REFLECTION on the GAME Plans

In reflecting back on the GAME plan strategies and goals that were set in motion at the beginning of this class, I can honestly say that I made tremendous gains with one goal and am still lagging with the second.

The first goal that I established was that of allowing my students to have time and computer access to research topics of their choosing instead of focusing on the subjects assigned by me.  This was based on the International Society for Technology in Education’s standard 2b (ISTE, 2012).  While the students did have two opportunities to use the computers in this manner, I do not feel that I adequately met my original goal.  One barrier to this was the extended Spring Break the students had this year.  This limited the number of computer lab sessions in which the students actually had computer access. 

The second barrier dealt with timing as well.  State-wide testing started last week, preventing students from any internet use during the testing time-frames.  At the same time, most classroom time has been dedicated to reviewing required content rather than in “free choice” activities.  Consequently, the goals I established in GAME plan number 1 were partially attained.

The second goal included in my GAME plan was that of communicating with my students electronically.  This was based on the International Society for Technology in Education’s goal 4d (ISTE, 2012).  This is a goal with which I have been very successful.  I messaged all of my students through the reading program in which they were already enrolled.  The comments sent were in reference to their success with the reading program, their reading levels and amounts of growth, and other statements regarding their progress in reading.  Many of the students responded back, some more positively than others.

As a part of my second goal, I secured parental permission for all but two of my students to use the Edmodo (www.edmodo.com) website.  The two students who are not enrolled in the program receive some of the same information shared either paper/pencil or verbally, but do not get the full experience and benefits as their classmates who are involved with Edmodo.

The success of this venture has been greater than what I had anticipated.  I have added many items to the site’s calendar, thus keeping the students (and some of their parents) informed of upcoming events.  I have sent announcements, directions, and details about a recent field trip and bread-baking project.  This tool has helped decrease confusion and increase understanding.

In reference to the academic events that are occurring, I have listed all of the daily history questions for the month on the calendar already.  Students can now choose to work ahead, or if they have missed school, they can more easily catch up with what was missed.  Parents and students have been communicating with me about student averages, assignment details, and checking on behavior.  The students will be using the small group feature of the program in the near future to conduct research and store notes and materials.  The possibilities for implementation are growing daily.

As a part of preparing my students for their upcoming statewide assessment, I used this tool to send practice and review sites that directly correlated with the skills each child missed on their recent review tests.  This allowed me to individualize the remediation process and for the students to receive content targeted to their personal needs. 

The implementation of this GAME plan goal is one that I will definitely be continuing for years to come.  While it took a little bit of preparatory work at the beginning of this process and it uses some extra time to implement the data into the system each night, I feel that there are going to be great benefits in the long run.  I have already experienced increased parental and student communication, even from the reluctant students who don’t normally participate in class.

Next year, I will be sharing the information about this program with parents at the Open House session and get them to grant parental permission that night so that the students will already be enrolled in the program prior to the first day of school.   We will then be able to use it immediately for group projects, assignments, and as a reliable means of communication between home and school.  This avenue will allow for the use of more social networking projects and will lend itself to the inclusion of more authentic, problem-based learning opportunities outside of the time constraints of the classroom. 

Overall, my GAME plan was successful!

Reference

ISTE. (2012). NETS for Teachers. Retrieved March 13, 2013, from

                http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers

Continuing with the GAME Plan

           In an update on the status of my personal GAME plan goals, I feel that I have made some progress this week.  In reference to the NETS-T goal indicator 2b (ISTE, 2012) of ½ cup teriyaki sauce
⅓ cup brown sugar
3 garlic cloves, minced
Directions allotting of more time in my schedule for students to research topics of their own choosing, the first session took place on Friday.   Before turning the students loose to search the internet, I reviewed the ground rules for internet searches and went over the Acceptable Use Policy that each student signed at the beginning of the year.  We discussed what should be done if some unfiltered content appeared on their screens.  We also discussed possible consequences for inappropriate searches.  All students seemed clear on the directions and the consequences.  With that reassurance, I let them begin searching.

                I monitored their screens scrupulously, jetting around the computer lab like a hummingbird in flight.  I didn’t want to take the chance that they would search content that was not permissible.  I was very pleased in that they started with somewhat mild topics like cars, foods, and animals.  As one person would find something they liked, their neighbor would change the topic of their own search and join in.  Then the students would discuss what they had found.  The students were looking for recipes, dogs “just like their own’, cars they would like to own, and one child even conducted research as a follow up of to a discussion we had had in Virginia Studies.  The students were actively involved and excited about what they were doing.  And, the best part was, they were learning new information in the process.

