Roxanne
Sara
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Module 6 Blog
Module 6 Blog
When I first started teaching we had very little technology to use in our classroom. I remember when I was happy to get a computer and a laser disc player. Technology has come a long way and so has my use for using it. I sometimes feel lost if I do not have the technology I feel I need. Last year the school I was teaching in had all the technology I could want, but since I have changed to the middle school, I have had a hard time getting the technology to work. I feel lost without technology. In the last four years technology has become a big part of my professional life. I have also gotten to the point technology is important in my education. At one time I had to go to college and have the face-to-face learning, but as technology has evolved so have I. I believe everyone can learn this includes me, but we all learn in a different way. Once I graduated from college I never wanted to go back to college unless it was online. When I work online I put more or my time into my education. I did learn in a face-to –face environment, but one thing I can say I do not remember much about the face to face classes, except I did not want to be in them. When it comes to my online learning I feel as if I take in so much more information and I can retain what I learn because I am always using it.
I believe everyone can learn, but in saying this I also believe everyone learns in a different way. Yes, we do have some who have a better learning experience in a face-to-face classroom, but as the use of technology evolves so will the way in which we learn. Every day I hear the students do not learn the same way in which I did as students, and maybe it is true. Why? Is it because we have new learning theories such as Connectivism? Maybe so, but all learning theories are important, from Skinner to Siemens, we just have to find the one that fits us best.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Module 5 Blog
I have a very dear friend who did not know how to use the Smartboard. We had training after school one day and she told me she was too old to stay after school for the training. I knew the principal was checking around the room to see who did not stay. The next day I went down to Debbie’s room and told her that the principal was checking to see who stayed for the training and who did not. I also told Debbie I would teach her everything she needed to know. At first she did not want to try to learn how to use the Smartboard, but then as I started showing her how to use it and she started using it she loved it. Within a week of showing Debbie how to use the Smartboard she had finally learned how to use it completely by herself. The worse part of all of this the principal came into her classroom two days after Debbie did not stay for the training to make sure Debbie knew how to use this new technology. The principal was going to make sure everyone in the building learned how to use a Smartboard. Debbie was so glad I have showed her how to use the Smartboard that she started using the Smartboard every day.
As for the ARCS, by Driscoll, A is for Attention, R is for Relevance, C is for confidence and S is for Satisfaction, by using this information, (Driscoll, 2005) I knew Debbie did not understand how to use the Smartboard, but once I got her attention and got her involved in the learning of using the Smartboard she fell in love with it. Next, Debbie saw the relevance of using the Smartboard, because the students looked so much better when she was using it. It took Debbie awhile to build up her confidence, but by the end of the school year she knew how to use it almost as well as I did. Once she had learned how to use the Smartboard she became satisfied with herself and the principal was very happen with her. With all of this the students started enjoying the class and loved to work on the Smartboard.
Reference
Driscoll, M. P. (2005).
Psychology of learning for instruction (3rd ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson
Education, Inc.
Psychology of learning for instruction (3rd ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson
Education, Inc.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Module 4
- How has your network changed the way you learn?
I sometimes wonder how I ever made it without the many different networks I have today. I use to read a book to learn everything I wanted to know. I remember when I was 15 years old; I lived in Norfolk, VA. I did not do anything by stay at home. I wanted to know what was going on in the world, or I wanted to know just about anything, so my husband had purchased a set of encyclopedias, and I would read them all the time. Oh how life has changed. I now have my network. I love the internet. I did not know much about the internet when I first signed up for it, which was in 1995, by I learned very fast. I had finally found a way to learn about anything I wanted to learn about. If I was watching a show on television about Lady Jane, I could run to the computer and type her name on the computer and pull up information about her. One thing I have to say the internet has changed a lot since I first started using it. There are so many different ways to find out the information you want to know. Instead of just having the web to use for research, you can also research journals, newspapers, and magazines just by one little simple device.
Which digital tools best facilitate learning for you?
The digital tools that facilitate learning for me the most are; computers, internet, and iPad, with these devices, I can use the web to research any type of information I want. I do not use an iPhone, but one day I hope to get one, so I can use it for much more needed information. In addition, I also feel wikis, blogs, adobe, and Microsoft Office facilitate learning for myself as well as my students.
- How do you learn new knowledge when you have questions?
If I have questions in which I want the answer to, I go stay to the internet. I know if I cannot find it on the internet, then I cannot find it anywhere. The search engine I use most of the time is Google. I started using this search engine a few years ago, because it had everything I was looking for in a search engine.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Module 3 Collaboration
Module 3 Collaboration
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?
