For this week we were assigned readings on instructional strategies that support constructivist strategies, a theory of knowledge where the student makes their own meaning, and constructionist strategies which is a theory of learning where students learn best by creating something that they can share with the world (Laureate, 2010).
To me, constructionism is the more powerful of the two, since students must work to create something which is shared with the world and is supported, most effectively through project-based learning and learning by design ( Han & Bhattacharya, 2001), and of these learning strategies, learning by design is the more powerful to me due to the fact that LBD (learning by design) values both the students' result or artifact and the process of how they created that artifact.
LBD is a strategy that, to me, holds a lot of value in the teaching of U.S. History. Often the course is taught with just "book and worksheet" which to any teen is the most boring way to learn about "a bunch of dead white guys". If I can use LBD then I think that my course will come alive for them. Having them research why the Americans won the Revolution and present their findings for the class is much more engaging than answering the questions at the end of the chapter and turning them in. If I let them present their findings in a way that they chose, now the students can play into their technological strengths and be more engaged in their learning, which in the long run will only benefit them in exploring their world and making meaning of it.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Cognitivism in Practice
For my class, Bridging Learning Theory, Instruction and Technology this week we did a study on the Cognitive Learning Theory and were assigned readings on Cues, Questions and Advanced Organizers and on Summarizing and Note Taking.
How I think the chapter on Cues, Questions and Advanced Organizers demonstrate cognitivism in practice is through the use of concept mapping to facilitate student understanding especially when introducing new concepts (Pitler, 2007). This chapter gave several clear examples of different uses of software for making concept maps, and some of the tools that come with them, like Inspiration's Rapid Fire tool which helps with keeping up with the students when they are brainstorming topics like the one demonstrated in the book on the "Civil War". This gave me the idea to use this with my students during our unit on Reconstruction. I had already began the unit when I learned about this, but I've been using it with each daily lesson to help the students predict what we would be learning about, and then using their concept maps to reflect back on the lesson the next period to help build enduring knowledge as we move into the next topic of study. I've already noticed that the students seem to be recalling more information as we begin each topic and are able to apply a previous lesson to their current one to go into more depth and are asking deeper questions of each other and me.
The chapter on Note Taking and Summarizing helps to pull in the Cognitive Learning Theory in that through summarizing the student begins to network the information into long-term memory. By having students practice summarizing the information, they begin to "chunk" materials into a form that makes it easier for them to understand it, and then if coupled with imaging they can dual code the information for better understanding. I already use note taking with my students in Cornell Note style, but am seeing that if I can incorporate more graphics and, instead of just having them do notes on paper, have them do their notes in online blogs and wikis student interest will increase and that I may see more deeper levels of questions from them.
How I think the chapter on Cues, Questions and Advanced Organizers demonstrate cognitivism in practice is through the use of concept mapping to facilitate student understanding especially when introducing new concepts (Pitler, 2007). This chapter gave several clear examples of different uses of software for making concept maps, and some of the tools that come with them, like Inspiration's Rapid Fire tool which helps with keeping up with the students when they are brainstorming topics like the one demonstrated in the book on the "Civil War". This gave me the idea to use this with my students during our unit on Reconstruction. I had already began the unit when I learned about this, but I've been using it with each daily lesson to help the students predict what we would be learning about, and then using their concept maps to reflect back on the lesson the next period to help build enduring knowledge as we move into the next topic of study. I've already noticed that the students seem to be recalling more information as we begin each topic and are able to apply a previous lesson to their current one to go into more depth and are asking deeper questions of each other and me.
The chapter on Note Taking and Summarizing helps to pull in the Cognitive Learning Theory in that through summarizing the student begins to network the information into long-term memory. By having students practice summarizing the information, they begin to "chunk" materials into a form that makes it easier for them to understand it, and then if coupled with imaging they can dual code the information for better understanding. I already use note taking with my students in Cornell Note style, but am seeing that if I can incorporate more graphics and, instead of just having them do notes on paper, have them do their notes in online blogs and wikis student interest will increase and that I may see more deeper levels of questions from them.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Behaviorism in Practice
After reading in the Howard Pitler book, "Using Techology with Classroom Instruction that Works", about reinforcing effort (chapter 8), I was a little disappointed that the technology they talked about using was simply spreadsheet generated rubrics. However, I did find Ms. Powell's Effort Rubric very interesting. I am actually considering using it next year with my eighth graders since often I find myself having to explain to students and parents that if I had seen a little more effort in class, the student would have got a 70 in my class instead of a 68. (We are discouraged from giving a grade of 69 by our administrators - you either give them a 70 or drop the score to a 68). I can also see how this can help to make a student more accountable for their grade and give them a sense of how they are responsible for the result - a clear point for the behaviorist theory.
In Chapter 10, "Homework and Practice" I can see how more technology could be implemented. A teacher can always assign creating a presentation about a book the students are reading, which generates more student interest, than using the traditional book report, that most students find boring and uninspired. A student could use wikis to post their summaries or character analysis and have other students rate how they did. Again, this would help students to feel that their learning has a reward, which would make them more apt to complete assignments and more willing to learn new technologies to further that feeling.
I think being able to use technology to complete homework would also appeal to a student who frequently does not complete or turn it in. By using technology, the student will be more willing to "show off" for the teacher, and if the are turning it in on line or posting where other students can see what they have done, the student who wasn't turning in work, now has a new avenue to show their knowledge and become "famous". This ties in to the use of contracts to extinguish undesirable behavior, in this case - not turning in work, a classic example of behaviorism.
Clearly, behaviorism still has a place in the classroom today, and just because we are becoming more technology literate it does not mean we should forget early research and practices. We just need to adapt them to work with technology and our changing classrooms.
In Chapter 10, "Homework and Practice" I can see how more technology could be implemented. A teacher can always assign creating a presentation about a book the students are reading, which generates more student interest, than using the traditional book report, that most students find boring and uninspired. A student could use wikis to post their summaries or character analysis and have other students rate how they did. Again, this would help students to feel that their learning has a reward, which would make them more apt to complete assignments and more willing to learn new technologies to further that feeling.
I think being able to use technology to complete homework would also appeal to a student who frequently does not complete or turn it in. By using technology, the student will be more willing to "show off" for the teacher, and if the are turning it in on line or posting where other students can see what they have done, the student who wasn't turning in work, now has a new avenue to show their knowledge and become "famous". This ties in to the use of contracts to extinguish undesirable behavior, in this case - not turning in work, a classic example of behaviorism.
Clearly, behaviorism still has a place in the classroom today, and just because we are becoming more technology literate it does not mean we should forget early research and practices. We just need to adapt them to work with technology and our changing classrooms.
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