Today's class has helped further my understanding of the learning theories and how they impact my beliefs on teaching. I have realized how the T2P statements are different pieces that form together my beliefs about education and how we learn. Fleshing out some of the different T2P statements that I have formed over the past couple of weeks have helped me understand what I value most about education. I can see that there are two prevalent ideas that arise from my T2P statements: interaction and student-centered classroom. These two ideas are fundamentally connected but interaction focuses on the student element in teaching and learning whereas student-centered classroom focuses on the teacher's involvement in this process. Both these elements are necessary in my opinion for having a successful learning environment in the foreign language classroom.
I also have appreciated the time set aside within the past two weeks to practice expanding upon the T2P statements. As a result of this, I can already see my final paper forming right in front of me. It is exciting to see my T2P statements expanded with not only theoretical support, but my own beliefs about teaching. These T2P statements have helped me focus on what I believe my role is as an educator and I am looking forward to see how the pieces of my beliefs come together in my final paper.
The letter assignment that we completed for today was also extremely helpful. In my undergrad, I completed an undergraduate thesis about the differences between second language learning and foreign language learning. As a result of this study, I discovered motivation was an extremely prevalent factor in learning for both groups of students. While reading the case study about Ronnie, it reminded me of the study I conducted. This assignment reminded me again the importance of motivation in learning as well as the value of intrinsic motivation over extrinsic motivation.
As long as I am able to find videos to support my statements, these are my tentative T2P statements (without theoretical/moral support yet):
If students can learn to appreciate and utilize other people's differences as a resource then successful learning can occur because students will strengthen their own learning and understanding of a topic through the experiences of their classmates. Vygotsky suggests that learning primarily develops through social interaction. Student's social environments help shape the framework on which concepts are built. Through the help and guidance of more knowledgeable others, students will be able to reach toward their next level of proximal development. I believe that it is important for social interaction to occur in the classroom, particularly in the World Language classroom as a huge part of the World Language curriculum is learning about culture and acceptance. Student's prior experiences concerning other cultures can help other students better understand culture and acceptance through discussion and social interaction.
If students are active in a student-centeed classroom then students will become more engaged and interested in their work because they are taking their work into their own hands acting as autonomous learners, which leads to self-determination. Through a student-centered classroom, students have control in the content that is being presented. As a result, students feel they have a responsibility for this content, which leads the students to become intrinsically motivated toward the topic and perhaps may lead them to feel this way about learning in general. The idea of a student-centered classroom can be tied to Jean Lave's theories of learning. Lave believes that learning is social and comes largely from our experiences of participating in daily life. This is facilitated through communities of practice, which are formed by people who engage in a process of collective learning in a shared domain of human endeavor i.e. Vicki Davis' classroom. I believe that when students feel they have control over their learning, and this can be accomplished through student-centered learning, students will begin to feel self-determined toward their learning.
Monday, June 27, 2011
A Good Teacher...
A good teacher is someone who is not only knowledgeable about their content area, but is someone who is able to break down the content in a variety of instructional methods. A good teacher not only shares content information, but also serves as role model for students through the manner in which they comport themselves in class. Good teachers also allow the students to take control of their learning through student-centered activity. I believe good teachers should be independent, yet open-minded and caring individuals. It is also very important for good teachers to respect all individuals no matter their differences. These are important characteristics for a teacher to possess and hopefully through modeling, some of these characteristics will also be transferred to the students.
If all novice and experienced learners are valued in the classroom, then learning will occur because novice and experienced learners all have important experiences to share. According to Jean Lave the classroom can be viewed as a community. There are novice learners and experienced learners (students and teachers) who are all considered valuable in the communities of practice (classroom) as each person brings in their own experiences to the group to share. In this way, members of the community are able to learn from others experiences. Learning from each other is a critical part of the classroom and this theory embodies that. I believe that it is important that students not only learn from the teacher, but they also learn from their classmates. Peer-peer interaction can provide very meaningful experiences for student learning as a peer's explanation of a topic may make more sense to a student then a teacher's explanation. This can be explained through the theory of zone of proximal development. Students are much closer to each other in their zones of proximal development than the teacher, so their explanations may make more sense to each other. Peer interaction provides a form of scaffolding for learning that is a crucial component in the learning process. As a result, peer-peer interaction encourages students to not only expand their views on content knowledge, but may also help shape student's views on the world around them.
