As I look back on the learning theories as presented in my class, I focused on the combination of the behaviorist theory as well as the cognitivist theory. The behaviorist theory focuses on learning is influenced by external stimuli while the cognitivist theory is based on learning occurring through different intelligence or talents. (Lever_Duffy & McDonald, 2008) My style of teaching continues to reflect more of the cognitivist point of view though I now see ways in which I can incorporate other learning styles into my teaching.

My New Year's resolution is to implement more learning activities that incorporate project-based activities which promote a more student centered learning environment and artifact creation. In this way, I hope to guide rather than instruct my students to build and increase their knowledge while creating a concrete artifact in which the student can use as a reference. I also intend to incorporate more concept mapping activities. Concept mapping allows for students to explore key concepts and how they relate to each other. Students will be able to use software programs, such as Kidspiration, to work individually or collaboratively, creating graphic organizers.

This course has shown me many ways in which technology can be used to combine learning theory with instruction. By recognizing the different ways in which we learn and assimilate knowledge, as educators, we can utilize new technology tools to enhance learning.

Link to my Voice Thread

http://voicethread.com/share/778568/

Social Learning and Technology

Our world has become so much smaller with the advancements of technology. We can instantly know about disasters that happen on the other side of the globe. We are able to correspond with the person sitting next to us (instant messaging) or talk with our colleague a continent away (skype). Information is at our finger tips.

I first went to Disney World in Orlando about 20 years ago. I remember riding Spaceship Earth at Epcot and as the ride progresses through the ages, how inventions helped to change the world we lived in. From the creation of roads in the Roman Empire, hand copied books by monks in the Middle Ages to the invention of electricity and space travel, our world changed. One of the last visions on the ride was of an American boy(?) talking via computer with an Asian girl. I remember thinking, "Wow! Wouldn't that be something if we could see and talk to a friend on the other side of the world; that they could hear and see us and we could hear and see them. " Today, that type of communication is not only possible, but it is no longer a novelty; it happens all the time!

We are currently in an era where we can share and give feedback instantly. Collaboration and working with others via technology allows us to gather, synthesize and reflect information faster than we ever have. This sharing of information allows us to broaden our knowledge base and share that knowledge with others . When I was in elementary school, it was a BIG deal when my parents bought the World Book Encyclopedia. The information and pictures were wonderful! The information however, was "old news". Today, we have hand-held gadgets that access sites like Wikipedia, that enable us to share our thoughts and knowledge while learnig from others.

Our world and the information in it continues to expand. We are able to give and receive, share and exchange information with anyone and everyone in the world. The ability to learn is only a button click away. To coin an old phrase, "We've come a long way, baby".

Generating and Testing Hypotheses

Through the use of technology, students today are able to generate and test hypotheses easier and faster. Technology allows the student more time to interpret, analyze and present the gathered data. Web 2.0 tools such as spreadsheets, virtual tours and online gaming, allow the student to interact, manipulate data, observe patterns, and test their predictions with various scenarios. Having the ability to create and control different scenarios increases learner motivation, thus perpetuating additional inquiry. Interactive software enables the student to concentrate on the interpretation of the data rather than the actual process of data collection. The student is also easily able to introduce variables to their hypotheses while observing the different outcomes. In this way technology has enabled the student to engage in higherlevel thinking.

Cognitive Learning Theory and Technology

The concept of cognitive learning theory states that learning"takes place when information enters through the sense, undergoes mental manipulation, is stored and is finally used. (Lever-Duffy & McDonald, 2008) Learning is acquired using information that connects and builds on previously learned information (Laureate Education, 2009) The source of information can be assimilated through integrating multiple senses. The learner is then able to process new information by connecting and building upon stored information. Applying the cognitive learning theory to the classroom setting through the use of technology encourages higher level thinking by the student. technology allows the student to develop such skills as concept mapping. summarizing, note taking, and organizing information. (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007) Using word processing programs, the student is able to create an organizer for note taking and summarizing. Concept mapping skills can be developed with the use of such programs as Inspiration and Kidspiration which encourage visual learning. By incorporating technological strategies, the cognitive learning theory is utilized. Technology is able to meet the cognitive needs of the student by providing easy access to information then using that information to scaffold upon already learned material.

Laureate Education, Inc. (2009). Bridging learning theory, instruction, and technology. Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Lever-Duffy, J., & McDonald, J. B. (2008). Theoretical foundations. In Teaching and learning with technology (pp. 2-35). Boston: Allyn and Bacon

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E.R., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Denver: Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning.

Review

Review of "Reinforcing Effort" and "Homework and Practice"

From a behaviorist perspective, behavior is the response to external stimuli, that response can be either positive or negative, and are repeated until the response is learned.

