Blogging on the Bay

I know as I write this I am preaching to a choir of followers.  I write this to help my thinking and hopefully someone who reads my thoughts will write a comment and push my thoughts.  I am taking a graduate course titled Interactive Design for the Classroom. My focus for the first week is to come up with a definition for meaningful learning and evaluate how technology supports the classroom.  My last post was an off spring of all the things that are running through my head this week.  To combine my thinking here is to ask the question can the proper use of technology in the classroom enhance meaningful learning and teaching.

 Choir’s response: “YES!!!!!!!!!”

 I work at a traditional school and I find it very hard to convince those around me.   I watch at risk kids stay in the same bubble year after year while other advanced learners go a step further.  I go home to an eight year old daughter who finds learning at school boring. She doesn’t hate school. I think if I were to poll the middle school kids at my school I would find the same response. 

 Traditional schools values paper and pencil tests. They value learning from a consumer’s point of view. They value student’s conformity and rows of desk. They the value of learning from a score one get’s on a test. This is their world of meaningful learning.

 Meaningful learning has to incorporate  things that students find relevant and interesting and how it affects their lives.  Classroom pedagogy has to include purposeful activities that help students achieve a deeper level of understanding and comprehension. Practicing cold text to pass a standardized test does not cut it.  Students learn when they have time to think about what they are doing or what they have done.  This is what I am doing now and this time I spend writing is so important to what I am learning. Students need these experiences as well.  Relevant classroom activities serve to enhance thinking and learning skills.

Learning does become authentic when mixed together with your own experiences and own knowledge base.  What happens when a child’s experiences are limited and the knowledge base is limited? I teach in a high poverty rural schools with students have limited access to the Internet. It is funny they all have cell phones and MP3 players, but when it comes down to worldly experiences, it does not exist.  Many students have very low computer schools and lack the basic computer skills. Let’s refocus my thoughts, how can we use technology to provide experiences and build students’ knowledge base?

• 1. Many/Most kids from high poverty/rural areas do not have books at home and may have weak reading skills. Could we not provide audio book downloads to their MP3 players? Can we take advantage of these little devices to improve reading skills? I like to read, but sometimes it helps me to tune into a book on my Ipod and listen while I am driving, gardening, or walking. We need to rethink how we use technology as tool in life?
• 2. How can we use multimedia and online resources to give our students experiences? We could make the use of multimedia in our lectures. Provide virtual field trips. Make use of video conferencing. Allow students to enter blogs with their peers from other countries?

What are some other ways?

Advantages of implementing multimedia  in the classroom include:

• Motivation - This is important as we have learned that we must first engage the attention of our students before they are ready to learn.
• Learning styles addressed - Multimedia allows teachers to address various learning styles in the classroom. Students can see, hear, and imagine what things feel like as multimedia is used to bring a subject to life.
• Technology standards addressed - Technology is an important aspect of life today. Students must be ready to compete in a highly technological world.
• Access to limitless resources for teaching and learning - Teachers are no longer limited to textbooks as vast amounts of knowledge and teaching ideas may be explored.
• Student centered learning - Students will show accountability for learning when collaborative activities or project based learning is implemented through technology.
• One reason to implement multimedia into the classroom is because it is engaging. Multimedia allows us to make our lessons entertaining, therefore grabbing the attention of our students.
• The second reason is that it allows us to provide differentiated instruction. Having different ways to present information to our students allows teachers to meet the needs of all students.
• The third reason is that multimedia is a great way to make sure our lessons are organized. There are many tools that we can use to help organize our presentation, therefore making it easier to understand.
• The fourth reason is that we are exposing our students to the real world. Our students are going to be required to use multimedia in their jobs one day and by exposing them at an early age we are preparing them for the future.
• The last reason to use multimedia is that is can enhance concepts that are not as interesting as others. There are many ways that the web can turn a not so interesting topic into something the students are willing to learn.
• Students relate to visual interactions, especially if there is a game like atmosphere to the presentation. This method helps the students become more engaged in the project.
• Life long skills. Many of the skills required to participate in a multimedia project are the same used on a daily basis outside of school and in college.
• Higher level thinking skills. Multimedia projects can raise the level of understanding and application of a subject matter.
• Pictures speak a thousand words. ELL learners or learners with other disabilities can get a lot out of the project by possibly listening to part of the information while seeing a picture that relates to the words.
• Classroom management. Class web sites can provide “one stop shopping.” Handouts, assignments, rubrics can all be accessible to students whenever they may need further information. This is also handy for students to complete their work whenever it is convenient for them.
• 1. Motivation- Students find the use of multimedia very motivating and entertaining.
• Addresses multiple learning styles- Material is presented using various learning styles simultaneously. For example auditory and visual approaches.
• Improves Traditional Audio-Video Presentations- Audiences are more attentive to multimedia messages than traditional presentations done with slides or overhead transparencies.
• Increase in comprehension- Full interaction with the user which creates greater comprehension and higher level thinking skills.
• Preparation for the future- Exposing students to this type of presentation will prepare them to use and understand this type of technology in the future.
•  It is a media that our students can relate to. Many of our students have Ipods. When we use them in the classroom then we get their attention and they are willing to work harder.
• Teachers are able to step back and be the facilitator while students are engaged in group projects.
• Helps to prepare the teacher. A quality multimedia presentation makes sure that preparation has been done a head of time so that class instruction will be organized, include a variety of learning types, and be relevant.
• Teaches skills that will help our students become life-long learners and prepared for the job force.
• Helps students to retain and increase the learning because they are engaged, using more than one sense, provides scaffolding, visuals, and higher order thinking.
• 1. For the student who is consistently absent (guidance, sickness, ISS, OSS), having multimedia presentations means that they can see the materials when they finally do get to class, thereby receiving the same opportunities for learning.
• Since multimedia presentations are relatively new, they replace antiquated materials that students today lose interest very quickly. This is great for mainstreamed classrooms. The students at all levels of the learning spectrum can identify and use information in a meaningful way to them.
• Educators can adapt the multimedia presentation for those students that may be physically challenged. Students with hearing impairments, or physical disabilities will be able to use the hardware adaptations necessary to succeed with the programs.
• Language barriers can be knocked down by using any of the language transition facilities, thereby allowing students to use their knowledge in their own language and then translate for the educator to understand or vice-versa.
•  Multimedia presentations allow students to work at their own pace, teachers are able to implement IEPs more easily. Teaching assistants and non- teaching assistants can help differentiated during special tutoring time.
• Motivation: Today’s students need to be motivated to learn now more than ever before. Multi media incorporates learning with entertainment. For the most part, students just enjoy working on computers thereby making learning fun.
• Learning styles: Multi media addresses many different learning styles simultaneously. It is a built in way to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of many students.
• Drill and practice: Students enjoy practicing and studying much more when they can do so through a multi media game.
• Word Processing and Presentations: Final products are much cleaner and neater. It is also a much faster process than writing things out longhand.
• Exploration: The use of multi media allows students to explore areas of interest. It is much easier to jump online to research a topic than to drag oneself to the library and read a book.

