Personal Learning Theory

What?

I took the quiz that determines which one of the theories we are most in-line with. Although I scored something different for each of the categories, my scores were very close together: 46 for Humanistic, 44 for Cognitism and 42 for Behaviorism. I noticed that the elements I liked spanned across all of the different theories. I also noted however that based on the further readings attached to the test that explained the Humanistic theory, I find myself most in agreement with the 5 basic objectives of this theory which are:
1) promote positive self-direction and independence (development of the regulatory system);
2) develop the ability to take responsibility for what is learned (regulatory and affective systems);
3) develop creativity (divergent thinking aspect of cognition);
4) curiosity (exploratory behavior, a function of imbalance or dissonance in any of the systems);
5) an interest in the arts (primarily to develop the affective/emotional system)

As I reviewd my logs, these are some of the things I noted that I liked - I love the idea of intrinsic reinforcement, self-efficacy, and self-regulation. One of our responsibilities as teachers is to instill a love of life-long learning and I believe that one of the most important ways we do that is by fostering these 3 principals in our students. Another thing I liked was the idea of modeling . I believe that it is absolutely true that students learn from observing people around them. Along with that is the concept of a community of learners which is the idea that students work together and learn from one another and the teacher acts as the facilitator. I also have a firm belief that a large part of how successful our students our in learning material is based on the prior knowledge or schema they have and whether we as a teacher have activated that prior knowledge. I was fortunate enough to be in a class this semester taught by Axel. He demonstrated the importance of this principal in such a way that it really impacted me. He wrote the following sentence on the board: "The notes went sour when the seam split" and asked us to think about what it meant. We (the whole class) was totally clueless. He told us that once he gave us the "magic" word it would make perfect sense. The magic word was bagpipes. He explained that we weren't stupid people for not knowing what the word was, just as our students aren't stupid when they don't "get" something we are teaching. They simply need their prior knowledge or schema activated, just like we needed the "magic" word. His illustration of that principal really stuck with me and I came to see that students build new knowledge by connecting it with what they already know.

As for principals or concepts I didn't like, I honestly didn't see any that wouldn't benefit students if used in the correct way. I could see however where if misused, some concepts could be damaging or counteractive to promoting learning. For example, using a token economy as a means to reward conceptual knowledge based on a specific percentage or score. This would most definitely leave some students out because of the different levels of learning. Another bad example would be using a token economy to motivate students to do something they are already motivated to do. This can cause them to lose the desire to do it because they want to - which would impede us as teachers in our goal to instill in them life-long learning. However, I recognize that each student and each classroom will be different and what might work for one, may not work for the other. As long as the system or reinforcement that is established promotes learning for each student, and the class, while also encouraging students to be life-long learners, then I believe that the methods, practices, theories, discussed in the book can be beneficial.

So What?
Before I knew the theory I was officially most alligned with, I've always had an idea that self-efficacy, intrinsic motivation, self-regulation, etc. are all things that lead to what I believe to be one of the most important goals we have as teachers - to encourage our students to be life-long learners. Knowing this theory will help me find appropriate and successful ways to develope and encourage self-efficacy, intrinsic motivation, self-regulation, etc. in my students. I will also look for ways to incorporate the aspects from the other theories that I feel are important to learning, such as modeling and peer interaction, as I teach. As a teacher it will be important to show my students examples of intrinsic motivation. I loved the idea of teaching students to give themselves a pat on the back for a job well-done. This and other methods will be important for me to have in my classroom. Also, teaching students the steps involved for self-regulation - goal setting, monitoring, evaluation. Perhaps in the classroom this will involve setting some kind of system where I teach students how to self regulate by having each student set an individual goal for a specific subject, monitor their progress with some kind of online graphing tool or paper chart, and evaluate their progress over time. As I read more about the humanstic theory I also learned that promoting creative, using the arts and fostering curiosity will be important in my future classroom.

Now What?
After reading about the humanistic theory, and finding that I am most aligned with this theory, my task now is to learn what this theory is all about and how to incorporate it into the classroom. I need to learn which methods or teaching styles work best and the types of activities that will engage the students and promote the principals of self-efficacy, self-regulation and intrinsic motivation. Perhaps this theory is called by a different name in our book (as it seems to have some of the aspects of behaviorism and social cognitivism), or perhaps it is one we haven't gotten to yet. Either way, it will be important for me to find, develop and learn ways to promote the objectives of this theory which are to:
1) promote positive self-direction and independence (development of the regulatory system);
2) develop the ability to take responsibility for what is learned (regulatory and affective systems);
3) develop creativity (divergent thinking aspect of cognition);
4) curiosity (exploratory behavior, a function of imbalance or dissonance in any of the systems);
5) an interest in the arts (primarily to develop the affective/emotional system)
I still have so much to learn and hope that as I go throughout the rest of my classes and as I gain experience, that I will be an example of life-long learning to my students. I also hope that I will be able to be a teacher who "provides a foundation for personal growth and development so that learning will continue throughout life in a self-directed manner" - (from the "learn more" link on the determining your theory quiz).

