Could online learning spell the end of snow days? by eSchool News Could the internet mean the end of snow days? Some schools think so, and they are experimenting with ways for students to do lessons online during bad weather, potentially allowing classes to go on during even the worst blizzard. “Virtual snow days” would help ease pressure on school calendars. Because districts are required to be in session for a certain number of hours or days, losing teaching time to winter weather can mean extending the school day or cutting short spring break or summer vacation. Learning Theories There is a variety of research about student motivation and how students process information. The links in this section offer short overviews of various aspects of this research and how it can be applied to instruction. Theory and Research-Based Principles of Learning A list of seven basic principles that underlie effective learning. Teaching Principles A list of seven principles designed to make teaching both more effective and more efficient, by helping instructors create the conditions that support student learning. Instructional Design, Theory in Practice This site contains a vast array of basic information about learning theory. Index of Learning Theories and Models Provides an overview of major learning theories and models, organized by paradigm (behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism, humanism, and others) Learning Partnerships Model: Promoting self-authorship to promote liberal education (Baxter Magolda, 2009) Seven Principles for Good Practice: Enhancing Student Learning
Could the internet spell the end of snow days? More districts experiment with online instruction to keep school going during bad weather From staff and wire reports Read more by staff and wire services reports May 18th, 2011 “Virtual snow days” would help ease pressure on school calendars. Could the internet mean the end of snow days? “Virtual snow days” would help ease pressure on school calendars. And canceling school in the winter, when some of the most difficult material of the year is covered, risks leaving students with a learning deficit heading into the spring, when many states administer standardized tests. “Even if you can’t continue on at the same pace, being able to keep students on track can make a huge difference,” said Doug Levin, executive director of the nonprofit State Educational Technology Directors Association. Virtual learning, which has been widely used by colleges and universities for years, is becoming more viable for younger students as teachers and administrators grow comfortable with the technology.
Social Cognition and Social Learning Theories of Education and Technology - Theories of Educational Technology By Cassie Koch Abstract The social cognitive theory is derived from constructing meaning and knowledge from social influences. keywords: social learning, social cognition, social cognitive theory, Albert Bandura, sociocultural theory, connectivism Social Cognition and Social Learning Theories of Education and Technology The mind is a mysterious science. The social cognitive theory thrives on the advancement of new technologies. Modeling is a major component of the social learning theory. In social cognitive theory, learning from the effects of actions is a special case of observational learning. Learning from the effects of actions of others can directly influence ones choices. Any factor that influences choice behavior can profoundly affect the direction of personal development. Observing behaviors or the effects of one’s own actions are types of social learning. Social psychologists confirm that learning is not obtained through independent factors; they take into account all influences.
Critical Thinking Skills Are Critical – Education Vision Leadership In Tony Wagner’s book, The Global Achievement Gap, critical thinking and problem solving skills are listed among the main skills the 21st century learner needs to be a productive, successful member of society and to compete with students in a global world. The Partnership for 21st Century Skills also lists critical thinking skills as one of the 4 essential components of learning and innovation. Dr. However, when I reflect on much of what is done in schools, I’m still seeing the scale tipped toward the acquisition of knowledge and rote memorization of information. At the web site CriticalThinkg.org to think critically is defined as: Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action. Art Costa’s Levels of I
Emerging Theories of Learning and the Role of Technology - Theories of Educational Technology By Shannon Doak Abstract This paper discusses the changes in the world created by technology which leads to the discussion of the changes within the current student population and the role technology has played. It then covers how the changes being made in society have affected the requirements for graduates entering into the work force. These requirements bring into light the fact that technology integration can play a large role in changing our learning environments to better support the development of higher-level thinking skills needed by the 21st century. This leads to the discussion of emerging learning theories. keywords: distributed cognition, situated cognition, socially-shared cognition, communities of learners, emerging theories of learning Introduction The world is changing and the requirements for people entering into this world are different than they have been in the past. Why new theories are emerging and what technology can do to help What can technology do to help?
