Reflection

After reading my “Personal Theory of Learning” from Week one of this course I realized I still have the same beliefs with a few additions. Initially I followed the Constructivist model but after learning about Constructionism I think it paints a clearer picture of what I ask my students to do on a regular basis. I also use Behaviorism in my classroom. I feel confident in providing positive reinforcement with my students. I have also implemented the “Effort Rubric” (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn & Malenoski, 2007, p. 157) in my courses. This year many Accounting students were scoring well below average on their assessments. I have not changed anything in my instructional approach. After paying close attention to these students behavior in class and their attention during lectures I realized they were not making the connection between their effort and their performance. It will be interesting to see students make that connection over the course of the semester.

According to Dr. Orey, “The worst instructional approach is lecture approach” (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009). In my accounting courses I use a teacher oriented approach. I use PowerPoint as an instructional tool instead of using it as a learning tool. I need to change that in the near future. One way I would like to implement that change is to use more images in my PowerPoints and less text. By implementing images along with text I can utilize Palvlo’s dual coding hypothesis ( Laureate Education, Inc., 2009).

The first technology tool I would like to implement is VoiceThread. I believe I could implement this technology tool in my Personal Finance class in place of traditional research projects. The same objectives will be met but I believe using the technology will take the project to the next level. I believe students will be more engaged in active learning that is student centered. I have already implemented the Effort Rubric so that students can take responsibility for their own learning. Another technology tool I can implement is concept mapping. I used concept mapping as a teacher oriented instruction tool but I can also use concept mapping as an instructional tool.

The first long-term goal I have to change my instructional approach is to reduce my lecture lessons by twenty-five percent over the next year. This would equal approximately two lessons a month in my three content areas. My second long-term goal is related to the first. I would like to research Moodle to see if I can implement it in my school district. I can accomplish the first goal easier if I can implement Moodle. Currently, I cannot use wikis or blogs in my classes due to district restrictions. If I can find a way to implement Moodle I can use wikis and blogs on Moodle. By accomplishing this I can use more educational technologies in my classes and reduce the amount of lecture lessons that I give. My goal is to research Moodle and get it implemented in my classroom before the end of the school year.

References

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). Cognitive ToolsSection: Experiential Learning. [Motion Picture]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). Technology: Instructional Tool vs. Learning Tool. [Motion Picture]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

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

Cooperative Learning

In some of my business education courses I use cooperative learning which “focuses on having students interact with each other in groups in ways that enhance learning” (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn & Malenoski, 2007, p. 139). I often tell my students that they could be the smartest person in the world but if they cannot work cooperatively with others they do not stand a very good chance of being successful in the business world. Almost every job out there requires people to work together. “To be prepared for the fast-paced, virtual workplace that they will inherit, today’s students need to be able to learn and produce cooperatively” (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn & Malenoski, 2007, p. 139).

I often use informal cooperative learning where I have students, think, pair and share. I will pose a question, students will think of an answer, they will turn to the person next to them and discuss their answers and then I ask a few students to share out with the class as a whole. This often allows students to get different perspectives on the issue.

I have students teach each other mini-lessons in my Business Law class. I use this strategy because students have to work together, be creative, and still cover their assigned content. Students are free to make their presentations any way they choose but I do not allow them to use PowerPoint. Many students just fill the slides with information, read directly off the slides, and they go too fast for any content to be absorbed by the listeners. Some examples students have used instead of PowerPoint are Publisher (to create pamphlets), gameboards, podcasts, and dioramas. In the future I will be excited to show students VoiceThread and all the possibilities it entails.

The one instructional technology tool that I would like to experiment with is Moodle. My district has tight regulations on websites visited by students. Because of these restrictions and rules I cannot create a class wiki or blog. I will be very interested to see if Moodle will allow me to use these other tools and if it is more user-friendly then our district websites we created long ago. Does anyone have experience with Moodle that is willing to share the ups and downs?

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

Voicethread!!