PDP - My Beliefs

I have definitely had my eyes opened since that first day in Doc Waters class and have come to realize through additional research, that incorporating technology in the classroom and making it part of the learning process is essential if we are to really speak the language of students these days and prepare them for the future. The majority of students come from tech-rich homes and if they haven't experienced today's technology in their own homes, they have likely experienced it at a friends' home, at a store display, etc. I am no longer prisoner to an unaware mind when it comes to the importance of technology. I have come to see that if I (and every other teacher) are to successfully and effective teach today's children and prepare them for the future that lies ahead, then we MUST use technology. When I say use I don't mean use it as we do a garnish on our entree plate - I mean use it like we use sauces. Garnish simply sits on the side of the plate and the diner has little interaction with it. Quite the opposite, sauces are mixed right in the main entree and are usually the "it" that makes the meal so tasty.

The slide show titled, "Tools for Change" illustrated clearly how I hope to integrate technology and the clear, defined difference that I hope my students experience in my future classroom, between the old way and the new way. I want to be a teacher that is the facilitator, the learner, the provider of access and resources, and technology. And I want my class to be filled with students who are searchers, active researchers, problem-solvers, strategists, collaborators and experiential learners. I won't be afraid of technology and I won't be afraid of taking the role of learner in situations where my technology savvy students are more knowledgeable than me. I look forward to becoming that teacher and meeting those students.

PDP - Lesson's Learned

I have learned a great deal, just while in this class, about the importance of integrating technology. The assigned articles and videos just seemed to drive home the idea that the students we teach today learn completely differently than we learned yesterday. As I read the article titled "Millennials" and watched the video "Did You Know" the need for us future teachers to integrate technology became much more clear. I can clearly see that integrating technology is no longer an option if we truly want to teach today's kids - it really has become a necessity. The article, "Millenials" clearly illustrated that students are seeking to be taught in a way that they understand - through the use of technology. As I reflected on how today's student's are being taught, and thought about how students in today's classroom's must feel where technology is not integrated, it reminded me of how it would feel to us if we had to go back to churning our own butter. We know there is a more effective way and yet we are forced to turn a blind eye to the technology that would make our lives so much easier, and just get through using the old way. In my future classroom, I don't want my students to feel like they just have to "get through" using the old way. I want their learning experience to be worthwhile and exciting.

Also, I was surprising to see the number data presented in the video, "Did You Know?". The most startling statistic for me was that 70% of 4 year olds in the U.S. have used a computer. I know this to be true in my home. I have a 3 year old daughter who has been "playing" on the computer since she was about 18 months. It was eye opening to see that this is happening in households all over the United States and it helped me to realize that integrating technology is NOT just for the upper grades. If we are to teach effective and engage the students in higher order thinking and prepare them for the future that lies ahead, we need to begin now.

PDP - Strengths and Weaknesses

According to the Net Standards and the UNI Survey my strengths included basic technology equipment operations and concepts, tools to access information and software applications. My weaknesses illustrated that while I have a solid understanding of these things as they relate to productivity and professional practice, I lack the knowledge I need as a teacher to successfully integrate technology in the classroom. Specifically, I am not as aware as I could be of instructional software and how to match that software the to the needs of the students. Also, I am not sure how to plan and design appropriate learning opportunities that integrate technology. In addition, I have absolutely no knowledge on how to use a Mac. Taking this survey helped me to see that although I had strengths in some areas, in no area was I an expert. This opened my eyes to the fact that there is still so much to learn.

As a future teacher who desperately wants to implement technology into her lessons across the curriculum, I have chosen two goals to help me achieve this successfully, (based on the weaknesses mentioned above). The first goal I have is to seek out and learn about the instructional media available to teachers, and how to match the software to the needs of my learners, so I can better implement technology in my future classroom. The second goal I have is to learn how to use a Mac. Knowing that these are the computers that I will using in my classroom gives me some fear because I have absolutely no knowledge about how to use a Mac. During our field experience mishaps, that largely were a result of not knowing how to use a Mac or make our resources compatible, I was frustrated and decided that learning how to work a Mac was an important goal that I needed to accomplish.

