Three Effective Social Learning Tools

In this week’s resources, I investigated several trending techniques in education that fall under the category of social learning strategies.  With all of the Web 2.0 tools available for classroom use, it would take a pretty thick book to examine each to see if they were indeed social.  So I have picked just three tools that I feel are socially related from the vast array of choices: Multimedia presentations in the form of videos, cooperative websites, and online learning communities.  In each of these strategies, it is important to administer a variety of criteria to group students and to promote interaction and team accountability (Pittler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007).

Making video productions in a fantastic tool to use in today’s classrooms and helps students capture skills that can be carried across curriculums and general interests.  In our current digital age, it is essential knowledge to know the trade of designing and streaming videos.  In fact, videos are quickly replacing other media as the go-to source for quick knowledge and for posting personal ideas. The students can capture and share their learning using I-movies, Camtasia Studio, and other video editing software, and should be formatted according to rubric-formatted guidelines.  This strategy offers multiple social learning aspects including cooperation, collaboration, and behavior modeling.

Cooperative websites are another great social tool that utilize collaboration and teamwork.  Free website applications are now common among stable hosts such as Google or iWeb.  In the creation of these sites, students are gaining valuable exposure to another essential 21^st century skill of designing and showcasing via the Web.  For example, I just had my students begin the design of a Wikispaces page that serves as a host for their notes on the procedures used in algebra 2.  So in formal groups they have been assigned to create a step-by-step process list for each newly acquired skill, and organize them collectively in a social environment.  This practical strategy calls for attention to detail and peer-revisions of notes.

Lastly, online learning communities offer a social network that is similar to Facebook.  These secure neighborhoods provide tremendous opportunities for students to share thoughts in discussion boards or blogs, share resource links, and submit work (Pittler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007).  Some of the more common providers of these online services are Moodle, Blackboard, and MyBigCampus.  This tool is centered around social interactions and if carefully administered, can model anything from professional online etiquette to audience accountability.

References

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD

Constructivist and Constructionist Instructional Strategies

Constructivism in theory is centered on the concept that each unique individual formulates an understanding of objects or ideas based on their personal experiences.  Dr. Michael Orey examines how his mental understanding of a chair is not exactly like my depiction of a chair simply because we have had different experiences with the object (Laureate Education, Inc, 2010).  In my geometry classroom, I may use a problem that involves the construction of a roof truss and picture examples from my prior work in construction.  Students, however, may not have encountered a truss before, and would have a higher degree of difficulty in understanding the problem because the object is foreign.  These differences in our schema regarding the shape may call for more images or hands on activities that embed the idea into their brains.

In relation, constructionism is a learning theory that has students designing their own artifacts, and is an active builder of their own knowledge (Han and Bhattacharya, 2001).  This building can be hands-on or technology oriented and usually revolves around a central theme or problem.  There are a lot of great tools to use in this learning model, and we explored several of them this week.

The first strategy I will examine is problem-based learning.  This approach has countless applications in the classroom, and an important one for this week is WebQuests.  A WebQuest is defined as “a web-based, inquiry-oriented activity through which students examine evidence about a particular topic and then respond to an issue or make a decision from a particular point of view” (Glazer, 2001).  This is a tremendous tool for lessons that have students problem solving and investigating independently or collaboratively.  In any case, the students have a real-world task to explore through a series of resources links and guides to hypothesize and construct their own solutions.  Through active investigation, students will accommodate their finding to any prior knowledge to generate valuable and meaningful solutions.

A valuable constructionist strategy is project-based learning, and it offers immense opportunities for students to build artifacts.  To fully utilize this approach, the process should take numerous lessons and have complex tasks (Han and Bhattacharya, 2001).  Ideally, the end result of this task is an elaborate artifact that showcases the learning that has taken place.  I can remember one example from my middle school years in which I investigated Switzerland in a project called the Festival of Nations.  I created a detailed and colored coordinated map of the country, cooked a recipe from the native culture, designed a cheese pamphlet in Microsoft Publisher, and much more.  I still have many of the artifacts today because they had a lot of personal meaning to me.

 Lastly, generating and testing hypotheses is a great tool in activating prior knowledge and connecting it to real-world problems.  In one classroom example, 5^th grade teacher Mrs. Omar uses real spreadsheet data to have her students consider a scenario of the best way to invest a ten thousand dollar inheritance (Pitler, Hubbel, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007).  After the students’ make their hypotheses of the best choice, they use interactive spreadsheets to compare and contrast the outcomes over time.  Such learning experiences require the students to make a choice based on their prior knowledge, and test the validity of their ideas.  This strategy, like the others, results in genuine learning through active participation, while building an understanding of logical reasoning.         

