Module 6 Responses
Vida Martin
Tiffany Harrell
Friday, May 25, 2012
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Module 6- Heather Rogers
Module 6 Blog Post- Heather Rogers
Reflecting on these questions, for your final Blog Post this quarter, write a 2-paragraph statement on your philosophy of learning. What do you believe is critical and non-negotiable in teaching and learning? Support your ideas using the learning and instructional theories you embrace as a part of your personal theory of learning.
Although there are many differences between online and face to face learning environments, both have advantages and can be utilized to meet the needs of diverse learners. Technology has had a monumental impact on the way I personally learn. There have been times that I am uncertain about a topic in a course or how to complete a technology based assignment, and with the internet I have been able to in many ways, teach myself how to use the technological tools. Technology allows you to interact more easily with other teachers with diverse backgrounds that, ten years ago, you would not have gotten to interact with. In a face to face learning environment, I feel that the students are more reliant on the instructor, however the interaction with the instructor and colleagues enables you to receive direct and immediate conversation and collaboration, where as in an online learning environment, the interaction is not immediate. I feel there are pros and cons in both educational settings; right now, with a full time job and other obligations, the online setting benefits my learning style most.
Technology has become a part of every lesson I teach and with interactive white boards, lap tops, iPads and iTouches I feel that there should be no reason for technology not to be used daily. Technology allows students to interact and create in ways that show their creativity and address their individual learning styles. Everyone is capable of learning regardless of their academic abilities or disabilities. I feel it is my job to create learning experiences for students that relate to their learning styles, interests, and to the real world. When students see connections and see the answer to the often asked question, “why do we have to know this?” learning becomes more enjoyable for not only the students, but for myself as well. The connectivist theory allows students to connect with and learn from their environment around them as well as with their peers (Driscoll, 2005).
The constructivist theory allows students to learning through problem based situations. The learning should be based around the students, but should also be guided by the instructor. This theory enables students to explore learning content rather than having the teacher deliver the material. I have changes the way in which I teach some content areas. I have allowed students to solve problems on their own through trial and error and through collaboration. The motivation of students my students and their willingness to apply what they know have drastically increased. Despite the age or abilities of the students, I feel it is imperative to allow them to explore learning on their own (Driscoll, 2005).
References
Driscoll, M. P. (2005). Psychology of learning for instruction (3rd ed.). Boston, MA
Additional Resources
Learning theories and the transfer of learning
Innovative learning- this site provides links to make online resources that give tips on incorporating technology in learning.
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Module 5 Responses
Tiffany Harrell - http://tiffanyharrell.blogspot.com/2012/05/educ-7105-module-5-blog-post.html?showComment=1336859688295#c6253304778588933579
Valenta Wade- http://raivynsmom.wordpress.com/
Valenta Wade- http://raivynsmom.wordpress.com/
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Module 5 Post- Heather Rogers
Module 5 Post- Heather Rogers
Success is driven by motivation and the willingness to try things that are not familiar. The ARCS, as stated by Keller outlines four components that should be addressed when motivating learners: attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction (Driscoll, 2005). By following this outline learners are able to become more familiar and more motivated to incorporate new technologies into their learning environment.
There have been many situations that I have seen in my school where colleagues are not willing and/or able to use new technology for fear that it will not be successful either personally or with their students. In one particular case our school was implementing strategies to improve literacy skills across all grades. One of the components that were added was digital storytelling. This technology allows students to build technological, reading, writing, and speaking skills. I held multiple training seminars on digital storytelling where I taught the teachers all the components and steps to build a digital story. This was not something that any of the teachers have used in their classrooms prior and there was a great deal of push back. The teachers were concerned that they would not have time to teach and have the students build a digital story. Overall the attitudes were not receptive. Many teachers decided immediately that this was not for them or their classrooms prior to them even trying the new technology.
After three training sessions and having worked through the program, the teacher’s attitudes began to evolve. I showed them endless resources and support online that they can use as references as well as showed them examples of digital stories from many grade levels to display the range of difficulty. They were more willing to try new aspects of digital storytelling and seemed more open minded once they saw how easy it can be and how it can be used in every content area and in every grade. Overall, there was still apprehension, but with continual support the teachers became more comfortable with the idea of incorporating digital storytelling into their classroom at some point during the year.