Yes, I believe humans do have the natural instinct to work together in groups, but if the instinct is not cultured and nurtured. Then I also feel they can lose that instinct. I feel this is the same instinct mothers and fathers have for their children. I also feel if a human hears a baby crying they have the instinct to go and see what is wrong. If the child needs help everyone will work together to help the child. In addition, how many times have you heard of a wreck and a stranger saving the life of the person in the car? There are so many times we hear of people working together for the common good of America and other countries. So yes, humans do have a basic instinct to interact and work as a group.
I remember many years ago when a child fell down a well, baby Jessica. How many people worked together to save this child? We were all glad the child survived. This is just one example of the instinct of humans. This past year we had tornados in Virginia, and people came from all over the country to help the people, so I say one more time, yes we as humans do have the instinct to work as a group.
How can technology facilitate collaboration among learners based on constructivist principles?
The way technology can facilitate collaboration among learners based on constructivist principles is through wikis, blogs, Skype, discussion boards and google docs. By using these types of programs students and peers can collaborate on assignment, as well as edit their peer’s assignment. In addition, by using blogs, learners can get a better understanding of topics they might not understand as well as give their opinion on what they are learning or on something they know about.
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.
This article is taken from Eric using Walden Library.
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.
http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=bf63e60a-1feb-4bbc-b9c3-a73e5364c53a%40sessionmgr10&vid=8&hid=19
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Module 2 Learning Theories
I remember a statement that was made to me when I was in college, we are born knowing how to eat, sleep, cry and use the bathroom. We are nothing but animals. We need to be taught to be civilized; we are the only mammal upon this earth that can be educated. With this said I believe all learning theories are important. How was the first man educated? Which learning theory was the best one for him? Can we all learn? This is where the learning theories come into play.
I agree with Kerr, when he stated –isms (learning theories) “They evolve; they listen to criticism and move on” (Kerr, 2007). The first human learned by doing, but how did he learn to read and write? This is where the learning theories come into play. We have different theories that explain the learning process, but as Kerr also noted they do not stand alone. As we evolve so must our learning change, in order to explain this we need to have different theories. I also agree the behaviorism had its place in time and to this day the education system still uses a tremendous amount of the behaviorism programs in our curriculums. The education system is just now starting to make a big change, they have finally realized just like Kerr that all theories need to come into play.
Karp also agrees with Kerr that we need to take all learning theories into play, because not everyone learns the same. I also agree with Karp, “Cognitivism doesn’t explain 100% how humans process information and neither does Constructivism or Behaviorism” (Karp, 2007). Karp talks about the “lower cognitive” which he feels requires the behaviorist approach; I could not agree more, with this statement. We are told to teach our students their multiplication tables, how do you learn multiplication tables, except to memorize them. Yes, students need to know the process behind multiplication, and once they see the tables 100 times they might recognize them, through memorizing them. I also agree with Karp on the creativity in part of the Constructivism theory.
In conclusion, I agree with Kerr and Karp, all theories need to come into play, because we do not all learn alike. I also agree will are not computers, and we cannot be programmed like a computer, we make the computers and we program them. A computer is not human and it only knows the information we put into it.
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.html
Kapp, 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/
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Module 1 Blog
People have many different methods of learning and all are unique and different. Methods of learning are as simple as memorization techniques. I believe people learn best by means that are comfortable to them and easiest for them to comprehend. What is easy for one person to do may not be as easy for another person to do and this is why I stress everyone learns in different ways. Learning is something for most people is something that is acquired over time and with trial and error. For example, a teenage may cram the night before an exam and fails it horribly and then the next time they may study a few hours each night and pass with flying colors. The learning method used was something that had to be in itself learned in order to see results. Now on the other side the a different teenager may study every single night and still not pass the test but the next week they may cram the night before and pass the exam. They may find that their method of learning comes easier to them if they study hard the night before instead of devoting a couple of hours each night.
The learning theory in educational technology has progressed with the internet and social networking sites such as Skype or Twitter. Also academic sites are offered to students and this is giving them more outlet to form pages, work on math problems, and get answer to questions from the online community. Also with the advancement of technology in education, we are seeing more and more classrooms using computers, IPads, and even Smartphone’s in order to help the student to learn in a more efficient way. Siemens, believes that the classroom needs to be sit up in a collaborating learning environment and this also inclues the digital classes(Siemens, 2008). The every changing world of technology has given students and teachers access to the world and with this comes communication from every country. A student may have a question on a particular event in history that took place in Russia, well with technological education that student is able to use online resources such as libraries, or they may even be able to teleconference a teacher in from a Russian classroom in order to get their perspective. Methods of learning are expanding with technology and with this a person’s way of learning is also be alternated.
Reference
Siemens, G. (2008). 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
Reference
Siemens, G. (2008). 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
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