Reflection: Bridging Learning Theory, Instruction, and Technology

This is the second college class I took toward my certificate Integrating Technology in the Classroom.    During the last 7 weeks, I was a “student” exposed to many different ways of learning and teaching.  What I learned most is that I need to step back and allow my students to learn.  I need to be a facilitator and my classroom needs to be student centered.

This summer if I had picked up and read our class book, Using technology with classroom instruction that works by Pitler, H., Hubbell, E. R., & Kuhn, M. (2012) without the benefit of the online college instruction, I would have learned some things but not as much as I learned through the class.  Why?  The class discussion each week was focused on a different learning theory.  The discussion itself was actually Social Learning Theory.  We learned from each other. We were a diverse group from not only the United States but also the world.  We were teachers of preschool through high school and we learned from each other because we were able to discuss the same topic.  . I want this same thing to happen in my classroom.  I want discussion of a topic or concept.

What did I learn?  The technology tools that we tried, online concept maps and voicethread, could be adapted and used by all levels of learners.  Other technology tools that were suggested by our classmates and teacher that were mentioned in our book became highly regarded as tools to try.  This opened a whole new world, a world of technology tools I had never heard of.  Of course, in three to five years these tools may be obsolete because we do not know what is being created right now.  This is a reason to take more professional development classes, to stay current with the technology tools that are available. 

Our students face a future job that may not be created yet. How do we get them ready for that?  Look at what they would need right now.  They need to be able to communicate and to collaborate.  They need to be able to adjust quickly to new things.  They need to take what they know (schema),to assimilate or to accommodate new information,  to bring things into equilibration, and to construct a new schema or concept of things.  This is Constructivist Learning Theory.

I am eclectic in my teaching style.  I do not gravitate to one method or theory but try to incorporate different theories with different lessons.  In this way, I hope to reach all the learners in my classroom.  I try to use different technology tools for the same reason, each student is different and may be engaged in the lesson when a different tool is used.

Sometimes, a technology tool will be a learning tool and sometimes it will be an instructional tool.  It will be a learning tool if the students are creating and using the tool.  It will be an instructional tool if the teacher is using it to present a lesson or concept.

Whatever learning theory, technology tool, or instruction I use in my classroom I need to remember that “effort is the most important factor in achievement” (Pitler, et al, 2012, 57) and my students need to practice more than 24 times before they reach 80% competency (Pitler, et al, 2012, 168).

My goal is to make students more aware of the effort they put into assignments and classwork.  Another goal is to give them practice, practice, and more practice so they get that 24 times and more.

Good Luck to all as I take a break to put my learning into practice!

References:

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E. R., & Kuhn, M. (2012). Using technology with classroom instruction that 

          works (2^nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: ASCD.