“Just like anything else that involves human experience or interaction, the act of learning does not happen in a vacuum. It is at the intersection of prior knowledge, experience, perception, reality, comprehension, and flexibility that learning occurs,” (Orey, 2001).
The 21st Century learner indeed learns differently from those students of the past. Today in the techno-savvy world that we live in, many strategies have been implemented in order to prepare our students for the fast-paced world that is driven by technology. The instructional practices presented in our resources are indeed helpful for any teacher to aid in integrating learning. One particular, is base groups. Pitler stated that base groups help build trust, camaraderie, and teamwork. This group is formed to provide support throughout the semester or the school year, (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & McDonald, 2007). This is an essential foundation for a great year of cooperative learning. Once trust is developed, students will have the ability to put their minds at work in safe learning environment.
Social learning includes students that are actively engaging in constructing artifacts and conversing with others, (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009). When students work together, they are able to learn from each other, push each other, as well as motivate each other. The many strategies presented such as, “Keypals, Webquests, and Web Site Creation are just a few that involve cooperative learning. Being able to connect with your peers on a social level and cooperative level, not only gives you the ability to interact with each other, it gives you the ability to work together and attain group goals that cannot be obtained by working alone or competitively, (Orey, 2001).
As teachers we must know that the primary purpose of cooperative learning is the actively involve students in the learning process; a level of student empowerment which is not possible in a lecture format, (Orey, 2001).
Have a great week!
Resources:
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). Program seven Social learning theories.
Bridging learning theory, instruction, and technology. Baltimore: Author.
Orey, M. (Ed.). (2001). Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology.
Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with
classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
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I think you are right to state that today's learners expect to learn differently and are better engaged when using the principles of Connectivism in working cooperatively while using technology to create a product in order to process information. I have been thinking a great deal about the amount of dependence today's students have on each other and myself as the teacher. This can be frustrating, especially when I want them to work independently! This again is a change from the way most of us learned because group work was typically rare. Setting up the structure of base groups and mixing them with other informal groupings might prevent that frustration when students look to you, and only you as their source of information. This will enable them to use social learning to its greatest potential.
ReplyDeleteYou're absolutly right April. With today's workforce, very few people work totally alone. Someone is working with someone. We have to teach our students how to work with their peers and try their best to figure things out instead of not trying and asking the teacher because it's the easy way out.
ReplyDeleteI agree with both of you, about how we need to teach with more of a connectivism style of teaching in order to have them work as a group and with technology to prepare them more effectively for their future. Though when we do this, most students find this to be quite beneficial, but there are those that find group work to be more of a social time, or a time to let others do the work while they get the credit. The problem then is how to keep these students on task and contributing to the project.
ReplyDeleteI like the quote you opened with and how true it is. We learn so much from each other through interactions, as we compare prior knowledge and experiences. At a graduation party last week, my husband and I began talking to a man who recently experienced some medical problems that were very similar to a problem my husband is currently being treated for. We ended up talking for quite a while as both men talked about what they knew --causes, symptoms, treatments, etc. As they were talking, I realized how much they were learning by interacting and sharing their knowledge and experiences. Like adults, students all have different backgrounds and experiences. It’s important that we teach them to share their experiences and thoughts and learn from each other.
ReplyDeleteToni,
ReplyDeleteI agree. We too learn by interacting with others. This is one reason (in my opinion) why we have district staff developments and trainings to go to. I know it really helps me, because I'm the only business teacher at my school, so I really appreciate any insight, information, tips, encouraging words, etc. that I get from other business teachers when I go to the different types of trainings.