Application 4 Voice Thread Learning

Here is the URL to my VoiceThread.
voicethread.com/share/566696

testing audio sound

still trying

Georgia On My Mind: testing audio sound

Georgia On My Mind: testing audio sound

testing audio sound

testing my audio recording

test

Today is July 22, 2009 downloaded a free audio site, can record but so far will not download onto blog. Still working on it.

Exploring Project-based Tools considering Constructivism

The wild road through the Web is wonderful. But not all Web sites are organized the same. We would all like to find sites that motivate and relate to our students. I also look for sites that help organize my deficient left brain skills and overactive right brain. Some sites that I explored and surveyed this week from our Walden resources suggested both constructivism and behaviorism elements. One site I explored and liked is called PBL., for Project Based Learning that assists teachers to think and organize lessons. Edutopia was interesting and provides technology based motivation in which students explore real-world problems. The most interactive site was the NASA. I can't wait to show my students this one and the science teacher.

PBL is an online resource that organizes by providing a progressive check list that offers multiple planning ideas, drafting key questions, assessments, mapping out the project, and a checklist for what skills we will need to manage. This is a resourceful site if you are a new teacher or need organizational help like me. Here is the site: http://pbl-online.org/default.htm. I would describe PBL as more of an outline planning process that does allow change and altering. It is a keeper. In relating this site to our text Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that works byPitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski this PBL site breaks down the whole parts of a lesson into individual tasks. This is like our systems analysis read in Chapter eleven called, "Generating and Testing Hypotheses" (Pitler p. 203). You problem solve as you work on their site by checking off your designated plan. It does allow you to resolve and conclude your lesson plan decisions. The six tasks written about in our text, systems analysis, problem solve, historical investigation, invention, and experimental inquiry can be found from yourself in this site, as you plan and construct. You can fit new information together with what you may already know. It is user friendly and easy to read.

In contrast, the Edutopia site http://www.edutopia.org/project-learning I surveyed uses constructivist/constructionist learning theories because it creates a greater insight for the viewer. By watching the virtual tours of designated subjects, you begin to understand by interaction with the virtual environment. There are many videos about students who are excelling in technology and interviews from educated people who share their theories. The George Lucas Educational Foundation makes media resources available and it offers links; Edutopia.org, Edutopia magazine, and video Edutopia video: I enjoyed this site and would use it as motivation for my students in pursuit of passion for life and overcoming technology fears.

Last, but not least is my favorite of the three sites: http://space.jpl.nasa.gov/ or NASA Solar System Simulator. WOW. This site was the most engaging. Perhaps it is the subject matter of the Lunar Module, or the astronauts that is enticing. It is interactive and visually enthralling. The photographs can be zoomed in and out. There is a moon with Lunar sites you can click on and hear and see and read about. Then there are more interactive features. There is fun stuff too. The site offers you to download a program to make "photosynths". Who needs a science curriculum if you have this site! NASA provides additional links to sites such as "Dr. C" who is a computerized scientist aka as someone who is real. Please visit.

Our text book offers sites that are interactive and resourceful. How we choose to use these sites to engage our students is important for the constructing of ideas. If we understand the tasks, and believe these Web sites can assist in children creating their artifacts and bring them closer to real life situations, then technology is worth it. Let students have new experiences and reinterpret and invent with their ideas. Jean Piaget said, " The principle goal of education is to create men who are capable of doing new things, not simply of repeating what other generations have done-men who are creative, inventive and discoverers"(http://thinkexist.com/).

Pitler, H., Hubbell,E., Kuhnn,M.,& Malenoski. (2007). Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Work. Alexandria, VA: ASCD

Meaningful tools for Cognitive Learning

http://myweb.liu.edu/mdornisc/modules/cognitivism.htm/

Completing my blog entry tonight I delved into Cognitive Theories as well as Mind and Memory.

The above link is a useful site to involve your students on how our memories work better for storage when we use tools like concept maps, Power Point, Word applications, and multimedia for exemplifying new information . Stop right here and try some of the 20 second tests yourself.

Advance Organizers, cues, and questions are addressed from our chapter 4 of "Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that works"(Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn & Malenoski, 2007). Teaching new concepts, or reviewing past information can be better taught with the support and practice of various technological tools. They indeed will provide meaningful information to stick to our children's brains. Some of these tools and applications are "structures that teachers provide" (Pitler et al.,2007 ) for students before and after a project. The chapter stresses that the essential questions will allow the students to immediately formulate more questions. All this begins to bring our pupils to a higher level of thinking. Quite cognitive! David Ausubel, a cognitive psychologist taught his theory that the most important development in learning is when "new material is related to relevant ideas". (http://tip.psychology.org/ausubel.html). He emphasized that these advance organizers are not just summaries but important ideas that act as a connection between new knowledge and existing ideas.

Therefore, instructional strategies such as using the AutoSummarize tool, a feature on Word, or highlighting important words on Word, as well as creative note taking that can include pictures and webbing, all create cognitive learning at a higher level of thinking. For older students, collaboration can be provided by much more intuitive tools such as Communication software such as blogs and wikis. Novak and Canas, authors of "The Theory Underlying Concept Maps and How the Construct and Use Them1" talk about how our brain learns easier from storage of iconic images and sound. They also point out that as we teach our students to use these tools for organizing and planning information, so too we must review the mind with them and how their brains work. "Creating new methods of observing or recording events usually opens up new opportunities for new knowledge creation"

(http://cmap.ihmc.us/Publications/ResearchPapers/TheoryUnderlyingConceptMaps.pdf

Found Rubrics for Assessment

http:///www.uwstout.edu/ This site showcases rubrics from Inspiration and Kidspiration.
Even if your school cannot obtain these programs, by observing these rubrics and teacher inspired efforts to organize and allow student's to give feedback, you can do the same.