                One problem or issue that did surface during this phase of my plan was that the students wanted to print everything they found.  Luckily because there is only one “black” printer to handle two computer labs and the students know they have to have permission before printing, they did not go crazy printing everything in sight.  In fact, they realized that most of what they wanted to print would not turn out the same in black and white as it appeared in color.  They were easily persuaded to view only, rather than to print their new found treasures.  I can envision though, that in the future, they are not going to be as complacent.  Therefore, it will be necessary for me to have a plan in place for them to save or capture their work the next time.

                In reference to my second goal of communicating digitally with my students from NETS-T 4d (ISTE, 2012), I took two steps forward and one step back, so to speak.  In my original plan, I had envisioned individually emailing my students through one of the reading programs already in place.  The more I thought about this idea, I questioned the fact that others would have access to the messages—mainly the software company and the central office staff.  I knew that I would not be saying anything of a personal nature, but didn’t want the children to reveal personal information that they wouldn’t want others to know. 

                Plan B of my goal was to enlist the help of Edmodo (www.edmodo.com), a site recommended by several of my Walden colleagues.  I signed up for the program and created my classes.  After receiving the codes for the students to use, I showed them what the home page looked like and told them they would be receiving a parent permission slip that needed to be signed and returned before they would be allowed to access the site.  This parental permission was required because my students are under the age of 13.  They were excited about this new opportunity, but it will be another week and a half before I will have any users—they left for Spring Break and will not be back until April 8.

                Facing that time delay, I went back to my original plan and sent out a group email message to all of my students through their reading program’s email section.  While it was a mass message so to speak, it was a form of digital communication.  Some of the students will access this program during break, so I may receive some responses before they return back to school. Otherwise, I will be awaiting their permission slips to join me in Edmodo in April.

                All in all, I think it has been a productive week.  I will continue to work on developing more content to add to Edmodo, I will monitor my email via their reading program software, and I will continue to schedule more time for the students to engage in internet searches on topics of their choosing.  I am anxious to see where these steps will lead.

References

Edmodo | Where Learning Happens | Sign up, Sign In. (n.d.). Edmodo | Where Learning Happens | Sign

                up, Sign In. Retrieved March 27, 2013, from http://www.edmodo.com/

ISTE. (2012). NETS for Teachers. Retrieved March 13, 2013, from

                http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers

Updated GAME Plan

Last week I introduced you to the GAME plan that I have proposed for improving my use of technology in the classroom.  I chose to focus on the objectives 2b and 4d from the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE, 2012) standards for teachers.  In order to meet these objectives or goals, there are several resources needed and steps that must be taken in order to move closer toward achieving my plans.

For the first objective, 2b, my goal is to allow my students more time to engage in research involving topics of their own choosing.  In order to achieve this goal, I need to make sure that my classroom laptops have updated anti-virus software in place.  I also need to make sure that each machine is functioning properly and is fully charged to allow students more mobility while working.  Some other steps that I want to take prior to allowing the students to search independently are to review the Acceptable Use Policy for our school system, review the established protocols to be followed if inappropriate content passes through the established firewalls, and hold a discussion about responsible internet use, social etiquette, and plagiarism.

My second objective, 4d, is to communicate digitally with my students at least once per week.  Because the avenues for communicating are limited by school policy, I will use one of the internet-based programs already approved by the system.  With its mail program, I will send each student an initial message to start the dialogue after reviewing the user and log-in information with the class.  The laptops that will be used to meet the first set of objectives described above will also be used for this second part.  Once students become more familiar with the process, they may choose to send messages from computers or other devices outside of school.

While the plan is in place, I have not made a great deal of progress toward reaching either one of my goals this week.  My students are in the process of taking state assessment tests this week and internet access is limited to those who are testing.  Once the tests are complete, the laptops will be upgraded by the technician and the plan will move forward.  The discussions and student reviews will be held and the email messages will be sent.

 

Reference

ISTE. (2012). NETS for Teachers. Retrieved March 13, 2013, from

                http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers

 

My Personal GAME Plan

                NETS-T, the indicators with which teachers should be proficient, were developed and defined by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE, 2012).  These standards reflect the competencies that teachers should be employing on a regular basis in both their classrooms and as a part of their personal professional development.  They are 21st century skills that teachers should be incorporating into instruction to prepare their students for educational opportunities now and into the future.

