Module 5: New Technologies

I responded to Amanda Dickerson and Margaret McCullough's module 5 blog post.

As a teacher and a student, I have always enjoyed learning about new technology that can be used in the classroom. Students are always excited about using computers in the classroom as opposed to writing. I am excited to watch students use technology and their conversations about different topics on skills and concepts they have learned. This past school year, we had teacher web pages. That was very exciting for me. I used links on my web page for the different 6^thgrade classes. I would post different activities that the students have completed in class and they would be able to post comments and feedback to one another.

On my teacher web page, there was a site for each class that I taught, as well as helpful math links, and various announcements throughout the school year. Eventually, I became to go-to person on my hallway for technology questions. Many of the teachers that I work with felt that technology was another thing that they had to add to their list. This meant that there were more things they had to learn how to use and then implement in their lessons. I assured them that it wasn’t as hard as they thought it would be. Oftentimes, technology makes it all a bit easier and leaves less work for the teacher. Our web pages were already set up; we just had to add the information that we wanted parents and students to know. I quickly learned that there are many different attitudes that will surface when something new is introduced within the school building.

This was the case also when we received the smart boards in our classrooms. Many teachers were apprehensive about this because we were all required to participate in training workshops and a smart board class. Many felt that this was another tool that they had to add to their daily instruction. However, they began to see how it saved them time and actually became an intricate part of their daily instruction. Students love it and it keeps them engaged and involved in the lessons taking place. The smart board is great for interactive learning strategies.

John Keller’s ARCS model of motivation design consists of a set of categories of motivational concepts and strategies. These concepts and strategies came from the research on human motivation combined with successful motivational practices. The model provides a problem solving approach to designing the motivational aspects of learning environments to stimulate and sustain students’ motivation to learn (Keller, 1987). With this design, teachers can see the reasoning behind the technology put into the school. The design believes in gaining teacher’s attention, getting them to see the relevance of the product, being confident in knowing what and how to use the product, and their satisfaction of the product and what it offers for the classroom. If some of the teachers would take time to explore what is being introduced and the different things that can be done with the programs, they would have very different comments than before.

References:

Keller, J. M. (1987). Development and use of the ARCS model of motivational design.Journal of Instructional Development, 10(3), 2 – 10.

Module 4: Connectivism

I responded to Amanda Dickerson & Margaret McCullough's Module 4 Blogs.

Mind Map on Technological Connections

How has your network changed the way you learn?
As I move through the different courses within the Educational Technology program at Walden University, I am learning about several technological advances and how they can benefit from different uses. Technology has a way of involving everyone no matter how small or big the project seems to be. Gmail is a great cloud-computing tool for teachers to use in the classroom. With this resource, email, word processing, collaboration, media editing, and more can be done and easily shared with others. The tools of collaboration have advanced greatly, making it extremely easier to collaborate and work together with others. Google Docs makes it easy to work with group members when working on different aspects of assignments from class. In addition, I am now finding myself trying to keep up with the new technology that students are using. As a result, I can work with the different types of tools when implementing technology into daily instructional lessons as well as group activities.

Which digital tools best facilitate learning for you?
To help with facilitating learning for me is definitely the Interactive whiteboard that I use in my classroom. When using the SMART Interactive whiteboard, I can engage all of my students at one time. They can all see what is taking place during the lesson while using the Internet or presentation without having to actually crowd around to see. Students can also use the board themselves or give presentations of their own. The Interactive whiteboard can also be used as a center when students are working independently or in small groups. While this is taking place, I can then walk around and observe everyone and help those as needed.

Another tool that best facilitates learning for me is email and other social networking tools. Today, there’s definitely no problems with communicating or collaborating with others. There are several social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Skype, etc. These sites make it very easy to communicate with others without using the telephone or being face-to-face. Many times, in class we are asked to work together as a group. In my middle and high-school years, and even undergraduate years, we would exchange phone numbers and eventually email addresses. However, today when working together in groups, we may exchange instant messaging usernames, Skype addresses, and so on. I am seeing very little use of actually talking on the telephone but more technology use or texting.

The last tool that best facilitates learning for me is wikis and blogs. Through the course of my educationalist specialist program with Walden, I have created several blogs and wikis. This is a great way to collaborate with others and learn new ideas while also receiving immediate feedback from other learners. This is also a great way to learn new information on different topics being studied. For teachers, this is a great way to keep students informed about different skills and concepts learned in the classroom as well as a great way for students to provide feedback and collaborate with one another.

