Course Reflection

            This course shed light on my personal learning theory.  I am still a firm believer in the importance of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and Garner’s multiple intelligences.  This course helped me to identify specific learning theories that I can relate to.  If I were to rewrite my week one application I would add that my teaching falls mostly in line with constructionist and constructivist learning theories.  I frequently use Garner’s multiple intelligences to assist my students in creating their own understanding of a topic which is a cornerstone of both constructionist and constructivist theories (Orey, 2001).  This course also provides great strategies of how to use technology to help students engage in learning.

            Over these past seven weeks I have had the opportunity to take a critical look at how I use technology in the classroom.  After learning about Paivio’s dual coding hypothesis I started to think about how I present information.  Paivio (Laureate Education, n.d. a.) argued that people remember pictures better than text.  Since learning of this theory I have tried to utilize pictures as much as possible in my instruction.  This class also reminded me that because we live in a technology saturated culture our students are accustomed to using technology.  I need to continuously be integrating technology into my instruction and into my students’ assignments as much as is reasonably possible. 

            Two technology tools that I would like to add to my teaching toolbox are virtual field trips and utilizing VoiceThread.  I have use the internet frequently in my instruction and I have had students conduct web quests, but after looking at virtual field trips in more depth,  I have found that I have not been utilizing these internet resources as well as I should be.  I need to take opportunities to create the episodic memories that virtual field trips help to create (Laureate Education, n.d. b.).  Virtually taking my students to a place like Jamestown is much more effective than simply reading about it in the text book.  I would also like to utilize VoiceThread in my classroom.  VoiceThread could be a great website to use for cooperative learning activities or for individual projects.  VoiceThread would work great for cooperative learning because multimedia type projects are conducive to cooperative behavior (Pitler, Hubbell, & Kuhn, 2010).  I think my students will love creating audio, type, or video memos and solicit feedback from their peers.  It is a great way to engage students in the learning process and to become active contributors. 

            Two long term goals for integrating technology into my classroom would be for me to utilize social media in my teaching, and utilizing online communities as both a contributor and a consumer. I would like to create YouTube videos and VoiceThread discussions and use them as tools for teaching and collaboration.  To help my achieve this goal I am going to look at my curriculum map and identify certain topics that would lend well to utilizing these tools, and choose one topic per month.  One strategy per month would allow me to ease my way into utilizing these tools.  As I become more comfortable with them then I can increase the amount.  I have learned so much from my colleagues through their blog posts and discussion boards.  I think it is important to spend time learning from my colleagues that are in the trenches with me as well as sharing with them what I am doing in my classroom.  It is refreshing for a teacher to learn new things.  To help me achieve this goal of being active in online communities I will schedule time in my plan book to read the blogs on my Feed Reader account and to post to thoughts and ideas onto my own blog.  The important thing for me is that I actually have a set apart time to do this.  Penciling it in my plan book will keep me accountable. 

References

Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.a.). Cognitive learning theories [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.b.). Spotlight on technology: Virtual field trips  [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Orey, M. (Ed.). (2001). Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from 

            http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Main_Page

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E. R., & Kuhn, M. (2012). Using technology with classroom instruction that works (2^nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: ASCD.