Creating a Digital Classroom Involves Some Hard Decisions

This Voice Thread discusses the stuggles I am currently having in deciding what type of technology I should incorporate into my classroom. 

http://voicethread.com/share/2499408/

Exploring the Social Learning Theory

The social learning theory emphasizes that students learn best when they are actually able to work collaboratively with others and learn from teaching the material themselves (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010).  By doing so, the teacher is ensuring that the students have a better understanding of what the topic is because they will have to thoroughly understand it in order to teach it to someone else.  Furthermore, by having students work together, they are balancing each other’s strengths and weaknesses that might otherwise hinder their learning.  For example, one student may struggle with the research portion of a project but can excel at the presentation of it.  Pairing with a student that is a successful researcher may help them.  This student can also reinforce and teach the other how to do the research, so eventually the skills that child still needs to learn in order to be a successful researcher are being practiced. 

This week, one learning strategy I looked into from UsingTechnology with Classroom Instruction that Works that promotes the social learning theory is cooperative learning (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007).  In this strategy, students are working together to meet a common goal or objective.  Teaching in the primary grades, it is quite common to teach and have students work in a collaborative environment.  We discuss the strengths and weaknesses we all have as individuals.  However, the people in class are all there to help everyone become successful.  We are all at different levels of knowledge and understanding in a variety of topics, and I teach my students that it is merely a fact of life.  Rather than trying to compete with each other, it is far easier to work together and help teach each other the information we know more of and learn from others what we struggle with.

With the incorporation of technology, this strategy can easily be implemented within the classroom.  Through the implementation of wikis, blogs, and even online programs such as Spiderscribe, students can work together to learn a particular objective.   They can each contribute parts of the project that they have worked on, add their material, and take a look at what others have contributed. 

I have been reflecting a lot lately about how technology will change the way my classroom will look in the near future, particularly with the cooperative learning strategies I incorporate.  In January or February, my entire classroom will be outfitted with iPads if I choose to take on the task of piloting them for my district.  While I’m excited for the opportunity, I have to completely rethink the way I’ve been teaching first grade.  I’m trying to bring about this change while still incorporating strategies like cooperative learning at the first grade level.  I was hoping to utilize Voice Thread in my class quite extensively, however, it is a flash-based program that is not compatible with iPads.  Is anyone familiar with some sites like wikis or Voice Thread that are more simplistic for first graders to use that allow them to collaborate and are non-flash based?

References

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010). Social Learning Theory. Baltimore: Author.

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

The Constructionist/Constructivism Learning Theories in Practice

While the constructivist and constructionist learning theories are often associated as one and the same, they actually have some vast differences.  Dr. Orey associates constructivist learning as students creating their own meaning to the information they are learning (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010).  He further describes constructionism, on the other hand, as having the students actually creating something based on their learning. 

Generating and testing hypotheses is one strategy that fits these learning theories and can incorporate technology in a variety of ways (Pitler, Hubbel, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007).  Students generate questions to the topics they are learning, check their findings, and then test their hypothesis.  A variety of programs such as Microsoft Excel are well suited for this task by enabling the students to easily collect data in one central place as well as allowing them to create graphs and charts based on the information they collect. 

This year, my first grade students have been very interested in learning what life was like long ago.  We have spent a great amount of time learning about the differences in peoples’ lives from the past as compared to today.  Since students are excited about the upcoming holidays, we took this time as an opportunity to learn about the Pilgrims.  Plimoth Plantation is a site that has helped us immensely these past few weeks.  There have been a variety of virtual field trips through Scholastic that take place at Plimoth Plantation and have helped us discover what life was like back then.  One section in particular, called You are the Historian, is an interactive program that allowed us to investigate what life was like for the Pilgrims.  I had my students generate hypotheses of what some of the equipment the Pilgrims had back then was used for that we no longer use today.  It was interesting to hear what they thought the objects’ purpose was.  The online program helped us to further investigate because we could ask for help from different Pilgrims.  They gave us clues to our investigation that helped us to narrow down our hypotheses.  Having the students test out their thoughts and continuing to investigate the purpose of the items empowered them to construct their own understanding of the material rather than having the teacher give them the answer. 

I noticed the students learned far more information through this format than the lessons we have done in the past that had them coloring and cutting out worksheets with pictures of the objects.  The students thrived during their investigations and were far more engaged in learning about life in the past than they would otherwise normally be because they were constructing their own meaning to the information. 

