Reflection- Bridging Learning Theory, Instruction, and Technology

Personal Theory of Learning

     After reviewing the various learning theories through the Bridging Learning Theory, Instruction, and Technology course, my personal learning theory has changed. The first week of this class, my colleagues and I were asked to read a small synapsis of each theory to determine which aligned with our personal theory. At that time, I was under the impression that the constructivist theory reflected my teaching style. After reviewing the theories and strategies that are associated with each, I believe that my personal learning theory reflects small pieces of each theory we studied. I do not agree with any theory in its entirety, but I believe that a combination of the various theories will allow students to learn in a well-rounded environment. There are aspects of each theory I agree with and incorporate in my classroom. 

Behaviorist Learning theory:

• Students do require drill and practice when become fluent on specific math facts such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. 
• I use classroom response systems to provide students with immediate feedback.
• I use behavior modification strategies as well as positive and negative reinforcement to elicit desired behaviors.

Cognitive Learning Theory:

• Students will retain information better if they are exposed using dual codes such as verbal and smell.
• Creating episodic memories through augmented experiences such as virtual field trips and interactive simulations allows students to network their ideas for retention.
• Students are able to process seven pieces of information at a time, so it important to formulate connections amongst ideas and repeat important concepts.
• Using data spreadsheet software, students spend less time on calculations and more time on higher level thinking skills like analysis.

Constructivist Learning Theory:

• Students construct his or her own knowledge by building on personal experiences and creating a new schema.
• Students need time to activate their prior knowledge to assimilate new information. This can be done through concept maps which relies on a focus questions to assimilate new knowledge.

Constructionist Learning Theory:

• When students build artifacts, they take ownership in their learning. 
• Students can produce artifacts using multimedia software, concept maps, VoiceThread This will allow student and teacher feedback as well as recognition. Rubrics are necessary to maintain expectations and set goals.

Social Learning Theories:

• Students learn by actively engaging with other students to solve problems, create an artifact, or through discussion.
• Project based learning and Webquests are student based approaches to this theory. 

One addition to my personal learning theory is that students should formulate their own knowledge in a student centered environment. This will take some adjustment and reflection as I learn to modify this methodology to my classroom. While I feel it is important, it is different than the teacher centered classroom environment I am accustomed to. In a student centered classroom, students are more engaged in the content and motivated to succeed. They take ownership in their learning as they construct their own knowledge. The teacher’s role is not of a facilitator, but as a support system. They answer questions, clarify misconceptions, and provide resources but the students are in control of their learning.

Technology Integration

Some immediate adjustments I will make in my instructional practice regarding technology is utilizing the resources I have around my school. My school is abundant in the amount of technology tools we have available and I have not explored past my comfort zone. Throughout this course I have already started implementing some tools that I had not used before. I have used my videoconferencing equipment to participate in a virtual field trip with the North Carolina History Museum. I used the Kidspiration program that my school purchased for students to create a concept map about the different types of soil.

One tool I have not used yet that I would like to is allow the students to create a movie on moviemaker. My students are going to start a unit on plant growth and development. I like the idea of having the students create a time lapse movie on the growth of their plant. I would need to create my own movie and master the process before incorporating this strategy into my classroom. By allowing the students to create movies in collaborative groups, they are working together to create an artifact. Through this collaboration, students will learn by interacting with each other as well as develop critical thinking skills as they view ideas from different perspectives. They will teach their peers about plant growth using the video which will give them a deeper understanding of the content. This video can posted on my class blog so teachers, family members, and peers can learn from their video.

Another tool that I would like to use is the track changes feature on Microsoft Word. This feature allows specific feedback for the students so they can review suggestions and corrections that others have made. I would like to model this tool with my students several times on my Interactive Whiteboard and then edit and revise several papers together. My final step will have students revise and edit their peers’ work to make corrections. I plan to create collaborative groups of three or four. These groups will work together to edit and revise each member’s work. Each student will have a different color for his or her track changes so I can monitor suggestions. Students will be in control of providing suggestions and reviewing writing strategies with each other. I will remind students that they have the power to accept or deny the suggestion from his or her peers. This creates a sense of empowerment when students are in control of the content of their work while still encouraging their group members to succeed.

