Teaching with Technology - Week 1 Reading/Video Reflections

There were many fantastic readings and videos this week that focused on details like the Constructivism Theory, Connectivism Theory, Cyborg Learning Theory, and Social Networking Technologies in Education.  All of these articles zoned in on the idea that students are more actively involved in a constructivist classroom than a traditional classroom.  “They more often share ideas, ask questions, and feel the freedom to revise their ideas and collaborate with classmates (Sprague, 1999).   Vygotsky’s Theory of Coonstructivism fixated on the idea that you never learn anything from scratch.  You are constantly constructing new ideas along the course of your life.  Successful learners start off with a pool of ideas and then embed new ideas into the old ones.  This type of thinking allows for learning to become both an active and reflective process.  It’s a great way to build new knowledge. 

The Connectivism Theory taught us that the network that learners created becomes the learning itself.  I have experienced this through my course work here at Lamar.  I have learned a great deal from connecting with my classmates, and collaborating on various projects with them. 

There are so many new technologies that are going to shape the environments of our classrooms, and the way that student’s learn.  The Cyborg Theory centers on the idea that you can implant a chip into your nervous system and enhance your brainpower.  This sounded crazy to me at first.  But, is this the way that society is headed?  Many new technologies are interactive, therefore making it easier to create environments in which students can learn by doing, receiving feedback, and reflecting.  “Social networking and virtual environments unleash creativity that could not occur otherwise (McPeethers, 2009).  Who knows…maybe one day cyborgs will be a thing of the past. 

Abbott, J. (nd). Building Knowledge: Constructivism in Learning. [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F00R3pOXz

Bransford, J. D., Brown, A. L., & Cocking, R. R. (2000). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school (Expanded edition). Ch. 9, pp. 194-218. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press. Retrieved from http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=9853&page=206

McPheeters, D. (2009, March). Social networking technologies in education. Tech and Learning, 29(8).Retrieved from http://www.techlearning.com/article/16250

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development

Siemens, G. (nd). The Changing Nature of Knowledge  [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMcTHndpzYg

Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, (1999). Learning as a personal event: A brief introduction to constructivism. Retrieved from http://www.sedl.org/pubs/tec26/intro2c.html

Sprague, D. & Dede, C. (1999). If I teach this way, Am I doing my job: Constructivism in the classroom. Leading and Learning, 27(1). Retrieved from the International Society for Technology in Education at http://imet.csus.edu/imet9/280/docs/dede_constructivisim.pdf

Warwirk, K. (nd). Cyborg Life [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RB_l7SY_ngI