Final Reflections

In looking back on this course, I feel that I have learned a great deal about the inquiry-based teaching model and the new literacies vital to our student’s success in the future.  Developing an initial question, searching for resources, evaluating the information, then synthesizing the information to produce a final product for communicating can be difficult and challenging task for most elementary students.  However, if taught correctly through modeling and gradual release of power to the students, and given time and practice, even the youngest students can begin developing good inquiry habits.

The most striking revelations I had about teaching the new literacy skills to my students were how good they were at evaluating websites for authenticity and how they struggled with developing essential questions and synthesizing.  I was pleasantly surprised to see how well students took to the process of evaluating websites.  As Dr. Hartman discussed, students must become analytical and critical readers when evaluating online resources (Laureate Education Inc., 2010a).  I believe that the students used their previous experiences with the Internet, along with my modeling and the ABC’s evaluation chart (Laureate Education Inc., 2010b), to make good choices when evaluating online resources.  I was very proud.  On the other hand, I was a little dismayed when working with students on developing essential questioning skills and synthesizing information from multiple sites.   Developing the initial question was quite a challenge for the students - more so than I would have thought.  Students ask questions all day, every day; however, they rarely go beyond simple question that can easily be answered with simple recalled facts.  Dr. Thornburg’s six characteristics of a good question (2004) were helpful, but I may need to rewrite them using more kid friendly language.   

The knowledge and experiences gained during this course will influence my own teaching practices in several ways.  First, to increase student awareness of copyright, I will pay closer attention to what and how I model materials in the classroom.  In the future when materials are presented, I will make a point to cite the resource clearly and boldly.  To ensure continuity from teacher to teacher, I will also be conducting a few professional development sessions with collogues to share the knowledge I have gained about citation and the importance of teaching and modeling citation skills on a daily basis.  A second change in my teaching practices will include making a concerted effort to model better questioning while thinking aloud Dr. Thornburg’s six characteristics (2004).  I will also be adding a poster of the characteristics in the classroom as a visual guide when developing their own questions.   The last change will come in the form of allowing more opportunities for students to practice their newly developing skills.  As the year progresses, I will try to integrate more inquiry-based learning into the curriculum.

When looking towards future professional development I would like to pursue more information on teaching synthesis.  Even with the resources provided for this course, I still feel there is much more I could learn about getting students to make synthesis a part of their everyday lives.  Eagleton and Dobler (2007) discussed the importance of this new literacy skill and reminded me that it is also one of the most difficult for students to master.   In order to achieve this goal, I will use the inquiry-based process to develop a systematic plan for locating, evaluating, synthesizing, and communicating new knowledge.  As I become more informed about the synthesis process and how other have effectively utilized it, I will begin working with small groups of students to test the new knowledge and determine effectiveness.  

This course has been a good learning experience for my students and me.  I have gained a great deal of knowledge and experience in the inquiry process and, as a result, I feel bettered prepared to teach the new literacies with confidence. 

References

Eagleton, M. B., & Dobler, E. (2007). Reading the web: Strategies for Internet inquiry. New York, NY: The Guilford Press.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2010a). Program number 2: New Literacies [DVD]. Supporting Information Literacy and Online Inquiry in the Classroom. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2010b). Program number 6: A Teacher’s Perspective: Evaluating Information Online [DVD]. Supporting Information Literacy and Online Inquiry in the Classroom. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Thornburg, D. (2004). Inquiry: The art of helping students ask good questions (Executive Briefing No. 402). Retrieved from http://www.tcpdpodcast.org/briefings/inquiry.pdf

Final Reflections

When I began this course, my personal theory of learning was somewhere between Curry’s personality learning theory and the multidimensional learning theory as described in Multiple intelligences and learning styles (Orey, 2001).  When teaching computer technology to over five-hundred elementary students each week it can be challenging to get through to so many individual personalities and learning styles.  I have come to rely on my knowledge of technology, student personality preferences for acquiring information, as well as my awareness of students’ environmental preferences and personal filters in order to provide multi-sensory instructional events that stimulate and engage the learners’ brain.

As a result of this course, I have become more aware of the powerful cognitive strategies such as elaboration and dual coding hypothesis thus strengthening my belief in engaging the learners’ brain.  I have strengthened my depth of knowledge of constructionism and social constructionism and the importance of the interactions with others and the content.  Building objects as a way of clarifying, solidifying, or obtaining new information (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010b).  As I can still remember projects that I created some thirty years ago, I believe in the power of adding the tactile experiences.