                Since personal reflection and introspection are practices that should be a part of every educator’s habits, I have reflected on the list of indicators on the NETS-T list.  In order to gain more personal confidence with some of these skills, I have selected two indicators on which to focus.  I chose these areas because I see them as being areas in which I am lacking in practice.  By targeting these goals, I hope to gain the reassurance that if I tried a similar activity in my classroom, that it would be successful.

                The first indicator of focus is identified as 2b. The objective reads as follows: 

                2. Design and Develop Digital Age Learning Experiences and Assessments

                                b. Develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable students to

                                     pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in   

                                     setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and
                                     
                                     assessing their own progress.

                This objective is one in which I feel I have only partially demonstrated in my classroom.  While there are laptop computer work stations set up throughout the room, my students are not usually free to explore and address their individual interests.  I have found that with many time constraints, the students are allowed much computer access, but usually with a specifically assigned goal.  I need to allow my students more opportunities to search for or research topics of their personal interest.

                In order to improve my confidence in this area, I have developed a plan.  This plan is called my GAME plan.  A GAME plan is a methodical approach for addressing a topic (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009).  It involves the steps of setting Goals, taking Action to meet those goals, Monitoring progress toward the achievement of those goals, and Evaluating whether the goals were successfully met, altering and adjusting the plan as needed.  The GAME plan for my first objective is as follows:

G:  My goal is to purposely structure more time in my class in which students will be given an opportunity to visit the laptop stations to engage in research on a topic of their choosing.

A:  The actions required on my part are the inclusion of this prescribed time in my lesson plans, the explanation of the plan to the students, and a reminder of the rules for computer use (i.e. Acceptable Use Policy, school handbook).

M:  Monitoring of the progress toward meeting this goal of scheduling the time will be evidenced by the actual lesson plan and a log of the time that students actually had on the computers in this capacity.

E:  Evaluation of the effectiveness of this endeavor will be determine by comparing  the amount of time that was planned for students to use the computers with the log of the actual amounts of time the students were engaged in their personal searches.  If the times are falling short, they will need to be adjusted.

                The second indicator of focus is identified as 4d. The objective reads as follows:

                4. Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility

                                d. Develop and model cultural understanding and global awareness

 

                                     by engaging with colleagues and students of other cultures using

 

                                     digital age communication and  collaboration tools

                Reflecting on this objective, I do engage in discussions and professional development opportunities with my colleagues face to face and online, but I fall short in connecting with students of other localities or cultures using digital age communication or collaboration tools.  In fact, I do not engage my own students digitally very often.  I monitor the work they are doing and communicate with them face to face, but rarely do we communicate electronically.  This is an area in which I need to expand and perfect.  The GAME plan for this objective is a follows:

G:  My goal is to communicate with my students digitally at least once a week.

A:  The actions required from me are to purposely plan opportunities for this interaction—be it through a wiki, a reflective journal, or through an approved email program (all other venues are prohibited at my school.) 

M: Monitoring my progress toward this goal would be evidenced through the description of the activity in my lesson plans and the actual archives of the conversations.

E:   The way in which this plan would be evaluated for success would be to determine if the communications occurred weekly.  If the frequency goal was not met, the reasons for the lack of conversation would be determined—only valid reasons would be accepted (i.e. lack of technology access due to them being used for state assessments.)

                While these are just two ideas I had for self-improvement in these technology indicators, I would love to hear what the rest of you have to suggest. 

 

References

Cennamo, K., Ross, J. & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A

                standards-based approach. (Laureate Education, Inc., Custom ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth,

                Cengage Learning.

ISTE. (2012). NETS for Teachers. Retrieved March 13, 2013, from

                http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers

EDUC 6711 Reflection Piece

At the beginning of the class “Bridging Learning Theory, Instruction, and Technology” from Walden University, the class members were asked to identify and define their personal theories of learning and reflect on how the theories were being implemented in their respective classrooms.  At that point I was not able to single out one particular strategy that I utilize more than another, as multiple strategies are used in my instruction every day.  After spending six weeks examining strategies in greater detail, I am still unable to state that one theory is used over the other strategies.

I am now more aware of the principles and theories behind the strategies and how using each one addresses the different needs of the individual students.  This understanding emphasizes the need for me to use a variety of techniques within my classroom. 

As a result of this class, I have implemented the use of concept mapping during a lesson on the Native Americans of Virginia.  This instructional strategy supports the cognitive theory of learning in which students organized information and paired it with pictures to give order and meaning to the content.  Pavio’s Dual Coding Hypothesis states that information is stored as both images and text (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011a).  The concept map lesson combined the two. And, since the students used the SmartBoard to manipulate and construct the map, the learning style of bodily-kinesthetic learners from Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences was also addressed (Gardner, n.d.).

Another technology tool I used that was presented during this class was that of a VoiceThread.  This platform was used to introduce a lesson on the founding of Jamestown.  Sections of a mystery picture were revealed in small sections while the students examined the pieces and made predictions as to what the picture might be and how it would be connected to the unit we were just starting.  This successful introductory device worked well with the pairs of students.  Much discussion was heard as students were making and revising their predictions throughout the activity.  Since students were working together in pairs, the strategy of cooperative learning and social theory of learning were both reinforced (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011b).   

My students are currently working in pairs on a lesson about the Stock Market and investments.    The students are tracking three to five companies, charting their profits and losses on a daily basis using the internet and spreadsheet software, and determining if they are making or losing money.  Cooperative learning is also being tapped into with this lesson and, since the students are going to be creating charts with which they will be identifying similarities and differences between their selected companies, the levels of student success should be increased (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007).  Students who become proficient with this skill are likely to see an increase of 45% on future measures of achievement.

I have begun making a more conscious effort to model instruction for my children so that they will have a greater understanding of what is expected of them.  I am finding that this is a very effective tool and one that needs to be used daily, as many of my students are visual learners.  Seeing what one is supposed to do offers more credence then just telling the students what should be done. 

One goal that I have set for myself is to better utilize the SmartBoard that is in my classroom.  With budgetary constraints, I do not want to purchase a lot of books with ideas that may or may not meet my curriculum objectives.  What I would rather do is search for free, or nearly free activities that match my content requirements.  By including more SmartBoard activities in which the students manipulate the content, I would be changing this piece of technology from an instructional tool to a learning tool (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011c).  I am going to start this goal process by contacting my colleagues to see what lessons they have used successfully in their classrooms.  From there I am going to do an online search and contact some of my professional development learning groups to see what those colleagues have to say.  I am hoping to incorporate at least one SmartBoard activity per week into my lesson plans.  As I become more comfortable with the technology, I will increase its use even more.

A second technology goal that I would like to focus on is in connection with Pavio’s Dual Coding Hypothesis (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011c), the visual/spatial component of Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences (Gardner, n.d.), and in the nonlinguistic representations discussed in the book Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works (Pitler et al, 2007).  I want to increase the amount of visuals that I use with my students.  While we draw or illustrate content on a daily basis, this is not the same as seeing first-hand accounts or actual footage of various events.  In order to accomplish this task, I want to work on including more video footage, virtual field trips, and photographs into my class.  Again, I will utilize the internet for assistance in finding examples to match my content.  I would eventually like to build a library of resources from which I can pull to address my learning objectives.

I believe that these goals are obtainable and will be very valuable to my students.  They will serve to help them better understand the content and to gain the knowledge they need to be successful on their state assessments.  While I do not think that technology will suddenly make them better students, it will help them to achieve on a greater level and understand more deeply the content for which they are accountable.  Technology will be one of the vehicles that moves them in the direction of success.

 

References

Howard Gardner, multiple intelligences and education. (n.d.). contents @ the informal
            
         education homepage. Retrieved October 21, 2012, from                            

         http://www.infed.org/thinkers/gardner.htm.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011b). Program eight: Social learning theories [Video

        webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Retrieved from

     
   http://laureate.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learnCourseID=5700267&CPURL=laureate.ecollege.com&Survey=1&47=2594577&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=0&bhcp=1.

 Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011a). Program five: Cognitive learning theory

 

         [Video webcast].   Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Retrieved from   

        http://laureate.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5700267&CPURL=laureate.ecollege.com&Survey=1&47=2594577&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=0&bhcp=1

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011c). Program thirteen: Technology: Instructional

         tool vs. learning tool [Video webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and

         technology. Retrieved from
 

        http://laureate.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5700267&CPURL=laureate.ecollege.com&Survey=1&47=2594577&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=0&bhcp=1.

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with

          classroom instruction that works.Alexandria, VA: ASCD.     

Social Learning Theories

 “There has been a great deal of speculation about the impact of social networking site use on people’s social lives, and much of it has centered on the possibility that these sites are hurting users’ relationships and pushing them away from participating in the world,” said Keith Hampton, a sociologist from the University of Pennsylvania.  This quote appeared in a 2011 article from Smithsonian Magazine (Gambino, 2011).  According to the article, many fear that technology is actually causing many people to spend more time with a computer than with their friends and family.  What the article goes on to conclude is that in spite of appearances, social media technologies are actually allowing society to interact in an even greater capacity.

