“Describe your own experience teaching or learning in the context of learning theory (behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism, social learning, connectivism). What theory best describes your belief around how learning takes place?”

Experiential Learning:

Participating in the Indigenous Specialization Program at UVic opened my eyes to the power of experiential learning and it’s guided my pedagogical practice.  An example of this in my classroom is my Buddy Reading Program.  I can talk to the students about the concept of “personal and social responsibility,” or, I can take my kids out of the classroom and give them opportunities to connect in their community. I believe this facilitates their identity and how it relates to community and the world.  Students reflect on the experience positively, and self-reflect on ways they could improve their interactions with the Little Buddy’s.

Constructivism:

As discussed on “Most Likely To Succeed”, the school curriculum we follow was created 130 years ago.  Since then, the way we access information has changed drastically.  In my classroom, students are not lectured at or using the entirety of class to do worksheet or gather information without the process of applying it.  Knowledge in my classroom is used as a tool to create, question, apply critical thinking skills or use in effective problem-solving situations. 

An example of this in my classroom would be a recent project in my Social Studies 8 class. Students learned about the Social Hierarchy of the Feudalism System in Ancient times. Students learned from a variety of sources including a documentary, textbooks, and a powerpoint presentation. They then applied their knowledge by creating a “Modern Code of Chivalry” and creating a powerpoint presentation to share their modern day codes with the class. The summative project for the unit was a world in Minecraft Education that conveyed the social hierarchy in a 3D Model. Students created incredible homes and farms of the peasants, including farm animals in the homes for warmth, as was reflective of the time. Students conveyed their creativity by constructing detailed buildings for each aspect of the social hierarchy. Some highlights include moats around the castles, specific weapons in the Knights homes, and artwork on the walls in the castles. In my opinion, these two examples demonstrate social constructivism, as students worked collaboratively with others to create these projects.

These projects also remind me of earlier research we learned about around the “SAMR Model” of integrating classroom technology. In my opinion, these two projects are examples of high level thinking, and using technology through the process of redefinition. The students are creating new worlds that reflect their knowledge acquisition, and no two worlds that they create, are the same. They can diversify their and create visual representations of their learning.

“The SAMR model, represented as a ladder, is a four-level approach to selecting, using, and evaluating technology in K-12 education. According to Puentedura (2006), the SAMR model is intended to be a tool through which one may describe and categorize K-12 teachers’ uses of classroom technology (see Fig. 1). The model encourages teachers to Bmove up^ from lower to higher levels of teaching with technology, which according to Puentedura, leads to higher (i.e., enhanced) levels of teaching and learning.” (Hamilton et al., 2016, p. 434)”
(Hamilton et al., 2016, p. 434)


(Hamilton et al., 2016, p. 434)

Scaffolding:

Scaffolding has always been an ongoing practice in my classroom and pedagogy.  Guided practice, modeling, graphic organizers, and chunking information are all part of my daily practice.

Community of Practice:

I have two consistent community of practice groups.  One in technology innovation and another that gets together quarterly to discuss how to support our grade 8 learners in their transition from elementary school to high school.  I enjoy getting together with other professionals so that I can enhance my perspectives, be reflective on my teaching practice, and enhance my knowledge base.