Course Reflection

At the beginning of the course, I felt as thought I was a behaviorist. I still feel as though I subscribe most to this theory of learning, but I am also much better informed about other theories than I was before the course. I still very much feel as though rewarding desired behaviors and punishing bad behaviors is a very effective way to teach. Most of the other theories relate to things that I have done in class, but may not have been able to explain why.

I have had students construct artifacts such as papers, blogs, and powerpoints, but I did not understand the psychology behind why it was effective. I have always had students work in groups because I think that they need to be able to work collaboratively in order to be efficient in most lines of work. I used stories and tried to connect concepts to other life experiences but did not realize that I was using cognitive learning theory.

In the future I would like to use an interactive whiteboard effectively as a learning tool and not just as an instructional tool. Currently I have a projector and a screen, but I will soon have an interactive whiteboard. It is my goal to use this technology to get the students actively involved instead of simply another instructional tool.

I would also like to make better use of blogs. I have used blogs on a limited basis, but I think that it is a great way for students to continue discussion outside of class. Many students are not comfortable expressing opinions during class. I will continue to push them to do so, but a blog can be very helpful in doing this. It also holds students socially responsible for creating quality work. They will not just be graded by the teacher, but their peers will be evaluating their work as well.

In the long term, it is my goal to become more efficient in website design so that I can use it as a part of my classes. I currently run a website for our wrestling club, but it is very simple and would not meet all of my goals in the classroom. Another long term goal that I have is to use voicethread as part of some of my lessons. I thought it was an exciting way to learn and present information.