EDU630: Unit 8 Mindmap Reflection

While going over my original mind map, my process was simply to spend five minutes reviewing my original thoughts, then going through the course again, week by week to see what was new that I could add to my mind map. When I discovered something new, I added it to my mind map in orange. I discovered that in addition to reinforcing many of the concepts I learned in previous Post courses, EDU 630 allowed me to expand those topics. For example, before taking EDU 630, I knew what an online course looked like from a student’s perspective, but after the course I gained a knowledge and stronger appreciation of the behind the scenes work that happen during each of the four stages of the course.

This course also happened to align with the start of the school year and the launching of my hybrid courses at the school that I teach at. Due to this, I found myself focusing a lot of my time and attention towards the hybrid topics, including doing my research paper on hybrid learning. Before taking the course, I felt as if both hybrid courses and online courses would be just as beneficial in a K-12 setting. After the 8 weeks, from both my experiences teaching hybrid and the knowledge I gained from this course, I know feel that hybrid is a much better fit in a K-12 setting compared to online. At the K-12 setting, students are still building the independent skills they need to be successful in not only an online course but life. Hybrid courses allow for the structure K-12 students need from a traditional class, and combines it with the higher quality learning of online classes. Until online teaching evolves further, for most K-12 students, the hybrid setting is the way to go.  

EDU630: Unit 6 and 7 Reflection

As my EDU630 journey comes to an end, we take a look at closing the course and reflecting on our job as online educators. During a course closing, our job as educators is to remind and show your students what they have learned and how it will benefit them once the course is completed (Boettcher & Conrad, 2010, pg. 209). As for reflecting, it is our task to determine both the successes and the struggles of the class and revise the course to better the next group of students (Boettcher & Conrad, 2010, pg. 249).

My experiences during the past two weeks have been mostly positive. The 6th unit and readings have provided me with many strategies to successfully close an online course. I came into the course thinking the closing weeks would be ultimately the same as the previous weeks, but I learned a great deal on how courses should end. Many of what I learned, I believe, apply not only to online courses but hybrid and traditional courses as well. For example, we learned about creating what-if scenarios. What-if scenarios is a certain type of problem-solving that requires students to role-play and simulate what they have learned (Boettcher & Conrad, 2010, pg. 222). It is also a great to way for the student to see how what they learned will apply or applied in the real world, as well as force them to reflect to determine if they fully understand the material.

As seen in the video, this what-if scenario, if presented in a history class, would require students to apply learned knowledge to determine the end result.

In unit 7, we read and learned about reflecting and debriefing on the experience of teaching your course. Once again many of what we learned applies not only to online but in a hybrid or traditional classroom setting as well. It is important to look back at the successes, failures and surprises that occurred during the course to be better prepared for the future. A good way to reflect is to break up the course into four phases (Boettcher & Conrad, 2010. pg. 249). The first one is your prep and what you did before the course started and the other three phases would be the start, middle and end of the course. This will force you as an educator to look at each moment of the course.

Although I have learned a great deal over the past two weeks, I still do leave with some questions in my head. The biggest one is knowing when to start the closure piece of my course? My hybrid course is very unique, where it starts in 6th grade and continues and builds upon itself until the students reach 11th grade. Essentially, it is a giant course that lasts 6 years, so at what points do I incorporate the closure techniques I learned? I believe what I will have to do is reevaluate my course and identify transition areas where the closing techniques will work best.

In conclusion, the past two weeks have provided me with a great deal of knowledge, tips and tricks to better my online/hybrid class. By reflecting on my current class, I can then incorporate the techniques I have learned to create a better experience for my students.

References

AlternateHistoryHub. (2014, January 16). What if America Was Never Colonized? [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NybRWNoYow&list=PL7DTipO5UGUvtS5Do_O7QxMP9pxUq8TMi&index=3

Boettcher, J. V., & Conrad, R. (2010). The Online Teaching Survival Guide : Simple and Practical Pedagogical Tips. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Hybrid Learning Increases Understanding

Click Here for Paper

Before starting this process, I thought that hybrid learning was really only occurring at the higher education level. I never really seen a hybrid class in a K-12 setting outside of my own class. During my research though I came across a great deal of sources that discussed how hybrid learning is being used successfully in the K-12 setting, including an entire elementary school located outside of Philadelphia that has completely switched to a hybrid approach. I started this paper with a fairly broad thesis due to not being certain how much information I would find when it came to age range. If I were to do this again or continue with my research on this topic, I would narrow the search down to looking strictly at hybrid learning in either the K-12 setting or the secondary level, grades 6-12.

