Cooperative learning has been around for a long time. This instructional strategy gets a 21st century facelift with the introduction of technological tools for collaboration and presentation. Students today can find information easily. Using the web, they can do searches or ask experts questions directly (Pitler etal, 2007). The hard work they must do is apply that information to problem-solving situations. A wide variety of sites allow students to "meet" no matter where they are or time of day such as wikis, blogs, and "keypal" sites. Students can share documents and see changes made by group members on sites such as Google Docs or by emailing Word docs and utilizing the "track changes" feature in Microsoft. Online calendars can be used to monitor progress of group members.
One tool I was introduced to this week that I really liked was VoiceThread. This is such a simple yet effective way to share ideas with others. In one of the tutorials, a child posted an illustration on VoiceThread with a brief story about his creature. Several people commented on his picture and his creativity. I think this is such an easy way to start sharing content on the web because the privacy settings allow you to limit the people that can view or comment on the artifact. There is also a way to moderate the comments. Another feature I really like about this tool is the variety of options for commenting. People can use a microphone, webcam, type, or call a phone number to add a comment.
Another tool I was introduced to this week that was very foreign to me was "Second Life" and virtual world simulations. I had never heard of these avatar environments for business or education purposes. I have long used Kathy Schrock's website for ideas and I see that she is involved in training teachers to create educational experiences in "Teen Second Life." I will have to check that out more. Because so many of today's video games are simulation type games, I think students would enjoy and respond well to such applications. However, since I am just beginning to use Read/Write Web 2.0 tools, I think virtual worlds are still a long way off for me.
People today are very connected. Younger and younger kids are carrying cell phones with texting capability and are on social network sites. The younger children start off on WebKinz or Club Penguin and quickly graduate up to Facebook. Many of the video game systems such as XBox and Playstation have online versions of their games. Adults are constantly hooked into the internet through smart phones. There must be value in all this connectivity. Are we being more productive? Are we learning from each other? Or is it up to educators to guide this connectivity toward learning purposes?
Resources:
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD
Laureate, Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). Social learning theories. [DVD]. Baltimore, MD.
Dembo, S. (2008, October). Virtual worlds for educators. District Administration, 44(11), 48–52.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Voicethread Project-Recess Debate
Here is the link to voicethread assignment. It is embedded into my blog so you just need to click on the title of the post but if you experience any trouble, the url is http://voicethread.com/share/1251804/
Constructivist/Constructionist Learning Theories
This week we focused on the constructionist and constructivist theories of learning. The constructivist theory states that all people use their own experiences and backgrounds to assimilate new information into their individual schemas. The constructionist theory states that students learn best with first hand experience and when they build an artifact that can be shared with others.
I do believe students learn best when creating projects. In all of the curriculum areas, my students create projects and utilize tools of technology. However,I am amazed by the potential that technology offers. Even within the common applications such as word processing and excel, I have not explored the many ways students can use these tools.
The resources this week also differentiated between LBD (Learning by Design) and PBL (Project Based Learning). The difference seems to be that LBD focuses on the building of an artifact for a pre-selected audience and PBL is working on real-world problems but not necessarily creating a project. I would love to incorporate more PBL style projects into my curriculum, as well as more inquiry based learning. These types of projects really put the teacher in the role of a facilitator and coach as kids take charge of their learning.
The quote that really struck me in the resources this week was Papert's quote that "learners don't get ideas, they create ideas (Online book)." Is that true? I get many ideas from other sources but the ones I own and feel passionate about are the ones I create. I believe this can be true of our students' learning process as well. The knowledge they create is what sticks with them the most and that in which they take the most pride.
I do believe students learn best when creating projects. In all of the curriculum areas, my students create projects and utilize tools of technology. However,I am amazed by the potential that technology offers. Even within the common applications such as word processing and excel, I have not explored the many ways students can use these tools.
The resources this week also differentiated between LBD (Learning by Design) and PBL (Project Based Learning). The difference seems to be that LBD focuses on the building of an artifact for a pre-selected audience and PBL is working on real-world problems but not necessarily creating a project. I would love to incorporate more PBL style projects into my curriculum, as well as more inquiry based learning. These types of projects really put the teacher in the role of a facilitator and coach as kids take charge of their learning.
