Throughout this course, I have reflected on my specific philosophy of teaching and how technology has played, or will play, a role in the classroom. Wolfe has made the argument that teachers must provide hands-on experiences, and ‘hooks,’ for students so that they may develop a sophisticated network of connections within the brain (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010c). I have developed a deeper understanding of technology that will provide rich learning experiences for students, while still incorporating instructional strategies that are effective with students.
In looking back at what I believed my learning theory centered on at the beginning of this course: collaboration, conversation, and variety, I would argue that I also incorporate other learning theory aspects into my teaching. For example, I never really believed that I included behaviorist learning components into my instruction, until Orey gives examples of its use within the classroom, such as online tutorials and behavior management techniques (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010b). Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski (2007) also make mention of homework’s use and how a student does on an assignment is immediate reinforcement of what the student needs to continue doing or change, which is a behaviorist component. I often use homework as a gauge for students’ understanding of material and frequently use web sites, such as BrainPopJr. to supplement material. Despite my initial beliefs that my philosophy lined up primarily with social learning theories, I now realize that I am a better-rounded teacher, in that I pull different elements of many learning theories into various aspects of my teaching. Wolfe notes that students need to practice material in a variety of ways in order for it to transfer, and using different instructional strategies and learning styles to teach about a topic is a great opportunity for that (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010c).
I have also become more aware of various technologies I can use to promote my learning theory beliefs in collaboration, conversation, and variety. I often have had students working with one another to create posters or Power Points primarily. This course has reminded me that there are other forms of technology available for student use that will promote positive peer interaction and conversation. A prime example of a technology that fosters cooperation amongst others would be Voice Thread. Jarrett states that students come together to discuss a Voice Thread and the creator and others involved can see a topic in a new way (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010d). I have developed a deeper knowledge for other technologies that may exist, that can aid me in teaching students successfully and to my learning theory.
An immediate adjustment I will make to my technology use within the classroom is attempting to use technology as more of a learning tool than an instructional tool. Orey makes the point that students will be more engaged in their learning when they are more involved in it (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010e). I hope to create lessons using technology in a way that makes students the primary users. Jarrett remarks that using technology as a learning tool gives students more opportunities to explore technology and encourages them to be invested in their own learning (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010e).
One technological tool that I plan on using regularly is concept mapping. According to cognitive learning theories, in order for information to be stored into long term memory, many connections need to be made to it (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010a). Orey goes on to state that students need episodic experiences, or images, attached to information to better process it (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010a). Both of these components of the cognitive learning theories are addressed through concept mapping. Novak and Cañas (2008) maintain that concept mapping helps to organize and represent information as cross-links are created between concepts. Because the concept map can physically show links between words, students have a better opportunity to remember the visual connections between concepts.
Another tool that I will use consistently is VoiceThread. VoiceThread puts both audio and visual images together into a single presentation that others may provide feedback on. Orey (2001) affirms that discussions between peers can help students strengthen their thoughts as they elaborate ideas to others. He goes on to say that instant feedback is also a positive for students (Orey, 2001). VoiceThread helps to build on students’ ideas and allows for feedback to be given quickly.
Overall, my knowledge of instructional skills and strategies has expanded. A prime example of this would be the strategy of reinforcing effort. Besides grades and comments to students, I did not realize what could be done to truly improve effort using technology. When Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski (2007) make the point that reinforcing effort is affective when students see the relationship between effort and achievement visually, perhaps through a graph on Microsoft Excel, I gained a much better understanding of how to use this instructional strategy effectively.
One long term goal I have for technology integration into my classroom is creating more student-centered interaction with technology at least once a week. At times this can be difficult as access to technology is limited at my school, however, it is imperative that students get opportunities to work with various technologies, as it will only continue to change as they get older. I plan to incorporate instructional strategies such as problem-based learning and experiential learning into my technology use, through WebQuests related to content and virtual field trips. Orey argues that by giving students images and episodes to remember, it will be easier for them to process that information into long-term memory (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010a).
The next long term goal I have for technology integration is using technology in different ways so that students get a wide array of experiences. November (2008) argues that by using some of the technology available to schools, students and teachers get the option of doing different things, rather than doing things differently. I plan on implementing a technology-driven, student-centered project once a month, using a technology in a way that I have not before. For example, I have used Microsoft Word many times before for basic story writing. Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski (2007) assert that Word can also be used to create graphic organizers, edit writing, and summarize ideas. Students will be able to see certain technological tool’s full potential by utilizing the various features it contains.
In reflecting on my learning from this course, it seems evident that I have developed a more knowledgeable understanding of how technology, when paired with effective instructional strategies, can help students reach their learning needs. When teachers elaborate on material through instructional variety and technology use, students have a better chance of succeeding (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010a). I hope to take what I have learned to create a curriculum that is student-centered and embraces the use of technology to help students to achieve their utmost potential.
References
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010a). Program five. Cognitive learning theory [Webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010b). Program four. Behaviorist learning theory [Webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010c). Program one. Understanding the brain [Webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010d). Program ten. Spotlight on technology: VoiceThread [Webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010e). Program thirteen. Technology: Instructional tool vs. learning tool [Webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Novak, J. D., & Cañas, A. J. (2008). The theory underlying concept maps and how to construct and use them, Technical Report IHMC CmapTools 2006-01 Rev 01-2008. Retrieved from the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition Web site: http://cmap.ihmc.us/Publications/ResearchPapers/TheoryUnderlyingConceptMaps.pdf.
November, A. (2008). Web literacy for educators. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin. Chapter 6, “Expanding the Boundaries: Blogs, RSS, Podcasts, and Wikis”
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.