We are use to classrooms where there is one person who total responsibility is to deliver instruction. We are so accustomed to this that we are constantly being programmed to think this way. We attend many professional developments where the presenter models this method and we see our own administrator conducting meeting and professional developments at the school level the same way. I know from experience traditional meeting and professional developments are necessary because of time.Tuesday I attend the South Carolina Middle School Leadership Reading Initiative meeting in Columbia with a small group of teachers, administrator, and reading coach for a one day workshop. This was the third time I had attended such meeting. Plus there were over 200 educators in this conference room.

During the six hour workshop, we learned a discussion strategy, analyzed regional data, read and discussed an article on change, and worked toward an action plan for change at our school. (And we had a great lunch.) In retrospect, individually we could have done all this one hour or though traditional pedagogy, a master teacher could have presented the material to us in an hour and half and then sent us home.

But instead, we slowed the process down and scaffold the agenda to allow thinking, analyzing, synthesizing, conversation, and reflection. Great classroom pedagogy was modeled from our two facilitators. A teacher from another school made the shocking comment about the day being a waste of time and how the content could have been delivered in one hour. That is all true, but that would not have allowed time for real learning. I never would have been allowed to share my ideas and my thoughts. My thoughts and ideas would never have been challenged or tested by hearing comments from others at my table. My learning never would have been enriched by the thoughts and conversations of others. I left the conference with lots to think about and hopefully the teacher who made this comment to me will have time to rethink about what she learned during the day.

Two days later I am still thinking about the article we read on Tuesday titled Leading Transition: A New Model for Change by William Bridges and Susan Michell. Now I have Bridges and Michells words to think about along with two administrators, three teachers, and two reading coaches to learn from.

In an attempt to explain how information in the world enters our senses, becomes stored in memory, is retained, forgotten, stored, used, or “meshedup” to construct new knowledge, this paper will make an attempt describe four different learning principles and relate those four principles to ones own personal and professional life.(Alessi & Trollip, 2001, p.19)  In our society we cannot escape the power of multimedia that surrounds us through television, advertisement, and the Internet.  Multimedia should play a powerful role in classrooms across American.   The outcome of this writing will focus on this writer personal understanding of multimedia in the learning environment.

In order to understand learning principles centered on multimedia, one must ask learners how learning takes place.  How does knowing take place?  How does the process of knowing happen? Cognitive psychology places emphasis on unobservable constructs such as the mind, memory, attitudes, motivation, thinking, reflection, and other presumed internal processes. (Alessi & Trollip, 2001, p. 19) The senses and the brain follow complex and very systematic links that are similar to a vast network. The formation and the processing of knowledge is a complex process that ignites neurons and cells across a massive but careful planned network of travel that rarely alters route unless simulation is provided from external sources.  No two DNA or humans are the same, but may be similar in capacity or pathways. Schemas may be modified externally or with newly created knowledge to accommodate new knowledge. Gardner’s theories of Multiple Intelligences are validated from brain research study.  Therefore the focus is own four learning principles or approaches in relationship to using technology.

