Reflection: Integrating Technology and Personal Theory of Learning

The first three days at my new school are in the books. It is a very different place than where I have been for the last twenty years. I am still adjusting to the rhythm and culture of the "elementary mentality". I'm not entirely sure what that even means, but one of my new colleagues referred to it that way in a conversation this last week. That being the case, it may take quite awhile longer for me to settle into the routine.

The first week at Buena Vista Elementary has done more to solidify my personal theory of learning than anything else. While the students are not perfect, there is a much higher percentage that seem to be coming from a different place. I had said in my first attempt to articulate my personal learning theory that there are things more important to learning than learning style. One of those things is what I will refer to as learning outlook. I have thirty-two sixth grade students this year and the first assignment that I gave was completed by 100% of the students in my class. Contrast that with the one hundred and seventy-seven seventh and eighth grade students from last year who had an assignment turn-in rate somewhere in the low sixty percent range. I believe that a desire to learn supercedes one's learning style, and those who truly desire to learn, will learn despite intructional strategies employed by the instructor. Students who come from a place where a value is placed on learning, seem to learn.

Though I haven't changed my personal theory of learning, I am more aware of the prevailing learning theories and how they apply to classroom instruction. I will continue to use technology in my classroom, but will make attempts to shift from a teacher-centered use of the resources to a student-centered one. I am working on getting my classroom computer lab of twenty computers operational. The process has been a summer long ordeal, and I can see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. I still need a network printer, but I think that I can get one of those from the district this week. When I have things going, students will be able to access rubrics for student work, daily assignments and other class resources. Students should have a better idea of what they are expected to do because of this. They will also have access to the internet and all of its resources for information and practice. I really liked the website english101 and its activities to reinforce basic concepts of grammar. I would like to use these and several other tools that we explored during the course. The use of basic word processing and spreadsheet programs as well as presentation software in conjunction with our network to assign and submit student work is one of the things that I will get to at some point this year. I will also use personal response "clickers" for preview, introduction of material, and review of important concepts. This approach will benefit my students and give me a great deal of important feedback. Students get an idea of what they already know, what the big ideas are with new material, and reinforcment of the things they must know right away with the use of an audience response system.