While in this program I have come to learn that there are many programs and resources available to help teachers. A resource I found that would help me accomplish my goals of integrating technology in the classroom, according to the needs of my students, is found here, at the Utah Education Network site. There are many Professional Development classes available to take but this one focuses on helping teachers integrate technology into the curriculum. There are 2 different classes to take. As part of the course it highlights the many instructional resources that are available for both the students and the teacher. The second class extends beyond the first class and goes further helping the student and teacher become "creators" of such projects. Also found on the UEN site is a tutorial I would take to help me become familiar with a Mac. It is found here. I believe taking a tutorial like this now would help me be effective in implementing technology in the classroom from the get-go. I fear that if I started teaching with out the knowledge of how to use a Mac, I would be at a great disadvantage. By taking a tutorial such as this before I get into the classroom, I can be at that much more of an advantage and be that much more prepared to integrate technology in the classroom.

Tech Article #2 - KidsVid

Kidsvid is an instructional website that allows students a creative way to demonstrate and present material they have learned in class. It provides teachers with the scaffolding and tools students need to make it happen, and includes a resource for teachers on how to integrate video making into the curriculum, including lessons. To check it out, click the picture above.

On the home page is a menu that lets the students choose one of the following stages:

1) scripting - writing down on paper what the story is about
2) making the video - capturing the sounds and images on video
3) editing - putting all the elements together in a way that a story is told
4) showtime - showing your movie

Each stage is designed to walk the students through that process step by step. In the scripting stage there is a storyboard tool that allows the students to plan out their whole movie. Below is a screen shot from the tool.

In the making the video stage there are links that allow the students to learn about; their camera, how to get the best shot, camera moves -which includes video examples, lighting and audio. The editing stage highlights the use of good music, effects and jump shots, with video examples to demonstrate each part. The last stage, showtime just allows the student to choose the format they want to use for their video and allows them to compress the data.

The site also includes The Theater - which is a place where students can display and share their finsihed product. Click here to view samples of videos students have put together which demonstrate an awesome job in intigrating technology, literature, and art. (My favorite is Tortoise Run! - especially the Kangaroo laugh!)

As a future teacher who wants to teach using technology as much as possible in order to engage and teach her students, I think this is a wonderful website. I love how the site is designed. It is easy to navigate and very clear in walking the student through each step of the process. The resources available to the teacher are helpful and useful in helping make this tool a success for both him/her and the students. And, best of all, it too is free!

Tech Article #1 - Casa Notes

This is an online tool designed for teachers. It allows teachers to quickly make and customize notes that are used often to send home to parents or give to students. The tool allows the user to customize the letter by changing some of the contact, changing color, and adding graphics. Some of the notes that are available include; filed trip note, well done certificate, progress report, student contract, medication and parent-teacher conference. Each note is available in both English and Spanish.

When you first get to the site, there is a list of the notes that are available. You choose the one you want by clicking clicking the bubble next to it. Then, you click on the next button and are walked through a few steps of customizing the letter. Very easy and user-friendly. The last and final step is simply printing out your customized letter. To choose the letters available in Spanish, there is a link in the top right corner that says, "version espanol" which you can click to bring up the same letters but in Spanish. To check it out, click the graphic at the top of this blog.

I think this tool would be extremely helpful for teachers for many reasons. First off, it is very easy and user-friendly. We know that as a teacher, time is a valuable asset. This tool would give teachers time they usually spend creating such letters, for something else. It would allow teachers who have students in their classroom whose parents speak Spanish, a way to send home communication to the parents, in their own language. Each note is numbered and is the same number for both the English and Spanish version. And last but not least, it's 100% free.

Social Cognitivism

What?
The social cognitive theory is the perspective that learning happens through observing others and that it is an internal process that may or may not lead to a change in behavior. A study that was done using the Bobo doll demonstrated that when children observed an adult demonstrating physical violence on the doll, they too imitated what they had seen happen. In some cases, children got more aggressive and built upon what they had seen. Part of the theory involves Reciprocal Causation which is an interdependence of environment, behavior and personal variables which all play a role in influencing learning and development.

Learning can happen in a couple of ways including; modeling an adult such as the teacher and imitating what they do and through the observational learning effect where a student acquires a new behavior after watching someone else do it. For a student to successfully learn from modeled behavior they must:
1. pay attention - to the model who is demonstrating the desired behavior,
2. have retention - remembered what was learned,
3. have the motor reproduction - to be able to imitate the behavior
4. have the motivation - to be demonstrate the modeled behavior.
Self efficacy and self-regulation contribute to this theory and are an important part in helping students prepare for their future.

