What Teachers Need from Researchers

Mary Fobbs-Guillory

ET

Saul, Roger. (2016) Education and the mediated subject: What today’s teacher’s need most from researchers of youth and media. Journal of Children and Media, 10(2). Pp.156-163

Roger Saul shares that the majority of today’s educators are still operating with archaic understanding of what young people are capable of and how to engage them in school.  He argues that researchers need to provide educators with a better understanding of their students’ potential to make meaningful contributions to their education.  He also shares that teachers may not realize they are marginalizing their students by not allowing students the opportunity to explore their identity and express themselves as they learn in school.

Saul has offers a balanced perspective in his argument as he shares that teachers too are regulated and may not have the autonomy to change how they address students needs.  He shares that districts need to trust teachers more and allow them to do what research says is best for students.  This was interesting to read as an educator because I often felt that in district schools, teacher’s don’t have much of a voice and they have to do what they are told or else find a new school to work at.  It is encouraging that some people see the need to empower teachers who can in turn empower students to be more involved and engaged in their education.

Constructivism as a Paradigm for Teaching and Learning

Hudson, Evelyn

ET

Educational Broadcasting Corporation. (2004). Workshop: Constructivism as a paradigm for teaching and learning. Retrieved from http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/index.html

This short workshop provides an excellent overview of constructivist learning. Different pages explain how it applies to the classroom, the history of the theory, and more. There are expert interviews with teachers for those who prefer a more visual learning experience.

I feel I have a much better understanding of constructivism after reading through this workshop. I really appreciated the real-life examples that made the theory come alive for me. I also like how each topic was on a different page so I didn't feel overwhelmed by the information.

Projects with Technology Do Good Things

Post by Lora Poser-Brown

ET

Kingston, Sally and Lenz, Bob. “Blending Technology into Project Based Learning.” Partnerships for 21st Century Learning. Jan. 21, 2016. http://www.p21.org/news-events/p21blog/1832-blending-technology-into-project-based-learning

Overview: This article discusses many ways to incorporate projects and technology in regular instruction. In addition, justification is given for more projects with evidence that doing so increases attendance, scores, engagement, social skills, and more.

Analysis: The article was a quick read with great concrete examples for teachers. Furthermore, the ideas given can easily be adapted for different ages and subjects. The article makes project based learning seem less daunting for those new to the teaching style.

Cover, Sara

ET

Learning for the 21^st Century! (2012, December 30). Use a learning theory: Constructivism [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xa59prZC5gA

Summary:

This YouTube video is an introduction to constructivism that explains the theory and then gives real world implications for the classroom.

Evaluation:

This short video is an excellent introduction/refresher to constructivism told with humor that gets to the point and gives examples of the way constructivism looks in the classroom. This video can be used in a faculty meeting or workshop as a springboard to discussing constructivism, and then would allow teachers to self-evaluate as to whether or not their classrooms are constructivist-based. The humor helps to gain interest in a topic that could be presented in a dry or boring way.

K-12 Education Restructuring - Institute of Progressive Edcuation & Learning

Fluetsch, Christopher

ET

Institute of Progressive Education & Learning. (n.d.) K-12 Education Restructuring. Retrieved from http://institute-of-progressive-education-and-learning.org/k-12-education/k-12-education-restructuring/

Our education system is constantly adjusting to meet the ever-changing needs of our students. One of the current change movements is “Education Restructuring.” Education restructuring refers to moving away from teacher-driven, content-based education to collaboration-driven, process-based education.

Traditionally, classroom teachers made the final decision about what would be taught in their classrooms and through what process. Certainly, teachers had to deal with a lot of outside influences, including state standards, district curriculum direction, textbook adoptions and parent expectations. Nevertheless, the classroom teacher was the final authority, often working alone to produce curriculum.

The Restructuring model sees education as a collaborative process, with multiple experts and stakeholders assisting the teacher. Librarians, Special Education teachers, English Language Acquisition specialists, Reading specialists and many others work with the teacher to create and provide curriculum. Student needs, desires and interests are also taken into account, with students moving from passive receptors of education to active acquirers.

Restructuring also includes a movement from Content to Process. In previous generations, acquiring knowledge was considered the most important aspect of schooling. Students memorized dates, figures, names and so forth. Modern technology is quickly making such a model obsolete. Basic facts are at everyone’s fingers, and as technology advances, having memorized information will become even less important.

Instead, students need to learn the process of acquiring knowledge. They need to learn how to identify and seek out the information they need to complete a particular task. They need to learn skills for evaluating the quality of information they receive. These sorts of process-skills are going to be important in a future that holds employment and life possibilities that we cannot even envision.

This article address both these Restructuring issues clearly and briefly. It is an excellent starting place.

Behaviorism, Cognitivism, Constructivism, and Social constructivism

Panneck, Brook

ET

Hung, D. (2001). Theories of Learning and Computer-Mediated Instructional Technologies. Educational Media International, 38(4), 281-287. doi:10.1080/09523980110105114

This article describes the major schools of thought in educational theory, namely- Behaviorism, Cognitivism, Constructivism, and Social Constructivism. The paper proposes a framework for using these theories in online instruction and lists technologies for supporting the different theory implementations. I proposes that all of these theories have a place in the classroom.

