Week 8: Reflection

Reflection on my “Personal Theory of Learning”

My personal theory on how students learn a language is eclectic, with the focus being a student-centered approach where the students are active participants. Reflecting on our work throughout our course, a modification to my personal learning theory is to create the build the bridge between learning theories, instruction and technology by keeping current on brain research and learning processes and theories which are crucial to successfully integrate technologies into EFL/ESL classrooms and, in consequence, increase student’s motivation and their achievement in learning languages.

Immediate Adjustments

Experience has shown that language students frequently arrive to my language classrom with netative experiences in second language instruction, others may be shy or unwilling to participate. During our course, we have worked with collaborative and cooperative learning activities with will provide a new approach to encourage students to use their creativity and their strengths through social interaction with group members.

One of the tools mentioned by Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski (2007) for promoting a collaborative experience are WebQuests. WebQuests are generally task-oriented. This allows the student to become immersed in large amounts of information in the target language and learning can be made meaningul, challenging and creative.

EFL students are faced with the daily task of acquiring and storing new vocabulary. "Without grammar very little can be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed.” This is how the linguist David Wilkins summed up the importance of vocabulary learning and adds that “If you spend most of your time studying grammar, your English will not improve very much. You will see most improvement if you learn more words and expressions. You can say very little with grammar, but you can say almost anything with words!”, as cited by Thornbury (2002). Given this, strategies must be implemented to help students develop a large vocabulary.

In teaching vocabulary effectively, it is important to understand how the mind works in regard to memory. Dr. Orey (2009) states that the human mind has three kinds of memory: short-term memory, working memory, and long-term memory and adds that long-term memories are stored in networks of information and that this information is stored as images and texts. Concept mapping tools will be implemented in my classroom to help learners organize information and helps learners visualize ideas and connections between ideas.

Long-term goal changes to my instructional practice

One of the main long-term objectives in my lesson planning is to provide students with multiple opportunities for pair work, group work, and collaborative activities which enable them to take and active and create role in constructing their learning. The activities must encourage students to use their different language resources and lessons must be personalized and meaningful. Power point presentations are an excellent resource for instructional technology to expand on structure form and use and inductive presentations of grammar points. Although each new grammar structure is previewed within a conversational model, and students are provided with opportunities to read, hear and understand the structure in contexts before they are encouraged to participate in application and consolidation activities, for reinforcement power point material can be presented through Power Point presentations which can include examples and generalized rules.

Technological resources such as wikis, blogs, voicethreads and podcasts can engage students in activities focused on free-open ended discussions, role plays, debates, presentations, reading and writing activities and will have an opportunity to produce the target language in meaningful and relevant contexts extracting experiences from their own lives to express opinions, preferences and personal ideas.

Miriam

References:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). 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.

Thornbury. S. (1999). How to teach Grammar. Longman. England

Voice Thread

Meaningful Learning in the EFL/ESL Classroom

This is my very first voicethread.

http://voicethread.com/share/530125/

How exciting!

Connectivism and Social Learning in Practice

I have been spending some time learning about th cooperative learning resources described in by Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski (2007). I have read Chapter 7 of “Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works” and I can see how these educational technology resources could have great advantages in teaching second language. One of the major advantages is that we are providing opportunities for using a media that students enjoy and a high level of motivation is already established.

Also, some programs may be set up in real time and direct communication which would definitely lend itself to project work. Outside of class group project work has been a problem as students tend to just divide up the work and then combine it without collaborating beyond the division of tasks. It also has a social aspect which makes it more spontaneous and fun. Increasing the students out of class experiences with the language is a goal which we should strive for since they have to pull from all of their previous learning and being rewarded with effective communication.

My next task is to incorporate the Social Learning Theory with groups directly related to ESL. I am open to suggestions. I have been researching the VITAL project and I have also entered SL English (Sloodle). I am looking for a site that will allow students to participate with other students and use their oral communication skills but I feel it is important to have some type of monitoring ability for student safety.

I can see how student benefit from using these instructional strategies which correlate with the social learning theory. I am convinced that we must be prepared to create specific learning experiences that are appropriate for our students and our program. In order to do this, teacher’s require training and preparation and students require orientation.

Miriam

References:


Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Constructivism in Practice

The constructivist theory presents the following assumptions as stated by Merrill (1991):

• knowledge is constructed from experience
• learning is a personal interpretation of the world
• learning is an active process in which meaning is developed on the basis of experience
• conceptual growth comes from the negotiation of meaning, the sharing of multiple perspectives and the changing of our internal representations through collaborative learning
• learning should be situated in realistic settings; testing should be integrated with the task and not a separate activity(Merrill, 1991, in Smorgansbord, 1997)
  

Based on the above, and the recommendations presented by Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski in “Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works” educational technology can be implemented in the language classroom through resources such as spreadsheet software, data collection tools and web resources. The web based resources mentioned include NASA Science Files Problem Board, NOVA Building Big, Pilmonth Plantation’s You Are the Historian, Primary Access, by Kids for Kids: How to Invent, Invention Web Resources, and ExploreLearning, among others.

