I believe that students are active participants in their learning and my personal learning theory remains one that is learner-centered. I pull from many of the learning frameworks so that I can create a learning environment that meets the needs of all my students. My objective is to create lessons that have something for every learning style. Project –based lessons best meet these needs as I can easily incorporate aspects that meet the various learning styles. This course has not altered my personal learning theory; however, it has opened my eyes as to how technology can readily meet the various needs of my students.
I am looking forward to incorporating VoiceThread and Google Earth to create curriculum based projects that promote creativity and critical thinking. With VoiceThread my students can create stories using pictures to create documentaries, narratives, and riddles. Google Earth can be used to create projects that connect to personal journeys, history, literature, and more. These are just two of many technology tools that I will incorporate in my classroom to enhance student learning.
My two long term goals include writing a curriculum that includes a technology learning tool for every lesson I teach. I need to find ways to facilitate student learning with the technology tools that give students opportunities to take an active and authentic role in their learning. To accomplish this I will continue to seek and learn how to use current and new technology tools through professional development and membership in CUE.
My second long term goal is to provide every student in my classroom with a notebook to use for their learning. I hope to accomplish this through grant writing and corporate gifts. I have had success raising funds for other technology tools and hope to continue to seek funding for technology tools annually.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Social Learning in the Classroom
Today in the 21st century, social learning in the classroom has an even greater importance. So many students live in an isolated environment where they have little interaction with peers outside of the classroom. They may live in unsafe neighborhoods which force them to stay inside or close to home, many spend an exorbitant amount of time playing video games and watching television. Therefore it is important that educators provide students with opportunities to interact with other students that enhance their learning (Pitler,et all, 2007).
Cooperative learning is one instructional strategy which implements social learning. This instructional strategy focuses on student interaction in ways that enhance their learning. Cooperative learning groups can be formal, informal, and base. The base groups provide student support throughout a semester or school year. Base groups help students with homework support, tasks, and planning and participating in activities. Technology can provide support for base groups through the use of an application such as Google Calendar. This application can help with organization and collaboration within their group.
Formal groups in cooperative learning teach students how to work together toward a common goal. The students learn how to work interdependently, helping each other to learn and achieve their goal. In the formal group, students develop communication skills, leadership skills, and the process of conflict resolution. Incorporating multimedia projects, using WebQuests, or building a Web site are some ways technology provides support to formal cooperative learning groups.
Students need to have the opportunity to learn in a social setting. As educators, we must continue to seek ways to include this in our classroom planning. Technology provides us with the tools and support to make social learning integration a powerful tool for student learning. As Thomas Friedman notes in The World is Flat (2005), we are living in a time when learning and innovation are increasingly global. To be prepared for the fast-paced, virtual workplace that they will inherit, today’s students need to be able to learn and produce cooperatively (Pitler, et al, 2007).
Cooperative learning is one instructional strategy which implements social learning. This instructional strategy focuses on student interaction in ways that enhance their learning. Cooperative learning groups can be formal, informal, and base. The base groups provide student support throughout a semester or school year. Base groups help students with homework support, tasks, and planning and participating in activities. Technology can provide support for base groups through the use of an application such as Google Calendar. This application can help with organization and collaboration within their group.
Formal groups in cooperative learning teach students how to work together toward a common goal. The students learn how to work interdependently, helping each other to learn and achieve their goal. In the formal group, students develop communication skills, leadership skills, and the process of conflict resolution. Incorporating multimedia projects, using WebQuests, or building a Web site are some ways technology provides support to formal cooperative learning groups.
Students need to have the opportunity to learn in a social setting. As educators, we must continue to seek ways to include this in our classroom planning. Technology provides us with the tools and support to make social learning integration a powerful tool for student learning. As Thomas Friedman notes in The World is Flat (2005), we are living in a time when learning and innovation are increasingly global. To be prepared for the fast-paced, virtual workplace that they will inherit, today’s students need to be able to learn and produce cooperatively (Pitler, et al, 2007).
Saturday, February 6, 2010
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