Connectivism and Social Learning in Practice

Here is another update on what we are learning in the graduate course I am taking at Walden University.  This week we revisited the old instructional strategy cooperative learning and learned new technologies to embed into this strategy.  Cooperative learning is defined “as working together to attain group goals that cannot be obtained by working alone or competitively” (Orey, 2001).  Some of the things that are needed for consideration when forming groups for cooperative learning are number of people in each group, the ability of the students in each group, the arrangement of the working space, the materials to be used, group roles and tasks, and rubrics for evaluation.  Cooperative learning relates to social learning theories because students are able to observe and be models for other students.  They learn from each other.  Cooperative learning promotes students being motivated and engaged in their learning.  One of the newest of the technologies used for cooperative learning that I learned about is called Keypals.  This technology allows students to communicate with other students in other cities, states, and countries ((Pitler et al., 2007, p145).  I have never experienced this but it would be an excellent way to get students to learn about other cultures, languages and issues.  Many students have never left the city that they live in and this would be a great way for them to “travel” and have new experiences.  Other technologies that can be used are webquests, web site creation, collaborative organizing of documents, shared bookmarking, class management sites, and multiplayer games (Pitler et al., 2007).  All of these technologies correlate with social learning theories because each student is working in a group with a specific job and they are giving help and receiving help from their fellow students.  They in a way become a “teacher.” 

I have never used multiplayer games.  Has anyone else used these?  If you have, how have they worked out? 

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.

                                                                             Source:thesavvypm.files.wordpress.com

Constructivism in Practice

This week in my graduate course we learned about constructionist and constructivist learning theories.  The words are very similar, notice that the difference is in the “n” and “v”.  According to Dr. Michael Orey constructivism is a theory stating that each learner actively constructs his or her own meaning of information.  Constructionism is a theory that claims people learn best when they build or create something they can share with others (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010).  In constructionism learners are engaged in learning by using tools and technologies to create a product.  Some of the strategies that support constructionism are learning by design, project based learning, problem based inquiry and generating and testing hypothesis.  In my science classes the two of these that I use most often are problem based inquiry and generating and testing hypothesis.  Problem based inquiry challenges students to address real-world problems and resolve realistic dilemmas (Orey, 2010).  “When students generate and test hypotheses, they are engaging in complex mental processes, applying content knowledge like facts and vocabulary, and enhancing their overall understanding of the content (Pitler et al., 2007, p202).  An example of a realistic problem based inquiry activity that includes generating and testing hypotheses is an assignment where I present the students with information such as pictures, videos, previous research work about a widespread occurrence of deformities in natural populations of amphibians.  Some of the deformities are frogs with missing limbs or parts of limbs or with one to several partial or complete extra limbs.  The students then have to develop hypotheses about why they think the frogs have deformities.  They might come up with things like chemical pollution, ultraviolet radiation, parasites, or predation.  Any of these things could indicate an environmental problem of possible risk to other organisms, including humans.  The students use critical thinking skills to research and test their hypothesis on tadpoles.  They record their data in Microsoft Excel so they can analyze and compare it to each other’s.  In the end they create a finished product of a lab report or PowerPoint with photographs.  I let the students chose how they want to present the information.  All of these strategies correlate with the concepts of constructivist and constructionist learning theories because students are active in creating their own meaning of information and they are actively engaged in creating and building an artifact (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010).   

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010). [Webcast]. Constructionist and

     Constructivist Learning Theories. 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.

     

From: 

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2003-01/osu-shi011403.php

http://www.eoearth.org/article/Disappearing_Jewels:_Boxes

Behaviorism in Practice…

This week I learned about behaviorism and behaviorist learning theories in a course I am taking in graduate school.  “Behaviorism is primarily concerned with observable and measureable aspects of human behavior.   In defining behavior, behaviorist learning theories emphasize changes in behavior that result from stimulus-response associations made by the learner” (Orey, 2001).  I teach at a middle school and several behaviorist techniques are used daily.  One example of a behaviorist technique used at my school is something called a behavior card.  It is a contract that the student must get signed everyday by every teacher that he or she has a class with.  The teacher signs a zero, one or two and his or her name to the card.  If the student receives a zero then it means the student was not able fulfill the behaviors listed on the card.  If the student receives a two, then the student was successful in that class for the day.  There are many students that have behavior cards at my school.  I think the fact that I teach at a very low socio-economic school and many of the students do not have any type of structure or support at home is the one of the main reasons for this.  I also believe that this is one of the reasons many of the students are unmotivated and do not put any effort into any of their work. 

One of the instructional strategies I learned this week is called reinforcing effort.  This strategy has to do with getting students to recognize the relationship between effort and being successful.  This strategy relates to behaviorism because it uses technologies such as Microsoft Excel and other data collection tools to help students actually see and chart the relationship between effort and achievement (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007).  It is a type of positive reinforcement where the students could see that more effort equals more success and less effort equals less success.  The student would increase his or her effort once they could see how it relates to their success.    Another strategy I learned this week dealt with homework and practice.  This strategy also uses technologies such as word processing applications, spreadsheet software, other multimedia, web resources, and communication software to design homework and practice assignments.  This relates to behaviorism as a type of positive reinforcement as well.  Students want and need to learn with technology and through collaboration and these tools allow for that.  These tools also allow for students to chart their success. 

Our school also has a PSIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support) program.  Some students’ buy into it and others do not.  What type of behaviorism strategies do you have implemented at the schools you teach?  Do they work? 

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.