The quote that really struck me in the resources this week was Papert's quote that "learners don't get ideas, they create ideas (Online book)." Is that true? I get many ideas from other sources but the ones I own and feel passionate about are the ones I create. I believe this can be true of our students' learning process as well. The knowledge they create is what sticks with them the most and that in which they take the most pride.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Cognitivism in Practice
This week we reviewed cognitive learning theories. The four components of these theories are: 1) students have limited short term/working memory, 2) elaboration is the primary mechanism for storing information into long term memory, 3) dual code hypothesis says people remember images much more than text, and 4) network model of memory says that we need to build numerous connections to stored information (Laureate, 2009). Keeping these components in mind, we reviewed the instructional strategies of "cues, questions, and advance organizers" and "summarizing and note taking" as well as concept maps and virtual field trips (Pitler etal, 2007).
I tend to use many different software applications with my students across the curriculum. However, when reading about the tools available, I was struck by how inefficiently I use the word processing applications and Kidspiration/Inspiration. Currently my third graders use the word processor to type stories but I never utilized the AutoSummarize tool which can help teach students to summarize text or help students by checking to see if they conveyed the main ideas in their own writing (Pitler, 2007). I have only used Kidspiration to create brainstorming webs for story writing. This concept mapping tool can be applied to new concepts across the curriculum. Students can create concept maps to link information, terms, etc. By including instructional images on the webs, the students will better remember the information and develop more connections to recall it later.
Exploring virtual field trips was very interesting. I have used these types of sites but in viewing the resources, I realized that to effectively take a virtual trip, teachers must really research and plan the site(s) to use. Many of the websites I visited were either no longer available or a little boring. On some, the text was hard to read or the students could easily hyper link themselves away from the focus of the trip. The most interesting sites incorporated video clips and an interactive section. YouTube has many great video clips to support instruction but again the teacher must check those out in advance. This year I used several video clips to demonstrate how canal locks work prior to a field trip to a woodworking museum where students built their own canal boats and then sailed them through a lock system made out of gutters. This was only a part of our study of waterway communitiesbut it was the most memorable part of the unit because of the many images and the hands on experience with locks.
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD
Laureate, Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). Cognitive Learning Theories. [DVD]. Baltimore, MD.
I tend to use many different software applications with my students across the curriculum. However, when reading about the tools available, I was struck by how inefficiently I use the word processing applications and Kidspiration/Inspiration. Currently my third graders use the word processor to type stories but I never utilized the AutoSummarize tool which can help teach students to summarize text or help students by checking to see if they conveyed the main ideas in their own writing (Pitler, 2007). I have only used Kidspiration to create brainstorming webs for story writing. This concept mapping tool can be applied to new concepts across the curriculum. Students can create concept maps to link information, terms, etc. By including instructional images on the webs, the students will better remember the information and develop more connections to recall it later.
Exploring virtual field trips was very interesting. I have used these types of sites but in viewing the resources, I realized that to effectively take a virtual trip, teachers must really research and plan the site(s) to use. Many of the websites I visited were either no longer available or a little boring. On some, the text was hard to read or the students could easily hyper link themselves away from the focus of the trip. The most interesting sites incorporated video clips and an interactive section. YouTube has many great video clips to support instruction but again the teacher must check those out in advance. This year I used several video clips to demonstrate how canal locks work prior to a field trip to a woodworking museum where students built their own canal boats and then sailed them through a lock system made out of gutters. This was only a part of our study of waterway communitiesbut it was the most memorable part of the unit because of the many images and the hands on experience with locks.
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD
Laureate, Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). Cognitive Learning Theories. [DVD]. Baltimore, MD.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Behaviorism in Practice
This week we read about behaviorist learning theory as it relates to reinforcing effort and homework and practice. In my district, effort and behavior represent more than half of the elementary report card. The first half of the report card assesses behaviors such as listens effectively, works in an organized manner, follows school rules, and completes work in a timely fashion. Each of these behaviors as well as each academic area are then graded for effort.
Teaching and reinforcing effort are highly important at the elementary level. I try to help students see the value of their effort through individual graphing of weekly assessments. Each week a student's score improves over the previous week, they earn a sticker on their graph.
I also try to shape student behavior through positive reinforcement. When I observe students demonstrating good thinking, use of strategies that have been taught, or even good communication skills with peers, then I reward them with "brain tickets" which are token slips of paper with a picture of a brain on them. Students write their names on the slips of paper and put them in a box for a drawing on Friday, and a chance to choose a pass for extra computer time, no homework, etc. I use this system to shape many different behaviors.
Homework is important for practicing skills. My current system is to check for completion each morning and if a student does the homework, he/she earns a stamp on the homework calendar kept in his/her binder. Each student that misses two or less homework assignments a month gets to participate in "game day," which means they get to each lunch with me in the classroom and play games during recess. Each day I try to correct the homework in the morning and pull students over one on one to discuss errors and make corrections because I think it is important to correct errors quickly and provide feedback. After lunch we have a math meeting and I usually address common problems from the homework at that time. While valuable, it is very time consuming to correct during prep or lunch and then pull students one on one, and this is particularly difficult when students don't put effort into the homework in the first place. I also provide optional challenge homework which I count as extra credit and everyone gets credit for solidly attempting the work.
