Connectivism and Social Learning in Practice

Johnson, Johnson, and Stanne state in "Cooperative Learning Methods: A meta-analysis," “when students work in cooperative groups, they make sense of, or construct meaning for, new knowledge by interacting with others” (as citied in Pitler et al, 2007).  Many students are uncomfortable with sharing their thoughts and opinions with others while in the classroom, yet they don’t hesitate to do so when online.  While it is important to teach students about the dangers of posting personal information online, the online forum itself could be a useful cooperative learning tool.  Students are not only familiar with social networking sites, they a comfortable with using them.  Teachers can use this to their advantage to encourage online collaboration with their peers and other members of the community.

Most social networking sites are blocked at our school.   In the past, I’ve had students use templates to create MySpace or Facebook pages historical figures like Gandhi.   They were required to post information about his life, choose friends that Gandhi would approve on based on morals and values, and write blogs or posts about non-violence and India’s fight for independence, and select a song that would represent him.  Students worked in groups to complete this assignment.  They were engaged in the assignment and seemed to learn a great deal about him.  They were also able to make comparisons between Gandhi’s life and their own by comparing the site they created for him with their own personal site. 

While I would say that the assignment was successful, I know it would be even more so if students were actually able to use the real social networking sites to do this.  Unfortunately, most school districts don’t allow students to access these sites.  Like many other forms of technology, the use of social networking sites comes with the possibility that students may misuse them.  Schools should use the technology as an opportunity to teach students how to use the sites appropriately rather than banning them altogether.  Not only could students then use them as learning tools, but they would also be less likely to post sensitive personal information when outside of school.  While these tools can sometimes be a distraction to learning, there are plenty of things in the school environment that can do that.  It doesn’t mean that we should prevent the technology from being used.  School administrators should understand this, as they are often checking their Blackberries or iPhones during meetings. 

Though many schools have yet to welcome them with open arms, social networking tools have the potential to provide students with a familiar forum in which they can collaborate. 

The links and videos below are ideas and strategies for using Facebook in the classroom:

http://www.collegedegree.com/library/college-life/15-facebook-apps-perfect-for-online-education

http://www.onlineuniversities.com/blog/2010/05/100-inspiring-ways-to-use-social-media-in-the-classroom/

 

Resources:

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E.R., Kuhn, M., & Malenowski, K. . (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Ohio Senate Bill 5

Link to my Voicethread

http://voicethread.com/share/1872893/

Generating and Testing Hypotheses in the History Classroom

The term hypothesis is not one that you typically think of when you are teaching a History class.  It reminds me of an old Science lab classroom filled with test tubes, beakers, and an old, sleepy teacher wearing a pocket protector.  Despite this being the memory that I associate with the term, I actually enjoyed Science classes and learned a great deal in them.  One of the reasons for this is because of the hands-on activities, and the projects.  Constructionism, according to Dr. Michael Orey, is the idea that "people learn best when they build an external artifact or something they can share with others” (Laureate Education Inc., 2010).  The Science Fair is a perfect example of this.  Students create an artifact (their display, demonstration, data, etc...) and share it with others.  Applying this idea to other subjects only makes sense.  Not only will it allow students to make a connection to the content and keep them engaged, but it forces them to think critically about the subject matter. 

Historical investigation, as mentioned in Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works by Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenowski, is one of the six tasks teachers can use to help students generate and test hypothesis (2007).  History teachers, and others, may not use the term hypothesis in their classes, but generating and testing their ideas are something that History students have been doing for some time now.  In fact, there is even a National History Day competition which is similar to a Science Fair.  Students are required to come up with a topic that fits the theme for the year and then research primary and secondary sources to support their thesis.  Students in our district participate in the contest at the 8^th grade level.  I am a high school teacher, so I have not had students participate in the contest, but have been a judge for the middle schools.  I’ve always been impressed with the students and can tell that they clearly learn a great deal from this project. 

