Learning Theories and Technology in the Classroom

How Cognitive Theory can Support the Use of Technology Blog

UNIT 3

Greetings parents and guardians,

As always we are very grateful for the time, effort and interest that you devote to your child’s education and learning environment.  Our school is dedicated to providing our students with the highest quality education that fits the state standards and stays current with our ever-changing world so as to prepare your child today for success in the future.  The PTA is organizing a fundraising effort with the goal being to bring more computers and other current educational technology to the classrooms for student use.  Any support you are willing to provide to this cause is greatly appreciated.  Thank you in advance.

Education is forever changing.  The modern classroom of today is quite different from the classroom of 5 or 10 years ago.  Technology is the wave of the future.  In order for children to become properly prepared for not only their future, but also for the post-modern world in general, they must become informed and skilled with all forms of technology. 

Educational paradigms are manipulated in order to meet the needs of current times.  However, despite these changes, well-grounded behavioral and educational theories in regards to learning remain fairly consistent.  The premises developed by behavioral theorists have remained applicable to today’s most technologically advanced model classroom. 

Lev Semenovich Vygotsky developed the socio-cultural theory in which he defined learning as a process in which through the use of language the individual develops cognitive constructs and meaning of all items through social interactions with the people and tools of a culture (Kearsly, 1994).  Modern culture cannot deny technology as a virtually essential aspect of life. With the use of this cultural tool students can not only learn from one another within the classroom but also potentially have the opportunity to learn from a “global” classroom. In association with this theory, students will be able to advance at their own pace and have restrictive limits by grade or age. 

Albert Bandura is a social-cognitive learning theorist who is well known for developing a theories based on modeling and individual self-efficacy (Kearsley, 1994).  This theory can also transfer to be the technological based classroom.  The educator will be able model technology as not only a source of enjoyment and entertainment but will also model it value as a learning tool.  Through positive experiences the student will develop confidence, a sense of productivity and self-efficacy while becoming equipped with technological skills. 

Please follow the following links  to learn more about these theorists and how their respective theories apply to technology and learning:

http://faculty.mwsu.edu/west/maryann.coe/coe/vygotsky/vygotsky.htm

http://tip.psychology.org/vygotsky.html

http://www.funderstanding.com/content/observational-learning

http://tip.psychology.org/bandura.html

A lesson that incorporates technology in the classroom will motivate students and make learning relative and meaningful.   Such a lesson may be presented as follows:

Lesson:  Persuasive Unit – Advertisements and ad techniques.

Materials:  Computers, Microsoft PowerPoint, video camera, document camera, video projector, i-movie, poster board and markers.

Procedure:

Educator will ask students when and where they are exposed to persuasive materials (advertisements, billboards, radio adverts, magazine/newspaper ads, speeches, texts and commercials).

Educator will focus on commercials and using the Internet will view Super Bowl commercials from an Internet site such as:

http://www.hulu.com/superbowl/results

Students will view a PowerPoint presentation on techniques used by advertisers.

Students will connect and identify the different advertisement techniques used for each previously viewed commercial.

Students will create advertisements using the learned techniques in regard to a specific product.  Students will also create scripts for commercials to advertise their product.

Commercials will be filmed using a video camera.

Students will have the opportunity to edit their commercials using the i-movie program.

Videos/commercials will then be viewed through the use of a document camera projector. 

The following lesson provides evidence that the previously mentioned theories are applicable to the modern classroom with the use of technology.  The educator will provide modeling with technology and encourage individual self-efficacy.  The student will learn socially from each other as well as from the educator.  The learning will then transfer intrapsychologically, in this way the individual monitors his or her own learning. 

To complete the project students will create PowerPoint presentations of their own detailing the entire process as well as what they learned from the project.

In closing we would like to redirect your attention to our goal of fundraising for the benefit of the student.  Technology has become a part of just about every aspect of modern life.  Today, technology has emerged as an integral part of our society.  In the future Technology will become an even more vital part of our world.  Therefore it is important that we prepare our students for the future and future success

References –

Kearsley, G. (1994). Social development theory (L. Vygotsky). [Online]. Accessed from, http://www.gwu.edu/~tip/vygotsky.html , accessed on February 13, 2009.

Kearsley, G. (1994) Social learning theory (A. Bandura).  [Online]. Accessed from, http://tip.psychology.org/bandura.html , accessed on February 13, 2009.