Learning+Theory+Activity

Often times teachers I work with tell me that they do not enjoy learning about educational theories and that they would rather spend more time on practical strategies that can be used in the classroom. Although not always apparent, theories can be great “tools for thinking” for a teacher. Specifically, theories of learning attempt to explain what happens when learning takes place. A theoretical perspective on learning is valuable in that it gives us a shared language and way of thinking as we interpret learning taking place in the classroom as well as outside the classroom. A theoretical view can help us think beyond the surface of what we see happening and provide a way to delve deeper into the process. A theory also guides us where to look for solutions to practical learning problems; in essence, a theory helps us focus on facets of the problem that are critical in finding and answer to a problem. In this activity, your ultimate goal is to decide on a theory (or a suite of theories) that supports your Inquiry Learning Project (ILP). As a way to overview possible theories, you and your partner will conduct a search on one of the theories below to learn more about it and post your results so that your colleagues can learn about the theory. Here are the steps:
 * What’s Theory Got To Do With It? **
 * 1) Conduct a search on one of theories below. Find at least 3 sources as part of your search. Critique the sites for legitimacy.
 * 2) Triangulate data as best you can to ensure that the information you find is accurate.
 * 3) Locate a definition of the theory, appropriate historical context, and an example of how it applies to learning.
 * 4) Share your knowledge using a communication tool of your choice. Upload your presentation to newlit.org with the ECI 546 Group.

[|Independent Lens: Off the Chart Web Karaoke] This tool is a easy as 1..2..3. Listen to a sample song. Compose your own poem or lyrics that represent what you learned in your inquiry process. Perform your song to ready made music.

[|Slideshare] Slideshare allows you to upload and share your PowerPoint presentations and Word documents on SlideShare. Share publicly or privately. Add audio to make a webinar. Share what you learned in your inquiry process through Slideshare.

[|Audacity] An open source, free, cross-platform sound editing system that records music, voices, or any other necessary sound for presentation. You can use Audacity to incorporate sound into podcasting, powerpoint, or moviemaker. Audacity is great for beginning podcasters. Make a podcast of what you learned in your inquiry process.

[|Toondoo] Toondoo is a cool, comic-creating tool from Jambav, a fun site for teachers and students. Jambav is devoted to creating a unique array of free and customizable online games of educational value for children of all abilities. Represent what you learned in your inquiry process through a comic strip.

[|Voki] Voki is a free service that allows teachers and students to create personalized speaking avatars and use them on your blog, profile, and in email messages. Let your avatar explain what you learned in your inquiry process.

Create a video using a Flip camera. Create a video of what you learned in your inquiry process.

Surprise Us!

1.Schema Theory - Bartlett 2. Metacognition - Flavell 3. Cognitive Load Theory - Sweller 4. Dual-coding theory applied to multimedia – Paivio and Mayer 5. Levels of Processing – Craik & Lockhart 6. Social Learning Theory - Bandura 7. Social Development Theory - Vygotsky 8. Connectionism – E. Thorndike 9. Constructivist Theory – Jerome Bruner 10. Information Processing Theory – G. Miller 11. Genetic Epistemology – Piaget 12. Operant Conditioning – Skinner 13. Situated Cognition – Brown, Collins & Duguid 14. Multiple Intelligences – Gardner 17. Elaboration Theory – Reigeluth 18. Situated Learning (legitimate peripheral participation) – Lave and Wenger 20. Discovery Learning – Bruner 21. Distributed Cognition – Hutchins 22. Activity Theory – Vygotsky 23. Surprise us with a different theory!
 * Learning Theories to Explore **

Learning Theories. See @http://www.learning-theories.com/activity-theory.html