When students work collaboratively in an environment that fosters cooperative learning in order to build an artifact, they are engaging in the social learning process (Laureate Education, 2010a). The advancement and creation of new technologies should be making it easier for teachers to implement this theory within their classroom. The challenge, however, for some of us, is not having enough of the needed technology to implement the social learning theory to its full potential in regards to 21st Century Skills. When the needed technology is present, this theory allows the teachers to transform their classroom environment to a student centered learning environment in which the students take on the responsibility for their learning in such a manner that allows them to constantly interact with other students either in groups or by using programs online that allow for a social interaction amongst peers. While this collaborative, student-led style of learning is taking place, the teacher is left to facilitate the learning of the students ensuring that they stay on track within their learning plan.
One instructional strategy that I have recently discovered that correlates with the principles of social learning is a website called Schoology. Schoology is essentially FaceBook for education. It is a website that allows for social interaction amongst students and teachers coupled with learning management for teachers that allow them to share academic content with their students. Through my Schoology class pages, my fifth grade students have been able to share content with each other, pose questions for items that they might not understand, and have those questions answered by other students. This website has allowed me to create a controlled social platform for my students to participate that can be used to first introduce them to social networking, and then to educate these students as to how to properly interact with each other in this type of environment.
VoiceThread is another instructional strategy that allows for collaboration between students in a cooperative learning environment. This website allows students to create an online photo album where you are able to upload different images in order to tell a story. Once a file is created on VoiceThread, students, or the public domain, will be able to leave their own comments about the document that was created. This website will give students complete freedom in regards to telling their story, thus allowing teachers an even greater insight into the minds of their students and just what each student is thinking during this creative process (Laureate Education, 2010b). This student will also increase the enthusiasm within your students since they will be creating an artifact completely on their own and based on how they want it to look.
The constant innovation and creation of new technologies within today's society is causing a fundamental shift to environments that value collaboration and cooperative learning while utilizing the new technological tools that we now have. It is up to teachers to incorporate these student-led cooperative learning environments within their lessons. Doing so will generate a greater enthusiasm and interest from students, but will also help students master the needed 21st Century Skills that will have them prepared for the workforce that awaits them.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010a). Program eight. Social learning theories [Webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010b). Program ten. Spotlight on technology: VoiceThread [Webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Baltimore, MD: Author.
www.schoology.com
Schoology sounds like a great tool. Thank you for sharing! Social networking is a huge part of today's society, which makes it a necessity to educate our students on social networking and how to properly use this form of technology and how to communicate in this environment.
ReplyDeleteMichelle,
ReplyDeleteI am so excited to learn about Schoology. My biggest concern with social networking websites such as Facebook is that it is so difficult to screen the content on it. Having a platform to educate students for educational purposes will be invaluable.
Do you think that we should have collaborative professional development opportunities to help teachers that are resistant to using 21st century tools? Perhaps if they engage (as students do) in cooperative learning environments they would become more comfortable implementing technology into their classrooms.
Michelle,
ReplyDeleteYou made some very good points; "Connectivism" is described as the theory of the digital age. Siemens, (2004), but the problem faced by educators is the gross inadequacy of technology tools in the classroom. As I read through your blog, I remember now that some of my students do ask me if they can come with their laptops to school, my response is always no, because it is against the school policy. The reason is that the school does not like to take responsibility for any stolen or damaged equipment. My question now is why? If the school cannot provide them with these tools, why can they bring theirs to school if they have it? I think this policy should change! Schools should allow kids to use their equipment at school; all the administration needs to do is to provide terminals for connection. In the 21st century, connectivism is an indispensible tool in the classrooms.
Thanks for pointing out the Schoology. I have never herd of that site before. As Vicki said it is hard to use Facebook in the classroom. Sometimes students are distracted by games, photos or other stuff and forget about the collaboration and group work.
ReplyDeleteSo far, I have no complaints about using Schoology. It has allowed me to do the things that I was looking for, like posting notes from class so students could access at home, not to mention allow the students to collaborate with each other in a safe environment without worrying about all of the 'dangers' that lurk on websites like Facebook. The biggest challenge that I face while using this website with fifth graders is to keep posting interesting enough topics on the website to keep them interested and visiting the website several times each week and posting on the topics that are there.
ReplyDeleteVicki, I think that teachers need more professional days to learn about all of the new technology / websites that are out there. No matter if it's a new way to do things using technology or if it's to learn about a new social tool that can be used like Schoology. One of the biggest things that I notice in my building is that not many teachers there are actively looking for new ways to bring technology into their lessons. I think more of them would be willing to use technology if they were shown how to do it instead of relying on them to discover the new ways on their own.
Yemi, I agree with you on principle on your idea of allowing students to bring in their own technology into the classroom. However, I can see the down side of the 'haves' versus the 'have nots' that could cause some students to feel the peer pressure of not having the latest and the greatest technology to bring to school. If our society wasn't so caught up on the material value of things, I would definitely agree with your idea since all students will benefit from the learning that occurs from any technology that is brought into the classroom.
Michelle
Excellent comments; however, there is still another problem. Even if we do have the technology, we must understand how to use it. Before I began my masters program I knew nothing of technology. The students could have had a personal computer and they would have used it for finding information because of my ignorance. I really believe that many school educators are in the same boat. They know little or nothing about technology and make poor decisions in the way it should be used.
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