EDU630: More then Half Way Done

With five weeks down and only three more weeks to go in EDU630, I leave the first half of the course with more questions than I started with. I have more questions, not due to a lack of understanding, but simply for the fact that my understanding of online teaching and learning has expanded and I see the potential of how this new medium of education can make an even greater impact that I could have even imagined before. I also have started to see some of the problems with online and hybrid teaching and question how we can solve some of these problems. For example, in unit 4 one of the key concepts and we read about was experiential education and how it can be done in an online setting. One way of providing experiential education in an online setting was through simulation software. Simulation software can be used to simulate “real world” experiences. An example of this was how in Canada they created a virtual border crossing simulation using second life to train Canadian Border Services Agents on how to interview travelers entering the country and how they use a second simulation software that uses a virtual car to teach the agents where contraband can be concealed (Bates, 2014). As someone who has used simulation software in the past to teach students, I understand how it can be a very valuable teaching tool. I also understand through first-hand experience the struggle of keeping old simulation software working on newer computers, especially if it is no longer supported by the developer. Although I would like to see simulation software play a large role in online learning, I question the reliability of the software. Although I certainly believe simulation is more engaging, it certainly isn’t as reliable as a worksheet or a text.

SimCity 4, Developed in 2003 and still be used in my classroom in 2015. No longer supported by EA Games.

In addition to simulation software, we identified technological tools that we can use to create an online teaching presence. In The Online Teaching Survival Guide : Simple and Practical Pedagogical Tips it presents as with a great deal of tools we can use to create a presence in an online classroom. Tools such as Skype, Twitter, Blackboard, Moodle, WebStudy, Polldaddy and Survey Monkey can be used to engage our students (Boettcher & Conrad, 2010 pg. 107). Once again, as with simulation software, we are bound to the companies and developers of these tools. If we are going to rely on Twitter for an entire unit of study and a day before the unit  begins Twitter changes its system, it may create an issue with our planned unit.

In conclusion, as I continue learning more about online learning and teaching, the more questions and concerns I have. However, as I continue to learn, the more confident I am that online is the right direction to take education. Every great innovation in our world had challenges and roadblocks along the way. When President Eisenhower signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, he and many others understood there were going to be many challenges along the way. This didn’t stop them because they understood that ultimately it was best for our country. I think of online education in the same light. There are going to be many challenges with online education, but ultimately it is best for education.

References

Bates, T. (2014, December 1). Can you do experiential learning online? Assessing design models for experiential learning [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://www.tonybates.ca/2014/12/01/can-you-do-experiential-learning-online-assessing-design-models-for-experiential-learning/
Boettcher, J. V., & Conrad, R. (2010). The Online Teaching Survival Guide : Simple and Practical Pedagogical Tips. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

EA Games. (2003). SimCity 4 [Box Art]. Retrieved from http://eaassets-a.akamaihd.net/prod.simcity.com/sites/default/files/SimCity%204%20Box.png

EDU630: Three Weeks In

Although it has only been three short weeks of EDU630, I have already learned a great deal. The concepts we have been going over have already started to influence how I teach my hybrid courses and every week I am picking up more and more. By the end of the 8 weeks, EDU630 is going to provide me with a great deal of knowledge, concepts and resources to make my hybrid courses great.
The first week, or first unit, of the class was titled “The Big Picture”. The key concept I took out of this unit were the four main learning models currently in our education system. The four learning models were, traditional or face-to-face. This is what most people think about when they think of school. No online technology is used and it is delivered through paper and orally. It also requires the student to be present in the classroom at an assigned time. The second model, web facilitated, is a course that is still face-to-face but incorporates a online system to post content. In my past experiences, this is where it seems most K-12 schools are headed. Students would still be required to come to class and learn face-to-face but they can access their worksheets, homework assignments, text, etc. online. The third system, the one I feel strongest about as an educator, is the blended or hybrid model. This is when most of the content is delivered online and discussions most class discussions are held online as well. However, the hybrid model does require face-to-face meetings during the course. In some circumstances this may mean only meeting at the start, the middle and at the end, but there is still a face-to-face component to it. The final model is online. This is when the course is entirely online. All the content, all the exercises, all the discussion, is online (Post University, 2015).

