Identify a major learning theory and explain how this theory influences your views about student learning.  What are the relative roles of the teacher, the student, and the classroom environment in learning?

My career path has led me to creating and administering career development curriculum, providing programs to at risk youth, and the learning theory that best coincides with these experiences is constructivism.  I help students create portfolios as I guide them through meaningful project-based learning activities.  As Piaget points out, with us learning from our previous knowledge, our memory is constructive (Sternberg and Williams, 2002).  Building a portfolio is constructive and is built on memories. 

In addition, I firmly believe that students learn best from experiences that they are most interested in and passionately involved with.  In order for me to assess what my students are most interested in, I offer a Career Decision Making workshop (see Appendix A) to have students explore their interests, skills, values and aptitudes.  By completing this workshop, they are using meaningful and personal information to begin creating goals for themselves and also synthesize information to help them understand life long learning and the concept of planning, another proponent of constructivism.

Another principle that I believe in very strongly is the need for students to trust each other and to experience a safe learning environment (Luckner and Nadler, 1997).  My expertise in Adventure Education has helped me build a level of respect within the groups of students that I work with.  Many of the students that I work with come from different schools, different cultures and different backgrounds, and forming a team is vital.  Some of the activities we do at our low ropes course while others involve rock climbing and high ropes, and we also do classroom activities that do not require leaving the school.  All of these activities challenge the students both mentally, through higher order problem solving activities, and also physically, through balancing, leaning on one another and being in very close proximity.  The students are all coached on our “challenge by choice” philosophy, where they are encouraged to reach out of their safety zone, but not required to do so.  Participation varies at first for some, but soon bonds are formed and the group is encouraging each other to try their best.

The outcome of these activities, whether they take place in the classroom or in the field, is a deeper understanding of each other and of one’s self.  Adventure activities can be adapted to be connected to any curricular area that a teacher teaches and they address important 21^st century skills of problem solving, decision making, communication and integrity.  For example, one activity named “Whale Watch” can be adapted to address laws of physics through balance and Environmental Science through completing a Greenpeace study of whales.  During the Adventure Education activities students complete a series of introductory initiatives to get to know one another, then progress to working in small groups to solve a problem and reflect on their experiences (see Appendix B).  The role of the teacher in these initiatives is to facilitate the group as they form, norm, storm and perform.

Another example of my constructivist practices is my use of distance learning.  Distance learning is flexible, interactive and offers a wide variety of resources (Herring, 2004).  I have used “eschool builder”, an online class to offer threaded discussion for students.  This allowed youth from different schools to stay in contact between meetings and to engage in reflection activities that could be shared with the whole group or small cohorts for peer evaluation.  Many of the students I work with have learning impairments.  They enjoyed creating their reflections and participating in collaborations by showing others the web page they developed or the photos they took.

My students have also had good experiences using additional online classroom tools, such as “Metrix” and “Skillport” to take classes in health and business.  Forty students out of a group of forty-eight students completed their online classes in their own time.  Computers were available for them to use at the school during study halls, lunches or after school hours.  In addition, the students used computers in their homes, community centers and libraries.  When their required courses were completed, some students asked to take more classes during the summer months.  I feel that this enthusiasm was supported by the findings of the Kaiser Foundation (Bers, 2006), that 74% of households have a computer with internet access in their home.

Further reinforcing the belief that constructivism is a person constructing his own learning, is “constructionism”, and the theory of learning by design (Kolodner, Crismond, Gray, Holbrook, & Puntambekar, 1998).  I feel that this strongly correlates with my beginning use of wikispaces for student construction and interaction.  I am using this currently for teachers to share career development ideas, especially in how it correlates with secondary school reform (see Appendix C).  The wikispace I have created also has discussion tables for students to reflect on their learning.  Furthermore, it is collaborative in that users can edit it as they see fit, working together to create a product, which correlates with Vygotsky’s theory of social constructivism.

