Posting to Wanda & LaTonya

Due to the difficulties in posting comments to blogs, I am following the example of my classmates and posting my responses here:

Wanda,

I love the way you began with "All tools on deck!" I agree wholeheartedly. I would add one thing - sometimes what works one time won't work another, and vice versa. Motivation and need do play a role in learning, as well. I learn differently today than I did when I was in high school. (mostly because of age...I think! ha!)

Nice post! Thanks!

LaTonya,

I agree - technology provides us with ways to change our teaching to meet the changing needs of our students all the time! With new advances and programs and tools constantly appearing, it can seem overwhelming to many teachers as they struggle to master yesterday's tools. I sometimes wonder if one problem with gaining teacher support with technology integration is the speed...is it too fast for some of them?

Thanks!

Module 6 - Philosophy

How do we learn? This is a question that plagues all who are involved in education. With a wide array of -isms to choose from, it is easy to get lost in the world of learning theory. Throughout my professional and educational career, I have been faced with the question, "What theory of learning do you believe? How do YOU think people learn?"

I tell you, that is not an easy question to answer. In fact, attempting to answer it fully would certainly require more than the two paragraphs I am supposed to write for this assignment. Much more.

Today in education terms are thrown around such as: 21st century learning, differentiation, collaboration, integration. All these terms attempt to provide tools to help teachers teach changing students. Reformers and administrators and educators point to constructivism, cognitivism, behaviorism, multiple intelligences. And they all say "There...that is the one! That is how people learn!" Then comes new research, society changes again, reformers sing different tunes, and politicians use education as a platform to promote their parties.

Here is what I believe. No single theory is correct. No single theory is incorrect. There is something valid and worthwhile in all of them.

In other words, people are different.

No surprise there, I am sure.

If people are different, why assume they all learn in the same way? That makes no sense.

I believe in the hodge-podge learning theory (I made that up myself!). People have different strengths in different areas - as described in multiple intelligence theory. I also believe people learn by doing as constructivist will discuss. People are ready to learn different things at different stages in their lives - Piaget, anyone? But those stages are not necessarily always going to happen in the same order (hello, Bruner!).



As people grow and learn, their needs change - their desires change - their priorities change. As a student in high school, my priority was music and friends. I was motivated to learn the notes and melodies for the instruments I played. I was engaged and interested in things that were intriguing and new. Today, I am motivated to learn about technology and ways to engage my own students. My strengths have shifted to meet my own personal growth and learning. My learning styles have changed as much as my teaching styles.

And, yes, I work to integrate technology. Not necessarily because I think they will learn better...but because I think they will learn. Period. Today, technology is one of the motivators that gets kids engaged and learning. Technology has changed the way I learn - case in point - I am working on my PhD online. Before this program, a PhD was simply a dream...something to add to my list of things to do someday - it was right between touring Europe and flying in a hot air balloon.

With technology I can access a world of information with one click. I can read, watch videos, listen to music, study, visit with friends and colleagues, and connect with people from all over the world. How cool is that? Naturally, it is this excitement I want to bring to my classroom. This is what I want to share with my fellow teachers and my administrators.

I am a lifelong learner. My theory of learning is that we are all lifelong learners. How we learn changes with our motivation, our needs, our moods, our interests, our abilities, and our teachers.

I learn math best with pictures. I learn literature by simply reading the words. I hear a song and can remember it. I cook by sense of smell...how much oregano? I know because it "smells right". I learn writing by doing it. I learn new skills by practicing it. I learned to paint by practicing. I am learning to be a PhD recipient by reading, studying, researching, interacting, questioning, connecting, talking, listening.

There is no single learning theory. With billions of unique people on this planet, it is only logical to conclude that there are a billion different

 "right ways" to learn.

Missing Post

In case anyone was wondering...my post is one of those not restored after the BlogBlackout of 5/14. It's a shame, too. It was really good.

If they are unable to restore it, I will redo it. Sigh.

Just wanted to let you know.

Module 4 Blog responses

I have posted to LaTonya Simmons http://latonyasimmons2.blogspot.com/2011/04/module-4.html?showComment=1304126171183#c627817231614265319

and

Aisha Chadwick http://chadwickeds.blogspot.com/2011/04/module-4-blog.html?showComment=1304126426981#c3754479469234568869

Connectivism

 In reading about connectivism (Siemens, 2006), I saw many of my own students and my own experiences. In today's society, information is all around us. This seems to naturally lead to a new way of thinking about knowledge and connections. In creating my own map, I was interested to note how many ways I have of keeping in contact with the various people and organizations I am involved with.

