Constructing with Technology

Technology has opened so many doors to the world that classrooms never had before. Students are able to access more information at a faster pace than ever before. They can also eliminate the long process of gathering data which might contain errors as discussed in Using Technology in Classroom Instruction that works (Pitler, et al., 2007) so that they have more time for "generating and testing hypotheses" instead of looking for the information. I see technology as supporting the constructionist theory because they when they are able to do that they are "engaging in complex metal processes, applying content knowledge like facts and vocabulary, and enhancing thier overall understanding of the content" (Pitler,et al., 2007). Students can become more engaged in real life activities and will see more value to their learning as discussed by Dr. Orey (2001). Student learning can take more than one form, "Learning by Design" and "Project-Based Learning" (Orey, 2001).

I can see several aspects of this as having a postive constructionist impact on my students learning. I would like to know more about the online simulations, I just saw a presentation about Muzzy Lane's Making History: The calm and the Storm at the NCSS convention last week. I would like to try some of the simulation games in my class, the "Smog City" would be helpful as my students learn about the Asian Brown Cloud and it's impact on China's cities. At the same NCSS conference I learned about the site www.food-force.com which has students explore the mulitple issues of hunger and the challenges of developing a sustainable food supply. I believe by including these in my classroom my students will gain a deeper understanding and have a more realistic view of these world issues.

I think that having students create a project with a rubric is always a wise idea. That way students and parents clearly know the expectations of the project. I think that can also lead to greater understanding by the student because they know what is expected of them. The discussion of expectations and the teacher as a facilitator are key as well to creating a constructionist environment as discussed by Dr. Orey (2001). I think the more students are involved and engaged the more meaning their learning will have over time and the greater their retention of the content will be ultimately.

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

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

Technology can take learning to a new cognitive level

Just a few years ago, the options for projects and learning in the classroom were limited by the resources in the media center at the school. If students were to learn about a country and its culture, they were limited by the book and/or encyclopedia resources that were available in the center for students to use. The Internet and Internet resources have virtually opened the door to the world for all students because information and tools are so readily available to students. These "tools should provide students the ability to actively address meaningful questions and problem solving that are realistic and offer feedback" as discussed by Dr. Orey (2007) in Emerging Perspectives on Learning, Teaching, and Technology and they are readily available to all students. No longer should students be just researching a topic and just repeating the information, instead using technology tools they can translate the information into useable information that goes beyond the lower levels of Bloom's taxonomy. It is very important that students be able to apply what they are learning to real life situations and by using technology they can participate in learning projects that have more relevance to what they are studying. For example, students on my team are about to read A Christmas Carol in Language Arts and they are required to learn about the research process this quarter in class. They could have gone and researched the author or the book but instead by using technology they were able to research a multitude of topics about Victorian England. They transformed that information into a commercial about the Victorian Era and that commercial could be presented as a digital scrapbook page (like a print ad), a movie maker presentation, or a power point show. This used a variety of resources and this was done prior to reading the book. Students had to use the language of Victorian England and this really served as an advance organizer for topics they would be learning in class. As discussed in Using Technology in Classroom Instruction that works (Pitler, et al., 2007), "multimedia is very effective because it helps them both activate prior knowledge and develop a mental model to help them understand new information", using the information that they have researched students created the project and this will assist them in understanding the language and slang used in A Christmas Carol.

One strategy I would like to incorporate more in my classroom to support cognitive theory is the use of the problem/solution frame (Pitler, et al., 2007), we discuss lots of difficult issues in my Social Studies class and I think this would assist my student to look at the information more critically and to propose more possible solutions. Just this week we have been discussing the conflicts between the Israelis and Palestinian Arabs in the Middle East. Students were able to access many primary source documents using the Internet, far more resources than if they had only had access to the textbook. But the questions posed to students was to "think 20 years in the future and what did they see the future of Israel" I would like to introduce the problem/solution frame with students to encourage deeper thought so that they are not satisfied with just one simple answer, but would be looking deeper and for more than one solution.

Currently, I feel that I do incorporate a variety of graphic organizers and various forms of technology to support the cognitive learning needs of my students by providing links to prior learning and real life applications of technology. That being said, I do also feel that there is always the opportunity to include more technology to make the learning more real for students and I look forward to incorporating more in my class in the future. One thing I am moving towards including is to use blogging with my students to give students and opportunity to show deeper understanding of the topics discussed in class and to encourage supportive discussion by other students as well.

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.

What's so bad about Behaviorism?

Behaviorism has really gotten a negative story in the past few years of collective learning and shared governance of the classroom. Students often feel that they are entitled to the incorrect behavior because it is more fun and/or because they choose to act in an way that gains attention for them. However, in actual practice, positive and negative consequences are part of the process. Dr. Orey discussed in the video that teachers are incorporating behaviorists techniques on a daily basis. As more positive techniques are incorporated in the class, students should continue to desire to work hard and to be motivated because they will be rewarded for their good behavior.

Since I teach in middle school, my students do not have the privilege of deciding which class they should be in the following year. Currently I have several techniques that might be good resources, but middle school students being middle school students, they might react differently to different tasks on different days. I had never thought of utilizing a rubric in which students rate their effort as discussed by Pifler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski, I thought was an excellent way to encourage positive rewards for increased behavior. Since students are making this decision individually, that also means I feel that their decision should also impact their opportunities. This might include but isn't limited to having students research on the computer, to compare their work/effort to their other students in the class. Currently, in another room on my team, there are currently lots of behavior issues in the classroom. Since the negative rewards are not working, to the point that some students have been put on a behavior contract at the school level, this rewards instead for the positive based on the amount of effort that that was put into the day. Students are rewarded for completing the page, not punished, this is one of many examples of evidence that I can submit.

I also thought it was very informative that they included so many different strategies, many of which I would not have considered Behaviorist theories prior to our conversation this afternoon. I will follow up with your child, and will be ensuring that the connections classes have all been informed as well. There is increased pressure (as discussed by my teammate). I do agree the more engaged in the activity, the less likely the students were doing their final activities at the last minute. I also feel that by doing this, we will see continued improvement as the class goes on - starting tomorrow.

Bridging Learning Theory, Instruction, and Technology

I am looking forward to using this blog again as a discussion tool with class as we explore the topic of Bridging Learning Theory, Instruction, and Technology. I am looking forward to continuing my experience with Walden University.