Most teachers would agree that technology has a place in the classroom. But when they are given the technology they rarely use it. When I talk to these teachers it is because they do not know how to use it and are fearful of breaking it. This course has allowed me to see first hand technologies place in the classroom and how it connects to learning theories. I have learned to use technology as more than an instructional tool but as a learning tool.
My personal theory of learning has not changed as a result of this course but I now see the important role technology plays in helping my students learn. I still consider myself a social constructivist who blends in the ideas of behaviorism and cognitivism. This summer my classroom will become a model technology classroom, as I will be receiving a Smart Board, document camera, projector, laptop and a set of SMART Response devices. This course has allowed me to think ahead about how I will use these new tools as learning tools not simply instructional tools. Just as I will spend time learning how to use these tools this summer, I will spend time teaching my students how to use these tools. Just as I have been intentional about how I teach without technology I will need to be intentional about how I teach with technology.
Immediate adjustments I will make to my instructional practice are the inclusion of some of the instructional strategies we have learned about in this course. Although I would love to begin to incorporate and master all nine instructional strategies immediately, I know this is not realistic or best practice (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010a). I will use technology to help students create nonlinguistic representations and cooperate with peers outside of our school community. I will begin to utilize E-Pals and pair students up with a peer from another school in the United States—or perhaps another county. Other technology tools I will incorporate are Voice Threads, Inspiration, Glogster and virtual field trips. The incorporation of these tools will help me to meet the diverse needs of my learners because as I am reaching out to many different intelligences (Duffy & McDonald, 2008). Dr. Orey shared that the human brain makes connections through experience—and the more varied the experiences are the more likely humans are to make the connections and to be able to recall the information (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010d). My repertoire of instructional skills has not necessarily been expanded but refreshed as a result of this course. I vaguely remembered learning in college about the nine instructional strategies discussed in this course. But because I was only reading about them in a textbook I quickly forgot about them and was not always implementing them in my class. Now, as a result of this course, I am reminded that “education is complex” and I must know my learners and use a variety of instructional skills, tools and strategies (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010b).
One long-term goal change I would like to make to my instructional practice is to commit to using technology as a learning tool not only an instructional tool. Learners need to be active in the learning process—not sitting on the sidelines waiting to be filled with information. Dr. Orey tells us that when students are engaged in learning and the creation of an artifact they work to resolve their disequilibrium (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010c).
Another long-term goal change I would like to make to my instructional practice is to look at lessons I teach year after year and see how I can make modifications to incorporate technology as a learning tool. Many of my lessons can be enhanced by incorporating technology as a learning tool. I will work to see how I can utilize Wikis, blogs, virtual field trips, web quests and other tools we have learned about to make the most out of my lessons.
References:
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010a). Program eleven. Instructional strategies, Part one [Webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010b). Program nine. Connectivism as a learning theory [Webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010c). Program seven. Constructionist and constructivist learning theories [Webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010d). Program two. Brain research and learning [Webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Lever-Duffy, J., & McDonald, J. (2008). Theoretical foundations (Laureate Education, Inc., custom ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education
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