In the second week, or the second unit, we started to learn about best practices for teaching. It was in this unit that we discussed not only best practices for online learning but for teaching in general. Concepts like multiple intelligences can be incorporated in a classroom, regardless if it is online or not. Truthfully, many of the intelligences we learned about may not actually work well in an online setting. For example, I would believe that a kinesthetic learner, one who learns best through movement, touch, dance and sports (Pritchard, 2013), would learn best in a face-to-face setting.

Finally, we just wrapped up Unit 3, where we learned about starting an online course and how to create a “presences” in the classroom even though you most likely will never “meet” any of your students. My biggest takeaway from this unit was how to create a good discussion question for an online discussion board. Although there are similarities between writing good questions in a traditional classroom and an online course, it doesn’t mean they are the same. One thing I realized was that a traditional classroom, poorly written questions can go more unnoticed since you are there to redirect the student if there is any confusion. In an online setting though, if there is any confusion with the question it will create a very frustrating experience for the student and will also lead them to not learning what is desired from the instructor.

Multiple Intelligences

I found that I was able to take something out of each unit so far that benefited me as an educator. Many of the things we are learning not only will influence my future courses but the courses I am currently teaching. For example, during unit three, as I previously mentioned, we started to learn about discussion questions in an online class. I have already started to take these approaches in writing strong questions and applying them to my hybrid class. Each week my student must read an article, and answer some discussion questions. Unit three will make me about how I write these questions. Unit two made me think about how I can add a multiple intelligences aspect to my projects. Currently, my students get to pick projects based off paths that they choose. I would like to go through my paths and projects again and label each project with a learning style. This will indicate to the student what learning style is best for the project, allowing them to make a better informed decision on what project to do. Lastly, I realized in unit one that I was in a very unique position where I can pick from any of the four learning models to use in my classroom. It is my hope that I will take the best of all four models and create some that is unique and will really benefit my students.
One thing I have observed through the past few weeks though is that it appears that online classes are more geared towards higher learning currently. As a K-12 educator though it makes me wonder what kind of place does online and hybrid learning have in our K-12 system. I certainly think there’s a place, but it there certainly may have to be adaptations for it to be successful. Even just looking at a K-12 system, a Kindergarten online class would look different than a 5th grade online class. A 5th grade online class would look different than a 12th grade online class. The differences though, I am still trying to discover and find out.

In conclusion, I have learned a great deal so far in EDU630 that will affect my classes I am currently teaching and classes to come. I am excited to not only learn more about online education but be a member in the future direction of this exciting new field. I believe EDU630 will provide me with these tools.

References
Post University. (2015, September). Unit 1: The Big Picture. Retrieved September 13, 2015, from https://post.blackboard.com/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_63727_1&content_id=_2749521_1&mode=reset

Post University. (2015, September). Unit 2: Best Practices. Retrieved September 13, 2015, from https://post.blackboard.com/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_63727_1&content_id=_2749517_1&mode=reset

Pritchard, A. (2013). Ways of Learning : Learning Theories and Learning Styles in the Classroom. Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.

Thomas, H. (2013, September). Multiple Intelligences [Infographic]. Retrieved from https://hdthomas.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/learning-multiple-intelligences-infographic.jpg

EDU520 Reflection

Over the past eight weeks, I have been taking EDU520 Digital Mediated Teaching and Learning at Post University. The purpose of this class was to gain an understanding of digitally-mediated teaching and learning, explore technology tools that are used in variety of educational settings, learn to create a interactive web-based learning activity and then apply all of this learning to my field (Post University, 2015).

