Just to get a
few things out of the way… here’s a big apology for my voicethread. I am definitely still pretty shaky on
creating them, and I felt very limited on what I could do with the
program. Simple edits and cuts all
need to be made before creating the voicethread and that became problematic. After I created this one for our class,
I spent more time creating a second (with calculus problems) and it seemed a
little easier. Perhaps over time I
will grow use to the setup and find ways to incorporate threads into my lessons.
Click for my voicethread: HERE!
Now… on to the
blog topic!
We
research a few instructional strategies this week which correlated with our
study of social learning theories.
Of these strategies, the first was social constructivism which Dr. Orey
(2010) states is “based on specific assumptions about reality, knowledge, and
learning” (p. 56). This strategy (if not already evident by it’s name) is very
centered around social learning.
Constructivists think learning happens through social means when people
work together to create their own knowledge. Everything about it lines right up with the social learning
theories.
Cooperative
learning was another one of the strategies we read about this week. This one is often used in my room and is
definitely the key to helping students understand. Students can work together to solve problems and lead each
other through barriers. This works
best when groups are small and I like to keep my groups as low as two or three
when they are working together on problems.
These
strategies all correlate to social learning theories in the fact that students
learn best when working with and presenting to their peers. By teaching a lesson to someone else, a
student can grasp so much more than they could just learning individually by
way of lecture.
Laureate
Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011). Program eight: Constructionist and
constructivist learning theories [Video webcast]. Bridging learning theory,
instruction and technology.
Orey, M. (2010).
Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology.
Pitler, H.,
Hubbell, E. R., & Kuhn, M. (2012). Using technology with classroom
instruction that works (2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Hi Kate,
ReplyDeleteMy students love to teach each other, and ME! I love to learn so we are in happy company. They can be worlds ahead of me technology wise. They get excited when they are able to show me how to do something.
My students truly do seem to enjoy working together. I get no complaints when they get the privilege of engaging in group work. Even when they are paired with those they may not hang around with, or even get along with, they rise to the challenge. They understand that it is an example of what it may be like in the real workplace.
Debra
I love that Debra! I also use that example for kids (usually when they want to complain about a teacher or another student). I explain that they will FOREVER be working with personalities that clash with their own. The more we keep them working together in school, the better collaborators they'll be in the future!
DeleteThanks for your comment!
-Kate