The 21st Century Teaching Mama

The Importance of Learning, Unlearning, and Relearning             We have come a long way from the days of being taught to listen, memorize, and recall information in school. We have evolved from what they called mastery of recall (Crockett, Jukes & Churches, 2011), to a learning environment that is collaborative and allows the students to play in role in how they are learning. In our classrooms today we are fostering 21 st Century learners who are critical thinkers, problem solvers, and innovators. As educators, it is our responsibility to foster a culture where students take ownership of their learning goals and outcomes in both independent and group settings (ISTE, 2016).Thanks to advancements in technology, we are able to provide students with multiple tools that allow them to be challenged and process information in different ways. These tools are important in strengthening students cognitive intelligence (abstract thi...

                                             Image via Shuttershock  This week we are using Voice Threads for our assignment. I have never used a Voice thread before and found it very cool and super useful for my classroom. For my voice thread, I focused on a math lesson. We just began our unit on comparing numbers so I used a Voice Thread to record the anticipatory set for the students.  https://voicethread.com/share/18659420/

              Constructivism and Constructionism are two theories that go hand in hand. They both focus on cognitive abilities and set out to build on students' knowledge and provide them with the tools to expand their knowledge and help them succeed. The theory of Constructionism was the brainchild of philosopher Jean Piaget. Piaget's constructivism offers a window into what children are interested in and can achieve at different stages of their development (Ackermann, 2002). He believed that children's way of thinking would evolve, and their worldly views will either change or stay the same. Constructivists believe that learners use their experience to construct a meaningful understanding of their learning (Laureate Education, 2015). Seymour Papert, who studied under Jean Piaget, emphasizes the importance of envisioning a better education experience by using tools and media. The use of these tools allows students to make sense of their world and...

For our class virtual field trip, we went on an adventure to Canada to learn all about the life cycle of an apple and where they grow. In this 360° tour, we learned about how apples are grown, packaged, and everything in between. We also met Canadian apple growers Murray and Joel, who explained the importance of working together to keep the apple orchard thriving and how critical Seasonal Agricultural Workers are to their business (Apple Orchards Video, n.d.). To begin our discussion on apples and how and where they grow, we made predictions as to how we think an apple grows. I first made a list of student responses. I then had the students come up to the board and drag an apple to their prediction. It was interesting because some of the predictions did not match the original responses I received. Once they had their predictions down, we embarked on our virtual field trip to Canada. We later created our graphic organizer on the lifecycle of an apple. We will later complete a craft a...

  Behaviorist Learning Theory, Instructional Strategies, and Technology Tools Behaviorism is a learning concept that has been rooted in the education system for many years. The concept of behaviorism learning was developed by B.F. Skinner and John B. Watson who were strict behaviorist and they sought only to determine how behavior is caused by external forces (A Science Odyssey: People and Discoveries: B.F. Skinner, n.d). According to Orey, the behaviorist learning theory emphasizes the idea that behaviors are learned and can be  changed or adapted based on the stimuli-response associations made by the learner (Orey, 2010, p. 271).  Behavior is a key classroom element because of its impact on the students and the classroom (WGU, 2020).   Skinner related the behaviorist theory to education by implying that students can be conditioned to meet behaviors by being conditioned to receive a reward through positive reinforcements and will continue the desirable behavior in o...

    In his book From Master Teacher to Master Learner , Richardson states that teachers must be learners  first when understanding technologies today (Richardson, 2015). Throughout my time in this course, I  have gained a greater appreciation for technology and a better understanding of what it takes to  integrate technology into the classroom. The Covid-19 global pandemic has put educators in the world  in a position where we have to rely heavily on technology to teach our students. This course has been  great in providing us with a number of different tools that are instrumental in successfully integrating  technology within the classroom.      Prior to this course, I possessed the ability to utilize different technological tools in the classroom. I  was always reading and researching the newest and best ways to include technology in my lessons.  My eagerness to keep up with the changing technology correlates with the RW...