One immediate adjustment I will make in my instructional practice is implementation of modeling. The steps to students becoming proficient is modeling, guided practice, and independent practice. I will spend more time modeling the strategies and tools for the students and demonstrating the procedures for successful implementation. I will follow the sequence so that they can become successful in their independent practice.

Since taking this class, my knowledge of instructional skill has expanded. I am aware of the tools available to me and how I can implement them in my classroom. This class has allowed me to reflect upon how I currently use technology in my classroom as an instructional tool. I now know that this is not the most effective use of technology in a 21^st century classroom. I plan to incorporate technology as a learning tool in a student centered environment. The resources provided from this class have allowed me to explore the various tools and strategies I plan to implement throughout my transition.

Long Term Goals

     As stated earlier, one of my long term goals is to transform my classroom from a teacher centered classroom to a student centered classroom. I know that this will take time and it will not occur overnight. Throughout my college courses and my personal teaching experiences, I have always been surrounded by classrooms centered on the instructor or teacher. Over the years I have heard many of these teachers and instructors express concerns that students have less intrinsic motivation and more behavioral issues. From my experiences incorporating technology in my classroom, I have seen these concerns decline as students take more ownership in their ideas and remain engaged on the tasks. Students look forward to coming to class when they are in charge of their learning. Although I have just begun to implement this methodology of teaching into my day, I can see a difference in the students’ motivation levels. I have started implementing student centered lessons with my social studies and science curriculum. My students have been researching using the Internet, collaborating with groups and partners to create concept maps and VoiceThreads, as well as attend virtual field trips. They look forward to these subjects as is apparent when they inquire about them upon entering the classroom in the morning. As I become comfortable incorporating this methodology in my social studies and science curriculum, I will start applying it to my math and language arts.

Another long term goal I have is to master the research based strategy of identifying similarities and differences. It involves higher level thinking skills that allow students to analyze topics more in depth as they search for patterns. My students take a cognitive abilities test to determine whether they qualify for academically gifted services in the fourth and fifth grade. Identifying similarities and differences through analogies is often difficult for them because they have not strengthened this part of their brain. I like the idea of creating a spreadsheet on Microsoft Word or a Smart Notebook file each day to analyze an analogy of the day puzzle. I will start the year using words, visual, and audio to represent different objects. Students will need to compare these objects to determine their relationship. Gradually students will start developing their own analogies for their peers to solve. The end result could be small groups of students displaying analogies and discussing their results in a collaborative learning format. Some analogies can be more abstract such as: How is a mailbox and an elephant similar? Some analogies can be more basic such as: Red is to apple, as green is to ____? The groups can be differentiated homogeneously based on readiness level. These analogies can also be represented on a VoiceThread to allow for differentiation. Those that are ready to challenge themselves can comment on the more abstract analogy, while those that may need more basic practice can still receive independent practice. Students can listen to their peers ideas develop new patterns of thinking. I will guide the students by gradually giving them less structure and support. Since recognizing similarities and differences is reflective of ones prior knowledge and personal experience, this strategy aligns with the cognitive learning theory. “Cognitive tools impact student learning by causing them to think about information instead of reproducing and/or recalling information” (Robertson, Elliot, &Robinson, 2007).

Conclusion

After my Bridging Learning Theory, Instruction, and Technology course at Walden, I have acquired many new tools to put into my toolbox. I understand that these tools will not all be applicable immediately, but with further exploration I will be able to implement them effectively with my students. I know to model with my students not only new tools, but learning strategies as well. I cannot assume that students know how to effectively take notes or summarize a passage in a text. I need to model these skills for the students and guide them to understanding the steps necessary when applying them. I have a deeper understanding of the various learning theories, and have recognized that my personal learning theory is a combinations of several different theories. Now that I know my personal learning theory, I have a deeper understanding of how students think and what they need to succeed in my classroom. I will reflect upon these theories when I am interacting with my students and developing student centered lessons.  

References:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2010d). Program #: Behaviorist learning theory with Michael Orey. [DVD]. In Walden University: Bridging Learning Theory, Instruction, and Technology. Baltimore: Author.

