Think Aloud Evaluation of BFA website

Final Reflection

As it relates to the learning I have absorbed in this course, it has changed the way I teach already.  Each week of theoretical information molded and shaped my thinking to a new level of understanding.  This has been beneficial to me, my students, my colleagues, and their students.  When it comes to designing lessons I have more insight as to how to present the knowledge and help students solidify the understanding through rich-learning experiences.  My students are more engaged and intrigued as to what new learning will take place each day.  They are even sharing with their friends who are sharing with their teachers who are asking me “What are you doing in your classroom?” 

My personal theory remains in tack in that I believe the most effective way to instruct students is to apply theories and instructional strategies that undergird the lesson objectives and match the learners’ needs.  This equates to creating lessons that incorporate strategies to address the varying learning styles of my students and integrating technology that enhances the learning taking place. 

Technology integration has evolved in my classroom to where my students are more hands-on individually and collaboratively.  They are motivated to work together or complete a project knowing that they will transfer their learning into a constructed piece to share with others beyond the classroom.  I would like to adjust my instructional practice to include a more reflective approach for my students.  Our district is not ready to open up to web-related learning experiences and so my class blog has been blocked to where we can partially look at it but not use it to discuss their learning with each other or other classrooms.  I still go home and upload their work so that they can access and share with their parents at home but I am at a disadvantage to guide their learning in this manner.  I discovered that Edublog is not blocked from our access at school and it has taken some time to transfer information over to the class blog but I have been working on it.   I have not been able to imbed the voice thread where it shows on the blog page – only a link is provided.  On blogger it shows right on the page as well as the Webspiration organizers.

One technology tool I would like to further explore is the varying ways to use voicethreads – long distance learning with other classes, assessments, and subject practice lessons (as seen in one of the weeks’ videos).  This tool will support student’s learning by enabling them to share their thinking and reflect on their learning.  They can also work collaboratively or individually to create presentations and receive feedback from others that can refine their understanding of subject topics thereby enhancing their learning.  Another tool that I would like to continue to use is software applications housed in Microsoft Office to include Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Publisher.  I use these applications regularly as instructional tools but as a result of this course I now have a reservoir of ways to use these applications for student learning.  Already we have used the spreadsheet to input data based on their group’s region in our study of the regions of the United States and create 3-D pie charts to see a visual representation of the population of each state.  This generated questions from my students in that though a state is big it does not mean its population is larger than much smaller states with a greater number of people living there.  We added these questions to our K-W-L Charts to further research why.  This week we have been studying the history of each state where we will compile a timeline of significant events.  Each student will have a state and will have be using Online Encyclopedia Britannica to learn about their states history which they will compare to our state Florida using a Venn or H diagram using Word or PowerPoint.

Two long-term goal changes I would like to make to my instructional practice regarding technology integration is to maintain a reflective blog for the work I’m doing in my class and use a wikispace (which we have used twice so far this year) to design units of study that can be used for student learning.  I plan to use my current blog for my Walden courses to reflect on instructional practice.  I plan to collaborate with the gifted teacher to begin vocabucasting with my students using their math vocabulary and use other tools as mentioned earlier to share our learning with the school.  I would like to fine tune my technology skills so as to instruct other teachers and classes to begin learning with technology support and enhancement.

I am personally fascinated with technology and like the many facets of learning that it makes possible.  I believe in working smarter not harder.  Technology helps to make that possible.  I would like to one day teach classes in a virtual setting where we step into simulated programs that cross barriers to learning allowing all students to engage in rich learning experiences about the world in which we live – past, present, and future.

Connectivism and Social Learning in Practice

Cooperative Learning is a powerful instructional tool that changes the dynamics of learning for the individual learners in each group.  It is a way to research, exchange ideas, and synthesize information through applying the subject learning in real-life leaning while working within a team (Orey, 2001).  Cooperative learning is not just group work it is underlined by specific expectations, roles, responsibilities, and often a product is constructed as a result of the learning to share with a larger group (Orey, 2001). 
This week’s learning introduced technology that facilitated cooperative learning in a 21^st century learning environment. This environment entails social networking tools such as Facebook.  This tool can be vital for long distance learning and sharing where students of common interest can communicate and share their learning, questions, concerns, and achievements on an ongoing basis.  This tool also allows for uploading pictures, videos, and links or pages to follow an individual’s favorite sites.  I was most familiar with this tool because I have one of my own though I am not a daily user, I have had it long enough to learn some of its features that also include instant chats and email messaging.
Students could participate in cooperative learning using facebook just the same.  Given an assignment by an instructor they could discuss and assigned individuals or partners to specific research and pull it together and present it within this space.  Unlike with a wiki, they would have to work on the their parts individually or as partners if at the same location and submit their photos or footage to the site to be put together or possible submit it to a voice thread to complete the artifact then provide a link through their Facebook page for the instructor and other students to preview and make comments on their page or voice thread itself.  This could lead to lively discussion within Facebook.  This tools, as are many others, are designed to facilitate group collaboration, provide structure for group task, and allow members of group to communicate without necessarily working face to face (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007).