So What?
Knowing the theory of social congitivism, along with the other theories, and applying the principals from each one, will help me become a better teacher. Knowing that students learn from behavior they see modeled, is extremely important to know as a teacher who stands as a model for students day in and day out. It is also important to know that children learn from observing other peers. This theory also pointed out the importance of self efficacy and self regulation. As a future teacher, it will be important for me to help foster feelings of self-efficacy in my students and help them self-regulate so they can be as successful as possible.

Now What?
I believe that knowing about this theory will help me be a better teacher. I will strive to always be a model of what I expect out my students. I also hope to be able to encourage my students in appropriate behavior by teaching them self-efficacy and self-regulation. This chapter highlighted how important these 2 principals are in helping students succeed, not only in their school career but in their lives.

#15 - Webquest - The Creation

Well, we started the creation of our webquest. I think it is going to turn out really neat and I am excited, as I have mentioned before, for this opportunity. Our topic is on nutrition and there are so many wonderful sites out there on nutrition for younger kids. We have planned for the students to use technology and do some activities on the computer, but have also incorporated some activities that students will do at their desks from the information they gather from the webquest. Since learning we were going to do a webquest I have taken some time to explore the webquests that are available and they are such great tools for teaching an array of subjects. Some of the reasons I think webquests are so great and plan to use them in my future classroom are:

1. they engage the students using technology
2. students can be given a specific role to go along with their task which can make learning about the subject and going about the task a little more fun
3. they are an effective way to teach students problem solving and critical thinking skills

As we have started the creation of our webquest, I have seen many reasons to NEVER again to it through powerpoint. It takes so long just to get the formatting and the hyperlinking set up. If we were able to use a program or tool that allowed us to build a webquest we could skip all of the formatting stuff we ended up doing during class and spend more time on actually making the webquest. I am sure that through this process however, that I may learn how to do something using power point that may help me in the future, so I am just taking this as a learning experience - even if it is annoying at times. :)

Behaviorism

What?
Today in class we discussed behaviorism. There are many aspects of behaviorism. One of the aspects include reinforcements.

Reinforcements:
There are 2 different kinds of reinforcements and both increase behavior. Negative Reinforcements take away something to increase good/bad behavior. Positive reinforcements on the other hand add something to increase good/bad behavior. An example given in class that described these reinforcements was a hot air balloon. To make a hot air balloon rise you can do 2 different things. You can add hot air (positive reinforcement) or you can take away sand bags which decreases the weight and allows the balloon to rise.

Punishments:
There are also 2 different kinds of punishments used in behaviorism. Removal punishments
take away something students want such as recess, a fun activity, a toy, etc. Presentation punishments add something such as extra work, visit to the principal, etc.

We also discussed different types of motivation, which included intrinsic (self) motivation and extrinsic (outside) motivation.

The last aspects of behaviorism we discussed were the 2 types of conditioning: Operant conditioning which is voluntary and classical conditioning which is involuntary.

So What?
As a teacher with many students to both teach and manage, understanding behaviorism is important. As teachers, we want students to behave in an appropriate way however we also have their best interest in mind. Understanding behaviorism helps guide is the best way to teach and motivate students. There is the use of token economy's, group contingency plans, and of course, reinforcements. Knowing how to use each of this concepts is critical in ensuring that we better our communities of learning.

Now What?
I found this lesson to be very helpful in clarifying some questions I had as a result of my field experience where a token economy was used and several extrinsic positive reinforcements were used. It was a bit blurry trying to determine what was beneficial and what may have been hindering the students. I have definitely more clear today and have a better idea of how I would like to implement the theories of behaviorism in my future class. I will make every effort possible to teach students to have intrinsic motivation. This is sooo very important and it seems it is something we are losing at a very fast rate as teachers adopt complex token economy systems. I realized through our discussion that a token economy can be used to make class fun - students love them. However when setting them up, I will be sure to make it contingent on a level of performance or behaviors, so students don't lose their natural motivations in specific subject areas.

Another helpful thing we discussed in class was the steps in which to implement each of the different reinforcements to motivate those students who are unmotivated:
First method: Intrinsic reinforcement - self praise
Second method: Extrinsic reinforcement - praise from others
Third method: Activity reinforcement - extra recess, fun activity
Fourth method: Tangible reinforcement - candy, treats, toys
Fifth method: token economy