Sunday, August 8, 2010

Reaction Paper

I believe that discussions are essential to learning. Discussions in an online class are even more important. Online classes lack the face to face interactions and conversations of a traditional class. Online classes depend on discussions to try and supplement these interactions and conversations. I think that learning can be done through online discussions and are beneficial. Online discussions allow everyone an opportunity to give their input and thoughts. In a traditional classroom people who are shy hardly ever participate. They are so nervous about talking and speaking in front of others so they sit quietly, hoping never to be called on. Online classes take away public speaking fears and allow shy, quite people to have a voice. Online discussions also ensure that all students are participating in the required reading. In a traditional classroom some students are tempted to skip the assigned reading in hopes that the teacher will not notice their lack of participation. In an online class all students are required to post meaning that all students have to read. I think online classes and discussions hold students more accountable. Another benefit of online learning is that students have the opportunity to think and reflect about what they want to share with the class. Having the opportunity to sit in front of you computer and type out a response forces students to reflect on the points in the reading that they felt were the most important.



The only negative to online discussions is the lack of interaction between students. Questions, ideas, suggestions, and input all have to be typed and posted. The response time is slow. There are no instant ideas or revelations being made. I do miss that instant input you have in a traditional class. Most people are more willing to share and discuss more in an actual conversation than they are typing on a computer.


I think that critiquing a peers work can be challenging but is important. Every time you critique a person's work, you run the risk of offending them. I think that by the time students are in college and graduate school they are confident enough in their work and are not bothered by the critiques of others. This semester the critiques I have received have really been beneficial. My group members have made great suggestions that I have taken. On the webquest assignment I received several critiques about ways to enhance my student newsletter. The critiques I received were great! My group members gave me suggestions that I would not have thought of on my own.

In order to be succesful at online discussions and an online class there are a few things I have found to be essential. First, the student must understand all of the discussions rules and guidelines. Teachers need to give some direction that they want the discussion to follow. Without this teacher guidance discussions tend to get off topic or become very breif due to students not understanding what to write about. After the student understands the guidelines and due date they must make sure that they read and understand the assigned material. Waiting until the last day to read and post is not a good idea. When students wait to do both the reading and posting on the same day, maximum learning is not achieved. Students are so stressed out about posting on time they do not take the time needed to really reflect on the reading. Taking a online class requires a lot of discipline. A student in an online class must be motivated to finish their work on time without the constant reminder from the teacher. This is my 4th online class and the change from a traditional class to online was tough for me. After 4 classes I finally am becoming more confident in my discussion skills and the skills that are necessary for success in a online course.

Monday, August 2, 2010

Constructivism/ Social Constructivism

I was excited to learn more about these theories because this was the learning theory that I knew the least about. After reading about constructivism and discussing this theory with others in my group, I now feel that I have a better understanding of the two learning theories. Both theories have many similarities. Both theories believe that learning environments should be real world settings, and that authentic tasks, multiple exposures and reflection and crucial elements of learning. All teachers should apply these principles into their classroom. Gaining this knowledge has given me new insight about how to effectively teach my students. As a teacher I need to relate student's learning to their world. Teaching facts from textbooks and worksheets through drill and practice might produce results but this "learning" is fleeting and usually students are not able to transfer what they have learned into other areas of their life. Constructivism requires creativity and effort from the teacher but the excitement and true knowledge students learn is worth it. In thinking about ways to incorporate "real world applications" into my lessons I realized that I can teach measurement using people in our classroom. My students last year had a hard time grasping the concept of measurement most likely due to the fact that I did not relate the topic to them. Measuring pieces of string bored them. Instead, I should have measured the students. By measuring the students we could have had all types of dialogue about what unit of measurement to use (inches vs. centimeters), what method of measurement would work best (ruler vs. yardstick), and what the average height was. This is just one example how I could use the constructivist approach to make learning come alive in my classroom.
Another insight I had from the reading was the idea of social constructivism. Social constructivism is focused on students interacting with each other and the emphasis is placed on the social context of learning. This was a great reminder for me to read because although I do agree that learning should be a social process that involves collaboration, discussions and group work; it can be challenging. The classrooms where social constructivism is taking place are the loud and noisy classrooms. Students are talking, questioning, inquiring and collaborating with each other. Sometimes I will admit that allowing students to work independently is much easier. When students are working independently the classroom is quite and classroom management is simple. Although having students work independently might make the teacher's job easier, it negatively impacts the students. There should never be a silent classroom. These are the "dead" classrooms where learning is being dispensed, not created.
I am excited to start this new year using the principles I have learned about constructivism/social constructivism. I am planning on allowing my students to explore, create, and question. There will be many hands on activities, many manipulatives, and group work. My classroom might be the nosiest on the hallway but at least I know my students are learning!

