Behaviorism in Practice

This week I explored the role of behaviorism in modern education and how it relates to current instructional practices and technology tools.  In particular, I research the role behaviorism plays in the reinforcement of behavior and completion and monitoring of homework. Although behaviorism principles are perceived to not be widely used in school, in reality they play a critical role in many intervention programs, behavior modification systems, and general instructional techniques.  Initially developed by theorists such as Pavlov, Skinner and Watson, behaviorism can be defined as a developmental theory that measures observable behaviors produced by a learner’s response to stimuli (Standridge, 2002).   Specific behaviors responses to stimuli can either be reinforced or extinguished depending on the feedback the learner receives.  As a result, behaviorism can play a vital role developing basic skills and foundations of understanding in all subject areas and in classroom management.

As mentioned, behavior can be shaped depending on the positive or negative reinforcement one receives.  The concept and application though of positive reinforcement is often a contentious debate amongst educators.  For many educators, the act of positively reinforcing behaviors students should automatically be demonstrating, constitutes as form of bribery. What we need to realize is that reinforcement is a natural motivator within of our lives.  We would not invest in work, obey laws, or engage with others socially if we did not received some sort of reinforcement whether that is intrinsic or extrinsic (Kansas, 2012).  According to John Hattie (2008), reinforcement “was among the most powerful influences on achievement, acknowledges that he has "struggled to understand the concept" (p. 173).

Recently, though the term reinforcement has been replaced with the concept of feedback.  Both of these principles are rooted in the idea that in order to positively impact student behavior and performance, students must receive timely and meaningful responses from adults. (Wiggins, 2012, p. 10). In order though for feedback to be considered meaningful one should:  name only behaviors that have actually occurred, say what you see, not how you feel, and avoid naming some students as examples for others (p. 10).  To accomplish this within a classroom setting teachers can utilize a number of technology tools. According to Pitler, H., Hubbard, E. R., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K, (2007) spreadsheets, word documents and electronic rubrics can assist teachers in communicating and reinforcement student behavior and effort. Electronic rubrics assist in defining a set of behaviors and proficiency levels that a teacher expects from a student or group of students. Utilizing word documents, teachers can generate point sheets, behavior plans and contracts, and reward tickets.  This information can then be recorded and displayed using a spreadsheet which can graph the data in a variety of ways (Pitler, et al, 2007).  By graphing data and recording information, it allows students to have a visual indicator of progress which can subsequently result in internalization and reflection on ones skill and behavior. When you use these three tools in conjunction with one another, it allows a teacher to engage in an open, constructive, and purposeful dialog with students.

According to Robert Marzano, research has shown that homework is one of the least effective instruction tools within a teacher’s tool box (Marzano, 2001).  Even though homework may not be the best approach to instruct students on new skills, it does help in support the drilling of mastered skills to ensure that they are maintained.  This concept of drilling skills through repetitive practice aligns with a number of behaviorism principals. Similar to feedback, homework provides teachers with a wonderful opportunity to incorporate technology resources. Teachers again can utilize spreadsheets in order to record and track student progress (Pitler, et al, 2007).  When presented as a visual within the classroom, students receive immediate feedback and can gage what areas they need to improve upon.  The internet is another resource teachers can incorporate to assign homework.  Through blogs, wikis, podcasts and web quests, teachers can create an interactive learning environment that challenges students to apply critical thinking skills and 21st century learning.  Teachers can also use websites that will drill students on fact families, phonemic skills, comprehension skills, and a multitude of academic areas.  Through expanding ones definition of homework, teachers are able to create a learning environment that extends beyond the brick and mortar setting.

References

Hattie, J. (2012, September). Know thy impact. Educational Leadership, 70(), 18-23. Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/sept12/vol70/num01/Know-Thy-Impact.aspx

Hattie, J. (2008). Visible Learning. New York, NY: Routledge.

