Anyone Got a Penny?

When beginning this course, Learning Theories and Instruction, I was not sure what to expect. I came into the course with a basic understanding of how people learn from my personal experiences as an elementary music educator, and knowledge of different learning styles, but I did not know much about why learners seemed to prefer one style of learning over another. The learning theory that surprised me the most, however, was the theory behind adult learning. Since I am currently an adult enrolled in a master’s program through an online university, I related first-hand to the ideals of adult learning that were presented by Wetzel (2008). When I began my experience here at Walden, I felt motivated to obtain a degree in something outside of music to secure myself further employment in a time where funding for education is being lessened. Like many adults, I chose an online degree program because I desired flexibility to complete coursework around my teaching and personal schedule, as well as assignments that were practical and able to be applied to my current profession. This theory helped me to realize how and I why I came to the realization that an online degree program was best for me, though at the time, I was unaware there was a theory to my decision.

                        During this course, we looked at how different learning theories can be used as a filter for information, but not as a way of signaling our routes for instruction (Kerr, 2007). While each learning style is different, each is a way for the learner’s brain to encode data from stimuli and either use it right away from its short-term memory, or store it for later use in the long-term memory (Orey, 2001). At the present time in education, at least in my current school district, there has been a push for differentiated instruction, or teaching the same topic in different ways in order to accommodate different learning styles.

However, as we have learned, the way information is encoded into the brain fluctuates not only by learner, but by situation and topic as well (Gilbert and Swainer, 2008). While differentiated instruction has its benefits, this course has allowed me to realize that an educational approach that focuses more on learning strategies, such as elaboration or mnemonic devices, is more beneficial to learners, as these tools lead themselves to all learners, not just a specific set of learners.

                        As we thoroughly examined learning theories and strategies that affect how we learn, we also examined how technology has changed also affected our learning experiences, and, in my opinion, is the cornerstone to instructional design in today’s educational experiences. Technology not only serves as a way for learners to interact with each other from distant locations through programs such as GoogleDocs, Skype, or cloud computing, but also serves as a tool to motivate learners. The increasing availability of blogs, websites, message boards, videos, and online journals have provided innumerable resources for all learners to find answers to their own questions, as well as allow them to ask questions of others in a virtual world. Dr. Jeanne Ormrod stated that to learn effectively, one must not only have the cognitive processes that will enable he or she to learn, but also the desire to learn (n.d.). As the number of students who are pursuing online education continues to rise because of the benefits they offer, there is also the fact that online courses have a much higher incompletion rate than those courses where the students and instructors meet face to face (Anonymous, n.d.; Dupin-Bryant, 2004, cited by Huett, Kalinowshi, Moller, & Huett, 2008). Therefore, as I continue to pursue a career in instructional design, it is important that I continue utilizing available technology not only to elaborate on lessons and create a meaningful learning experience, but as a tool to motivate those in these courses to learn.

References

Gilbert, J., & Swanier, C. (2008). Learning styles: How do they fluctuate? Institute for Learning Styles Journal [Vol. l]. Retrieved from http://www.auburn.edu/~witteje/ilsrj/Journal%20Volumes/Fall%202008%20Volume%201%20PDFs/Learning%20Styles%20How%20do%20They%20Fluctuate.pdf

Huett, J.B., Kalinowski, K.E., Moeller, L. & Huett, K.C. (2008). Improving the motivation and retention

of online students through the use of ARCS-based emails. American Journal of Distance

Education 22(3), 159–176. Retrieved from:

http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=3&hid=107&sid=b66d6b37-4921-47e7-a75d-4ba506dd5800%40sessionmgr110

Kerr, B. (2007, January 01). _isms as a filter, not blinker [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://billkerr2.blogspot.com/2007/01/isms-as-filter-not-blinker.html

Laureate Educational Inc. (2009), “Motivation in learning” [DVD Transcript], Baltimore, MD. Dr. Jeanne Ormrod

Orey, M. (2001). Information processing. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Information_processing

Wetzel, D. (2008, August 17). Adult education benefits-it's never too late. Retrieved from http://david-r-wetzel.suite101.com/benefits-of-adult-education-its-never-too-late-a64820

Ripping Off Labels

Learning theories address how people learn (n.d.). In the beginning of this course, we were asked to label ourselves as to what theory of learning we most identified with. As we have explored theories such as behaviorism, constructivism, social-learning, and others, I find that I cannot truly identify with one of these styles of learning more than how I can identify with another.

