Module 3--Collaboration and the constructive classroom

Collaboration has been occurring in schools for as long as I have been either a student or teacher.  In the late 1950s and 60s it was called group work and the teacher would put us in groups and give us an assignment to complete.  Each of us would take a part of the whole and on the day when it had to be presented, everyone had to give their part of a presentation.  Most of the time it was a couple of the students doing most of the work but we were usually graded on the work as a whole and a part for what each had contributed.

With the proliferation of technology, it has become easier to collaborate and also to track each person’s part in the whole.  Innovations like Wikipedia, initially scoffed at, are now showing the way in how working together can add value to each person who uses it.  As a historian and teacher of history, I do not allow any of my students to use it as a source, but it is a good place to start a search and can jump-start a research track that is faltering.  Glogster is another tool that I have used for students to have a central place to add contributions to lessons that they are working on in groups.  It is easy to use, both for the teacher and the students, and it makes it easy to keep track of how and what each child adds to the discussion.

A 2011 study done by Lampe, Wohn, VItak, et al, looked at how college and university students were using Facebook as a way to organize collaborative activities, (Lampe, 2011).  The study found that what to many is a simple social networking site has become a powerful tool when used to encourage young people’s “propensity to collaborate.” (Lampe, 2011)

Lampe, C., D. Y. Whon, J. Vitak, N. B. Ellison, R. Wash (2011). Student use of

            Facebook for organizing collaborative classroom activities. International Society

            of Learning Sciences. DOI: 10.1077/s11412-011-9115-y.

Rheingold, H. (2008, February). Howard Rheingold on collaboration [Video file].

            Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/howard_rheingold_on_collaboration.html

Keywords—Classroom-Computer supported collaborative learning, Facebook, Sensemaking, Social network sites.

I will be responding to the other people in my group before the Saturday deadline.

Module 2--Can one theory really cover it all?

Module 2--Cognitivism as a Learning Theory

Kerr and Kapp both have valid points.  Kerr is warning us not to become so wedded to a theory, one of his “–isms,” that we try to force it to fit all situations and these various “–isms” should be seen as a guide rather than the be-all and end-all of how learning takes place. (Kerr, 2007)  Theory is useful until it no longer fits and then it can get in the way of understanding.

Kapp said several things that I agree with completely: “we need to take pieces from each school of thought and apply it effectively … we need to take the best from each philosophy and use it wisely to create solid educational experiences for our learners.” (Kapp, 2007)  Kapp recognizes there is such a diversity of student learners that one theory is not the answer to every question and also that a single learner may pass through several ‘theory’ stages in their learning career. 

The last point, that a single learner may pass through several ‘theory’ stages in their learning career can apply to all of us, at least it applies to me.  I learned under ‘behaviorist’ theory when in elementary school.  Multiplication tables were memorized, so was the alphabet, and “The Gettysburg Address” all fit under that learning theory.  By high school and definitely in college, Cognitivism had taken over, for the most part, but by the end of university and then into the Master’s program, Constructivism could be used to explain problem-solving and collaboration.  Kapp’s statement that “learning is not one thing … it is multi-faceted and that is why developing new models … is so difficult … there are too many levels for one school of thought or one model to do it all.” (Kapp, 2007)

Kapp, K. (2007, January, 2). Out and about: Discussion on educational schools of

thought [Web log post].  Retrieved from http://www.kaplaneduneering.com/kappnotes/index.php/2007/01/out-and-about-discussion-on-educational/http://www.kaplaneduneering.com/kappnotes/index.php/2007/01/out-and-about-discussion-on-educational/

Kerr, B. (2007, January 1). _isms as filter, not blinker [Web log post]. Retrieved from

            http://billkerr2.blogspot.com/2007/01/isms-as-filter-not-blinker.html

Learning

I have taught in some very interesting classrooms.  My first 5 years were spent teaching in a private school on the island of Cyprus.  The students were all evacuees from the civil war in Lebanon and ranged in age from 4 ½ to 17.  Only one of the students in the school spoke English as his native language, all the rest spoke either Arabic, French, or Greek.  The school was run on the American system and we had American textbooks and curriculum.  I taught English, science, and computer literacy. 

Some of my students learned best when they were left to figure things out on their own with just a little direction from me.  Others learned the most when they were helping their classmates with their work.  Only the older students needed more guidance and some if that probably came from the fact they were more affected by the civil war than the younger children, even within the same family.

Practical experience was the best teacher when it came to the computer literacy classes.  The younger kids took to the computer with no problem whereas the older kids were a little more intimidated by the machines.  One student adamantly refused to use a computer but his objections were religion based.  All of the children, young and teens, were very capable by the end of the year on the computer.

Some of the younger children liked the games with the sounds, colors, and ‘game’ atmosphere that made learning so much fun.  Even some of the older children took their turns with “Fractured Mother-Goose” to improve their English.  This was not your traditional lecture-hall teaching!