Reflection

It has been seven weeks and I have learned so much about bridging learning theories, technology, and instruction.  

Reflecting back on my personal theory of learning from week one, I can see that it was true that I fell victim to teaching the way I preferred to learn (Orey, 2001).  I grew up learning math through lectures and I will be honest to say that 65% of the time my lessons are through some form of lecture.   If you think about it, math is often times a difficult class for many students.  Geometry is a completely different class as well.  Why are we teaching math through lectures if so many students are struggling and even after Dr. Michael Grey has stated that it is the least powerful instructional strategy (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011d)? 

I am now more aware of how important it is to move from a teacher-centered classroom to a student-centered classroom (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011c).  This can occur by using more of the constructivist or social learning techniques.  The more times a student is able to collaborate with the teacher or peer, or the ability to make a product that represents their learning, the more learning falls back on them and not the teacher just providing answers (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011a). 

Students today are attracted to technology, while several teachers run away from it.  What has been realized though is that technology increases student learning and motivates individuality and collaboration (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski 2007).  Honestly, while today’s teachers are afraid to use technology in class because they ‘do not know how to use it,’ their students will have no problem picking it up.  The teachers need to step out of their box and embrace the wonderful thing we call technology.  Once this occurs, their learning environment will greatly improve for their students.  With that said, there is always a time and a place for technology.  It should not be used just to use it.  There needs to always be meaning behind it.  Today’s specific technology might not be around when our students begin working as adults, but we must still begin to prepare them for a workforce that is become more technological every day. 

As for immediate use in my classroom, I have already begun to look at my current lessons.  I do not repeat every lesson specifically as I did the previous year, but teachers do tend to reuse ideas.  For each current lesson I am trying to integrate some form of technology.  This could be clickers to allow for immediate feedback on a solution, adding a graphic organizer to assist with understanding (with Smart Notebook, SpidarScribe, or Excel), or more in-depth such as making a group project where the students teach each other topics.  As mentioned before, the technology should not be forced though. 

My knowledge of available technologies has grown these past seven weeks.  The ability to text students information (called Kiku), make graphic organizers online (called SpidarScribe), and comment on other projects through voice, text or video (called VoiceThreads) blows my mind!  I ended up setting up a word document with everything listed out because I was too worried I would forget about all the amazing ideas.  I do believe that is one issue we face today.  With so much available to us, how can we implement all of it?  I have felt overwhelmed at certain points, but I have come to realize you must choose a few and work with them.  If we tell more colleagues about other pieces of available technology, hopefully they will start to use it and then students will experience even more different types of technology throughout many classes during the day.  Having the wide variety will help with keeping students actively engaged as well. 

Two pieces of technology I look forward to using Xtranormal.com and VoiceThreads.  I am going to start off the year with a xatranormal character to welcome the students to the class.  My ninth and tenth graders will have never seen this type of technology so I am very excited about it.  I plan to keep using the aviators throughout the year, in order to incorporate some excitement in learning.  VoiceThreads will be another technology my students will have never used.  The ability to comment on someone else’s work through text, video, or voice will allow for everyone to feel comfortable while responding to prompts.

My one long-term goal is to set up a discussion post about where we see geometry around us.  I plan to have a discussion board the students must post once to during each grading period in the fall and they must post how a current geometry topic is relevant to them, or will be in their future.  Students must respond to other classmate’s postings as well.  It will be long term because students will never have posted before.  It will be a learning process in what is expected.  By the spring, I will expect more postings from students and richer material. 

My other long-term goal is to work on feedback.  I have papers back in time for assessments and such, but giving specific feedback in a timely manner is something I struggle with.  With the use of clickers I can give the students and idea immediately how they are doing. Another way I will provide feedback is through rubrics.  I once used them often, but have recently moved away from them.  I will make a conscious effort to provide a rubric on anything I give out (homework, projects, ect).  I plan to have a general rubric for homework and such, much like Walden has for Applications and discussion boards. 

Resources:

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 eleven: Instructional strategies, Part one [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 seven: Constructionist and constructivist 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). (2011d). 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

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD. Orey, M. (Ed.). (2001). Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Main_Page