Reflection

Although I still strongly agree with the constructivisit theory, I have made some modifications to my personal theory of learning. After reflecting on what I have learned in this course (Bridging Learning Theory, Instruction, and Technology), I have learned that an effective teacher provides students with opportunities to learn in various ways. In equipping my students with the necessary 21st century skills, I have learned about the importance of social constructivism. Working in cooperative learning groups allows students to take multiple approaches to learning the same concept. I personally think that students are often the best teachers. I would really like to work on giving my students more cooperative learning opportunities throughout the remainder of the school year.

In addition to encouraging my students to work cooperatively within our school building, I am currently in the process of instructing them on how to use VoiceThread. This networking tool will eventually allow my students to share their thoughts on what they are reading with other second grade students at a nearby school. I also plan on using this tool to have my struggling writers share their thinking orally with both me and their classmates. In addition to implementing VoiceThread, I also plan on using SpinScape to constuct advanced concept maps to guide my students' learning. I feel that these maps really set a purpose for learning and allow students to differentiate between relevant and irrelevant information.

Regarding technology integration, I would like to change the way in which I use PowerPoint in my classroom. I admit that I mostly use it as an instructional tool, as opposed to a learning tool. I would really like to make this application more interactive, possibly through the use of a Smart Board. I feel that my students could better learn through exploration and that this would also allow me to differentiate my instruction for multiple intelligences. Since technology was cut from our budget this year, I would really like to equip my students with the basic computing skills they need in order to successfully use word processing applications and to navigate the internet for research purposes.