Reflection

1. My “Personal Theory of Learning”

As I reflect on my “Personal Theory of Learning”. I am taken back to the beginning of my teaching experience. I had studied to be a research chemist, yet when my oldest daughter was born with bilateral cataracts and with severe deafness I decided that the best would be to become a high school teacher, so I studied the educational theories where I came across the constructivist theory which influenced my teaching. It made me remember my Organic Synthesis professor at the university which was a constructivist. We where only four students taking the course as it was the last year of our course. We thought we were really great and when she started asking us to go up to the blackboard and explain how reactions we knew nothing about would happen, we did not find it amusing but when I got my diploma I reflected and realized that the teacher that really forced me to think was this teacher. She had forced the four of us to find the solutions to new situations building up from the knowledge we already had. I have tried to follow this theory and have had success with its use throughout the years.

This course has broadened my view of these learning theories; my personal learning theories are constructivist, social constructivist and connectivist. The students are able to build up upon their prior knowledge alone, and working in a group they are influenced by their peers giving them the ability to better this knowledge. We then com to connectivism where the student connects with others directly and also interacts using technology. I did not realize how vast the importance of connectivism was until listening to George Sieman, as he explained how education is a complex system with multiple impacting factores. (Laureate Education, 2008a). This is really fantastic.

2. Adjustments to instructional practice. Three new technology tools to use with my students.

I am going to orientate the use of the technology in my lessons more to the learning process rather than the teaching process, although I still need this to introduce new concepts and to give guidelines. I intend having my students use the brainstorming software, such as webspiration to organize templates. When starting a lesson I could ask the students what they would like to know about the topic what they have to know and How they will find out (Pitler, 2006, p22). I am going to use Voice thread and Virtual Field Trips with my students. Within a certain lesson I could for example give the students various images and have them prepare voice threads commenting what these images are and explain them. With the virtual field trip we are able to take the students on tours to learn about certain topics that would otherwise be impossible to visit. (Laureate Education, 2008b). These virtual tours have many advantages, they are very instructive, the student is able have his own copy of the tour to go back on when he chooses, and they are free.

3. Two long-term goal changes I would like to make to my instructional practice regarding technology integration and outline a strategy for achieving them.

I will try to use the communication software such as wikis, blogs and emails to provide timely, interactive, and criterion-based feedback to the students (Pitler, 2006, p53). I will start using the concept mapping software to prepare my lessons. For feedback on written work I already use the word processing applications with track changing and inserted comments, but I intend to learn more about data collection tools and the grading software. I have never used this software and am now starting to analyze it so that I may start integrating this software in my daily practice as soon as possible.

Maria

References:
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2008a). Program nine. Connectivism as a Learning Theory [Motion picture]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Baltimore: Author.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2008b). Program six. Spotlight on Technology: Virtual Field Trips [Motion picture]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Baltimore: Author.
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.