Marzano, R., Norford, J., Paynter, D., Pickering, D., & Gabby, B. (2001).  A handbook for classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Pitler, H., Hubbard, E. R., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Work. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Standridge, M. (2002). Behaviorism. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved on September 9, 2012 from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/

University of Kansas. (2012). Positive reinforcement. Retrieved from http://www.specialconnections.ku.edu/?q=behavior_plans/classroom_and_group_support/teacher_tools/positive_reinforcement

Wiggins, G. (2012, September). Seven Keys to Effective Feedback. Educational Leadership, 70(), 10-16. Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/sept12/vol70/num01/Seven-Keys-to-Effective-Feedback.aspx

 

Reflection on Understanding the Impact of Technology on Education, Work, and Society

As this course, Understanding the Impact of Technology on Education, Work, and Society draws to a close, I am taking the time to reflect on what I have learned and how it will affect my growing technological abilities, my knowledge to effectively integrate technology in my classroom, and how to become a teacher leader in the area of technology integration

In what ways has this course helped you to develop your own technology skills as a professional teacher?

            This course has helped me develop a broader understanding of the availability of the different types of technology.  More important the course has expanded my knowledge on how to integrate digital tools into my classroom efficiently.  Although the terms such as podcast, wiki, and blog are not new concepts to me, they have been more of an abstract concept, which I gave little thought to integrating into my class.  Through this class, I have expanded my instructional practice to incorporate more virtual experiences for my students and have begun planning outside the four walls of the brick and mortar. November, (2008) indicates blogs have the capabilities to create and move the classroom and information beyond the school environment.  The learning audience for the teacher and the student’s transfers from being in class peers to a global community that includes parents, other learners around the world.  In addition, November, (2008) cites that the benefits of blogging provide authentic learning opportunities as students to be empowered to collaborate and develop accountability, and add value to our ever changing world.

In what ways have you deepened your knowledge of the teaching and learning process?

           

     Prior to taking this course, I was believed that I had been successful in integrating technology into my lesson through incorporating PowerPoint’s and other media presentation.  Through this course, I have a deeper understanding that technology is more than just switching from a lecture to a PowerPoint.  Dr. Thornburg, (2010) in his lecture entitled The Emergence of Educational Technology, cites educator need to challenge ourselves to envision technology outside of Microsoft Office Suite (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010).  I have come to understand that technology is not simply the act of using a device to enhance learning; its purpose is to help students move forward in their understanding of the world at large.  Furthermore, I must keep  in mind Dr. Thornburg (2010) assertion in his lecture that technology is not a pedagogy, but releases teachers to develop new and creative ways to facilitate ongoing dialogs and learning experiences (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010).

In what ways have you changed your perspective from being teacher-centered to learner-centered?

     In teaching, I have always been a strong advocate for learner-centered environments.  My lessons are geared to develop collaborative experiences for students and real world opportunities.  What were lacking were experiences outside of our community and school environment.  Computers and technology allow teachers to differentiate based on the individual learning needs of students, while broaden the depth of their understanding of the material (The Changing Role of the Classroom Teacher: Part 1, 2010).  What makes technology inherently learner centered is the power it creates within a teacher to develop different ways of teaching.  The key is to not just repeat your practices and simply adding a computer, but to truly alter how the student engages and approaches a given topic (The Changing Role of the Classroom Teacher: Part 1, 2010). 

In what ways can you continue to expand your knowledge of learning, teaching, and leading with technology with the aim of increasing student achievement?

     In order for schools to remain viable and relevant, they need to alter their perception regarding the exchange of teaching and learning between staff and students.  Merely purchasing the latest tools will not ensure student achievement.  Tools are meaningless unless they are used appropriately and with purpose (Keengwe, Onchwari, & Wachira, 2008).  Technology is a vehicle schools have at their disposal to” empower students with thinking and learning skills, and help students interact with complex materials” (Keengwe, Onchwari, & Wachira, 2008).  As an instructional leader, I need to help empower my colleagues to seek out technology that will expand and challenges their students understanding.  This can be done through sharing articles, conducting professional development opportunities and coordinating with my building principal and technology coordinator to lead a technology task force. 

Set two long-term goals (within two years) for transforming your classroom environment by which you may have to overcome institutional or systemic obstacles in order to achieve them. How do you plan to accomplish these goals?

