Mrs. C. from the LMC
 

There are 4 or 5 overarching paradigms of educational learning theories; behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism, connectivism and 21st Century skills. These educational learning theories all show up in classrooms of today. Learning theories are described as windows in a house. All the windows look into the same house, but each has a different perspective. This example can be used for an entire school building. So many classrooms and each teacher teaching in their own style and the students responding to those styles as different as the teachers teach.

Behaviourism - Learning has occurred because we receive a regularly expected response.
Cognitivism - Learning has occurred when information can be recalled from the stored information.
Constructivism - Learning is interconnected-building knowledge by doing.
Connectivism - Learning is shared through technology and across the wide world and using 21st Century skills.

I used a bit from all of these learning theories in the course I designed. I made the class for sixth graders. My course definitely used constructivism. I designed the course with videos to watch and then put the lessons learned intopractise. Learning by doing. I also added a question during each stage that says - Where will I use this information that I learned wheni am not on an Amazon expedition? My project-based learning course has the students using all the Google Suite skills to help “The Company” design a supply catalogue, a field notebook and an itinerary. And by asking the question - Where else will I use this - I hope that the students will see what they are learning in class can actually be used in the world outside of the bells, lockers and lines.
“Understanding by Design” (UbD) by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe explains a theory that made me take a hard look at what I wanted the students to learn. The backward approach starts with communicating what your end game is. Why? - why are you teaching this unit? What do you want your students to learn and when those questions are answered, then you start to fill in fromthere.
This is where I started. I began planning. Simon Sinek says start with your why. They buy why you do it not what you do. I wanted students to see that Google skills and other computer skills have a place in their lives. The computer isn’t just for gaming after hours. That the skills andknow how from the daily life could actually creep into their gaming life. Connecting the Dots not just collecting them. Go to school - collect dots - leave them in the backpack until Tuesday’s test. Seth Godin’s voice rings in my head when I plan.
While “connecting the dots” my students are using the internet, Google and other online communities andcatalogues. This and the digital diary entries let my students develop their learning using the Connectivism learning theory. They get to see what others have done before them, how others have organized information and how others have taught online skills.
Online learning as it is in my course is a mix of blending and project-based learning. I have all the course information available for the students available for a 24/7 learning opportunity. Because the students are young, this will take a little training for them to realize that the course is always available to them. They are accustomed to a brick and mortar school and a teacher directing their every move. I feel so fortunate that my subject is in an area that the students are excited to learn at home. My desire is to teach the students that this learning is always available, and I also hope to help fellow staff members to create courses in this manner. I think many of the students would benefit. The fast students can work ahead, and the slower students can take the time to rewatch of redo as they need if the lessons are always at their fingertips.
I love the idea of letting/ leading the students to take control of their learning. Today we will multitask. Students can do the same. Students are not going to work in a regulated factory job as they have been expected to in the past. They will be asked to be creative, work as a team, communicate, collaborate. Schools in the past educated students how to behave as the business world expected. The objective to educate for the future has not changed - the expectations of the business world has.
I want to work with teachers in my school district to help them teach the students so that we can put them on the best path possible. We are still teachers, teaching the same core courses, but our end product needs to become flexiblefor the future.

Sinek, S. (2013, September 29). Start With Why - Simon Sinek TED talk. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3&v=sioZd3AxmnE

TEDxYouth. (2012, October 16). STOP STEALING DREAMS: Seth Godin at TEDxYouth@BFS. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXpbONjV1Jc

Wiggins, G. & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by Design (expanded second ed.). Alexandria, Virginia: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.