Reflections on Bridging Theories, Instruction, and Technology in the Classroom

*Reflection on My Personal Learning Theory-

During the first week of this class we reviewed four major learning theories as an introduction to our course material. As I reflect on these theories presented by Dr. Michael Orey, Behaviorism, Cognitivism, Constructionism or Constructivism, and Social Constructionism, I feel that my personal learning theory is still eclectic in nature. (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008) Each student is an individual with unique needs, desires, and learning styles, and no one learning theory is a prescription for success in learning. I still concur with Lever-Duffy and McDonald’s (2008) statement that:
“. . . . it is best to think of all [learning theories] together as the range of possible explanations of learning and to think of each individual approach as a unique and special addition to your collection. Then, as an eclectic instructor, you can choose to implement those parts of the theories that best match your learners’ needs and the characteristics of a particular lesson’s objectives” (p.18).
Yet, due to the nature of visual arts, I find that I emphasize the Constructivist/Constructionist Theories of Learning the most. I include both theories because they are equally relevant to my discipline. As Dr. Orey explains, Constructivism is a theory of learning in which students build their own meaning out of the information that is either, discovered by the learner, and/or presented by the instructor. Whereas, Constructionism is a theory of learning which is the most effective, when, in addition to the above, an artifact is built or created that can be shared with others. (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008) The creation of an artwork is as conceptual as it is technical in nature; therefore, artists must first, construct their own meaning and purpose for an artwork before they can begin the technical process of construction. It is difficult for one to exist without the other, even when the conceptual process is intuitive.

*Immediate Adjustments in Technological Integration-

When our new school year opens, I plan to begin the process of eliminating independent paperwork assignments. In the past, I have assigned vocabulary sheets, chapters in the textbook, and Scholastic Art articles for the students to complete on their own. Such assignments were problematic, due to the fact that the students would do a sub-average job on written work required in an art class. If class work became a collaborative, digital process, rather than an independent, paper bound process in drudgery, maybe work quality, and therefore learning, would improve. Johnson, Johnson, and Holubec (1986) described Cooperative Learning as students collaborating to “attain group goals that cannot be obtained by working alone or competitively” (as cited in Orey, 2001). Add to this the opportunity to produce their work digitally, using multiple sources, to produce a multimedia project; and I hope to improve work quality, as well as raise motivation. The paperless classroom I propose will be easier to establish this coming school year, due to the fact that we are implementing a digital learning environment, called ANGEL. Each student will receive a 4G memory stick to use at home and at school, and we will have the capacity to assign and accept work on-line. In fact, the system is similar to Walden’s on-line classes. I’m looking forward to exploring all of the new technological possibilities available next year.

*Long term Goal Changes-

As one long term goal, I would like to explore the introduction of technology into the production of artwork. I am impressed by the concept of a “new ‘digital literacy,’ in which students will need to know the language of camera angle, colors, soundtrack, and fonts in much the same way they need to know the grammar of written and spoken language” (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, p. 104). George Lucas (2005) compares this new phenomenon to the effects the printing press had on the reading and writing abilities of humankind. (as cited in Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, p. 104) When the language of visual arts is placed in this light, it would be remiss of me not to research the possibilities of introducing technology into art assignments. My plan is to take small steps and use the software that I have currently and, also, use what is available on-line for free. I now have Adobe Photoshop Elements 7 and Photoshop Premiere, but I have discovered through this class, many other resources available on-line. The manipulation of photographs and video is a possibility, as well as, claymation and animation, with no extra cost to the school. Of course, the combination of various medias is an option, as well. Ideally, I would like to have the students develop their own digital portfolio for assessment at the end of the 12 week course, combining their multimedia projects with their photographed and critiqued artwork. The possibilities are almost overwhelming, yet I am pleased that art is being viewed as “real stuff, not fluff”. The importance of aesthetics in digital presentations is certainly on the horizon.

Johnson, D. W., Johnson, R. T., & Holubec, E. J. (1986). Circles of Learning: Cooperation in the classroom. Edina, MN: Interaction Book Company.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2008). Program three. Instructional Theory vs.
Learning Theory [Motion picture]. Bridging learning theory, instruction, and technology. Baltimore: Author.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2008). Program seven. Constructionist vs. Constructivist Learning Theories [Motion picture]. Bridging learning theory, instruction, and technology. Baltimore: Author.

Lever-Duffy, J. & McDonald, J. (2008). Theoretical Foundations (Laureate Education, Inc., custom ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Lucas, G. (2005, November 17). George Lucas and the new world of learning [Podcast]. Edutopia Radio Show. Retrieved August 28, 2006, from http://www.edutopia.org/php/radio/php

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.

Social Learning in Practice

The social learning theories presented in this course have an intriguing premise that humans construct reality. As Kukla (2000) states, “Members of society together invent the properties of the world” (as cited in Orey, 2001). It’s the quintessential puzzle of the tree falling in the forest. If no one heard it fall, did the tree exist? That puzzle always made me puzzled. Initially, in our reading, I had to stop and think about the nature of reality. I’m still kicking this around, but I felt more comfortable with the constructivist’s assumptions about knowledge and learning. Knowledge is a product of the collective human mind and learning occurs when human minds interact. Essentially, we learn best when we “hang out” together. That sounds great to me because I am convinced that using technology through collaborative learning is the most effective way to educate our young people for the challenges that await them tomorrow. In his book The World is Flat (2005), Friedman recognized that “we are living in a time when learning and innovation are increasingly global. To be prepared for the fast-paced, virtual workplace that they will inherit, today’s students need to learn and produce cooperatively” (as cited in Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, p.139). Well, constructivists and other social learning theorists would certainly agree with him.

Technology has become intricately laced into our current and future reality, and if we accept the views of the above scholars, our students will best learn about their “new world” through cooperative or collaborative teamwork. The structure of Web 2.0 facilitates collaborative learning with blogs, wikis, document sharing, and multimedia projects through the use of Web resources, to name a few technological tools. As a result, knowledge will become public property for us to share and access when needed. I have heard the proclamation that those that lived from the late 1800’s to see the first man on the moon witnessed unparalleled industrial and technological advances. What will they say about our generation? What will we witness in the future?

Friedman,T.L. (2005). The world is flat: A brief history of the twenty-first century. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.

Kukla, A. (2000). Social Constructivism and the Philosophy of Science. New York: Routledge.

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.

My First Voicethread

My VoiceThread...http://voicethread.com/share/530268/

As I was brainstorming about the different ways that I could use VoiceThread in my classroom and the on-line learning environment, the ideas that popped into my head were numerous. I decided to settle on the most basic place to begin, instructional VoiceThreads. Demonstration and instruction are difficult in the art room because it is problematic for students to follow explanations of visual elements from a distance. I find that if I do limited group instruction and try to get to individuals and small groups for relaying detailed directions and techniques, it works much better. Yet, that small group experience exists only for that moment, and often, I need to repeat myself for absent students and the others who gave me limited attention. If I developed an archive of instructional videos and VoiceThreads, to upload onto my on-line classroom, I could use them to assist students that need repetition and get absent students caught up with the instructional material they missed. Then, I could use more of my time facilitating students in the process of creating and developing their artwork. Although the VoiceThread presentations wouldn't be as personal or interactive, I believe they would be better than whole group presentations, and definately better than a rushed reiteration of missed instructional content. I just need to figure out how to use the doodle tool because that would be invaluable for me. The school has provided me with a writing tablet that works beautifully in isolation, but I haven't figured out how to use the doodle in tandem with the spoken commentary on VoiceThread. Let me know if you all have some advise.