Digitally -mediated teaching and learning – Course reflections. In the beginning of this course we reflected on what digitally mediated learning is and how technology can be used to reimagine learning and not just digitize learning. I believe the challenge in education is to use technology that will effectively engage students, personalize their learning, and allow students to be more active learners. In this course we reflected on various learning theories and digital technology that could support the theory. The constructivist approach to learning was one I could relate to in my professional career. This theory allows students to build from previous knowledge and use inquiry to solve problem and draw conclusions. The teachers role is more of a mentor and students are more active in learning (Ozola & Purvins, 2013). The digital tools that could support this learning theory could be project- based authentic learning models (PBL) and blended learning models. PBL allow students to build on prior knowledge and problems solve to complete a task. The blended learning model utilizes technology to deliver instruction but also includes face to face instruction to support technology. The trend in education is moving away from traditional teacher centered learning environment to more of a student centered environment. In order for students to acquire 21st century skills such as innovation, they need to be more active learners and have a say in how they are taught (Khan, 2011). Technology could be the key to bringing the gap between traditional instructions and providing personalized learning environments (U.S. Department of Education Office of Educational Technology, 2010). Students have virtually unlimited access to technology in their personal lives. They communicate globally through social media, blog and create videos. Education should be an extension of this and would offer more resources that are available in the traditional classroom (U.S. Department of Education Office of Educational Technology, 2010). Students should use the tools of professionals to prepare themselves for the global workforce. Blogs, wikis, digital communication, mathematical 3D modeling, gaming, and virtual world technologies are all effective integrations of technology that could increase student engagement and motivation. Technology could also be useful in assessments by measuring 21st century skills and provide data to drive instruction. As a result of what was learned in this course, I will implement the use of blogs in my classroom as a digital collaboration tool. As a personal goal, I will continue to research and implement a flipped classroom blended technology model and utilize this format for blogs, How can technology be used to motivate and engage students to effectively improve learning? References: Khan, S., (2011). Year 2060: Education predictions. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiKrFcgVSIU Ozola & Purvins, 2013. Teaching /learning theories- how they are perceived in contemporary educational landscape. BCES Conerence Proceedings, 133-138. U.S. Department of Education Office of Educational Technology. (2010). Transforming American education: Learning powered by technology. Washington, DC.
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A digital tool that could enhance learning in a variety of environments is the use of gaming and virtual world technologies such as the Second Life program. Second Life provides learners with a 3D virtual world using avatars in unique settings. Learners could spend time immersed in simulations, reenactments, and other interactive activities that enhance the learning environment (Educational uses of second life, 2007).
This digital tool can be useful in teaching secondary high school students. I believe students would be engaged in this form of technology use in the classroom. Many students today spend countless hours gaming at home instead of doing homework and are very familiar with this platform. Educational principles found in certain video games can help engage students of today and update our instructional strategies which no longer seem effective or productive (Kooiman, B., Kim, H., Wenling, L., & Wesolek, M., 2013). With proper resources and support. This tool can be used in all disciplines as a supplement to instruction. The teacher can provide an environment that offers collaboration with other students in real time. Collaboration is an essential 21st century skill. Bullying in schools and a general increase in lack of empathy, is too common among some student populations. This tool can provide a virtual reality that allows students to not only learn about a topic but to empathize with others. For example, students can be placed in an environment as someone that has a genetic, or physiological disorder. Students could learn about the science of the genetic disorder as well as how these individuals may have been treated historically. Other applications useful to high school students would be the use of scavenger hunts relevant to the field of study as an interactive vocabulary. Also, with the ability to insert white board technology or Power Points to the virtual reality, teachers can personalize the lessons. An important feature of this digital tool is the translator feature. The demographics of our high school is increasing in English Language Learners and this feature could help bring the learning gap. The educational physiologist, Benjamin Bloom, developed the Taxonomy of Educational Objectives in 1956. This taxonomy has become a tool in understanding the learning process. Bloom’s taxonomy follows the thinking process and is ordered from low order thinking skills to higher order thinking skills. In the 1990’s, the taxonomy was revised by a former student of Bloom to use verbs rather than nouns to describe the thinking skills. Today, Bloom’s Taxonomy can be applied to the digital tools available to students as related to the learning process. It is important to mention, learning can start at any point of Bloom’s taxonomic order. Students may be at different points of the learning process and the digital tools used today such as Second Life, could be used to facilitate teaching of those student at different levels. It could also make learning more personalized (Wikispaces, n.d.). In Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy, the skills that would be addressed using 3D virtual realities and gaming would mostly fall under the higher order thinking skills of evaluating, analyzing, and creating. Using a digital tool liked Second Life, students would be immersed in a world where they would be collaborating with other students potentially in groups around the world, posting and blogging related to simulations, and designing relevant avatars using animation. Learning has certainly come a long way! References: Educational Uses of Second Life, (2007). Retrieved from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOFU9oUF2HA. Kooiman, B., Kim, H., Wenling, L., & Wesolek, M. (2013). Linking the educational principles of multiplayer gaming and play to