When reflecting on learning, I have to say that many of the
elements to take into consideration come from various learning theories, even
though one could be chosen over another based on the circumstances and needs of
the students. With this said, learning is too complex to be focused on one
single theory (Driscoll, 2005). On the other hand, it requires a combination of
them and a special talent from the educator to identify the specific needs of
his/her students. At the same time, it is the teacher who is responsible for
motivating their students by engaging them in the learning process, as well as
inspiring them through their words and actions. Without motivation, very little
learning can take place.
In terms of the effectiveness of online learning versus
face-to-face, it all depends on the level, purpose and learning outcomes.
Online learning provides convenience, especially if the learner follows an
asynchronous program. At the same time, a face-to-face program can provide so
much more to the learning experience that is extremely important, especially in
the lower grades. In terms of technology and the new philosophical trends,
collaboration and networking are becoming key elements in the learning process.
Regardless of this, educators are still responsible for creating an environment
that will nurture students. On the other hand, technology will allow students
to be better prepared for the demands of this changing and challenging world.
References
Driscoll, M. P. (2005). Psychology of
learning for instruction (3rd ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education.
Once upon a time, my school decided to move its
communication system utilizing the Google platform. When the staff was informed
about the changes, mixed reactions took place. Some responded with excitement
and some with great concern.
The direction the school was going was to not only utilize
the e-mail system to communicate with each other, but also take advantage of
the collaboration tools available to create documents simultaneously.
A knowledgeable professional was invited to come for a
two-day training after school. Printed handouts were given out that included
print-screened images that showed sequential steps.
In the beginning of the training we could hear those
reluctant teachers complain that they could not find what they were looking for
and constantly expressed their frustration. Because of this, the presenter
decided to pair everyone up in such a way that those struggling individuals
could be next to a more knowledgeable one. As the training progressed less and
less complaints were expressed and we could see a change in people’s faces, as
they realized that it was not that difficult after all.
As a final task, the trainer created a document that was
shared with everyone present and gave us 10 minutes to develop it together.
Quickly we assigned each other with a different section of the document and in
no time everyone was typing from their own computer the same document.
The teachers that continue working at the school are still
using the same platform and now they are leading out and utilizing new
technologies in their everyday instruction.
As presented by Keller (2006), for this group of teachers fear
was a negative element that was hindering their attention of adapting to the
demands of the 21st century in regards to technology. Once the
stress levels were diminished, the teachers were able to follow directions and
focus their attention increasing their motivation to learn. As the training
progressed, the instruction demonstrated how many of the tools could be used in
the classroom, as well as the school in general.
As mentioned earlier, with reluctant attitudes the teachers
began interacting with the platform and realized that it was not as difficult
as they thought. After a while, their confidence level increased allowing them
to function independently from any external help offering the satisfaction for
their accomplishment.
References
Keller, J. (2006). ARCS Design Process. ARCS Model.
Retrieved from http://arcsmodel.com/Mot%20dsgn%20A%20prcss.htm
The world that we live in is becoming more and more complex
in terms of interactions and accessibility of resources, as presented by
Siemens (2010). By saying that, I have to admit that my network has change the
way I learn by providing me a broader understanding and brought me closer to
individuals who are extremely resourceful. Having the connections and open
communication with those individuals across the world, has also given me the
opportunity to make important decisions in life, as well as better understand
my profession.
In terms of which digital tools help my learning, I have to
say that the online library database provided by the university, along with
discussions, blogs and our latest group activity involving wikis have
significantly impacted my learning. I consider myself a more visual learner,
but the collaboration tools have helped me expand my ideas and understand other
points of view.
When it comes down to finding new knowledge when a question
arises, my preference is going online and doing a search on an online search
engine depending on the complexity of the question. I like to find the primary
sources, if possible, from which to gather the necessary information. If I am still
not able to find the right information that I am looking for, I then bring it
up with an individual from my network that I believe might have the answer or
know where to find the correct answer.
Portable devices, such as tablets, laptops and phones, have
given me the opportunity to have accessibility, as well as to share new
information 24/7 from the palm of my hand. A powerful resource that if utilized
properly will change the way we live and think.
