When I was first interviewed to work in my school district, one of the questions that I was asked was what was my personal learning philosophy? My overall thought and response was that every child can learn. I still believe that to this day but as a result of furthering my own education, I am now more aware of the diverse ways that students learn. As a result I have had to expand my own teaching strategies. Coming from a world predominantly influenced by animals, pets and livestock I developed a strong sense of behaviorism. Nearly all animal behavior is rooted in the drive for food, safety, comfort or mates. I must admit that I still gauge many of my people interactions based off of what I have experienced with the hooved and furry but I have adapted my stance to include the tenet that human learners can and should be actively engaged in the world around them if they are to make sense out of or construct meaning from that world. Dr. Patricia Wolfe reflects that “for years, we have tried to teach brains that we have not understood” (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011b). Brain research now shows that behavior is not the only basis for learning. Sometimes there is a reason why a child can’t read or process certain information. As a result educators, me included, must strive to deliver content using diverse and multiple strategies.
Already I find myself encouraging my students to rely on each other more to help build knowledge. Increasingly I will pose a question to my students than ask them to quickly turn to a seat mate and discuss the possibilities for just a few minutes. We then come together as a class to combine individual thoughts into a cohesive explanation using specific student input to fill in the scaffold I initially presented them with. In this way students not only use their own personal experiences and backgrounds to tie new knowledge to but they also benefit from the cooperative nature of interacting with their peers (Pitler et all, 2007). Another strategy that I am using in the class room more frequently is the use of non-linguistic representations. Dr. Michael Orey states that this dual coding allows students to store the image as well as supporting text which in turn helps students to visualize concepts and ideas (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011a). My Biology students may not recall the chemical reaction for photosynthesis right off the top of their heads but as soon as I ask them to tell me a story about a “plant named Bob”, they are able to construct it from the images they have built the equation around. Using non-linguistic representations such as pictures, songs, diagrams and student movement is a strategy that I think fits really well for many different types of students. In addition to varying teaching strategies, using technology offers a wide and varied choice of tools to help reach learners at many levels.
In the past seven or eight weeks, my brain has been undergoing a construction of its own as I have experimented and explored technologies that can be used to engage and teach students. Like any renovation, some pieces fit, some pieces don’t and some pieces are brought out only when the crazy old great-aunt who gave them to you visits. I’m not overly thrilled with voice thread but Prezi holds promise to use with student constructed projects. The wiki adds depth and interaction to the traditional teacher web page and I would like to continue developing this for my classes. Just recently I have encountered the idea of a non-linear power point that includes links and attachments rather than straight sequencing of slides. Using power point in this way will encourage students to research and assimilate multiple sources of information into one place supporting both creativity and scope.
I feel as if I now understand that technology can support the delivery of my content, but it is unlikely that I will commit to any one in particular. More importantly I feel as if I need to commit to continuing the development of my own technology skills. If I become more comfortable with looking at the possibilities of a new technology rather than only the challenges it may present, then I will be able to facilitate learning for my students no matter how quickly that technology may change. I want to continue to practice using technology as it suits both my time and curriculum and feel that the internet itself is a valuable source for searching and researching. By networking with other educators in my school and across the internet, these technologies will be more accessible and less intimidating. Over time I hope to make my class room more accessible electronically through the use of a wiki that allows me to upload power points, class activities and notes as well as schedules, discussions and supplemental resources. Better organization and communication with students and parents is a bonus that having such a site would offer which has been an ongoing goal of mine. I grew up knowing how to swing my own hammer if I had to build something. What I am building now is the ability to show my students a different future for their education and as I am easily frustrated with electronics it’s probably best for my computer that I put my hammer away and pick up new tools instead.
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). (2011b). Program one: Understanding the brain [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.