Model of the Moment by Steve Kolowich, Inside Higher Ed These arrangements are unusual beyond the oddity of anointing a Utah-based institution as a state university of Indiana and Washington. (Online education is common at public universities, and Indiana and Washington are no exceptions.) Rather, the main point of departure has to do with Western Governors’s pedagogical model, which focuses not only on teaching new skills but also on awarding credits for existing ones. No classes, no lectures, no fixed academic calendar. 21st Century Icebreakers: 11 Ways To Get To Know Your Students with Technology In honor of the start of a new school year, I am sharing one of my popular posts again with you with a couple of new additions! On Monday I will begin my new job. As I’ve mentioned before, I will be working as a Technology Resource Specialist as well as teaching a couple of classes. As always, I am nervous and excited for the first day of school, and eager to meet a new group of students. As an educator, I often find myself repeating the same icebreakers each year, trying to quickly get to know my students through “Two Truths and a Lie” or a “Getting To Know You” fact sheet. In an effort to bring my own classroom to the present, I’ve put together a list of 13 icebreakers that use technology and fit with 21st century students: Have students create a Pinterest board with 10 pins that summarizes them.Ask students to create a 30 second podcast that introduces themselves. Have any other 21st century icebreakers? Like this: Like Loading...
Model of the Moment The terms “outsourcing” and “workforce development” are rarely allies in Rust Belt states like Indiana, where the loss of manufacturing jobs has driven an increase in demand for postsecondary degrees that point to vocations that will not soon be exported overseas. But Indiana’s leaders have embraced an outsourcing solution to the state's outsourcing problem. In the aftermath of 2008's financial bloodbath, Indiana was facing a challenge shared by many state governments. The state needed to gut its budget while simultaneously increasing capacity at public universities, especially for adult learners who needed training for new or better jobs. Gov. Mitch Daniels decided that, instead of paying to expand online programs at its existing state institutions, Indiana would contract with a private university outside its borders. Enter Western Governors University, a private, nonprofit, regionally accredited institution headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. Competencies, not Courses Perfect pitch
Recording and Hosting Podcasts Using the Internet Archive [This is a guest post by Chuck Tryon, an assistant professor of English at Fayetteville State University, where he teaches first-year writing, business writing, and media studies courses. He is the author of Reinventing Cinema: Movies in the Age of Media Convergence and the forthcoming On-Demand Culture: Digital Delivery and the Future of Movies. He also blogs at The Chutry Experiment and tweets under the handle @chutry. This fall, I will be teaching an online course for the first time. What I did find, after several panicked phone calls to my wife, ended up fitting my workflow rather well. The first steps involve uploading the free podcast recorder, Audacity and the free LAME MP3 encoder, which helps to make the audio file accessible to most computers and audio players. But making the podcast is one thing. There are a number of other benefits to hosting your podcast on the Internet Archive. Return to Top
Alternate Pedagogies and Experiences In writing about mobile for higher education, other than meeting learner administrative and information needs, I obviously focused more on the formal learning roles mobile devices could facilitate. And one of the things that has been of interest to me is looking differently at pedagogies. Traditional In the traditional view, we activate the learner’s interest, we present them with the concept, we provide examples, we have them practice (with feedback), and we conclude the learning experience. Navigable/adaptive For one, we don’t need to stick to the traditional order. This approach also provides the necessary structure to support adaptive systems, which can present different objects at different times. Problem-based The approach I typically refer to as the problem-based approach (similar approaches are seen in case-based, project-based, and service learning) essentially puts the problem, an overarching practice, first.
Blubbr - Create Interactive Quizzes Using YouTube Clips Blubbr is a neat quiz creation service that I recently learned about on Danny Nicholson's blog. Using Blubbr you can create interactive quizzes that are based on YouTube clips. Your quizzes can be about anything of your choosing. The structure of the quizzes has a viewer watch a short clip then answer a multiple choice question about the clip. To create a quiz on Blubbr start by entering a topic for your quiz. Applications for Education I think of Blubbr as being like TEDEd but with short video clips. Long-Term Memory: A User’s Guide Ms. Malamed, I recently started my journey in obtaining my Masters degree in Instructional Design and Technology. This week in our class we are focusing on learning processing and that “all learning involves forming associations between stimuli and responses” (Ormrod, Schunk, & Gredler, 2009, p.49). Until now I did not realize there were so many different types of memory. Up until know I feel I have been naïve in regards to memory. I’m looking forward to more great articles in the future! Heather References: Ormrod, J., Schunk, D., & Gredler, M. (2009).