References
Driscoll, M. P. (2005). Psychology of learning for instruction (3rd ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
Additional Resources:
Example of a digital story that was made by a middle school student on the Chisholm Trail.
College of Houston- Educational Uses for Digital Storytelling
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Module 4- Heather Rogers
Module 4 Response- Heather Rogers
- How has your network changed the way you learn?
As Siemens (2006) stated, learning occurs when networks are created. My network is comprised of four main categories, personal, social, professional and educational. All sub topics, as shown, can be related to many categories. With this overlap I am able to develop knowledge that supports aspects of my professional and personal life. Through conversations and shared information, I am not only able to expand my expertise, but I am able to share it with colleagues and in the end apply it in my classroom. The world of education is ever changing technology, and it is often difficult to remain current; with the use of networks and technological tools it becomes a daily event. I frequently read news articles and blog posts that are posted on educational topics. This allows me to see view points and topics from other educators (Siemens, 2004).
- Which digital tools best facilitate learning for you?
Web 2.0 are tools I feel best facilitate personal learning. I am able to connect with other educators to seek opinions or support on content I currently teach. I am also able to locate educational research that provides support on issues or topics I am dealing with in my classroom. The online course in which I am currently taking and ones I have taken previously allows me to connect with educators in various parts of the world. Through these connections I am able to gain point of views that may vary from my own and gives me ideas or support that I may not have thought of on my own.
- How do you learn new knowledge when you have questions?
The first place I begin when seeking educational knowledge are scholarly articles or websites. Most of the strategies and information are research based and often supported by studies. I am confident the information is reliable and applicable to my field. If I were seeking general information I would use the internet. There are endless amounts of search engines, websites, blogs, wikis etc. that provide information on all topics. I am, however, careful as to where the information is derived.
References
Siemens, G. (2004). Connectivism: A learning theory for the digital age. Retrieved from http://elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm
Siemens, G. (2006). Knowing knowledge. Retrieved from http://www.lulu.com/.
Additional Resources
Cool Cat Teacher- this is a great blog site that provides great information and opinions on many educational topics.
2 Cents Worth- Another great educational blog. This blog includes a range of educational topics
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Module 3 Responses
Valenta Wade
http://raivynsmom.wordpress.com/
Tiffany Harrell
http://tiffanyharrell.blogspot.com/
http://raivynsmom.wordpress.com/
Tiffany Harrell
http://tiffanyharrell.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Module 3 Post- Heather Rogers
Module 3 Blog Post- Heather Rogers
Do you believe that humans have a basic instinct to “interact and work as a group,” as Rheingold proposed in his discussion of the evolution of Wikipedia as a collectively developed encyclopedia?
Humans by nature are social beings; all the way back to early civilizations humans worked collaboratively to create, build and hunt as a way of survival. In today’s society, technology should make collaboration among people more successful; however I feel that universal collaboration depends on the people who are collaborating. All humans are capable and are able, but I see many that simply do not work successfully, for a number of reasons, with others or feel they work better on their own.
I see Rheingold’s (2008) point about Wikipedia being an example of widespread collaboration; however I have always been taught that this is not a reliable source and it not acknowledged by colleges as a reliable source over and over. I feel this is a confusing message to send out.
How can technology facilitate collaboration among learners based on constructivist principles?
Currently in my classroom there are a variety of methods that are incorporated to promote collaboration. My students frequently use blogs and wikis to communicate and share information for school projects. My students are still fairly young and of all the collaborative technology these have been the most successful. These tools allow students to work socially and collaboratively to gain knowledge for a given goal. Outside of the school setting many students choose to use other social media networks to communicate and collaborate. These sites are not allowed in the classroom, but I constantly see positive aspects of my students interacting with their peers through social networking.
Find a current research study that has been conducted in the last 5 years that supports collaboration as an effective tool for learning. Include the link and reference for this study in your blog.
I came across these articles in a previous course and the information in the journals shows how wikis are used to promote and evaluate collaboration in groups.
Trentin, G. G. (2009). Using a Wiki to Evaluate Individual Contribution to a Collaborative Learning Project. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 25(1), 43-55. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
Allsop, Y. (2011). Does Collaboration Occur when Children Are Learning with the Support of a Wiki?. Turkish Online Journal Of Educational Technology - TOJET, 10(4), 130-137.
Additional Information- There is much information about humans being social beings. See the links below for additional articles that support this.
