Learners as Social Creatures

            Humans are social creatures.  We observe, we listen, we ask, we respond, and we share.  We use our experiences as our foundation for learning, and those experiences are the result of human interaction.  We are also creatures of habit, so repeating the same behaviors or tasks make us more likely to create habits.  Making sure my students form good habits in relation to their social learning is important.  Including structured cooperative learning activities to use as that foundation will allow their creativity to flourish and their learning to deepen.  Social learning theories focus on constructing knowledge through conversation (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010a) and connectivism addresses the fact that learning is the act of forming networks and navigating networks of knowledge (Laureate Education, 2010b).  Using collaboration tools can facilitate the formation of these networks.

            The newest instrument in my tool kit is VoiceThread, a technology that I am anxious to try in my classroom (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010c).  VoiceThread appeals to me because I can apply what students love today, Instagram, and take its graphical nature and have students construct meaning from a picture or video I post.  VoiceThread will allow me to have a digital conversation as students with whom I have shared my thread will be able to comment via phone, audio, or video.  It allows for wait time so students can put thought into responses, and it allows us to build off of each other’s ideas and opinions.

            WebQuests are another collaborative tool I look forward to increasing in usage in our classroom.  Such a task allows teachers to “channel student energies and also clarif[y] the teacher learning objectives” (Pitler, Hubbell, & Kuhn, 2012, p. 146).  I can target their study, but they are free to form their own solutions through their discussions and debates.  By incorporating classroom wikis, blogs, or Skype into this process, students can continue to communicate and exchange ideas outside of classroom walls. 

            Many other tools allow for communication and collaboration.  Tools such as Google Apps allow students to put together presentations.  Keypals, or internet pen pals, allow students from across the world to communicate and share ideas (Pitler et al., 2012, p. 145).  Shared calendars, websites, and bookmarking are all ways for people to work together (Pitler et al., 2012, pp. 147-151).

            Depending on the specifics of the project, any of these projects are examples of social constructionism.  Vygotsky mentions a More Knowledgable Other (MKO), or a teacher or peer tutor, scaffolding initially and then allowing students to work through a Zone of Proximal Development  (Orey, 2001, para 29).  Cooperative learning groups that have a variety of skill levels will allow for this.  Piaget focuses on detached observation, something many of my students demonstrate; finding equilibrium is something they strive for as well, something they would do during a WebQuest problem-base project (Orey, 2001, para 29).  The work of Richard Prawat focuses on social activities such as using VoiceThread, engaging people and therefore turning learning into a social process, and Papert’s work focuses on the building of an artifact such as a Google presentation (Orey, 2001, para. 29).

            No matter how we interact, when we are communicating we are most likely learning something and building our knowledge base.  When that communication is focused with a clear purpose, cooperative learning takes place and social learning theories abound in classrooms full of engaged, active learners.

References

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011a). Program eight: Social learning theories [Video

            webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Retrieved from

            http://laureate.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5700267&CPURL=laureate.e

            college.com&Survey=1&47=2594577&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=0&bhcp=1

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011b). Program nine: Connectivism as a learning theory [Video webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Retrieved from http://laureate.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5700267&CPURL=laureate.ecollege.com&Survey=1&47=2594577&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=0&bhcp=1

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011c). Program ten: Spotlight on technology: VoiceThread [Video webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Retrieved from http://laureate.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5700267&

CPURL=laureate.ecollege.com&Survey=1&47=2594577&ClientNodeID=984650&

coursenav=0&bhcp=1

Orey, M. (Ed.). (2001). Social Constructivism. Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching,

and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title

=Main_Page

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E. R., & Kuhn, M. (2012). Using technology with classroom instruction that

            works (2^nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: ASCD