I found this course to be very informative and, although it was a coincidence, the course timed perfectly with my summer task of redesigning my courses from a traditional classroom setting to a hybrid classroom setting. While I was learning at Post, I was able to take the concepts that I just practiced and learned in the course and apply them to my curriculum immediately. I found that many of the concepts and ideas that were present in this class may not have necessarily influenced me, since most of what we talked about was where I was headed, but provided me with the tools and knowledge to get to where I wanted to go with my class much faster and without having to reinvent the wheel. Before, I felt as if the task of switching from a traditional classroom to a hybrid classroom was one I needed to take on my own. After taking EDU520, I realized that there are so many tools, resources, and people I can use to help me with the process. If I had to say something influenced me the most out of this class, I would say what influenced me the most was to reach out to those who have already have gone through the process and learn from them.

I have already started the process of integrating what I have learned from EDU520 into my classroom. First off, the WebQuest format has provided me with a solid starting point for creating any online lessons from here on out. Before taking this course, I may have created approximately 20 or so online lessons. The biggest difficulty with creating these lessons was figuring out where to start. Learning the WebQuest format helped me immensely in creating my future lessons. Although I didn’t always follow the WebQuest format exactly, and won’t in creating future assignments, it provides me with a solid foundation and a starting point for interactive web-based learning. This courses also helped me with my secondary job in my school as a technology leader. This means that I am one of the teachers other staff are to go to when they have a technology issue or trying to do something more web-based. Many of the online activities I have been creating may be too complex and overwhelming for a digital immigrant, one who was exposed to digital technology at a late age (Janssen, n.d.), to design and use as a template for their classroom. Now though, I can take back my knowledge of WebQuests to my school, which I believe, almost any teacher can incorporate into their classroom.

After taking this course, my goals are to, first, continue to build on my online/hybrid classroom. I have a really solid foundation already set up for the upcoming school year but the more I can add, the better. One way I will be doing this is searching for more OERs, Open Educational Resources, to add to my classroom. In the past I have used the OER Code.org in my classroom, and started to incorporate Khan Academy for my next year courses. 

This course made me discover though how many OERs are out there, and many of them fit in perfectly with what I teach in my class. Another one of my goals is to spread the word across my school and district about OERs and WebQuests. As I mentioned above for myself, I don’t see a purpose of reinventing the wheel. If there are already resources out there that work we should be using them and then modifying them so they are better suited for our students.

Overall, I thought EDU520 was a great course that made me really grow as an educator. I walked into, or should I say logged into, this class with a vision of where I wanted to take my courses with path to get there. It is like going on a roadtrip without a map. Eventually you will find it, just might take you awhile. This course provided me with the map. I see my end result and I see the path I have to take to get there. The biggest question I have leaving this class though is how much is too much? Can I teach an entire half year middle school and high school course strictly via OERs, WebQuests and Online Media?

References

Janssen, C. (n.d.). What is a Digital Immigrant? – Definition from Techopedia. Retrieved from http://www.techopedia.com/definition/28139/digital-immigrant

Khan Academy. (2014, August 19). You Can Learn Anything [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JC82Il2cjqA

Post University. (2015, January 21). EDU 520 Digital Mediated Teaching and Learning[Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAoN7b3265E

What Motivates?

As I sit here, staring at the screen for what seems to have been hours but was only about ten minutes, I ask myself, “Why am I doing this? For one, there is a very large extrinsic motivation. Completing this blog takes me one step further closer to completing EDU520 and the completion of EDU520 means I am one step closer to my ultimate goal of receiving my Master’s degree. Receiving a Master’s degree means job security, more money and more opportunities to advance in my career.  It was these extrinsic motivation that essentially forced me to start the process of receiving my Master’s degree. But as I sit here, thinking back on the past seven and a half month of classes, I don’t think I thought of the extrinsic motivations once while doing any of my work. These extrinsic motivations might have been the reason why I started, but seven and a half months later, it’s the intrinsic motivations that keep me working. I work hard on my course work because I want to become a better teacher, a better learner, a better person and to reach my fullest potential and reach self-actualization (Burwell, 2008).

