can and will learn.  My learning theory is that all students have the ability to learn in their own person way.  My instructional theory is that as the teacher, I must provide a variety of instructional experiences for my students.  I want to shift my focus from a primarily teacher centered instructional practice, to a more student centered practice.  During much of my career as a teacher thus far I have always reflected on Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligences to influence my teaching style.  I strongly believe that we are all different as teachers and students; that it is important to teach in a variety of styles to reach all of my students.     

            In the past few years I have made a shift in my teaching.  I have begun using more cooperative learning strategies with my students.  After taking this course, I realize the true importance of cooperative learning strategies and will have a stronger focus to incorporate them in my everyday teaching.  I am a technology native and realize the impact of technology in learning.  I currently use a document camera, projector, computer programs such as Photo Booth and Power Point, and take my students to the computer lab every week to play educational games on the Internet.  This year, I intend to use VoiceThreads as a new technology tool for teaching this year in the computer lab.  I am excited to explore its many uses with third grade students.  One project I want to assign to my students will be working in small cooperative groups to create a VoiceThread on simple machines.  I believe this assignment supports social learning theory and constructivist learning theory.  Students will build and learn through social interaction to create an end artifact to share with the other peers in the class.  Another technology tool I would like to incorporate immediately are virtual field trips.  This tool is a wonderful resource for my students in Alaska.  We are have many unique opportunities in our state, but are also limited in many other ways.   Virtual field trips open the door to another world that some students may never experience in any other way.  As I think about virtual field trips, I think it would be interesting to allow students to research virtual field trips that align with our curriculum to present or share with the rest of the class.  This type of lesson connects with cognitive learning theory in the fact that students are creating experiences and visual representations in their learning to link to their long-term memory.   

            My first long term goal change I would like to make for this school year and following school years is to have students work in cooperative groups to create a VoiceThread.  I have never used VoiceThread technology until recently and believe it is a strong tool for deepening student understanding and learning.  I plan to model how to use and create a VoiceThread for my students.  We will use our class computer lab time each week when we are working on a specific assignment such as the simple machines project I mentioned earlier.  My goal is to use VoiceThread for at least two separate lessons throughout this school year and to increase this by one additional project each school year for a few years.  I hope my students learn lots from me, but that I also learn a great deal from them as we proceed through the experience of creating. 

            A second long-term goal change I would like to achieve is using epals tool for online pen pals or something similar to communicate with students in other communities around the country.  In third grade my students study Canada and Mexico.  My goal is to start by having one epal account that I monitor as the teacher.  My students will have access to this account to interact with the students in the other communities.  I want them to learn first hand about their environments and cultures.  As time goes on, I would want students to have their own accounts that can be monitored by the teacher.  This would provide more interaction for each student. 

            Overall, I have learned many new theories and learning strategies in this course.  I feel that my biggest shift is my focus from mainly teacher centered teaching to one of student centered learning.  I think the theories and strategies presented in this course support this focus and will aide me in becoming a better teacher.     

    

Voice Thread Idea for First Grade Writing

Here is a link to a voice thread I created:  http://voicethread.com/share/1260377/

Please feel free to leave comments for improvement and other ideas.

Thanks!

Connectivism and Social Learning in Practice

This week Dr. Orey discussed social learning theory in our resources video.  He stated that social learning theory has “context and culture are critical in constructing knowledge and understanding of the world around us.”  (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009)  According to this theory students work together to create artifacts while conversing with each other to deepen their understanding.  Cooperative learning is very similar to this theory. Our text, Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works, says, “Cooperative learning focuses on having students interact with each other in groups in ways that enhance their learning.”  (p. 139) Essentially this can be social learning theory.  To ensure that it is also social learning theory, students need to create an artifact while they are communicating with each other throughout the assignment.  “Technology can play a unique and vital role in cooperative learning by facilitating group collaboration, providing structure for group tasks, and allowing groups to communicate even if they are not working face to face.” (p.140) I love the idea of using WebQuest in the Searching for China example in our book.  I would like to use WebQuest with third graders this year to explore Canada or Mexico.  I think students would enjoy learning about these countries much more through this tool.  They can research the countries and design a WebQuest with their group.  They are actively engaged in a social setting while creating an artifact online.  This would fit the definitions of cooperative learning and social learning theory.  Creating a web site, wiki, or blog site with a small group are also fabulous ideas that support cooperative and social learning theories.  They all promote social interaction, keep students actively engaged, and create an artifact that can be shared.  Many of these tools provide face to face social interaction, but also social interaction online around the world.  What great resources for students to use to broaden their educational experiences!     

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). Social Learning Theories [Motion Picture]. Baltimore: Author.