Perception and Attention

Perception and attention begins with the learner’s environment. Perception is the process in which the person is exposed to information, attends to the information, and comprehends the information presented.  Attention, on the other hand, can be voluntarily, involuntarily or selective depending on the stimulus.   Allessi and Trollip point out that neither of these concepts is automatic or easy. The authors of the text talk about three main principles are relevant to both including the information, the position (spatial or temporal) of information and how it affects perception and attention, and how differences attract and maintain attention. (Alessi & Trollip, 2001, p. 21) Multimedia today can enhance both of these concepts using colors, texture, visual pop-out effects, texture, backgrounds, fonts, pictures, objects, video, audio, clarity, details or not so detailed, animation, and the pace at which things are presented.      

As a learner, the font size plays an important role and the illustrations that appear on a page or in digital format.  People are turned off by cluttered web pages with lots of text.  Colors seem to hold peoples attention.  The quality of the clip art, video, charts, graphs, and pictures play an important role to this learner.  Multimedia must be careful not to distract the viewer or learner, but must know the audience well in order to build upon the learner styles of the group.  Attention must be maintained through interactivity using different senses or moving around the classroom.  Many classrooms are void of deep student interaction, but strong teachers teaching their heart away to empty vessels that show the right emotion to the teacher.  Multimedia builds ways to engage the learners mind into the lesson.  Bold multimedia lesson can take student to new levels of learning as it has done for this writer.

Encoding

What ever the learner has been attending to must somehow be transformed into a format that can be stored and process in the brain.  All of this depends upon the format of the information in the environment, the medium of the information, and the interrelationships of different information elements. (Alessi & Trollip, 2001, pg. 21-22)  Encoding involves transformation, processing, storage, retrieval, and utilization of information. In terms of learning, when a person is learning a new task or is confronting a new environment, the executive function requires more processing power than when one is doing a routine task or is in a familiar environment. (Grand Canyon University, n.d., p.1)  As teachers and from experience we have learned learning may be enhanced  when more that one stimulus is used simultaneously. Learning may be enhanced with a combination of visual and auditory.  Multimedia in our classroom provides many ways for this to happen.  A multimedia lecture on the essential characteristics of the limited government in England following the Glorious Revolution and the unlimited governments in France and Russia, including some of the restraints placed upon a limited government’s power and how authoritarian and totalitarian systems are considered unlimited governments.  This lecture with video, key points, notes, pictures, and interactive questions can benefit the encoding in the learner brain.  One must consider the many mental models that were created and stored for later learning.

Memory

That having perceived and encoded information we must be able to retrieve it and use it at a later time. (Alessi & Trollip, 2001, p. 22) The authors go onto say that there are two methods for enhancing the performance of memory which are the principle of organization and the principle of repetition.  More emphasis should be placed on the principle of organization because the way the information is organized plays major variable in how long and better the information will stay with the learner.  The organization enhances the learner.  It makes recall even better than repetition.  This writer has taken study note and turns them into graphic organizers and flowchart and pastes them to a wall for a visual and learning center.  Graphic organizers have been effective in teaching writing especially the hamburger model designed by the College of William and Mary.  The repetition of using the same model in writing for many genres of writing has proved to be effective in improving and embedding thought patterns in developing essays, stories, and compositions.  Showing learners the organization of new information often makes recall easy without much practice. (Alessi & Trollip, p. 23) Particular attention must be made in planning and organizing multimedia presentation so the learning is maximized.

Comprehension

The final cognitive learning principle is comprehension.  Comprehension deals with being able to apply or use what you have learned.  It is more than just recalling from memory. It encounters taking experiences, knowledge, and new knowledge to make new knowledge or to make operative in our own environment. It encompasses taking what is learned and transforming to a new level of knowing.  (Alessi & Trollip, 2001, p. 23-24) What is processed from the multimedia used during instruction can be taken to new level of creating content that demonstrates learning.  Technology clearly brings down wall and makes new schema for learning that is more than can ever imagined. A multimedia lecture on the essential characteristics of the limited government in England following the Glorious Revolution and the unlimited governments in France and Russia may bring a learner to create a documentary, a brochure, a website, or other publication as new content material.

Conclusion

Multimedia should play a major role in K-12 classrooms across the United States. Cognitive and constructivist learning theory supports as well as research done by Bruner and other researchers.  Our K-12 students are products of a digital age and the digital age is their future.  Teachers across America must adapt and bring the digital age into the classroom through whiteboard technology, learning on the Internet, blogging, pod and video casting, and much more. New methods of assessing learning in classrooms are needed to focus on the products our K-12 student build rather than how they performed on chapter test.  Assessment should focus on the how they apply the knowledge they learned.  Learning should be on the focus of creating new knowledge for the learner.  Multimedia is a tool that is being used heavily in advertising and entertainment. It is time to bring that tool into all K-12 classrooms.

Alessi, S. M., & Trollip, S. R. (2001). Multimedia for learning methods and development (3rd ed.). Boston, Massachusetts: Allyn and Bacon.

Grand Canyon University (n.d.). TEC 545 lecture one. Retrieved October 30, 2007, from http://angellms.gcu.edu/section/content/default.asp?WCI=pgDisplay&WCU=CRSCNT&ENTRY_ID=62e38ea186f1e15ef5a1e75b847b0085