Final Blog Post - Reflection

 

            I began this course learning the importance of developing a classroom environment of self-directed learners. At first I though “there is no possible way that I will have time for these types of lessons on a regular basis. However, as I developed my GAME plans based on the recommendations of Cennamo, Ertmer, and Ross (2008), I was able to set clear Goals, create an achievable Action plan, Monitor my progress and that of my students, and Evaluate the outcome and make the necessary adjustment before Extending my plans and lessons.  According to Prensky (2008), “Kids today are connected to the entire world around the clock, in real time, through their media and myriad personal devices, both electronic (such as TV) and digital (such as the internet and cell phones)” (Prensky, 2008, p. 1). However, the second they enter the school students are required to power down, hence putting them in the dark.

The GAME plan not only helped me to achieve my goal of incorporated social networking tools in my classroom, it also helped me in successfully developing lessons that engage students with technology, are self directed, and incorporate authentic learning experiences. As I continued the course I was determined to “turn on the lights” for my students.  I gained insights to many useful tools and resources that I was able top use in my classroom for collaboration, communication, and social networking both publicly and privately. Amongst those tools were Skype, Epals, blogging, wiki, edmodo, and moodle. All of which, I have tried over these past seven weeks. I created three types of lessons incorporating problem based learning, social networking/online collaboration, and digital storytelling.  All of which were a great success.  I have gained the knowledge and confidence that I needed to achieve my goal of integrating Skype, Epals, and blogging into my lessons. I have only used it with a partner class in town and reveled in the success and motivation of the students. In the future I will use these tools to connect globally.

I also reinforced my knowledge of the various benefits of digital storytelling lessons. Dr. Abrams (2011) also listed many resources available for sample projects and rubrics. Digital storytelling is a great way to incorporate students’ visual, audio, verbal, and content literacies (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011a). I have always loved assigning these types of projects and have enhanced my knowledge with a wide variety of methods for incorporating these into my curriculum. The students gain such a vast knowledge base of a variety of topics while using tools that they love. They can also share their videos by posting them to TeacherTube or YourTube. Since I teach middle school students I have kept their videos private. I am working towards having them create more videos in VoiceThread for a public audience.

As I continue to integrate these wonderful new ideas and lessons into my curriculum, as Dr. Abrams (2011b) suggested, I will create a DVD of all of the students lessons throughout the year and give it to them at the end of the year. This will provide the students with a lifelong memory of their leaning and experiences in the Italian one class. It also provides me with a portfolio piece of my students work so that I can reflect and make adjustments as necessary (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011b)

            As I reflect on the activities that my students and I have taken part in over the past few weeks, I can honestly say that although time consuming and slightly cumbersome to plan and prepare these self directed lessons using various technologies and social networking tools, they are well worth it. As educators our goal is to build lifelong learning experiences for our students that prepare them for their future. These activities accomplish that while engaging and motivating students through their own interests. As the old adage goes “the proof is in the pudding!”  Based on my observations of my students, Their personal reflections throughout the activities and tasks, and the assessment results, it is obvious that I have successfully created memorable learning experiences for my students. They were highly motivated and took pride in their work, especially when communicating with peers from the other school. I look forward to the many ways and opportunities that will develop for me to continue applying these tools in my lessons. Always focusing on my main goal “ to provide my students with meaningful and memorable learning experiences that last a lifetime.”

Daniela Petruzzella

References:

Cennamo, K., Ross, J. & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. (Laureate Education, Inc., Custom ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011a). Spotlight on technology: Digital storytelling, part 1. [Webcast]. Integrating technology across the content areas. Baltimore, MD: Author 

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011b). Spotlight on technology: Digital storytelling, part 2. [Webcast]. Integrating technology across the content areas. Baltimore, MD: Author

Prensky, M. (2008). Turning on the lights. Educational Leadership, 65(6), 40–4 5. Retrieved from the Academic Search Complete database.

Monitoring The Progress of My GAME Plan

This week I began to reflect on the actions I have taken to achieve my goals of incorporate technology based communication and collaboration students outside of the classroom and abroad. In order to do this I needed to become familiar with different technology tools that make this possible, as well as, proper netiquette procedures. Due to midterms and the end on the marking period nearing I have been very preoccupied and admittedly did not put as much effort as I would have liked towards implementing this new technology and activity. However, since we last spoke I have come across a plethora of useful knowledge. This week I feel that I have come a long way in my GAME plan.    

