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.
Tiffany,
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing how influential simple technology tools like Microsoft Word and PowerPoint can be when teaching students how to organize information with the cognitive learning process. I teach music and have very limited access to computers, but if I was a classroom teacher I would use these resources daily. I know that many teachers complain because having the students use programs like powerpoint take forever, but if they contiguously use the same program to map their thoughts, then eventually it will save time once they become familiar with the program itself. From a personal perspective, it takes me half the amount of time to make a Microsoft Word outline verses a hand written outline. Honestly, I couldn't even imagine the amount of work it would take to hand write a 6 page-essay, even though I use to do it when I was in high school. In high school, I remember writing many drafts of the same essay, until I finally reached the final copy. Students, ideally should be saving so much time by using Microsoft Word.
These tools give teachers a really great tool to present different material in different ways. Like any thing though it should be used in maturation. I know when I was in school some of my favorite classes were classes that mixed things up. I hated always doing the same thing everyday. I remember in one English class I had to write a concept map for every paper I wrote. These lead to a hatred for doing concept maps.
ReplyDeleteTiffany --
ReplyDeleteCharles pointed out what great resources may already be available, even in districts without a long list of technology resources. I have to second his thoughts, with a suggestion for ways to speed up the process. Often, students dive into creating documents before they have decided what should be included! (I know adults that do the same thing!) So until they get a better feel for what will be included, it may help to draw the concept map on paper first. I often use post-it notes as a way to move ideas around without repeated erasing and re-writing. Once students can see the bigger picture, they are better equipped to create a Word document to describe their thoughts.
Inspiration and Kidspiration are two packages that can be a great help for outlining and concept mapping. However, you can easily use the drawing tools in MS Word to develop similar documents. Use the "textbox" tool to create nodes in the map, and use the "arrow" tool to draw connections. Granted, the drawing interface isn't as slick, and it will require that students update the links themselves, but they can still create high quality (and legible!) concept maps without having to purchase new software.
-Andrew
Piggybacking on Andrew's comment. The website www.mywebspiration.com would save districts money since it runs just like Inspiration and Kidspiration on the web. The only disadvantage I possibly see with the web based version is the collaborative tool which may cause the site to be blocked by some districts (including mine). My district isn't very open to the collaborative aspect of Web 2.0 tools yet since they feel they can't ensure the safety of the children.
ReplyDeleteCharles,
ReplyDeleteI completly agree that technology programs such as Microsoft Word and Powerpoint should cut down on work time for students. If all teachers are enforcing these tools in their classrooms, the students will become used to using them.
Andrew,
Thanks for the helpful hints to create concept aps in MS Word. That will definetly come in handy!
Kristen,
Your website reccomendation would be excellent to use in the classroom. Does your district have a way for you to be able to suggest websites that they can make avaliable? We can get permission for some sites, and this would be a great tool for the students to be able to use. Although Andrew's suggestion of using MS Word is helpful, having a specific concept mapping technology tool can be very advantageous too!