Orey, M. (Ed.). (2001). Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved October 30, 2010 from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Main_Page. 

Palmer, G., Peters, R., & Streetman, R. (2003). Cooperative learning. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved <insert date>, 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.

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

Standridge, M. (2002). Behaviorism. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging Perspectives on Learning, Teaching, and Technology. Retrieved November 7, 2010, from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Behaviorism

Social Learning Theory in the Classroom

Social learning theories emphasize the importance of interaction with others in order to construct knowledge. Since knowledge is unique to every individual learner based on prior experiences and schema, the interaction between peers allows students to look at content through another’s perspective and learn from their knowledge. 

Two ways in which students can interact with others to evolve their knowledge and interpret meaning is through collaborative and cooperative learning. These two terms are often used in correlation with each other, but they are different. 

Cooperative learning is when each member in a group is responsible for a portion of the work. It is the groups job to ensure all members understand the content. Cooperative learning usually solves close-ended problems where the teacher is aware of the solutions.  There are some generalizations that Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski (2007) recommend following when incorporating cooperative groups in the classroom. 

• Organizing groups based on ability level should be done sparingly.
• Cooperative learning groups should be small in size. Usually these groups are between two and four students.
• Cooperative learning should be used consistently and systematically but not overused. (p. 139)

Some groups are informal and change often. A think-pair-share is an example of an informal group when students turn to their neighbor to share information. A base group is a long term group where students “support each other throughout a semester or a school year” (Hitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007). My students have base groups to support each other for a quarter. They sit within groups of four and often work cooperatively on math problems as well as science experiments. Recently the students created compost bags in their groups. One bag contained worms and the other did not. They observed the bags daily and discussed their observations to discover how the food was decomposing differently in each bag. Through discussion students brought different perspectives and experiences to the group. They each wrote their observations and hypotheses in their science journal, but they were able to validate their ideas by discussing with their peers.

Another way that students can participate in a cooperative learning project is through a jigsaw. In a jigsaw, each member in a group is responsible for learning or researching specific content to share and teach the rest of the members of their group. When students teacher others, they “develop a deeper understanding of the content” (Orey, 2010).

Collaborative learning allows all members of the group to work together to solve an open-ended problem. The teacher does not usually know the solution to the problem. Since collaborate learning is graded as a group effort, rubric should be generated to establish expectations and goals.

One example of collaborative learning is through project based learning. The teacher’s main purpose in a student-centered lesson is to provide resources and feedback when necessary. Students tackle authentic real-world problems. They work collaboratively in groups to generate and test hypotheses. They develop strategies to solve problems using their prior knowledge and schema. Afterwards groups reflect on their solutions and are given feedback from their teacher and peers. If an artifact is created, it can be modified based on the evaluation. 

Technology allows students to collaborate using sites such as ePals. The ePals website is a global community that allows students from across the globe to collaborate on projects. My students are in the process of starting a project with a third grade classroom in Turkey. This particular project allows students to communicate through monitored email to explore each other’s cultures. Students will be able to compare the similarities and differences of each others lives through analysis which is a complex thinking skill.

Conclusion

Although the social learning theory has been around for decades, social learning practices are becoming more common in the classroom. Technological advances are allowing collaboration between professionals in the workforce from across the globe and classrooms across various school systems. This socialization is done instantaneously as communication is exchanged through email and videoconferencing. As George Siemens (2006) states, “ we have a broader complex environment in which we are situated”. Students need to be exposed to the current trends so they are equipped with the skills necessary to succeed in the workforce. Cooperative and collaboration learning through the use of technology will achieve this goal.

Resources:

Han, S., and Bhattacharya, K. (2001). Constructionism, Learning by Design, and Project Based Learning. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved <insert date>, from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2010g). Program #: Social learning theories with Michael Orey. [DVD]. In Walden University: Bridging Learning Theory, Instruction, and Technology. Baltimore: Author.

Palmer, G., Peters, R., & Streetman, R. (2003). Cooperative learning. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved <insert date>, 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.

Siemens, G. (2006). Knowing knowledge. Creative Commons License.