I took time to read over my personal theory of learning which I wrote during the first week of this course and I was really amazed by how accurate my theory still is now that this class is coming to an end. In the beginning of this course I had to really sit back and think about the approaches I take in my classroom and what theories I apply to my instruction. I never really took time to think about the actual theory before, however, this class really gives me a deeper understanding of the importance of using specific learning theories in an effort to ensure that all children are learning. After studying the various theories in more depth throughout this course I have come to realize that I am a teacher what really believes that cooperative learning, constructivism, and social learning is extremely important in enabling students to become successful citizens of the 21st century. Throughout this course I have gained a much deeper understanding of the theoretical basis of each theory and its relevance to education.
As far as making adjustments to my instructional practice, I really aim to use more technology in my instruction and make my classroom more students centered. Integrating technology into my curriculum will keep students engaged in the content being taught and this is extremely important. I intend to being integrating and teaching students more technology as the year goes on. The first two instructional tools that I intend to incorporate are concept maps using Spider Scribe as well as Voice Thread. The concept maps will enable students to organize their thoughts which are extremely important to understanding information at a new level and aids in the visual aspect of what is being taught. I really like Voice Thread because it gives students an opportunity to really create something and be creative with their creation on VT. They have many different options they can use to create and make the VT their own. These two technological tools will keep students engaged and allow them to use the internet to be constructive and build something of value to them. I have been taught various educational technologies that I can add to my repertoire to assist in the educational process. I have been given the tools to know what technology tools I can use to ensure that my students are building the knowledge needed to be prepared for their future. I look forward to what my students will be able to do with the tools that I am able to now present them with.
When I think about the future of my classroom and how I would like to incorporate more of what I am learning into my daily teaching I try to visualize what I want my students to accomplish and what I can do to ensure that they are learning. Two long-term goals that I have for my students includes the environment of the classroom. I really want to work to let go of my control and make my classroom more student centered instead of teacher centered. I think that giving students an opportunity to take more ownership and responsibility for their own learning will give them more of a sense of pride and help them to learn the material on a new level. This is a long-term goal because it will take a lot of time to get accustomed to letting go and letting my kids do more whereas before I was always the one who was in charge. With the student centered approach, I also intend to assign more projects for my students to do which will give them an opportunity to work collaboratively with one another and use the constructivist approach to create various artifacts as part of their projects. This will require that students work together to ensure that they are successful. With projects students are able to use PowerPoints, concept maps, Voice Threads, Prezi, and numerous other technological tools to promote their learning. These two goals are long term because it will be a long process in teaching students how to work in groups and how to use the tools effectively. I will need to trust the students and be willing to turn the control of the classroom over to them. Although I am hesitant to do this, I am also excited because I know that my students will surprise me. I have high expectations for my students and I look forward to seeing the excitement and feelings of success they will experience when they complete a project. I believe that a student centered classroom with more technological resources will create a different environment where students will be eager to come in and learn.
