Reflecting on the Bridge of Technology and Instruction

     In the beginning of my Walden course, I developed a personal learning theory to explain how my instruction is driven by the ways in which my students’ brains work. I discussed the importance of attending to cognitive and social learning theories. I still believe that it is important for students to be given structured learning experiences through cognitive tools. I also still find it important for students to work cooperatively and learn from each other. After taking this course, there are a few modifications that I would make based on what I have learned. As I originally stated, a teacher’s theory of learning will change from class to class and grade to grade. Since I am transitioning from third grade to Pre-K, I will have to start from the basics when integrating technology, but I will put a stronger emphasis on teaching the students to learn how to effectively work cooperatively. Pre-K students are completely unaware of what is expected in a school setting, so my lessons will have to be very structured, to hold their attention. Thankfully, I have learned about technology tools in this course that I will be able to integrate in my Pre-K classroom as well.


     I have learned about several technology tools that I would like to use to enhance the teaching practices that I currently use. Rather than having students simply stand up and present a piece of work, I would like to teach my students how to use VoiceThreads to display and explain what they have done. VoiceThreads will allow the students to share and be proud of their work, as well as allowing the students to learn from each other’s work and develop ideas that are more creative. I will also be using more virtual field trips and Webquests to teach my students. These technology tools will allow students to expand on their personal experiences through online instruction. Since all schools have taken a big cut financially, virtual field trips will allow the students to have an experience and learn, without leaving the classroom.

     The two long-term changes that I would like to make to my classroom are to teach my students how to properly use technology tools, and allowing students to share more of their work via the internet. Since my students are so young, my technology integration will have to be very guided. To teach my students how to use technology, we will cooperatively complete Webquests as a class so that all of the students are able to contribute their prior knowledge. I will also load the students’ work onto the computer and allow the students to add their voice to their work so that the class can all share through VoiceThreads. When teaching higher grades in the future, I hope to be able to take the time to teach them how to use technology tools so that they can use them to develop their own work. I believe that all technology integration first requires guidance of the teacher, and eventually our students will be prepared for their futures in using technology in their education and careers.

The Battle of Homework VoiceThread

I apologize for posting this late in the week, but I just returned from my cruise!

I created a VoiceThread about my struggle to get students to complete homework. Here is the link:

http://voicethread.com/share/1197602/

Enjoy and I look forward to hearing your feedback!

Tiffany

Learning Cooperatively: The Social Learning Theory

     The meaning of the social learning theory is based upon students learning cooperatively. It is our job as educators to make sure that our students are prepared for the future. Pitler, Hubbel, & Kuhn best stated that, “To be prepared for the fast-paced, virtual workplaces that they will inherit, today’s students need to be able to learn and produce cooperatively” (2007). To support students learning cooperatively, teachers should create assignments that reinforce positive reinforcement, face-to-face, promotive interaction, individual and group accountability, interdependent and small-group skills, and group processing.


     Dr. Michael Orey gave a great example of multimedia in a social learning approach using the jigsaw strategy (Laureate Education Inc., 2009). Students can work in small groups to create a PowerPoint presentation about a topic such as famous authors. Students will split into groups of five, each student studying a different author. The students would split up into different small groups based up on the authors they are studying, to work collaboratively to research the author using technology tools. The students would then collaborate by returning to their original groups to share their information and create a PowerPoint presentation about the authors. This strategy teaches students to problem solve together learn from what each group member has to contribute. They must trust each other’s research and work together to make decisions for the PowerPoint.

     With the amount of technology that is available to students today, they can collaborate using the internet, with other students in their school, expects of specific content knowledge, and people all over the world. A WebQuest is a great social learning tool that students can learn from on the internet. They are inquiry-oriented activities where students from different places can cooperate to create a project or solve a problem. Providing links to supplemental resources allows the students to learn from multiple sources and learn in many different ways.

     In order for students to learn based on the social learning theory, they must learn cooperatively. The students must understand that they can help each other learn and motivate each other. Keeping open communication and working together will create meaningful experiences to provide a deeper understanding for students.