     

References

Glazer, E. (2001). Problem Based Instruction. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved <March 24, 2011>, from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/

Han, S., and Bhattacharya, K. (2001). Constructionism, Learning by Design, and Project Based Learning. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved <March 24, 2011>, from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010). Program five. Cognitive learning theory [Webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Cognitivism in the Classroom

Cognitive learning to me has everything to do with getting students brains to mentally process information at optimal speed.  To put it into perspective, I think of it like driving from Chicago to Houston.  There are probably infinitely many ways to get there, but only a few ways that might be in consideration for the fastest route.  Today, we can use Google Maps, Mapquest, Bing Maps, or a host of other services, including a GPS, to make that choice for us.  It used to be that you had to use a map and make your own choices, and before maps, I’m assuming you just gave it your best shot if you had to go.  So in relation, a person’s mind can figure things out numerous ways, but the fastest way can only be taken if your brain knows the route.  Maybe it is a poor analogy, or understanding, but it makes sense in my mind.

According to dual coding theory, these routes are very possibly created separately in the brain for written information and visual information, and the images are very important for many learners to make connections (Laureate Education, Inc, 2010).  In connection to education, when you think about the way notes are usually taken by students, they are primarily written with no visual representation.  I find this to be especially true for topics that tend to be more procedural rather that special, at least in mathematics.  For example, when I teach spatial geometric topics, the material usually gets ample visual representation.  However, when I teach a more abstract topic like algebra, the only frequent visuals are graphs that may be hard to interpret. 

One great strategy to aid the notes and procedures in such courses is to organize key concepts visually using advance organizers.  These graphic organizers can be great tools in helping students understand connections between material, and accompanying the tool with “higher level or essential questions” can help to achieve high results and deeper learning (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007).  In my algebra classes, I could use an online organizer to have students make flow charts of key concepts like factoring polynomials or graphing parabolas.  Flow charts will give the students a visual representation of the process involved with the topic.  In addition, I could deepen understanding by having the students connect concepts across units to see how the information ties to each other visually.

Also during note taking sessions, I see too many students writing down my presentations or quotes word for word.  According to our week’s strategy resources, “Verbatim note taking is perhaps the least effective way to take notes” (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007).  To help change this problem, I could use Microsoft Word to show students how to synthesize notes using different tools such as track changes or auto summarize.  However, I feel that students should also be able to do these types of summaries under their own power.  I have heard of some classes using a highly acclaimed style called Cornell notes, but I find it simpler to use daily encouragement and shared note-taking sessions to teach the students key strategies in taking quality notes.  In these sessions we do a variety of things including taking your own notes from textbooks and comparing them with your group, including visual representation of big ideas, and putting new information down in your own words.

References

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010). Program five. Cognitive learning theory [Webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Beneficial Behaviorism Strategies

The first and second day of class are always in contention with the most important days of the school year for the success of my students.  I believe that being proactive instead of reactive is essential for setting a high bar of expectations.  On day one I always end the last ten minutes of the class by explaining how to pass the class and how to excel in life. It is a triangular scheme that focuses on how each and every person controls their attitude, effort, and knowledge.  If students can learn to examine and strive in these areas, the human mind is capable of unbelievable things.

With this idea in mind, I will turn to the behaviorist strategy of reinforcing effort.  If students are praised for effort on a regular basis they will often begin to increase their levels of contribution, seeking out that praise.  However, this only works if genuine praise is given for genuine effort.  “Technology makes it easier for students and teachers to track the effects of effort and facilitates more immediate feedback” (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007).  Sometimes it can be beneficial to track students’ effort with rubrics or graphs to help them identify where their effort has paid off.  I use an online grade book called Zangle to chart these types of successes and make printouts to show students how their efforts affected assessment scores or other major benchmarks.     

In connection with this idea, it is also fundamental to reinforce the proper completion of everyday practice problems.  This is especially true in procedural studies such as mathematics or English, and students need to view these exercises as important.  I am a firm believer that, “Mastering a skill or process requires a fair amount of focused practice,” and it is hard for the modern student to stay focused without prompt reinforcement (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007).  Students that have grown up in a digital age are used to getting information quickly, and using technology to harness much of the daily reinforcements can be a monumental aid to teachers and student learning.  This behaviorist strategy can be used through a variety of applications and online programs, and I have used numerous types including one this week in my geometry class using an interactive applet from Shodor (http://www.shodor.org/interactivate/activities/Angles/). 

These are only two of the many behaviorist strategies that could be used to benefit education.  The key idea seems to be finding innovative ways to use technology as a reinforcement aid that leads to motivated participation.  I for one will keep looking for these techniques and sharing them with my colleagues in an effort to positively shift modern education.  

References

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.