When I first received my teaching certification some twenty years ago, my understanding of the learning theory was fresh in my mind.  Over the passing years however, they have moved further back into the recesses of my long-term memories.  Moreover, when I first started teaching, computers were expensive, rare in schools, and limited mostly to basic drill and practice.  This course has provided me with knowledge and experiences that has helped me to reflect on what I already know and grow beyond to higher understanding.  I now have a greater understanding of behaviorism and the effects of operant conditioning through reinforcement and punishment (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010a).  My own notions about the cognitive learning theory have been reinforced and strengthened by the information in this course.  The idea of constructionist learning and social learning also appeal to me as a means of incorporating more hands on learning and cooperative learning experiences (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010b).  Being able to recall project I did myself in grade school, tells me that these two learning theories are sound in their ability to create lasting memories. 

The biggest adjustment to my instructional practices regarding technology integration is in the renewed scrutiny of my own lesson planning.  I now look closer at my lesson plans and the technology being implemented.   I now ask myself three important questions while I am developing a lesson for the computer lab.  First, am I providing a learning experience that will help the students enjoy and understand the content, thus retaining more knowledge?  Second, will it promote collaborative learning with peers, parents, or community?  And third, will the learners themselves be engage with the technology and learning process?  By reflecting on these three questions, I feel my lessons will continue to become more student-centered and less teacher-centered. 

Because of the learning in this course, I will be adding two new technologies to the lab.  The first technology tool I would like to use with my students is the voice thread.  The VT is a tool that the students will definitely enjoy using for a number of projects in the computer lab.  The lessons can be completed within one or two classes depending on the complexity and depth of knowledge.  Collaboration is embedded with this technology thus making it easier for tracking participation and assessment.  Voice threads are a fun way to engage students in the learning.  Shared documents is a second technology tool I will use more with my students.  I believe using more share documents such as Google Docs will help increase student collaboration.  As stated in Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works, “technology can play a unique and vital role in cooperative learning by facilitating group collaboration, providing structure for group tasks, and allowing members to communicate even if they are not working face to face” (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007).  Shared documents can be a powerful learning tool and an important skill for working in today's networked society. 

Over the period of this course, my repertoire of instructional skills has expanded greatly.  I had only brief encounters with many of the resources practiced in this course and now I feel more confident in using them with the students.  Wikis, voice threads, and survey monkey are three technology tools I had seen used by others; however, until this course, I did not feel confident in presenting them to students.  There was always that feeling of “what if”.  What if I cannot answer student questions?  What if I cannot properly work the application while modeling?   Now that I have had the opportunity to practice using these tools in a safe environment, I feel much more confident in integrating these powerful tools into the lab.

I have two long-term goals regarding technology integration into the computer lab.  My first goal is to utilize more visuals and less teacher talking when presenting content.  Utilizing more concept maps, virtual field trips, and podcasts will help connect learners with the content in a more student-centered environment.  Thus placing the focus on the learning not the teacher.    My second long-term goal is to incorporate more technology embedded cooperative learning experiences utilizing many of the resources explored throughout this course.   As cooperative learning plays such an important role in learning theory, I feel I must place more of the learning into the hands of the students. Utilizing wikis, blogs, voice threads, and shared on-line documents are just a few of the resources I will begin integrating into future lessons as a way of promoting and strengthening cooperative learning within the compute lab. 

References

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010a). Program 4: Social Learning Theory [Webcast]. Behaviorist Learning Theory. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010b). Program 5: Social Learning Theory [Webcast]. Cognitive Learning Theories. Baltimore. MD: Author.

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

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

Connectivism and Social Learning in Practice

As the main tenet of a social constructionist is to actively engage the learner in constructing something and then have conversations about what was built (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010), I believe that cooperative learning is an instructional strategy that correlates well with the social learning theory.  Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works illustrated several technology embedded cooperative learning strategies that rely heavily on the social aspects of learning.

Collaborative Web 2.0 tools such as ePALS or Keypals provide learners with opportunities to work and socialize with others outside of the classroom and indeed anywhere in the world.   The use of social technology can help facilitate safe and focused correspondence and project-based learning between students and communities (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007).  Students can not only learn, but also provide their own expertise to others who may have less knowledgeable.  This type of social interaction with others allows students to construct meaning for new knowledge by interacting with others (Pitler et al., 2007).

