5 Blog Comments

Comment 1
Jill said...
Stephanie, I too believe it is important to remember that teachers are more important than technology. Effective teachers should make every effort to learn new software and systems to integrate it in their planning and teaching. I haven't taught in an elementary school in 7 years,so I do feel overwhelmed. When I taught, I was often referred to by my principal to find out how students were using the internet in my class. I enjoyed using my "overhead" while teaching. Now in many schools, these are probably in the closet! Now, I need to learn a smart pad or elmo...like I said I feel like I missed a lot, but I am sure I will pick it up. Maybe I have enjoyed being in the dark :) Did I hear Dr. Wang gasp ?!

Comment 2
Jill said...
Hi Janet! I am from group 1. I saw on the tech site you had been frustrated figuring out the aspects of blogging. I know it's difficult. I hope Dr. Wang can help. Don't feel defeated. You are trying and not giving up and that shows something. I didn't know this class was on-line until the first day, and I too wish I had some more time going through some of the things in class. Keep hanging in there, and you'll be surprised at how much you end up gaining,but learning can be frustrating. It gives us perspective for children that struggle with reading or print with the correct formation.


Comment 3
Jill said...
Renee- Congratulations of making a web site for your church! That's incredible! Your new knowledge will help make it easier for new comers to learn about your church as well as transfer information to your members. I know everyone is excited about this new adventure you've begun!

Comment 4
Jill said...
Karen ( Renee) - I love your comments. Thanks for making it personal. I loved hearing about your grandmother's experience with distance learning. I also agree with your comments about assigning students work to do at home. Sometimes, the students have more "experience" than we would like them to have on the Internet, but not in the educational sense. I think we should always be mindful, that while the Internet is a powerful tool we can use for enhancing learning,it can also pose problems when students are not aware of the dangers they can concur when they ( maybe I should say parents) are not aware safeguards they should perhaps have at home.

March 5, 2008 8:03 AM


Comment 5
Melanie- This is an incredible resource for your class and for parents. I love that you have the fluency pages on there as well, b/c parents know exactly what you are testing for when checking on fluency. I love the idea of having everything available and knowing that as a parent, I could check the class's wiki space and see current projects,pictures, etc. Do you like the wiki page better than a website? Is it easier to do and upload information? Great job! Thanks for sharing!

Learning Definition Comments

Learning Definition Comments


Hey everyone- I will be glad to lead this one if that is okay with everyone. Just post your thoughts on learning and we will see if we can come up with a condensed yet conclusive definition. Melanie- good thoughts.

I believe learning occurs when connections are made relating newly acquired information to prior experience and knowledge, thus creating a new understanding.

I think Melanie's and Karen's examples are good ones b/c that is what children are doing when they first learn objects, colors and natural consequences.


Hey Karen- I think that for assessment purposes we as educators truly want our students to learn and not just quickly learn some facts to pass the test. I remember from all of my psych. classes I took for one of my concentrations, ... when something is rehearsed and put into short term memory it can stay there for a while... when it is retrieved and used over and over ( and it then becomes stored in our long term memories if it is retrieved enough). Now, that would not be information just to pull out for a test, but information that has been stored, retrieved over and over again and used in meaning ways. I kind of lean to think that while memorizing is not the learning we desire of our students, it may be a basic form of learning because we are acquiring the information evenif for a short while..it is then our choice to decide to make it meaningful and if it has value to us.
Thank you for your contributions. We are going figure this out :)
Jill


Hey girls! Here are a couple of things to think about.
We all agree that learning is a process and there are different reasons why we learn things. There are also different degrees- name, recite, describe, compare, analyze, evaluate... If we learn something and it is rehearsed ( practiced and stored away) then it becomes a memory- like memorizing facts, numbers...you can actually learn something and it may not have a lot of meaning to you then, but as you use the "memory" it will become meaningful and can even be built upon. Mult. facts are good examples to think about. Many students had to just memorize them and later became to understand what was actually happening to those numbers.( Now, I know that is not the way many of us teach today, b/c we want to teach the process first)
Here are some def. I found to think about:

An exercise of constructing personal knowledge that requires the learner to be mentally active rather than passively interpreting when recording information.
www.maine.gov/education/higher ed.Glossary/Glossary.htm
( I like the words actively interpreting...)