How do you learn new knowledge when you have questions?
A couple of years ago when I had questions about something I would ask someone else or go to the library and look the information up in different reference books. Today, when I want to learn new knowledge about something that I am questioning, I easily Google it on the World Wide Web. I think this is great because the information is right their at our fingertips. However, it doesn’t leave room for actually learning how to research topics using different reference books or thinking critically. It is getting harder and harder to teach students the information they need when completing the dictionary or referencing skills section of standardized tests when there’s so much technology to give them all of the answers that they need.

Additional Resources:

Social Networking - http://www.whatissocialnetworking.com/

PBS Teachers: Social Networking Archive - http://www.pbs.org/teachers/learning.now/social_networking/

Collaborative Technologies - http://www.educause.edu/node/645/tid/17053?time=1280623777

Module 3: Collaboration

I replied to Evonie Rash and KC Davis' module 3 blog!

Collaboration, for many teachers, brings visions of students who resist working in groups, the struggle to create equitable teams of students, uneven participation, and the difficulty of evaluating and grading the products produced by a group (Palloff & Pratt, 2005). We often get students who have not worked in collaborative groups. There are many different reasons for these non-collaborative experiences. While still developing, students go through phases of not wanting to work with this person or that person. The thought of two minds working together usually does not enter the mind of a child or even some adults at times. In my opinion, it is not basic instinct for people to interact and work together as a group. This is something that is formed eventually through different sets of events that may occur. As we develop, we begin to work together with others and then begin to realize that two heads are definitely better than one. However, we do have the basic instinct to do anything that we put our minds to and that will lead to one’s self-interest.

Rheingold (2005) discusses an important point as he states: “succeed by destroying and dominating competition.” He then goes on by staying that we can also succeed through collaborative efforts and when we all work together as one. A great example of collaborative efforts is major corporations. Today, lots of corporations merge with other companies for more success at maximizing their profits. When companies merge together, they have more opportunities at selling their products as well as making sure that all customers are satisfied.

If we observe things that take place around us, humans come together in times of need as well when things are taking places that in within their self-interest. If we look at the different theorists, the constructivist theory looks at different ways in which we learn and interact with others. Through this theory, much learning occurs through our experiences through interactions with others and the environment around us. When we work together, we are learning new ideas as well as teaching what we have learned as well. When information is combined, there are new ideas that come out of this batch of knowledge.

Today, there are lots of technological innovations to help with facilitating collaboration. Over the years, technological advances have produced blogs, wikis, as well as various social networking programs. Rheingold (2005) discusses the Open Source products. These products include: Mozilla, Wikipedia, and the free Open University Lectures. These products are free resources for all to use and are very popular because each programmer contributes his/her knowledge to help improve these products. Today, in online courses, blogs and wikis are becoming an essential part of learner’s daily assignments. Learners get to work together to discuss information that has been discussed in the course room. Learners get a chance to provide feedback as well as work collaboratively in groups on different assignments.

References:

Palloff, R. M. & Pratt, K. (2005). Collaborating online. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Rheingold, H. (2005). Way-New Collaboration. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/howard_rheingold_on_collaboration.html

Module 2: Cognitivism as Learning Theory

Cognitivism was shaped by many learning theorists. Cognitivism is the processing theory that deals with how people perceive, learn, remember, and think about information. Cognitive development results from the interactions that kids have with their physical and social environments. As kids begin to explore their world, they eventually begin to discover they have their own perspective on the world that is uniquely theirs. Humans are motivated to try to make sense of what’s taking place in the world around them. However, there are times, when the world around us does not make sense. According to Driscoll (2005), with cognitive learning, students are making inferences and connecting their learning for better understanding. All students will have some prior knowledge, even if it’s just random or unconscious learning. Prior knowledge is not something that is made up but something that students gain over time. This prior knowledge comes from experiences or interactions that students encounter as they grow and develop. Students have very different learning styles when it comes to learning. Some kids may be visual learners while others are auditory learners. Some kids may be kinesthetic learners while others can sit in a desk and take notes. Through cognitive learning, students are making meaning of the concepts and skills they are learning.

