EDUC 6711 Final Reflection

     As we began this course, I stated that my personal theory of learning centers on a student's emotions.  My belief was that the most important influence on a student's learning is how they feel each day in the classroom.  I still agree wholeheartedly with my original statements.  The most important thing you can do for your students is to give them a safe place to learn, try, fail, and try again.  This course has expanded my understanding of my own personal learning theory because I examined teaching practices that give students more autonomy and opportunity to take ownership of their learning.  Dr. Michael Orey stated that teachers can use technology as an instructional tool (teacher-centered, often used to present information).  Teachers can also use technology as a learning tool (student-centered, directly used by the students for learning) (Laureate, n.d.).  Using learning tools for themselves is a tremendous emotional boost for students because they are drawn in, engaged, and given respect when the impetus of learning is placed on their shoulders.

     I would like to make immediate adjustments to my classroom practice by allowing as much direct student use of learning tools as possible.  I could do this by flipping some lessons in order to minimize in-class lecture time.  Information given in a video lesson, to be watched at home as homework, is often shorter and more concise than in-class lectures which are interrupted by behavior issues, fire drills, and unrelated discussion.  By having students watch the lecture portion at home, I could use class time for hands-on activities, practice, or in-depth discussion.  I would also like to use more collaborative online tools with my students.  As they approach a future where online collaboration will be more and more important, we must prepare them for the "fast paced, virtual workplace" they will inhabit (Pitler, Hubbell, & Kuhn, 2012).  I can do this by giving them age-appropriate, content-driven online experiences in socially collaborative settings.  Tools such as Kidblog, wikis, Prezi, and Google docs are examples of technology I could use for this purpose.
   
     My repertoire of instructional skills has expanded as we studied each of the nine instructional strategies in depth.  Pitler, et al. documented these strategies as Setting Objectives/Providing Feedback, Reinforcing Effort/Providing Recognition, Cooperative Learning, Cues/Questions/Advance Organizers, Nonlinguistic Representations, Summarizing/Note Taking, Assigning Homework/Providing Practice, Identifying Similarities and Differences, and Generating/Testing Hypotheses (2012).  Each of these has many applications using technology.  It is the teacher's responsibility to choose wisely, using technology that enhances the lesson and allows students to do things they couldn't do otherwise.

     A long term goal for positive change in my classroom practice includes using nonlinguistic representation more in my teaching.  Orey stated that putting information in a Power Point and then reading the words to your students is the worst way to teach (n.d.).  I could improve my teaching by using pictures and videos, and explaining them with my words.  I could also teach students to do this when they are presenting.  I will prepare for this change by creating future slideshows differently, keeping this in mind.  I will create rubrics for student presentations differently as well.  I will explicitly teach this skill to students.

     Another long term goal for positive change in my classroom practice is to use technology to touch on many different intelligences.  Howard Gardner stated that there are eight primary intelligences.  They are musical–rhythmic, visual–spatial, verbal–linguistic, logical–mathematical, bodily–kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalistic (Theory of Multiple Intelligences, n.d.).  I will implement this change by using images, audio, video, and physical activity in my lessons.  I will provide opportunities for students to experience each kind of learning, using technology when appropriate.  

References

Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.). Technology: Instructional tool vs. learning tool [Video file].             

     Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

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

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

Theory of multiple intelligences. (2014, November 12). Retrieved December 15, 2014, from 

     http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_multiple_intelligences