This week, I learned that my district would be providing all students with a personal school email which educators will be able to monitor. This helps me with the concerns I had about monitoring students’ discussions and posts on the net. After expressing my goal and concerns regarding using online communicative tools to the technology teacher at my school, he informed me of a book that they use called Net Cettera (OnGuardOnline, n.d.), to teach students proper netiquette. This book has been very informative for me and has helped overcome some of my fears and alleviate some of the concerns I had about using these Web 2.0 tools.  In continuing with the safety concerns that I had regarding these internet tools I communicated my goal with my school administrator and learned that there is a permission slip in place that students get signed in the beginning of the year in order to use these tools. This was relieving because I now know that the parents of my students already have approved them for these activities. I also asked the tech teacher and the administrator if they knew of any teachers in my schools currently using blogs, wikis, skype, or other online communication tools with there students to communicate with other students around the world. Although there were few I was able to begin collaboration efforts with some of them, as well.

Although I have gathered a great deal of information through research and colleagues at my school, my most insightful knowledge came from a friend of mine who teaches Italian at a high school in another district. I had not spoken to her in some time and was glad I did because she has proven to be an excellent resource for achieving my goal and enhancing my technology usage all around. Sue shared her strategies for using Skype with educators from abroad, finding real-life scenarios on YouTube and having students communicate about them on blogs, and using rubrics to assess their communications. I suggested using VoiceThread to upload different podcasts or scenes and having students collaborate with each other on different topics. We also decided that it would be a good idea for me to observe her class when she is using these tools. This will give me a first hand experience with how students react these activities and how to create effective and efficient guidelines and activities with these tools. I put in for a professional day this week to conduct this observation.  I will also be attending a workshop after school on using the iPads, which have different apps allowing for collaboration between students. I will also provide the parents with the account information so that they can follow there students collaboration and performance.

Based on research and continued collaboration with other colleagues within and outside of my district I have decided to start small and begin my first Web 2.0 collaborative activity with the other middle Italian class using VoiceThread. I originally wanted the students to Skype each other but the class times did not match. Rosa (Italian teacher at the other middle school) and I will collaborate weekly to create topics based on the on the learning content for our students.  Students will communicate in audio, visual, and text in the target language using prior knowledge and new knowledge. We will also provide the students with a rubric demonstrating the assessment guidelines. Students will begin by asking of other students based on the topics being learned. They will then have to reply to four questions of different peers from the other school.

This will serve as a formative performance assessment. Assessing students learning is a pertinent part in monitoring and evaluating that technology and learning goals are being met. Technology provides a plethora of options for assessing students learning. Through the use of this tool students are able to demonstrate their knowledge using methods that engage them most, communication with peers and graphics. For the most part students are also picking their own topics of communication, which in turn provides a sense of ownership over the task (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011).

Thus far I do not feel that I need to modify my GAME Plan. However, I do plan to do more research on finding other schools to communicate with abroad. There are so many resources available to educators at the click of a finger. Every time I begin to research I feel overwhelmed with information overload. There are so many areas of technology that I would like to improve on; I just need to keep reminding myself to take it one step at a time. I am confident that if I take my time and thoroughly evaluate and use my resources I will successfully accomplish my goals.

Although this week was full of breakthroughs I am still very curious about using Skype, blogs, or even VoiceThread. Is it better to assign each student to one other student in the corresponding class, like a pen pal program? What is and effective and efficient amount of time to require students to spend using this tool per week? Are there any good tips or suggestions for creating a general rubric for these activities?  Any suggestions or recommendations will be greatly appreciated. I look forward to continuing my journey through achieving my goal!

Daniela Petruzzella

Resourcses:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011) Assessing Student Learning With Technology [Video webcast]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset

OnGuardOnline. Stop Think Click. (n.d.). Net Cettera, Chatting with Kids About Being Online. Retrieved from: www.onguardonline.gov

VoiceThread. Retrieved from www.voicethread.com.

Carrying Out My Game Plan

            Last week I was able to customize my GAME Plan in improving my ability to integrate more communicative web tools that allow my students to collaborate on projects that they complete with other students around the world. In order to do this I also needed to enhance my background knowledge of how to monitor the students postings and ensure that they are demonstrating proper netiquette. This week I will begin to carry out my Game Plan by identifying, what resources I need, what additional information I will need, and monitoring what I have done so far.

My Game Plan became more important to me this week after learning about the Universal Design to learning (UDL), which helps educators to create lessons that meet the needs of diverse learners (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009). Technology happens to be a crucial component of UDL. Amongst the variety of tools applied in UDL are communication tools and multimedia tools. These tools tools help build communication skills and help support student learning in the mode that they prefer (Cennamo, et. al., 2009).