The above are excellent sources for implementing project/problem/inquiry based learning in the EFL classroom. Dr. Michael Orey explains that an important issue in the Constructionist learning theory is that students learn best when they build an external artifact that may be shared with others (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009).

There are many advantages found in implementing educational technology and a constructivist/constructionist approach in a project/problem/inquiry based learning EFL/ESL learning environment such as the use of authentic materials providing students with topics of interest that will become central to their project work. Through project work students become active participants in a collaborative effort and written and oral production of the target language.

Miriam

References:

Constructionist and Constructivist Learning Theories [Motion picture]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Baltimore: Author.Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Program number 7.

Han, S., and Bhattacharya, K. (2001). Constructionism, Learning by Design, and Project Based Learning. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/

Merrill, M. D. (1991). Constructivism and instructional design. Educational Technology, May, 45-53.

Cognitivism in Practice

“In contrast to the behaviorist view, cognitivists focus on learning as a mental operation that takes place when information enters through the senses, undergoes mental manipulation, is sotred, and is finally used. Congnitive theorists attempt to explain learning in terms of how one thinks. Learning and problem solving, accordint to cognitivists, represent mental processes that are undetectable by mere observation. Key theorists in this perspective include Jerome Bruner and David Ausubel.” as stated by Lever-Duffy & McDonald (2008).

Ausubel developed advance organizers. They allow opportunity for students to activate networks or information by remembering and transferring prior knowledge to new information. Ausbel’s theory is based on the idead that learning takes places if the student can identify meaningful information. The instructional strategies presented by Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski (2007) are cues, questions and advance organizers.


Lever-Duffy, J. & McDonald, J. (2008). Theoretical Foundations (Laureate Education, Inc., custom ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Behaviorism in Practice

Classroom Instruction that Works by Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, Malenoski (2007) presents two instructional strategies: Reinforcing Effort in Chapter 8 and Homework and Practice in Chapter 10. Both fall within behaviorist learning strategies that embed technology. Standridge (2008) explains that “Behaviorism is primarily concerned with observable and measurable aspects of human behavior. In defining behavior, behaviorists learning theories emphasize changes in behavior that result from stimulus-response associations made by the learner.”

In Reinforcing Efforts, one strategy presented was the use of spreadsheet software to create an effort rubric which allows helps them to monitor their performance through simple calculations, charts and comparison studies and surveys. Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, Malenoski (2007) state that “When students have well-known or personal stories from which to learn, effort is reinforced and students begin to take more responsibility for their success. Data collection tools, such as Excel, will serve such a purpose.

In Homework and Practice, it is stated that McREL’s research generalizations on practice supports that “Mastering a skill or process requires a fair amount of focused practice” and that homework and practice are facilitated through the use of technological resources such as word processors, spreadsheet software, multimedia, web resources and communication software through which educators can obtain measurable and observable performance, the two ideas that comprise foundational principles of the behaviorist approach to learning as explained by Lever-, J. & McDonald, J. (2008).

To incorporate the strategies and resources described above under
For further reference in incorporating behaviorist principles into course design through the strategies and resources described above, we can refer to the guidelines offered in the The Office for Teaching and Learning Newsletter (2002):

. Write observable and measurable behavioral learning outcomes
. Specify the desired performance in advance (the learning outcomes serve this purpose)
and verify learning with appropriate assessments
. Emphasize performance, and practice in an authentic context
. Use instructional strategies to shape the desired skills
. Reinforce accomplishments with appropriate feedback

This exercise has served to reflect on the reality that behaviorism is used in today’s classrooms. Dr. Orey (2009) reminds us that behaviorism is criticized all the time but it is used everyday in everything that we (as educators) do, recognizes that technology is a powerful tool and adds that the challenge is to incorporate behavioristic strategies through the use of technology to learn a piece of content but this approach will not offer opportunities for enriching the students learning experience and their passion for learning.

Miriam

References:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Program Number 4. Behaviorist Learning Theory. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Baltimore: Author.

Lever-Duffy, J. & McDonald, J. (2008). Theoretical Foundations (Laureate Education, Inc., custom ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

The Office for Teaching and Learning Newsletter December 2002, Volume 7, No. 2. Wayne State University. Retrieved May 13, 2009

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Program Number 4. Behaviorist Learning Theory. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Baltimore: Author.

My long term-goal is to actively support and implement change in my school not only in my classroom. I have been named campus project leader for implementing technology in the English classrooms. Based on a five semester roll-over program and with the support of our Institutional Administrators we are requesting approval for interactive whiteboards, Touchstone interactive software, wireless internet access, and equipment such as projectors, speakers and laptops in twenty two language classrooms. I will put all of my efforts forward to accomplish these goals.

Miriam
References:

Laureate Education, Inc., (2008) “Emergence of Education Technology”, [Educational Video] Understanding the Impact of Technology on Education, Work, and Society. Baltimore, MD
Richardson, W. (2006). Blogs, wiks, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.