Our text, Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works, by H. Pitler, et al., discusses using technology to assess effort. I see that by using technology, specifically an Excel spreadsheet, to gauge effort is also demonstrating an example of behaviorism. Our text uses the example of a teacher setting the objective that the more effort a student puts into preparation for a quiz, the higher the score. The effort, measured by time spent in preparation for quizzes and homework checks, has an immediate response by the grades received. For each action (effort), there is either a positive (higher grade) or negative (lower grade) response. The spreadsheet is a visual tool that clearly shows a direct correlation between effort and grades. In this way effort is reinforced and the student is taking more responsibility for their own success.
This is clearly an example of behaviorist theory.


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

Behaviorism in Today's Classroom

There is a wide variety of theories on how we learn. One theory is that of Behaviorism as presented by John B. Watson and B.F. Skinner. They believed that an individual’s behavior is learned from external stimuli. “The learner acquires behaviors, skills, and knowledge in response to the rewards, punishments, or withheld responses associated with them.” (Lever-Duffy & McDonald, 2008)This is obvious in class management. Teachers use different strategies to be effective in class management. They may use some form of card system. Green, yellow and red cards are used to represent a student’s behavior. When a student acts inappropriately, they move their card to yellow. If the behavior continues, the card is moved to red. For each behavior, an immediate response is given.
Learning through the use of technology is similar. When an action is required by the learner to produce the correct behavior, immediate rewards are given. If the action is incorrect, immediate feedback allows the learner to learn from their mistakes and the action is repeated until the correct behavior has been mastered. (Magliaro, Lockee & Burton, 2005) Many of our technology instructional materials use immediate reinforcement, either positive or negative, to influence learned behavior. Children enjoy using these instructional materials. They have fun while learning.
I believe that utilizing behaviorist learning theory in the classroom is beneficial to the learner. In today’s society, we want instant gratification. According to behaviorist theory, we are learning and modeling our behavior through external stimuli all the time.

Lever-Duffy, J., & McDonald, J. B. (2008). Theoretical Foundations. In Teaching and Learning with Technology (pp. 2-35). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Magliaro, S. G., Lockee, B. B., & Burton, J. K. (2005). Direct instruction revisited: A key model for instructional technology. Educational Technology Research &Development, 53(4), 41–54.

So Little Time.....

I just got back from attending a tech conference for educators. I learned alot! There is so much to know about technology and its application into the classroom and so little time to learn enough to implement it comfortably.

There were many breakout sessions on Web 2.0 tools; many of which I have been exposed to but have not yet implemented. Most of the websites mentioned were free and easy to use. Voicethread.com was one of the main tools along with flicker.com, glogster.com, Jing.com, and teachertube.com. Slide show websites included were tumbler.com which can easily be embedded into a wiki. Prezi.com was a website that many of the presenters used instead of PowerPoint. It was very interactive. The site has an easy tutorial that shows how easy it is to use. Wordle.com is a neat site that, for example, takes all the words used in a speech or news article and the more times the word is used in context the bigger the wordle is in the word cloud. Check it out; it has great potential for use in the classroom.

Other sites mentioned were Quizlet.com which featured already created quizzes for all grade levels as well as a feature that you could create your own quiz for you students.

Social networking sites, such as Ning, and twitter, can have educational uses, but of course, preview them before showing in class first.

All these wonderful websites and so little time to master and utilize them. I guess if I worked on one per week, it might be manageable and I could begin to use them in my curriculum.

I'm Back!

I last posted to this blog in the spring because I was taking a class on technology through Walden University. I did not take any classes over the summer so that I could get rejuvenated. So , now I'm back and have begun another technology class at Walden. This class is called Bridging Learning Theory, Instruction and Technology.

I scanned the course syllabus and realized that I will be posting to this blog for assignments. I figure I better refresh my blogging skills and make a few posts before the assignments are due.

I should have been using this forum all along except that "things" get in the way.

My goal for this semester is to continue to use this blog after the class is over. I have been toying with the idea of journaling and I can use this blog to narrate my journey through my master's classes.

I have always know that technology was the "wave of the future". What I didn't realize was the future is here...today.....now. Technology , whether some want to accept it or not is here to stay. Educators, who are "Digital Immigrants" (those who did not grow up with computers) , can choose either to embrace technology and adapt to integrating technology in to their curriculum or continue to instruct the way generations have taught; through lecture, pen & paper. Should they choose to continue in the manner of lecture with regurgitation of information, students will no longer be receptive to learn. By refusing to alter their methods of instruction, these educators will be doing a disservice to their students.

THE 12 STEP PROGRAM

"Hello. My name is Caroline. I am a Digital Immigrant. I have always been a Digital Immigrant. But I want to change. I am willing to change. I want to improve my teaching skills. I want to make my classroom an exciting learning environment. I want my students to be excited about learning. I am ready to accept the twelve step program.

