How does/can technology impact or enhance sensory perception, processing, and storage? (Cognitivism)
Technology has a great impact on our brains. Researchers like Nicholas Carr believe that the influx of technology is causing too much input and that because of the constant distractions caused by the Net and smart devices we are not giving our brains enough to process the sensory input in order to create pathways for the storage of knowledge. Is this changing the way we learn? Are we unable to learn with the mass amounts of technology that has us constantly plugged in? In my opinion, if the technology is used effectively it can greatly enhance learning. Using technology in the classroom gives teachers an easy way to build multiple networks and pathways among the neurons that gives the brain an opportunity to rehearse and encode the information. If we think outside of the box we can come up with many ideas for using technology in a cognitive-based teaching approach, such as using Slidesnack or narrated PowerPoints to give the added bonus of the audio in a flipped classroom. Teachers can record a podcast of the spelling words and link it to the class website. Students can use Popplett to create graphic organizers that give the mind the opportunity to sort, organize and recall the information. When used correctly technology provides the means to differentiate the learning and build thorough connections among neruo-pathways giving students the maximum ability to learn
How does/can technology utilize the brain's reward systems to reinforce learning? (Behaviorism)
We know from our in-class demonstration by Kumen and Aaron that when we participate in a game we are boosted with dopamine that makes us happy, even if we are engaged in something silly like creating an outhouse! This comes from the internal joy of winning. Our brain releases the dopamine when we feel that a reward has been presented and then we are more inclined to repeat the behavior to experience another round of dopamine. Behaviorists believe that this is the true indication that learning has taken place. Teachers can use the reward system to impact learning and technology provides an increased variety of ways to reinforce the learning that has taken place. The behaviorist approach to technology is most commonly found in educational apps and games – any sort of drill, skill, and kill type of game that provides instant feedback to our behavior gives us the shot of dopamine (or) the absence of that dopamine that shapes our future actions. Teachers can use formative assessments like Kahoot to keep students engaged in the teaching process and with instant feedback to their responses. Technology can also be used for classroom management by using apps like Class Dojo or Bouncing Balls. Technology has been revolutionary for the behaviorism movement due to the instant gratification and feedback for the millennial generation.
How does/can technology engage students' emotions in learning? How does/can technology expose students to a variety of models to enhance learning by observation? (Social Learning)
When a baby is introduced to the world they are placed in the arms of their parents and their first encounter with society begins. We are constantly looking to learn from those that are around us. Research has been done in many situations regarding the effect of social interaction on young children. We learn how to respond to the world around us by watching the reaction of others. For example, if our daddy jumps out of his seat and his face shows joy when the blue football player runs across the white line it appears that the blue team makes daddy happy. However, when the yellow team crosses the same white line, daddy gets mad, clenches his fist and yells at the TV – logically we learn that daddy does not like the yellow team. This same approach to learning continues throughout school and children are able to regulate their own learning based off of how they observe and model the behavior of others. We have discussed in class how technology has been influential to autistic children that struggle to interpret the emotions of others because now they are able to observe these emotions in a less threatening environment using iPad apps. Children also are given opportunities to learn from experts without the necessity of leaving the classroom just by pulling up youtube! Video conferencing, interactive whiteboards for flipped classrooms, listening to a podcast that portrays a similar debate to the one your students are preparing for. The uses to technology are limitless! I personally love photography because a picture is worth a thousand words – so a teacher could pull up pictures from National Geographic to bring in the stories of other cultures and religions.
How does/can technology immerse students in enriched learning environments? How does/can technology promote consideration of multiple perspectives and the social negotiation of understanding? (Constructivist)
Technology gives us the opportunity to create! As we are paying attention to the input that comes from the consequences of society upon our actions to the outside world we take all of that information and strive to “make sense” of the world around us. I believe that all learning theories are used during the process of learning and that constructivism is the pinnacle point of learning. If a student is able to construct their own sense of the information they received then they become knowledgeable – learning has occurred. Technology can be used for project based learning and assessment. Instead of a standardized test on slavery the students can create a digital story showing what they have learned, they can travel through a web quest which leads them to constructing understanding from outside sources. They can use their blog as a way to reflect on the knowledge and piece together their final thoughts. Constructivism is extremely adaptable to technology because it allows students the freedom to explore and differentiate their learning.
I believe in a mixed method learning theory. I believe learning is constructed by observing others in our environment by which we then take the experiences and encode them as knowledge, relying on rehearsal to cement these ideas until our behavior changes to support our understanding of the new knowledge.
Sources
Carr, N., (2011) The juggler’s brain.Phi Delta Kappan, 92(4). Retrieved from http://pdk.sagepub.com/
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