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VoiceThread0
http://voicethread.com/?#u422773.b569701
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Cooperative Learning and Social Learning in the 21st Century2
In class this week, we have been exploring instructional strategies that correlate with social learning theories. Cooperative learning is a strategy that includes many aspects of social learning theories. Cooperative learning paired with technology is the new educational expectation of the 21st century. As a middle school teacher, I find that the combination of cooperative learning strategies and technology are great ways to engage my students. Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works has several ideas about how to incorporate technology and cooperative learning.
Social learning theories discern that students learn from conversations and interactions with others while working together to build or construct something. Students can be grouped together to create something, such as a movie about famous authors or playwrights. The students will have to work in their groups, discussing and researching to create accurate movies. It is imperative for students in the 21st century to be able to work together with others and to be able to construct meaning and knowledge from working with others. Another cooperative group activity is to be able to communicate and collaborate on activities over the internet. Shared calendars, shared book marking, blogs, and wikis have all made this possible. Students are able to work together and share information over the calendars and book marking sites and they are able to continue work and editing of blogs and wikis from their own home because of the nature of these tools. These tools also allow students to continue their collaboration for projects while outside of school and even when some students may be traveling and unable to work together face to face with other group members.
These tools are creating many new educational opportunities for students in the 21st century. The students are still able to work in cooperative groups and learn from one another even when they are not in the same area!
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Constructionist Learning through Web Resources3
Constructionist learning theory implies that students are to be actively involved in constructing their own learning. The strategies in this week’s learning resources correlate with well with students constructing or building their own learning. By using the spreadsheet software, students are able to interact with variables to see different outcomes. By interacting with the variables students are able to form hypotheses and test them. They will also be able to graph the different outcomes.
In my English class, the resources we use most often that allow students to construct their own learning are web resources. We do several webquests each school year that allow my students to choose a role to research. They are then tasked to learn as much as they can about that specific role and in different ways they are asked to share what they learn with their classmates. Often this involves role playing, but sometimes it is just presenting information in an interesting manner such as in a PowerPoint with a note-taking resources for their classmates to use. My students’ favorite webquest is the Shakespeare webquest where they are required to choose a role in life (such as student, nobleman, actor, etc.) and research what it was like to live during Shakespeare’s lifetime. They then have options of either role playing to show their classmates the information or keeping a blog over the week of research that classmates can follow and respond to. I find that many students like to keep the blog because gives them a place to easily log the information they found while still applying it to daily life.
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Using Technology to Help Students Remember4
Cognitive learning theory is a theory that focuses on how students process information (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009). Dr. Michael Orey discusses the importance of presenting information through different modalities so that students have many different opportunities to make connections and create networks so that the information can be stored in the students’ memories (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009). Another way to help students store the information in the long-term memory is to create unique episodes or experiences for the students (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009). By creating these experiences in your classroom, the students will have strong memories and connections to information in their memories.
This week I read more from the book Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works by Pitler et al. Working with the idea of cognitive learning theory, this text describes many different instructional strategies that will be useful for classroom activities with the goals of creating networks and connections for students. Creating organizers through word processing programs is one way to help students focus on the main ideas and concepts that will help them prepare for the lesson (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007). Using the word processing programs students can create brochures that contain useful information they found during research that will help them later in the lesson or perhaps on a field trip. Teachers can also create and advanced organizer by using the table-creation feature. Teachers can list the concepts or themes in the first column and leave the other columns blank for the students to complete with explanations and pictures if necessary as a form of note-taking (Pitler, et al., 2007). I often use this feature for my students when introducing new vocabulary and new units and I find that it is very useful when they have to create their own images and think about the new information as it is presented. By using word processing to create these organizers for students to complete, the students are asked to think about information instead of just copying and recalling the information (Orey, 2001). This interaction with the information will hopefully help with creating networks and storing the information in the long-term memory.
Another tool suggested by Pitler et al (2007) is Kidspriation to create advanced organizers or graphic organizers. These types of organizers can be used to activate background knowledge and incorporate new knowledge into an organizer (Pitler, et al., 2007) which will help the students to create a network for the new information and it will then be stored in long-term memory (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009).
These tools can be very powerful and useful in the classroom and they support cognitive learning theory. These strategies also support the needs of diverse learners in the classroom. Using these tools can have a lasting effect on students and learning.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2008). Cognitive Learning Theories. [MotionPicture]. Bridging learning theory, instruction, and technology. Baltimore: M. Orey.
Orey, M.(Ed.). (2001). Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved July 13, 2009 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.
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Behaviorism in Practice4
Behaviorism is a theory that is focused on observable behavior that is the response to certain outside stimuli (Staindridge, 2002). This theory has a huge affect on education and specifically classrooms and students. In recent years, many aspects of the theory have been criticized, but it is still seen often in schools and classrooms. This theory is also effective when put into practice to strengthen desired behaviors or to eliminate undesired behaviors, further showing that behaviors can be learned (Staindridge, 2002). Behaviorism is becoming even more prevalent in the classroom as it is very useful in many technological and web 2.0 applications. As an assignment for my master’s class through Walden University, I read a small portion of Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn & Malenoski, 2007). The section that I read focused on reinforcing effort and practice and the use of many computer applications and web 2.0 tools as they can be effectively used in the classroom.
It seems that many of the tools discussed in the text correlate closely with behaviorist learning principles. First, reinforcing effort is discussed. It is very important for students to understand the importance of effort on achievement (Pitler, et al., 2007). Teachers need to teach students about effort and using a spreadsheet program such as Microsoft Excel to allow students to track their effort and achievement over the course of a unit (Pitler, et al., 2007). Pitler, et al (2007) also suggest collecting testimonials and vignettes from older students and teachers and displaying these on the school website for current students to be reminded that they can be successful if they put forth the effort. Teachers should also collect data, possibly through online surveys, as a resource to encourage students and to show the connection between effort and reinforcement (Pitler, et al., 2007). Using these tools to show students the relationship between effort and achievement will ultimately positively reinforce (Staindridge, 2002) students because the students will see that their effort (stimulus) gives them the desired result of achievement or good grades.
The text also discusses technological tools that allow for more “drill and practice” (Pitler, et al., 2007, pp. 189) as well as opportunities for students to learn and explore information outside of the classroom (Pitler, et al., 2007). Using resources on the web allow students to practice concepts and skills and receive immediate feedback and more practice and explanations if necessary. This feedback will reinforce the students work by either positively affecting them or remediating them if necessary. These types of web resources are very helpful for students who need practice developing and using a skill. For example, in English class, resources like this can be very helpful when students are learning about the parts of speech and how to put together sentences and paragraphs. Many of the web resources recommended by Pitler, et al. (2007), such as BrainPOP, allow students to explore and learn more about discussed in class when they are at home.
Web resources allow students to practice what they are learning in school while getting the positive reinforcement they need in order to see the connection between their effort and achievement.
References:
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 7/7/09, from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/
