Connectivism and Social Learning in Practice

            In his lecture, Dr. Michael Orey explains that social learning occurs when students are actively engaged in constructing artifacts and conversing with others (Laureate Education Inc., 2010). While the students are conversing, they are sharing ideas, validations, and boosting each other’s confidence. I think that allowing students to work together is very important strategy to use in any classroom. In fact, I have my students work together as much as possible. I have had students work together to complete projects using power points, Wiki spaces, word processing, and podcasting. The results have always been fantastic and the learning powerful.

            Cooperative learning and the social learning theories go hand in hand. Cooperative learning is when students work together in groups to enrich their learning (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007). Cooperative learning is also an important strategy to help with interpersonal skills and decision making. These are skills that work to prepare students for the future workplace.

            Adding technology to cooperative learning is fantastic way to make collaboration more interesting, fun, and exciting for everyone in the classroom. Technology can also help to add some structure to projects and assignments. The idea of cooperative learning is not a new strategy to me; I have been using it for years. However, some of the tools presented in this week’s resources are very novel. I am very anxious to try tools such as ePALS, iWeb, Jigsaw classroom, and Voicethreading in my classroom. I think that students will enjoy working together with tools like these and they will do a lot to boost learning.

            Also, the possibly of reaching out to other classrooms all over the world is amazing. I think it is important for our students to be able to socialize and collaborate with students of different cultures. It is so easy for our students to communicate with each other through texting and Facebook. Why not allow them to bring that into the classroom and communicate globally with other students? We live in a connected society; it is time for education to catch up with what is happening in the global community.

Resources:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010). Program eight. Social learning theories [Webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.