Social Learning using Technology

Link to my VoiceThread: 

http://voicethread.com/share/4942287/

I have learned a lot about cooperative learning this week using technology.  I have known about how social learning and collaboration are crucial for students to acquire twenty-first century skills.  However, I did not realize that there are so many technology-based resources that will deepen social learning beyond the classroom.  The main strategy that I learned about was VoiceThread. George Siemens states that in the connectivism theory, “visualization is important” (Laureate Education Inc., 2011b).  Students make connections to the images and ideas that they visualize.  VoiceThread is a way to connect content with images.  It supports the social learning principles as the students post pictures with comments for other students, peers, and community members to provide comments.  Having voice comments is an exciting way for students to provide and receive feedback on their work.  This tool also supports connectivism because the students make connections with the visitors of their VoiceThreads. 

Website creation such as creating blogs is another great resource that supports social learning theory.  Students are able to communicate in an open forum with others about their content.  Students could create a blog of how to successfully perform a skateboard trick.  They could include VoiceThreads or videos of the tricks along with the physics explanation of how the trick is performed.  Other skateboard enthusiasts can provide their own ideas.  Also, they could create a social networking community that is based on skateboarding with the interdisciplinary subjects such as math, writing, and physics concepts.  Dr. Michael Orey mentions: “In constructionism, you want kids to learn by building something.  Well, a really powerful strategy is to have kids build something together” (Laureate Education Inc., 2011a).  Constructing a blog atmosphere is a form of constructing a knowledge base on the internet.  The constructing is ongoing and collaborative in nature which is a great way to ensure future learning endeavors.

One social learning strategy that I plan to begin to implement is communicating with ePals found on the ePal website.  I would like for my students to use Skype to share their current projects such as recycling trash into artwork.  As VoiceThreads are “breaking down the walls that are in our classroom today”, I would like my students to share our VoiceThread with our ePals and challenge them to do a similar project (Laureate Education Inc., 2011c).  We would be learning how to create art using fine motor skills, communicate by speaking, and use Skype for global interaction.  I feel that the combination of all of these instructional strategies would lead to long term memory of skills that will be completed during the collaborative process.

Another resource that correlates with social learning principles is that students should communicate throughout the learning process.  I want my students to continue their learning at home.  Thus, Evernote is a resource that could be used to scan projects to email to parents to work with their children.  For example, if I am teaching how we should reduce trash, I would not want to waste paper by sending home a note for parents to create an artifact using trash from around their home.  I would rather scan the previously created project directions to email to parents.  Pitler, Hubbell, and Kuhn (2012) articulate that “[o]ver the past decade, it has become easier and easier to make websites” (p. 78).  Thus, instead of emailing to each parent, I could create a class website to post ideas for home learning with a social context.  Using these strategies will allow for community and global learning connections to take place.  Students will increase their ability to communicate in a variety of ways. 

Resources

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011a). Program eight: Social learning theories [Video webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Retrieved from http://laureate.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5700267&CPURL=laureate.ecollege.com&Survey=1&47=2594577&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=0&bhcp=1

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011b). Program nine: Connectivism as a learning theory [Video webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Retrieved from http://laureate.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5700267&CPURL=laureate.ecollege.com&Survey=1&47=2594577&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=0&bhcp=1

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011c). Program ten: Spotlight on technology: VoiceThread [Video webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Retrieved from http://laureate.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5700267&CPURL=laureate.ecollege.com&Survey=1&47=2594577&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=0&bhcp=1

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E. R., & Kuhn, M. (2012). Using technology with classroom instruction that works (2^nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: ASCD.