What resources will I need to carry out my plan?

In order to incorporate communicative multimedia tools and ensure that they are used properly, I need to research the various tools that I would like to work with. I have decided to begin with the use of VoiceThread and Skype. I will need to communicate with the technology educators at my school to learn more about these tools and how they can be used in the classroom. I will also need to obtain the school internet guidelines and collaborate with the administrators regarding any suggestions they may have for incorporating these tools and communicating with parents. Through regular internet research, research, professional collaboration with colleagues in and out of my district, my Walden courses, and professional development workshops I am sure to obtain the knowledge and resources necessary to carry out my plan.

What Additional Information is Needed?

           

            In order to begin implementing communicative multimedia tools, I need to conduct research and work with my colleague within the district, to create an activity that incorporates these tools. I must then collaborate other professional to identify which tools are best to accomplish my task. The technology educators at my school will also be helpful throughout this process. I will also communicate with other educators in my district to identify who is using communicative tools , what rules do they have in place, and how are they using them. I must also keep a reflective journal of my insights and reflections throughout my research, collaboration, and implementation process.

What Steps Have I Taken So Far?

To date I have already begun communicating with the other Italian teacher about using these collaborative tools such as Skype in our classes to communicate with each other. I have also obtained the district safe internet usage policy and learned that it incorporates the usage of blogs, skype, wikis, and other web 2.0 tools. I have also begun communicating with the technology teachers and other peers regarding what tools are being used in the district and how. My Walden peers have also proven to be a great resources in carrying out my Game plan. Lastly, I have begun searching for technology workshops incorporating communicative tools within my district and elsewhere and will continue to do so, making sure to attend those that meet my needs and availability.

Technology allows educators the flexibility to reach a wide variety of students regardless of their diverse needs. All students deserve an opportunity to learn and express themselves, in a way that is meaningful to them (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011). Technology provides the opportunity for students to be creative and make personal connections to real experiences and situations. I am eagerly looking forward to gaining the knowledge and confidence to begin implementing these tools with my students so that I can further enhance their learning experience.  All children can learn and have there own unique gifts, it is up to the educator to identify those gifts and provide choices and opportunities that allow students to maximize those gifts (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011). As a lifelong learner, I plan to use my resources to do just that!  Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.  

Daniela Petruzzella

Cennamo, K., Ross, J. & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. (Laureate Education, Inc., Custom ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011) Meeting students’ needs with technology, part 2. [Video webcast]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset

International Society for Technology in Education. (2008). National education standards

for teachers (NETS-T). Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers

My Personal Game Plan

-->             This week I had the opportunity to take a closer look at the ISTE NETS standards for teachers and evaluate my preparedness and ability to meet the various standards and indicators. As I read through the different standards I discovered that although I possess skills in many of the standards and indicators, I lack confidence in my ability to fully implement many of these standards. This prompted me to choose two standards and performance indicators that I would like to improve on most. I then used the Game Plan model suggested by Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer (2008) to improve my abilities in these areas.

            The first NSTE-T Standard and performance indicator that I would like to improve on     
             is: "Standard 1- D. Model collaborative knowledge construction engaging in learning with 

 students, colleagues, and others in face-to-face and  virtual environments (ISTE, 2008)".

G- My Goal for improving in this area will first be to inform myself of the various technology tools available to me that allow students to communicate with other students across the world. I am aware that there is a plethora of technology tools available to educators that allow students to participate in and create realistic situations while communicating with other students virtually. For example I recently read about video and web-conferencing and am very intrigued. I plan to seek out new technology tools monthly that provide my students the opportunity to practice their communication skills in the target language with other students across the world.

           

            A – My Action plan is to seek out other educators in my field through internet research that have used similar tools in their lessons and inform myself of what worked best, how they applied the different tools, what were the pro’s and cons of using these tools, and any other suggestions they may have. I also plan to seek out professional development workshops on blogging and other communicative software that will be helpful in building my knowledge and confidence in using online communicative tools in my classroom.

            M- I will Monitor my success by keeping a journal of what I have learned throughout my action plan and based on my reflections throughout the process. This will help me to identify what I have learned, what I can use, how I can use it, and what else do I need to know before I implement it. By monitoring my actions and journal my steps and findings I will also discover whether or not I have gained anything useful from my searches, communications with peers, and workshops and make necessary changes or adjustments to meet my goal. I will then begin small by creating a communication project in collaboration with another middle school Italian teacher in my district. Throughout the task I will monitor my ability to guide my students through the activities and reflect “in action” and “on action” with the other Italian teacher on what worked and or what did not work and make necessary adjustments.

