EDLD+5364+Week+1

=Week 1 Reflection=

This week in our Teaching with Technology class, we focused on learning theories and how they relate to integrating technology into the classroom. Three learning theories were introduced: Constructivism Theory, Connectivism Theory, and Cyborg Theory. I could relate most to Vygotski’s Constructivism Theory because it is centered on creating new knowledge by combining new ideas with a person’s existing knowledge-base. When I was training as a third grade teacher to foster better reading comprehension in the classroom, one central idea was to use the student’s schema or existing experiential foundation to build upon with new ideas. This would lead to increased and higher level comprehension. This is learning that happens within the individual. Siemens’ Connectivism Theory describes a learning process that occurs externally. It involves people networking with others and computers to acquire new knowledge. I see this as a rising trend among our young people who collaborate through web tools on new ideas they are learning. It emphasizes the need for ongoing learning. The fact that what students are learning in college today could be obsolete once they emerge into the workplace is alarming. It impresses upon me that we need to focus just as much on teaching students “how” to learn as we do on “what” to learn. Warwick’s Cyborg Learning Theory addresses improving people’s abilities to learn by implanting computer chips into their bodies. Honestly, this is a hard concept for me to fathom. It is difficult for me to envision changing a person’s mental capabilities by placing a foreign device in his body. I am intrigued by the idea, but the jury is still out on whether I would want to pursue this in the future.

This week’s readings gave many helpful ideas of how to use technology in the classroom. It has caused me to rethink my understanding of what it means to integrate technology in the classroom. I once thought of it as just allowing students to access the internet to look up information or using a Power Point presentation to present material. However, it is so much more! Integrating technology means allowing students to not only access information but also use it to create new products. The availability of digital tools is creating new and exciting ways for students to network with each and increase their knowledge by building upon each other’s ideas. By implementing digital tools in the classroom, it puts students of many different ability levels and backgrounds on a more even playing field. This is the key to helping every child succeed in the 21st century.