Module 5

Atlanta airport is part of Clayton County, which brings a great deal of additional revenue to the schools in Clayton. As a result they are able to purchase a lot of technology, and the math department is usually the first to implement its use. With that said there were plenty of times when I have tried to show others how to use a new piece of equipment in their classrooms. I have never been met with resistance, but the attitude most of the time is first excitement as they watch the technology in use, then it transitions into frustration when it is brought into the classroom and  it doesn’t immediately work because the teacher can’t figure out how to connect it, and then it is forgotten in a cabinet.

Attention was gained when the technology was first demonstrated, but it somehow falls into a downward spiral.

Relevance- As the technology is being initially demonstrated there are usually several examples shown across curriculum in order for the teacher to see the relevance in their class and how it can specifically meet their needs (Which are why they start off so excited).

Confidence is where we begin to lose our teacher. Once they have failed to get the technology working early time does not permit for most to simply troubleshoot until they figure it out. Here is where it would be most useful to have a trained technology specialist in each school that could be at teacher disposal quickly, so they don’t lose the confidence needed to keep trying.  

Satisfaction- A natural reaction of satisfaction will arise as the teachers continue to successfully use their technology with the help of technology specialist. Then technology will be used effectively, students will benefit, and growth can be made.      

Constructivist, Technology, and Collaboration (Module 3)

Have you ever been around babies or small children and watched them interact? It may simply be a goal of having fun, but it seems to be instinct to figure out how to make the group together just to play a game. Small children do not pull out rule books and review the rules of engagement, they interact and work as groups to decide the patterns of their made up games. So, do I agree with Rheingold’s theory that collaboration is a basic instinct, Yes! Does it always work out for the best, no, but it is a lot easier to survive with help. The example of Wikipedia is an awesome example of how collaboration quickly built a resource of knowledge. A resource, which millions of people use. I always use Wikipedia to get a quick simple idea of a topic, and it often gives me additional topics related to the idea that are useful. On the other side of the Wikipedia’s world collaboration, is the fact that most instructors won’t accept Wikipedia as a reliable resource. Yes, we instinctively work together, but as we get older and have more experiences (or less) working with groups, our willingness and ability to work with others changes. However, technology is adding a new spin on our ability to collaborate.

Sang Chan believes students have more opportunities to take control of their learning in a constructivist classroom, because it is problem based, and technology is the bridge to apply the learning in daily life. Others feel the instructional systems field has been shifted from instructional communication to practice based learning with the emergence of constructivism. Technology allows people to share ideas from different locations at different times, it allows you to work at your own pace, and it provides you instantly with a limitless number of resources. Imagine the ability to combine technologies benefits with Brooks and Brooks five principals to provide valuable learning experiences through constructivism: 1) Pose problems of emerging relevance to students. 2) Structure learning around primary concepts. 3) Seek and value student point of view. 4) Adapt curriculum to address student supposition. 5) Assess student learning in the context of teaching. Through the use of technology and constructivism, students improved in communication, teamwork, critical thinking, and self responsibility skills.  

Chan, S. (2010). Designing an Online Class Using a Constructivist Approach. Journal of Adult Education, 39(1), 26-39. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Module 1 How People Learn Best.

I do not have an overwhelming favorite theory on the way people learn, my personal beliefs tend to be a mixture of Cognitive ideas and Constructivism. Mostly, influenced by my individual learning style, I use to teach in a way that would intentionally bring my students attention to how math concepts built up from the previous topic. I would create lessons that would rarely use paper where the students would have to be engaged with movement, and socialize to get the best outcome. Students were given clear objectives, but encouraged to define things in a way that made sense to them. However, teaching in special education, I find that my students don’t have a real understanding or previous knowledge to start our growth. I tend to have better results with immediate rewards or consequences. I feel myself to be transitioning into a behaviorist. Learning theories were useful in a regular classroom because you had to make the best of a one room, paper, pencil system. In recent years technology, and the idea of educational technology, have given us an interactive television which has no bounds to what we view and interact with from anywhere in the world. I believe the purpose of learning theories in educational technology may be to translate ideas that work in a face-to-face environment into appropriate digital tools that will make them work even better on a more extravagant, Globally competitive, scale.