           

            E- Lastly, I will Evaluate my level knowledge and confidence gained with the various tools and the activity. I will review my reflections and ask my colleague for her thoughts on the activity, as well. I will also survey the students and ask them to reflect on their experiences using the communication tools. As I gather the different information I will reflect and revise as necessary and plan future activities according to the necessary revisions. As I build my confidence further I will begin to plan communication activities with students in other districts and countries. I will also Extend my knowledge of the various tools and my experience with them to other educators.

However, in order to fully achieve my goal of using communication tools with students across the world I will also need to improve my skills and confidence in:

"NSTE-T Standard 4:A. - Advocate, model, and teach safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology, including respect for copyright, intellectual property, and the appropriate documentation of sources (ISTE, 2008)".

            Although providing students with an opportunity to communicate with other students on the Internet can be highly engaging and life-long learning experience that build upon a variety of diverse skills, It can also be a little scary for the educator. This is because it is very important to monitor student communication regularly to ensure that they are remaining within the legal boundaries of the Internet.

            G- My Goal is to inform my self of the various ways that students should be using communicative tools like blogs, wikis, ePals, etc. I will also inform myself of the legal guidelines associated with the school district regarding these tools. Lastly, I will inform myself with the best ways to monitor and ensure that I am effectively modeling proper netiquette and that my students are following the guidelines, as well.

           

A- My Action plan will be to collaborate with administrators and peers within and outside of my district to educate myself on what the policies are and how best to apply them. I will also attend professional development workshops regarding proper and legal Internet usage. Lastly, I will communicate with parents about their feelings regarding these communicative tools and enlist their support in monitoring their child’s communications and work on the web. Throughout this process I will maintain a journal of all of my research and findings.

M- I will Monitor my knowledge towards the accomplishment of my goals by revisiting my journal and evaluate whether or not the information gathered meets my goal. I will then identify areas of concern and make modifications as needed.

E- Lastly, I plan to Evaluate my skills by implementing a communicative classroom task using the internet and evaluate my ability effectively fulfill my goals by keeping a journal of my actions and my students actions throughout the activity. Keeping a typed journal using word processing software will provide me the opportunity to reflect on the entire process and take notes on what I can do differently.

I am confident that with this Game Plan in place I will make significant strides towards building meaningful, safe, and engaging learning experiences for my students that will last a life-time. Any feedback that you can give me regarding my goals will be greatly appreciated. The information highway is a long a windy road with no speed-limit, any support through my travels is greatly appreciated!

Daniela Petruzzella   

References:

Cennamo, K., Ross, J. & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for

meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. (Laureate Education, Inc., Custom ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning

International Society for Technology in Education. (2008). National education standards

for teachers (NETS-T). Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers

6711: Final Reflection

Final Reflection

Throughout this course, I have discovered new ways to motivate my students with technology and learned more about how my own teaching will help or hinder this integration. As I reflect on my own personal learning theory I am reminded of how difficult It was to identify one learning theory as my own personal theory. This made me realize the truth in Dr. Wolfe’s statement that teachers are instinctive and cannot explain how they teach what they teach they just do based on instinct (laureate education, Inc., 2011a). I wholeheartedly agree, I did not fully understand multiple intelligences, learning styles, and learning theories until beginning my masters. Though I found that through instinct many of my instructional strategies incorporate a variety of modalities and strategies that meet various learning styles and theories that I learned about through my masters courses. Another reason it was difficult to identify with one theory is because I found them all to be so similar and interrelated in many ways. However, in the first week of the course I stated that my personal learning theory was the constructivist theory and the multiple intelligence theory. While this still holds true today I need to add that all of the learning theories correlate in some way with my teaching methods. I do not believe that an educator can simply use one theory without incorporating the other theories in some way as well. The key is to have a balance of the theories. I also realize that many of my lessons are also based on the social learning theory. The most important thing that I learned about learning theories is that there are a wide variety of learning strategies and technology tools that help to facilitate the learning theories. I am very excited about enhancing my lessons in the future by integrating these tools.

