Reflection on the “Personal Theory of Learning”
After re-reading my “Personal Theory of
Learning” I have realized that what I believe still holds true, and in fact, I
believe it even more. More now than ever,
I believe that every child can learn and succeed. My feelings are even stronger that it takes a
combination of all of the learning theories, instructional strategies, and
technology tools to be an effective teacher. I mentioned that Lever-Duffy and
McDonald (2008) stated in Theoretical
Foundations that, “To be effectively used, educational technology should
not be segregated from the teaching and learning that it supports” (p.3). I think this goes hand-in-hand with our
discussion about technology as an instructional tool versus a learning
tool. It is so important for students to
be using the technology in the classroom, not just the teacher.
Immediate Adjustments
As a result of my learning in this
course, I have, and will continue to be, more cognizant of how I use technology
in my classroom. I will use and
implement technology more often as a learning tool than as an instructional
tool. One of the most important things
according to Dr. Orey (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011c), is to get technology in the hands of
students. I will also keep in mind the
many different learning theories that were addressed in this class and how they
correlate to different types of technology.
I have already incorporated many different technology tools into my
instruction.
Technology Tools
The two types of technology that I
would like to use with my students the most are concept mapping tools (advance
organizers) and VoiceThread. I believe
that using concept mapping tools in my classroom will allow learners to
showcase their own learning. According
to Dr. Orey (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011b) concept mapping tools allow students to replicate the
network model of memory. Concept maps
allow for the use of effective images.
Learners can also visualize and make connections between ideas (Laureate
Education, Inc., 2011b). VoiceThread can appeal to learners of all
modalities; auditory, visual, and kinesthetic.
Students can create a VoiceThread together as part of a collaborative
group. VoiceThread can also be used as
part of jigsaw groups and students can teach each other content material. Cooperative learning groups are an excellent
method to use VoiceThread with because students can interact with one
another. Cooperative learning is an
important strategy to use because it makes each student responsible for their
own learning, as well as the learning of others (Laureate Education,
Inc., 2011a). Incorporating jigsaw groups and cooperative
learning along with VoiceThread will help deepen the understanding of content
because students are teaching it to each other (Laureate Education,
Inc., 2011a). There are many other technology tools that I
would eventually like to incorporate as well, but these will be my main focus
to start.
Long Term Goals
The first long term goal I have is to
use VoiceThread and mind maps (such as those from www.cacoo.com or Kidspriation app). So far, I have used mind maps in two
different lessons and one VoiceThread, and the students have loved it. We have only used these for small group
activities and group completion. I would
like to use mind maps and VoiceThread to have students show understanding of a
lesson or topic in a content area. Students
could also teach their peers different content using these tools. Using different cooperative learning groups
will allow for use of these tools as well.
I will make an effort to transform lessons so that students would be
able to use these amazing tools. I will
do one lesson at a time and make sure I teach students how to use each tool. I also want to share these tools with my
colleagues and encourage them to find ways to incorporate them into their
instruction.
A second goal I have is to use my SMART
Board as a learning tool more often than using it as an instructional tool. I
have used SMART Boards before but I am getting a new on in my classroom and I
am so excited about the opportunities I will have. SMART Boards can be a very engaging
instructional tool, but they can become even more powerful if I have students
use it and manipulate different tools on the board. During some lessons we can create a mind map
together using the SMART Board and I can allow the students to add nodes, text,
and pictures. I hope to find other ways
to use the SMART Board as a learning tool as I learn more about it.
Final Thoughts
I know that I have learned so much from
this class and I have to remind myself to take small steps towards integrating
technology. If a teacher tries to make
it happened overnight, it will be for the wrong reasons and it will not be
effective for student learning. I am
eager to continue this journey!
References
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011a). Program eight: Social
learning theories [Video webcast]. Bridging
learning theory, instruction and technology. Retrieved from http://laureate.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5700267&CPURL=laureate.ecollege.com&Survey=1&47=2594577&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=0&bhcp=1
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011b). Program five: Cognitive
learning theory [Video webcast]. Bridging
learning theory, instruction and technology. Retrieved from http://laureate.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5700267&CPURL=laureate.ecollege.com&Survey=1&47=2594577&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=0&bhcp=1
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011c). Program thirteen:
Technology: Instructional tool vs. learning tool [Video webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and
technology. Retrieved from http://laureate.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5700267&CPURL=laureate.ecollege.com&Survey=1&47=2594577&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=0&bhcp=1
Lever-Duffy,
J., & McDonald, J. (2008). Theoretical
foundations (Laureate Education, Inc., custom ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson
Education, Inc.
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