Learning is the acquisition and developing of memories and behaviors, including skills, knowledge, understanding values and wisdom. It is the goal of education and the product of experience.
Wikipedia

Maybe these will help. Let me know your thoughts!
Thanks-Jill

Thanks for reminding me about wikepedia. I had forgotten that anyone can contribute. In this case it might be okay to look at and compare what we believe. Thanks!


Don't apologize for what you believe. I think this has been good to really search the definition out. It is good to see all sides and see if we see things differently. I know what you mean about memorization getting more of a negative feeling. It should go against what we believe in our goals in teaching. I will try to compile "our definition" and see if you feel like it is reasonable.

*These are our definitions. Please read through and see if the last one is agreeable for all of our views.I am
trying to focus on what we do agree on.*


Learning is....

if a student remembers what is taught...if he remembers his current perspective and is challenged. Melanie


occurs when connections are made relating newly acquired information to prior experience and knowledge, thus creating a new understanding. Jill

when you take previous knowledge and extend it by applying to new situations. Daily

as aquiring a skill, process, or knowledge. Learning can be also building upon prior knowledge. When you learn, it is a memory that lasts. Stephanie

Candance commented through-out and said she agrees that learning is acquiring a skill, process, or knowledge,but does not agree with learning is a memory that lasts. She believes that there are different levels of learning and when you really learn something it can become a memory but they are two different things.

Here it is :)***************************************

Learning consists of acquiring a new skill, process, or knowledge and can be acquired by making new connections with prior experience and knowledge, thus creating new understanding and ability to apply newly acquired information.

IAE-Pedia Comment -Duplicate

Comment by Jill Byrd

Wow. That statement is strong. Should we allow teachers who are not computer literate and are not dedicated to find ways to utilize technology within their classrooms to be teachers in this day and age? With our world changing, I would have to think that a teacher would deprive herself of a great opportunity to do things much easier and faster. The resources available at the click of a link, or a typed word in a database could save a teacher many hours and help her better prepare for her students. As our world has increasingly become more digital and more technologically inclined, I would have to think that a teacher would be doing a disservice to her students if she weren't committed to learning how technology in the classroom can not only enhance lessons, but can be used to provide information and virtual experiences we could only dream of adding to the classroom even ten years ago. I believe that teachers are very valuable. Computers are not meant to replace our teaching, but will further serve to "accomplish tasks and solve problems," in many areas of our teaching as shared in IAE-pedia. Computational thinking is necessary to instill in our students, because there are times when using a computer or other source of technology is a better way, or can make the work load much lighter and produce a more efficient result.

Learning Theories

I chose to read about Social Constructivism first when reading about Learning Theories last week. I was not familiar with it but found it very interesting and informative. Lev Vygotsky was the founder of this theory. While he shared many of Piaget's ideas on how children learn, his primary difference was the emphasis he placed on the social context of learning. One of the things I liked most about his theory was his belief and importance he put on parents, teachers, and older , more advanced children in the role of learning. He considered parents and teachers to be tools of learning the culture, such as the cultural history, social context, and learning language. He believed children could learn and master concepts that were above their level by working with more advanced children and adults. This belief became known as the zone of proximal development in which Vygotsky's theory became his best known idea or concept.
A teacher using this theory in her classroom would lead students in activities that allow them to explore and discover in interesting & engaging problems. Cooperative & collaborative work would be encouraged and students would be engaged in activities that are rooted in the real world. Teacher would select and guide students in meaningful , learning activities. Teachers would facilitate learning and encourage students to think through the challenge or problem.
I really like this approach. I think it fosters a sense of responsibility for ones own learning. I believe that by allowing students to select areas of interest to study " under the umbrella of the curriculum" is important . I feel this gives the students an eagerness and determination they may not develop on their own without some freedom to choose things that interest them and they feel is "worth" learning.

