Week 5--VoiceThread--EDUC 6711--Walden University

During Week 5 of my EDUC6711 Walden University Course we were required to produce a VoiceThread.  The following is a link to the VoiceThread I created:  http://voicethread.com/share/2482114/.

EDUC 6711--Walden University--Week 5 Application--Connectivism and Social Learning in Practice

There are many strategies that can be implemented when attempting to use the constructivist approach.  The resources outlined this week focus on the ability to apply communication and socializing into this theory.  Social constructivism revolves around the gradual release of responsibility through social interactions (Orey, 2001).  This theory, while not as prevalent in the past is beginning to grow and become more and more used in classrooms around our nation.  Unfortunately, many educators are still weary of the change and continue to cling on to old practices which feel safe yet may not be as effective.

Personally, I am beginning to use social learning in my own classroom on a more regular and even typical basis.  Like many others I was afraid of allowing my learners to take control of their own learning.  Plus, when you add the social aspect of this theory into the picture the noise level is bound to increase.  However, with all the benefits which I have not only researched, but also observed it is hard not to succumb and at least begin this adventure into untraveled instructional techniques and I am more than happy that I have begun this journey.

Cooperative learning, a form of social learning (Laureate, 2011) is the main strategy I am currently trying to embark on within my classroom.  Letting go and allowing my Kindergarteners to become the social beings they were born to be has actually been a blessing in my classroom.  However, if I would have attempted this technique during my first year of teaching I don’t think I would have had the same results.  The combination of my own teaching experience and knowledge gained on this theory has allowed me to use this technique on a more consistent basis. 

My favorite strategy this year is the “Turn and Talk” method.  After encountering teachable moments within my room, I will allow a couple of my students to share with the whole class and discuss their thoughts in relation to the learning.   Obviously, there is not enough time in a day for the whole class to share after each moment (and if you have ever taught Kindergarten you would know that they are all eager share); therefore, I give all the students an opportunity to turn and talk to their neighbor about the current topic.  I found the main key to this strategy being effective in my room and tolerable in regards to noise level is to have them use whisper voice (obviously this take much practice and modeling at the beginning of the year).

While cooperative learning is becoming more and more prevalent within my classroom, there are still many social strategies that I have yet to embark upon within my own room.  Connectivism was a new theory to me.  However, this theory seems to make perfect sense in relation to our society this day and age.  Defined, this theory emphasizes the importance of acquiring information and knowledge which is directly important to the current context (Orey, 2001).  In other words, learners should be using their current situations to acquire the most up-to-date knowledge and content via making connection with others.  Unfortunately, this content is not always defined by standards and preset curriculum.  However, as an educator I can see the importance of this theory, but wish I had more support and knowledge regarding the use of such a powerful tool.  Until then I definitely plan on using some of my prior knowledge regarding social networking sites, wikis, and blogs to play off of this theory.    

Ultimately, social learning theories may begin to become more main stream in our classrooms around the nation, especially as technology and networking continue to grow.  Technology allows all individuals to connect and learn from each other on a easier basis.  With this said it seems essential for educators to present children with the opportunity to interact with these tools and develop social cooperation skills so that they may be better prepared for the future (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007).  Hopefully, our government will begin to also realize the importance of this trait in our learners and how it relates to standardized testing and educational accountability.  Until this is done it will be harder for educators to justify the importance of learning via social interactions within their classrooms and learning environments.

For all you visual learners, here is a link to a video in regards to the social learning theory:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-IJzoE4Xls.  It will also provide you with some more background and historical content in realtion to this theory which I have not discussed in my post.  Please feel free to also navigate into the other social learning videos which are also provided on this site.

Resources

Social Learning Theory [Video podcast].  (2011).  Retrieved from the YouTube   website:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-IJzoE4Xls

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011). Program eight: Social learning theories [Video webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Retrieved from http://laureate.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5700267&CPURL=laureate.ecollege.com&Survey=1&47=2594577&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=0&bhcp=1Orey, M. (Ed.). (2001). Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Main_Page

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.

EDUC 6711--Walden University--Week 4 Application--Constructivism in Practice

There were several learning strategies provided by the resources this week which I found informative and valuable.  Many of these strategies meshed well with the constructivist learning philosophy.  This philosophy relies upon the indication that we all have our own unique base of knowledge which is created by on our own unique experiences (Laureate, 2011).  Therefore, the strategies presented this week were centered on the idea of having the learner construct an artifact, product, or design.  Accordingly, the learner would also be constructing knowledge; making assimilations, accommodations, and/or modifying their overall schema during this process.  Therefore, the learner is actively engaged in the learning process and responsible for a great deal of his or her own learning. 

Ultimately, this approach to learning seems extremely beneficial for a variety of learners.  There are many areas of intelligence or preferences which can be met when an educator decides to use this philosophy.  In fact the constructionism learning theory which is directly linked to this philosophy recognizes the importance of allowing learners to have immediate hands-on experiences with content.  These experiences are needed in order for the learner to thoroughly understand and make use of new knowledge.  In fact, this approach learning can provide a learner the opportunity to learn from to visual cues, social interactions, audio representation, and even self-inquiry.