     In reflecting upon my goals for the coming years, of course I want to ultimately complete my Masters in Technology so that I can be more effective instructional leader and educator.  In relation to my classroom environment, my first goal is to be more intentional and deliberate in my incorporation of technology into my lesson plans.  Even though not every lesson plan I have and implement requires technology, I want to integrate various technology tools to expand how my students explore and demonstrate knowledge. To that end, I want to explore resources that will enhance my instruction and allow me to expand upon students existing knowledge.  In a sense, this goal is directed how I am going to plan and instruct my students with the support of technology.

     The second goal I have is to use technology to develop inquiry based activities that require students to use a variety of technology resources.  Although this goal relates to my initial goal of effective planning, this goal is directed at creating a learner center environment that fosters 21^st century skills and independent learners.  The activities will continue to be collaborative, but the collaboration will expand beyond the brick and motor.  I would like to incorporate more virtual experiences for my students in which they can engage in the material in a variety of novel activities. 

     In life, we face a multitude of obstacles in order to ultimately achieve our goals.  With the two goals I have outlined, I am faced with both institutional and systematic obstacles.  First, within my school there is a hierarchy of needs that places emphasis and resources upon those curricular areas covered on standardized testing.  As a result my content, Spanish, is lower on the hierarchy thus creating difficulties with access and use of technology.  In the past, access to computer labs, mobile labs, projectors, response clickers were only available for the 21^st century teachers.  Even when this precedent was altered there was still an unspoken understanding that certain contents had priority over the available resources.  In order to combat this current deficit, I have to illustrate to my administration that through my incorporation of inquiry learning and technology I am in fact supporting all the other content areas.  I will need to meet with my leaders, articulate lesson plans, and invite staff to observe the greater benefits students are receiving.  Once I am able to demonstrate success, access should be easier to achieve. 

     The systematic obstacles relate simply to the lack of up to date computers and resources within my school district.  This is a struggle most schools and districts have, and one that cannot be easily remedied in the current economic situation.  As a result, I am going to have to simply work with what I have and spend time researching and practicing how best to use current technology ideals with outdated resources.

Refer to your checklist from Week 1. Have any of your answers changed after completing this course?

     When I reflect back upon the checklist created in week one I noticed that I rarely incorporated 21^st century skills and technology into my educational practices.  The greatest element I have gained from this class is the awareness and understanding of how technology interacts with curriculum planning and design.  The areas I personally saw the most growth were in how I design and collaborate with students my learning activities and experiences.  I am more comfortable and familiar with available technology resources to expand my lesson into a virtual classroom.  In addition, I feel more competent as an instructional leader to model and assist others in the development and understanding of current technology practices.

References:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2010). The changing role of the classroom Teacher: part 1 [Video webcast]. Retrieved from: https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_1342456_1%26url%3D

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2010). The emergence of educator [Video webcast]. Retrieved from: https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_1342456_1%26url%3D

 Keengwe, J., Onchwari, G., & Wachira, P. (2008). The use of computer tools to support meaningful learning. AACE Journal, 16(1), 77–92

November, A. (2008). Web literacy for educators. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu/bbcswebdav/institution/USW1/201260_04/MS_EDUC/NCATE_EDUC_6710/Week%201/Resources/Resources/embedded/November_Ch6.pdf

Podcast with Kate MacMorran

https://www.box.com/s/a45dfdc8057b6e5d8a2e
Welcome back and thank you for rejoining my ongoing discussion about technology integration in education. This week I interviewed Kate MacMorran, to discuss how she utilizes technology in her personal and professional life.  Through the interview we delve into such areas as technology dependency, integration in schools, the role technology plays in her life and the disconnection that can be created through non authentic interactions.

Evaluating 21st-Century Skills

 Delving into the website of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, one can easily become overwhelmed with the amount of information and resources available. While there is a plethora of information and resources to support educators utilizing 21st century skills in the classroom, the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, have created a user-friendly website. Navigating through the website is quite simple, it almost seems the websites and been created with the not so tech savvy individual in mind.  Yet, the website not only serves as a resource for educators, but as a source to clarify and discover teaching strategies to integrate 21st century skills.     