• Step 1. ACCEPT. I accept that I am a Digital Immigrant. I was not born into the world of technology. I was not raised with technology.
• Step 2. CHANGE. I am ready to change. I am prepared to learn new strategies and adapt technology in to my classroom.
• Step 3. LEARN. I am ready to learn. I want to learn more about the uses of technology and how to incorporate technology into my classroom. I will research technology and its uses in the classroom by reading websites, blogs and wikis.
• Step 4. ACT. I am learning that blogs, wikis, and podcasts are an easy, fun and powerful way for my students and myself to communicate with the world. My students and I are able to share our knowledge, ideas and information with others around the globe.
• Step 5. PARTICIPATE. I participate in social networking through wikis and nings. I am an explorer and analyzer of information throughout the world wide web. I am a collector, a consumer and a producer of information.
• Step 6. SHARE. I can share my new knowledge of technology with my students. I can create new lessons that incorporate the school's curriculum with the tools of the internet. I can share these new tools with other teachers. I can collaborate with my colleagues on the uses and advantages of using technology in the classroom to enhance student learning.
• Step 7. DEMONSTRATE. I can demonstrate safe ways for my students to share their knowledge and ideas. I can demonstrate the power of learning through collaboration.
• Step 8. CREATE. By modifying my current curriculum to incorporate technology, I can create an exciting learning environment. I can create interesting lessons plans that require students to research and publish their findings through a class blog.
• Step 9. COMMUNICATE. I can communicate to parents the daily activities, lessons, and homework by using a blog or a wiki. I can use these formats to showcase a student's work and progress. To enhance a lesson, links related to the curriculum can be added to the wiki.
• Step 10. ADVOCATE. I can be a strong advocate and proponent of using technology in the classroom to the administrators of my school, district and to the community. I can lobby local community leaders and school board members the advantages of technology instruction in the classroom.
• Step 11. IMPLEMENT. I can help to implement new strategies and policies about the advantages of using technology in the classroom.
• Step 12. LEARN. I can continue to learn all that I can about technology and how to use it effectively in the classroom. Technology continues to change and improve. To keep up with these changes, I must continue to gain as much knowledge as I can in order to be an effective teacher. Learning, for students and teachers, never ceases.

This is my 12 Step Program to become a better, more effective elementary teacher.

I have just finished with my first podcast. The recording into audacity was not difficult once I got the hang of it. The frustrating part was trying to upload it to a free website that would publish it. I think I tried three different sites and finally found that gcast.com was the easiest. Let's just hope that it will play when I post the URL to this blog.

http://www.gcast.com/u/CWarren/main

Examining 21st Century Skills

Discovering the website, Partnership for 21st Century Skills, http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/, has been an eye opening experience for me. This site features articles, resources and skills-related information about utilizing 21st century technology tools. The site is easy to navigate and has a tremendous amount of information on the role of education and the incorporation of technology into our schools. The home page gives a brief overview of the latest published articles while a navigation bar on the left of the page offers easy links to indices within the site.

The organization, comprised of several well known and respected US companies, such as Apple Computer, Sisco Systems Inc., Dell Computer Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, the National Education Association as well as the US Department of Education, was formed to "provide an online interactive tool that demonstrates how 21st century skills can be supported through standards, professional development, assessments and curriculum and instruction". Over 5000 members have joined this free, on-line organization.

One article, I found especially interesting, focused on the evolution of education throughout the ages. From an agrarian society to a industrial society, education changed to meet the ideologies and philosophies of the people. Education has also reflected our "growing understanding of how people learn." These concepts and the use of technology into our everyday lives has created a rapidly changing network of skills needed for success in life.

There are other informative and instructional resources found on this website. It is well worth your time to peruse and discover all that Partnership for 21st Century Skills has to offer.

Using Blogs Safely in the Classroom

Blogging has so much potential to be used in the classroom. I can use this powerful tool to share information with parents and students. I can communicate assignments, share daily classroom activities and provide links to other sites that will enable my students to explore and learn outside the classroom.

The virtual world of the internet has opened up so many windows of learning opportunities for our students today. They are able to learn from so any different sources, some reliable and others not. Students are able to learn about any subject they are interested in just by typing into a search engine, like Google, NetTrekker, or Quintura. How reliable or safe are these sites? I suspect that Google is probably the most widely used search engine. But I have "Googled" words or phrases and the search has (sometimes) revealed websites and images that are inappropriate for children, especially young elementary age children. NetTrekker and Quintura have screened websites and when searched, reveal sites that that are age appropriate and information appropriate for students.

I believe that as educators, we need to expand the world of our students, but we also need to monitor the resources that they access for reliable content and age appropriate information.

Begginning Blogging

This is my first blog. I will be blogging about furthering my education by getting my Master Degree at Walden University. With my degree in Integrating technology in the classroom, I want to be able to enhance my teaching skills with technology.