Over the past seven weeks I learned that there is a difference between instructional technology tools and learning technology tools. Instructional technology tools are mostly teacher-centered and represent what the teacher can do with the technology. Whereas, learning technology tools are student-centered and represent what the students can do with the technology. In order for learning to be powerful and meaningful students need to play an active role in the learning process (Laureate education, Inc., 2011b) This makes a great deal of sense to me and forced me to rethink how I use different technologies in my classroom. As I reevaluated my technology use I realized that I was guilty of using power points many times as strictly an instructional tool without enhancing them in anyway. Dr. Orey, states that, if there is a need for teacher-centered instructional tools then the educator can make them effective by applying the dual coding hypotheses (Laureate education, Inc., 2011b). Research has proven that the brain is very visual therefore by removing the words from our presentations and incorporating visuals while teaching the students a topic the teacher is able to engage multiple senses; such as auditory and visual. By engaging multiple senses learning becomes more meaningful and powerful.  Dr. Orey also tells us that the most powerful strategy for learning is learner-centered where the teacher is merely the facilitator (Laureate education, Inc. 2011b). I strongly agree with this statement and was very appreciative of the many technology resources and strategies provided during this course to help revamp our lessons and teaching strategies to better engage and motivate our students.

One technology tool that I learned about this week that I have come to absolutely love is VoiceThread. This tool coincides well with the constructivist theory and the social learning theory. This tool can be used effectively as both an instructional technology tool and a learning technology tool. I plan to use this tool in place of powerpoints to introduce topics to the students. I also plan on having the students use this tool to create multimedia artifacts of their learning. Constructing an artifact that they can share with their peers is an example of the constructivist theory (Laureate education, Inc. 2011c). This tool allows you to upload audio, visual, and script to demonstrate learning. It also allows students to provide feedback directly onto the VoiceThread in audio, video, or script. Not only does this tool encompass concepts of the social learning theory, which indicates that students learn best while communicating with others, it also encompasses Pavlov’s dual-coding hypothesis (Laureate education, Inc. 2011d). I especially liked this tool because it is extremely easy to use, effective, efficient, motivating, and actively engaging for all types of learners.

Another technology tool that I found fascinating and useful was the use of Spiderscribe to create concept maps. At first I had difficulty figuring out how I would incorporate this into my lessons as a foreign language teacher, but after using it with the students I was impressed by the results. This tool is a great way to organize a variety of concepts and chunk information to make a topic more meaningful and easier to understand. I used this tool with my interactive white board and had the students come up with the web nodes and move them around with their hands as they saw fit. Students were also able to attach pictures, videos, websites, and my favorite virtual field trips to the nodes to assist in making connections to the information. This tool represents the dual coding hypothesis and is also a useful tool in facilitating the cognitive learning theory (Laureate education, Inc., 2011e).

These past seven weeks have provided with an enormous amount of insight to the abundant ways that learning theories, strategies, and technology tools can be used in combination to create an engaging and motivating environment highly conducive to powerful and meaningful learning. With this in mind I have set two goals regarding how I plan to change my instructional practice and how I integrate technology in the classroom. One of my goals is to use technology tools like VoiceThread, concept maps, webquests, blogging, wikis, virtual field trips, and Prezi into my lessons. Although technology is very limited in my district, having these tools available on the web free of charge without having to download them makes them useful in any setting. My favorite part about using these tools is that students can use them anytime anywhere. These tools allow students to work collaboratively without having to be in the same room. As I become more familiar with these tools I would like to have students use them globally, as well.

Research shows that “Student-created multimedia is a natural environment for cooperative learning” (Pitler, Hubel, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, p.141). Along with multimedia projects, students can create wikis, blogs, and use Skype, to engage in active anytime anywhere communication and collaboration not only with people in their very own classroom but on a global realm, as well These are just a select few of the fascinating web 2.0 tools that not only supplement the cooperative learning theory but the social learning theory, as well. Meanwhile, they are also preparing students for a fast paced, global, virtual workforce in the future (Pitler, et. al., 2007).    

This brings me to my second goal, which is to incorporate more project based learning with cooperative groups into my teaching using web 2.0 tools such as the ones mentioned above. Not only do these tools make project grading easier they are more motivating and engaging for the students to use. The 21st century brings many changes to education and although it maybe difficult to embrace at times it is necessary for the success of our students now and in the future. I would also like to begin using Skype as a weekly class activity to actively communicate with other classes in Italy that are studying English. This tool will be helpful to students when they are creating projects because it will provide students an opportunity to identify different similarities and difference between the two cultures and will provide students with an assimilated immersion experience. It is also a great way to practice the language by speaking with native speakers.

In order to accomplish my goals, I plan on improving my knowledge of these technology tools and skills by attending workshops, collaborating with peers, and researching a variety of ways that others have used these tools in my subject area. The internet provides a plethora of resources for integrating a variety of technology. I also plan to continue to further my knowledge of technology integration through my graduate courses at Walden University. This will help me to better familiarize myself with the tools and in turn use them effectively. Once I have gained a strong enough confidence and a portfolio of examples for integrating these fascinating and highly motivating tools into instruction I hope to facilitate my own professional development workshop at my school where I will be able to demonstrate and share my knowledge with my peers.