What I found to be most engaging about the Partnership for 21st Century Skills website, was how it helped clarify my understanding of 21^st century skills.  So many times, we use educational jargon in our discussions without fully understanding all of the intricacies of the model.  The Partnership for 21st Century Skills provides information in a clear and useful manner that is easily accessible for teachers and other stakeholders. According to the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, today’s students need to move beyond the basics of the 3 R’s.  It is essential now that teachers emphasize the 4 C’s of 21^st Century Skills (Communication, Collaboration, Critical Thinking, and Creativity).  The Partnership helps to synthesize this information into a manageable and useful tool for educators. In addition, the skill maps the Partnership for 21st Century Skills created helped to guide educators apply these skills within their specific content areas.  The final area I found useful were the best practices tools created by educators that implemented 21^st century skills within the classroom.  So many times we speak of these concepts in theory, but to see an application helps educators generate ideas, which can subsequently be translated into their own classroom.

Although the Partnership for 21st Century Skills provides a number of resources and ideas that help support teachers within the classroom, I do have issue with a number of stances presented on the website.  The most concerning area, I found was the posting of statistics regarding how well schools are preparing students for the workforce.  Although I do feel that it critical for schools to instill character, values and basic social norms, schools are mirroring the desires of community stakeholders.  In the past, when schools have attempted to build in character education and other programs, the stakeholder’s object sighting that it oversteps into the realm of the family.  When schools attempt to instill accountability for behavior, attendance or timeliness, the stakeholders object and assert that the school is being unnecessarily biased towards a child.  Schools cannot be the lone facilitator for the moral education and academic education of children.  The burden of responsibility must fall upon all stakeholders and community members.                

 Reflecting upon the information from the website will help me to improve upon my own teaching practices.  I think that through further exploration I will be able to integrate 21^st century skills in a more natural manner without it appearing forced or as an after thought.  By exposing my students to the 4 C’s on a more consistent basis, allows my students to be better equipped to participate in a global economy. When you integrate critical thinking skills and promote various forms of communication into the learning of students, you not only improve their global understanding but you also improve your practices as a teacher.

References:

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills (2011). Retrieved from: http://www.p21.org/

Partnership for 21st Century Skills. (n.d.). A report and mile guide for 21st century skills. Washington DC: Author. Retrieved from http://www.p21.org/images/stories/otherdocs/p21up_Report.pdf

Integrating Technology into my classroom

As an electives teacher, the technology needs of my classroom appears more as an after thought for my building.  I have been blessed though with an amazing media specialist who has been able to advocate and procure a variety of technology tools that I can now utilize within my classroom. As an educator, I have always strived to incorporate various forms of technology within my classroom to enhance student engagement, increase rigor and create relevance for my students. Reflecting though upon my current practices, I have found that I have been neglecting virtual classrooms and web based tools.

In my district we have access to school fusion tools and moddle, both of which creates an ideal forum for developing an interactive learning community.  At one point I was diligently uploading videos, and resources to my moddle and fusion pages, but somewhere along the way I just stopped.  I am not sure if this was a result of my own complacency or the lack of student response to the resources.  Regardless it is a practice I need to get back into the habit of doing.  On the fusion and moddle sites I was able to differentiate activities based upon the learning needs of my numerous sections.  On my sites I uploaded videos, quizzes, flashcards, lecture notes, PowerPoints, homework, due dates ect.  I wanted it to be a resource for students to either receive support outside of school when completing homework and assignments or to accelerate learning for students.

In the future I want to add a forum for learning communities to complete group projects and assignments.  In my class we engage in web quests and other project based activities, and one of the biggest issues I have iscreating opportunities for the groups to interact.  Even though I provide class time, there needs to be platform that allows students to interact outside of school.  What I like about the virtual learning community is I can monitor participation and the dialogs occurring between students.

Regardless of how I integrate technology into my plans, I need to have an accountability piece built in to my instruction.  Accountability applies not only to the students but for myself.  Technology application needs to be an expectation for my students and not just a supplemental resource.  I need to ensure that it is as critical to student learning and engagement as textbooks, materials and discussions are in the brick and mortar setting.  To do this, fusion and moodle must then become part of the assignment and I must monitor it on a more frequent basis.