Looking for ways to reach self-actulazation. This article by operation-meditation has some great suggestions. 

I feel as if this is often the case when it comes to students and learning. Typically there is reason why we go into something that often is extrinsic. We practice basketball because we want to reach the NBA, practice singing to become a pop star, or even do your homework because you want to get the prize of a smiley face sticker. Eventually though these extrinsic motivations will fade away, and unless they have been replaced with intrinsic motivation, the learner will most likely not care to learn that topic.

As a technology teacher, I have a first hand experience in seeing how technology can affect students participation and performance in a class. Based off my experiences, technology is often a great extrinsic motivator to get students excited and engaged, but ultimately it falls back onto intrinsic motivation. Looking back the past 15 to 20 years, a good example of this would be PowerPoint and Slide Show presentations. When teachers and schools first started using PowerPoint, everyone was raving about how great they were. You could add text, picture and clip art. It was way better than just writing information on a white board.  As a student growing up during this time, I will admit that it certainly was more engaging than the white board. Personally, it got me excited about learning and motivated me to work hard, but this wasn’t a internal motivation. The PowerPoint, an external factor, was the reason why I was excited about learning. Overtime though, PowerPoints became the norm, they were not as exciting and that extrinsic motivation faded away. Another example was when I bought my first Kindle e-reader. That summer I read more books than the previous five summers combined. I was excited about this new form of technology, but eventually the excitement factor wore down and so did my over excitement about reading.

In my class, when I would introduce a new project that required a new piece of technology or use of software the students have never used, there was always excitement and initial strong motivation from the students. Eventually though, like PowerPoint and Kindles, it dies out and unless in that short amount of time the students formed some kind of intrinsic motivation for the project, the quality and focus on the projects would often take a hit.

According to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary motivation is “the act or process of giving someone a reason for doing something” (Merriam-Webster, n.d.). As an educator, I am often told to motivate my students, but as we know the only lasting motivation is intrinsic. It is my goal to focus more on creating intrinsic motivation in my students but the question is how do we motivate a student intrinsically? How do we get a student to want to do the work, rather than do the work for a grade, a badge, a prize or even a future extrinsic reward such as a high paying career or success in a career? If you have any ideas please share in the comments. It is a problem I don’t have a solution for.

References
Burwell (Dec. 2nd, 2008). Motivation [SlideShare Presentation] Received from http://www.slideshare.net/drburwell/motivation2008-presentation?from_action=save

Motivation [Def 1] (n.d.) Merriam-Webster Online. In Merriam-Webster. Retrieved July 15th, 2015, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/motivation

Operation Meditation. (n.d.). How to reach self-actualization – Maslow’s 8 proven methods. Retrieved from http://operationmeditation.com/discover/how-to-reach-self-actualization-maslows-8-proven-methods/

Pirillo, C. (2011, October 18). Audience Hates PowerPoint [Cartoon]. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/lockergnome/6258696195/in/photostream/

Reflection on Learning Styles and Theories

Learning styles are involved in every classroom activity, from the simplest tasks to the most complex projects. Every if a teacher is unaware of learning styles, every teacher tends to lean towards one. In my classroom, I find that I typically teach with a more informal learning style. This doesn’t mean that this is the right way to teach, it just means that it works best for my personality, in my subject, for my students at my school.

There are three learning styles; formal, non-formal and informal. Formal is the most common and what most people think of when they think of traditional school. Formal means that the students have no control of either their objectives or how they are going to get there. The teacher assigns the objective and requires them to get their a certain way (Mocker & Spear, 1982, pg. 4). When I think of formal in a technology classroom, I think of the traditional birdhouse woodworking project.  The teacher will provide the student with a model of what the birdhouse should look like and step by step direction in creating the birdhouse. Non-formal is when the learner controls the objective but not the mean (Mocker & Spear, 1982, pg. 4). An example of this could be in a woodworking class could be the students are allowed to make anything they want, as long as they use the table saw, router and drill press. There is no finish project they have to have, just as long as they use the tools required by the teacher. I have seen this approach used often in technology classrooms where a teacher wants to make sure the students learn a certain skill or tool. The last, and the one I use most often in my classroom, is informal. This is when the learner has an objective but they can go about it anyway they wish (Mocker & Spear, 1982, pg. 4). Going back to the birdhouse example. If the teacher assigned the same task of creating a birdhouse, showed them the model but did not provide step by step directions, this would be informal teaching. It is up to the student to create a plan to complete the objective.