common core strategies. International Journal Of Technology In Teaching & Learning, 9(2), 189-204. Wikispaces (n.d), Retrieved from: http://edorigami.wikispaces.com/Bloom%27s+Digital+Taxonomy In reflecting on my personal experience with learning, both intrinsic and extrinsic factors have been motivators, however, intrinsic motivation has played a larger role. This is especially true if the learning environment related to my interests or personal experiences as well as if the learning was challenging allowing me to think and apply knowledge to a bigger picture. According to the National Survey of Student Engagement (2015), 54% of students in 9th grade and 59 % of 12th grade students report that they are not academically challenged. Student engagement and motivation declines if students are not challenged. Motivating students is a facet of teacher competent and success however is difficult to achieve if students do not feel challenged. Students cannot be motivated if they are asked to perform narrow focused tasks that have little meaning to their lives. Real world problems that we are all faced with daily do not have clear cut rules or solutions (Pink). Studies have shown that extrinsic motivation, such as financial incentives, lead to success if students are faced with narrow, straight forward solutions to a task but the motivation is seldom long lasting. Students offered financial incentives that were faced with cognitive level tasks with no clear cut solution did not lead to greater success (Pink). These cognitive level skills relate to 21st century skills such as collaboration, problem solving, critical thinking, and communication. It appears that doing the same things are not working to motivate students. Educators need to work on increasing intrinsic motivation of students by building upon student purpose, autonomy, and allowing them to reach mastery. Having a more personalized learning approach would increase intrinsic motivation. Technology could be the key to bringing the gap between traditional instructions and providing personalized learning environments (U.S. Department of Education Office of Educational Technology,2010). Students have virtually unlimited access technology in their personal lives. They communicate globally through social media, blog and create videos. Education should be an extension of this and would offer more resources that are available in the traditional classroom (U.S. Department of Education Office of Educational Technology, 2010). Students should use the tools of professionals to prepare themselves for the global workforce. Blogs, wikis, digital communication, mathematical 3D modeling is all effective integration of technology that could increase student engagement and motivation. Technology could also be useful in assessments by measuring 21st century skills and provide data to drive instruction. An obstacle to implementing effective technology is the costs associated with infrastructure needs. The infrastructure encompasses many aspects such as physical resources, support, training, and continued funding. With school districts constantly experiencing budget cuts, this obstacle may make it impossible for some districts to move forward. Another obstacle to implementing technology is the gap between teachers level of comfort with technology. This lack of understanding could decrease the effectiveness of technology to improve teaching and learning. , The Social Behavioral Theory of learning as described by psychologist Albert Bandura states that learning and motivation stem from observations, imitation, and modeling. This theory applies to my motivation in elementary school. I remember certain teachers fondly and was motivated to work to please them and my parents. I observed classmates and was driven to imitate their success. Later, I believe this transitioned to more cognitive views of motivation. I intrinsically became highly motivated to succeed and achieve my goals. The high expectations and need to succeed could also be attributed to the example my parents set for me. Both parents are immigrants that individually succeeded in small business. Their motivation was an example for me to imitate (Burwell, Dr., 2008). It would be beneficial to work on increasing intrinsic motivation in my students. Task that allow students to engage in effective technology such as blogs and video communication will be used in assignments to incorporate 21st century skills. Project based learning assignments that students can relate to will be applied to the curriculum. My question for you is... What examples of 21st century skills do you use in your practice and how are they measured? I chose the video below because it discusses how Project -based learning could be used in the classroom to engage and motivate students as well as personalize learning. Valuable learning skills are discussed. Project based learning is a shift from traditional teaching and the role of the teacher is more of a coach and mentor. The following article discusses some challenges with student centered learning, especially in low income areas. http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/07/07/the-struggles-and-realities-of-student-driven-learning-and-byod/ References Barwell, Dr., (2008). Retrieved from: http://www.slideshare.net/drburwell/motivation2008-presentation Pink,D., (2009). The puzzle of motivation. Retrieved from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrkrvAUbU9Y National Survey of Student Engagement (2015). Engagement Insights: Survey Findings on the Quality of Undergraduate Education— Annual Results 2015. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research U.S. Department of Education Office of Educational Technology. (2010). Transforming American education: Learning powered by technology. Washington, DC. The learning theory that I tend to utilize most in my career is the formal learning theory. Formal education is the standardized classroom environment. However, there is a trend to more non- formal education that supports digitally-mediated teaching and learning. Therefore, I will discuss how non formal theory applies to education today. The trend in education is moving away from traditional teacher centered learning environment to more of a student centered environment. In order for students to acquire 21st century skills such as innovation, they need to be more active learners and have a say in how they are taught (Khan, 2011). In addition, formal education tends to overlook cultural groups that education should serve. The demographic ethnicity of schools is changing. It is projected that by 2050 the Hispanic population will surpass the non-minority population (Gordan, 2012). Non- formal education tends to be more flexible and innovative. It may better serve the needs of disadvantaged students by allowing students to take make connections to their lives and make learning more personal (Conroy, 2014). An example of non-formal learning that I have utilized in science education include:
