Reflection: Final Blog Posting for EDUC 6711

Looking back on my personal learning theory as I described it at the beginning of this course, I would say that I have both strengthened and added to that theory. The theory I described at the time was most closely related to that of constructivism which, by definition, states that “learning is not seen as just the product of mental processes; it is an entirely unique product for each individual based on the experiences within which those mental processes occurred” (Lever-Duffy & McDonald, 2008, p. 16). Dr. Orey (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009) reinforced this concept for me when he described that constructionism, an extension of constructivism, is the belief that people learn best when they build some sort of artifact that can be shared with others. A second point I made in my original theory is that learning processes are greatly affected by the emotion attached to them, both positive and negative. After studying the social learning theory in this class, I would add this component to my theory, as it states that human knowledge is constructed mainly through interaction with others and the environment. Interaction with others and the environment are where emotions are generated. This social learning theory is now an important part of my personal learning theory.

One technology tool that I learned about in this course and would like to use immediately is the VoiceThread. My plan is to have each of my students create a document containing a math problem. Each student will then show how to solve the problem using a microphone and the drawing option that allows the student to write on the document while it is displayed. Other students can then respond with comments or questions about the lesson. This idea is appealing to me because I think my students are going to love the social interaction aspect of the technology as well as the fact that they are creating their own artifact to be posted online. Additionally, I believe this is a great example of how students can use a technology tool to practice reciprocal learning as described by Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski (2007). Reciprocal learning requires students to teach lessons to each other. To teach a lesson to others is one of the most powerful ways to gain understanding of the lesson.

A second tool I plan to put to use very soon is the concept map which can be created using free online software applications such as Webspiration (http://www.mywebspiration.com). Concept mapping, a method of graphically organizing information to show how it is related, is something I can do more of in my algebra classes in order to tie units together. In math, it is very easy for students to get caught up in the details of the “how to’s” in single lessons and then forget how that lesson applies to the larger picture. By introducing my own concept maps first, and then guiding students through the process of building their own, they will develop a greater understanding of how their math skills apply to the real world.

One long-term goal I have for improving my instructional practice with regard to technology integration is to get more equipment into the hands of my students. The only way for technology to be effective as a learning tool (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009) rather than as an instructional tool (i.e. used strictly by the teacher) is to make it available to them! My colleague and I are preparing to write a $50,000 technology grant application for a grant designed to help educators purchase the computers and equipment needed to use technology innovatively in their classrooms. Armed with the knowledge I have gained in this and my other Walden courses, I feel confident that we have an excellent chance of being awarded this grant.

My second long-term goal related to technology integration is to share what I have learned with other teachers in our district so that we can collectively begin to improve our students’ learning using the amazing tools we have been exposed to in this course. Recently, a committee to which I belong created a questionnaire designed to gather information from our teachers related to their current knowledge of technology tools. We are preparing to put this survey online so that we can gather data to determine which tools are being used and which ones need to be introduced to our teachers and then included in future professional development sessions.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Bridging learning theory, instruction, and technology. [DVD]. Baltimore: Author.

Lever-Duffy, J. & McDonald, J. (2008). Theoretical foundations (Laureate Education, Inc., custom ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

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

VoiceThreads

Our most recent assignment in EDUC 6711, Bridging Learning Theory, Instruction, and Technology, was to create a VoiceThread. What is a VoiceThread? Well, it is an amazingly easy way to create an online conversation using multimedia. Pictures, documents, or videos are used to create a slideshow, and then comments can be added by anyone from anywhere around the world using a microphone, telephone, text, audio file, or webcam.

Here is the link to my VoiceThread: http://voicethread.com/share/1041433/. In this slideshow, I have shared with viewers one of the problems that was created as a result of losing our high school building to a fire 18 months ago. Feel free to comment -- either in this post or on the VoiceThread!