The way my classroom is set up, informal teaching works best. In my course students are given a task, or objective but they are allowed to complete the task in anyway they wish. For example, the school I teach at is a magnet school that focuses on international leadership, so one of my objectives for my students may be pick a current issue in today’s world and create a way to make our students aware of the issue. This allows the student to decide how they are going to bring awareness to the issue. They can create posters, make a video, create a podcast or even a video game. How they go about it is up to them, but they have to make sure that the students at our school are aware of the issue. I like the informal approach because as I mentioned above, my school is about creating international leaders. International leaders often have objectives and tasks they need to complete but no plan to get it done. It also encourages creativity and innovation, two important things needed to be a leader.

In my attempt to create a more informal classroom, I have recently started a redesign of my course. A large part of this redesign is to give the students more resources so when I do provide them with a open ended objective, they have plenty of options and ways to complete the task. This redesign wouldn’t be possible without modern technology. One of my recent discoveries is OERs. OER stands for Open Educational Resources. OERs are free of charge and allow people to learn a new set of skills  (Strimel et.al., 2014, pg. 51). OERs are making it possible to teach skills to my students that I may not even fully understand. The technology field is so vast, it is impossible for a teacher to stay 100% up to date on everything. With OERs, if a student wants to learn a programming language the teacher hasn’t learned yet or a brand new piece of software, they can.  The student can then use what they learned with the OERs, to complete the task and objective given by the teacher.

Lastly, in addition to learning styles, there are also learning theories. I am a strong believer that you can’t just use one learning theory in your teachings but as with learning styles, teachers will often lean towards one theory. I have learned due to much self-reflection that I typically lean towards a humanistic approach. The major reason why is I want my students to relate their learning not just towards my objectives and task but their objectives and missions in life (Huitt, 2013). It is my hope that with the addition of OERs, I can allow the students to learn in ways that are meaningful to their life goals and will benefit them in ways I couldn’t even imagine for them.

References

3W. [Logos]. Retrieved from http://www.3wdigitaleducation.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/OERLogos2.jpg

Huitt, W. (2013, December). Summary of theories relating to learning and development. Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University. Retrieved [date], from http://www.edpsycinteractive.org/topics/summary/lrndev.html

Mocker, D. W., & Spear, G. E. (1982). Lifelong Learning: Formal, Nonformal, Informal, and Self-Directed. Information Series No. 241.

Strimel, G. g., Reed, P. m., Dooley, G. g., Bolling, J. p., Phillips, M. j., & Cantu, D. d. (2014). Integrating and Monitoring Informal Learning in Education and Training. Techniques: Connecting Education & Careers, 89(3), 48-54.

Reflection on Cognitive Science of Teaching and Learing

Within the next week I will be completing EDU510: Cognitive Science of Teaching and Learning at Post University. This eight week course was designed to teach how cognitive science can be used in teaching and learning. Specifically, this course focused on how a teacher or instructor can maximize attention, memory, motivation,problem-solving for deeper understanding and transferring of knowledge (Post University, 2015, para. 1). These concepts were taught through group discussion, online research, articles, videos and though a fantastic book written by David Perkins entitled Making Learning Whole: How Seven Principles Of Teaching Can Transform Education. I highly recommend this book, regardless if it is your first year as a teacher or your on year thirty.

The biggest takeaways from this course, outside of the group discussions, came from Mr. Perkins’ book.  He identified seven principles that if used correctly can completely transform a classroom. What I loved about all of these principles is the fact that each principle is broad enough that any teacher can use them, even teachers outside of a traditional classroom setting such as a dance choreographer or a sports coach yet the information provided is comprehensive and worded eloquently so you leave reading each chapter understanding what you have to do in your field to make the principle work. Although I will not go into each principle, my three favorite principles of his were number one, number two and number six.