Shared documents, calendars and bookmarks are fast becoming the norm for today’s learners.  The increased presence of social sites such as Google and Yahoo has exploded in the past few years.  Student can now create, edit, and share documents, graphs, and charts anywhere Internet access is available.  This type of networking is also accessible on an every growing list of devices making accessibility easier, faster, and cheaper.  The use of online collaboration exposes students to new ideas and perspectives they may not have discovered on their own.  

The utilization of the multiplayer simulation games is an excellent way for students to work and play collaboratively in an online virtual environment.  Like many social learning activities, students have the opportunity to be both the learner and the teacher in this type of environment.  As a player learns new skills, they then become the teacher for less experienced players.  The give and take dynamics of these games help students learn new skills while reinforcing previous learning.  If used properly, gaming simulations make it possible to deal with complex situations that are close to reality without the physical consequences. 

With the increasing use of communication software applications such as Skype, wikis, blogs, and Voice over IPs, students are able to collaborate on projects without the constraints of time or geography (Pitler et al., 2007).  Skype offers learners the ability to have a face-to-face conversation with almost anyone, anywhere, at any time.  With this medium students are able to see facial expressions and hear tone of voice thus gaining a truer sense of the intended message.  Wikis and blogs are an excellent place for students to interact with the peers and the community as a whole.  Works can now be shared digitally for others to read, edit, question, and learn.  These types of social instructional strategies provide opportunities for students to move above their zone of proximal development and acquire new knowledge (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010). 

All of these cooperative learning strategies are based on working with others to share or obtain knowledge.  As many of us have learned over the years, the best way to learn content is to teach it.  By allowing learners to collaborate, they gain the unique opportunity to play both the student and the teacher, thus creating deeper understanding of the content.  The use of technology can extend communication and collaboration beyond the constraints of the classroom and into the World Wide Web. 

References

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010). Program 8: Social Learning Theory [Webcast]. Understanding the impact of technology on education, work, and society. Baltimore, MD: Author.

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

Voice Thread URL

I hope you enjoy this voice thread on Internet safety.  Several fourth graders assisted in the artwork and voice comments.  The link is

voicethread.com/share/1893815

Constructionism in Practice

Constructionism in Practice

This week’s instructional strategy, generating and testing hypotheses, correlates well with the core principals of constructivist/constructionist learning theories.  While generating and testing hypotheses students will be constructing a meaningful artifact that can be shared with others (Orey, 2007).  Whether using spreadsheets, data collection tools, or the Internet - as students research their hypotheses and begin collecting data, their artifact begins taking shape.  Through the process of discovery, students will use data to determine the validity of their original hypotheses by reflecting on the artifact being created.   Utilizing interactive applications allows students to input their raw data and then focus more time on interpreting that data rather than gathering and crunching the numbers (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007).   The ability for students to participate in the creation of the artifacts from start to finish assists them in seeing the connections between the data collected and the hypotheses.  As Dr. Orey stated, the main tenet of constructionism is that people learn best when they build and external artifact that can share with others (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010).  Generating and testing hypotheses is a good way for teachers and students to integrate the main tenet of the constructionist learning theory into the classroom.

References

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010). Program 7: Constructionist and Constructivist Learning Theories [Webcast]. Understanding the impact of technology on education, work, and society. Baltimore, MD: Author.

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

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

Cognitive Learning Theory

Cognitivism in Practice

For this week’s blog posting, four principles of cognitive learning theory will be correlated with two instructional strategies from Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works (2007). Cues, questions, and advanced organizers, as well as summarizing and note taking will be examined for their cognitive advantages and the ways in which they can help teach for better understanding. As an added notation, the concept of integrating technologies, such as concept mapping and virtual field trips, into cognitive activities will also be addressed.

Cues, questions, and advanced organizers are great ways to enhance a student’s ability to retrieve, use, and organize the information being presented (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007). In correlating these strategies with the four principals of cognitive learning theory, we find a good match. As short-term memory can only process about seven items at a time, providing cues and the advanced organizers helps keep the student focused on the important information. Questioning used with students can be useful in drawing out prior knowledge or triggering previous memories about related events. All too often students know more than they think about a topic - they just need a little prompting to locate the information. As in the example of the young student who said, they did not know anything about ratios or proportion until asked, how many cans of water to add to the frozen orange juice.

