Constructivism in Practice

My understanding of the constructionist learning theory is that students discover new knowledge and connect it to what they already know. Dr. Orey (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009) stated, “You need to have experience in order to understand.” Students can make meaning of new information by creating projects in order to obtain a deeper knowledge of the subjects they are studying. The resources this week show a correlation to this theory. In generating and testing hypothesis, the students are creating questions to help them further understand a topic and develop ways in which to get those answers. They are then creating “investigations” or “projects” to obtain results.

One particular website that I would like to peruse a little further is “By Kids for Kids: How to Invent.” This will be a great website for me to use when we begin to read a selection in our anthology. I am thinking of using it as an introduction to the selection to get the students motivated. I could create a concept map about inventions to determine what inventions/inventors my students are already aware of. From there, we could read the selection and then as a culminating activity I could have the students work with a buddy to design an invention of their own. By doing this, the students will need to make the connection that an invention is designed to make something easier or to improve life. From there, they can develop a project that has not been created yet. By engaging in this activity, the students will gain a deeper meaning of inventions and understand that creating inventions require careful and detailed thoughts. I think the students will really enjoy it. Does anyone have any other suggestions for how I can implement this particular website?

I have attached a website on project based learning. It actually is a website in which you can create assessment checklists based on certain subjects. I think it might be a useful tool. http://pblchecklist.4teachers.org/

Reference

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). Program seven. Constructionist and Constructivist Learning Theories [Motion picture]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Baltimore: Author.

Cognitivism in Practice

Lever-Duffy and McDonald (2008, p.16) state that “congnitivists focus on learning as a mental operation that takes place when information enters through the senses, undergoes mental manipulation, is stored, and is finally used.” Using Advance Organizers and engaging in summarizing/note taking techniques are two instructional strategies that reinforce this theory. Advance organizers give the students a preview of what they will be learning about. The organizer will then help students determine what information is important and allows them to synthesize it in order to obtain a deeper meaning. For example, in science, we are discussing the ways in which a volcano changes the earth’s surface. Most of the time, students think that volcanic eruptions only have a negative effect on the earth. Dr. Orey (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009) describes concept mapping as “a graphical network model of the cognition theory.” It creates a visual representation in which students can organize their ideas and make connections. I could create a concept map for the students that would include an essential question. The students can then use Kidspiration in order to illustrate or define ways in which a volcano changes the earth’s surface. They could even classify these ways as a positive or negative effect and give support for their reasoning. “For many students, multimedia is very effective because it helps students both activate prior knowledge and develop a mental model to help them understand new information” (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, p. 82). Volcanoes are already a motivating topic for my students, but using technology as well will enhance their learning even further. It is creating a hands on experience that will encourage students to organize their thoughts in order to support a main idea with valid information.

Summarizing can be accomplished by using concept mapping. After the students are finished with the concept map, they can conclude to what they have learned. They can use the information that they have learned in order to identify the main points of the discussion or activity. However, the strategy of summarizing can also be achieved using other tools such as summary frames on Kidspiration. As a fourth grade teacher, we focus much on vocabulary in all subject areas. Therefore, the Definition Frame really peaked my interest. Science and Social Studies terms are difficult for students to understand. If I used a definition frame, students can cognitively think of connections between the given word, their prior knowledge, and new information learned. After showing a video on the term erosion, I can have the students summarize the term erosion, using a definition frame that I have designed. I could create sections such as synonyms of erosion, where it can be found, what it looks like, and types or erosion. I could even allow students to create their own section to further demonstrate their understanding of the concept.

Notetaking is another skill that tends to be difficult for individuals to learn. Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski (2007) suggested that students take frequent notes and that teachers expose them to a variety of formats. A specific format that I would benefit from is the Character Trait note taking template. This is perfect for my students because character analysis is a focus skill that is constantly being discussed in reading class. My students would really benefit from this organizer because it will allow them to arrange their thoughts in a way that is meaningful to them. It will force them to refer back to the text in order to provide support for their answers. Students then might want to provide graphics to their template in order to create associations or elaborations so that it can be embedded into their long term memory. These notes can then be exported as an outline for children’s future reference.

The above skills require students to gather information that they know and what they learn and organize it in a manner that is significant to them. This is especially important because the notes serve as a personalized tool to help the student study and remember concepts (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski, 2007). These skills also assist the students in focusing their learning so that they can identify the most important points of a lesson. As a teacher, it is imperative that we begin implementing these strategies so that our students can become advocates of their own learning.

References

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2008). Program five. Cognitive Learning Theory [Motion picture]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Baltimore: Author.