Principle number one is play the whole game. Another way I like to look at it is making sure the students see the big picture. What this means is, as a teacher we must make it so a student understands why they are learning what you are teaching and how it will affect them in the future. For example, I currently teach technology but in the past I have also taught theatre. Although I know a great deal more about technology than I do theatre I always found theatre, for me, to be easier to teach. One reason why I believe theatre was easier for me is that I did a better job making sure the students saw the whole game in theatre. When teaching theatre the students always knew why they were learning lines, memorizing movements or practicing facial expressions. At the end of the week, month or whenever it may be they will be performing what they learn to an auditorium full of people. This was their end game and each student had the exact same end game. This made it easier for me to show them the whole game. Technology on the other hand is more difficult for myself to show the whole game because technology is always changing. How do I show the whole game of Photoshop to a group of freshman who understand that this version of photoshop will be outdated before they leave high schools and even for some of them, they will never use Photoshop again? The answer is I need to make sure the students understand that regardless of what software or piece of equipment they are currently learning in my course, that it isn’t the whole game. The whole game in my class is the skills they are learning while learning the technology concept, such as learning how to research, design, innovate, invent and working together.

The second principle is making the game worth playing or being able to motivate your students. This was a very important principle to me because I am a strong believer that if you are not motivated, you will never truly understand. There are two types of motivation. Intrinsic and Extrinsic or simply put, from within and from outside factors. Intrinsic motivation is the best way to get anyone to work, regardless if it is a student learning technology or a worker in a fortune 500 company. If a person does not care about what he or she is doing, they will not be able to put 100% into it. Although extrinsic motivations play a factor, such as money or grades, if a person doesn’t care from within, eventually it will reflect in their work.

The last principle is number six and that is learn from the team. Simply put, working with one another. This is something I have always strongly believed in and Perkins was able to provide me with more tools and strategies to emphasize this even more in my class. Teaching should not only come from the teacher or a text but from every person in the room (Perkins, 2011, pg. 170). In my opinion, limiting who can teach only limits the ways a student can learn. In my life, the best example of this principle also happens to be one of the most rewarding programs I have ever participated in.

Unified Theater is a non-profit theatre program that brings students with and without special needs together to create a unique performance, highlighting each and every persons talents. What’s even more amazing about Unified Theater though is how everything is student lead. The adults are there to sit back and supervise, that is it. The students teach one another, work together and create some of the best shows you will ever see. It is truly an amazing program and one that proves Perkins principle of learning from the team. Please take a moment to watch the following video and of course remember, everything was made my students.

In conclusion, the past few weeks have showed me that cognitive science plays a huge role in my teaching. By being aware of cognitive science when teaching, it will only have a positive effect on the students. I have already started adding elements in my classroom of what I have learned and immediately started to see a positive change in comprehension from the students.

References

Perkins, D. N. (2009). Making learning whole: How seven principles of teaching can transform education. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. \

Post University. (2015). EDU510 – The Cognitive Science of Teaching and Learning. Retrieved April 19, 2015, from https://post.blackboard.com/bbcswebdav/pid-2433736-dt-content-rid-22001844_1/courses/EDU510.901000109933/Syllabi/EDU510_Syllabus.pdf

Unified Theater. (2014, June 9). 2013-2014 | A year of stars! [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4UPfzulhv8

Wooleywonderworks. (2011, October 23). Heartfelt Coaching [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/photos/wwworks/6320530955/in/photolist-aCwnDD-na6m2d-6MbfLu-e5afNF-d6Ah6d-a9mhJF-7hoFty-dt3oHM-5Ebszw-7VNaV8-6Ri3rk-e2ULrB-dUa2wb-5HoH4U-dY5T8G-9FaxGH-8gJ435-oRUmcV-cxiYM7-dUa2tE-j6aEV8-7LhCPw-5NTrZk-5HoH6Y-5HVTc5-doxRCn-7FMda7-72q9aN-5JL7Ea-cvUW9h-ksCTJ4-7FHizv-ec7Yff-j4B6PP-5PCAG9-bjMspA-6nciPP-76L6im-rpiaCd-41hCLX-fEKftP-gM2k5X-atbG1D-bKoQkX-r7bYqZ-7LhDe3-6h5YUA-5HVo48-bqN1qd-eboQ8y

Getting a “Lazy” Student to Work

“These kids just need to work harder and stop being lazy”.