Each of the connections in my map provide me with various tools for learning and knowing. I have, through these resources, a world of knowledge - literally - at my fingertips. With Skype, I can connect with classmates who are on the other side of the world. I can visit with family and friends. I can connect with my instructors. The libraries - both online and in a traditional brick-and-mortar setting - provide me with research and articles from all points of view.

Connectivism is more than just connecting with others....it is also collaborating.

More than just collaborating, connectivism is recognizing the importance of using the

tools at hand to engage our students.



My own network has changed the way I learn. I used to believe that online learning was not realistic and would not be as demanding as a traditional university setting. I am learning the opposite. As I sit here before the computer, I am learning more than I would if I were sitting in front of a professor - along with 40 other students - taking notes. Here, I can ask questions and look up the answers immediately. I connect with more people from more walks of life than I would in a traditional setting.

Using Skype to connect with my classmates and instructors offers the opportunity to bounce ideas around. The online universities let me keep my own hours, rather than those posted in the regular libraries. Blogging allows me to express my ideas and through this expression I can make sense of what I am learning. I learn best when I can connect with others and gain insight through their eyes. When I have questions, I can begin immediately - Google Scholar, online libraries, and ebooks provide me with resources immediately.

The best part is, as I seek answers to my questions, I find more questions. I see new connections and gain more understanding.

 Learning digitally has opened up new knowledge

I might otherwise not have had access to.

The way I read - ebooks, online, and print - has changed. The way I learn is new. What I do with what I have learned is completely different from what I did in the past. I am no longer content to let the professors (much as I admire and respect them) tell me what to think. I now expect them to ask me more questions and encourage me to think for myself. I am no longer a student of known facts - I am now a student of learning.....as much as I can.


Reference:

Siemens, G. (2006) Knowing knowledge. Copyright 2006 by George Siemens.

Module 3 blog responses

I have responded to:

Wanda Ardoin-Bailey http://educ-7105.blogspot.com/2011/04/collaboration.html?showComment=1303010067661#c3525532974779767072

Christine Rand http://walden-crand.blogspot.com/2011/04/module-3-collaboration.html?showComment=1303010714103#c7613150442903053753

Collaboration

According to Rheingold (2008), advances have been made throughout human history thanks to the human ability to collaborate. People working together to create new solutions and inventions have taken us from the discovery of fire to the creation of collaborative programming in which people from all over the world work together to solve problems, share ideas, and generate new knowledge.

I believe people - especially in today's society - are naturally social creatures who thrive on interaction. Imagine a couple of people sitting around drinking coffee. One of them says, "You know, this cream and sugar is pretty good. I wonder what would happen if I added a touch of vanilla?" A discussion ensues, possibilities mentioned, and finally they decide, "Why not?" and give it a try. Then chocolate, hazelnut, pecan, caramel, and so on. Flavored coffee beans...then flavored creamer...and now the cup of coffee on my desk with "Almond Joy" flavored creamer I enjoy. Did it happen that way? I truly do not know, but I imagine that the idea of flavored coffee creamer, like many great ideas, happened in just that way. People sitting together, talking things out, trying different things, and then realizing what a great idea they have.

In the following video by Eggers (2008), his very successful tutoring program began in that way. A group of friends were discussing education, and his teacher friends' frustration and lack of help led to an amazing system of tutoring centers all across the country.

Time and again people have shown their amazing capacity to create when they work together. Technology provides many opportunities to enable people to create more than they ever have before.

Through collaborative software, such as wikis and Googledocs, individuals are able to collaborate no matter what part of the world they are in, or what field they are in. Communications software like Skype allows people to visit live and even see each other in video if they wish. Now, not only can they share ideas, documents, images, and video - but they can see and talk to the other people. If people are social animals, as I believe they are, then this opens up so many more opportunities for us to work together. According to constructivist principles, environment and social interaction are key factors in learning. In today's technology rich world, our environment has changed, but the need to interact with others has not. 

Matthew, Felvegi, and Callaway (2009) conducted research in the form of a case study in an effort to see how the collaboration through a wiki could enhance the learning experience. What they found lends support to the claim that collaboration adds depth and understanding to the concepts being taught. When a learner is solitary, it was found that the assignments and readings were meaningless to most. However, when the students became engaged in sharing and discussing ideas on the wiki, their understanding deepened, their curiousity and desire to find new information grew, and learning was enhanced.

Being able to bounce ideas off others is a key factor in learning.
When my students are in the classroom, I make sure they have the opportunity to discuss what they are learning. Invariably, they will discover a different viewpoint, or more knowledge of the topic. Now, however, I also have them collaborating in wikis, sharing files and links on Edmodo. Their learning is enriched through the interaction with their peers and with me. The social setting of Edmodo ("Mrs. Moore, this is better than Facebook!") encourages them to interact more, and gives me new insight to their lives. The wiki allows them to create using their favorite thing: technology. Not only are they learning to navigate through the internet and various computer programs, but they are learning to navigate through the world of people and how to communicate effectively.