If all novice and experienced learners are valued in the classroom, then learning will occur because novice and experienced learners all have important experiences to share. According to Jean Lave the classroom can be viewed as a community. There are novice learners and experienced learners (students and teachers) who are all considered valuable in the communities of practice (classroom) as each person brings in their own experiences to the group to share. In this way, members of the community are able to learn from others experiences. Learning from each other is a critical part of the classroom and this theory embodies that. I believe that it is important that students not only learn from the teacher, but they also learn from their classmates. Peer-peer interaction can provide very meaningful experiences for student learning as a peer's explanation of a topic may make more sense to a student then a teacher's explanation. This can be explained through the theory of zone of proximal development. Students are much closer to each other in their zones of proximal development than the teacher, so their explanations may make more sense to each other. Peer interaction provides a form of scaffolding for learning that is a crucial component in the learning process. As a result, peer-peer interaction encourages students to not only expand their views on content knowledge, but may also help shape student's views on the world around them.
Friday, June 24, 2011
EDCI 5825 Assignment Week 5
As a future Spanish teacher, I definitely plan on using e-pals. This website is an excellent way for students to learn about Spanish culture through the perspectives of peers their own age in various Spanish speaking countries. According to the website, "ePals is the leading provider of safe collaborative technology for schools to connect and learn in a protected, project-based learning network" (ePals GlobalCommunity). This type of collaborative technology is perfect for a Spanish classroom. By communicating with their e-pal, students will not only learn about culture, but they will also be practicing their writing and reading by utilizing the target language. It may be possible as well for the students to skype their e-pal, which would then the students will also be utilizing their listening and speaking skills in the target language. This e-pal program allows language learning to transcend beyond the limitations of classroom learning to actual real world applications. In this way, students will really have a sense of the importance of language learning as well as to have a more realistic connection with different cultures.
I also plan on using Livemocha if the school that I am working for will allow a subscription. Like the e-pal program, Livemocha will allow students to be able to speak with native speakers as well as share different aspects of culture. In addition to the communication component, Livemocha also utilizes tools such as games, flashcards, video and role play. These tools will be helpful for the students to practice Spanish in a fun, interactive way. One article describes some of the benefits of Livemocha: "The casual connections with real people throughout the world, however brief, are not just fun and surprising but reveal more about how the language is really used. The boy from Tunisia, while knocking my conjugation, passed along slang and attitude, something rarely found in textbooks" (Wayner, 2010). In this way, students are able to expand upon their language learning in a way that cannot be learned in the classroom. It is only through this real life interaction that certain elements of language learning can develop. These collaborative projects are a great way to get students interested in language learning.
References
ePals GlobalCommunity. (2010). Retrieved June 24, 2011 from http://www.epals.com/
Wayner, P. "Learning a Language From an Expert, on the Web." New York Times 28 Jul. 2010: B8.
New York Times. Web. 24 Jun. 2011.
I also plan on using Livemocha if the school that I am working for will allow a subscription. Like the e-pal program, Livemocha will allow students to be able to speak with native speakers as well as share different aspects of culture. In addition to the communication component, Livemocha also utilizes tools such as games, flashcards, video and role play. These tools will be helpful for the students to practice Spanish in a fun, interactive way. One article describes some of the benefits of Livemocha: "The casual connections with real people throughout the world, however brief, are not just fun and surprising but reveal more about how the language is really used. The boy from Tunisia, while knocking my conjugation, passed along slang and attitude, something rarely found in textbooks" (Wayner, 2010). In this way, students are able to expand upon their language learning in a way that cannot be learned in the classroom. It is only through this real life interaction that certain elements of language learning can develop. These collaborative projects are a great way to get students interested in language learning.
References
ePals GlobalCommunity. (2010). Retrieved June 24, 2011 from http://www.epals.com/
Wayner, P. "Learning a Language From an Expert, on the Web." New York Times 28 Jul. 2010: B8.