-Overheard in Every Teacher’s Lounge in America

Teaching is a tough profession and nothing is more frustrating for a teacher than when he or she try everything possible to get a certain student to do his or her work but no matter what the teacher tries, the student just won’t work. It is at this moment that even the best teachers will say it… “Only if s/he just weren’t so lazy.” We all have said it before. Accusing the student of being lazy and as being the problem to why he or she is not learning. As a teacher though it is important to always remember, a student can never be the problem. If a student isn’t the problem though, then what is the problem?

Ultimately every student is different, so the answer to the problem, why is the student not working will be different for each person. The first thing we as teachers must do to identify what is causing a student not to work is look at Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. If you are a teacher, you most likely know or at least heard of the hierarchy of needs.

For those who have not, here is a quick overview. A persons priorities start at the bottom of the hierarchy of needs and work their way up. For example, before a person can worry about safety, they must make sure their physiological needs are fulfilled. Before a person can worry about love and belonging, both their physiological and their safety needs must be fulfilled. This is important for us as teachers because the self-actualization need, all the way at the top, is where we want our students to be. This is where wonder, creativity and problem solving take place. As we can see from the chart, a lot of needs must be filled before self-actualization will becomes a priority for a student. As a teacher it is important for us to look at the hierarchy of needs when trying to figure out why a student isn’t doing his or her work. Maybe the student is always talking poorly about himself and having trouble with the esteem need. Maybe the student is new to the school and having trouble in the love and belonging need. Sadly, many of our students come from tough backgrounds and are all the way at the bottom of the pyramid, trying to figure out how they can solve their physiological and safety needs. This is why it is important for us as teachers to get to know our students and discover what outside issues may be preventing the student from working.

Once we pinpoint on the hierarchy of needs where the student falls, we must help the student to fulfill their needs. This may be a difficult task, especially depending on the need. If a student is looking for belonging, it may be as simple as pairing him or her up with a student you think they will hit it off with or even making sure the student knows that you, as the teacher, are there for them. Some other needs may be more difficult, such as the safety or physiological needs, especially if its a need that can only be met outside of school. It is in these situations that Perkins concept of “playing the game” comes in place.

Playing the game essentially means making sure the student sees the whole picture, or the end game. As teachers, we often teach elements to the students, or small parts of a much bigger picture (Perkins, 2009, pg.3). We do this without explaining why we are teaching this element. If a student does not see a purpose in what they are learning, regardless of where they are on the hierarchy of needs, why would they care to learn it? This is why it is important to show the students the whole game and not just parts of it, even if they are only practicing parts. For example, if you are teaching the students algebra, its important to provide them with real world problems and show them examples of why this is important to them in the game of life. If they see a bigger reason for something, a student will be more inclined to learn it.

It is my belief that showing the student the end game and the big picture of the elements they are learning can be used to help push students up the hierarchy of needs by providing them with hope. Hope can be a very powerful tool. Providing students with the hope that one day what they are learning will be used to provide them with the needs they don’t have can provide them with the motivation they need to work hard in class, even during the hard parts. This hope will eventually turn into knowledge and ultimately knowledge, in the end game, will provide students with food, water, a home, love, confidence and everything else that falls in their hierarchy of needs. It is with this that we can provide the students with the promise that if they work hard, get an education and become knowledgeable, all there needs will, in the end, be met.

References

About.com, & Hancock, H. (2012, March 9). Overview of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs[Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EH04OsNuvcw

Dutch Renaissance Press LLC. (2013). Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs [Table].Retrieved from http://timvandevall.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Maslows-Hierarchy-of-Needs.jpg

Perkins, D. N. (2009). Making learning whole: How seven principles of teaching can transform education. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bas