I am very excited to use this new technology. I think it could and should be the next best thing in educational technology. I started by going to VoiceThread and browsing all of the VoiceThreads out there. This is one technology that really can be used with any age level! Here is a VoiceThread that I created for my accounting students. Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

http://voicethread.com/?#u1330905.b1376001.i7294756

Constructionist/Constructivist Learning Theory

In this week’s Learning Resources I learned about the Constructionist theory which closely relates to the Constructivist Learning theory. Constructionism, “requires the learners to construct artifacts reflecting their acquisition of knowledge” (Orey, 2001, p. 5). One element of Constructionism is Learning by Design (LBD). “Learning by Design strongly suggests that tasks should be based on hands-on experience in real-world contexts” (Orey, 2001, p. 6). Luckily in most of my Business Education classes students can see how the concepts and ideas learned directly relate to the real-world. I try to make the content as relevant to their personal lives as possible.

This week I viewed the website VoiceThreads (http://voicethread.com/) where building artifacts can be collaborative, interactive, and interesting. I foresee myself being able to act as a guide on the side while my students create lasting artifacts and are actively engaged in learning. As we begin our journey with VoiceThreads I am growing excited with anticipation on what students will be able to create. At the end of the semester I would like to see students look back at their first VoiceThread and reflect upon all they have learned.

In both Constructionism and Constructivism learners are actively constructing meaning for themselves, but Constructionism is, “a theory of learning that states people learn best when they build an external artifact; something they can share with others” (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009). I often ask my children to create projects and artifacts. In the future I would like to utilize educational technologies to allow my students to create the same artifacts and projects but through the use of technology. I believe learners will much more excited to tackle a project when they can use the computer and really ‘wow’ their audience with the results!

Resources:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). Constructionist and Constructivist Learning Theories. [Motion Picture]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Orey, M.(Ed.). (2001). Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/

Behaviorist Learning Theory – Is there a place for it?

According to Dr. Orey, behaviorism is used every day (Laureate Education Inc., 2009). I know I use it with my own children, with my students and with other adults. This week I viewed specific strategies that correlate with behaviorist learning theory. The first strategy was reinforcing effort. As I looked at a rubric from our text that allowed students to grade their own effort I was impressed. Often my students wonder why they did poorly on an assessment and their resulting answer is some reason beyond their control. When I sit down with them to discuss how much effort they put into the homework they begin to realize they did not sufficiently prepare in order to be successful on the assessment. I plan to implement this rubric hoping my students will be able to honestly grade themselves and chart their effort on homework with the resulting score on an assessment. “The instructional strategy of reinforcing effort enhances students’ understanding of the relationship between effort and achievement by addressing their attitudes and beliefs about learning” (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn & Malenoski, 2007, p. 155).

The second strategy I reviewed related to homework and practice. “As an extension of the classroom, homework provides opportunities for students to deepen their understanding of the content and to gain proficiency with their skills” (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn & Malenoski, 2007, p. 187). Behaviorism is related to observing and measuring human behavior. There is almost always a direct correlation to amount of time spent on homework and assessment scores. Retention rates of information are much higher when delivered in multiple ways. Students that hear information in class once and never visit it again will lose that information quickly. I often use educational technology intertwined with homework practice. For example, in my Computer Applications class students are asked to play one of the interactive games at home as part of their homework assignment. The games are modeled after famous game shows such as Wheel of Fortune and Who Wants to be a Millionaire. The textbooks are kept in the classroom and the games are often asking for definitions. The students come back to class with lists of words they want to look up to achieve mastery on the game. Mastery is not required; the students find the games, relevant, fun and engaging. The point is that the students want to do well, they are enjoying their homework and doing more than is actually required.

In my high school, academic rigor is expected. Students will often spend 4-6 hours after school completing homework assignments. I find this amount to be beyond excessive, is anyone in a similar situation? What do you think is a reasonable amount of homework every night for high school students?

References:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). Behaviorist Learning Theory. [Motion Picture]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

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