Constructivism in Practice

In this week’s readings, we looked at the importance of providing our students with as many opportunities to both generate and test their hypothesis. According to Pitler, Kuhn, & Malenoski (2007), “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). This directly relates to both the Constructionist and Constructivist learning theories we explored this week. Dr. Michael Orey explains how constructionism is a, “theory of learning that states people learn best when they build an external artifact or something they can share with others”. He explained how this basically comes down to engaging your students in inquiry-based projects that involves creating things.
In Using Technology with Classroom instruction that Works, students in Mrs. Omar’s 5th grade class were involved in a project designed to help them understand the impact that putting money into savings investments can have in the long term future. This project demonstrates a clear example of the constructivist/constructionist theories because it presents students with a focus question that can lead to multiple solutions. The learning is student centered with Mrs. Omar serving mainly as a facilitator to the students. Students are not only working on portions of the project by themselves, but they are involved in small groups that work collaboratively to determine which of the three investment plans provides the best scenario for producing a substantial profit.

Overall, I was very intrigued and excited by this week’s readings and resources. I have briefly explored this type of instructional approach, but did not have a strong understanding of how to involve my students in Problem/Project based learning. After reading through “Generating and Testing Hypothesis”, one idea I plan to integrate is the “By Kids for Kids: How to Invent” website (www.bkfk.com/howtoinvent). One of the stories in our reading curriculum is called, “The Kids Inventions’ Book”. This informational text provides students with a brief look at the invention process. Once we complete this short story, I plan to have students form small groups. Each group will use the BKFK website as a reference to both investigate and explore the invention process. Once students have a clear understanding of the process, they will work together as a group to come up with an idea that they believe is a new invention. As explained in “Emerging Perspectives on Learning, Teaching, and Technology, “Such problems create opportunities for meaningful activities that engage students in problem solving and higher-order thinking in authentic settings”. (Orey, 2001).

References

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Bridging learning theory, instruction, and technology. Baltimore: Author.

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.

Cognitivism in Practice

In this week’s learning resources, we explored many tools and activities that teachers can use with their students to help support instructional strategies as well as the cognitive learning theories. One type of resource that we looked at was, “Concept Maps”. While I am familiar with this term/resource, I have not actually incorporated a concept map into my instruction or class projects. There are several reasons I think this is a great resource to use in the classroom. According to the cognitive learning theories discussed by Dr. Michael Orey, the information we gather is can be stored and recalled in many different ways. In order for our students to truly retain/recall the concepts we are teaching, they need a way to connect with the information. This is where a concept map can be a powerful learning tool. For those who are unfamiliar with concept maps, they are essentially an electronic version of the common web/tree map teachers use for organizing ideas. Dr. Orey explained how the concept map provides students with both text/visual representations that help create stronger connections. The stronger the connection, the easier it is to recall/retain the information.

Another great resource we looked at was Virtual Field Trips. Prior to this week’s learning resources, I was not familiar with the idea of a virtual field trip. The video resource provided a great video clip showing how a virtual field trip was used to enhance the learning of a historical lesson about the assassination of President Lincoln. Even though we may not have the time, funding or capabilities of taking our students on an actual field trip, a virtual field trip can still provide students with a rich experience that can be extremely motivating and engaging. Dr. Orey explained the importance of giving your students as many opportunities to “Elaborate” upon the concepts and ideas being covered in the lesson.

This week’s learning resources also discussed how educators can help students develop and improve their “note-taking” abilities. In my experience, students often use highlighters simply turn their white page to a bright yellow rather than highlighting only the critical ideas. One tool that I plan to share with my students is the “track changes” found in Microsoft Word. This can be used as a way for students to simply find only the most important ideas in a given text.

The final focus point of this week’s topics was about how teachers can use cues, questions, and advance organizers to help students create strong connections. I am currently starting to use Microsoft Excel for a variety of activities. In the video, students were working on a spreadsheet to help them find the changes in populations in state and district unions over the past 17 years. Instead of spending a lot of time calculating the difference for each of the different years, students were able to use an Excel formula to calculate the differences. This provided students with more time to make stronger connections with the topic being covered. This is a tool I am hoping to integrate into my own classroom.

Through resources such as concept maps, virtual field trips and many other computer based tools, teachers have unlimited amounts of information and tools that can help to enrich as well as empower the learning already being taught by educators.