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

Constructivism in Practice

The course text, Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works, Chapter 11, addresses the use of hypotheses.  It states, "When students generate and test hypotheses they are engaging in complex mental processes, applying content knowledge like facts and vocabulary, and enhancing their overall understanding of the content." (p. 202)  It further explores the use of spreadsheet software, data collection tools, and Web resources to guide students through generating and testing their hypotheses.  The text also points out that the advances in technology have made it possible for "students to spend more time interpreting the data rather than gathering the data." (p. 203)  This correlates with constructivist/constructionist learning theories in that students analyze, problem solve, research or investigate, and make decisions based on their findings or feedback.  It also aligns in the fact that these tools: spreadsheet software, data collection tools, and Web resources, all create artifacts that can be shared and reflected upon.  Creating artifacts to share with an audience is a crucial part of contructionist learning theory.    In all these instructional strategies, students are actively engaged in creating something that is student-centered learning.  The teacher becomes the facilitator to guide students in their explorative journey.  

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

      

Cognitivism in Practice

There were interesting points in the chapters “Cues, Questions, and Advance Organizers” and “Summarizing and Note Taking” from Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works. In the chapter “Cues, Questions, and Advance Organizers” the authors describe ways to use word processing applications, spreadsheets, organizing and brainstorming software, and multimedia applications to connect student learning. All of these tools connect with cognitive learning theories. They provide visual representations of what they are learning and organization to the material. Both of these components are essential to creating multiple connections in a student's brain. The multiple connections encourage the information to be stored in their brain. They can use many of these technology tools to create concept maps that organize the topic they are studying. When students create assignments using these tools they have moved past the recall or reproduction of learned materials and into a deeper level of thinking for what they are learning.

One thing that stood out to me in the chapter “Summarizing and Note Taking” is when they stated, "Although note taking is one of the most useful study skills a student can cultivate, teachers rarely teach it explicitly as a skill in itself." (p. 120) I do not remember a teacher ever teaching me how to take notes. If this skill is truly as important as they say, why aren't more teachers teaching it? I was also surprised to see one of the recommendations was to provide teacher-prepared notes for students. I have seen teacher-prepared outlines for notes, but never full notes. Once I thought more about this, it does make sense. As teachers, we are constantly modeling for our students. Why not model how notes should look? I was also impressed to discover that you can summarize information using Microsoft Word. I had no idea this was possible. This feature would be very beneficial for middle and high school students. The idea I liked the best in this chapter was the inverted T for taking notes. I think this method could work for elementary through high school levels. It aligns with cognitive learning theory in that students have key words, create their own visual representation, and provide a summary at the bottom. There are three connections in their brain that are created just with this type of note taking. There is an even stronger connection created because they used their own personal connections to produce their visual representations. They are more likely to remember this information by taking notes this way.

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

Behaviorism in Practice

There are many factors that one might say make a person successful. One that my course text says we all have control over is effort. Keeping this in mind, educators need to find ways to motivate students to be aware of, put forth, and reinforce effort. The internet provides many websites that make it easy to create rubrics. I had never really thought about making a rubric for student effort. When I first read this idea I was not so sure it would make sense to my students. As I read further, I realized that an effort rubric followed with a personal chart or graph truly could make an impact on students. Students use an effort rubric, chart how they believe they rated for the week, chart their grades they received for the week, and finally create a graph of the results. When they do this procedure over the course of a few weeks they see the correlation between effort and their grades. This is a source of behavior reinforcement for each student. They see that their grade is going up or down depending on the effort they produce and are reinforced by an improved grade, or a dropped grade. If the grade is improved from their improved effort, they will in theory, continue to work hard. If their grade has dropped, they know they need to produce more effort to bring the grade up. I think this strategy could even work for third grade students.

Homework has been used in schools for many years to practice the skills being taught at school. It is still used for this purpose. "As an extension of the classroom, homework provides opportunities for students to deepen their understanding of the content and to gain proficiency with their skills." (p. 187) Much of the homework that is assigned today is still paper and pencil work. In the future I think it will be more technology based. There are so many wonderful websites that provide opportunities for students to practice the necessary skills to become proficient. At this point in my teaching career, I want to focus on using technology to enrich my students learning and homework assignments. I have to admit I am one of those people that think of word procession programs strictly for word processing. It really can do more than that. I want to use it to explore research with my third grade students this year. I like the idea that they will not have as much information to search through if they had used an internet search engine. I also love the idea of having students complete programs and print or email the end completion certificate for credit. This ties into behaviorist theory using tutorials. By completing the tutorial program, they have been positively reinforced with a certificate of completion. If they do not complete it, they have more chances to try again to receive the certificate. The idea that students can collaborate on a project using communications software is getting easier all the time. There are more and more programs out that are becoming very user friendly. This is a great way for students to receive feedback from each other and their teacher. The main problem I see with these types of assignment is that not all students have computers in their homes. In the future this may be different, but for now, they may have to be in class assignments. Either way, they are great ideas for incorporating technology into our classrooms.