Comments: Definition of Learning

Jill’s Comments

I believe learning occurs when connections are made relating newly acquired information to prior experience and knowledge, thus creating a new understanding.

I think Melanie's and Karen's examples are good ones b/c that is what children are doing when they first learn objects, colors and natural consequences.

---

Hey Karen- I think that for assessment purposes we as educators truly want our students to learn and not just quickly learn some facts to pass the test. I remember from all of my psych. classes I took for one of my concentrations, ... when something is rehearsed and put into short term memory it can stay there for a while... when it is retrieved and used over and over ( and it then becomes stored in our long term memories if it is retrieved enough). Now, that would not be information just to pull out for a test, but information that has been stored, retrieved over and over again and used in meaning ways. I kind of lean to think that while memorizing is not the learning we desire of our students, it may be a basic form of learning because we are acquiring the information even if for a short while. it is then our choice to decide to make it meaningful and if it has value to us.
Thank you for your contributions. We are going figure this out :)
Jill

Don't apologize for what you believe. I think this has been good to really search the definition out. It is good to see all sides and see if we see things differently. I know what you mean about memorization getting more of a negative feeling. It should go against what we believe in our goals in teaching. I will try to compile "our definition" and see if you feel like it is reasonable.

Effects of Word Processing

When reading Chapter 9 this week, I was interested in reading about the decision of keyboarding instruction for students. There seems to be disagreement on whether students should be taught keyboarding skills because some believe that without proper training, students will develop bad skills that could perhaps become permanent. Others believe that too much emphasis is centered around speed of typing, and that students need only basic familiarization to use the computer. This led me to wonder how is this viewed as a learning process? I remember my mother making me take a typing class in the 9th grade and I absolutely 'hated' it! While I did learn basic skills, I was not interested at the time and I definitely wasn't motivated. While I did not like the class, I have to admit it was a beneficial experience for me. I did learn to type quickly, but not always without errors :) I have found the more I have practiced my typing through e-mails, letters, and other word processing assignments, I have improved. So the question is which was more beneficial? I am grateful for the experience the class gave me, although it was misery at the time. I wonder at what age is appropriate for keyboarding skills to be emphasized, and is a student's experience on the computer enough for them? Will students develop poor habits by not teaching proper hand alignment? Do we want them pecking at the letters? I have seen adults who use the computer frequently doing just that. There does seem to be an importance for students to learn keyboarding skills, but not over students not having access to the computer until they do so. I would be interested in hearing from those of you currently teaching to tell me what you are doing and for what age.

Reflections on Distance Learning

After reading Chapter 7 this week, several things jump out at me. The questions under making the case for technology integration were very thought provoking. Durden (2001) said that "no existing form of distance learning can similarly affirm students as individuals and also force them to acknowledge the idea of others...Disenfranchised students, as much as their affluent and advantaged peers, deserve a chance at a residential, liberal education, not an unproven alternative." Durden concerns are that distance learning can not take the place of face to face education. While I agree it can not take the place of actual meetings and the physical contact with peers and teachers, I have to disagree with Durden on one aspect he stated. I believe with the right instructor in some cases and/or a self, motivated student, the acquisition of knowledge can be every bit as powerful and engaging as sitting in a physical classroom. Example of distance learning activities as cited in our text are : student research, online classroom materials such as tutorials, web-based lessons, and virtual courses and programs. There are also many characteristics that allow distance learning to enhance and support learning. One that I found particularly important in the top ten list on page 221, was #10- increased interaction among students and between students and teachers. Yes, you read that correctly. Many educators and students feel that they actually communicate more in distance courses than in face to face classes. I found that interesting and true in my case. The way our course is set up, we have both individual and group work. Dr. Wang has placed us in groups to collaborate our findings and help each other. This has promoted communication and cohesiveness I am not sure we would have otherwise in just a quick 1-2 hour class meeting where material is presented and the individual work is done outside of class.
Distance learning is changing the way teachers teach and is reforming the way we think about learning. I think is the student is motivated and ready for the task, distance learning is a wonderful tool