Module 6: Learning in a Digital World (Toni Duke)

Technology has made a huge impact on the way that I learn. Being a 'virtual learning doctoral student' has broadened my horizons to all future learning possibilities: for both me and my children (and all students). Technology integration and the World Wide Web make learning endless that supports all theories of learning: the constructivist/connectivism approach, behaviorist, and cognitive learning ideas – all which are vitally important to review for any curricular program consideration. My growth as a professional through the courses I have taken on-line have stretched my thinking to its utmost! The communication (discussion board conversations) and collaborative activities have been much more demanding than any I recall in a regular lecture-based classroom. In a lecture atmosphere, students are often afraid to speak up and engage in meaningful conversations. In an on-line environment, we can't see or hear the immediate reactions, so we feel much freer to openly express our thoughts and feelings in writing. I can research a project and complete an assignment after I put my kids to bed in the comfort of my pajamas…I cannot imagine ever returning to the brick and mortar "lecture" learning environment. Anytime I am interested in a subject, I see if there is an on-line learning component available!

On a personal level, my children are so exposed to technology and love learning through technological gadgets (e.g. smartphones, iPad, iPod Touch, Nintendo DS, etc.) that I'm not sure how my 3-year old will handle learning in a traditional environment. I have the privilege of knowing (and hand-selecting) his pre-k teacher (for next year). Even though she is young and energetic, I'm not sure how technologically savvy she is. Being a K-12 certified teacher, Teacher coach in our district for the past 7 years, and most recently, a Technology Coach, I am planning to help her in any way that I can with her instructional strategies, student engagement, and technology - which are critical "non-negotiables" of 21st learning classrooms. I really wish all new teacher preparation programs had the same foci.

Module 5 Blog: New Technologies

As a Teacher Coach, I have received much resistance to the simple (for most!) process of checking e-mail on a regular basis. In an elementary school with teachers involved in instruction throughout the day, e-mail is the main and most expedient source of communication.

When I first arrived at my most recent school (about 6 weeks ago), I immediately asked all staff to check their e-mail at least 3 times each week. I could not believe how many “external, unstable, uncontrollable” excuses I received (Driscoll, 2005, p. 326)! Everyone had internet or laptop issues all of a sudden, and some just silently ignored my request. When I received the support of the principal who asked that e-mail be checked daily instead of only 3 times each week, we were still met with silence, and believe it or not, those same teachers are (very immaturely, I might add) ignoring the mandate!

Driscoll (2005, p. 307, 332-338) describes Keller’s ARCS Model of Motivational Design as:  

A = gain and sustain attention

R = enhance relevance

C = build confidence

S = generate satisfaction

Implementing Keller’s ARCS Model, my plan for motivating and encouraging success of these teachers has been:

A = To gain their attention by publicly acknowledging and providing extrinsic rewards at each faculty meeting for those teachers who comply. “Curiosity, in children and adults alike, is a strong motivator of learning…[however] it must be sustained for it to be a continuing course of motivation” (Driscoll, 2005, p. 313). Miniature chocolates and small gifts go a long way and are not expensive to maintain!

R = when I announce that e-mail is still not being checked, I provide a relevant example, such as my need to re-schedule a team meeting when I had to be out of the building, or the challenge for all teachers to help build missing background in students by accessing United Streaming educational site, etc.

C = I’ve offered to assist anyone who needs it with e-mail operations, one-on-one; my office is an open door

S = I believe public recognition and praise are excellent intrinsic rewards and make teachers feel good amongst their colleagues. I maintain a checklist for every important e-mail I send that either requires a response, or that I received a “read receipt” for, indicating they had at least opened it!

For student engagement, Driscoll (2005) suggest varying instructional approaches and tone of voice as ways to maintain curiosity and keep students motivated. If educators use the same mundane approach to teach every lesson (e.g. lecture followed by a worksheet), they are going to lose many students as they become disengaged quickly and unmotivated to learn in such a dry, unchallenging manner. Also adding humor to instruction, providing collaboration time for students to work in groups, completion of “inquiry arousal” type lessons, and allowing demonstrations or student-led lessons will help to alter routine classrooms and increase student engagement (Driscoll, 2005, p. 314).

In a lot of ways, adult learners are similar to children learners. They, too, enjoy rewards and recognition, and like to know the objective or reason for learning what they are being required to learn.

Reference:

Driscoll, M. P. (2005). Psychology of learning for instruction (3rd ed.). Boston, MA:  Pearson Education.