Reflection

I do not believe my personal learning theory has changed but has been enhanced.  I still believe that a happy energetic classroom is the best possible learning environment and yields the best possible results.  I will remain the “life of the party” in my classroom and lead by example.  If I can take a big piece of the course along with me it would be the reinstatement of the behaviorist theory in my classroom.  I have a better view of this theory and its application and plan to use positive and negative reinforcement in my classroom to enhance learning.  I have absolutely felt in love with social constructivism.  Giving students the opportunity to apply what they have learned as well as socialize and learn from each other is the bee’s knees.

Thanks to this course I have discovered many new instructional technologies that I will incorporate into my classroom immediately.  I will definitely use Voice Threading in my classroom in order to enhance cognitive learning in the classroom.  It is the perfect technology to allow students to relate information to images.  Blogging is going to be my new best friend for the classroom.  It will allow me to type my lectures in a form that students can assess time and time again as well as ask questions and make comments.  Using these technologies allows for more time in the classroom to do hands on activities and projects to keep students engaged.  Why waste time lecturing or having students take notes when technology is present to cut out these minimal tasks to allow for immersive learning?  My classroom experience is going to totally change because of this course.

In the long run I would like to accomplish two goals which are a semi-automated classroom, and a fully operational tutoring system.  I believe I could accomplish this with Wiki.  I have taken a good look at this web based technology.  I will begin to transfer all of my lessons and notes into a wiki along with all other curriculum. And I hope that eventually I will have all the information  incorporated that is necessary   for me to conduct all of my instruction with the Wiki using links, videos and lessons to facilitate the classroom with minimal interference from me.  I would like to use this time to monitor, correct and praise student work.  I also believe that I would have more time to work with students who are struggling.  By incorporating my curriculum into the Wiki, it makes way for it to be used as a tutoring tool.  Students will have access to the same information they have in the class along with some modules and tutorials to either remediate or advance learning.

Social Connectivism

This theory is the mother of all methods in my book.  I am a huge fan of cooperative learning.  I believe that the social aspect to learning is a lost application.  Students learn from other students.  Students compete with other students.  Students learn from those they are comfortable with more so than people they cannot relate to.

Technology is the basis for examining and practicing the true value of this learning theory.  The object of the theory is to have the students to build an artifact from scratch concerning the content or skill set that needs to be learned.  What makes this process even more effective is the social aspect of learning.  Students are participating in group projects which not only allow them to learn from the teacher, but also from their peers.  PowerPoint is an extremely popular tool for teaching in the Social Connectivism theory.  Students can use it to build a visual model to present their findings.  Excel, which is spreadsheet software, can be used to facilitate projects that will aid students in learning using this theory.  You are really only limited by your creativity.

Exceptional educators will choose to use this theory as a strategy to maximize learning in the classroom.  Cooperative learning is already effective, but by applying this particular learning strategy children are not only building skills by constructing artifacts, they are building relationships with one another as well as the instructor.  Therefore learning is maximized.

VoiceThread

Check out my VoiceThread at:

http://voicethread.com/share/2126022/