Learning by design and project based learning are the first strategies that I will highlight in regards to their correlation with the constructivist learning philosophy.  Although these two strategies seem very similar, they are not exact replicas.  The main difference seems to be the end result.  During the learning by design strategy the learner is left with an actual artifact, but during the project base learning strategy the leaner may be left with a product, project, or simply an experience.  Furthermore, project based learning seems to encourage a sustained amount of cooperation over an extended amount of time (Orey, 2001). 

However, both of the strategies encourage constructionism as they allow the leaner to interact with the content, confront any misconceptions, and construct new meaningful knowledge.    Furthermore, the learners are provided with reflection time, which allows them to reactivate new knowledge and hopefully increase the retention rate for this learning (Orey, 2001).  Finally, both strategies seem to increase motivation as they are related to student interests and have the potential to create meaningful experiences.

Next, I evaluated the use of problem based learning in which leaners actively resolve complex problems in realistic situations (Orey, 2001).  It is extremely important that the student takes ownership of the problem.  In other words, if you provide the learner with a problem which is completely irrelevant to their life, then the actual learning will probably not be as powerful.  Finally, the student is allowed to find a solution and create evidence which supports their finding.  The nice thing about this is that the student is able to take any avenue as long as the can support their finding.  In other words, there is more than one answer. 

In fact, the problem based learning theory fits well with the idea of student generating and testing their own hypotheses.  In other words, creating a hypothesis does not have to be solely for science experiments (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007); it can actually be linked into any part of the curriculum given the correct framework.  For example, students can actively find solutions to a variety of topics in a variety of contents, including math, social studies, health, and even current events.  Accordingly, problem based learning is structured around the construction of data to resolve or make sense out of a meaningful investigation.

Ultimately, I believe the most important aspect of constructionism to remember is that learner is to actively construct knowledge in their mind.  This is not intended to be a passive process in which the knowledge is simply transmitted from teacher to student (Orey, 2001).  Instead, the student receives knowledge by physically creating their own artifact.  This artifact and the process can then be reflected upon by the learner at a later date.  In my mind, this part of the process seems to provide the most meaningful portion of the learning.  Not only is the learner actively constructing their own knowledge during the creation process, but they are also left with a physical creation or experience which can be used to reflect upon and activate the new learning at a later date.

The following is a link to a video which provides an example of the differences between a traditional classroom and a constructivist classroom: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEsGHVdVkMw&feature=related.  While this video is a little extreme I still believe it did a good job of emphasizing the redundancy and ineffective strategies which can be common in many traditional classrooms.   Please enjoy, I know I did!      

Resources

Contructivist vs. Traditional Classroom [Video podcast].  (2011).  Retrieved from the YouTube website:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEsGHVdVkMw&feature=related

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011). Program seven: Constructionist and constructivist learning theories [Video webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Retrieved from http://laureate.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5700267&CPURL=laureate.ecollege.com&Survey=1&47=2594577&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=0&bhcp=1

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.

EDUC 6711--Walden University--Week 3 Application--Cognitivism in Practice

         During the completion of the requirements for this week in my Walden University course I was provided with many ideas and strategies that involve the cognitive learning theory.   However, many of the instructional strategies described this week can already be located within my classroom.  This is very reassuring as I begin to analyze the importance of these strategies.  It seems as if the majority of these strategies help learners to begin to think about their thinking.  At first the may seem a little strange, as adults this is something usually comes naturally.  Children, on the other hand may need assistance with this concept and the strategies provided this week help them to actually visualize their own thinking and analyze new situations or information

In fact, the majority of these strategies encourage the use of cognitive tools, which allows students to encounter new ideas, relate those ideas to prior knowledge, and then contruct new information or understanding (Orey, 2001).  Furthermore, when these strategies are combined with the use of technology even greater amounts of self-reflection and information processing can occur.  According to Orey (2001) thse cognitive technologies help learners move past the limitations of their own minds.

The instructional strategy that I currently find beneficial within my own classroom is the use of cues, questions, and organizers.  Kindergarteners respond well to these strategies.  Not only do these strategies provide them with an avenue for organizing their thoughts, but they also give them a starting point and help them to feel successful.  The following is clip I found to help illustrate the use of an organizer with the cognitive learning theory:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmfVOaPnIls (Carnighan, 2011).  Furthermore, as a teacher I can use questioning to encourage critical thinking (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007).  Finally, these questions can give my students a clear sense of my expectations for their learning.

The next instructional strategy that I have decided to focus on is the ability for students to track their own learning by summarizing and note taking.  Unfortuately, I do not use this strategy to often with my Kindergarteners.  However, I was provided with some ideas to modify this strategy and make it beneficial for use with a younger audience.  For example, I could provide my studetns with teacher prepared notes that are age appropriate.  Furthermore, I could replace big sets of information with one word or phrase (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007).  I could definitely see myself using this strategy during our reading time as we attempt to create understanding and make connections.