Reference
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010). Connectivism Learning
Theory
When discussing
the concept of collaboration, I can say that as human beings, we are social by
nature. Communication becomes a key element in human development
that is acquired through constant interaction. On the other hand, we tend to conglomerate in cities and, in
general, find groups of people that might share the same interests, education
or cultural background with whom we socially interact. Even well known
constructivists, such as Bruner and Vygotsky, presented their points of views
emphasizing the importance of collaboration in the human learning process, as
presented by Driscoll (2005).
Nowadays, the
business world depends greatly on the collaboration and information gathered
through the social media. In regards to this let me reflect
on Rheingold’s statement when he says, “what forms of wealth could be created
if we knew a little bit more about cooperation?” Companies are becoming wealthy by simply gathering and
sharing important information from the common people to later utilize it to
developed new products, knowledge or even ideologies. If people collaborate
appropriately, they could accomplish much more than if they were acting by
themselves. In order for this tool to become effective it should be accompanied
with a strong communication network. I
believe that a great example is Wikipedia, an online collaboration tool by
excellence.
Technology,
nowadays, can easily be applied to facilitate collaboration among students utilizing
constructivist principles. In its beginnings computers served the sole purpose
of storing and retrieving information. Then they processed the data, to later
create databases. From there we have been able to communicate from one personal
computer to the other, even to the point were all the information is available
in the palm of our hands 24 hours of the day, 7 days a week. One example that I
can share from my own experience comes from Google Docs. In my school all the
staff were asked to develop the curriculum for the following year. It took
place online by giving the opportunity to everyone to add, delete, and discuss their
teaching perspective, all at the same time. In my opinion, these all show us
the capabilities for collaboration, a wonderful tool that is highly used in our
world today.
A very
interesting research that I found on EBSCO by Chang & Lee (2010),
demonstrates the importance of creating problem-based learning in computer
classes to increase student motivation. This concept fits with John Dewey’s (1938) idea that learning is at its best when experienced first hand. When a
student becomes involved in the learning process, learning can become extremely
effective.
References
Chang, L., & Lee, G. C. (2010). A team-teaching model
for practicing project based learning in high school: Collaboration between
computer and subject teachers. Computer
& Education. 55(3). 961-969. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
Dewey,
J. (1938). Experience and education. The Macmillan Company, New York.
Driscoll, M. P. (2005). Psychology of learning
for instruction (3rd ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
Rheingold, H.
(2008, February). Howard Rheingold on collaboration [Video file]. Retrieved
from http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/howard_rheingold_on_collaboration.html
This past week, as I was expanding my knowledge on the Cognitive Theory, I’ve read a
very interesting discussion post by Kapp (2007) and Kerr (2007), in which
their main topic was the –isms of theory in education. The ideas presented have
confirmed some conclusions I had since my undergraduate years and open up other
areas on which I was left to ponder.
Through this discussion Kapp
(2007) and Kerr (2007) have proposed that each new –ism or theory is basically a new idea
that is not isolated from other ideas or concepts. They are, in some way linked
with each other by focusing on specific behaviors, ways to process information or way to
construct meaning. If I put myself in a real-life situation, such as learning
how to fly, I will realize that in the beginning learning and memorizing the
mechanical concepts will take a lot of repetition and discourse from a
professor. Maybe I will receive some negative comments or grades for some
simple mistakes I might make in an effort to correct my thinking and avoid future catastrophes. Then, I bring
the memorized information and apply it in a real plane, internalizing and
making sense of what has being learned. With this, I see that each step of my
learning process, in some way, takes on a different learning theory.
Siemens (2008) also summarizes this
by saying that the main focus of education nowadays is to understand how the
student gains the necessary concepts or ideas, rather than understanding how
the concept is being taught. For him, teaching cannot be focused or based on
one single theory, but a group of them that should interact with each other to
find the best possible methodology to engage students and allow real learning
to take place. We must always keep in mind that we are all
different and learn in various ways.
Before I end this post I would like to share with you the following video presentation which summarizes different theories.