New York Times. Web. 24 Jun. 2011.
Monday, June 20, 2011
EDCI 5065 Week 4 T2P
Today’s class has further expanded my knowledge on a variety of learning theories. This knowledge seems to be ever expanding from week one as more and more theorists keep getting added to the mix. Today’s class video about Vicki Davis’ student-centered classroom really resonated with me. I have always known the importance of a student-centered classroom, but I don’t think I truly realized the benefits of having a student-oriented classroom until watching the video. The students took complete control of their learning and Davis acted more as a guide. Students seemed to be engaged in class activity as well as they seemed knowledgeable about the tasks they were completing. At one point in the video, the students were even explaining to Davis a concept that she didn’t know about!
I also found it helpful to see all the presentations of the Big Six. Looking at the spreadsheet of all the theorists and the information required about them was very daunting at first especially for the theorists that I knew nothing about. I found the presentations were a concise way to share the information about the theorists that focused on the aspects that we were interested in. This is more beneficial to my classmates and I as this saves us the time and energy researching every single one of these theorists and picking out the aspects that were are interested in.
I also feel like I have a better understanding of the T2P statements and their purpose. The example given to us today in class really helped fill in the missing pieces. I am starting to see how my final paper will form and I feel my final paper will encompass the aspects of learning theory that I found will be most beneficial for my future classes.
If all novice and experienced learners are valued in the classroom, then learning will occur because novice and experienced learners all have important experiences to share. According to Jean Lave the classroom can be viewed as a community. There are novice learners and experienced learners (students and teachers) who are all considered valuable in the communities of practice (classroom) as each person brings in their own experiences to the group to share. In this way, members of the community are able to learn from others experiences. Learning from each other is a critical part of the classroom and this theory embodies that. I believe that it is important that students not only learn from the teacher, but they also learn from their classmates as this lends to a more meaningful experience for student learning.
(Not completely filled in yet I have everything saved in Word)
EDCI 5065 Week 4 T2P
If students can learn to appreciate and utilize other people's differences as a resource then successful learning can occur because students will strengthen their own learning and understanding of a topic through the experiences of their classmates. Vygotsky suggests that learning primarily develops through social interaction. Student's social environments help shape the framework on which concepts are built. Through the help and guidance of more knowledgeable others, students will be able to reach toward their next level of proximal development. I believe that it is important for social interaction to occur in the classroom, particularly in the World Language classroom as a huge part of the World Language curriculum is learning about culture and acceptance. Student's prior experiences concerning other cultures can help other students better understand culture and acceptance through discussion and social interaction.
If students are active in a student-centeed classroom then students will become more engaged and interested in their work because they are taking their work into their own hands acting as autonomous learners, which leads to self-determination. Through a student-centered classroom, students have control in the content that is being presented. As a result, students feel they have a responsibility for this content, which leads the students to become intrinsically motivated toward the topic and perhaps may lead them to feel this way about learning in general. The idea of a student-centered classroom can be tied to Jean Lave's theories of learning. Lave believes that learning is social and comes largely from our experiences of participating in daily life. This is facilitated through communities of practice, which are formed by people who engage in a process of collective learning in a shared domain of human endeavor i.e. Vicki Davis' classroom. I believe that when students feel they have control over their learning, and this can be accomplished through student-centered learning, students will begin to feel self-determined toward their learning.