If I were to draw a picture of myself as a learner, I believed it would look something like this:

As we have examined each learning theory, we have found there are not only many things that make each unique, but things that are similar between each theory as well. For instance, the social learning theory emphasizes the importance of culture and context in understanding and constructing knowledge based on the understanding  (Derry, 1999; McMahon, 1997, cited by Kim, 2001).  To me, this is also very similar to the constructivism theory of learning, which believes learners construct their knowledge on their own experiences (Ertmer & Newby, 1993). Experiences and personal understanding to me are open to similar interpretations. For example, I grew up in a very different educational system and culture than the one in which I currently teach, but in my years of schooling, I did similar projects, such as dioramas and science experiments that helped me to draw my own conclusions about a subject.  I attended school in a suburban district. The projects I turned in not only reflected upon  knowledge, but also the culture of my school and community, which consisted mostly of two-parent working households with high expectations and involvement . Today, I teach in an urban district. Some of my students are fortunate to have the same opportunities as I did, and it shows in their work ethic and academic performance. However, in the community which I live and teach, the involvement by parents for many students is limited by jobs that are not typical “9-5” occupations, therefore student work is much more student guided than parent guided and the quality of the work for many of these students is less than those who have the priviledge of parent involvement, demonstrating , in my mind, how constructive learning is also social learning.  

Also, I feel this picture represents how I learn because of the statement in the article by Gilbret & Swainer that states that student styles of learning will fluctuate not only by student, but by topic or lesson, and that these styles will affect the way students acquire and process information (Gilbret & Swainer, 2008). If I had to pick a statement that summarized what I have learned about myself these past seven weeks, this would be the one. How I learned as a child differs with how I learned in college, and how I learned in college is much different than how I learn today. This is because not only have I changed as a student, but the topics in which I am learning are also very different. However, though my preferences in learning have changed, the strategies, such as elaboration and mnemonic devices, which I choose to use to help aid my learning have not.

Lastly, when I labeled myself as a behaviorist, I knew nothing of adult learning theory. At this time of my life,  I am very much an autonomous learner, seeking answers on my own to questions of my own.  I feel that technology has allowed for me to become an adult learner, because it allows for me to look up answers by simply typing an inquiry in Google or another search engine. Through search engines, I am able to filter through several views of the topic and use my own life experiences to draw a conclusion (Lieb, 1991).

Once upon a time, I labeled myself as a behaviorist learner, one who learns through changes in frequency of an observable performance who has acquired habits through modeling and cues (Ertmer & Newby, 1993). Today, in order to truly learn, I am ripping off my label.

References

Ertmer, P. A., & Newby, T. J. (1993)Behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism: Comparing critical features from an instructional design perspective. Performance Improvement Quarterly, 6(4), 50–71.

Gilbert, J., & Swanier, C. (2008). Learning styles: How do they fluctuate? Institute for Learning Styles Journal [Vol. l]. Retrieved from http://www.auburn.edu/~witteje/ilsrj/Journal%20Volumes/Fall%202008%20Volume%201%20PDFs/Learning%20Styles%20How%20do%20They%20Fluctuate.pdf

Kim, B. (2001). Social constructivism. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Social_Constructivism

How Connected Are You?

