Reflection

While I still firmly believe in Gardner’s theory of Multiple Intelligences and Bloom’s Taxonomy, with the information I learned in this course now will add some of the theories of other behaviorists to my personal theory of learning.
I knew that cooperative learning is an important learning strategy, but now I realize that it is built on research by Vygotsky and is critical in the high tech world of our students today. They will have to know how to cooperatively work with not just someone else in their own office, but possibly someone from an entirely different country and culture. Combining technology with the most basic form of learning from those directly involved in our lives from birth to death is astounding to me.
I also have known that being actively involved in learning makes for much stronger memory recall and better comprehension. What I didn’t realize before is how much research supports this theory. This theory of Constuctionism has been supported by Piaget, and even the first behaviorist Jon B. Watson, who theorized that in the stimulus-response mode individuals responded to the environment around them (Smith, 1999) in observable changes in behavior.
Immediate changes I plan when the opportunity arises in my teaching situation will be to use a more creative environment. Of particular interest to me is the concept mapping to use for organization of concepts and information. The other learning tool I plan to incorporate is voicethread due to the ease of operation and the limitless variety of ways it can be used. My plan for achieving these goals is to spend time this summer exploring the possibilities through internet research on how others have used these tools in a classroom setting and actually exploring more personally with what can be done with this technology.
Long term goals are to find good homework sites that support reading. This is an area of deficiency for me and one I plan to work on. Again, I will cruise the internet as well as ask classmates and colleagues for good websites they may have come across. Another long term goal will be to get more staff on board with what can be done with technology. Sharing websites and learning tools will support that goal. I will also have to approach the technology people within the school district about making it possible for students to have access to personal email addresses within the district for those that don’t have computers at home.
I look forward reviewing the new websites made available to me in this course. I find lesson planning to be a creative experience. It will fun to see what is actually out there to incorporate into active, multiple intelligence, cooperation based lesson plans.


References:

Smith, M.K. (1999) ‘The behaviourist orientation to learning’, the encyclopedia of
informational education,www.infew.org/biblio/learning-behaviourist.htm, Last
update: September 03, 2009.

Social Learning Theories

Week 5 Blog-

As noted in Cooperative Learning –Emerging Perspectives on Learning, Teaching,and Technology (2003), cooperative learning is an American concept much like the collaborative learning which has British roots. Cooperative learning started with John Dewey’s philosophy of the social nature of learning. Then in 1978 Vygotsky weighed in with his hypotheses that social interaction among students extends their zone of proximal development. Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn ,and Malenoski have included in their work, Using Technology with Classroom Instructions that Works(2007), this statement made by Johnson, Johnson, and Stanne in 2000, When students work in cooperative groups, they make sense or construct meaning for, new knowledge by interacting with others (p.139).

With the availability of technology in schools today, being able to implement cooperative learning can now extend way beyond a classroom, school, and even community. As a reading teacher I love the idea of being able to do a book study with students from another place. The different perspectives would be fascinating. I can visualize teams creating power points to send to other places and compare lives between the students. Pen pals via the internet, sharing favorite recipes to fix and eat on the same day…the possibilities are endless. As stated in the resource book… Using Technology with Classroom Instructions that Works, the Web has become much more than an electronic reference book; it’s a thriving medium for collaboration in business, education, and our personal lives (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, p. 144).

I don’t where I’ll be teaching next year. My fervent hope is to have my own classroom again so that I can use all the ideas being presented in this class. I can’t wait to get started. I especially look forward to an activity between my class and my son’s who is an hour and a half away.

References:

Palmer, G., Peters, R., & Streetman, R. (2003). Cooperative lerning. In M. Orey (Ed.),
Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved on
May, 12, 2011, from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epllt/index.php?title=
Cooperative_Learning

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E.R., Kuhn, M., Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with
classroom instruction that works. ASCD. Alexandria, VA. (p.139)(p.144).

Okay Gang, Here it goes again, for some reason my first voice thread keeps saying it has been deleted by the creator...not true, but that's what it reads, so...I set up a new account under my middle name which is Colleen and my new URL is
http://voicethread.com/share/2094211

Voice Thread URL

My VoiceThread URL http://voicethread.com/share/20730961

I hope everyone else had as much fun with it as I did!

Constructionism

APP4 Blog Post

Constructionism, like the word impys, is the theory that we make deeper connections with new concepts when we “build” on something we already know. This week’s videos and readings give some excellent information on how to incorporate the constuctionism theory into the classroom in order to help facilitate complex concepts.
According to Dr. Michael Orey, people strive to have a “balance” he calls this equalration. He also states that when we begin to assimilate new information we need to be able to accommodate when our assimilation becomes altered. He suggests that through the construction of projects students are forced to assimilate new concepts. This theory is supported by the article, Seymour Papert & Constuctionism (1999) in which the author explains another way to think about this theory. She writes that learners are actively engaged in learning when they are creating artifacts.
In Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works, Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, contend that 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)
After considering the sources I checked each of the listed websites supplied for our review. I was so impressed with some of them I plan to use them in lesson plans within the next couple of weeks. From Apple Learning Interchange, I found music that can be added to technology generated projects. From Edutopia, I found free videos, ideas, and tips for generating artifacts. At Project-Based Learning, there are step-by-step directions on how to design projects. At NASA Solar System Simulator there are places where students can make hypotheses and then check them out. At the website, Astroventure, students can research information on space programs.
Overall I found this week’s class materials to be highly informational and I can’t wait to get started.


Resources:

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

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

Thurmond, A.(1999)Seymour Papert & Constructionism-+ Constructivism and
Constructionism. Retrieved on May, 17, 2011 from
http://online.sfsu.edu/~foreman/itec800/finalprojects/annmariethurmond/home.html

As in the past few weeks I am excited to see how Pitler, Hubble, Kuhn & Malenoski in their book, Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works (2007), combine the use of technology with the work of Marzano, Pickering, & Pollock in Classroom Instruction that Works (2001). I am familiar with the former mentioned book as it was the foundation of how curriculum was taught in the last school I taught at. It is interesting for me to see how the two books co inside with all the technology information.
In this week’s video on Cognitive Learning Theory, Dr. Michael Orey, gave some information on how our brains store long term information. He mentioned that in order for elaboration to take place, students need to activate their memories with stimulation such as visual and olfactory triggers.
Author’s Pitler, Hubble, Kuhn & Malenoski stress that using the learning tool of the advance organizers before a new concept is presented help them to classify and make sense of the content they will encounter, particularly new content that is not well organized in its original format (p.73). In essence, advance organizers help students focus their learning. In Bloom’s Taxonomy, his higher cognitive complexity of applying uses the words, classify and focus.
In summarization and note taking, Pitler, Hubble, Kuhn & Malenoski, make the generalization, to effectively summarize, students must delete some information, substitute some information and keep some information (p.119). They also recommend using a variety of formats (p.124). By using organizing software or “cognitive tools” such as Inspiration, students can organize and brainstorm information to sort out what is important enough to keep as part of the summary. The authors also point out that not only can students create summaries and notes of multimedia content they can also sue multimedia to enhance and present their summaries and notes.
In another article, Cognitive Tools (2010), Robertson, Elliot & Robinson, state, for example even something as straightforward as researching the Southern Pacific countries come to life with cognitive tools. Looking through an Encyclopedia Britannica wouldn’t generate the same speed and enthusiasm as it would to travel search on travelocity.com. and by using cognitive tools of the Internet is able to access much more information interactively (p.3) This too is supported by the use of visually engaging in concept mapping.


References:



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



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


Robertson, B., Elliot, L. & Robinson, D. (2007) Cognitive tools. In M.Orey (Ed.)
Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching and technology. Retrieved: May11,
2010, from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/

Behaviorism in Practice

In the infed article, The Behaviorist Orientation to Learning, author, Mark K. Smith, reports that researcher, James Hartley, has developed four principles that build upon operate conditioning as identified by behaviorist, Skinner, and the research environment, as proposed by behaviorist, Watson. In his report Hartley includes the following as one of the four principles:
• Repetition, generalization, and discrimination are important notions. Frequent practice-and practice with varied contexts-is necessary for learning to take place. Skills are not acquired without frequent practice.
The idea of “focused practice” is particularly important when students are practicing a complex multistep step skill or process, such as research process, scientific inquiry, or the writing practice (Marzano, Pickering, Pollock 2001 pg.70 ). According to the authors, Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski, in their book, Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works, Multiple exposures to material help students deepen their understanding of content and become proficient with skill. Typically, students need about 24 hours practice sessions with a skill in order to achieve 80-percent competency (Hubble, Kuhn, Malenoski, Pitler, 2007 pg.188 ). They also add that technology facilitates homework and practice by providing a wealth of resources for learning outside of the classroom, making it easy for students to work on collaborative homework assignments and providing drill and practice resources that help students refine their skills.
Hartley’s next principle is on the subject of reinforcement:
• Reinforcement is the cardinal motivation. Positive reinforces like rewards and successes are preferable to negative events like punishment and failures. In the previous mention book, Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works, the authors write, The instructional strategy of reinforcing effort enhances students’ understanding of the relationship between effort and achievement by addressing their beliefs about learning (Hubble, Kuhn, Malenoski, Pitler, 2007.pg.155)
In my twenty plus years of facilitating student use of computer software for educational games, I have never experienced a game that reprimanded a student for an incorrect answer. Even when the student misses an answer the “negative” response is done in a positive fashion. Often, and especially in games for young children, a correct response with educational games will often have a reward such as music or a cartoon figure do a jig or dance. Positive feedback is a powerful reinforcement. Feedback should be timely. In general, the more delay that occurs in giving feedback, the less improvement there is in achievement (Marzano, Pickering, Pollock, 2001. pg.97 ). Another positive reinforcer I connect with technology is the programs that teach each student at his or her learning level. By working at the level the student is ready to learn at makes the student feel more successful and that in turn boosts confidence as well as the desire to keep trying.

References:

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

Marzano, R.J., Pickering, D.J., Pollock, J.E.(2001). Classroom instruction that
works.-research strategies for increasing student achievement. ASCD. Alexandria,
VA.
Smith, M.K. (1999) ‘The behaviourist orientation of learning’, the encyclopedia of
informal education. Retrieved from www.infed.org/biblio/learning- behavourist.htm