Lever-Duffy, J. & McDonald, J. (2008). Theoretical Foundations (Laureate Education, Inc., custom ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Videos to Peruse

http://videos.howstuffworks.com/hsw/21684-erosion-video.htm
http://www.guidesandtutorials.com/advance-organizers-sample.html - gives tips on effective powerpoint presentations
http://www.guidesandtutorials.com/advance-organizers-presentation.html - gives a very brief powerpoint presentation on advance organizers.

Behaviorism in Practice

“Homework and Practice” are crucial strategies for many students to engage in as a learner. “Homework provides opportunities for students to deepen their understanding of the content and to gain proficiency with their skills” (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski, 2007, p. 187). The more a child is exposed to the material, the better the child will retain the information for future reference. The child is also more likely to become proficient with a skill if they are constantly addressing it. As Dr. Wolfe had mentioned, students learn best when information is taught through various avenues, meeting the needs of the multiple intelligences (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008). Technology meets this requirement by providing a plethora of resources to reinforce concepts that can be accessed outside of the classroom setting. Students can easily practice and improve their skills in order to increase their level of understanding to mastery. Another benefit of using these technology resources such as online educational games is that “it has an inherent appeal and it generates immediate feedback that allows a student, parent, and teacher to monitor progress toward mastery” (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, p. 195). Parents will be aware of their child’s weaknesses and strengths, which in turn will allow parents to be an advocate of their child’s learning as well.

One of this week’s websites that struck me was called WebMATH. This website is child and adult friendly and explains various concepts of mathematics. A particular area that could be beneficial for my students as well as parents would be how to multiply and divide. Not only will this website assist you in multiplying numbers, but it will also provide a written explanation on how the problem is completed. This is a great resource for those students who are unsure of how to complete their homework or for those parents who are unsure of how to help their child. The only downfall that I see is the fact that they only show the traditional algorithm of multiplication. In today’s math, teachers are providing various strategies of multiplication such as the lattice method, partial products, and the open array method. These strategies are not demonstrated. However, in continuing with the technology trend, I could create a podcast that verbally explains these methods as well as provide a visual demonstration for parents and students to observe. This tutorial can enhance a child’s learning experience and encourage them to use technology as a helpful resource.

Another website that I found useful was the English Grammar 101. This a great way for students to practice the various concepts of grammar while receiving feedback immediately when self-checking. It gives a short little tutorial on the topic and then allows you to complete various questions or activities in regards to the skill. This particular website is connected to the operant conditioning of the behaviorist theory.

Reinforcing effort and illustrating the parallel between effort and success is very difficult for students to comprehend. That is why it is important for the students to learn this particular skill concretely and visually so that they can see that there effort impacts how they perform. “A powerful way to convince students that effort is truly tied to achievement is to show them data” (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, p. 161). My intentions are to use a simplified version of the rubric on p. 157 from our course text, Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007). Math is a very challenging subject for my students and their tests tend to be lengthy and overwhelming. If the students realize that effort can lead to more success, their math scores will hopefully improve. Consequently, when students see an increase in their scores, the students will be more inclined to continue their current work ethic to ensure their scores remain high. This rubric will allow students to self reflect on their effort towards maintaining class notes, remaining attentive in class, participating in whole group as well as small group discussions, completing homework, and studying for upcoming tests and quizzes. This data will be collected every week. It will then be placed on an excel spreadsheet to be compared with their overall math assessment scores at the end of the unit. I do have some concerns about using this method. Since I teach 4th grade students, how can I ensure that my students will be completely honest when filling out their self reflection? Another pitfall with this process is if their effort does not correlate with their test results. For instance, a student may receive poor test results but they put forth much effort. I realize that using this strategy one time will not change all of the students’ thoughts about effort and achievement. However, how do I then convince the students that they are directly related? Does anyone have any other suggestions?

There are two websites that I was perusing. These websites provide insightful ideas of how to reinforce homework and practice. The “Education World” website below is geared toward ESL students, which provides online activities for review, reinforcement, and practice of skills taught in class. Since these students are not familiar with the English language, it is even more imperative that practice occurs. This will actually be beneficial for me since I just received a new student from India that does not speak any English. She is currently working with the ESL teacher, but I can use some of these ideas to reinforce skills. The second website is specifically geared towards teaching with technology. I especially like the Arcademic Skill Builders which allows students to practice concepts through interactive games.
Links –
http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech074.shtml
http://www.4teachers.org/

References

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). Program two. Brain Research and Learning [Motion picture]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Baltimore: Author.

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using Technology with Classroom Instructionthat Works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Smith, M. K. (1999) 'The behaviourist orientation to learning', The Encyclopedia of Informal Education, www.infed.org/biblio/learning-behavourist.htm.