What then, is the relevance of this article to theories on social learning?  The Social Learning Theory, espoused by Lev Vygotsky, states that students learn by actively engaging in the construction of artifacts and through conversations with others.  This learning is maximized when student work is within the parameters of their Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), the range in which learning is more likely to occur.  Coupled with the student’s ZPD, the student’s level of success will be even greater if there is a More Knowledgeable Other (MKO) involved in the process.  The MKO could be a peer, a teacher, or some other individual who works with or assists the student to reach success (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011a).

Many of the learning activities that support the Social Learning Theory involve the interaction of learners.  Those interactions could be in the form of cooperative learning activities, the Jigsaw lesson structure, or through web 2.0 technologies.  Students thrive on interaction and these activities support that need for social connections. 

In chapter 7 of the book, Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works, the instructional strategy of cooperative learning was described (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007).  Along with suggested steps to take for implementing this strategy in the classroom were rubrics for evaluating student contributions and even suggested Web Quests or other collaborative tools to consider for use.  The chapter was thorough in its directions about what to do prior to, during, and after implementation of this strategy.  Connections or links to social learning were made evident.  Students would be interacting within assigned groups to create specific tasks.  The tasks would be of an appropriate level for the participants and all of the group members would be serving as MKOs for their fellow members. 

Connectivism was also discussed this week.  This learning theory states that knowledge resides in the patterns of how concepts are networked and that learning is what occurs when students form networks of information.  Because the world of education contains a vast amount of information that often complex in nature, systems for organizing the data must be developed.  The connections must be nurtured and maintained.  Technology helps to facilitate this process (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011b). 

Blogs and Wikis help students collaborate on projects and assignments.  Voice Threads allow for the expression of ideas visually, through sound, and or through text.  Face Time, Skype, and Web Cams allow participants to see the people with whom they are interacting who may be located halfway around the world.  Students have access to content and people that they may never been exposed to before.  Cooperative learning, collaboration, and connectivist-style lessons can take place with the person in the next seat or with someone in another country.  Nevertheless, social learning strategies are still being utilized.

Now, let’s get back to the article that started this blog post.  While it may appear to the casual observer that many students today are isolating themselves behind a computer and avoiding society, the opposite effect is actually occurring.  Students are increasing their knowledge base and life experiences through social interactions.  Students are discussing topics that are pertinent to the current events of the day.  First-hand accounts of news events are being witnessed.  Students are connecting with people from other localities and are able to complete educational or life tasks with the click of a button.  Social learning is a preferred learning style for many students, and is one that is not going to leave from the educational scene any time soon.  The sooner educators and administrators embrace this fact, the easier it will be for students to make those social connections that are so important to their academic success.

References    

Gambino, M. (2011, July 11). How Technology Makes Us Better Social Beings. 

         Smithsonian Magazine. History, Travel, Arts, Science, People, Places | 

         Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved October 4, 2012, from
 
         http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/How-Technology-Makes-Us-
         Better-Social-Beings.html

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011a). Program eight: Social learning 

         theories [Video webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology.

         Retrieved from http://laureate.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5700267&CPURL=laureate.ecollege.com&Survey=1&47=2594577&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=0&bhcp=1

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011b). Program nine: Connectivism as a

        learning theory [Video webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction

        and technology. Retrieved from  http://laureate.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?
 CourseID=5700267&CPURL=laureate.ecollege.com&Survey=1&47=2594577&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=0&bhcp=1

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with

         classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.




Voice Thread 

A Voice Thread is one tool that students can use to assist them in the social learning process.  Through the venue of a Voice Thread, students can post videos, photographs, and or illustrations.  Sound recordings and text comments can be added to increase the conversations between participants.  As students view the slides, they can post their responses and continue the learning process.

The Voice Thread example that I have included below is one that will be used by my Virginia History students.  In this particular Voice Thread, pieces from a larger illustration are revealed.  As each piece is added to the puzzle, the students should think like historians—they should determine what is evident in the picture and then what can be deduced or inferred from the contents.  Students make predictions as to what they think they are observing.  As new pieces are shown, the students evaluate their predictions, revising them as needed.  Once the “big picture” is revealed, the students will be asked to make connections between this component and the topic that is going to be studied in the new history unit. 