Bill Kerr (2007) talks about _isms as a filter and not a blinker. He describes learning theories as being like politics in the manner that they are full of _isms: constructivism, behaviorism, cognitivism, and now connectivisim. In his beliefs, _isms do not stand still, they evolve, and they listen to criticism, and move on. In today’s society, it would be difficult for some to comprehend the _isms that Kerr talks about. Each year, there is some new development that appears for each _ism. Researching the different _isms could prove to locate more and more information. There will never be a time when there is nothing new that we will learn about different learning theories. Therefore, learning theories evolve over time. This is not a one-time event that takes place and is all of a sudden forgotten about. After reading the two blogs, I began to think about my students and the different types of behaviors and interactions through observation in the classroom.

Karl Knapp (2007) made a valid point when he stated that, “learning is not thing…it is a multi-layered word that tends to get treated as if it were just one thing…and it’s not.” In my opinion, learning is an umbrella term. It is a terms that has several more topics that will fall under it. Learning is not just one thing but a lot of people don’t look at it like that. For example, if a child is doing great and receiving all A’s in elementary school, parents automatically expect the same to take place when that students moves up to the middle school. However, they don’t look at the fact that students will now be introduced to a totally different curriculum as well as adapt to a new environment. This student is in a new environment and will now experience different _isms than what was experienced in elementary school.

References:

Kerr, B. (2007). _isms as filter, not blinker. Retrieved from: http://billkerr2.blogspot.com/2007/01/isms-as-filter-not-blinker.html

Knapp, K. (2007). Out and about: discussion on educational schools of thought. Retrieved from: http://karlkapp.blogspot.com/2007/01/out-and-about-discussion-on-educational.html

Driscoll, M. P. (2005). Psychology of learning for instruction (3rd ed.). Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.

Module 1 Blog Topic

My beliefs about how people learn best come from the years of teaching in elementary and middle school classrooms. Everyone learn in different ways. There are no two people who learn skills and concepts the exact same way. There’s no child or adult who has a better learning style than anyone else. During our years of growing and developing, we all go through different experiences in life. When going to school, everyone comes with their own set of background knowledge and experiences. There are many people who have experienced all types of things while some people may not have experienced as much. When thinking about problems or situations that may arise, we all think in different ways. We all view the problem or solution in different ways.

When talking about learning theory, there are many things that we must take into consideration when it pertains to educational technology. In today’s digital age, technology is used for a variety of reasons. Cell phones are like mini computers and can do just about anything as well as some of these hand-held games for kids.

Under learning theories, we have behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism. These learning theories all play a role in education today. They come into play when students interact with these different types of technology and their ways of thinking. Each learning theory can be described as listed below:

Behaviorism, which asserts that learning is a “black box” activity, in that we do not know what occurs inside the learner, focuses its efforts on managing external, observable behaviors, and finds much of its existence in objectivism (Siemens, 2008).

Cognitivism, which spans a continuum from learning as information processing (a computer model) at one end, to learning as reasoning and thinking on the other, finds much of its identity in pragmatism (Siemens, 2008).

Constructivism, which covers a broad spectrum of research overlapping with cognitivism, contends that learning involves each individual learner making sense and constructing knowledge within his or her own context; it finds its foundation in interpretivism (Siemens, 2008).

According to Driscoll (2005), the critical elements of learning theories include: observation, interaction, analyzing, interpreting, evaluating, understanding/cognitivism, as well as problem solving and solutions. All of these things take place within learning theories.

Unlike Driscoll, Siemens (2008) provides a more in-depth approach to the critical elements of learning theories. Siemens provides his critical elements in the form of questions: How does learning occur? What factors influence learning? What is the role of memory? How does transfer occur? What types of learning are best explained by this theory?

“Metaphors as educators” is described as educators in set roles that promote learning through different strategies and techniques of understanding. Educators are portrayed as different people, such as: master artists, network administrators, concierge guides, etc. When we think about, educators do have more than one role when guiding students. When dealing with students and their different ability levels and learning styles, we often play the role of a variety of occupation. Educators wear many hats and work through all learning theories within a day’s time.

References:

Driscoll, M. P. (2005). Psychology of learning for instruction (3rd ed.). Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.

Siemens, G. (2008, January 27). Learning and knowing in networks: Changing roles for educators and designers. Paper presented to ITFORUM. Retrieved from http://it.coe.uga.edu/

Additional Resources:

Innovative Learning This site includes three main categories into which learning theories fall. In addition to these main theories, there are also other theories that address how people learn.

http://www.innovativelearning.com/teaching/teaching_methods.html

Connectivism - A Learning Theory for the Digital Age This site offers information on connectivism.

http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm