Constructivism in Practice

The learning instructional strategies explored in the course materials/resources this week correlate completely with the principles defined by constructionists. The constructionist learning theory states that “people...learn best when they build an external artifact or something they can share with others” (Laureate Education Inc., 2008). Many of the strategies included a end product created by the students and the teacher simply acting as a facilitator of learning in the classroom. Valuable learning takes place when students are able to show and to apply what they are learning through the creation/building of a tangible artifact; it is only through the application of learning that students understand the relevance of the concepts they are learning. The process of building the artifacts and presenting them to their peers also supports the learning theory we explored last week: cognitivism because students are asked to use what they have learned and develop an end product. (The "cognitivist[s] focus on learning as a mental operation that takes place when information enters through the senses, undergoes mental-manipulation, is stored, and is finally used" (Pitler, 2007, p. 16)).

I am intrigued by Pitler's revisiting of spreadsheets because I am currently reviewing how to graph science data with my students and they are struggling a little. I think it would be a neat idea to have students utilize Excel's spreadsheet graphing capabilities--adding the element of technology and a hands-on approach might make the concept more understandable to my students (especially since they will be "building" graphs on the computers). I am trying explore Excel myself so that I can better instruct my students how to use it; up until recently it was like a foreign language to me, but I am making progress. It is amazing how many tools are at these students' fingertips; everyday I learn something more to make life easier.

I am also a big proponent of PowerPoint creations--which Dr. Orey discussed in the DVD program this week (Laureate Education Inc, 2008). I wrote in my discussion posting about an animation of mitosis that we complete in my seventh grade. It truly is neat to see how much more students learn when they have the freedom of creativity and they are making something hands-on. I am always impressed with my students technological savvy and experience--every student ends up making something completely unique to them--and that aspect helps them remember the concept. I also love how bringing technology into the classroom provides an opportunity for students to teach each other (and me) new things--it helps them develop self-esteem and pride in their work (Laureate Education Inc., 2008).

Resources:
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2008). Constructionist and Constructivist Learning Theories. Baltimore: Author.

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

Cognitivism in Practice

The "cognitivist[s] focus on learning as a mental operation that takes place when information enters through the senses, undergoes mental-manipulation, is stored, and is finally used" (Pitler, 2007, p. 16). The instructional strategies described in the resource this week definitely connect to the principals of the cognitive learning theory. Many of the strategies assist students in activating the proper schema, jogging prior knowledge memories, priming the students for future learning to take place. In particular, I enjoyed the advance organizers, which "...are structures that teachers provide students before a learning activity to help them classify and make sense of content they will encounter" that may be confusing or unorganized in nature (Pitler, 2007, p. 73). I have used multiple forms of advance organizers in my class before, a personal favorite being the K-W-L chart, to activate prior knowledge and spark active discussion amongst my students.

As a science teacher, other strategies I rely heavily on are tables, charts, and graphs as activators. I am also a big proponent of providing students with rubrics prior to a large writing assignment or project. I use the website http://rubistar.4teachers.org/ to assist me in creating quality rubrics for my students. I find that these organizers "help students organize their thoughts around the essential information and gets them thinking about what they know about the topic even before the teacher has fully begun the lessons" (Pitler, 2007, p. 74).

I have also encountered issues with instructing students about how to take adequete, yet concise, notes in class. I usually provide them with most of the notes in handout form, but I remove one main word per line (usually a vocab word) and they are responsible for filling in the blanks. I find that this method engages students because they are listening for the wholes in their notes. I really like the format of the Problem/Solution template in Inspiration from page 128 in the course text. Many of the concepts in my class can fit into that format, and it would benefit the students to use more critical thinking skills while contemplating new concepts (the fill-in-the-blank notes do not develop those skills). I like how the multimeda aspect adds an extra motivation and helps students visualize what they are learning (Laureate Education Inc., 2008). There is truly nothing like intergrating technology into the learning process to inspire kids to do their best.

Resources:
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer).(2009). Cognitive Learning Theories.[Motion Picture]. Bridging Learning Theory, Instruction, and Technology. Baltimore: Author.

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

Behaviorism Applications

Hi Fellow Bloggers,
Honestly, before this course, I knew very little about the behaviorist learning theory, just the basics that I learned during my undergraduate educational psychology classes. Ultimately, I have found that the foundation of my classroom management technique draws from ideas presented by behaviorist—The whole concept of operant conditioning with rewards for appropriate, desired behaviors and punishment for undesirable behaviors in the classroom (Laureate Education Inc., 2008) seems to be a widely accepted practice in the classrooms today. Some of the instructional strategies described in the resources this week aligned with the principle of this theory quite well—many of the resources include activities that provide students with immediate feedback, which is an important component of the theory.

For example, many of the activities available on Classroom.JC-Schools.net are very game-natured. Not only does the game-nature offer immediate feedback but it also stands to motivate students. “Online educational games have an inherent appeal and generate immediate feedback that allows a student, parent and teacher to monitor progress toward mastery” (Pitler, 2007, p. 195). Another great attribute of the resources this week is that even though they seem drill and practice in nature, they offer a fun alternative to the sometimes excrutiatingly boring but much needed extra practice in areas students are lacking skills. Research states that it can take up to twenty-four practice sessions for students to achieve 80% competency with a skill (Pitler, 2007, p. 188), and these available activities offer the necessary repetition to master a skill.

Another issue addressed with the provided instructional strategies is the need to encourage students and build self-efficacy. With the reward system supported in the behaviorist theory and the nature of the activities provided, students will find relatively easy success. “Research shows that the level of belief in self-efficacy plays a strong role in motivation for learning and achievement” (Pitler, 2007, p. 155).The experience of success will encourage students to continue working and improving in their weak areas—effort and motivation will likely improve drastically.

RESOURCES:
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer).(2009). Behaviorist Learning Theory.[Motion Picture]. Bridging Learning Theory, Instruction, and Technology. Baltimore: Author.

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