Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology reflection

As I look back at my personal theory of learning that I created eight weeks ago for this class, I realize that my views on how my students learn have not changed much throughout my own learning. I still believe that behaviorism, constructivism and social constructivism are the three main theories I follow. Student learning is affected by rewards, punishment and reinforcement, and due to the globally connected society we live in; students are also drawn to social situations. All of these factors can be combined to create a powerful learning experience.

The greatest change I did see in my classroom over the past eight weeks is in the way I design my lessons. When I was in college I learned about the different theories of how people learn, but I did not commit the different theories to long term memory and I did not think about them when I designed lessons for my students. Now I look at the components of each learning theory, think about how my students prefer to learn, and design lessons that better meet their needs.

One aspect of my personal learning theory that I am proud of is my current level of technology integration. I still feel that I need to improve my skills with integrating technology, but the technology I currently use in my classroom is transparent in the learning process. The technology I am the most excited to show my students came from my own learning in this course. We had an assignment where we had to use the voice thread website. It is a simple interface to use, but the learning potential is amazing. Students have the opportunity to construct their own learning experience through a combination of sight and sound and then share that with their classmates or students from around the world.