Please feel free to comment on each piece of the puzzle and see if your predictions are correct.

What is it? Voice Thread        

 

Project Based Learning/Constructionism

The word hypothesis, even though it is generally related to the field of science, is actually a term that is put into practice every day.  We make predictions about what we think will occur and then act according to that premise.  If the event does not occur the way we have planned, then we reevaluate our choices and proceed in a different manner the next time we encounter the same problem.  If the incident goes as was predicted, then we repeat that option in the future.  

In chapter 11 of the book, Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malekoski, 2007), “Generating and Testing Hypotheses, the writers share that there are benefits of using the strategy of making educated predictions, testing them through various venues, and then reflecting on the results.  As mentioned above, this is a strategy that is implemented every day although it is not always done consciously.

 Technology is a tool that makes it even easier to accomplish this task and complete the reflection process.   By manipulating numbers in either a Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet or a Google Spreadsheet, students can see the cause and effect relationship of their choices.  When the effects or connections become visible on charts, tables, graphs or other pictorial representations, students will be more apt to realize that they can determine the outcomes of many events.  Hopefully this understanding will promote the pondering of future choices.

 One very good example that illustrates the effects of monetary choices was included in the book cited above.  A 5^th grade teacher, Mrs. Omar created an economics lesson that had a big impact on her students.  Based on the scenario she created, students had to make decisions about how to invest hypothetical $10,000 inheritances. Based on the investment choices made, the profits of the students either grew minimally, at a fair pace, or quite exponentially.  While ‘money talks’ and creates interest among students, learning how to use it wisely makes a lesson of this nature even more valuable and engaging to the future of the learner.

Because not all students have the knowledge to create their own spreadsheets or to conduct research to gather the data for projects such as this one, their teachers can use technology to create templates and insert data for the students to use.  Similar benefits will still be gained from the activity.  For those students with limited resources or budgets for conducting the actual research, the internet also provides an opportunity for students to find the data they need without leaving the classroom.  And, with the plethora of software or internet-based simulation programs available, free or otherwise, students can have virtual experiences and exposures to situations they would not encounter otherwise.   

How then, does this type of lesson or strategy play into the Constructivist/Constructionist Theories of Learning?  Constructivism, according to Dr. Michael Orey, (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011) is based on the work of Jerome Bruner, suggests that learners actively construct their own meaning.  Constructionism, under the guises of Seymour Papert, on the other hand, is a theory for learning that says that people learn better when the construction of an artifact is involved, thus engaging students in work that is an extension of them.  As students participate in activities similar to the one facilitated by Mrs. Omar, the students can better see how the world (or at least their portion of it) can be impacted by the choices they make. 

Another valuable technology tool that plays very well into both the Constructivist and Constructionist theories are Project-Based Learning activities.  Project-Based Learning, or PBL, is a long-term collaborative project that incorporates content skills and knowledge from multiple disciplines.  It allows for students to complete authentic or genuine tasks from which to gain knowledge.  That knowledge is then shared with others through various formats, depending on the nature of the content and the intended audience.  And, because much of the work is done in collaborative working groups, time management is a skill that must be practiced. 

While the time requirements can be a positive feature of this type of learning activity, it can also be the deciding factor as to why not all schools participate.  Standardized testing pressures are also a deterrent to capitalizing on the potential benefits.  And, probably the biggest reason why teachers choose not to engage in this process is that it takes a large amount of preparation and coordination to make the program work effectively.

I have had the privilege of visiting Robious Elementary School in Chesterfield, Virginia.  It is a Blue Ribbon School who has successfully implemented PBL for multiple years.  The teachers were fully supportive of the program and had experienced much professional development on the topic and processes involved.  The parents were included in the planning process and multiple local resources had been tapped to make the program work.  The overall school climate reflected the ideals of Project-Based Learning.

The merits of creating opportunities for students to study and be involved in lessons that are meaningful, engaging, and reflective of real-life knowledge and skills are strong.  Students will learn because they are constructing knowledge themselves and their behavior will be improved because they will want to participate and learn.  Everyone will be winners if these types of strategies are implemented correctly. 

References

Chesterfield County Public Schools. Robious Elementary School. Midlothian, Virginia.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011). Program seven: Constructionist and constructivist

              learning theories [Video webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology.

              Retrieved from

                http://laureate.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn? CourseID=5700267&CPURL=laureate.ecollege.com&Survey=1&47=2594577&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=0&bhcp=1

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction

              that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.