Albert
Einstein stated, “It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in
creative expression and knowledge.” (Blaydes, 2003, p.23). As a constructivist and a Christian teacher,
it is noted creative expression comes before knowledge. I believe Vygotsky is a compelling theory,
which teachers can expand on with influences from other theorists as Piaget. Best practices for teaching must not focus on
one belief system but a combination of several.
I maintain in order to be an effective educator one must allow the student
as an individual dictate learning styles for themselves. Teachers must maintain the role of facilitator
and curriculum design but how the assignments are completed should allow for
creative expression from the students.
Communication
is essential for learning to be achieved.
As the Bible says, “And let us consider one another to
provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of
ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so
much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:24-25,
KJV). This is accomplished through blogs
and discussion board forums. Recently,
the lines of communications have stretched to mediums as Skype and
GoToMeeting.
If learning is
truly an event for a community then universities as Liberty are certainly on
the right track for social constructivist application. It should be stated, students in the online
environment can thrive as equals with those attending the traditional
classes. In finalizing the course, I have
met some very special individuals and will treasure the memories. I learned not only about content material but
was able to learn something new about myself.
References
Blaydes, J. (2003).
The educator's book of quotes. Thousand
Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Deulen, A. A. (2013). Social constructivism and online
learning environments: Toward a theological model for Christian educators. Christian Education Journal, 10(1),
90-98.
Crawford-Ferre, H. G., & Wiest, L.
R. (2012). Effective online instruction in higher education. The Quarterly Review of Distance Education,
13(1), 11-14.
Morrison, K. A. (2011). Using web
conferencing to teach constructivist, discussion-rich seminars. The Quarterly Review of Distance Education,
12(4), 269-274.
Romanelli, F.,
Bird, E., & Ryan, M. (2009). Learning styles: A review of theory,
application, and best practices. American
Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 73(1), 1-5.
Terry,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the good post. Your statement that “teaching must not focus on one belief system but a combination of several”, really stands out to me. I have been in education at the college level for about two years after spending almost 20 years working in the technology field. The time I spent working in the field had taught me that there are many ways to accomplish the same goal and because of this, I went into the educational field with eyes wide open as to the tools that would allow students to learn. This open thought has allowed me to continue to refine and change my teaching habits each quarter as I learn more about how the students learn individually. Each quarter I try to implement things I learned in previous quarters while still allowing the students to help shape the class while it is in session. Course design requires standards but as educators we must be flexible enough to understand that learning revolves around the student, not the instructor.
Thanks again for the great team project atmosphere this quarter.
Chris Lyons
Chris,
DeleteYou are so right about the learning revolves around the student. I do have to say though many times administrators and the school district get in the way of the main objective - the students.
Any post that quotes Einstein is a good post. You also picked an appropriate quote in that awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge is what I and just about every other teacher wants to be able to accomplish within the classroom. You go on to state, "Communication is essential for learning to be achieved" and I couldn't agree more. In order to pass knowledge to our students, we need to be able to communicate the message so each of the students can personally gain an understanding of it, remember it and synthesize and apply the knowledge. I also think that emergent technology has removed the barriers of effective communication from the online environment and made it possible to effectively communicate with students in an asynchronous and a synchronous environment. More specifically, I think the synchronous environment in distance education is the new frontier that is beginning to be explored but has a long way to go for it to be maximized. Do you think tools like Skype and GoToMeeting are more of a beginning or an end to a synchronous learning communication tool? Also, do you think that synchronous communication technology will eventually lead to the elimination of greatly diminished brick and mortar classes?
ReplyDeleteDustin,
DeleteSkype and GoToMeeting are the beginning of what is to come in the future. Remember Pac-Man and now we have World of Warcraft graphics. It will come from the imagination of people like Einstein. I do believe there will be a time when school buildings in the sense of the past will be replaced by online courses. There will always be a need to have a classroom for some students at least part-time.
Terry,
ReplyDeleteI love the Einstein quote. It is so true! I also agree with you about communication being a key ingredient for learning to take place. When students are comfortable enough to communicate with the instructor, they are more apt to ask questions when they need information. They will also be more likely to exert their own creative juices in response to assignments. I hope to become more of a facilitator in my classroom, as you mentioned, and give my students more options for showing me just what it is they have learned. Standardized tests do not give the real picture... but a self expressed answer to a problem will indicate whether a student has learned the concept and if he can apply it to a real life situation...
I've learned a lot from you during this course, Terry!
I'm excited about Xtra-normal, Animate, and some of the strategies you have mentioned in our conversations. I look forward to implementing them into my lessons. Thanks!
Lou,
DeleteThere was a time I was a racehorse trainer. I learned immediately the best horse does not always win the race. The same is true for standardized tests - the potential is not always projected on test day.
Thanks you and I have learned a lot from you as well. The important thing is if you are having fun - so are your students.
Hey Terry!
ReplyDeleteI too made note of communities in learning - especially when we are discussing distance education and a community doesn't just "happen." It can be a difficult thing to try to convert from a face-to-face course or program of courses to the online environment, but I think many courses at Liberty are doing a phenomenal job at this.
Thanks for your post!
-Zach
Zach,
DeleteI am in total agreement Liberty University ROCKS!!!!
Hello!
ReplyDeleteGreat post this week! I completely agree that the student should be able to learn in the way they learn best. I am a huge advocate for hands-on learning/constructivist approach, too. Students need to be active participants in the learning process instead of just mindless sponges. I also agree that communication is crucial (in all areas of life!). As technology progresses, there will be endless ways to communicate in the online classroom. Just this semester I got to learn and explore Adobe Connect and I am incredibly impressed with this program, although the price tag basically rules it out as a option for me (until I win a million dollars that is). I also could not agree more with your final statement. I have learned invaluable information as a designer and educator and am thankful for the chance to collaborate with my peers on such a deeper level than in my previous online courses. I wish you the best of luck in your future!
Rachel