Responses to Module 6

I responded to:

Steve Zollinger
http://srzollinger.wordpress.com/2012/05/21/zollinger-educ-8845-mod-6-blog-post/#comment-19

and

Jill Lewis
http://technibug.wordpress.com/2012/05/24/learning-in-a-digital-world/#comment-13

Module 6: Learning in a Digital World

           What do you believe is critical and non-negotiable in teaching and learning? Support your ideas using the learning and instructional theories you embrace as a part of your personal theory of learning.

My philosophy on learning has developed throughout my career.  My thoughts on the learning process were much different as a new college graduate than they have become in the last several years.  Overall, the theory of learning I most believe in is John Dewey’s Constructivism. This theory does best to combine some ideas from both behaviorism and cognitivism.  It is also modeled after the steps in the scientific method.  With a background in science, applying the concepts found in constructivism to the scientific method comes very easily to me.

According to Driscoll (2005), constructivism primarily encompasses the thought of learning based on experiences.  I believe technology can make a vast difference in how these experiences are processed.  Technology in the online environment allows me to interact with learners in ways other than through face-to-face communication.  Tools like blogs, wikis, and classroom discussion boards are examples.  Technology has also allowed me to work with a much larger diversity of people than taking a traditional class.  These abilities teach me how to better interact with the world around me.  I feel technology has helped my desire to learn to grow. 

Reference:

Driscoll, M. (2005). Psychology of learning for instruction (3^rd ed.). Boston: Pearson Education Inc.

Module 5 Responses

I posted responses to the following:

http://srzollinger.wordpress.com/2012/05/04/zollinger-educ-8845-mod-5-blog-post/

and

http://jygreensblog.blogspot.com/2012_05_06_archive.html

Module 5: New Technologies

Briefly describe a situation in which you have encouraged people to use a new technology and have been met with resistance or disappointing results. What attitudes did these people exhibit? What behaviors did they demonstrate? Using Keller’s ARCS model, describe how you could change the motivation of these people, or learners, to encourage success.

While teaching high school science, our teachers received a new technology in the form of electronic voters.  I had worked in a previous school system that had this technology and had found I had really enjoyed using them.  I attempted to teach several other teachers how to use them but was often met with a lot of resistance.  These teachers felt like there was enough on their plates already and they just didn't have time to make use of this new technology.  I found it quite frustrating because I had found it was a great method for reviewing and could often save time when used.  I had also volunteered to help get them set up and to demonstrate their use.  It was somewhat disheartening to note how much some of them seemed to reel at the idea.

I believe a workshop with more time to adapt these new technologies may have helped more teachers to adopt it.  A few examples with fun activities might help to pique their interests.  The technology could then be used to help show teachers how it would relate to concepts they were teaching.  Confidence could be addressed on more of a personal basis by working one on one to help them see its different uses.  By seeing it in use they may get a sense of satisfaction as to how it could benefit them (Driscoll, 2005).

Jason

Reference:

Driscoll, M. (2005). Psychology of learning for instruction (3^rd ed.). Boston: Pearson Education

Inc.