This course has provided me with a great deal of information to
incorporate into my classroom. There are
various different learning theories that help shape a students learning process
in the classroom. The different learning
theories are social learning, behaviorism, constructionism, and cognitive
approaches. In addition, technology can
be used as a tool to aid in a students understanding throughout their learning
process. This course has encouraged me
to take a deeper look at the different learning styles along with the benefits
of incorporating technology to enhance each learning theory.
Prior to this course I had reflected that the learning theory I most
often utilize in my classroom is social constructionism. I often design lesson that focus on the
social learning theory and require that students communicate with each other
and collaborate to help enhance their learning process (Laureate Education,
Inc., 2011). As a teacher I believe that
is it important for students to collaborate with each other to help enhance
their critically thinking skills. This
class has taught me new ways to incorporate social learning theories into my
classroom. One new way I can incorporate
social learning theory into my classroom is through students creating multimedia
presentations weather it is creating videos, podcasts, voicethread, or prezi
presentations. Students are able to
communicate and collaborate with others to help enrich their understanding of
the subject. A voicethread is a great
opportunity for students to explain information and post it online for other
students to view. In addition, students
can add comments to help deepen their critical thinking skills by taking
inconsideration other students’ point of views. Blogs are another great tool where students
can summarize information, ask questions, and clarify confusing information
(Pitler, Hubbell, & Kuhn, 2012, p.165).
Blogs allow students to continue conversations outside the classroom to
deepen their understanding on a subject.
Although, I still believe that I primarily through social learning it is
also important to incorporate behaviorism, constructionism, and cognitive
approaches into all lessons. Each theory
contributes to important role of students understanding and learning in the
classroom. I do not believe that a
classroom cannot be successful unless less all of these learning styles were
addressed in the classroom. In addition,
it is important that technology is used as a tool to help improve students
learning, motivation, and engagement during class lessons. Each of these learning strategies are unique
and many tend to overlap, which I believe, makes it impossible to not
incorporate all learning theories into the classroom. In addition, web 2.0 is an extremely
beneficial and essential tool that should be incorporated in classrooms around
the world. There are a various of
different uses of technology such as word processor, wiki, blogs, podcast,
digital graphic organizers, voicethread, data analysis tools, and online
surveys or practice drills. Technology
should be used as a tool to help students understanding and critically think
instead as just a mode of lecture.
The immediate adjustments
that I will make in my classroom are to stray away from lecture in my
classroom. This year I have tried to
create a classroom that is more student centered focused and plan to continue
to implement that in the up coming school year.
One tool that I plan to implement next year is for students to design
concepts maps. In my class I have
students create concepts maps and solve concept maps. However, I would like to begin to implement
the creation of a digital concept map that my students create. I think they will be able to learn more from
a concept map they create because it creates a more concrete imagine for
themselves. In addition, they will be
able to incorporate pictures and images to help them recall information in the
future. In addition students are
creating patterns that are more meaningful to them by using words or images
that can deep their knowledge and reinforcement of the material (Pitler,
Hubbell, & Kuhn, 2012, p.121). As
students create graphic organizers it also allows them to summarize key
concepts in a way that is meaningful for them to recall information.
I would also
like to include multimedia presentations into my lessons next year. In addition to creating a classroom that is
student centered I would like to create more project-based lessons. Students would be able to use multimedia to
create projects using prezi, PowerPoint, or keynote presentations. These presentations would allow students to
be engaged in the activity and use higher order thinking skills as they design
their presentations (Pitler, Hubbell, & Kuhn, 2012, p.129). I think this would be a great activity for
students to work on collaborative projects especially if they are using prezi
that they would be able to access from anywhere. It would provide and opportunity for students
to collaborate on a project together without having to be in the same
location. They would not have to
collaborate schedules, times, and places to meet because they would be able to
contribute information from their own houses at different times. As a teacher I want to incorporate multiple
forms of assessments and not rely on a test for my only mode of
assessment. I think this would help
better prepare students for the 21st century standards. These are
technology tools that I currently use in my classroom however, not as a mode
for student learning. This class has
allowed me to realize that technology is a tool that can be used to create an
active learning environment that keeps students engaged.
As a teacher I think it is important to constantly work on your teacher
strategies for improvement. I have set two long-term
goals that I would like to change and begin to implement regarding technology
integration in my classroom. The first
long-term goal I would like to set is the incorporation of blogs. I think that it is important for students to
be able to critically think and analyze subjects to help enhance their
knowledge of material. In addition, in
my experience this year I have noticed that when given a homework assignment
that students often look for the answers on line and then forward pictures of
the assignments to each other. I think
by using blogs as a homework assessment it will encourage students to be more
accountable for their own work. In addition,
it will allow them to think outside the box, take in consideration other view
points, and critically think. It is also
a type of online collaboration that students are contributing to out side the
classroom. I plan to assign weekly blog
posts that students must answer. In
addition, they will be required to responded to other students post and
summarize the knowledge they gained from each week’s discussion post.
Another long-term
improvement I would like to create is to incorporate more project based
learning into my classroom. I currently
assignment at least two projects a year however, I would like to increase the
amount of group projects I assign in my class.
In order to do this I will require that students use wiki space as place
that they can collaborate and share ideas.
In addition, they will be about to use prezi to create presentations as
well. I think that when students work in
collaborative groups it is important that they use cloud base programs that
they can access from different areas.
This would provide them with the opportunity to work on a group project
while being in separate locations and at different times. It is a ways in which people with different
schedules can contribute to a group project but never have to coordinate
schedules. I plan to implement this by
each marking period assign a group unit project. I will use the project as a major assessment
instead of giving a unit exam. As
education is no longer requiring that students memorize facts and recall
knowledge it is important that students are able to collaborate with other to
synthesize information.
This class has
opened my eye to different learning theory along with useful strategies that
can be incorporated for each theory. In
addition, students also have different learning strategies that they learn
best. I think that it is important as a
teacher to include multiple modes of assessments to best meet the needs of each
students. This course has provided me
with many useful teaching strategies that I would like to incorporate into my
teaching. In addition, it has also
allowed me to discover effective ways to incorporate technology into my
lessons.
References:
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer).
(2011). Program three: Instructional theory vs. learning theory [Video webcast].
Bridging learning theory, instruction and
technology. Retrieved from http://laureate.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5700267&CPURL=laureate.ecollege.com&Survey=1&47=2594577&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=0&bhcp=1
Pitler,
H., Hubbell, E. R., & Kuhn, M. (2012). Using technology with classroom
instruction that
works (2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
