created by Nicole Weeks
Expressing Creativity Using Technology is the focus of my second chapter 2 concept. As the book states, "Information technologies provide teachers and students with powerful ways to express their creativity using electronically generated words, pictures, symbols, and numbers" (Maloy, et. all). Students can use technology in so many ways to express themselves and create unique assignments. When students are allowed to use their talents, their creativity, they feel connected to the assignment and they feel a sense of pride while working on it. They will gain enrichment as well as a sense of accomplishment from their work, and this is (in my opinion) the best way to allow a child to truly learn. Technology allows a student to use multiple sense as well as multiple intelligences to create in the classroom.
Last, but not least, I was interested in the Three Learning Theories: Behaviorism, Cognitive Science, and Constructivism. The book states that teachers typically follow one of these three learning theories when using technology in the classroom. I am excited to explore these more as I develop the kind of teacher I wish to be for my students.
To use Behaviorism, a teacher would believe that lesson plans would be carefully thought out ahead of time. Students would focus on memory and recall to prove they have in fact learned something. The teacher or the technology would be the main source of the education received.
(Behaviorism does not draw me personally. I feel that, although planning is crucial to learning, students benefit from more than pushing buttons and following drawn out guidelines all the time.)
With Cognitive Science, the teacher would consider the student's individual learning style when instructing the classes. The student and the technology share the responsibility of education, rather than the responsibility falling solely on the teacher or the computer as in Behaviorism.
(I believe that Cognitive Science is geared towards the teaching philosophy I feel most comfortable with. The teacher would take each individual student into account when drawing up activities and lesson plans, and then show students unique and creative ways to use technology to accomplish learning goals.)
Constructivism seems to be more free spirited, meaning that students are believed to be the guiding force of their own education; They would use technology in more creative ways, ways that would heighten the learning of the individual rather than whatever was selected by the teacher.
(Constructivism, although interesting, feels as though it would be the most student-guided learning style, and I feel as if it is a teacher's job to draw a path for students rather than let them flounder around in a vast space looking for the right things to learn.)
Resources:
Maloy, Robert, Verock-O'Loughlin, Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA. Pearson Education, Inc.
Wow! Wow! Wow! You created three effective and very creative digital tools as a way to share your learning (please note that only one per post, not per concept, is expected in case that needed clarification). :) I love hearing the passion in your voice when talking about technology in group work, especially while self-admitting your past negative experiences. That is a great way to begin the transformation of learning. Thanks for your reflections.
ReplyDeleteNow that you are creating your own digital tools, you will also want to give credit to yourself in the Resources - for example,
Wood, N (2015, September 13). Digital Blog B. Created with Bitstrips http://www.bitstrips.com/xxxxxxxx
And when creating any slide show that will be hosted online, be sure to stick with Creative Commons or public domain photos with proper attribution.