Sunday, July 15, 2012
Module 3 Blog Assignment
Do you believe that humans have a basic instinct to “interact and work as a group,” as Rheingold proposed in his discussion of the evolution of Wikipedia as a collectively developed encyclopedia?
I believe that the basic instinct of humans is to work
alone. I do not believe that humans have a basic instinct to work as a group.
Humans do have an instinct to want to interact with others but the skill of
being able to work as a group is one that needs to be learned. When it was
required that we start using the Math Workshop Model in our classes, we had to
teach and train our students how to work together. They were used to completing
assignments on their own because that was how math had been taught in the
county starting in elementary school. While I enjoy working with others, I have
to make sure that my tendency to “want to be in control” is kept in check. I
had to learn how to work with others and learn from others.
How can technology facilitate collaboration among learners based on constructivist principles?
Constructivists believe that the learner is an active
participant in his/her learning. The use of technology allows the teacher the
opportunity to create activities that will meet the individual needs of
students and allow for them to be actively engaged in their learning. “Students
are not passive recipients of instruction that has been designed for them.
Instead, they are actively involved in determining what their own learning
needs are and how those needs can best be satisfied” (Driscoll, 2005, p. 399) . It is imperative
that children today learn how to apply concepts and knowledge learned rather
than simply memorizing and regurgitating it. While this was written in 1995, I
thought is summed up how technology can facilitate collaboration among learners
based on constructivist principles.
In a technology-rich environment
one must remember that the educational focus is on learning and instructional
goals instead of the technology itself, because technology [is] merely [the] tools
or vehicles for delivering instruction. It is not what equipment is used, but
how the equipment is used which makes it relevant to a constructivist classroom
(Matusevich, 1995, para. 14).
Through the use of computer
simulations, virtual field trips, and SmartBoard activities, students can
collaborate and connect their learning to real-life as well as be an active
participant in their own learning.
Find a current research study that has been conducted in the last 5 years that supports collaboration as an effective tool for learning. Include the link and reference for this study in your blog.
There was a mini-research
project conducted on the use of Wikis supporting collaboration. “Based upon
research findings … children are collaborative when learning with the support
of Wikis. Therefore, Wikis could be seen as an effective tool to support
collaborative learning … and facilitate group learning where students can learn
and share knowledge” (Allsop, 2011, p. 136) .
References:
Allsop, Y. (2011, Oct). Does collaboration occur when
children are learning with the support of a Wiki? The Turkish Online Journal
of Educational Technology, 10(4), 130-137. Retrieved from
http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/EJ946618.pdf
Driscoll, M. (2005). Psychology of learning for
instruction (3rd ed.). Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.
Matusevich, M. (1995, May). School reform: What
role can technology play in a constructivist setting? Retrieved from Pixel:
http://pixel.cs.vt.edu/edu/fis/techcons.html
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