References

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010). Instructional Theory vs. Learning Theory. Baltimore: Author.

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

The Cognitive Learning Theory

Teaching using the cognitive learning theory is centered on making as many connections about a given topic and having in depth knowledge about it (Orey, 2001).  In other words, we can teach a mile’s worth of information, barely breaking the surface, or we can cover less territory and really dig deep into the understanding and breadth of knowledge on a subject.

There are a variety of technology tools that can be implemented within the classroom that meet the criteria for the cognitive learning theory.  Advanced graphic organizers allow students to breakdown the information they are working on (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007).  In addition, students are drawing connections to various components of the organizer.  Being able to elaborate on a topic provides some deeper meaning and understanding to students because they are drawing from the information in multiple formats rather than memorizing a few facts and moving on to something new.  I am very impressed with the online graphic organizer program Spiderscribe.  This program is so simple to use, that I am able to utilize it with my first graders! 

Another strategy that involves the cognitive learning process is summarizing and note taking (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007).  These strategies allow a student to add detail and dimension to their learning in a variety of ways.  Whether in a simple “T” chart or creating rules to summarize, students can break down the information, replace more difficult vocabulary with easier words, and eliminate unnecessary portions with Microsoft Word.  Often there is so much information available to students that it can seem overwhelming and difficult for them to distinguish what they truly need to know about the topic.  By learning how to summarize, students will realize what information is significant. 

A particularly creative way for students to take notes in a group is to add their individual notes to a group’s wiki (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007).  Each student is able to contribute to the group, and it also enables them to build off the ideas of other students, thereby, elaborating upon the information.  While collaborating on the information, all students are still accountable for their own effort, and no one is left doing all of the work. 

Through the inclusion of technology, teaching with the cognitive learning process can be very effective for students.  The more connections to the information learned in a lesson, the greater chance that information will be stored in students’ long-term memory.  After all, why bother to learn the information in the first place if students never plan on recalling and using it later on in their lives?

References

Orey, M. (Ed.). (2001). Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Main_Page

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

The Behaviorist Learning Theory

In analyzing two instructional strategies from the text Using Technology with Classroom Instructionthat Works, I found that implementing technology to reinforce effort and utilizing it for homework and practice are very useful to students in the learning process (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007).  In addition, from a behaviorist learning perspective, students have the ability to work at material at their own pace and allows them to progress when they are ready to which isn’t always the case in the classroom. 

Often in class there are students that lack intrinsic motivation to strive and achieve their best.  Sometimes these students just lack the skills to break down specifically what is needed to meet the expectations of the teacher.  Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski (2007) suggest utilizing programs such as Microsoft Excel or Survey Monkey to create rubrics and surveys that enable students to break down the amount of effort they are putting into certain parts of a project.  These ideas exemplify the principles of the behaviorist learning theory because the students can take the survey or score the rubric to see how they are progressing on specific parts.  Once they meet the expectation, they can then start working on the next section.  It allows the students to break down the requirements, allows them to understand what will be expected, and ensures they are learning what they need to before moving on to another task.

Furthermore, by implementing homework and practice with technology, teachers are ensuring that students are working on necessary skills on their own, learning them correctly, and having fun and enjoyment in the learning process (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007).  Websites such as Starfall, BrainPop, Mousercise, and Dance Mat Typing teach students specific skills that they need to work on.  As students progress through the sites’ games and tutorials, they are awarded with certificates that demonstrate their completion of the various levels.  This can serve as documentation for a teacher that a student has worked on these specific skills at home or on their own.  I have used Starfall and Dance Mat Typing within my first grade classroom, and my students love learning with these programs because they are at their instructional level and challenge the students appropriately.  These examples epitomize the behaviorist learning perspective because students are working on a task within their instructional level, are rewarded for their learning and progress to a more challenging stage.  If they are unable to move beyond that particular stage, they repeat it until they have a better understanding of it. 

The behaviorist learning theory is ever present in today’s education process.  This method can be highly effective in ensuring that students are reaching their targeted learning outcome or goal.  Students work at a level that is appropriate for them, not the entire class.  Since differentiation is so important in today’s classroom, with the implementation of technology this often difficult and overwhelming concept can be effectively achieved.

References

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