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Cognitivism

The cognitivist theory is teacher centered theory of learning. The teacher controls what information is learned and how the information is presented. Although the teacher is in control, the student is an active participant in the learning process. The cognitivist theory allows the learner to apply what they have learned. In applying what they learned students are using higher levels of thinking. This is one reason why I feel that the the cognivitist approach to learning is superior to the behaviorist approach. The behaviorist theory merely calls for skill and drill practice. Skill and drill practice requires no higher order thinking and falls under the lowest category of Blooms Taxonomy. The cognivitist approach calls for the student to be actively engaged in the learning process. The students are not creating their own learning but they are using higher level thinking skills to practice and apply the information they just learned. Behaviorists view the learner as an observer, cognitivists view the learner as a participant.

Another central issue of cognitivism is how the brain organizes and processes the new information. Mental process such as thinking, knowing, memory and problem solving are crucial to the cognitivist theory of learning. In the readings and research I have done of the cognitivist theory of learning I came across this analogy: The mind is like a computer, information comes in, the information is processed, and that information leads to certain outcomes.

When reflecting about my own teaching I realize that I use the cognitivist approach on a daily basis. In fact, it would be the main learning theory that I follow. My students are active participants in the learning process but they are learning specific skills that I have selected. Since I teach five and six year olds very rarely are they able to construct their own knowledge. These young children need direction from a teacher. They need to be taught specific skills and then be allowed to participate in activities that reinforce those skills.

Graphic organizers are great materials that facilitate learning that fit into the cognitivist theory of learning. Graphic organizers allow students to comprehend complex issues. The teacher presents big chunks of information to the students. Using graphic organizers students are able to break down big pieces of information and remember it better. I use simple graphic organizers in my room with my students and they love them! We complete them together as a class and I guide the discussion. I prompt students to give me the specific information I am looking for and then that student types the information into the organizer.

I am glad to learn more about the cognivitist approach to learning since it is the theory that is used daily in my classroom.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Behaviorist Reflection

When I first started learning about the behaviorist theory my first thought was negative. To me it seemed like this theory of learning viewed children as animals who could merely be trained through stimulus and response. Students rely on teachers to dispense the knowledge. Children need more than skill an drill practice in order to learn a concept. Skill and drill will help children memorize concepts but in order for children to internalize the concept, active learning must take place. What I do realize now is that the behaviorist view of learning does offer some good and valid points. I have come to this realization through writing my own lesson plan and reviewing the lesson plans written by my group members. In all of the behaviorism lesson that I read, the intended learning outcome was specific and measurable. During behaviorist lessons students are given many chances to review the information taught. When I first heard the words "skill and drill practice" I thought of worksheets. My thoughts on skill and drill practice have now changed. I saw numerous examples of skill and drill practice that did not involve worksheets. Technology is a a wonderful assist when teaching a behaviorist lesson. Technology provides the stimulus and response needed for children to learn and provides it in a motivating way. Through music, graphics, animations and more the computers gets children's attention and motivates them to practice the skills just taught. When reflecting upon the behaviorist theory I realized that I incorporate this type of teaching into my classroom everyday! I will continue applying some of the behaviorist views of learning into my classroom. My future students will continue to practice new skills using their laptops and through group center time worksheets (where feedback is given every 5 minutes). One interesting thing I learned is that behaviorist lessons do not have to be boring. I created a fun behaviorist lesson and read many engaging lessons. Behaviorism allows children multiple exposure and practice to the material being learned. There are numerous fun and engaging ways in incorporate this practice into a classroom.

The most important thing I learned came from the reading and reflection about my own graduate work. Throughout the behaviorist reading another key term that was used a lot was the term immediate feedback. I had heard that term before but never really given it much thought. Children (and adults) want to succeed and be successful. All students want to know if they are correct in understanding the material and being successful. Immediate feedback provides a way for students to internalize their progress. With immediate feedback students are able to self assess if they have mastered the concept of if they need more instruction. It is crucial that teachers provide immediate feedback to their students! Teachers are not the only ones that can provide immediate feedback. Computer websites and software are designed to provide this support as well. Computers will never replace teachers but they can act as a personal tutor. Trying to teach a behaviorist lesson without the aid of technology only makes a teacher's job harder and makes the lesson less effective.

One point that I would like to challenge or question about the behaviorist theory is the lack of higher order thinking skills. When looking at Blooms Taxonomy it seems that the behaviorist view of teaching utilizes mainly the knowledge level of learning. Verbs associated with the knowledge level of learning are: recall, reproduce, recite, identify and tell. All of these verbs can be applied using the skill and drill practice of the behaviorist method of learning. If you look at the apply and analyze levels of learning here are some of verbs mentioned: construct, extend, compare, contrast and research. Following the main principles of the behaviorist view it would be impossible to achieve these higher levels of thinking. As I mentioned before, students merely listen to their teachers dispense the knowledge. Students are not comparing, researching or constructing their own learning. They are learning the information the teacher chooses to give them. Can this be the best way to teach children? I feel that without hand on applications and discovery children will never fully comprehend, understand and internalize the material being taught to them.

Friday, June 4, 2010

First post: this is a test