Finally, my favorite instuctional strategies which were proposed during the instruction this week were the use of virtual field trips and concept maps.  I was pleasantly surprised by te deep connections my children were able to construct during our virtual field trip to a chocolate factory.  When coupled with a concept map these connections were strengthened.  Furthermore, concept maps can allow students to organize their own learning (Novak, 2008).  Our concept map allowed my students to take the information from this trip and visually make sense of their understanding. 

Ultimately, this week refreshed my ability to use certain strategies within my classroom.  I was also encourage to use further strategies.  Not only will these techniques help my students to understand their thinking, but they will also help me to identify with my own thinking and information processing.  While the cognitive learning theory is defenitely present within my classroom, it is very helpful to be provided with tools for recognizing this theory and creating visuals to even observe it in practice.

References

Carnighan, D.  (Producer).  (2011).  A lesson in cognitivism [Video podcast].  YouTube.  Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmfVOaPnIls

Novak, J. D., & Cañas, A. J. (2008). The theory underlying concept maps and how to construct and use them, Technical Report IHMC CmapTools 2006-01 Rev 01-2008. Retrieved from the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition Web site:  http://cmap.ihmc.us/Publications/ResearchPapers/TheoryUnderlyingConceptMaps.pdf

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.

     

EDUC 6711--Walden University--Week 2 Application--Behaviorism in Practice

          It has been very refreshing to begin this course by reviewing not only instructional strategies, but also learning theories.  While I was exposed to a variety of these tactics during my undergraduate research, it is nice to be given the opportunity to take a look at them from a different angle.  As a teacher, with 6 years of experience I can know compare my own experiences with the strategies discussed in the resources from this week.  Furthermore, I have been able to examine these same tactics and their ability to correlate with the integration of technology into my own classroom setting. 

          This week featured two key instructional strategies, reinforcing effort and homework and practice.  Currently I use both of these strategies as an educator.  However, it has been awhile since I actually evaluated the effectiveness of these strategies.  My favorite of the two would have to be reinforcing effort.  This strategy emphasizes the correlation between success and personal effort; which I personally hold near and dear to my heart as I am fully aware of the success that may ensue given the right amount of effort.

          As a Kindergarten teacher I constantly am reinforcing the effort of my children which in turn gives them the confidence to keep trying even when they are not successful.  On a daily basis I inform my children that I am only expecting their best; so if they do their best and still are unable to read a certain word, write a simple sentence, or even complete an assignment in a given amount of time, that’s “ok” with me as long as they did their best.  The last thing I would want at this delicate age of development would be to discourage any of my children from trying simply based on the fear of failure. 

          In fact, this specific instructional strategy correlates very well with the behaviorist learning theory.  According to Smith (1999), positive reinforcement is a key when attempting to implement a behaviorist approach due in part to the ability for a teacher to control environmental stimuli when using this strategy.  In other words, what one learns can be highly determined by the reaction of others.  If a child receives reinforcement in regards to the effort that he or she has puts forth, then the likelihood for that effort to be repeated is greater.

          The second instructional strategy featured in the resources this week was homework and practice.  When I was a 5^th grade teacher I distributed greater amounts of homework than I do now as a Kindergarten teacher.  However, I still give my students plenty of time to practice new skills.  This practice time may not always be directly incorporated at home, but is definitely encouraged.  At this age it is hard to find that line between how much time should be used to practice skills at home and the amount of time that is developmentally appropriate.  In other words, some children are simply not developmentally ready to take on such responsibilities at home.

          However, I have found that they are capable of taking on these responsibilities when given in small, manageable quantities.  Furthermore, when I do use homework I find myself using the behaviorist theory to encourage active participation and eliminate the act of not completing the work.  This is done by either providing positive reinforcement for those who return their work or some form of punishment, such as staying in at recess for those who do not complete their homework. 

          In regards to technology, I use many Web Resources to help reinforce learning.  Furthermore, I believe that these resources seem to follow the expectations of the behavioristic approach to learning.  For example, I may use games, interactive stimulations, and other forms of multimedia which in turn help shape learning by either rewarding appropriate behaviors or providing a means for the extinction of unwanted behaviors.  All of these tools provide children with additional practice which reinforces the primary learning within the classroom environment (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007). 

          Ultimately, it seems as if behaviorism definitely has a place within my classroom.  While I do not rely solely on this theory, I do find myself using it during a variety of experiences.  I think it is important to provide children with an environment that sets them up for success.  The behaviorist learning theory can help educators to not only achieve learning within their classroom, but also achieve the development of appropriate life skills within their students.

          If the previous information is still a little fuzzy, please feel free to visit this wonderfully informative site: http://www.education.com/reference/article/behaviorism/ (Daly, 2011).  It may help you to develop your own consensus regarding the use of behaviorism in the classroom.  After all, we are all individuals with different perspectives and outlooks.  It definitely helps to have more than one resource. 

References

Daly, E.  (2011).  Behviorism.  Education.com.  Retrieved from http://www.education.com/reference/article/behaviorism/

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

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