References

Laureate Education Inc. (Producer). (2009). Program 8. Social learning theory [Motion Picture]. 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

This week, I read about generating and testing hypothesis in Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works. The constructivist/ constructionist learning theories help students to gain a deeper understanding of concepts through project-based, problem-based, and inquiry-based approaches. The instructional strategies discussed in this chapter can help students to clearly explain their hypotheses and conclusions. Integrating technology as part of these strategies will allow students to, “…spend more time interpreting the data rather than gathering the data” (Lever-Duffey & McDonald, 2008).


Students can use spreadsheet software to make informed predictions, collect and analyze data, and revise their original hypothesis. Programs such as Microsoft Excel and Google Spreadsheets allow students to use technology to create a hypothesis and organize their data in a meaningful way to them. Having access to computers will allow the students to make changes to their data without having to use paper or write and erase numerous times. This technology uses the constructivist/ constructionist learning theories by having students complete projects which can be revised to development an idea. “Using data collection tools enables students to see the bigger picture and recognize patterns,” (Lever-Duffey & McDonald, 2008). When students can use digital data collection tools, they can spend more time analyzing and synthesizing the data, rather than writing it out. Tools such as digital microscopes will allow students to see the bigger picture of what they are looking at, making it easier to evaluate their hypothesis. Web resources such as interactive computer games allow students to, “…use background knowledge, make decisions, and see the outcome of their hypothesis” (Lever-Duffey & McDonald, 2008). Simulation software provides students with a more engaging learning experience, which will increase their motivation to learn and help them to retain the information. Through projects, problem-solving, and inquiry, I plan to use these tools to help my students learn through the constructivist theory and actively construct their own knowledge.

References

Lever-Duffy, J. & McDonald, J. (2008). Theoretical Foundations (Laureate Education, Inc., custom ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Cognitive Tools in the Classroom

     In learning more about the cognitive learning theory, I realized the importance of using cognitive tools in lessons and activities to help students, “interact with information in order to acquire, synthesize, create, and share new knowledge” (Orey, 2001). This week I read about “Cues, Questions, and Advance Organizers” and “Summarizing and Note Taking” in my course text, Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works by Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski. There are many direct correlations between these instructional strategies and the theories behind cognitive learning. There are many forms of technology that teachers can use as cognitive tools in the classroom to support cognitive learning.


     Advance organizers, such as concept maps, are, “structures that teachers provide to students before a learning activity to help them classify and make sense of the content they’ll encounter, particularly new content that is not well organized in its original format” (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007). Word processing applications, such as Microsoft Word, can be used by teachers to create advanced organizers such as tables and charts. Spreadsheet software like Microsoft Excel is helpful for teachers to make rubrics. These support the cognitive learning theory because they students are being prepared for what is expected and acceptable. Organizing and brainstorming software programs, such as Kidspiration, help give cues and questions. It tells students what they will be learning about and states the essential question for the lesson. Cueing students will help them connect the new content that they are learning. Organizing information for students also helps them to see make connections with their prior knowledge.

     When students are seeking knowledge, they need to be able to retrieve and identify the most important information. Web resources such as Google Docs and Think Tank work as search engines and databases to help students find appropriate information that pertains to the topics that they are researching. Summarizing and note taking enhances, “students’ ability to synthesize information and distill it into a concise new form” (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007). Microsoft Word is a word processing application that can be used by students to organize their knowledge. This cognitive tool will allow the students to make relationships among the new concepts that they have learned, by structuring and manipulating information. Multimedia tools like Microsoft Power Point support the cognitive learning theory by helping students present information. Power Point allows students to display their new knowledge in an organized and meaningful way.

     I look forward to introducing some of these new instructional strategies in my classroom. To meet the needs of my cognitive learners, these strategies will allow students to seek information, present information, organize their new knowledge, and integrate their new knowledge by communicating with other students. New forms of technology have allowed teachers to bring the outside world into the classroom. Hopefully I will be able to create more meaningful experiences through these new strategies, resulting in more effective learning.

References

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

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

Behaviorism in Practice

When reading about technology that will improve my classroom instruction, I developed many ideas to incorporate new technology and reinforce skills by applying the behaviorist learning theory. “Technology makes it easier for students and teachers to track the effects of effort and facilitates more immediate feedback” (Pitler, Hubbel, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007). The best way to incorporate these tools is to reinforce practice and provide effective homework and practice. By tracking the effort of students using spreadsheet software, instruction can be modified to provide appropriate instruction. Surveying students and graphing their efforts will show them the achievements they have made and the expectations they need to meet. There are also many forms of technology that can be used by students at home and school to practice new skills and concepts.


