Instruction Thru Constrution

     One of the first lessons I received as a teacher from my mentor during student teaching was that "you never know what you have learned until you have to teach it."  My mentor teacher was reminding me that I may have to go back and re-learn a thing or two before giving a lesson while simultaneously suggesting that when students present information to the class they have to learn it on a far deeper level then when they simply answer questions from the teacher.
     This week we read about a series of websites and ideas for using technology to achieve learning through a constructivists theory.  In essence, when students learn they have to either incorporate the new material into their world view or alter their world view to fit this new concept.  A number of the ideas appear to be have great possibilities for learning when applied to this method of thought.
     While reading the course text I could not stop myself from going to several of the websites to find out more about them than provided in the book, many for my personal entertainment more than professional gain.  (Unfortunately, as an 8th grade Civics teacher, there were not really any websites named that screamed, "You can use me next week!" in the text.)  www.history-making.com was one of those, I got sucked into the download and lost almost an hour of my life moving troops around France.  www.ciconline.org/windward and meted.ucar.edu/hurrican/strike/index.htm were two others that caught my eye, as a junior meteorologist, if only in my head.  All three of these websites allow for students to interact with the world in a realistic way.  They appear to be fun and educational at the same time.  By using strategies such as these we can "trick" students into learning and liking it.  The spreadsheet software applications discussed in the chapter also have great ways of allowing students to test out what they think they have learned to find out whether or not they have got it correctly.
     The basic ideas behind it are sound - if students can interact with the content and apply the content, they will have developed a better understanding of the material.  Constructing a PowerPoint is another example of this line of thought.  Students have to take the information they have learned, or find new information on a topic, and assimilate it into a presentation format.  It adds in pictures and potentially sound so add layers to the learning (going back to cognitive learning theory as well).

Concerning Cognitive Learning

     Simply put, cognitive learning is a theory that learning occurs when connections are made in the mind of a learner.  One remembers things by remembering and making these connections.  We may retain a lot of information, but we need to be able to make connections to that information for it to be used.  This reminds me of the commercials for a search engine on TV right now (I believe its for bing.com) where people start saying random phrases that have one thing that makes them tangentially related to what someone else said.
     All this makes sense when you think back to a time when you knew you knew something but could not quite come up with the answer until a hint was given - POW! instant reconnection of a memory. 
     I was intrigued by the part of this weeks video that talked about how an extra sense adds to the layer of connectivity such as smell.  There are certain smells (like dirty gasoline) that will always transport me back to another moment in time (to my grandfather's tractor shed).  This is cognitive learning.
     The technology resources we began to use last week have some interesting applications for the cognitive learning theorist.  bubbl.us and webspiration are similar methods for displaying graphically a map of connections.  A few months back I was introduced to www.prezi.com and have been enthralled with it ever since (now if I could just get a few hours to complete the two projects I began).  Virtual field trips like the one I am working on to the US Supreme Court at www.oyez.org/ further student understanding by adding a episodic memory contingency.
     Our previous discussion about learning have involved the theory that students need to see new material in multiple ways for it to make it into their long term memory.  Cognitive learning falls right in line with this - the more ways one sees something the more connections one makes, making it easier to remember.

To (Behavior) Mod or not to Mod, that is the Question

Teachers naturally modify behaviors on a constant level, anytime we tell a student to quiet down or tell a student good job on a test, we are modifying their behavior.  Just to what extent we are doing so is a question up for debate.
I believe there is a time and a place for behaviorism in today's classrooms. I think it is important that punishments be used only when necessary as they do tend to have a negative relationship towards learning. Rewards should be used to instill the desired behaviors.
My school has a monthly rewards program for our eighth graders. If I see a student doing something really nice, or going outside of his or her comfort zone for the benefit of someone else, I can recognize them with an award. At the end of the month, the students that have received awards get pizzas for lunch as opposed to the school cafeteria food. Some students will beg and plead to receive one, but I only will give one out if the student is not overtly aware that their actions could involve a reward. I feel rewards should be more instantaneous, but the program has seemed to work effectively thus far.
In the spring I coach Tennis. The basic methodology of coaching is as follows: 1) introduce a new skill 2) practice the skill 3) simulate the skill in a game like situation. I think this general idea works in the classroom as well as on the tennis court. Students need to practice a real life use of the new skill or content that is learned. I believe that with technology in particular, this is an effective strategy. Technology can make it easy to tailor-make learning at a student's difficulty level.
I think a blending of behavior modification with other strategies is important.  Kids will not respond the same way every time a reward/punishment is offered.  If done properly, a well-managed classroom incorporates behavior modification seamlessly and without being overtly noticeable.

Reflecting on Technology's Footprints

Sometimes you just have to buckle your seat belt and enjoy the ride!

·  In what ways has this course helped you to develop your own technology skills as a professional teacher?

            During the course of this class I have furthered my abilities as a teacher who uses technology.  By experimenting with wikis early in the course I have discovered a great way to get a group of students to collaborate for a project even if they cannot physically get together.  Wikis also have a unique organizational style what could lend itself wonderfully for presentations.  Podcasting has the potential to be a stimulating device for individual learning opportunities.  I can picture myself using this in a classroom for an assignment stressing vocabulary.  Blogging has many implications both for learning and for teaching.  It could be used for professional studies or as an online posting of information and experiences for my students.  This course has given me the confidence to push the envelope of technology as a teacher, to demand more from myself and my students.

