Final Reflection

After reviewing my original "personal theories of learning" assignment, I realized that my overall theories have not changed but have rather been reinforced by the material in this class. If I had written my theories on learning as a first year teacher, I can guarantee that I would have altered an endless amount of beliefs based on the learning from this course. I have been fortunate to work in a school system that stays fairly abreast of the currently ideas and philosophies that seem to be beneficial in the classroom.

With that mentioned, I still feel strongly that students learn best by doing. This was supported by many of the educational resources in this class. Students need to get up and move, work together and synthesize ideas in order to solve problems and gain meaning. I also believe that my students learn by developing creative ways to accomplish tasks as well as practicing a skill using repetition. This idea is supported through Dr. Pat Wolfe's belief that there are two types of memory: procedural and declarative. She explains that through declarative memory, students are able to recall information by using elaborative rehearsal, acting out new information and teaching a new skill to their peers (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008).

One immediate adjustment that I plan to make next year is to incorporate voicethreads into my students' learning. I loved experimenting with this program! My school has a partnership with an elementary school in Oxfordshire, England. I thought that my students could post video and comments on the units that they were studying in my physical education class. My students are very curious as to what the students in England are learning and this program would give them an eye into their world. It would also open the doors to multicultural learning.

I addition to voicethreads, I would also like to have some of my students set up international blogs with their peers from England. This learning practice would give my students an opportunity to share ideas, thoughts, laughs and learning with students that are a quarter of the way around the globe. Blog topics could vary and I would communicate with a teacher at that particular school to develop appropriate ideas.

One long term change that I plan to implement is to allow my students to interact with the Activboard in my classroom. This concept is new to me and I was very hesitant on allowing them to take an active role in this technology. However, Dr. Orey has taught me that letting the students put their hands on the equipment and manipulate the board is the best way for them to learn from this technology tool. Another long term change that I plan to make involving my instructional practice is to plan more lessons that infuse technology with new learning. This can be accomplished through concept mapping tools, wikis, blogs, voicethreads and many educational technology websites. My students need to be exposed to the technology that is current in their world, and it is my job as an educator to present the material in a fun, clear and informative manner.

Thank you so much for your assistance with this course. It has truly been enjoyable!

Voice Thread Post

Check out my voicethread and let me know what you think! I look forward to hearing from you!!

www.voicethread.com/share/530624/

When I think back to my years as a student, the majority of my academic memories involve my friends. I don't necessarily remember writing papers, taking tests or working on a homework assignment. What I do remember, is interacting with my peers in various ways to complete assignments, projects, discussions and challenges together. I can remember the confidence I gained from contributing to my group and the creativity that I was able to display on many occasions.

I believe that my children are the same way. Only now, they have the opportunity to incorporate technology into this process in order to advance their learning. Cooperative learning is enhanced through technology resources such as: Power Point, digital images, handouts and statistics (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008). Socializing through groups like facebook, myspace, twitter, blogs and wikis allows students the opportunity to voice their opinions and learn from one another. According to Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn and Malenoski (2007), " Cooperative learning is not so much learning to cooperate as it is cooperating to learn (p. 143). By working together, students learn the importance of valuing the opinions of others, respecting one another's time and effort and contributing for the good of the group.

The social learning theory supports the thought that students who actively engage in constructing artifacts and conversing with others will be more inclined to succeed in the classroom (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008). Socializing is an important role in cooperation. Students need more "knowledgeable" individuals in their presence such as parents, teachers, peers and in today's world, computers (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008). Teachers must learn to be creative when designing lessons to ensure that communication, cooperation and socializtion are being utilized to the fullest extent. We must also continue to research the best means of instruction that will benefit our students and recognize them as individuals that possess a wealth of information to share with others.