 In chapter 7 of “Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works,” the example cited how Ms. Ortiz used an advanced graphic organizer to guide students in the process in which they were to work collaboratively.  The organizer also assigned each student two or three responsibilities to complete individually and in pairs within their group.  She also provided a rubric for the students that established the expectations for participation and evaluation criteria.  Many web based resources provided educators with the Framework within which to structure cooperative learning.  Edublog is an online blog site that allows educators to introduce blogging, podcast, posting videos and class newsletters.  Students can engage in a variety of social learning context using this site alone and stakeholders can easily be invited into the learning process by being made aware of the URL address (Pitlier, et al., 2007).

These as well as many of the other technology tools presented this week used in conjunction with cooperative learning model many aspects of social learning theories.  Social constructivism has cooperative learning embedded within its theory in that learning is derived out of the interactive human community which directly affects the social interpretation of things (Orey, 2001).  Connectivism also has that linkage or connection with other human knowledge which creates a global coordination and synergy of the understanding of things (Orey, 2001).  This theory lends itself to the 21 century learning environment that has its creation in the evolution of technology which has created a constant shifting of knowledge due to the input of the collective minds that contribute to its growth and stability causes it to shift rapidly as changes occur in our thinking or new contributions are integrated into it.  Like social constructivism, situated cognition asserts that context and culture are critical in constructing knowledge and understanding the world around us (Laureate, 2010).  Yet, a learner can take on a variety of roles such as the learner, facilitator, or More Knowledge Other (MKO) as in varying roles in cooperative learning structures (Orey, 200).  All of these theories require active participation and result in the construction of knowledge – or meaning-making activities.  In this sense, to have any real meaning they are best situated in authentic experiences in that they inscribe a real-life situation and often result in the construction of an artifact external to the learners themselves as a result of their deepened understanding of the knowledge they have obtained which is incited in social Constructionism (Orey, 2001) .

Work cited:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010). Program Eight. Social Learning Theories. [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?title=Main_Page.

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

Cafeteria Situation

voicethread.com/share/1711790/

Constructivism in Practice

This week’ learning steered us in the direction of the “constructivist/constructionist theories.  These two are viewed as the same theory by some while others say that they are totally different.  I have come to understand that Constructionism is an extension of constructivism.  We primarily hear about Seymour Papert’s influence coming mainly from Jean Piaget’s work, however, his work was also influenced by John Dewey and Maria Montessori (Thurmond, 1999).  I found this to be enlightening because I am fond of Maria Montessori and her work.

With regards to both theories, they support the idea that in-taking knowledge is more than a passive activity wherein the learner simply receives knowledge as a result of simply hearing it.  These theories argue that knowledge is attentively built in the mind of the learner.  Even further, this construction is based in the understanding that the mind must experience a sense of disequilibration - encountering something we don’t know (Laureate, 2010).  According to Dr. Orey’s explanation of Jean Piaget’s constructivist theory, when this experience occurs the mind will strive to regain balance or “equilibration” using a process of assimilation or accommodation.  Dr. Orey discussed how Seymour Papert extended this theory to explain that while a learner is experiencing one or both of these processes during learning they use the construction of artifacts to complete the learning process by reestablishing equilibration (Laureate, 2010).  In essence, learner proves that they have internalized the knowledge, i.e. “learned it” by constructing a product.  This product or artifact is more than merely an articulation of what was learned but requires learners to use a combination of complex learning skills, collaboration with others to create a visual product, and preceding a presentation of the artifact they reflect of their learning experience. 

Project based learning (PBL), learning by design (LBD), and generating and testing hypotheses were three of the instructional strategies presented in this week’s resources.  These three strategies exemplify the are the essence of constructionist/constructivist learning where students will create an artifact as part of the learning outcome based on an authentic and real life experience (Orey, 2001).  In line with constructionist thinking, they all focus on the learner and the active learning that they are responsible for obtaining.  Likewise, collaboration is also a common component of the three however in LBD it is an optional.  Unlike LBD, PBL and generating and testing hypotheses are not audience driven.  In all strategies, the teacher must engage in careful planning and preparing for the learning and they all must have a clearly established objective and learning outcome at the onset.  Lastly, these instructional strategies encompass presentation of the learning using the artifact and reflective discussion that may lead to revision and further development of the learner’s ideas (Orey, 2001). 

In conclusion, constructionist/constructivist learning is worth an educator gaining a comprehensive understanding.  Students are often more engaged and motivated during these meaningful type learning experiences and participates in active learning.  More ever, the teacher is able to take on a facilitative role and can appreciate observing growth and development in the “joy of learning” for his or her students.

Work cited:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010). Program Seven. Constructionist and Constructivist Learning Theories. [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?title=Main_Page.