The approach that I take when teaching my students to create a portfolio is another example of constructivism.  As Fosnot and Poplin point out some students learn best from the whole, to the part and then again back to the whole (Luckner and Nadler, 1997).  This is why I explain the big picture and the program expectations to students, including benchmarks, and work with them to develop a learning plan to keep us focused while in the program.  Another example of working with the whole to the part to the whole is how their portfolio is created through a Student Success Plan, or a plan of study.  By focusing on the big picture, students can analyze what parts are needed and then demonstrate their knowledge of these parts by putting together their portfolio.

How does your learning theory influence your curriculum development and assessment? How do you utilize technology to enhance student learning?

Constructivism influences my curriculum development and assessment mostly through my belief that students are the center of their learning.  My students create portfolios; they are members of project-based learning environments; they complete a demonstration to show their learning; and they write reflections and essays throughout their education.  All of these pieces give me, their advisor, information along the way that helps me adjust curriculum, facilitate conversations and coach where necessary.  I firmly believe that assessment and curriculum development go hand in hand, and the use of technology extends the opportunity for me to learn more about students, and for them to learn from each other. 

The Authoring Cycle is a style of curriculum development that I use (Short and Burke, 1991).  As is inherent in the constructivist message, students enter the cycle with life experiences, and that allows me to create a meaningful project for them to engage in.  Curriculum is developed to engage students with a topic that will trigger their curiosity and has some meaning to them.  For example, lesson plans are applicable to what my students are facing through their part time jobs, their internships and school situations and future learning goals (see Appendix D).     

In addition to creating their own portfolios, my students are presented with project-based learning, another concept directly aligned with constructivism, and a proponent of the Authoring Cycle.  Students explore their career interests and complete a project that is consistent with their learning goals.  Projects include construction, environmental studies and social services, and students enter at various levels in the spectrum.  Throughout completing these projects students work together to discuss, in a blended learning format, their experiences and frustrations.  This reflection allows for revision where necessary.  Some students may change to another project at the completion of a benchmark, while others may increase to additional leadership opportunities.

At the end of the project students present their learning to advisors, mentors and each other.  Some students create a PowerPoint presentation to highlight what they have learned, while others present their portfolio which would have Excel spreadsheets, pictures, discussions and reflections on technology embedded in it.  This final presentation reinforces important 21^st century communication skills, and also provides me with information of how these projects are influencing their learning. 

Technology plays a number of important roles in regards to curriculum development and assessment.   Online discussion threads and blogs allow for peers to learn from each other and also lead to scaffolding (Holmes and Gardner, 2006).  Two of the technology tools that I use to incorporate this are e-school builder and wikispaces.  In each of these tools, students respond to threaded discussions questions that I have generated by posting a comment and also reflecting on two others.  This also gives me the capacity to highlight student work, and it gives each student the opportunity to learn from one another in a social constructivist manner.

Diverse types of assessment, including portfolios, essays and demonstrations are needed to lead to more student engagement and participation (Herman and Dietal, 2005).  One of these assessment styles that I use is portfolio development, which works well with technology integration because students can compile their best pieces throughout their education in a more organized fashion.  Another example of the use of technology in assessment is through its ability to provide ongoing assessments throughout the project (Junui, 2006).  By using discussion boards and blogs, teachers have access to student comments and reflections and can coach, provide feedback and adapt curriculum where necessary. 

Technology use is inherent in constructivist teaching; however using technology does not mean that your teaching style is constructivist.  As Junui points out students in a teacher center classroom will learn to enter, memorize and recite data instead of being challenged through higher order thinking skills as in a student centered classroom.  In which case they will learn to peer evaluate, collaborate and synthesize and analyze information.  I feel that I offer that opportunity for learning by facilitating discussions and offering choice for projects for the students to work on rather than directing what they do.

