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.
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.
Building website really does reinforce the work that students are learning, whether it is in a web design course or in another course. My web design students often times work with each other to create web pages and sites for group study sessions before a major assessment. This collaboration between the students is student driven and it is really cool to watch them create their own sites, based off of the skills that I have taught them. Other teachers have complimented on their success and are asking me how I can help them build their own sites for their classes. When that happens, I turn the project over to the students to do this, and they do a great job. Social learning at it's finest.
ReplyDeleteHi Bill,
ReplyDeleteI also love the jigsaw model within my own classroom. All too often within our science and social studies curriculum, we need to teach students on a fast pace in order to cover all material in such a short amount of time. Through the jigsaw model, students act as the teachers and turn key information effectively in a time effective way. Cooperative learning is essential as students "bounce ideas, encourage, collaborate, validate, and find reason to answers” (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010. This environment created through the jigsaw model "reduces conflict among school children, promotes better learning, improves student motivation, and increases enjoyment of the learning experience" (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, Malenoski, 2007, p. 153). Within my classroom, I am having students break off into groups to sum up lessons within our science unit to create informational powerpoints to turnkey the information using the jigsaw model. I am really looking forward to the end results. Great summary about voice threads and also website creations- all very comprable to effectively meet the needs of our diverse population connecting with social learning theory.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010a). Program Eight. Social Constructivism. [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.
I also liked the VoiceThread activity. Have you used it in your classroom? Have you had any parent comments about it?
ReplyDeleteMissy
I haven't had a chance to use VoiceThread as I am just learning how to use it myself. Kourtney, what type of population are you working with?
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