EDCI339Student

After reviewing the readings from this week, I noticed a common theme. The articles talked about the importance of student-centred learning and promoting higher order thinking skills. I will be discussing 3 of the learning theories; cognitivism, constructivism and connectivism, from the article “Teaching Online : A Guide to Theory, Research, and Practice” as I think they are critical components to teaching online. 

Fontana said that the cognitivist theory focuses on the student being “an active agent in the learning process” (Learning theories and online learning). A cognitivist would focus on conceptual learning vs procedural learning. For instance, when I teach math to 5 year old’s online I ask them to find objects in their house to count vs telling them to add 5 + 2. I think this type of teaching is much more meaningful to the learner as it allows them to be actively engaged in the learning. One of the online teachers at my school has created interactive google slides for the students to participate in.  On the slide she has created icons which will take the students to a video, book, website and activity on the topic they are learning about. She often will create 3 different slides for her students to choose based on their interests. I think this type of model will stay after the pandemic as it can be a very useful tool for inquiry based learning. 

Constructivists focus on finding meaning and connecting to the learning and the environment.  Victor Frankl said we can find “meaning through our actions and deeds” (Corey, 2017, p. 130). The goal is to create an environment where students work with their peers to create and answer higher level problems. The use of social pods, blogs, virtual meetings, and other social media platforms throughout the pandemic has allowed students to connect in ways that they hadn’t been exposed to before. I think since many people felt isolated during the pandemic it forced teachers to think about the collaboration piece. 

Connectivism drives students to become autonomous and encourages them to take charge of their own learning. I think this model can be beneficial, but it has to be introduced slowly and students should be given more freedom as they begin to understand the inquiry model. Students first need to be taught critical thinking skills and be able to ask good questions. The inquiry model below shows how this type of learning should be structured. 

I had an online class where we were told to do an inquiry project on any topic we wanted. Many of us were lost as we had no skills or prior knowledge to engage in inquiry based learning. 

Connecting this week’s readings to the article, “25 year of Ed Tech” I think educators should focus on technology that humanizes the learning. This includes; blogs, virtual settings such as skype and zoom, social pods, and flip grid. Flip grid is something I started using throughout the pandemic and I have continued to use it in my classroom as it is a great way to showcase student learning and connect with people around the world. I have noticed that schools have shifted to a more collaborative framework since the pandemic and teachers have been using technology to supplement the learning.

References

Bates, T.(2014). Learning Theories and Online
Learning. [Blog post]. Retrieved from
https://www.tonybates.ca/2014/07/29/learning-theories-and-online-learning/

Bathurst Hunt, R. (n.d.). Home. Retrieved October 17, 2020, from http://rebeccabathursthunt.com/sketchnotes/

Corey, G. (2017). Theories and practice of counseling and psychotherapy (10th ed.).

Cengage Learning.

Major, C. H. (2015). Teaching online: A guide to theory, research, and practice. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.

Weller, M. (2020). 25 Years of ed tech. AU Press. Retrieved from https://read.aupress.ca/read/25-years-of-ed-tech/section/e69021f2-91b6-4ca4-9d0b-81d3e9748707

After reading “25 Years of Ed-tech” it dawned on me how quickly the online world is changing. Technologies are constantly being reinvented and revised to keep up with the ever-changing times of society. For example,  in school we use Fresh grade to document students learning and each year the platform looks different and there are new features added. Although I am happy that the site has more features it can be difficult to keep up with all of the new technologies. 

After reviewing the topics in these weeks readings I noticed that it focused  a lot on “Humanizing Online Learning”. Most of the technologies over the past 20 years have been designed to bring people together. Some of the ways I feel connected to others is through blogs, videos, Skype, and social media. In my Kindergarten class we have connected with another Kindergarten class in Australia through Skype and Flipgrid. Our goal is to find out how their culture and way of living differs from ours. The students have made many meaningful connections with the other students and they look forward to seeing them each week. Blogs are another great way to humanize learning as it allows individuals to share their thoughts and ideas and receive feedback and communicate with their peers. 

In the future I hope that technology will be able to meet the needs of all learners. The component that I find difficult with online learning is not being able to incorporate hands-on learning. I wonder if there is a way to incorporate this and how that would work?  I also wonder if technology will have different learning environments similar to a classroom setting? 

Two questions that I have for Dr. Weller include:

1. Which topic is most important for creating a meaningful experience online with young learners?
2. Which online tools do you recommend for education? 

References:

Weller, M. (2020). 25 Years of ed tech. AU Press. Retrieved from https://read.aupress.ca/read/25-years-of-ed-tech/section/e69021f2-91b6-4ca4-9d0b-81d3e9748707

What is Human-Centered Instruction? https://www.leadsv.com/hcn

Creating meaningful relationships with students and fostering collaboration and open communication is key for both online and in person learning. “One aspect of online teaching is fostering the perception by students that the instructor is present in the course” (Barnes, 201). I believe face to face interaction is so important in creating a sense of community and security online. By having virtual sessions it will allow teachers to find out the needs of their students (“What is Human-Centered Instruction”). In my Kindergarten class last year I showed my presence by creating morning messages, responding to students flipgrid videos, and holding weekly video chats. In my morning message I read a story, performed a magic trick and created a quick hands on math or English lesson. This message created a sense of normalcy for the students and allowed them to look forward to something every day. The virtual meeting allowed students to connect with their peers and share special events that had been going on in their life. I created fun team building activities for the students to do during these meetings; such as, go and find your favorite toy or find me 5 special items in your home. These activities allowed the students to connect with one another, and created a fun and engaging environment. 

Another crucial aspect of online learning is creating a sense of belonging. “Dewey felt that teachers imposed too much control on students rather than being a part of the school community” ( (Barnes, 201)). I think it is important that we let our students know that they are valued and encourage them to express their ideas. I think we should showcase students’ talents and ask students to share their knowledge/skills with the class. For example, if a student is very knowledgeable on planets they could create a lesson or activity for the class and post it on flipgrid. 

The image below showcases all of the components I deem important whether teaching online or in a classroom. The 3 points that stand out to me most are knowing your students, being playful and reflecting and revising as you go.  As  Barnes said “Frequent student-faculty contact in and out of classes is the most important factor in student motivation and involvement”. This can be done by hosting one on one video chats with students, creating team building activities, and starting an inquiry unit on the students and their families. Lastly, it is important to take time to reflect and ask for feedback from parents, students and colleagues. Every day I spend 15 minutes reflecting and I ask myself what went well, what didn’t go well, and what do I want to focus on tomorrow. These questions allow me to revise how I teach and provide me with a specific task or goal for each day. 

References:

Barnes, C.L. (201). Where’s the Teacher ? Defining the Role of Instructor Presence in Social Presence and Cognition in Online Education. Humanizing Online Teaching and Learning. Retrieved from https://humanmooc.pressbooks.com/chapter/wheres-the-teacher-defining-the-role-of-instructor-presence-in-social-presence-and-cognition-in-online-education/

Howell Major, C. (2015). Teaching Online – A Guide to Theory, Research, and Practice. (Chapter 1). Retrieved from http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/uvic/detail.action?docID=3318874

Hunt, R. B. (n.d.). Home. Retrieved September 26, 2020, from http://rebeccabathursthunt.com/sketchnotes/

What is Human-Centered Instruction? https://www.leadsv.com/hcn