References

Eggers, D. (2008, February). Dave Eggers' wish: Once upon a school [Video file]. Retrieved from  http://www.ted.com/talks/dave_eggers_makes_his_ted_prize_wish_once_upon_a_school.html

Matthew, K., Felvegi, E., & Callaway, R. (2009). Wiki as a collaborative learning tool in a language arts methods class. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 42(1), 51-72. Retrieved from ProQuest Central. (Document ID: 1980440621)

Rheingold, H. (2008, February). Howard Rheingold on collaboration [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/howard_rheingold_on_collaboration.html

Additional Postings-Module 2

I have posted to the following blogs this week:

LaTonya Simmons http://latonyasimmons2.blogspot.com/2011/03/module-2-posting.html?showComment=1301774319086#c7361950390575181379

Wanda Ardoin-Bailey http://educ-7105.blogspot.com/2011/03/cognitivism-as-learning-theory.html?showComment=1301775039822#c7839728587094195308

and I had a great time doing so!! I also read several others...very interesting reading!!

Christine Moore

Cognitivism as a Learning Theory - Mod 2

Learning Theories...all those _isms

Last time I posted this blog, I was discussing behaviorism. For the past two weeks I have been reading about cognitivism...and various branches of it. I confess to feeling slightly overwhelmed as I worked through the cognitivist theories and explanations. More than once I found myself wondering, is learning truly that complicated? Granted, the human brain is a complex thing that we still do not fully understand. However, I still could not help but find myself in the same boat I am always in during the study of learning theories. I struggle mightily with the notion that any one theory is absolutely correct.

While I believe people learn best by doing, I also believe that sometimes people don't. For example, when my husband is learning new math, all he has to do is see it. He looks at the numbers and it makes sense instantly. On the other hand, math is gibberish to me. I have to practice the new math - over and over - before it begins to make sense to me. It is just the opposite for anything to do with writing and reading. He has to work at it and practice, while for me it just comes naturally.

After struggling with cognitivism for a while, I read the blogs by Kerr (2007) and Kapp (2007). First, I read Kerr's blog in which he said something that made me sit up and cheer. Kerr pointed out that there is not a single _ism that is the only right theory. Rather than pinning all our hopes on one theory, we should use those theories as filters that help us determine how to teach.

Kapp (2007) suggested something similar. While he agrees with Kerr that each theory offers something useful and that no one theory is complete on its own, he goes a bit further to offer a timeline for when different theories would be most applicable. For example, Kapp stated behaviorist theory would be best at the beginning stages of learning. This would be followed by cognitivism and finally constructivism.

I agree with Kapp (2007)...and I don't. I agree that there is not any single learning theory which can cover all types of learning. However, I disagree that we can state outright that one theory is for this stage and the next theory is for that. I would propose, instead, that the different theories are intertwined. In other words, different theories are going to fit each individual at different times according to their needs.

Go back to my example of how I learn math. I am an admitted mathematical dunce. The only way I was able to survive math in school was to drop algebra altogether. Geometry, however, I discovered something I could (literally) handle. I could do geometry - it was concrete, I could see it, touch it, manipulate it. Algebra was a different animal. It was abstract and they kept changing the letters in the formulas. Going back even further, learning the multiplication facts were a challenge for me. To this day, I have to think and count to figure out what 8 x 7 is. Language arts, on the other hand, was (and still is) my cup of tea. No matter how it was taught, I got it. The first time.

The point is, if we agree that no single theory is enough to cover all aspects of learning, then it stands to reason that we can't provide a pre-determined guide for when to use each theory, either. Sometimes using the behaviorist approach will work, but the next day you may need a cognitivist approach. It will overlap.

In some cases, as seen with Clifford Stoll (below), the connections are all over the place.

Cognitivism, like other learning theories, offers insight for us to begin understanding how people learn. As a teacher, I have used mnemonics, as seen in the photo.

I have seen how "chunking" can help students to recall information. I also know that rote memorization of spelling words for a test does not mean they will spell those same words correctly in a paper. However, is this the only explanation for how people learn? No. Can learning be scheduled so that all little ones learn with behaviorist methods? Once they are past a certain age, can we no longer apply those principals? That seems silly. I would argue that everyone learns in multiple ways - that it depends on the person, the content, and the motivation. I would even suggest that several theories could be found in any one instructional lesson in any classroom.

It is easy to point to an isolated event and say, "Look. That is cognitivism. It must be the right theory." Or behaviorism. Or constructivism. Or any of the _isms. However, I think learning theories are more like a kaleidoscope. They are all pieces of a very complex puzzle and together can create something wonderful.