Summarizing and note taking is a second instructional strategy that works will within the cognitive learning theory. As an elementary teacher this strategy is often overlooked; however because it focuses on enhancing a student’s ability to synthesize information (Pitler et al., 2007) it would be fitting for me to take a closer look. Note taking, like cognitive theory, should employ a variety of formats such as outlining, pictographs, and webbing in addition to the text. The effective utilization of visuals as a means of strengthening the knowledge creates a situation whereas learners can make better connections through the elaboration process (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010). The episodic experience is another powerful cognitive tool for student retention and summarizing knowledge is an excellent way for students to understand the most critical parts of the learning. For younger students, the rule based summarizing (Pitler et al., 2007) strategy will provide the structure and guidance needed while still developing their abilities. As an added advantage, using technology can enhance the student’s ability to turn their notes and summaries into outlines for tests, essays, or reciprocal teaching.

Concept mapping and virtual field trips are both excellent opportunities to combine cognitive learning with the use of technology. Concept mapping provides learners with dual coding opportunities helping students to visualize ideas and the connections between them (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010). Utilizing standalone or web based mapping software; concept mapping is a fun and visual way for learners to organize and process information. Using web-based applications such as Webspiration or bubbl.us, the concept maps become shared documents that peers or groups may edit as part of the learning process. Virtual field trips help provide a more complete episodic event for the learner by allowing them to virtually experience places and things they may never actually get to actually see or touch. Adding the extra layers of visuals, audio, movement, and text allows for greater retention and understanding of the material presented.

References

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010). Program five. Cognitive learning theory [Webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Baltimore, MD: Author.

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

Behaviorism in Practice

Behaviorism in Practice

The following post will explore the correlation between behaviorism and two instructional strategies: reinforcing effort and homework/practice. Although behaviorism has fallen out of favor in recent years, I believe it still has a place in todays’ classroom as demonstrated by the following two examples.

As effort is the most important factor in achievement (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007). Then reinforcing effort enhances student’ understanding of the relationship between the effort put forth and the achievement they obtain. Utilizing spreadsheet software such as Excel for tracking student effort can be a powerful tool in showing progress over time. Graphs and charts allow student to see visual representation of their efforts verses their final grade. A second way of reinforcing effort is with the use of rewards for demonstrating appropriate knowledge. Most Internet games are based on this scoring principal for demonstrating mastery. The better your score, the higher your name goes up the scoreboard. If you get the puzzle correct, a cute song plays and the puzzle does a little dance. If they complete an adventure, they earn website credits to spend in the on-line store. Reinforcing effort is a good way to help students stay motivated and self-confident in their successes.

Homework and practice provide opportunities for students to deepen their understanding of the content and gain proficiency with their skills (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007). Most would agree that providing practice is essential for student learning. However, some may use homework or practice as a punishment for unsuitable behaviors such as writing a sentence twenty times or looking up and copying definitions. The utilization of homework or practice as a negative aspect to the students learning will only cause the student to become disinterested and create a dislike of the subject (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010). James Hartley believed repetition to be an important component in the learning process. He stated that frequent practice, and practice in varied contexts – is necessary for learning to take place (Smith, 1999). I agree with strongly that the more varied the context delivery, the better the learning for the student. Homework should be an extension of the learning taking place in the classroom, not as a means of punishing the student. Technology can support teacher in their homework endeavors by allowing for better student tracking and easier out-of-school access to other professionals and peers. Through the utilization of on-line shared docs, email, text, and video stream the homework becomes less isolated and more integrated into the lesson. These tools can help teachers provide homework that is more meaningful to the learner. The use of technology also supports the student by allowing students to work in a familiar medium, utilize more creativity in their assignments, take on more responsibility for their own learning, and practice 21st century skills needed for today’s workforce.

References

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010a). Program 4: Behaviorist Learning Theory [Webcast]. Understanding the impact of technology on education, work, and society. Baltimore, MD: Author.

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

Smith, K. (1999). The behaviorist orientation to learning. In The encyclopedia of informal education. Retrieved from http://www.infed.org/biblio/learning-behavourist.htm