The Reasons for the Tangled Webs We Weave

As I reflect on my web, I have had the opportunity to see how my own learning is very self-driven.  I rely very much on the outside world to learn and grow, both personally and professionally. As I embark on my journey of becoming an instructional designer, as well as my daily responsibilities of developing lessons for students in my music classroom, I search for new ideas in a variety of places. I rely on my personal network, for many of my close friends are also music educators. My professional network also has an impact on my development of lessons. I regularly attend music conferences and meetings with other music educators in order to exchange ideas and explore new technologies and opportunities arising in the field. These opportunities motivate me professionally, a common trait among adult learners, and challenge me to acknowledge changes in perspectives among the students I serve (Lieb, 1991; Lewis, n.d.). The biggest change I have seen in my short, twelve-year career, is the increase in the use of technology in the classroom. This increase has forced me to seek out new outlets to teach, such as the use of iPads for composition, and lessons that involve my SmartBoard for all grade levels. I have also found YouTube to be a valuable asset. Years ago, we could possibly rent a movie that was relevant to a classroom topic to expand on a lesson, but today we have the access to innumerable resources with a few simple strokes of the keyboard. This past year, in light of the ten-year anniversary of 9-11, an event which my students have only heard about, I was able to teach a lesson of how music often reflects upon moments in history by using YouTube.  A half-hour class flew by in seconds as students were engaged in a lesson that brought the past to life by use of a virtual time machine, without leaving the four walls that define our classroom space.

But what is classroom space? When we were pedagogical learners, we had the safety of learning in an environment that was centered around our inexperience and allowed for us to fail and learn from our mistakes as we gained skills for future application (Jackson, 1998). However, as we grow and mature, we understand that the act of learning does not occur in a vacuum (Davis, Edmunds, & Kelly-Bateman, 2008).  Adult learning, unlike the learning that occurs during childhood, is centered around topics that relate to their personal lives or professions, rather than the content  and the development of skills (Conlan, Grabowski, & Smith, 2003). These pedagogical classrooms were defined by the four walls, with a few windows, in my opinion, are learning vacuums. Today’s classrooms, both physically and online, have the potential to break these vacuum seals as we use our resources to reach out, connect, explore, and learn for the sake of learning while satisfying the inquiring mind (Lieb, 1991) .

References:

Conlan, J., Grabowski, S., & Smith, K. (2003). Adult learning. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Adult_Learning

Davis, C., Edmunds, E., & Kelly-Bateman, V. (2008). Connectivism. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Connectivism

Jackson, W. H., (1998). Adult vs Child Learning. [On-line]. Available: http://internet.cybermesa.com/~bjackson/Papers/Bloom.htm

Lieb, S. (1991). Principals of adult learning. Retrieved from http://www2.honolulu.hawaii.edu/facdev/guidebk/teachtip/adults-2.htm

Lewis, B. (n.d.) The value of self-reflection-any time of year, it’s important to self-reflect. Retrieved from http://k6educators.about.com/od/professionaldevelopment/a/self_reflection.htm

The Brain and Its Parts, Disassembled for Travel

Emily Dickenson once said, “The brain is wider than the sky” (n.d.). As an aspiring instructional designer, what I need to know about learning comes not from research about the brain, but from studies conducted of people’s learning (Ormrod, n.d.).This past week, we looked past the frontal lobe and medulla and into the workings of this complex, living computer and how it processes and stores information.

The brain, because of its ability to process information, is often compared to a computer. A computer processes the information we encode into it and stores the information until we need it again. Depending on where we have stored the information determines also how easily we can recall it as well. The difference between the brain and a computer however does not lie in the fact that one is plugged into a wall while one is plugged into a body, but in the way information is encoded to its long-term memory. Computers are programmed by a combination of keystrokes. The human computer, however, uses sensory registers, such as smell, sound, sight, touch, and taste, in order to begin encoding information into long-term storage (Orey, 2001). These senses, along with the ability to attach emotional meaning to a stimulus as it is encoded, it was sets the human brain apart from a laptop (Ormrod, n.d.).

This topic has led me to look for resources that will help prepare the map for my journey of becoming an instructional designer.