I can create a rubric using Rubistar or Rubric Machine to clearly show students what I expect. Spreadsheet software such as Microsoft Excel will show students the correlation between their effort and their grades. Since I teach at the elementary level, I can enforce positive reinforcement in the behaviorist theory by creating a chart where students can put up a sticker when they make acceptable grades. Data collection tools, such as graphs, will show my students the importance of their efforts. I would also like to teach my students how to graph their data, so that they can record their own grades and keep track of their progress. On my teacher webpage, I can display this data and have students write success stories that will be posted to the website to encourage other students to increase their efforts.

To encourage practice and completion of homework, technology can be used through spreadsheet software, multimedia, and web resources. When completing homework, I can have my students track their answers in a spreadsheet. If students do not have access to a computer at home, I can print a hard copy for them to take home. This will teach the students how to track their progress and help me to quickly grade their work and provide immediate feedback. “Practicing with multimedia allows students to shape their experience to their individual learning style and increase their level of understanding to mastery” (Pitler, Hubbel, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007). I currently use educational technology programs such as Study Island and Compass Learning Odyssey to help students choose their learning objectives, stay engaged, and receive immediate feedback from the program. I can also have my students create multimedia games to display what they have learned and provide practice of skills. I have created Who Wants to be a Millionaire and Jeopardy games based on the concepts that I teach in class. Web resources such as online educational games are appealing to students and give feedback for teachers to monitor a student’s progress towards mastery. These tools meet the criteria of the behaviorist learning theory because the students are able to instantaneously see what step they are struggling with, to target specific skills to work on. When students have successfully completed a game or mastered a skill, I will set up the games to print out certificates to give students immediate positive reinforcement. Promoting positive behaviors such as these in the classroom will give students a sense of accomplishment and drive them to set higher goals for their effort and achievement.

References

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

Reflecting on my Walden University course...

Throughout my current course at Walden University, Understanding the Impact of Technology on Education, Work, and Society, I have developed a better understanding of the types of technology and skills that should be incorporated into 21st century classrooms. Although I consider myself a digital native, I have learned many new technology skills that can be used for teaching. The frameworks outlined by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills have become a starting point for the creation of my lesson plans. I have learned the importance of incorporating new skills to the content I am already teaching in the core subject areas. “To be effective in the 21st century, citizens and workers must be able to exhibit a range of functional and critical thinking skills related to information, media and technology” (Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2004). Before I can include technology into my classroom, I must learn how to use it effectively. I have learned how blogs, wikis, and podcasts can be used by students to share their work and their knowledge of the content they are learning.


I would like to continue learning ways that I can integrate technology into my classroom to increase my students’ achievement. I would like to get in touch with my state's board of education to get more information of how we could become recipients of 21st Century Skills Incentive Funds, to incorporate and encourage the use of “creativity, innovation, critical thinking and financial, economic, business and entrepreneurial literacy,”(Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2004) in students. I would also like to attend more workshops that will expose me to new types of technology and skills that will help my incorporate technology into my lessons.

With the wide range of technology tools that are available to our students on a daily basis, they are finding teachers' lectures and worksheets to be useless and boring. To make my classroom a more exciting learning experience for my students, I would like to set two long-term goals to increase my students' achievement. My first goal is to use websites, such as ePals, to encourage my students to learn from their peers from other cultures. The classes could communicate about the content they are learning and share information that they have researched. Exposing my students to different types of technology learning tools will allow students to learn in different forms and at different levels. My second goal is to spend the next two years teaching my students to become proficient in using different types of technology. Dr. Thornburg stated that educators need to, “start thinking about how these tools could be used in education so that when they became commonplace, they’d be ready for it,” (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008). Although my students are exposed to many types of technology in their daily lives, most students have not had the chance to use tools such as blogs and wikis. Once I am able to establish what is expected of my students when using technology, I can use these teaching and learning tools to meet my instructional goals and increase my students’ achievement.

References

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2008). Program 4. Technology and Society [Motion picture]. Understanding the impact of technology on education, work, and society. Baltimore: Author.

Partnership for 21st Century Skills (2004). Information, media, and technology skills. Washington DC: Author. Retrieved from http://21stcenturyskills.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=61&Itemid=120