Thank you for being a part of my journey! :-)

Daniela Petruzzella

References:

Laureate Education Inc. (Producer). (2010a). Program one: Understanding the brain.

[DVD]. Bridging learning theory, instruction, and technology. Baltimore,

MD:  Patricia Wolfe, Ed.D. Retrieved from

http://laureate.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011b). Program thirteen: Technology:

Instructional tool vs. learning tool [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

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011c). Program seven: Constructionist and

constructivist learning theories [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

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011d). Social learning theories [DVD]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology Baltimore, MD: Author. 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

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011e). Program five: Cognitive 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

Connectivism and Social Learning in Practice

VoiceThread

This is my artifact of this week’s experiment with a fascinating Web 2.0 tool called Voice Thread, which was very new exciting for me.

Italian Grammar Made Easy – Cenerentola Project-

http://voicethread.com/share/3149371/

Connectivism and Social Learning in Practice

This week I explored the Social Learning Theory and the Cooperative Learning Theory. I found these theories to be very insightful and like the behaviorist, cognitivist, and construcionist theories, they correlate very well with my current teaching practice. As I researched these theories I began to reflect on how they correlate with each other. Through my research I have found that the social learning theory (SLT) includes cooperative methods of teaching.  

Dr. Orey (2011), defines the Social Learning Theory as a method of learning in which students are actively engaged in constructing artifacts and conversing with others (Laureate education, 2011).  Whereas, Johnson, Johnson, & Holubec (1986) Defined Cooperative learning as, “working together to attain group goals that cannot be obtained by working alone or competitively. The main purpose is to actively involve students in the learning process; a level of student empowerment which is not possible in a lecture format” (Orey, 2001a, p. 3). Providing students with teamwork and accountability enhances their knowledge and social skills. Through collaborative learning students become more motivated, engaged, concepts and ideas are elaborated and clarified through the immediate feedback of their peers. These are just the few benefits of this learning theory, there are many more and as technology evolves rapidly, the need and importance of implementing this theory rises as well. Students thrive for communication. It is vital to them that they be able to communicate with their peers.

            It is evident that both learning theories correlate with each other because they both involve students obtaining knowledge through some type of communication. These two theories complement each other very well and are very helpful in the long term meaningful retention of knowledge and 21st century skills that or students will need to succeed and thrive in this global workforce.

However, many educators have difficulty implementing the Social Learning Theory and the cooperative learning theory because they have experienced situations where students did not work equally to complete tasks, or that this type of learning is to time consuming and difficult to assess, also many educators fear that they will lose control of the class in this learning environment. As we progress deeper and deeper into the 21st century, teaching strategies, methods, and technology will continue to change. Thereby, drastically affecting the way we teach. Teachers can no longer rely on the lecture teacher-centered approach to reach their learners. Lessons now need to be more student-centered where the teacher is the facilitator of knowledge and students are the active learners. Dr. Orey (2011a), mentions proper grouping as very important part of cooperative learning. He also states that it is important to set clear expectations of each student in the group. Furthermore, he suggests a jigsaw puzzle approach to collaborative grouping which involves assigning responsibility to each member of the for learning the information and turn-keying it to their peers. A great way to assess that students are doing their due diligence to their group is through the use of rubrics (Laureate education, Inc., 2011a). Through this process, practice with using the cooperative learning, and professional development workshops teachers will gain greater insight to the great benefits of implementing these theories into their lesson and will be able to implement them successfully.

 “One of the best ways to learn content is to teach it. Teaching others helps the learner develop a deeper understanding of the content” (Laureate education, Inc., 2011a). Technology can be a great asset to educators and students when teaching each other content. Students can work collaboratively to create multimedia projects and then use these artifacts to teach their peers about their findings trough a demonstration of their creation. Research shows that “Student-created multimedia is a natural environment for cooperative learning” (Pitler, Hubel, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, p.141). Along with multimedia projects, students can create wikis, blogs, and use Skype, to engage in active anytime anywhere communication and collaboration not only with people in their very own classroom but on a global realm, as well These are just a select few of the fascinating web 2.0 tools that not only supplement the cooperative learning theory but the social learning theory, as well. Meanwhile, they are also preparing students for a fast paced, global, virtual workforce in the future (Pitler, et. al., 2007).  