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

Reflection

My course is coming to an end. As I reflect on the things I have learned, I realize that technology is everywhere and will continue to be throughout my lifetime. I have always thought that I am pretty competent using technologies such as computers and hand held devices. After taking this course, I realize there are so many more things I can utilize with these technologies in my classroom. By using all technology that is available to me in my school, I see more student engagement and excitement for learning. It is so important to keep myself up to date with new technologies. I plan to continue to subscribe to educational and technological blogs as one source of keeping current. I also intend to encourage other colleagues in my school to try new technologies as well.

In the next two years, I would like to transform my classroom learning by leaning more toward a student facilitated learning environment. I do not need to be the sole source of information and learning. I want students to be able to use computers to research and create projects. I know it will be a bit more challenging to increase this in first grade. I know that I will need to provide a lot of modeling and practice together before students are able to create some basic things on their own. It will take time. It will be a learning experience for myself as well. A more focused and outcome based goal I would like to achieve is using podcasts for writing and reading fluency. I want students to create their own writing pieces, edit them, practice reading them, create artwork for them, and then read them in a podcast. Many students love to hear their own voices and they will immediately hear how fluent they have become as the year progresses on. I would love to have students do this several times a year to monitor their own progress in reading fluency. Just as student facilitated learning will take a lot of modeling and practice with me before they are prepared to create on their own. In the end I believe my students will be fully engaged and excited about using technology for learning.

Technology Use Podcast

This week I created a podcast. My district does not allow student interviews without a three week approval process, so I interviewed three students that are not in my first grade class. Here is the site where you can listen to my podcast.

http://podcastmachine.com/podcasts/4452/episodes/20217

So this week I visited the Partnership for 21st Century Skills site for my master's class. I guess my initial reaction was that it seemed a bit overwhelming with an abundance of information. As I navigated my way through the site, I found there truly is a lot of interesting information. The information is very detailed and well organized. The one thing that bothered my is the reference to the three R's but no explanation to what the three R's are. I then proceeded to search for the answer. I found out that the three R's are actually not R's at all, but the core subject areas. That was a bit confusing. The four C's on the other hand were communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity. That made sense. I suppose my biggest surprise is that I have never heard of P21. It has been around since 2002 and has many big name company members and the U.S. Department of Education involved with it, but I, as an educator, have never heard of it. Shouldn't educators be more informed that support like this is available. Maybe I am to blame for not researching more? Is there an easier way to keep educators educated themselves? There seemed to be some decent resources available throughout this site for educators. I would like to research them further. I like that many of them were free or of little cost.

Classroom Blog Ideas

I teach first grade. The idea of using a blog in my classroom intrigues me. I think I would start by introducing a class blog to my entire class. Showing them the postings and where to comment. Then I might make blogging an optional homework assignment. It would be optional since some homes do not have computers or internet access. This way parents could help guide their students through the process of commenting. Next, at school, I would share with them how to comment on the class blog. I would keep it simple by asking ,"What did you do over Spring Break?" Next I would take my students to the computer lab. My school has a computer lab that all grade levels share. Due to popularity, my class can only visit the lab once each week. I would allow students time to type a few things in the blog that they did over Spring Break. Knowing that many of my students are very slow at typing, I expect some will only get one sentence. This is still great practice for sentence formation and typing skills. I am a little concerned that this might just turn into pure confusion in the computer lab. Hopefully the few that did it for homework would be able to help others. Like I said, I am brand new to blogs. This might be way too much for six and seven year olds. I am willing to try it. At the very least, I hope to set up a blog to display artwork or writing samples for parents and students to visit from home. I would place the blog site on my weekly newsletter and encourage them to interact. What do the rest of you think? Is first grade too young to expect blog participation?

Here we go!

Welcome to my first blog!

I am a first grade teacher in a chilly town in the interior of Alaska. I have been teaching for six years at the elementary school that I attended. In fact, my principal/boss was my fourth grade teacher. That is what I get for living in a small town. I love that I can go anywhere and see a familiar face.

I am happily married with a two year old chocolate lab. She is definitely in her terrible twos and keeps me running. When I find free time I like to go snow boarding, water skiing, scrap booking, and playing games. I wish I could find more of that free time.

I am starting this blog to connect with classmates. I look forward to diving into the exciting world of blogging.