The Anthropology of Belonging: The need for Social Inclusion.
Humans as Social Creatures
Friday, March 30, 2012
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
MODULE 2 - Heather Rogers
Conversations in blogs about cognitivism and learning theories in general are abundant. The two conversations linked below are examples of fascinating discussions in 2007 on cognitivism and behaviorism among three important thinkers: Bill Kerr, Stephen Downes, and Karl Kapp. While the discussions are several years old, the issues and questions they raise are still relevant today. Read these two blog posts, and then form a response to post in your own blog. Be sure to link to these posts in your blog and add tags for “learning theory” and “cognitivism,” along with any other topics you explore.
After reading the conversations on both blogs by Kerr, Downes and Kapp, all three theorists hold and argue valid points about learning theories. Even though these theories are dated, they still hold true are remain relevant in 21st century learning and as these theories, and possibly new theories expose how people learn, researchers and educators will gain a deeper understanding of the individuals learning process (Kerr, 2007).
Of all three points of view, I feel that Kerr makes the most valid statements about learning theories; he argues that the basis of superior educational instruction is formed around that basis that components from all learning theories are imperative to address the individual learner (Kerr, 2007). Kapp also shares a similar view, we must consider the fact that all learners are not equal, and therefore we must take necessary components from some or all the learning theories to best address the individuals learning style (Kapp, 2007).
In the conversation, Downes and Kerr (2007) made points about cognitivism in relation to the idea that learning occurs internally and through social interactions. However, there was a counter argument that I felt did not coincide with this argument; Downes stated how minds are similar to computers. I agreed with Kerr, to an extent, in which minds are not like computers. I feel the mind is similar to a computer; however I feel it is more complex in the way it can store and retrieve information and memories. However, with advances in technology, it could very well supersede how the mind works.
I feel that even though many still carp on the behaviorist ideals for not considering what occurs in the mind during learning, however I feel that the idea of actions and rewards are still relevant and important to learning. No matter the theory or theories we use we must ensure our selection meet the needs of all learners.
The following links provide great information about the learning theories and education, both traditonal teaching and educational technology.
References
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.htmlKapp, 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/
Friday, March 16, 2012
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
MODULE 1 - Heather Rogers
Critique Siemens’s “metaphors of educators.” Which of these metaphors best describes the role you believe an instructor should take in a digital classroom or workplace? Is there a better metaphor to reflect your view of the role of instructors?
Upon reflecting on the metaphors given by Siemens (2008), educator as a concierge and educator as a curator, I openly accept the meaning behind the two and feel these are superior metaphors for educators both in the traditional and online learning environment. The role of the educator should “guide students toward understanding” and allow the students to explore presented content in the best way that will allow them to acquire lasting knowledge (Driscoll, 2005, pg. 22). The educator in terms of a concierge and a curator refers to the teacher’s ability and willingness to direct the students to learning opportunities and resources; the teacher must also possess the tools to provide students with relevant information that is engaging and applicable to the student, but at the same time allows the students to explore learning concepts that best suits their learning styles and abilities. I feel that these qualities are imperative to possess in the online learning environment to allow students the flexibility to take responsibility for their learning experience. As Siemens stated, “students are not limited to learning based solely on the expertise of the instructor” (2008, pg 15). Students that participate in the learning environment tend to gain a large amount of expertise from their peers through collaboration and discussions.
There was one metaphor that I did not totally support based on the term used, educator as a master artist. I feel the term “master” means an individual is superior in the field. As a teacher I feel that the world of education is ever changing and evolving to adapt to the changes in our society; therefore the educator’s expertise must evolve with these changes to better their teaching practice.
Additional Resources:
This blog addressed the same question, but brought about a variety of thoughts that different from my own. It is interesting to see how other perceive the role of the online educator in terms of these metaphors.
This short presentation was taken from Siemens presentation on the teacher as the curator. It provides information about how the teacher can be a curator in the online environment.
This blog gives insight to how teachers are curators as well as provides examples of how to be a curator in the learning environment.
References
Driscoll, M. P. (2005). Psychology of learning for instruction (3rd ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education.
Siemens, G. (2008, January 27). Learning and knowing in networks: Changing roles for educators and designers. Paper presented to ITFORUM. Retrieved from http://it.coe.uga.edu/itforum/Paper105/Siemens.pdf%20
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