VoiceThread

The URL for my VoiceThread is http://voicethread.com/#e1197280

Connectivism and Social Learning in Practice

Technology makes it possible for students to learn from and with one another in a variety of different ways. Topics can be researched and data gathered online. Graphs, charts and tables can be constructed with the click of a mouse and used as tools for analyzing and displaying information. Findings and conclusions can be posted and shared on blogs and wikis. Power point presentations and webcasts can be created. The possibilities are limited only by the availability of the technology and their imaginations. Probably the biggest thing technology-based social learning has going for it is that students don't consider it "work". It's enjoyable. They are actively constructing something while getting to interact with their friends and then they get to show off their work and share it with not just their classmates but with students around the world.

Constructivism in Practice

The principle behind constructivism is that students actively construct their own knowledge . Teachers act as facillitators by providing students with the necessary resources and guidance. One of this week's readings focused on different tasks that can be used in the classroom which would have students generating and testing hypotheses. This fits well into the constructionist/constructivist model and is well supported by the use of technology. Students can use internet resources to gather factual knowledge and data on which they will base their hypotheses. Data can be organized and displayed in spreadsheets. Finally, with the help of interactive applets and simulations, students can test the hypotheses they make and draw conclusions based on the results. Students can then use whatever means of displaying their results that suits them, perhaps in a blog or power point format with charts and graphs or even in a video, showing and explaining the processes that were carried out. The end result would be students actively engaged in analyizing, using and conveying knowledge in a way that makes sense to them.

Cognitivism in Practice

Cognitive learning theories center around how we actually learn and remember things as opposed to the behaviorist theories which focus on why, or the motivation behind learning. In order for information to be sent to long-term memory and then remembered or retrieved when needed, connections need to be made. The more connections to a piece of infomation, the the more ways we have of retrieving it. Technologies such as word processing applications, concept maps, wikis, blogs, podcasts, virtual field trips, are all ways of helping students make multiple connections to the concepts they are learning. These strategies take advantage of episodic memory as students can connect the actual experiences of creating and being involved in their learning to the information teachers want them to remember. They also help provide students with visual connections. I think the biggest advantage to having such a variety of technologies available is that it allows students to make connections that work for them. Teachers can give students access to these tools and instruction in how to use them and then let students gradually become more and more responsible for their own learning by finding out what works for them.

Behaviorism in Practice

As I stated in my earlier posts, this blog was created for a course I'm taking towards my Master's Degree. As you can see, I haven't made a post in several months. I am a very reluctant writer (I teach math) but I do enjoy the informal nature of the blog. This informality will allow me to share some exciting news with those of you that happen upon my page; I was granted tenure this week!
So on to behaviorism. The principles behind behaviorism are pretty simple; reinforce positive behavior and punish undesireable behavior. To me, this means providing students with well defined, obtainable, yet challenging, goals, then giving them plenty of support and opportunities to be successful, and finally rewarding them with positive feedback and a good grade. Direct instruction, which I typically use in my classes, ties in well with the behaviorist theory and works especially well in learning and teaching math. Math is a skill that needs to be practiced. I need to keep close tabs on the work my students are doing in class to make sure they are doing the problems correctly. No student wants to complete 10 math problems and then be told they did every one wrong. Frequent, positive and encouraging feedback is necessary if I want my students to not just stay on task but to take risks and try problems that may be a bit of a challenge for them.

Final Reflection

Wiki? Blog? Podcast? Before taking this course my experience with these Web tools had amounted to a single visit to Wikipedia. Over the past eight weeks I have learned the basic skills necessary to create each of these Web technologies, albeit at a very elementary level. However, being a novice teacher, what I am most excited about and have gained the most from is the ability to see what other teachers are doing in their classrooms. The willingness of these professionals to share their ideas, experiences and resources has provided me with a vast source of support and information on all aspects of teaching, including the use of technology in my classroom. I also will continue to broaden my knowledge of instructional technology through the use of websites, professional journals and professional developments opportunities as well as through the courses I am taking.
How will I eventually put all this new found knowledge to practical use in my classroom? I am very lucky to have available a mobile laptop cart with 24 laptops and wireless internet access. One of the biggest problems I have is getting students to study for tests and quizzes. Maybe by having my students create a wikipedia that they could add to throughout the year and use as a resource they will be more inclined to study. Another way I hope to put the laptops to good use is by using them to motivate students in the remedial math classes. These are very small non-credit classes for students performing below grade level. However, students will often refuse to do any work thus defeating the purpose of the class. Perhaps, through blogging, if there was an audience for their work, and collaboration with other students in same situation this would provide the encouragement these students need.
Technology has made the world a smaller place. As educators, we have a responsibility to teach students skills they will need in a globally oriented work environment. Integrating Web technologies into a classroom is one way to achieve this.

21st Century Skills

One of the assignments this week for the course I'm taking is to visit the Web site of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills and post my reactions and thoughts to my blog. I've seen references made to this organization in various print and Web resources but this was the first time I had gone to their Web site myself. I found their message to be uplifting yet sobering at the same time. What could be better than businesses and industries that have a stake in the global marketplace teaming up with policy makers in education to devise strategies to prepare students for the 21st century workplace. As I navigated the site I became increasingly frustrated. The information seemed so general and abstract, nothing concrete I could use in my classroom. Even using the search engine in the Route 21 section to search for resources specific to mathematics resulted in hundreds of results but nothing I could put to use as a classroom teacher.