Blog: Final Reflection

Blog: Final Reflection
In Understanding the Bridging Learning Theory, Instruction, and Technology, the experts shared and spoke passionately on the significance of technology in the 21st - century classroom, as well as the importance of exposing students to technology in order to prepare them for the life ahead after graduation. They also distinguished between using technology as a teaching tool and using technology as a learning tool. Orey, (2010) declared that when technology is used merely as teaching tools, such technology tools have not been used effectively. Dr. Orey reminded educators that, learners need to be active participants during learning process, not just as perceive receivers of knowledge, he highlighted many way by which technology could be used as both teaching and learning tools so as to have full impacts on the learners. Orey, (2010) emphasized the importance of collaboration and cooperation among students during classroom interaction; he mentioned that learners should learn with and from one another. As the name of this course suggests, educators ought to be able to choose appropriate instructional technology tools and use same effectively and judiciously to increase students’ achievement.

Reflection on My Personal Theory of Learning

As a result of my exposure to Educ. 6711, I have identified some fundamental flaws in my personal educational philosophy and personal theory of learning. Even though, I hold the belief that learners are not “empty barrels”, they have some knowledge, they are individually unique, and that they learn differently, and as a result, I believe in individualized instruction and that learners should be at the centre of instruction. I am also of the opinion that every student can be successful in an ideal situation. One fallacy I found in my theory is the statement I made that, as a teacher my duty therefore is to locate and bring out those resources and knowledge in my students. The exposure to this course definitely made me to shift from teacher-centered to learner-centered mode of teaching. As (Prenskey, 2010) pointed out, I now put students’ “engagement before content”, instead of deciding for students, I now decide with students.


The students with the assistance of teachers embark on their own journey of self discovery, the teachers only provide the enabling environment, the right incentives and reinforcement and the oversight to guide learners. I will only guide learners to experience learning in their own unique way, and allow them to discover and develop their cognitive map of their learning environment in order to discover and experience the “AHA” moment on their own. (Lever-Duffy, 2008). This course has broadened my horizon as far as understanding of learning theories and the use of technology in education is concerned. The knowledge of behaviourism, cognitivism, constructionism/constructivism, connectivism theories as well as social theory of learning have all transformed they way I now perceive teaching and learning in the classroom. I have developed an enriched notion and theory of learning, and I have discovered a new dimension about how the brain works, how learners learn, remember and forget things, and the implications of all these for educators like me.

I have now improved my repertoire of strategies on what I can do to make learning enduring and lasting in the minds of students. I have developed pedagogy of how to combine the right educational technology tools in the classroom and enable my students to learn effectively while they construct their own knowledge. I can now separate the use of technology as teaching tools from use of technology as learning tools and combine both when necessary. (Orey, 2010).
Immediate adjustments to My Instructional Practic
Having put this course under my belt, I will proceed immediately to make amends in the way I organize my lessons, and give a new out look to my teaching practice. Pickering, (2010) identified some nine cluster of strategies that can help students to learn and retain what they learn and improve learners’ overall achievement, such as identifying similarities and differences, non-linguistic representation, reinforcing effect and providing recognition etc. I have been using some of these strategies and I plan to use more and combine them with effective use of technology as both learning and teaching tools. The two educational technology tools of my choice are concept map and voicethread. These tools have potentials to geometrically increase the learners’ achievement if combined with effective teaching and learning strategies such as those mentioned above. Concept map is deep in context, and rich in logic, if understood very well by students, and combined with effective combination of constructivist and cognitivist theories of learning, after learners have developed the gestalt field map of the learning experience, building a very organized concept map and generating focus questions will be easier for the student. I have tried it with my students in the science unit on ‘Fluids”, students list all the key words, generate focus questions and come up with their concept map, they did a very good job.

The second choice is voicethread; I like this tool because of its flexibility and functionality. Students can combined both video and audio files as well as pdf and words all in one application, my students love it, they have instant feedback and they can fix their products until they are satisfied. Both tools above are even juicier because they both allow students to cooperate and collaborate, they can work either in the same location or from anywhere in the world wherever there is internet connection, that arguments the idea of learning anywhere any time as enumerated by Dede, (2010). Without any fear of exaggeration, I have evolved (I am still evolving) as an effective educator who has embraced technology in the classroom and my instructional practices, I have become a “digital native’ and can now speak the language of my students. My repertoire of instructional skills has expanded even beyond my imagination at the inception of this program. I have many strategies in my instructional basket out of which I can pick and choose according to the classroom situation ranging from generating and testing hypothesis to using cues, questioning and advanced organizers.

Two long-term goal changes I like to make to My Instructional Practice
With my knowledge of Educ. 6711, the two lasting long-term goal changes I am committed to are:
a) Using more cooperative and collaborative instructional strategy that is infused with effective use of educational technology as both learning and teaching tools in my class so as to improve and increase students’ achievement. One of the ways I plan to achieve this is by designing power and authentic learning experience for students and allow them to solve real life issues either within the school or in our immediate community. Putting learners in the context will allow them to put their skills to work and solve real life problems.

b) I like the concept of identifying similarities and differences. According to Pickering, (2010) in an experiment carried out, the learners that are exposed to this strategy recorded a 45% improvement in achievement over their counterparts that are not exposed to the strategy. I think that the reason is not farfetched, before somebody can identify differences and similarities, that person has to really understand the concept inside out. Just like a blind person cannot identify any similarities and differences between a movie theatre and a surgery theatre, so also a learner that does not have a clue about a concept cannot describe it! The way to do this is not simple or easy, it involves a lot of practice and modeling on the part of the teacher, but it is definitely achievable. (Pickering, 2010). I will first try to master the art of identifying similarities and differences myself through more studies, looking at what an object is and what is not, as well as what distinguishes the object/concept from others objects. I will then take my students through the experience slowly and steadily until it becomes second nature to them. I am committed to the above goals and I will pursue them to a logical conclusion.

References

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Pitler, H., Hubbel, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom

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