Digital Badge #C - Chapter 3

The first topic I chose to review for insight into my pedagogical studies was collaboration between classmates, referred to as cooperative learning and group work (Maloy, et al, 2013, p. 61). I also reviewed the article How to Build Happy Brains (Willis,  2012). I found that many of the questions I had about how to properly choose and apply cooperative learning and group work strategies within the classroom were answered, even with a group suggestion which applies to Science, my major focus! I found myself interested to know the answers to the questions! Interestingly enough, Dr. Willis is a neurosurgeon and a teacher of children in the middle grades (adolescents), which is also my focus. She explained not only in layman's terms but in neurological terms, what happens within the brain (particularly the frontal lobes, and the amagdala), what the adolescent response is to stress such as students who have to participate by posting on the board, or raising their hands to answer questions, such as is regular practice in the earlier grades. The only real concern I have is one I remember, myself, from being in high-school, and that is being assigned to a group of people that participate in bullying behavior. How can we, as teachers, establish group activities by strengths and weaknesses, allowing students to assign and perform activities related to roles, have fair and fun weekly meetings, and class celebrations if bullying is part of the equation, which it always is?
I found myself asking more questions, and hope to do research on this area in the future. I never thought about peer-reviews, weekly meetings, and celebrations within the context of student collaboration or cooperative learning, and these are excellent ideas to remember. Another good idea is to begin each year with a poll or Q&A discussion with students about their preferences or strengths. Personally, I feel an online poll or class poll with clickers and an overhead projector would be the best manner, so that we could see what types of roles fit into each type of intelligence and personality type. Later, each student could e-mail with two roles they felt they excelled at, and roles could be rotated, to try and assist students to stretch their horizons. I am so glad that I found this website, and am excited to peruse it further in our research.

The second concept I would like to discuss is the learning theory of constructivism, if one must select only one of the four learning theories. Piaget, it is argued, is the real authority on the subject, as I am studying in another course. The reason that I believe this is the most important theory for teachers to follow draws upon my many positive and negative experiences as a parent, and also upon those - and the insight - of my adolescent children. It seems to me that constructivist theory allows for each student to be viewed as an individual and to learn in their own way, somewhat inclusive of the other theories of learning which involve innate understanding and curiosity, adaptability and learning through response to environment, as well as building their own knowledge base. Additionally, constructivist learning is more student-centered than teacher-centered, responding to the needs, strengths, and weaknesses of the student and having them direct much of their own learning, in accordance with the curricula of the class or classes that they attend. The only issue for me, with regard to this, is how a teacher can increase their confidence level and their creativity in assessing and managing the students' needs and making sure they are able to work independently. I feel that B.Y.O.T. (Bring Your Own Technology) does assist students in feeling as if they are learning independently, depending on the manner in which they are doing so, and that technology is really a life-saver in regard to applying these concepts. Technological advances, especially B.Y.O.T. and online access can help students separate themselves from anxious situations and focus on the work, as well as manage their home and social lives, especially in an age where multi-tasking is something students excel at with each passing year.

For the above two concepts, together with the third, below, I have included a Kahoot sample quiz, on cooperative learning with pin 785099 that I devised about cooperative learning. It would take me a little longer to make this much more interesting and applicable for adolescents, but I am pleased to have learned how to do these. You basically create the quiz, obtain a pin, which you share, and make an appointment with students to complete it during a window of time.

Last, I would like to discuss the lessons we can learn from Montessori concepts, which begin with Maria Montessori in the 20^th century. Montessori seems to apply a lot of independent and student-directed learning opportunities, building upon the natural and innate curiosity and energy of students – particularly at the young and middle ages. In middle science, a way that a teacher could create such an arena for students would be to bring in different types of large rocks when discussing the types and origins of rocks within the earth, how they are composed, and what is made from them or what they are utilized for. This would involve kinesthetic student-directed learning, as each student reviewed the rocks and responded with their own thoughts regarding it’s texture, guesses about its source based upon what was already reviewed and more, and though the teacher is present and gives the students the tools to perform the activity, they are able to perform without the constant teacher intervention, attention, and/or instruction.  Afterwards, a way to incorporate technology would be to have students review the type of rock online and determine if their own answers were correct, independently, and then having a group discussion focusing on things which they learned, tying into the next chapter involving how they such rocks were formed, and any areas or physical formations of relevance. Montessori’s approach has resulted in many centers devoted to the concepts of independent, student-directed learning, curiosity inducing activities or points of interest, and open-ended exploration which facilitates learning. Additionally, Montessori methods provide for self-correcting feedback, which minimizes anxiety and increases learning – as we noted above with regard to the neurology of the adolescent brain. In my own experience, however, I must note that not all Montessori named schools understand and properly apply Montessori methods of teaching and enforcement.


Resources

Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin, Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pears

What is Montessori | Montessori 101 | Montessori Education. (2015, January 1). Retrieved February 1, 2015, from http://www.montessori.org/what-is-montessori

Willis, J. (2012). How to Build Happy Brains. Retrieved February 1, 2015, from http://www.middleweb.com/2847/how-to-build-happy-brains/