As for my own use of technology as a teacher, I use Excel and Access to create spreadsheets and databases of where my students are completing internships, tracking hours to cross reference their log sheets, creating a checklist for their progression in portfolio development and mailing lists.  In addition, I use PowerPoint for making presentations for future grant funding and Inspiration for use of goal setting and curriculum mapping.  As a student at ECSU I have taken twelve online courses, and now I am implementing that with my students.  I am currently taking part in a pilot project to implement online learning for thirty students at a local high school, and I have an additional twenty-five students throughout northeastern Connecticut who will be taking online learning as a pre-requisite to their internship. 

How extensively and in what ways should classrooms, the curriculum, and teaching be adapted and differentiated to address diverse needs due to students’ cognitive differences, culture, language, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, and challenging conditions? How would you collaborate with parents, family, community, school administrators, and other teachers to help every student reach their full potential?

I feel that it is vital to provide a differentiated curriculum and classroom that offers adaptations and creates a meaningful and safe learning environment for all students to be challenged and learn.  As Carol Tomlinson points out, “the impetus to learn does not come from the content itself but from the invitation, the teacher making the content inviting.”  (Tomlinson, 2002, p. 1).  Furthermore, the five points of affirmation, purpose, power, contribution and challenge must be integrated into lessons to make students passionate about learning.  I feel that I incorporate these five objectives into my teaching experiences in the following manner. 

First, I affirm each individual’s learning style, interests and personality type, acknowledging their differences and caring for them.  Each student starts with a career decision making lesson, assessing and making reflections on their interests, aptitudes, values and goals.  They each get an individual meeting with me at the beginning of the program, and I have two meetings a week after school that they are invited to attend.  Most of them come more than the required twice a month.  Many also e-mail me.  My staff meets with kids during lunch just to check in, and we also see them in the community. 

My program is person-centered, and it takes a lot of planning to both prepare my students for the community’s expectations, and the community for the program expectations.  Work internships are developed based on student interests, and adapted based on reflections and work seminars.  At orientation, ground rules are established and ongoing project adventure activities create bonds and a deeper understanding of one another and expectations of behavior and safety.  Students are required to take responsibility for their work and their ethics, and they are evaluated throughout their experience. 

Second, providing purpose is a foundation of the learning opportunities I offer.  Each student completes a project that is connected to the community and his or her future career goals.  These service learning projects give back to the community in a purposeful way, and the students feel good about their contribution.  In addition, previously mentioned lesson plans, such as budgeting, career decision making, youth worker safety and goal setting are pertinent, and help students manage their personal needs.

Empowering students to be lifelong learners is an important goal of mine.  Each student in my program starts with a learning plan that we develop together.  It outlines the goals and activities we will be addressing and has a statement of commitment that the student then signs.  In addition, each student attends an orientation to learn about the internship code of conduct and the work readiness rubrics and expectations are reviewed.  This allows for each person to have the power to know what to expect and take ownership over decisions.   As Anderson (2007) points out, giving students choices, allowing them to be responsible for their work and reinforcing good decision making skills empowers youth to be ready for life.

I create learning environments where students are contributing to a larger good.  Many of my students work in group projects during my summer program to learn not only about the knowledge and technical skills needed, but to also learn how to work effectively in a team setting, a skill vital for future employability (Ediger, 2008).  This past summer youth from five towns came together and built birdhouses, bat houses, benches, vegetable stands while learning about environmental studies.  They had team building activities and daily work readiness activities with case scenarios that reinforced important work maturity skills.  Kids rotated job responsibilities and roles, they were evaluated by their peers and supervisors and they performed extremely well.  Communication was great, bonds were formed and production was high.  

Over the summer program when a student had a prior doctor's appointment and was going to miss a day of work, she was disappointed and distraught.  Another student was upset because she had made previous plans to go with her friends to a concert and she was going to have to miss a day.  Through communication with the students during the school year, I have learned that they still keep in touch with each other online and occasionally see each other.  I feel that each person’s sense of contribution to the group helped them perform more optimally, and they learned those core employability skills.   