If students are active in a student-centeed classroom then students will become more engaged and interested in their work because they are taking their work into their own hands acting as autonomous learners, which leads to self-determination. Through a student-centered classroom, students have control in the content that is being presented. As a result, students feel they have a responsibility for this content, which leads the students to become intrinsically motivated toward the topic and perhaps may lead them to feel this way about learning in general. The idea of a student-centered classroom can be tied to Jean Lave's theories of learning. Lave believes that learning is social and comes largely from our experiences of participating in daily life. This is facilitated through communities of practice, which are formed by people who engage in a process of collective learning in a shared domain of human endeavor i.e. Vicki Davis' classroom. I believe that when students feel they have control over their learning, and this can be accomplished through student-centered learning, students will begin to feel self-determined toward their learning.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
EDCI 5825 Assignment Week 4
For a student with a hearing impairment, I would first and foremost have this student sit closer to the front of the classroom so they would be able to hear me better when I speak. I also would make sure that whenever I would give an oral lecture that students have to take notes from I would make my notes readily available for my students to access via the course wiki or google docs. In this way, the hearing impaired student will be access my notes so if they possibly missed something from the lecture they will be able to have the material they missed. If possible, I would use a variety of SMARTBOARD activities as these are very strong visual aides for the students. Also, if possible, I could use speech recognition software that would allow me to speak into a microphone as I am lecturing and have what I am saying either project on the board or to the student's computer. The hearing impaired student will be able to follow right along with the lecture and will be able to catch all of the nuances of what I am saying as what I am explaining may be portrayed differently in the written notes form of the lecture.
For a student with with low vision, I would use technology such as DAISY talking books. The DAISY talking books are a more technologically advanced version of books on tape, but DAISY talking books offer even more than just this aspect. "Some of the features that make the DAISY system effective are image files, video playback, and support for standard files such as .wav, .jpeg, etc. The tools allowed by DAISY aids those with visual impairments to share in today's digital, knowledge society" (WEBSITE). DAISYwould aid those students who are not able to see very well will be able to have an interactive textbook. I also would plan to use technology such as jingcasts that can talk to the students directly to explain what is going on if there is an activity that utilizes a lot of visual aides.
For a student with a broken right arm, I would use technology such as speech recognition if the students are required to do an activity where they need to take notes. The student would also be able to use speech recognition to complete a quiz or a test. The speech recognition software will allow the student to complete any task required. According to the wiki article, "The use of speech recognition software allows students that have little or no motor skills in their arms and hands to be able to produce typed reports, manage software, and perform research with a computer, just like other non-disabled student" (WEBSITE). I would also have my notes readily available for the student as it may be difficult to catch all the information from the lecture.
For a non-communicative autistic student, I would use a variety of the tools already mentioned. Something beneficial for these students would be DAISY talking device. Not only can DAISY read textbooks, but it can also read documents. Some autistic students have the ability to write. In this case, I can have the DAISY reader read the student's assignment right from the word document. I would also use lots of pictures in my lecture as non-communicative autistic students are able to connect very well through photos and are able to recognize certain characteristics. As for the other students, I will also make my lecture notes readily available.
Reference
For a student with with low vision, I would use technology such as DAISY talking books. The DAISY talking books are a more technologically advanced version of books on tape, but DAISY talking books offer even more than just this aspect. "Some of the features that make the DAISY system effective are image files, video playback, and support for standard files such as .wav, .jpeg, etc. The tools allowed by DAISY aids those with visual impairments to share in today's digital, knowledge society" (WEBSITE). DAISYwould aid those students who are not able to see very well will be able to have an interactive textbook. I also would plan to use technology such as jingcasts that can talk to the students directly to explain what is going on if there is an activity that utilizes a lot of visual aides.
For a student with a broken right arm, I would use technology such as speech recognition if the students are required to do an activity where they need to take notes. The student would also be able to use speech recognition to complete a quiz or a test. The speech recognition software will allow the student to complete any task required. According to the wiki article, "The use of speech recognition software allows students that have little or no motor skills in their arms and hands to be able to produce typed reports, manage software, and perform research with a computer, just like other non-disabled student" (WEBSITE). I would also have my notes readily available for the student as it may be difficult to catch all the information from the lecture.
For a non-communicative autistic student, I would use a variety of the tools already mentioned. Something beneficial for these students would be DAISY talking device. Not only can DAISY read textbooks, but it can also read documents. Some autistic students have the ability to write. In this case, I can have the DAISY reader read the student's assignment right from the word document. I would also use lots of pictures in my lecture as non-communicative autistic students are able to connect very well through photos and are able to recognize certain characteristics. As for the other students, I will also make my lecture notes readily available.
Reference
Assistive Technology in Education/DAISY. (2009). Retrieved June 19, 2011, from http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Assistive_Technology_in_Education/DAISY
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)