The Brain and Learning Technology:

http://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/technology_and_learning/the_brain_and_learning_technology

In this blog, Joshua Kim attempts to summarize the workings of the brain and the way it encodes information with the phrase “Neurons that fire together wire together” (Kim, 2010) as he recalls personal obstacles of becoming an instructional designer.  The blog offers a list of resources that not only could be beneficial to understanding the brain as an information processing unit, but also a biological backgrounds to the basic workings of the complex organ.

The Information Processing Approach to Cognition

http://www.edpsycinteractive.org/topics/cognition/infoproc.html

An article by W. Huitt that details the stage theory model of information processing and the three more widely accepted models of information processing known as the level of processing theory, the parallel-distributed processing model, and the connectionistic model. The theories presented, though called different names, are similar to those presented by Michael Orey in this past week’s readings.

Understanding How The Brain Learns

http://nichcy.org/schoolage/effective-practices/brain101

As we have read, the brain is a complex organ that, in order to gain understanding of, is constantly being examined. This site is a compilation of resources that explore the topics ranging from the basics of the brain, the effects of learning on the brain, and most importantly to the field of instructional design, the application of brain research to education.

Howard Gardner stated, “I believe that the brain has evolved over millions of years to be responsive to different kinds of content in the world. Language content, musical content, spatial content, numerical content, etc. “ (n.d.). As I travel through this path of instructional design, I must keep in mind these landmarks of the brain in order to continue the evolution of this, deceivingly simple but extraordinarily complex, organ.

References

Dickenson, E. (n.d.). Retrived from http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/brain_2.html

Gardner, H. (n.d.). Retrived from http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/brain_5.html

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). Information processing and the brain [DVD]. Baltimore, MD: Dr. Jeanne Ormrod.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). Information processing and problem solving [DVD]. Baltimore, MD: Dr. Jeanne Ormrod.

Orey, M. (2001). Information processing. Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology, Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt

     

What if your "Teacher was an App?"

What if your “Teacher is an App?”

(A reflection on the blog  article by Will Richardson, “My Teacher is an App” http://willrichardson.com)
According to Richard Elmore of Harvard University, digital tools fulfill fresh portals through which knowledge can enter schools (2002, cited by Ferriter, 2009). Throughout this posting by Mr. Richardson, he comments how the growth of online educational experiences (cybereducation) provide personalized educational experiences, it also minimizes the role of the classroom teacher and provide states with an outlet for making budget cuts. However, while this blog illustrates that online classrooms are quickly becoming the way of the future, and are producing the results desired from standardized testing while providing an educational experience using these digital tools, the question is raised if these “fresh portals” are in fact making us less competitive, not more (Richardson, 2011).


As an educator, I agree with this observation. Yes, the way our students learn and the needs of our students are changing, but there are still many valuable lessons that cannot be taught through online resources. Author Robert Fulghum has written many books, one of which is titled “All I Really Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten.” In this book, Fulghum outlines the basic skills for life, such as “Share Everything, Play Fair, and Clean Up Your Own Mess” (Fulghum, 1989). By removing students from the traditional classroom, the opportunities for these life lessons is also removed, as the opportunity to interact with students outside of the virtual world is limited. From personal observation, the younger generation rely more on written forms of modern communication, such as texting and social media sites, rather than physically engaging in conversations with their peers. The traditional classroom offers the opportunity to interact with peers and practice skills needed to interact with others in the world we physically live in.

Dr. Ormrod stated that to teach effectively, one must know how students learn (n.d.). While an online educator, through the use of computer grading, can monitor the progress of twice as many students than a traditional classroom teacher, he or she can only monitor student comprehension through completed work. In Richardson’s blog, he referenced how a student scanned an article and flipped back and forth between the article and the quiz in order to complete an assignment (Richardson, 2011). Yes, progress monitoring is important, but without knowing how they think through things, these online educators are not in a good position to help these students think more effectively about the subject matter (Ormrod, n.d.).