Siemens,
G. (2008, January 27). Learning and knowing in networks: Changing roles for
educators and designers. Paper presented to ITFORUM. Retrieved from
http://itforum.coe.uga.edu/Paper105/Siemens.pdf
For this Module I visited and commented on the following blogs:
When the concept of learning is discussed, what
first come to mind to some people is a structured classroom setting, normally
desks or tables organized in rows, and a group of students gathered together
listening to what an adult figure has to share with them.
John Dewey (1938) talked about this on his book
Experience and Education saying that,
in his time, education consisted in passing on information and learned skills
from one generation to the other. Later on he proposed the idea of the
importance of experience in the learning process, something I completely agree
and support.
Learning, in my opinion, is transmitting new
and important information in various and creative ways. According to Driscoll
(2005), in order for learning to take place several things need to happen.
First, an individual’s performance needs to change. Second, this change occurs
as a result of the experience any individual had as he/she interaction with
others.
The job of an educator is to identify which
experiences best fit the needs of its students modifying its job description into a facilitator of instruction. When this happens, students are given the opportunity to transform the new
information and convert it into knowledge to make it useful for them. Another way
of saying it would be that when the students find the information relevant, meaningful
that can be applied through a process of discovery, it is then that it will be
learned.
Due to the fact that technology is changing the
way we think, Henry Jenkins (as cited in Siemens, 2008) argues that learning
needs to take place in a collaborative and network environment. At the same
time, Oblinger and Oblinger (as cited in Siemens, 2008) proposed that educators
need to adapt to the experiences that the students are exposed to on a daily
basis, such as “blogs, wikis, networking, podcasts, online video, and virtual
worlds.”
In my opinion, technology can also facilitate
ownership, an element that is crucial in the learning process. By having
ownership, student’s motivation increases. In other words, if a student is
motivated to learn, its process becomes simplified.
In Educational Technology, learning theory can
provide important guidelines that could assist educators on how to better
incorporate technology in their teaching and help students become involved in
their own learning. As John Carolus S. J. said, “we think too much about
effective methods of teaching and not enough about effective methods of
learning.”
While doing research I came across this two
video presentations by Sir Ken Robinson that might be of interest to you as
well.
References:
Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and education. New
York, NY: Touchstone.
Driscoll, M. P. (2005). Psychology of
learning for instruction (3rd ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education.
Siemens, G. (2008, January 27). Learning and
knowing in networks: Changing roles for educators and designers. Paper presented
to ITFORUM. Retrieved from http://itforum.coe.uga.edu/Paper105/Siemens.pdf
This module I visited and commented to the following blogs:
http://kwagoner7105.blogspot.com I strongly agree with you that students learn best when they are actively involved in their learning. As you mentioned, they should be taught the necessary skills to be successful in the 21st century. My concern is that our young students are allowed to be numbed by many of the technological gadgets, such as phones, tablets or any other media, but they are not taught to be creative or critical thinkers. All they want is for the information to come to them and knowing where to find the right answer. As educators, what are we doing to change that?
On the other hand, I see that you are utilizing a variety of learning theories, as well as giving student choices. In my opinion, choices are crucial for learning to take place. When students are given choices, they become motivated. If motivated, real learning occurs. Sometimes we, adult educators, limit our student’s potential and hinder their creativity. It is time to change that! http://loridodd.blogspot.com
I believe that we all learn in a variety of ways. In my case I consider myself a visual learner than anything else. At the same time, I also believe that there are certain subjects and concepts that are better learned in a specific learning environment; such is the case in your math classes.
What I enjoy creating, as mentioned by your post, which also reflects John Dewey’s (1938) ideals, is real life experiences that allowed my students to grasp the concepts and apply them in their daily lives. When we do that real learning occurs.
In regards to technology, it is amazing to see how many resources we have available that reinforce our teaching. I am glad you are utilizing many of them in a variety of ways. Out teaching methods do not follow the “one size fits all” mentality. We are all unique in our own ways, which makes teaching one of the most challenging professions with life changing results.
Reference:
Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and education. New York, NY: Touchstone.
This is great! I've just started my own blog about theory in educational technology.
As I continue learning about the best educational practices and find ways to improve our teaching, I hope I can share them with anyone who is interested. My intention is to learn, share and collaborate.