References
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Program number 5. Cognitive Learning Theories[Motion picture]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Baltimore: Author.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Program number 6. Spotlight on Technology: Virtual Field Trips [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.

Robertson, B., Elliot, L., & Robinson, D. (2007). Cognitive tools. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved <5/18/2009>, from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/

Behaviorism in Practice

In this week’s learning resources, we had a chance to learn about the behaviorist learning theory and how it can be applied within the classroom setting to help improve/achieve the desired behaviors. We also read some strategies about how to teach students the significance that a quality effort can have upon both your work and grades. Finally, we looked at several ideas about how to effectively assign homework and practice assignments that reinforce the content being taught.

One of the ideas that I gained from this week’s resources was the importance of “explicitly teach[ing] students about the importance of effort” (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, p.156). I have often shared with my students how important it is to put forth a strong effort, but I have never considered actually tracking their progress. Through the use of simple spreadsheet programs such as Microsoft Excel, students can create and monitor their progress on an “Effort Rubric” (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, p.157). This not only gives them a visual of their progress, but also improves their beliefs and behaviors. Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski (2007) explained how research shows, “that students can change their beliefs and make a connection between effort and achievement” (p. 156). This is one way in which technology can help students develop a positive attitude about school and help to improve behavior.
Another focus throughout this week’s learning resources was how to use homework and practice strategies effectively. There has always been a lot of controversy over the issue of assigning homework. I am a strong advocate in assigning homework as long as it is relevant and simply a way to reinforce and practice a skill already taught in class. The school I am currently working at is fortunate to have three sets of laptop carts for classes to check out. This provides my students with several opportunities to use different computer resources to help practice and reinforce different skills. Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski (2007) shared a game called, “Battlegraph” that helps students develop ideas about coordinate grids (p. 195). While I have used the idea of Battleship to help teach my fourth graders ordered pairs, I have always used the traditional method of graph paper/pencil. I am planning on trying out this PowerPoint method as a way to engage my students even more.

Another resource that I would like to implement is a class wiki that could be used for class discussions/projects. Students would be able to work on their projects on their own time outside of the classroom. It would also provide students with a chance to work collaboratively and could serve as a communication tool. This would help to improve relationships among students and help to establish positive behavior and a positive working environment. Through the use of interactive games and activities like this one, my students will become more engaged and be less likely to act out or misbehave.

References
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). Program four. Behaviorist Learning Theory [Motion picture]. Bridging Learning, Theory, and Technology. Baltimore: Author.

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

Standridge, M.. (2002) Behaviorism. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved <2009>, from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/

Reflection for “Understanding the Impact of Technology on Education, Work, and Society”

As I reflect back on the readings and resources for this course, it is incredible how much I have learned about how to effectively and efficiently integrate technology into the classroom. The skills and resources I have acquired from this course have already begun to significantly improve my instruction. Prior to completing this course, I was familiar with such terms as weblog and podcast, but I had no experience actually using them. This course has provided me with both the skills and the understanding of how powerful and engaging many of today’s web 2.0 tools are for both educators and their students.

Each of the web 2.0 tools that we utilized throughout this course helped me to realize the possibilities available with today’s technology. A strong example of this is the weblog we created. Throughout the past few years, I have used a class website to inform both families and students about upcoming events, projects and enrichment activities. While my website is a great communication tool, a class blog would allow for more of a two-way communication tool in which students/families could post interests, questions or concerns that either I could respond to or other students could support. The group wiki we created in this course is another web 2.0 resource that opened my eyes to what Dr. David Thornburg describes as “doing different things” (Thornburg, 2004). Instead of having my students create individual projects that only the instructor and a couple of students may see, a wiki would allow for my students to share their work on a more global level in which others online could both appreciate and even edit if necessary.

This course has also provided me with a stronger understanding of the specific types of skills today’s students need to be successful. Today’s students enter our classrooms both immersed and absorbed with the latest types of technology. In his article, Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants Part 1, Marc Prensky explains how, “They [students] have spent their entire lives surrounded by and using computers, videogames, digital music players, video cams, cell phones, and all the other toys and tools of the digital age” (Prensky, 2001). This provides educators with both an added level of excitement, but a new challenge to overcome. According to Dr. David Thornburg, today’s students need to be exposed to several types of skills and dispositions including: Information Literacy, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, Teamwork and Collaboration, Leadership, Communication Skills, Information Technology and Leadership (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008). By having a deeper understanding of many of these types of 21st century skills, I can better engage my students and provide them with the types of skills necessary for today’s competitive workforce.

