Reflection

Looking back on my “Personal Learning Theory” from week 1, I was actually somewhat impressed by some of the things I was able to key in on during that first week of the course.  The points that I touched on had to do with meaningful information, memorable moments, comfort and safety, and last of all active engagement.  I believe that the first 3 really are to be assumed in the classroom for excellent learning to take place, and obviously engagement and active participation is an important part of that as well.  As I look at how I would modify my personal theory, I believe I would put even more emphasis on making sure that students are active participants in the learning process.  Whether through creating something or working in groups, a student who does is a student who learns.  One thing that has stuck with me for a while now is the idea that the students should be going home more tired than the teacher.  They’re the ones who need to be doing the work; we’re just there to facilitate it.  I believe that more now than ever. 

One adjustment I would make right now regarding technology integration is to continuously check out what is new and available out there.  There were many times during this course that I was introduced to a new program and remembered back to a lesson or unit I did that would have been greatly improved through the implementation of that tool.  The two major tools that I will be trying to get more use out of in my classroom is concept mapping that can be exported to each student and using classroom blogs as a means of communicating essential information and schedules for the week.  We will use the concept maps to organize information and create interactive study guides, since studying is the majority of what we do.  The blog will provide dates and guides for upcoming tests with links to helpful websites and google doc study guides.  I feel like overall I have probably doubled the amount of technology tools I’m aware of and tripled the effectiveness with which I can use them. 

My long term goals for implementing technology in my classroom are as follows:

1. Have student and parent participation in a blog that is specific to my course.

This year, because the blog started in the middle of the year, I didn’t really have much of a chance to show it off to parents and it wasn’t an immediate part of the classroom routine.  Next year I plan to push the blog early and demonstrate to everyone how helpful it is so that they get in the habit of using it.

2. Demonstrate the importance and effectiveness of technology to my administrators in order to improve my own technological situation in my classroom.

In order to make this happen, I may have to resort to getting out some of the resources from this course.  One of the big things I would love to get is a projector so that students and I can work collaboratively on a study document that they can all see and then take ownership in.  I just have to keep asking and prove to them that it will be beneficial. 

My Voice Thread Post

I chose to focus on parental involvement.  My microphone is broken so I was calling my voice notes in, but apparently you only get a limited number.  Check the comments instead!!

http://voicethread.com/share/1711969/

Social Learning Theory

This week’s resources offered some excellent instructional strategies to be used in social learning situations

1.      Jigsaw- The short version is that in a jigsaw, each student becomes an expert on a specific part of a larger topic.  He or she then reports back to the group with the information gathered.  The group can then organize each member’s work in a way that best suits the group’s needs.

I think that this is a great option for a couple of reasons.  First, it makes each group member responsible for some part of the project.  As teachers, we can organize the groups based on the difficulty of the segment in order to adjust for specific student’s educational needs.  Secondly, as the group analyzes the information provided by each member, they have the opportunity to think critically about how valuable and important each piece of information is and organize it accordingly.

2.      Voicethread- Voicethread is a social networking site where anybody can upload images with voice or text comments.  Others can then comment on those uploads with their own voice or text comments to be viewed by the original constructor or others who view the site.

This is a great tool because it allows students to demonstrate what they have learned in a way that is creative and engaging for them.  By thinking about how they are going to present what they learn, the student essentially takes on the role of teacher, which we know has a profound effect on the amount on the level of learning the student will experience on that given topic.  Additionally, the student will have the opportunity to receive feedback and constructive criticism on a project that can be altered and improved upon an infinite amount of times.  This format also creates a situation in which the network of knowledge can be extended literally worldwide.

3.      Web Site Creation- Website creation can take many forms, but the essence is that the student, or group of students will create a website that is intended to be viewed by anyone the learner chooses.

The advantage of this system is the focus on the collaborative process.  Building a website gives the teacher the opportunity to put students in a situation in which collaboration is essential in order to produce a quality project.  Again, students can be grouped based on ability levels or areas of need, and each student can be assigned a specific aspect of the website creation.  Teamwork is emphasized and the finished product is something that the student can take ownership in.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010a). Program eight: Connectivism as a Learning theory [Webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction, and technology. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010b). Program seven: Social learning theories [Webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction, and technology. Baltimore, MD: Author.

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