·  In what ways have you deepened your knowledge of the teaching and learning process?

             Through this course, my teaching now focuses on getting students to think about and apply the content they are learning rather than simply recite it.  If possible, my teaching should be using technology that students may need to use in the real world.  Learning needs to be an engaging activity for the students and it is my job as the teacher to make sure they are actively engaged.  Whether I am using a new technology or not, I must ensure that my students are problem solving and creatively thinking.  Only then can I be sure that meaningful learning has occurred, not simply learning to pass the next test. 

·  In what ways have you changed your perspective from being teacher-centered to learner-centered?

I think the biggest way this course has affected my professional career is the emphasis of making my class a learner centered experience for my students.  Previously I think my classroom was more teacher centered than it was learner centered.  Through this course I have focused on how my teaching has affected the learners in a way that I never expected.  21^st-century learning puts the onus on the teacher to engage the student like never before.  Students need to work collaboratively because that is how most jobs function.  The ability to find solutions and apply content knowledge are some of the skills that students need to start working on at early ages to prepare them for life after standardized tests.

·  In what ways can you continue to expand your knowledge of learning, teaching, and leading with technology with the aim of increasing student achievement?      

            As I move forward with my teaching career I feel it is important that I continue to strive to find new and innovative ways in increase student achievement.  Sometimes this may involve using new technologies, sometimes it may involve using professional blogs to receive different ideas, and sometimes it may involve an old trick.  It is important to note that student achievement and increasing their job skills is the goal, not to incorporate new technologies.  If the technology does not increase one of these two aims, then it probably should not be used by me in my classroom.  Experimentation and monitoring are the key factors – find out what works and how well it works.

·                     Set two long-term goals (within two years) for transforming your classroom environment by which you may have to overcome institutional or systemic obstacles in order to achieve them. How do you plan to accomplish these goals?

My first impulses as this course closes are to try out three projects for my students before the end of this school year, one using each of these new technologies.  This way I can see how they work with groups of students and how they work with my personal style.  In this manner I can work out some of the kinks so that next year I can work towards my goal of having my students use some of element of technology in every unit.

Beyond implementing these technologies in my classroom a second goal for me has to be help others with similar strategies.  Some of this is rooted in self-interest – the more often students use these types of skills the better they will become at using them in my classroom.  But if student achievement is attained through podcasts, wikis, and blogs in my classroom I should be encouraging others to maximize their classroom learning potential as well.  I know I can easily find other teachers in my building at my grade level who would be willing to try new strategies to enhance learning.

·   Refer to your checklist from Week 1. Have any of your answers changed after completing this course?

            I do not believe any of my answers have outright changed from the checklist I completed in Week 1 of this course; however, my desire to change them has been jump started.  I was a pretty normal technology user in my classroom previously, but I believe I can implement it more successfully by what I have learned in this course.  I have more confidence in using certain elements of technology, like wikis, than I had before.  I had not considered using something like blogs for an activity; now it is hard for me to comprehend teaching a unit without using some element of these technologies.

Note:  No Butterfingers were consumed during the writing of this entry, which is almost a miracle.

Students Today and Technology

Students Today and Technology

I recently finished my first podcast and I hope you will take the time to listen. I really enjoyed the experience, I think in a few more tries I will become more adept at executing them to the point where I could do them regularly without much difficulty. This could have some easy teacher benefits such as putting a lecture of mine online for students to listen to at home or on their Ipod as they study for the test. Enjoy!

21st Century Learning

At first when I visited the website Framework for 21st Century Learning I was at first overwhelmed.   There is a lot of information and links to articles and websites that I didn't know where to begin. 
As I began to peel away the layers I discovered there was a method to the madness.  The three R's are standard fare, but the four C's (Critical Thinking and Problem Solving, Collaboration, Communication, and Creativity and Innovation) are something that I could really get my head wrapped around.  What is the purpose of school if not to prepare students for the next step of their lives?  I understand the need for national accountability in the way of testing standards, but I have found that they are not preparing students for actual life, just for the ability to take and pass a test.  (One that in Virginia is based upon at 50% pass rate, but do not get me started on that one.)
There were a large number of links to various businesses that have interest in technology and the ability to aid students in learning technology.  These could prove very useful indeed.  I was interested to find that some states are taking initiative in creating 21st Century standards to promote learning using technology based skills.  My home state of Virginia is not one of those, but I would hope would one day.
Overall I was more overwhelmed with the site than I was able to pull information from it.  I found myself developing a personal Attention Deficit Disorder as I was reading over items - I would click on a link and then hit the back button after a short perusal.  Some of the information looked very worthwhile and worth more in-depth study.

Using a blog for learning

My immediate thoughts for using a blog to enhance learning is that would be more of a resource for students to use at home... to be a virtual textbook as it were.  (Not that my students use a textbook very often, but the metaphor is sound.)  I guess I am thinking of it as a place where a student can get a copy of the notes if they left them at school or find a few links to websites that will their play off their curiosity.  It could simply serve as a reminder message board about due dates and such.
A distinctly different use would be for me as a professional to use it to reflect upon the goings on in my classroom and to encourage feedback from other professionals.  As I teach 8th grade Civics (with the occasional language class for good measure) I could use it to connect with others of the same vein.  (That sounds more like work than fun, however, which dampens my excitement as it enhances my instruction.  Why can't everything be sugar that is dipped in chocolate like a candy bar?)