However, how do we use technology to reimagine learning in non-formal education and not digitalize learning as discussed in the Ted Talk by Richard Culatta (Culatta, 2013)? What would some examples of digitally- mediated instruction look like in your career? Is flipping the classroom and example of reimagining learning or digitalized learning? After writing these questions, I came across the Ted Talk by Salmon Khan posted below. He offers a great example of reimagining learning! The link below seems appropriate for all of us as we pursue our Masters in Education. The teacher in the video was changed by learning similar topics. She made significant changes to her teaching and consequently to student learning. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fMC-z7K0r4 References Conroy, M., (2016). Non-formal education. Non-formal education - research starters education, 1. Culatta, R., (2013). Reimagining Learning: Richard Culatta at TEDxBeaconStreet. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0uAuonMXrg Gordan, D., (2012). The changing state of US ethnicity. Retrieved from, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-20187325. Khan, S., (2011). Year 2060: Education predictions. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiKrFcgVSIU As I researched the demographic trends that could impact education, one that I think could significantly impact public education is the change in ethnicity in public school systems. It is projected that by 2050, the minority population with surpass the non-Hispanic population (Gordan, 2012). The challenge is to educate this population to become productive members of our society. Providing equitable education may not mean the same education in regards to courses studied, but may require an education that is tailored to the cultural and linguistic differences of the students. It should be mentioned that this does not mean lowering standards but to offer more personalized , self- directed learning to address the needs of the population. In addition, the changing demographics will not only require instructional changes but training of professionals and budgetary requirements. School systems need to understand cultural differences and language barriers so that there is not a divide among teachers and students. Lack of engagement and student success could be the result of such a divide. Currently, graduation rates and retention rates are higher in the minority populations indicating a lack of equitable success for all students (Yates, 2008). As educators we need to be reminded that regardless of socio-economic status or ethnicity, children are all capable of learning and succeeding. Most are curious and inquisitive to learn. We may have to change the way we educate students since the traditional methods may not work today. Just as demographics change regularly, so should instruction. Teaching should be flexible. Reflecting on the learning process may lead to revisions.and reflections. ( Musallam, 2013). References Gordan, D., (2012). The changing state of US ethnicity. Retrieved from, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-20187325. Musallam, R., (2013). Three rules to spark learning. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/ramsey_musallam_3_rules_to_spark_learning Yates, J.R.(2008). Demographic imperatives for educational reform for culturally and linguistically divers students. Multiple Voices for Ethnically Diverse exceptional Learners, 11(1), 4-12. Unit 4 Refletion
This course thus far has provided me with a greater understanding of what the future of education looks like. Prior to this class, I did not think about the future of education in the same way that was presented in the readings and videos. I never gave much thought for evaluating trends and planning for the future. The vision of education as presented by Kahn (2011), portrayed the students of the future as active learners and teachers as mentors and guides. George (2013), compared today’s classroom to a classroom from 100 years ago and noticed little had changed. George states that the advances in technology have not transformed teaching and learning as it has in industry. These analyses were eye opening to me. Some districts are moving in the direction of change, however many are lagging behind (George, 2013). After studying the materials from this course, I feel that our district is not moving into the direction of the future. As an educator for many years, I have worried that students graduating are not prepared for college or the future. We are not engaging the majority of students and much of what is taught is not relevant to their lives or applied outside of school. So this got me thinking about how teaching could be changed in my district. Maybe it is not what we teach but how we teach it. If we change the teaching model, maybe this will better prepare students and also engage them in wanting to take ownership of their education. George (2013) stated that a quality teacher is essential to student success. Studies were conducted to evaluate the academic success of students taught using conventional methods versus those receiving one to one tutoring. Students that received the individual instruction outperformed the students taught using conventional approaches. This says to me that different models of teaching need to be considered for the future of education . In analyzing the NMC report (2015), technology models like the blended classroom for example would allow for more individual and personalized learning. "Our current system is failing our kids"(Future of learning, 2012). Economic and industry changes have changed options for students entering the workforce. New innovative approaches to teaching are now necessary. Students have already recognized that changes in teaching would help them succeed. In a survey of students by Project Tomorrow, student identified many blended approaches to learning as the ideal situation (Project tomorrow, 2013). In the course of my career, I have tried to use different methods to teach students to engage them in learning. I continue to try and find new ways such as flipping the classroom. There is a lot more work to do. I need more time to research different methods and improve on the ones I am trying. This course has given me some tools for my toolbox. In the future, I hope to contribute in leadership roles in secondary education and change the classroom model to better fit with the future needs of students. References The future of learning (2012), retrieved Feb. 3, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoSJ3_dZcm8 Year 2060: Education Predictions (2011). Retrieved Feb. 3, from https://www.khanacademy.org/talks-and-interviews/conversations-with-sal/v/year-2060-education-predictions Johnson, L., Adams Becker, S., Estrada, V., Freeman, A., NMC Horizon Report: K-12 edition (2013). Retrieved Feb. 3, from http://cdn.nmc.org/media/2015-nmc-horizon-report-k12-EN.pdf Project Tomorrow (2013). From chalkboards to tablets: The emergence of the K-12 digital learner. Retrieved Feb. 3, from http://www.tomorrow.org/speakup/pdfs/SU12-Students.pdf |
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