Lastly, these cybereducation opportunities fail to educate the whole child. These online schools provide the core curriculum for students, but fail to provide an arts education for students. Sadly, this trend is becoming the case in traditional schools as well, which deprives the students of aesthetic experiences, those experiences that can only be achieved through physical experience (Hoffer, 1993). Humans live as an attempt to make life interesting, rewarding, and satisfying, and the arts create an important difference between existing and living (Hoffer, 1993).  In my opinion, and Richardson’s, by focusing on doing things better but not in ways that are reinventive, we are, by relying on cybereducational experiences, using cheaper, easier alternatives that are not serving kids well.  

References

Ferriter, B. (2009). Learning with blogs and wikis. Educational Leadership, 66(5), 34-38.

 Fulghum, R. (1988). All i really need to know i learned in kindergarten: uncommon thoughts on common things. (1 ed.). New York, NY: Villard                       Books.

 Hoffer, C. R. (1993). Introduction to music education. (2 ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Company.

 Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). An introduction to learning [DVD]. Baltimore, MD: Dr. Jeanne Ormrod.

 Richardson, W. (2011, November 12). My teacher is an app [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://willrichardson.com/

Every journey begins with a first step....

“Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a subject ourselves, or we know where we can find information on it” (Samuel Johnson, n.d.). The blogs in which I read this week will be of great resource to me as I begin my journey of becoming an Instructional Designer. Each touches on important aspects of designing meaningful instruction, from using social media sites, such as Twitter, to the importance of a reliable, up-to-date network.

Instructional Design…It Can Get Technical

http://nickgogno.com/2011/11/04/instructional-design-it-can-get-technical/

The author, Nick Gongo, begins his article discussing how classroom technology is not always reliable. He further details how software requirements, budgets, and personnel plays a part in Instructional Design, specifically in a high school setting, Attached to his article is a link to a network proposal that outlines the positives and negatives of developing a network, funding options and budgets, a student use policy, and the roles of specific personnel in the school district.

Instructional Design and Development Blog

http://www.iddblog.org/

The blog is a collection of short articles dealing with several topics relevant to the field of Instructional Design such as Twitter, computer games, PodCasts, and distance learning. The blog is a service of the FITS Department, Faculty Instructional Technology Services, at DePaul University, formerly Instructional Design and Development (IDD).

What Everybody Ought to Know About Instructional Design

http://www.articulate.com/rapid-elearning/what-everybody-ought-to-know-about-instructional-design/

The purpose of instructional design is to pull content together to create focused and meaningful courses. The author, Tom, writes that learning happens through our experiences and that formal courses intrude on the learner’s natural path. He then defines the role of an instructional designer as one who helps learners make sense of new information they get, which, in a sense, is manufacturing a learning experience. He defines an instructional designer as one who takes information and expertise of a subject matter and delivers it to the student in a way which compresses the learning process and, simultaneously, saving time and money while aiding the student to focus only on the important information.

Cathy Moore: Let’s save the world from boring elearning!

http://blog.cathy-moore.com/

The author, Cathy Moore, addresses several topics relevant to instructional design such as helping learners use their knowledge. One entry in particular stood out as I browsed through this blog, “Be an elearning action hero!” The author details the pros of action mapping and its role in the real world of online courses. Other entries detail common mistakes in elearning, learning styles, and the roles of instructional designers.

        

This week in class readings, Bill Ferriter quotes Richard Elmore of Harvard University as saying that school structures make learning for adults unlikely at best and short of impossible at worst (2009). While instructional design is a new subject for me, these blogs provide insight into this field that will help guide and plan my journey through this program and help aid my understanding and use of the subject matter. While it is a course requirement to read these blogs, I find it not to be a chore as much as I view it as an opportunity to grow. As an inspiring instructional designer, these blogs will help challenge me to become more fluent in a what I consider to be new language, as well as to continue to revise my thinking about learning and teaching by participating in these public forums, and embracing these tools that will make learning easier (Ferriter, 2009).

By ignoring the possibilities of improving instruction, I fail to understand the nature of reality (Ormrod, 2008, Schunk, 2008 and Gredler, 2009). Join me as I embark on this journey while I take my first step forward to understanding today’s reality in networked learning and change my identity as a learner.