In order to begin utilizing many of the tools and resources gained from this course, I have set two long-term goals for myself. The first goal I would like to achieve is to switch my class homepage to a class blog. A class blog will provide my students with an opportunity to communicate with both myself and their peers. Students will have access to a variety of resources. Parents will have a much stronger understanding of what their child is studying in school. One of the challenges of achieving this goal is the limited amount of access my district currently has for many blogging sites. In order to overcome this challenge, I have already contacted the technology committee in my school district and requested that they reconsider granting access to different blogging sites for my students to use.

A second goal that I am working on is making the shift from a more direct-instruction approach to a classroom based around lots of student collaboration and team work. It will be important for my students to work together and to share their diverse ideas for approaching different problems. This has been a little challenging in that this type of instruction is very different than the instruction that I grew up with and am used to. I also feel as though I did not receive enough training in my undergrad work and student teaching experience, so this type of instruction is still very new to me.

Overall, this course has helped me to gain a new sense of excitement and enthusiasm for the types of changes occurring within the educational field. I look forward to continue trying out “different things” in my classroom and improving my skills as a professional educator. One of the main reasons I chose this career is because of the different challenges, diversity and rewarding experiences educators are surrounded with each day in the classroom.

References:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2008). “Skills for the 21st Century [Motion picture]. Understanding the Impact of Technology on Education, Work, and Society. Baltimore: Author.

Prensky, M. (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. On the Horizon, 9(5).

Thornburg, D. (2004). Technology and Education: Expectations, Not Options.

Podcast Assignment: Profiling the Students of Today

Gabcast! Walden #2 - Podcast Assignment: Profiling the Students of Today

This podcast provides information about the types of modern technology that students in my school district are familiar with and using on a daily basis.

21st Century Skills

After navigating through the Partnership for 21st Century Skills website, I was very impressed and motivated by the information and resources included on this site. The 21st Century Learning Framework provides an excellent visual representation of what essential skills students will need to acquire to be successful. Another aspect of the site that I found helpful was the “Route 21” link. After reading about some of the skills teachers need to be teaching, the “Route 21” link provides lots of great resources and tools that educators can begin using and implementing within their classrooms.

I was a little surprised by the short list of states included under the “State Initiatives” link. It is apparent how important each of the skills included in the Partnership for 21st Century Learning Framework are. It is critical for our students gain these skills in order to be successful in today’s competitive workforce. With society and technology advancing at such a fast pace, it will be necessary for every state to begin working towards preparing our students with many of these 21st century skills.

The 21st Century Skills website is an excellent resource that educators can reference for ideas on how to support the needs of our students. I am a strong advocate for the vision the Partnership for 21st Century Skills website has. I did not see anything that I would disagree with. As an educator in today’s classrooms, I would definitely recommend this site. The assessments and resources found on this site help to guide the instruction needed for preparing our students with the essential skills they will need.

Partnership for 21st Century Skills

Incorporating a Blog Into the Classroom - Writing Journals

There are endless possibilities as to how a blog can add to the educational atmosphere in one’s classroom. As I am just beginning to learn about the potentials a blog offers, I have already begun thinking of ways that I could implement a blog into my classroom. I currently use a daily journal that students use to practice their writing skills. The students each have a journal in their desks. While some students enjoy sharing their entries with the class, this traditional method does not allow for my less outgoing students to share their work. Through the use of a blog, my students could all add a journal entry and have access to their peers’ journal entries. My students could share comments about each others’ work and provide feedback. As the readings on blogs have recommended, I would have to first teach my students how to write a blog that will be open to the public. Students would have to be very careful to edit/proofread their postings prior to making it public. Our class could work together to create rules and procedures to follow when posting on a class blog. Once the students understand both the safety precautions and public access associated with blogs, my students would have numerous opportunities to share their work. Once I become comfortable with the blogging experience, I definitely plan to utilize this resource in my classroom.
Grade Level: 4
Content Area: General Ed.