Digital Blog Post #C - Chapter 3

 Transforming  Learning with Unique, Powerful Technology

This chapter discusses how effective using technology in schools K - 12 can be. It also brings up the National Education Technology Standards (NETS) that provide a list of guidelines and outcomes for using technology in classrooms. Being excited about the use of technology is one thing but being able to explain why it is useful is just as important. The thought of having students walk into their classroom with an Ipad is still a foreign thought to the general public. It is up to teachers to show parents that their children are capable of achieving great things by using something they would least expect to be a tool.

Three Points of Interest in Chapter 3:

1. Four Learning Theories : Behaviorism, Cognitivism, Constructivism, and Constructionism
2. Teacher Centered and Student Centered Approaches
3. Collaboration 

1).  The majority of this chapter covers the four learning theories and how teachers use them in the classroom. Every teacher is different and unique but can still have success in the classroom, each student will learn because there is no set road to take for a teacher. Click the link to view a Prezi discussing the different theories.



Learning Theories




2). The four different learning theories actually require teachers to handle their classroom differently. When a teacher is providing information to students and the answers are clear cut then this is a Teacher Centered classroom. On the other end of the spectrum a teacher can give students the ability to work together to find the solution to problems this is called Student Centered. Too much of one is obviously not beneficial to the students so a nice medium is important to have. At times Teacher Centered classrooms may not engage the students enough to take on more difficult projects where Student Centered would be perfect for that situation. The most important thing is to keep students minds working toward learning more.

3). Allowing students the ability to work together gives them time during their busy lives in school to be kids, to be themselves while they learn. It is important because as a student that spends so much time in a classroom they are expected not to act out. Through collaboration work students are even more likely to be show more creativity because they are more comfortable among friends. The use of collaboration combined with the use of technology in classrooms will make waves in the future of teaching.


"A failure is not always a mistake it may simply be the best one can do under the circumstances. The real mistake is to stop trying." B.F. Skinner

Reference
Maloy, R. (2011). Transforming Learning with Unique, Powerful Technology. In Transforming learning with new technologies (2nd ed., pp. 46 - 71). Boston: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon.