When I first considered my personal theory of learning, I highlighted the constructionist theory as the one I most closely identified with. After reflecting on the theories at the conclusion of this class however, I would revise this by adding the social constructionist theory as one I ascribe to. Although each learning theory has its strengths and is relevant for different settings and purposes, I most closely relate to the constructionist theory, with the characteristics of the social constructionist theory evident in my lessons.
I provide opportunities for independent learning as students explore learning centers and create products that deepen their learning based on interest. Additionally, my students work in cooperative learning settings for class projects. As my students work together, they construct meaning of the content by creating original products. Their understanding is deepened through their interactions as they share ideas, thoughts, and questions. Furthermore, they learn the content at a more complex level as they teach it to each other. In fact cooperative learning is an effective instructional strategy as defined by Marzano (Laureate Education Inc., 2008).
There will be some immediate changes effective at the beginning of this school year in regard to my use of technology. Although my students have been using technology such as PowerPoint, websites, and podcasts as learning tools, I have room for growth with my use of the interactive whiteboard. I have been primarily using it as an instructional tool. Although, there are still instances in which this an appropriate use for it, I need to revise lessons to take advantage of the interactive features and provide more time and opportunities for my students to use it as a learning tool.
I have plans to introduce new technology tools to enrich my lessons this year. I look forward to integrating Voice Threads and virtual field trips. Voice Threads is the perfect tool to support a collaborative learning environment. Students will have the opportunity to respond to Voice Threads I introduce, as well as initiate their own to encourage discussion and the exchange of ideas. They will deepen their understanding of lessons and refine their written and oral communication skills as they create posts and respond to classmates’ posts. Virtual field trips are a wonderful tool to provide every student, regardless of background experiences with the content material. These experiences will provide the background to connect their new learning.
I have two long term goals in regard to integrating technology in my classroom. Currently, my students are PowerPoint professionals. They enjoy creating and sharing these to showcase their learning in their independent center studies and I understand they are an effective method for constructing meaning. I would; however, like to introduce additional technology tools to my students to broaden their product choices and meet a variety of learning styles. I plan to highlight different tools by teaching one mini lesson a month and integrating the new tool into a short term project so each student has an opportunity to use them. As they increase their repertoire of technology tools, they will have multiple product possibilities at their fingertips.
My second goal is to be more purposeful in integrating nonlinguistic representations into my lessons and instruction. I plan to model selection of meaningful and relevant images into my lessons and provide practice with this by including a planning component in my rubric for multimedia presentations. I also like the idea shared by Dr. Pickering (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008) of creating a PowerPoint and then having students replace the text with graphics and images that support the main ideas. My students usually include images in their projects, but I recognize now the importance of moving beyond clip art that enhances the presentation to graphics that support the content.
By reflecting on the learning theories presented in this class I realize I identify most closely with constructionist theory, most specifically the social constructionist theory. This class gave a name and educational support to my current practices and taught me how to enhance them. I look forward to incorporating additional technology tools such as Voice Threads and virtual field trips and now know how to evaluate the way in which I am using the technology, as an instructional tool or learning tool. By evaluating my lessons and the ways I am using resources, I can make revisions to use technology more as learning tools where my students are the primary users. As I integrate learning theories, technology and instructional strategies such as cooperative learning and nonlinguistic representations, my students’ learning and understanding can be enhanced.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2008). Bridging Learning Theory, Instruction, and Technology [Educational video]. Baltimore: Marzano, R.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2008). Bridging Learning Theory, Instruction, and Technology [Educational video]. Baltimore: Pickering, D.
Posts