Both the group projects and individual work sites present challenging activities for students.  In the group setting, students are challenged both physically and mentally through team building adventure activities.  We experience rock climbing and ropes courses, and students work with people that they may not know to address real life and challenging issues of communication, problem solving, diversity in the workplace and conflict resolution.  In an individual setting, students need to practice interviewing skills with members of the community and be accepted into internships, confronting a fear of rejection and having our support along the way. 

            In order to provide meaningful and challenging learning experiences and to increase student attendance and achievement, schools must work with families and the community (Sheldon, 2007).  The community can offer expertise in work situations and families can provide assistance in terms of expanding on cultural beliefs of their children.  School administrators can assist with communication, marketing new ideas and reinforcing your teaching philosophy throughout the system.  I have found that most of the programs that I have had success with were grant funded, and I needed administrative support to both apply for these grants, and to be chosen to implement them.  In addition, families make up so much of what their children are learning, so I include them in my planning and outreach for their assistance to help provide a more enriching curriculum (see Appendix E).  Communicating and engaging with families can help them learn about educational objectives and they can reinforce their new understandings at home.

Another example of integrating learning activities with the community is through my use of students working with an advisor from the school and a mentor from the business industry (see Appendix F).  This model allows for the student to explore a career opportunity with guidance from an expert in the field.  It has many elements of an apprenticeship program.  In my summer program, some students work in group settings on a daily basis with their advisor complimenting their technical skills with learning opportunities of soft core employability skills. These collaborative work situations allow for students to once again peer evaluating and learn from one another. 

Other students work in individual work situations, where they are working daily with a business mentor, but meet weekly for a seminar with their advisor.  These seminars allow for conversation about the work skills and frustrations they may be encountering.  Ethics in the workplace, communicating to supervisors and co-workers, safety issues, harassment, time management and other important conversations and lessons emerge in these seminars.  Additionally, advisors visit students at their worksites so that they are collecting data of student learning.

My belief is that we learn best from each other, which is why I incorporate the community into my teaching.  It is also why I develop lesson plans that are interdisciplinary, and work with various schools throughout Eastern Connecticut.  My interest in pursuing a degree in Educational Technology also came from this desire to work with and learn from others, for the obvious reason of increasing contact between physical meetings and allowing for more global perspectives.  I feel that these encounters are true to real life situations and will better prepare my students for the world that they are to lead.      

References:

Anderson, K. (2007).  Differentiating instruction to include all students.   Preventing School Failure.  51(3), 49-55.

Bers, M. (2006).  The role of new technologies to foster positive youth development.  Applied Developmental Science.  10(4), 200-219.

Herman, Joan and Deitel, Ronald (2005).  A primer on accountability: from standards to assessments school leaders need to know in the NCLB era.  American School Board Journal, December 2005. 

Herring, M. (2004).  Development of constructivist-based distance learning environments a knowledge base for K-12 teachers.  The Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 5(4), 231-242.

Holmes, Bryn and Gardner, John (2006).  E-Learning Concepts and Practice.  London:  SAGE Publications.

Juniu, S. (2006).  Use of technology for constructivist leaning in a performance assessment class.  Measurement in Physical Education and Exercise Science, 10(1), 67-79. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.

Kolodner, J., Crismond, C., Gray, J. Holbrook, J. & Puntambekar, S. (1998).  Learning by design

from theory to practice.  Proceedings of the International Conference of the Learning Sciences,   16-22. 

Luckner, J. and Nadler, R. (1997).  Processing the experience: strategies to enhance and generalize learning, second edition.  Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company.

Sheldon, Stephen (2007).  Improving student attendance with school, family and community partnerships.  The Journal of Educational Research, 100(5), 267-275. 

Short, Kathy and Burke, Carolyn (1991).  Creating Curriculum: Teachers and Students as a Community of Learners.  Portsmouth, NH:  Heinemann Educational Books, Inc.

Sternberg, R. and Williams, W. (2002).  Educational psychology.   Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Tomlinson, C. (2002).  Invitations to learn.  Association for Supervisors and Curriculum Development, 7-11.