Module 4 Blog Comments

I posted to the following blogs:

Cynthia Harris
http://everythingeducational.blogspot.com/

April Carpenter
http://april-carpenter.blogspot.com/

Brandy

Module 4: Commectivism

Connectivism

When I was a student in the public school system, the traditional classroom was the only form of teaching/learning one could be a part of.  The learner was expected to sit in the classroom, listen to the expert-which was the teacher-and was not to question what he/she was saying.  After the information was given, the learner would take the traditional paper/pencil assessment then move on to the next standard.  Sixteen years later, that type of learning environment isn't as common.  The learner is expected to explore their learning, forming their own way of thinking and assessed in various ways to show their understanding of the standard.

Learners within my classroom are given the standard and the project I want completed; it is up to them to work on finding the solution and presenting it in a manner that shows me they comprehend the standard.  As educators we all know there are a number of ways to present your understanding of the same standard--by allowing my students to take control of their learning, I am allowing others to see that just one way of solving the problem isn't the only way.  It also allows the students to learn using the learning style/method that is best for them. 

The digital tools that best facilitate learning within my classroom are definitely computers.  My students do utilize the SmartBoard a lot to demonstrate their learning to their fellow classmates as well as myself.  We also use "Clickers" within the classroom when working on informal assessments.  My students also work with their Gaggle account on a daily basis--updating their social networking page, their blog and simply communicating with fellow classmates and teachers. 

When a question about new technology arises, I need to know where to look for the answers.  I no longer need to be an expert on every piece of technology in my classroom/school.  If I know where to find the answers then I can point my fellow colleagues and students in the right direction.  This is part of connectivism--being connected to all of the right resources and being able to utilize those resources when needed.

Kop, R., & Hill, A. (2008).  Connectivism:  Learning theory of the future or vestige of the past?  International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 9 (3), 1-13.

Module 3 Blog Comments

I posted a comment on the following blogs:

April Carpenter
http://april-carpenter.blogspot.com/

Jan Lopez
http://jancutforth.wordpress.com/2011/10/12/module-3-cooperation-collaboration/

Module 3: Collaboration

After 12 years of teaching and being the mother of a 4 year old, I do NOT think it is basic instinct for people to interact and work as a group.  This type of interaction is one that has to be taught at an early age and then practiced in order to be able to successfully work and contribute to the group. 

Think about this.....as a baby/toddler/child, you are content with playing alone and not having to share your toys.  We have to teach our children what it is like to play/work with other children--what the concept of contribution and sharing is and to effectively make it work in each situation.  Each person, no matter what their age, naturally wants for themselves and what feels right to them--the ones that put other first and consider how things will affect others were taught to do so--it was a natural instinct to them.  The individuals that are competitive and only want to be number one, no matter the cost, are behaving natural in their eyes.  This was the instinct they were born with, and no matter who tried to teach them different, they continued with what was natural to them and their personality. 

In today's competitive society and with people being "rewarded" for their competitiveness, it is harder to see people implementing cooperation.  Competitive behavior comes at a high cost--win no matter how many people you physically or emotionally hurt.  Think about a sports event that your child participates in or maybe you participated in and you heard the words, "win no matter what it takes."  We just told our kids to hurt whomever (physically and/or emotionally) and don't bother being a team player--just as long as you win this activity.  As a classroom teacher, I have to always keep in mind that some of my students are hearing this daily and it is my responsibility to fill that gap and teach them that working together--collaborating with one another--is more important than winning.  If I can model and teach my students how to combine competitive, cooperation and collaboration, then maybe they will see that by combining the three you will make others happy and will have a better chance at accomplishing your goal. 

Technology can be used to facilitate collaboration among learners by allowing them to connect with people that from all over, work collaboratively with those individuals and to form a sense of learning that may not have been possible without the use to technology.  Rheingold (2005) recommends capitalizing on the luxuries of technology because they are easy to use, enable distant connections, use open-source software, promote group forming, provide self-instructions, and offer positive self-interest.  All of this is true when it comes to collaborating online. 

According to Burke, Lomas and Page (2008), "when people are asked to define or suggest collaboration tools, audio conference systems and videoconferencing software typically top the list, reflecting a traditional view that collaboration tools should mimic face-to-face meetings in front of a chalkboard."  Although these are great tools and will continue to be on the top of the list, there are so many other collaboration tools that can be used like google docs, twitter, facebook, etc. 

As educators we always need to keep in mind that we need to incorporate and teach our students the importance of collaboration, cooperation and then competitiveness.  Without these three interacting--the classroom and eventually workplace for our students, will be nothing less than chaotic!

Resources:

Burke, M., Lomas, C., and Page, C.  Collaboration Tools.  Educause Learning Initiative, August 2008. Retrieved from http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI3020.pdf.  Retrieved October 6, 2011. 

 Rheingold, H. (2008, February). Howard Rheingold on collaboration [Video file]. Retrieved from
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/howard_rheingold_on_collaboration.html. Retrieved October 6, 2011.

Module 2 Blog Comments

Here are the two blogs I commented on for module 2:

Cynthia Harris

http://everythingeducational.blogspot.com/

Adam Authier

http://mrauthier.blogspot.com/2011/09/educ-7105-module-2.html