This week’s resources have also raised my awareness of how much technology has changed the way we learn. In fact the Social Learning Theory and the proposed Connectivism theory surfaced from the effects of technology. With all the social medias available to our students today, such as Facebook, twitter, email, instant messaging, blogging, wikis, and Skype our students thrive on socializing. It is inevitable that we would have to incorporate these skills into our lessons in order to engage our students. In fact, “by providing teamwork and individual accountability, students work toward acquiring both knowledge and social skills” (Orey, 2001, p.3). As previously mentioned, these skills are crucial for success in today’s global workforce.  The connectivist learning theory is based primarily on the modern transitions that education has made due to the influence of technology. Connectiivism is the belief that knowledge resides in patterns of how different concepts are networked. “Learning is the act of forming networks” (Laureate education, Inc., 2011b). Being that there is an abundant amount of methods to obtain information at rapid rates we need to form networks to transfer information and store it. Some examples of these networks are mobile phones, computers, Internet, and various data collection tools. Similar to the social theory, the ability to communicate with others is vital (Laureate education, Inc., 2011)

Many of the technology tools I learned about this week were very familiar to me. However, one that was new and very intriguing to me was the use of Voice Thread. This week I was able to practice using this tool and immediately saw the benefits in using this as a cooperative learning tool in my classroom. Currently my students are working on writing a story in the past tense to enhance their skills in using the past tense vocabulary. This is a cooperative group project done partially in school and at home. Students are provided with a few sentences to begin the story and then they have to end the story however they like. The story that they are working on is Cinderella. For this project they will need to use the Internet to type, get pictures, look up unknown words using translator tools, and multi-media technology. However, after having the opportunity to experience voice thread I immediately shared it with my students and added it as an optional tool to use in completing this task. The students were equally as excited as I was because this tool allows them to work cooperatively without having to be in the same room. This tool is perfect for creating engaging, interactive learning experiences for students (Laureate education, Inc. 2011c)

I am a firm believer that technology tools can expand and extend collaborative and cooperative learning beyond our expectations. “Technology has evolved to the point where it is so simple to use that educators can create powerful meaningful learning experiences with very little time” (Laureate education, Inc.,2011c). Through the use of technology and the different learning strategies, especially cooperative learning and social learning theory educators are able to differentiate instruction more effectively and efficiently with greater levels of success because students become more motivated and engaged in the learning process.

As a foreign language teacher, I am highly aware of the benefits social learning has on education. I am also well aware of the importance of incorporating the cooperative, collaborative, and social learning theories into my lessons. Through experience and research I have seen that students learn best through communication and collaboration with peers, especially in second language acquisition (Orey, 2001). I plan t seek creative methods to effectively incorporate various web 2.0 tools like blogging, wikis, e-pals and Skype to better engage my students by providing them with an immersive global experience. Do you implement the social and cooperative learning theories in your classes? If so what technologies if any do you use to enhance your activities and better engage your students? If you do not use any technologies or these theories at all, what are you waiting for?!

Here are some links that may be useful when seeking ideas for social and cooperative learning.

Cooperative Learning Ideas - http://edtech.kennesaw.edu/intech/cooperativelearning.htm

Blog offering several ideas fro cooperative learning - http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2010/04/02/the-best-sites-for-cooperative-learning-ideas/

Informative video clips on social learning - http://www.tagoras.com/2011/04/12/embracing-social-learning/

I welcome any suggestions and/or comments you may have for me, as they help me to continue to grow as an educator and life-long learner, as well.

Thank you for stopping by! :)

Daniela Petruzzella

References:

 Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011a). Social learning theories [DVD]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology Baltimore, MD: Author.

 Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011b). Connectivism as a learning theory [DVD]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology Baltimore, MD: Author.

 Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011c). Connectivism as a learning theory [DVD]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology Baltimore, MD: Author.

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.

           

Constructivism in Practice

This week was another fascinating and insightful week in my masters course. During this week I conducted research on the Constructivist and Constructionist learning theories. Both of these theories are very similar and lend themselves to how students construct knowledge.  According to Dr. Orey (2001), “Constructionism is both a theory of learning and a strategy for education that builds on the Constructivist theory” (p.5). The constructivist theory simply that knowledge is not knowledge is not simply taught by the teacher, but actively constructed by the learner (Orey, 2001). Although Constructionism supports the constructivist viewpoint, its emphasis is placed on the notion that learning takes place through the active construction of external artifacts that can be shared with others (Orey, 2001). Along with these two learning theories, I was also able to further my understanding of the problem-based learning and generating and testing hypotheses strategies. Through my research I found that these two strategies compliment the constructionist and constructivist learning theories in a variety of ways.