Kerr, B. (2007, January 1). _isms as filter, not blinker [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://billkerr2.blogspot.com/2007/01/isms-as-filter-not-blinker.html

Kapp, K. (2007, January 2). Out and about: Discussion on educational schools of thought [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://www.kaplaneduneering.com/kappnotes/index.php/2007/01/out-and-about-discussion-on-educational/

Module 1 - whose blogs I've posted to...so far...

So far, I've responded to Lauren Dart ( http://ldart7105blog.blogspot.com/2011/03/week-1-blog-post.html) and Christine Rand (http://walden-crand.blogspot.com/).

Module 1 - whose blogs I've posted to...so far...

So far, I've responded to Lauren Dart and Christine Rand.

Module 1-How do people learn best?

People learn best in various ways. According to Driscoll (2005), learning is defined by several things. First is the changing of an individual's performance. Next is that the change comes as a result of the individual's experience and dealings with others. Determining what experiences and relationships affect learning is the basis of a learning theory.

In my opinion, people learn best by being involved with the process. For example, when I want to teach my students how to access a new program on a computer, I don't give them a handout or show them with a projector and expect them to learn it. I give them the computer, show them, and let them do it. They will learn by doing, then that learning will be firmly acquired for more than a short term when they are actually able to apply the knowledge often and in different ways. Currently, my students are involved in a novel study. Each class has read a different novel with an emphasis on theme, characterization, plot, summary, and mood. They have discussed it, written it, proven it, and now they are applying it through the online projects they are creating. These projects involve collaboration through technology as well as through personal interactions. Before beginning, I determined what it is I wanted them to be able to do. Quite simply, I want them to be able to recognize character traits, identify theme and differentiate between theme and topic. I want them to read - not just what the words say - but the meanings that are deeper and will allow them to transfer this knowledge to other works of literature and texts. I want them to be able to think critically about what they read.

Learning will occur when the information is transformed into knowledge. In other words, when the information is discovered, applied, relevant, and meaningful it will be learned. Learning requires more than just a list of facts, it requires an interaction between the learner and everything else. The teacher should talk less and listen more. The students need the time to process what they have learned through activity and sharing with each other.



Technology can provide a tool for the educational revolution some are declaring we need.

As a tool, technology can help educators find ways to help students be more creative, to think, to plan, to solve problems, to collaborate - all those skills our kids will need in the future (Wagner, 2008).



Learning theory in education can provide a guideline to creating ways to teach with technology and involve students more in their own learning. A strong basis in theory will help the teacher to teach what is needed in the way it is needed. Without theory even the wonders of technology cannot be helpful to the instruction of a student. Theory provides the backbone of instruction. Working to understand how people learn will help us to understand the right way to teach. I believe everyone learns differently. This blending of ideas and tools will create a learning environment that is geared toward the students' needs.



References:

Driscoll, M. P. (2005). Psychology of learning for instruction (3rd ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education.

Wagner, T. (2008) The global achievement gap. New York, NY: Basic Books.

Being...something

Well. Today I kept my word and did something other than "be". I read some of the texts for both my classes, did some laundry, played games with my kids, bought groceries, and thanked heaven that I am still on spring break. I also am now "following" several of my classmates' blogs. I can't wait to see what they have to say. I am truly fortunate to be in a learning community such as this - everyone brings their own experiences and knowledge to the table and that makes it interesting. I enjoy seeing the different points of view - even if mine is the right one. (ha! Just kidding, everyone!)

Now the kids are calming down and so is my husband and me. Our dogs are laying about the room in various positions, mostly resembling carcasses. Except mine - he is snoring loudly.

I won't be far behind.

Tomorrow...more reading, more planning, more games, more housework. Life is good.

I am blessed.

No blank space

Ok. I really am not posting anything earth shattering. No great discoveries, no epiphanies. I simply don't like the blank space on my blog. I know that later I will be posting deep thoughts - or deep something - in response to questions posed by my professor in my EDUC 8845 course. For now, however, I am reading and sorting through quite a lot of information. My other class is EDUC 8112 - also a challenge. Luckily, this is my spring break and in between kids, house, and animals I am able to work on my studies.

Oh, and I'm also working on a painting. And planning for the big project my classes will begin after spring break. We painted one room and rearranged furniture. We will be painting two more before this week is out.

So...I'm feeling a bit scattered at the moment. But things will come together. I am truly fortunate that my family is so supportive.

As you can see, I really am not prepared to discuss my theories of education today. Nor am I anxious to jump into a diatribe on how technology should/could/would be used in the classroom.

For today, just today, I plan to simply......be.

Tomorrow, I will add something on the end of that and be...something.

Cheers!!