I think assigning homework to be done on the computer at the elementary level has pros and cons. In a previous course, I interviewed my students about their use of technology and a very small percentage reported using the school website or its links at home. Many students used game systems but not necessarily the computer. The students would likely prefer to complete math practice and earn points or certificates as they go but I am not sure about the availability or comfort level with the parents. Certainly as my own children have gotten older, more and more of their homework has been computer driven. I think the advantage to homework through websites as suggested by Pitler, etal in chapter 10, is the immediate feedback and reinforcement given. On line tutorials are also very good for helping students learn new skills because most show how to do something step by step and the tutorial can be replayed as often as needed.
I am excited by the idea of using technology more for both reinforcing effort and for homework. I think the individual graphs that I currently use can be easily adapted to excel spreadsheets. By creating an effort rubric as suggested by Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski (p.157), the students can be more reflective on the specific behaviors that lead to higher achievement.
Interestingly, I came across the April 19, 2010 issue of Time magazine today and the cover story was "Should Schools Bribe Kids?" A Harvard economist paid 18,000 kids a total of $6.3 million dollars for different things such as good test scores and not fighting with each other. The results differed but the basic conclusion was "if incentives are designed wisely, it appears, payments can indeed boost kids' performance as much or more than many other reforms you've heard about before--and for a fraction of the cost (Ripley, p.42)." It is a fascinating article that seems to relate to this week's discussion on behaviorism.
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD
Ripley, A., (2010, April 19). Is cash the answer? Time, 41-47.
Teaching and reinforcing effort are highly important at the elementary level. I try to help students see the value of their effort through individual graphing of weekly assessments. Each week a student's score improves over the previous week, they earn a sticker on their graph.
I also try to shape student behavior through positive reinforcement. When I observe students demonstrating good thinking, use of strategies that have been taught, or even good communication skills with peers, then I reward them with "brain tickets" which are token slips of paper with a picture of a brain on them. Students write their names on the slips of paper and put them in a box for a drawing on Friday, and a chance to choose a pass for extra computer time, no homework, etc. I use this system to shape many different behaviors.
Homework is important for practicing skills. My current system is to check for completion each morning and if a student does the homework, he/she earns a stamp on the homework calendar kept in his/her binder. Each student that misses two or less homework assignments a month gets to participate in "game day," which means they get to each lunch with me in the classroom and play games during recess. Each day I try to correct the homework in the morning and pull students over one on one to discuss errors and make corrections because I think it is important to correct errors quickly and provide feedback. After lunch we have a math meeting and I usually address common problems from the homework at that time. While valuable, it is very time consuming to correct during prep or lunch and then pull students one on one, and this is particularly difficult when students don't put effort into the homework in the first place. I also provide optional challenge homework which I count as extra credit and everyone gets credit for solidly attempting the work.
I think assigning homework to be done on the computer at the elementary level has pros and cons. In a previous course, I interviewed my students about their use of technology and a very small percentage reported using the school website or its links at home. Many students used game systems but not necessarily the computer. The students would likely prefer to complete math practice and earn points or certificates as they go but I am not sure about the availability or comfort level with the parents. Certainly as my own children have gotten older, more and more of their homework has been computer driven. I think the advantage to homework through websites as suggested by Pitler, etal in chapter 10, is the immediate feedback and reinforcement given. On line tutorials are also very good for helping students learn new skills because most show how to do something step by step and the tutorial can be replayed as often as needed.
I am excited by the idea of using technology more for both reinforcing effort and for homework. I think the individual graphs that I currently use can be easily adapted to excel spreadsheets. By creating an effort rubric as suggested by Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski (p.157), the students can be more reflective on the specific behaviors that lead to higher achievement.
Interestingly, I came across the April 19, 2010 issue of Time magazine today and the cover story was "Should Schools Bribe Kids?" A Harvard economist paid 18,000 kids a total of $6.3 million dollars for different things such as good test scores and not fighting with each other. The results differed but the basic conclusion was "if incentives are designed wisely, it appears, payments can indeed boost kids' performance as much or more than many other reforms you've heard about before--and for a fraction of the cost (Ripley, p.42)." It is a fascinating article that seems to relate to this week's discussion on behaviorism.
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD
Ripley, A., (2010, April 19). Is cash the answer? Time, 41-47.
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