            Through the process of testing and generating hypotheses teachers can create interactive spreadsheets which students can use to collect data on a specific task and compare their predictions to actual results, in a time efficient manner. This use of technology is effective by providing the ability to maximize instructional time and meet learning objectives. The use of interactive spreadsheets also allow students to gain a deeper understanding of the topic being addresses and requires them to use critical thinking skills to predict outcomes (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007). Data collection tools are also very helpful in helping students to clarify information and recognize patterns. “The internet is a huge data collection tool. It allows students to share and compare data online through a variety of collaborative sites such as Global School-House” (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, p. 211). Web resources such as gaming software, virtual simulations, and interactive applets are also highly effective and motivating tools that allow students to use background knowledge, make decisions, and see the outcome of their hypothesis. Any educator in today’s society is aware that their students interests lie in videogames. Many of our students spend the majority of free time playing video games at home. At least once a week a students tells me an educational fact that they learned about Italy from playing the video game Assassins Creed. Although this is not the ideal gaming software for teaching our students there are a variety of resources on the web that provide appropriate games and interactive software. According to the book, Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works,  “Simulation software can provide incredibly engaging learning environments resulting in increased motivation and retention in learning” (Pitler et al., 2007, p.213).

Dr. Orey (2011) states that there are four key concepts to the constructionist learning theory. They are, equilibration, assimilation, accommodation, and schema. Through the process of researching the data, collecting data, making predictions, and generating a hypothesis based on their predictions students are assimilating external facts and reality (data and research) to fit with their current beliefs and understanding. By assimilating their new knowledge and creating an artifact that they can reflect on through teacher-student feedback, as well as, student-student collaboration and feedback they reach equilibration, which is a balance between their current beliefs and reality. As the students create new knowledge they accommodate their current understandings to reality (Laureate education, Inc. 2011).  It is evident that the previous mentioned tools and strategies correlate well with the four concepts of constructivism.

Project-based learning is another strategy that I researched this week, which correlates very well with the constructionist learning theory. The project-based learning environment requires learners to construct artifacts based on that reflect their acquisition of knowledge. This is a students-centered approach to learning where the teacher is simply the facilitator and the students are responsible for their own learning. Project based learning must incorporate real world concepts, must provide options or choices to the learner, and should incorporate hands on activities.  Through the process of project-based learning there are three components; planning, creating, and processing. During this process students collaborate with peers, receive feedbach from peers and their educator, create an artifact displaying their knowledge, and process the new knowledge through the sharing of their artifacts (Orey, 2001). This strategy assimilates perfectly with the coostructivist learning theory.  Students are building on prior knowledge by  engaging them in real world experiences that allow them to develop new knowledge and skills in a learner-centered environment. Through this process the connection to constructivism is highly evident. I personally am drawn to project-based learning. I like that it provides students with the option to work alone or in pairs, and in my experience, students that are provided the opportunity to apply their knowledge in a realistic situation understanding the purpose of what is being taught and are able to retrieve that knowledge or skill for longer periods of time. I often use this strategy in my classroom through digital story telling, dialogue presentations, power point presentations, and WebQuests.

I have found that giving the students options on what they are base their project on, and freedom to e creative with their responses while providing an engaging scenario, like ordering food in an authentic Italian restaurant in the target language and paying with euros, is not only significant of the constructivist learning theory, it is highly engaging and motivating to the learners. These experiences build a desire for lifelong learning within the learner. Technology is also very important in the effectiveness of these learning theories and teaching strategies. Technology is a great asset to the teacher as well as the learner. We live in a digital world that provides with any and every possible resource at our fingertips.  As Dr. Orey (2001) stated in the Constructivism vs Constructionism, Technology is everywhere. A very important part of our career as educators is to prepare our students fro jobs that do not exist yet” (Laureate education, Inc., 2011). How can we do our due diligence to our students if we keep avoiding this reality by not integrating technology into our lessons? Technology is no longer a requirement but a necessity. Regardless of the learning theory or strategy, technology can be used to enhance a lesson, the important thing is knowing how to use it. This is why I am eagerly continuing my education in integrating technology in the classroom through this masters, peer collaboration and professional development workshops. 

Here are some great resources that I found on project-based learning:

http://www.mrsoshouse.com/pbl/pblin.html

http://pbl-online.org/

http://21centuryedtech.wordpress.com/2010/01/16/free-project-based-learning-resources-that-will-place-students-at-the-center-of-learning/

Thank you for stopping by! :-)

Daniela Petruzzella

References:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011). Program seven: Constructionist and constructivist learning theories [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

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.