EDUC 7105 - Module 2

I would agree completely with Karl Kapp (2007) comments concerning the different –isms in education. Kapp (2007) suggested the behavioral approach to learning happens at a younger age to learn information and then switches to cognitivism to allow for a more procedural approach and finally use the constructivist approach for problem-solving areas. I don’t feel there is one single method in which to teach every individual. Classroom teachers are faced with this issue on a daily basis and have to use different methods of teaching to try and reach every child in that specific classroom. However, with the lack of parental support to ensure that the behavioral approach of drill and practice are happening outside the classroom is creating a constant battle for teachers. Just like with any sport repetition is necessary to learn the technique at an early age. The stages of memory as outlined by Driscoll (2005) are sensory, working, and finally long-term memory. The sensory memory is the visual or auditory stimulus which can trigger the working memory which is also known as the short-term memory (Discoll, 2005). If you constantly think about something then that is in your subconscious which is associated with your working memory and with the proper coding can be placed into long-term memory and retrieved at a later time (Driscoll, 2005). The saying “it’s just like a riding a bike” meaning once you have learned a specific task or learned information your mind should be able to retrieve that information when needed. So which learning theory is best for all students – I don’t think there is a specific answer to that question. Each child is different in their learning ability so a variety of strategies must be incorporated into all grade levels to ensure information is learned and stored correctly for later use.

http://www.pnas.org/content/97/23/12403.full.pdf+html
This is an interesting study concerning song birds and their songs they sing during mating season. How do these birds learn their species song – is it innate or are their environmental factors that will affect their learning. We can relate this to human learning and memory. Do children of parents who are both doctors have a higher cognitive ability at birth compared to parents who are less educated? Understanding the brain and the neurotransmitters and synapses associated with learning need to be studied more, but how do you conduct these types of studies?

http://blogs.msdn.com/jmeier/archive/2008/01/02/working-memory-vs-routine-activity.aspx
This blog looks at working memory verse routine activity and how these can help you understand and code information for later use. Working memory is the short term memory which is stored in the frontal cortex of the brain, but has limited holding capacity. Repetition of an event like studying information for a test will push this knowledge into the basal ganglia which is then stored in long-term memory. Sometimes it is hard for us to remember a few specific things to accomplish and this is why lists are important because you are not trying to encode this information, but rather it is just needed for the present time.

References:

Ini, Cetak. (2007, November 28). Retrieved March 28, 2010, from http://rizky-

fryansyah.blogspot.com/2007/11/early-childhood-education.html.

Kapp, Karl. (2007, January 02). Retrieved March 28, 2010, from

http://karlkapp.blogspot.com/2007/01/out-and-about-discussion-on-educational.html.

Meiser, J.D. (2008, January 2). Working memory verse routine memory. Retrieved March 28,

2010, from http://blogs.msdn.com/jmeier/archive/2008/01/02/working-memory-vs-

routine-activity.aspx.

Okano, H., Hirano, T., & Balaban, E. (2000, November 7). Learning and memory. Proceeding of

the National Academy of Science of the United States of America, 97(23), 12403–

12404. Retrieved March 28, 2010, from

http://www.pnas.org/content/97/23/12403.full.pdf+html

EDUC 7105 - Module 1

Sarah Crawford - Module #1 - Choice #3
Siemens (2008) presents different analogies to represent the possible roles educators could play within a learning environment. The digital classroom is presents different challenges for the instructor. This metaphor of a master artist is ultimately what an instructor in a digital setting would strive to create. “Students are not limited to learning based solely on the expertise of the instructor” (Siemens, 2008, p. 15) within this analogy. To create a higher order of thinking a student must have the ability and challenge to thinking for themselves while the instructor provides encouragement along with different perspectives in which to challenge each student. However, the network administrator (Siemens, 2008) helps to guide the networking aspect of learning. This aspect of creating a network is rarely taught, but extremely important. This network will not only help with job opportunities, but it will also bring fresh and different ideas into your idea pool. I would consider the educator as a concierge similar to that of the master artist. The concierge provides “’soft’ guidance” (Siemens, 2008, p. 16) to students to push students to explore different ideas which they might not explore without some guidance. However, out of all of these roles I believe the curator approach would benefit the student the most. I personally want an expert to guide me with their knowledge, but then give me freedom to explore the ideas and facts to further make discoveries.

As an online instructor the class would determine the mindset taken by the instructor. I would think at first the instructor would act more as a master artist to see where the students will guide themselves. Some student might need more guidance so the instructor would take on the role as a curator until the students are willing to think on their own.

I think Siemens (2008) did a fantastic job in creating analogies of educators to classroom monitoring systems. I don’t know if I personally would have thought of those analogies off the top of my head, but Siemens (2008) did a fantastic job in describing their roles as well.

Thomas Stone (2009) talks about predicting the changing of the guards in his blog and poses the question of will traditional classrooms will be replaced by digital classrooms in the near future? He also talks about the changing roles of the instructor because of budget cuts. This article makes you think. If an instructor is in charge of multiple online classes then how will they provide the knowledge and feedback that is essential to the learning environment?

Zane Burg (2006) outlines pedagogical, social, managerial, and technical recommendations for instructors in an online setting. Creating a welcoming environment in an online class where student feel willing to share their thoughts and experience to further learn from each is possibly the hardest task for any online instructor.

References:
Berg, Z. (2006). The role of the online instructor/facilitator. Retrieved March 17, 2010, from

http://www.emoderators.com/moderators/teach_online.html.

Siemens, G. (2008, January 27). Learning and knowing in networks: Changing roles for

educators and designers. Paper presented to ITFORUM. Retrieved from

http://it.coe.uga.edu/itforum/Paper105/Siemens.pdf.

Stone, T. (2009, December 3). New roles for instructors, instructional designers, and subject

matter experts. Retrieved March 17, 2010, from

http://blog.elementk.com/element_k_blog/2009/12/new-roles-for-

instructors-instructional-designers-and-subject-matter-experts.html.