Not only does it provide explanations for these theories, but it has a table that shows each of the theories, and explains the instructional design/delivery respectively. It has a table outlining, the processes of learning, type of learning, instructional strategies, and key concepts. Additionally, it has a table showing the different types of learning tools and technologies to support each of these technologies. Lastly it illustrates tools used to support active learning among groups and individualize learning.

This is a great paper for those that want to get a basic foundational understanding of what these theories are, how they can be taught and the technologies that support the teaching. It is also a great jumping off point to learn more about these theories individually. I recommend checking out the references at the bottom of the article to find more great articles that this author used.

Good IDEA: Instructional design model for integrating Information Literacy

Blaylock, Solomon

ET, CO, IL

Mullins, K. (2014). Good IDEA: Instructional design model for integrating Information Literacy. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 40(3-4), 339-349. doi: 10.1016/j.acalib.2014.04.012

Summary

A presentation of IDEA (interview, design, embed, assess) - an instructional design model created specifically for librarians, with a theoretical foundation in cognitive and behavioral learning. The model is explained in detail from theoretical foundations to practical implementation. The article features several explanatory flowcharts and even templates and rubrics, providing a suite of tools enabling the reader to make use of IDEA out of the box.

Evaluation

Although the theoretical underpinnings of Mullins’ model are in some conflict with those being championed by this course, it seems to me that the author has something of great value to impart, and has gone to pains to ensure that this is done so with a thoroughness clearly aimed at results-oriented praxis. The behaviorist underpinning of the model, particularly in the area of assessment, might actually make it particularly valuable to academic librarians who so frequently these days find themselves the direct and immediate necessity of providing quantitative data to back up any claims to continued relevance against a rapidly shifting backdrop of upsets in scholarly publishing and information retrieval.

Teach Less, Learn More

Keith, E.K.

ET-Restructuring
ET-Standards-based Education
ET-Constructivism and Behaviorism



Fogarty, R. &. (2010). The Singapore vision: teach less, learn more. In Bellanca, J. & Brandt, R. (Ed.), 21st Century Skills: Rethinking How Students Learn (pp. 97-115). Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.

 This chapter of 21st Century Skills: Rethinking How Students Learn describes Singapore's educational framework to move its country's teachers and students into 21st century education. It describes the four interrelated components of this shift: 1) a vision for the nation, 2) a vision for education, 3) a vision to implement school change, and 4) a vision for collaboration through professional learning communities that will create the changes in each school.

This chapter will be interesting to anyone who views collaboration as a means of integrating 21st century skills and information literacy into curriculum across subject areas. It especially highlights collaboration among teachers, who in turn create collaborative opportunities for student learning. The use of mobile technology in the classroom is also discussed, specifically that it is not students, but schools that drag their feet in incorporating new technology tools for instruction.

How to Reinvent Project Based Learning to Be More Meaningful

Shawn Pomatto

ET

Markham, T. (2014). How to reinvent project based learning to be more meaningful. Mind/Shift. Retrieved from http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/03/moving-towards-inquiry-how-to-reinvent-project-based-learning/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+kqed%2FnHAK+%28MindShift%29

Educational principles are changing the way we teach throughout the entire country.  Our educational system is going through a reboot of educational processes and the development of skills.  There is a pressing need to increase problem solving skill sets and inquiry within our students.  Gone are the days of a teacher centered classroom where students mindlessly listen to boring lectures.  Students themselves are now becoming the presenters, collaborating amongst themselves in an attempt to create unique projects.  But now even the projects based learning model (PBL) is under evaluation.  The PBL model of instruction is designed to get students involved in research that is dependent upon collaboration.  Students analyze information and evidence, then they think about a problem and remedy a solution.  Like any other means of instruction, PBL has its flaws if not performed correctly.  The proper way to conduct a project based learning environment lesson  is to first and foremost develop skills, not content, through a process of inquiry.  Teamwork and presentation are the means of achieving this goal.  PBL allows students to go deep into any particular issue.  Every subject across the curriculum will have varying levels of how deep a project might be.  But the underlying principles will remain constant.  Students will work from a knowledge base which will allow them to design a creative, authentic product.  Individual personalities can flourish as students take ownership of their learning.  Collaboration allows students to create and analyze content while teachers merely facilitate their learning experience.  One of the more powerful aspects of a PBL environment is peer review.  Students are encouraged to identify strengths and weaknesses of student projects.  This evaluation will then lead to more creation and a means to make the end product even better.

Project based learning allows for a deeper, more personal learning experience to take place.  Differentiation can occur more freely as teachers can now allow students to reach goals never before available under the old system of learning.  The facilitator role which teachers are now using allows for more leaders to arise within a class.  Peer review allows students to be accountable for their work.  The fundamental principle of evaluation and inquiry itself allows for PBL lessons to be challenged in their design as well.  Constant modifications will only support students creativity, helping to foster ingenuity.  This open ended form of lesson design positively affects the learning experience of so many more students, allowing them to grow and experience new ideas on their own.