Web Conference Reflection – Week 1
Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the Saturday, August 31, 2013 web conference due to previous engagements. I attempted to attend the first scheduled web conference on Thursday, but then was advised that it had been cancelled.
I went into Blackboard to watch the recording of the Saturday morning conference so that I could get some clarification on a couple of questions I had about the assignment, but there was no link to the recording. Thankfully, we have a good group on Facebook, and they were able to answer some of my questions. Also, I know that the IAs and Dr. Abernathy are always available if I have any questions.
Although my Internet connection works at my house, I have a hard time staying connected to web conferences or Google Hangout. During the school year, I try to stay at school to attend the web conferences because there I have no problem staying connected in my classroom.
I look forward to the week two web conference.
Readings and Videos Reflection – Week 1
I really enjoyed the readings and videos this week. I finally feel justified in my teaching style. I never knew what to call my teaching style, but after watching the videos and reading the readings, I realize that I have always tied the way I teach to both constructivism and connectivism theories. I may have some students who would like to be cyborgs, but that theory never comes up in my classroom.
In the video, Building Knowledge: Constructivism in Learning, John Abbott explains that constructivism means that one never learns anything from scratch. New ideas relate to something you already have in your brain, and with this information you construct bigger and bigger frameworks of knowledge. I am paraphrasing a bit, but when he said that it really struck me. Because I teach Career and Technology, my job is tie my students’ learning to what they already know and help them build on it. I use what they learn in math to make sense of the formulas and functions we use in Excel. My favorite part of the video was at the very end. Abbott says, “A good teacher is trying to teach a child from where they are now by expanding what they already have.” (Abbott, 2008) This is what I try to do with my students daily.
After I watch the first video, I was excited. I had a theory name to label my teaching style. Then I watch George Seimens discuss connectivism. I realized I encourage this as well in my classroom. He talked about how other theories (behaviorism, constructivism) all happen within the head of the learner, whereas connectivism takes place not only within the neural networks of our minds, but also the external networks of our environment. “The learners themselves, the connections they form with each other, databases, other sources of knowledge is really the primary point of learning. The network the learners create becomes the learning.” (Seimens, 2007) I encourage my students to learn from one another, the Internet, me, other teachers, and their parents. George Seimens later says, “Knowledge is really about the distribution that occurs across an entire network.” I think if we are to be lifelong learners, we need to learn from those in our lives. I would like to do some more research about both constructivism and connectivism.
Although I watch the video about Cyborg theory, I was a little freaked out. I almost could not take Professor Warwick seriously, but I could tell just how serious he is about what he does. I appreciate his willingness to be his own test subject, and I do understand that there are some benefits to cyborg study, when it comes to amputees and individuals who are paralyzed or have nerve damage. Despite my reluctance to buy into everything he talks about, Professor Kevin Warwick does make a very valid point. In referring to humans, sometime in the near future, being able to implant a chip into our brains for improved or enhanced memory function and the reluctance or disbelief people have in accepting this, he says, “That is not something we’ve done in the past. Humans have always gone along with progress.” (Warwick, 2008) He is right; we do look for the next version or the improved product. Why would we stop with our own brains? We enhance other parts of our bodies. So, as weirded out as I was, Professor Warwick does make some excellent points. Just do not look for me to have anything implanted in my arm or brain anytime soon.
I have reflected on the videos quite a bit, but I also enjoyed the readings. The excerpt from SEDL, Learning as a Personal Event: A Brief Introduction to Constructivism, contained some really good information about constructivism. It helped build on what I had learned from watching John Abbott’s video. Sometimes all these theories get jumbled up, and one never does get a clear picture or example of how it is applied in the classroom. There were excellent examples in this article. One thing that stood out was that “constructivist learning theory tells us we learn in a variety of ways.” (SEDL, 1999) This statement ties into technology in the classroom. Not every lesson needs to include technology for the sake of including technology, but we can use technology as a tool to help students learn, discover, and build upon prior knowledge. Further into the article is a statement that really stood out.
Students are the stars in learner-centered classrooms. They bring knowledge and information gained from past experiences, things they've read and seen, things they have heard and talked about. Their previous understandings are the foundation of whatever learning they will glean in the classroom. Just as detectives are responsible for solving a crime, students are responsible for solving problems. (SEDL, 1999)
I think sometimes teachers do not understand what their own role is in the classroom if they are not lecturing in front of the class. This article is very clear to state that a teacher becomes the instructional leader and provides structure for the students’ learning.
Another article that I really enjoyed and quoted in my discussion board this week was the article by Sprague and Dede, If I Teach This Way, Am I Doing My Job: Constructivism in the Classroom. Reading this article helped me feel better about my classroom management and my teaching style. I think I have said that a lot in this reflection, but it is what really hit home this week. There are multiple quotes from this article I could expound upon, but I will only pick one. “Constructivist teachers allow student responses to drive lessons, shift instructional strategies, and alter content. This does not mean that if students are not interested in a topic, it should not be taught. Instead, students’ knowledge, experiences, and interests occasionally do coalesce around an urgent theme. When events occur that exert an irresistible pull on students’ minds continuing with preplanned presentational lessons is often fruitless (Brooks & Brooks, 1993).” (Sprague & Dede, 1999) I change my lesson plans from time to time because I do allow my students’ responses to sometimes guide the lesson. I know when they are trying to just get me off topic and when the need to take the other path is real.
The other articles and readings from the books were interesting this week, but these two articles were what really captured my attention. I look forward to learning some more about constructivism and connectivism and how technology enhances these theories in the classroom.
References:
Abbott, J. (nd). Building Knowledge: Constructivism in Learning. [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F00R3pOXzuk
Siemens, G. (nd). The Changing Nature of Knowledge [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMcTHndpzYg
Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, (1999). Learning as a personal event: A brief introduction to constructivism. Retrieved from http://www.sedl.org/pubs/tec26/intro2c.html
Sprague, D. & Dede, C. (1999). If I teach this way, Am I doing my job: Constructivism in the classroom. Leading and Learning, 27(1). Retrieved from the International Society for Technology in Education at http://imet.csus.edu/imet9/280/docs/dede_constructivisim.pdf
Warwirk, K. (nd). Cyborg Life [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RB_l7SY_ngI
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