EDTC 510: Chapter Two

Theory into Practice

Points Worth Considering (ideas or topics that caught your interest)

I appreciate the suggestions for using technology for each of the three learning perspectives. There are some great programs for both behaviorist and information processing, but it is time consuming to find free programs and expensive for others. Inspiration is reasonably priced and is an application that I am interested in working with more in the future. These two approaches are also more suited for making sure SOLs are covered.

The textbook mentioned that a "flash-card-type technology" is an example of technology that supports the Behaviorism theory. JMU offers a program called "StudyMate" to faculty. The program allows faculty to create flash based activities that encourage students to review and study the class content. Here is an example of StudyMate activities http://files.cit.jmu.edu/adamsah/inventions.htm

I wonder if more than a few teachers will be less than comfortable with constructivism collaboration. There is, sometimes, something to be said for the "sage on the stage" approach, especially when it comes to classroom management. Can we become accustomed to not being in the know in our classrooms?

I (Kevin) found the technology applications presented helpful in understanding the underlying learning theories. Rockingham County has purchased Inspriation and Kidspiration licenses for all schools and teachers are just now beginning to implement those tools in instruction. I agree with Dr. Clemens that constructivism may not be as suitable for ensuring SOLs are covered, but boy is that type of learning more fun! I'm a big fan of ExploreLearning's Gizmos "http://www.explorelearning.com" which teach science and mathematics concepts through interactive simulations. After taking EDTC 612 this summer and spending more time working with iMovie, I think that digital video projects are another good avenue to "constructivist" learning.

Contentious Thoughts (something you may not agree with or critically question)

Under "Collaboration" on p. 35 there is a sentence that states, "As much as possible, students determine their own learning needs, set their own goals, and monitor their own progress." As Kevin stated in class, this is very effective for our class, but is not as easy to implement in an SOL tested course. The instructional expert would have to guide the students to set the SOL learning goals as their own. This would work for some students, but not all especially if they do not see how those goals would meet their own learning needs.

They mention positive reinforcement (behavioral), but not negative reinforcement or punishment. Why not? Don't they have equally behavior changing qualities? How can we make a problem relevant and interesting to all students?

I (Kevin) am going to complain again. (I hate to be negative, but I feel like we're going to really regret this infatuation with assessment a generation from now.) Did you notice the chart on p.39 that showed behaviorist learning as requiring "little thought and reflection." Well, schools are pumping LOTS of money into access to sites like these "http://www.studyisland.com". Is it worth it?

I know that the textbook chose three broad learning theories to cover. I am just curious if there are other learning theories that would provide an interesting perspective to the process of choosing and implementing instructional technolgies.

Below are a couple of links to explore that have other learning theories:

Personal Stories (memories that surfaced while reading)

Here is a web site I use for map identification skills that falls under the behaviorist perspective. It has been very effective, especially for Africa. =>http://www.lizardpoint.com/fun/geoquiz/index.html

On page 36 the textbook mentioned social interaction as a key element of the Constructivism theory. Using a distance learning technology was cited as an example of social interaction. The distance learning topic reminded me of when I taught high school. My class was studying medical technologies and we discussed the topic of telemedicine. Using technologies at the school, my class was able to set up video and audio communications (teleconferencing) with the health teacher at another high school. The teleconferencing technologies allowed us to simulate a telemedicine scenario. One student in my class pretended to have a medical problem and the health teacher acted as a doctor. Telemedicine is a popular topic in the medical technology field. The students benefitted from actually participating in a "real life" telemedicine scenario.

I had difficulty using technology in the classroom just today (9/12) when the video I was showing cut out about 1/4 way through (the sound remained on). Apparently the energy saver on the laptop cut signal to the projector while allowing it to remain on the screen of the computer as normal. I had not realized the source of the problem, but after a short while (long enough to destroy my lesson plan for that class) I found that hitting the mousepad restored the picture for a period. Later, a little IT help from Joe allowed me to make the necessary adjustments to the energy saver on the OS9 laptop.

A quick "feel good" moment in my ITRT role. I (Kevin) have been assisting Cindy Ferek, a PE teacher at Turner Ashby HS maintain a blog as she biked across the United States to commemorate the 5th anniversary of 9/11. They reached the Pentagon on Monday morning and she did an outstanding job of documenting her journey "http://cferek.learnerblogs.org". Her students will no doubt learn a lot about both her and life if they take the time to read her entries. She also plans on using the blog for learning activities throughout the year.

Other resources

Here is a brief site that outlines different instructional methods with advantages, disadvantages, and preparation needed.