Application 2 on Behaviorism in Practice

Walden on Line University's class called, Bridging Learning Theory, Instruction, and Teaching brings forth and emphasizes the role of behaviorism and technology. Both do have a place in the classroom. When I read Melissa Strandridge's article called Behaviorism I comprehended that outward actions speak loudly. As an educator I need to find the 'bell' like Pavlov did and search for differentiated lessons and strategies to create a positive reinforcement for learning.

"Behavior is directed by stimuli" says Standridge. Providing strategies for motivation learning can be created by the student themselves. Our text, Using Technology with Classroom Instruction recommends that teachers teach students what effort is. Chapter 8 explains students can keep track of their own data and begin to see how progress and better grades parallels effort.

The authors believe technology, such as Microsoft Excel can easily assist students. They explain that the opportunity to track your own efforts will provide the students with a greater "self-efficacy". This data such as grids, graphs and bars can drive confidence. It can be that stimuli.

Chapter 10 discusses how other visible tracking such as grids can also be analyzed. Behaviorism involves modeling so a student can observe their skill process, review weaknesses and modify. This chapter discusses technology applications such as programs on the Web to research. Students can use spreadsheets to continue the connection between academic success and factors in their control. This chapter offers many URL sites that differentiate and enrich homework.

Behaviorism really does exist in the classroom. We have to offer the stimuli to motivate the positive actions. By using technology, we can give our students some control to motivate themselves.

Behavior and Technology for Learning Center

I spoke to the manager Larry today from the Huntington Learning Center in my town of Peachtree City, Georgia. I asked him how driven is their Learning Center regarding behaviorism and technology?

I will refer to him as Larry Manager. His response and our discussion ensued. "Skill building is the hero", Larry said. "If the teacher is not great, nothing will happen". He explained, we are in a sense more old fashioned. He continued that we use technology to help pinpoint student's curriculum needs. Technology needs to assist us where to go with the student, but again, they will not go far without a teacher that offers responsibility and interaction. He described Huntington Learning center as not a tutoring center where not just immediate problem solving happens but skill building for future subjects. Larry said we can see with the CAT tests if a student is improving or not. To learn about the philosophy about Huntington, go to: http://huntingtonlearning.com/page/philosophy.

Larry asked and answered the following questions; "Are they using their knowledge to the best of their abilities? Or are the behavior issues are what prevents them from succeeding?" Larry said the older the students become, the more difficult and resistant they are to effort. Behavior is 5% failure rate for their center. We discussed underlying factors that contribute to failures at their center. Often Larry says it is families that have not given their children consequences that often create behavior problems in their children. Student resistance and bad grades are just a control problem.

He pointed out this issue with this analogy: "If we take two dogs out for a walk and one does not want to walk and plops himself down, would we leave him in the middle of the street? No. Perhaps our students and our own children are scared about taking forward steps in their lives, and we have to as teachers and parents honker them down and move them along"(Larry Manager 2009).

Larry Manager also said that the *Georgia Virtual School http://www.gavirtualschool.org/Home/ParentInformation/tabid/141/Default.aspxhas offers more success for some students then repeating a class in school. Some students seem to do better with technology. *NOTE: Our state offers courses online for making up grades. This is called the Georgia Virtual School.

I conclude from talking with Larry and reading our Chapter 8, Reinforcing Effort, (Pitler,Hubbell, Kuhn, Malenoski, 2007) that students may come to realize effort comes from themselves and that they may take more responsibilities for their own success. I personally believe the primary grades can use moving cloths pins or stickers and bulletin boards for tracking their successes while upper grades would benefit from tracking and keeping their own effort and score charts.

For classes that teachers see all year, I think that Microsoft Excel data keeping and tracking is an added benefit to learning. It reinforces effort. As for myself , art as a subject is very subjective and personal. Using a Microsoft Excel sheet during a nine week period may not be advantageous. Rubrics for students to critique their own work may succeed best for art. I must keep in mind that I encourage out of the box thinking as well as problem solving techniques. Self-esteems are precious in my class.

If you have any suggestions for tracking scores and efforts in a quarterly middle school art class, I am open to hearing from you.

Victoria Perez

Teacher Thoughts from June '09

This is the last day of school for my advance art class. Here is Blaise and my son Chris building their model of twizzlers and marshmallows to look like the Eiffel Tower. This is a quick lesson

on effort and achievement. Technology supports this one day lesson. Go to: http://www.panoramas.dk/fullscreen/fullscreen32.html

to feel the effect of standing on the top platform of the Eiffel

tower. Look out, look down, look up... and then tell your students they are building a replica with candy and tooth pics to look like the tower. Throw in some relevant facts and objectives. Have them read the facts and begin. They are sold! The winner's tower has to stand for several minutes. I act as the facilitator and coach. I will miss my son terribly as he goes off to 9th grade. He thinks he wants to be an architecture. But, he wants to go to Duke, which does not offer it, so he'll major in Business... is this a 13/14 year old? At least he is thinking. The other students in the picture come from homes with design and art related parents.

Behaviorism is part of this short assignment. The actions speak loud. They quickly learn what works and does not work. The success is the reward of being involved with this action. The winning tower is just a little icing on the cake. Now there's an idea to build on!