I found a few examples of student projects on YouTube.  Take a look.  There is also a link for the National History Day website. 

 

                                                 

http://www.nationalhistoryday.org/

Resources:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010). Bridging Learning Theory, Instruction, and Technology. Program Number 7: Constructionist and Constructivist Learning Theories [Webcast]. Baltimore: Author

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E.R., Kuhn, M., & Malenowski, K. . (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kawCcWyNv6o

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRo-lz53_w8

Cognitive Learning and Technology

“Cognitive tools impact student learning by causing them to think about information instead of reproducing and/or recalling information” (Robertson, Elliot, & Robinson, 2007).

One of the main goals we have as educators is to see students apply what they learn in the classroom, in the real world. On numerous occasions, I’ve had students memorize content for a test, and by the next day, they have forgotten it. In the past, I have blamed this on student procrastination, laziness, and general disinterest. I have come to realize that when students are asked to do more than regurgitate what we’ve covered in class, they tend to make connections to the content. In a lesson on the French Revolution, I have had students assume the roles of a person living in France at the time. The clergy and nobles get to sit in seats, order the peasants around, and get treats. The peasants have to sit on the floor and “work” in the fields by reproducing food tokens. It doesn’t take long before students realize why the peasants would want to start a revolution. They are also able to make a connection to the American Revolution and the Bill of Rights.

There are many forms of technology available today that allow educators to create experiences like this for their students. Spreadsheets and word-processing documents allow students to organize information and compile data. Concept-mapping tools, like Inspiration, allow students to make connections to and visualize ideas. (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenowski, 2007). As a Social Studies teacher, the cognitive tool I see having the greatest impact would be virtual field trips. Though it is possible for students to re-enact moments from history, it is often difficult for them to get a feel for the setting. This technology allows students to see exactly where heroic battles were fought, the weapons that were used, and how history was made. This includes both physical and political battles - everything from the American Revolution to the Civil Rights Movement. Virtual field trips allow the students to experience these things for themselves rather than having the teacher talk about the events, making it more likely that students will make a connection to them.  (Laureate Education Inc., 2007).

Resources:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010). Program Number Two: Spotlight on Technology – Virtual Field Trips [Webcast]. Bridging Learning Theory, Instruction, and Technology. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E.R., Kuhn, M., & Malenowski, K. . (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Robertson, B., Elliot, L., & Robinson, D. (2007). Cognitive tools. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved March 18, 2011, from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/

Behaviorist Learning Theory and Technology

The principles of behaviorist learning theory correlate with both of the instructional strategies we explored this week. We've all heard the phrase "you get an A for effort," but very few of our students are familiar with this. In fact, many don't realize that by even trying to attempt an assignment they don't understand, a teacher is going to have a lot more respect for them. Reinforcing effort is one strategy that is mentioned in Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works by Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenowski.  They recommend using spreadsheet software to create an effort rubric or to chart the effort of individual students.  These tools will allow students to see that effort leads to achievement.  They believe that being able to see the results of their effort will get students to permanently change their behavior and make a greater effort in school.  

Another strategy mentioned in the book is using various technology in place of traditional homework and practice assignments.  According to Pitler et al., "technology facilitates homework and practice by providing a  wealth of resources for learning outside of the classroom, making it easy for students to work on collaborative homework assignments and providing 'drill and practice' resources that help students refine their skills" (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenowski, 2007).   Multimedia activities, games, and web resources are engaging and give students instant feedback about their answers.  These types of homework and practice assignments will allow students to make a postitive association with homework as they will be more connected to the material and will see this result in better grades. 

Resources: 

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E.R., Kuhn, M., & Malenowski, K. . (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

BIBLIOGRAPHIC CITATION: Pitler, H., Hubbell, E.R., Kuhn, M., & Malenowski, K. . (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. [NOTE: Italicize "Using technology with classroom instruction that works"] PARENTHETICAL CITATION: (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenowski, 2007)