Thurmond, M. (1999). Constructivism and constructionism.  Retrieved from http://online.sfsu.edu/~foreman/itec800/finalprojects/annmariethurmond/home.html

Cognitivism in Practice

The instructional strategy cues, questions, and advance organizers supports the cognitivist theory in that it focuses on strengthening the mental processes used in learning – retrieve, application, and organization (Pitler, Hubbel, Kuhn. & Malenoski, 2007).  When students are asked a series of higher order questions in a topical discussion they must brainstorm (retrieve) as many connections they have stored about a topic.  They then need to organize those connections in a relative way to use that knowledge in their responses.  When students are being introduced to possibly new information from a cognitive approach this strategy can be useful in engaging learners because for many their interest has been peeked upon realizing they know little or nothing about the topic or they may be anxious to participate because they are familiar with the content.  When advance organizers are used to facilitate the process of brainstorming students are able to construct a visual plan for learning.  This plan can also be a helpful tool as notes to reference information in preparing for assessments and present a topic with the ability of increasing the effectiveness of transferring knowledge.  Another advantage to using technology based tools with cues, questions, and advance organizers is that they allow students to process an extensive amount of information easily so that they may focus on using the knowledge obtained in more critical applications to gain new understanding and or solve real world problems.

The instructional strategy of summarizing and note taking help students to sift through information to determine the most pertinent knowledge and synthesize it with their schema or collaborative efforts.  This process is exemplified successfully when students are able to communicate the information in their own words.  As stated in chapter 6, Summarizing and Note Taking, technology can scaffold, provide support, and assist with organization while students are learning to summarize and take notes (Pitler, et al., 2007).  Various cognitivist designed technological software include features embedded within them such as Track Changes and Auto Summarize to teach, allow students to practice, and provide frameworks for both teacher and student to create summaries in a more informed fashion (Pitler, et al., 2007).  In respect to note taking, frequent and various formats can increase student achievement specifically when combining graphic representation, such as webbing and pictographs and outlining (Pitler, et al., 2007).

Lastly, virtual field trip tools are especially unique in that they help to provide rich and engaging events to expand students understanding.  Orey discussed that often times these experiences are foundational in respect to learning a network of ideas because they create episodic memories that students are able to use to make connections in learning the new content that is being presented within a network of ideas (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010).  Most helpful to me was the idea that this approach can allow teachers to apply a combination of theories (cognitive, constructivist, and social constructivist) into one episodic event which increases the opportunities for students to transition the knowledge into long term memory where it is retrievable at a later time (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010).

Works Cited:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010b). Program six. Spotlight on Technology [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

 Reinforcing Effort is a powerful instructional strategy that correlates to the behaviorist learning theory.  I believe that this primarily true because as Dr Orey expressed in Instructional Theory vs. Learning Theory, it actively engages the learner an in immersive learning experience where they are embedded in the context of the learning (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010c).   Reinforcing effort is the enhancement of students’ understanding of the relationship between effort and achievement by addressing their attitudes and beliefs about learning (Pitler, Hubbel, Kuhn. & Malenoski, 2007).  According to Skinner in 1972, the behaviorist learning theory is primarily about operant conditioning which is the rewarding of part of a desired behavior or a random act that approaches it (Pitler, et al., 2007).   When students connect effort with achievement they are then motivated to put a more conscious effort into their learning because they know the end result will be achievement or success whether it be intrinsic, extrinsic or a combination of both.  When we provide students with a clear picture of what effort looks like through examples of their peers or even better their own effort on a consistent basis they are more likely to embrace their ability to accomplish anything they put the proper effort into (Pitler, et al., 2007).  This is the desired behavior that every educator expects their student to exhibit.  This week’s chapter reading on reinforcing effort shares some simple yet powerful technology based learning experiences that educators have used to assist students with making the effort-achievement connection.  Basic software tools such as spreadsheets to collect data and graphing functions that visually display the results can clearly help students make this connection.  Data collection tools were also discussed as a means to show students the same correlation using observational or survey collected data.  In each of these cases the student is at the center of the learning experience (directly or indirectly where action is required on their part) which motivates him or her to put more effort into the learning process.

Homework and practice is another powerful instructional strategy that correlates to the behaviorist learning theory.  With this instructional strategy however, it approaches learning from a drill and practice view with the objective of becoming proficient at the application of skill combinations and furthering a student’s understanding of a concept (Pitler, et al., 2007).   Drill and practice however, does not have to be dull and uninteresting.  Educational technology provides a wide range of software programs that enable students to simplify research for assignments using word processing application tools such as in Microsoft Word to using we resources which allow students to practice concepts and skills repeatedly from virtually anywhere there is an internet connection (Pitler, et al., 2007).  Other  programs help students to focus on content leaning using multimedia programs that maintain student engagement, scaffolding progressions allowing for understanding and practice to independent application, and immediate feedback to reinforce correct learning behaviors or clear up misconceptions to inhibit undesirable learning behaviors (Pitler, et al., 2007).

Work Cited:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010c). Program three. Instructional Theory vs. 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.