EDUC 6711 Reflection

I took some time this week to reflect on all I have learned throughout this course.

Modified Personal Learning Theory
The concluding sentence of my week one application: “My personal theory of learning is to incorporate the three learning modalities, while promoting my students’ individual intelligences into my daily instruction and use of educational technology.” After this course (and after a week of staff development with John Antonetti), I would modify “incorporate the three learning modalities” by saying applying THE LEARNING CUBE. The Learning Cube incorporates Marzano’s instructional strategies, Schlechty’s qualities of engaging work, and Bloom’s highest levels of cognition (Antonetti, 2005). If I begin to integrate these research based approaches into my classroom, the learning modalities will be addressed as well as multiple intelligences. It will be exciting to experiment with adding the technology component to the Learning Cube!

Immediate Adjustments
I want to emphasize providing feedback and incorporating more nonlinguistic representations. In the past I have provided feedback through the use of personal response devices (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, p. 45). I would like to incorporate them more into my daily instruction, not just at the completion of a unit. Personal response devices will provide me with immediate feedback as to the understanding of my lesson. It will also provide students an opportunity to cement (connect) new learning. I currently use a variety of nonlinguistic representations (graphic organizers, kinesthetic activities, and physical models), but I would like to see them transform into more technology based artifacts including: concept maps and multimedia presentations (p. 93, 103).

Long-term Goals for Technology in my Instruction
REINFORCE EFFORT
In order to “enhance my students’ understanding of the relationship between effort and achievement” and “addressing their attitudes and beliefs about learning” I want to utilize spreadsheet software (p. 155, 156). It will be a powerful learning experience for my students “to chart the relationship between effort and achievement (p. 156). They will have a visual representation of their efforts and the result of those efforts. By creating an Effort Rubric and setup an effort/achievement spreadsheet, I will supply my students with the tools they need to witness amount of effort = amount of achievement. In time, “they will work harder and in specific ways” because of the effort rubric and the proven results of those efforts (p. 160).

COOPERATIVE LEARNING
Atonetti’s Learning Cube refers to cooperative learning as “learning with others”, and the explanation includes the word interdependently (Schlechty, 2002). Most of the time, cooperative learning is misused and misunderstood. Teachers plan/assign group work without the focus of learning from each other as well as working together. My goal would be to include Cooperative Learning in an effective way – students not just talking to each other, but also ¬listening and paraphrasing each other’s thoughts. This can be where real learning from each other can take place. I would like to use VoiceThreads as apart of integrating technology into cooperative learning. In the beginning, I would create VoiceThreads for students to see a model, as well as begin to practice commenting on videos. It will move into creating VoiceThreads with their small groups and groups commenting on threads. Eventually individual students will be able to create and comment on peers’ VoiceThreads as a way to learn from each other. Depending on the accessibility/privacy settings, family, friends, and strangers from around the world would be able to comment on students’ videos – creating an amazing example of extreme cooperative learning!

The past eight weeks have been an amazing experience! I have a greater understanding of Marzano’s strategies, as well as how technology can be used to incorporate those techniques into my classroom. I am looking forward to this upcoming year and future Walden courses.


Antonetti, J. (2005).

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

Schlechty, P. (2002) Working on the Work. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

My FIRST VoiceThread!

This is a very exciting opportunity. I have yet to realize it's full potential for my classroom, but I know the possibilities are endless!


Click here to listen to my VOICETHREAD on Bullying.

Connectivism and Social Learning in Practice (APP5)

I often hear teachers complaining, "My students talk too much!" or "What a chatty bunch!" or "They won't shut-up!" If they would accept the theory of social learning, they would have the ideal class. However, I cannot attempt to say this better than the original theorist has already so eloquently put into words:

"Learning would be exceedingly laborious, not to mention hazardous, if people had to rely solely on the effects of their own actions to inform them what to do. Fortunately, most human behavior is learned observationally through modeling: from observing others one forms an idea of how new behaviors are performed, and on later occasions this coded information serves as a guide for action."
-Albert Bandura, Social Learning Theory, 1977

One of the basic assumptions of Bandura's Social Learning Theory or Social Constructivism is, "MEANINGFUL learning occurs when individuals are engaged in social activities". What better place than school for students to experience BOTH meaningful learning and social activities? School is a primary source of students' social interactions.

Once teachers embrace social learning, there are instructional strategies and technologies that they can use to combine learning and socializing. Here are just a few that are listed in this week's resources:

Not only was I able to communicate with my students, but they were also communicating with each other. I just created ePals accounts for my students the last quarter of this school year, so they were my guinea pigs. I set very few requirements about what their emails included, so they were very informal and friendly. I did show them how to store files, so they have their writing pieces from this year to carry on to middle school. Epals also provides discussion forums, projects, and worldwide penpals. Epals is totally safe and allows for the moderator to preview and accept/decline each email message. I am excited for how I can use email next year to encourage more writing with my students.

Blogs are effective communication tools that allow students to post, read, and discuss a wide variety of topics and/or issues. I "tested" blogs with this year's students as well. Instead of a lengthy post that they would not enjoy reading, I asked simple review questions. The experience was pleasant for all, and I am excited about the potential for blogs with group collaboration within content areas.

del.icio.us.com is social bookmarking site that can be used to facilitate collaboration. It allows users to create a list of websites and saves them in one location. Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski(2007) referred to the amount of time teachers wasted by creating favorite lists on each classroom computer. With del.icio.us.com, teachers will save time by allowing their students to access the premade list. It could also be used amoung students who are working on a project. If they are working away from school, this website would provide access to their favorited list of websites from anywhere.

These are just a few of the webtools that can be used to facilitate collaboration among students. It is just one way that teachers can redirect and engage their chatty students! How great would it be to hear students discussing a blog or a new website from their bookmarking site?!