EDLD+5364+Week+1+knowledge+learned

Being a special education teacher who likes to stay up-to-date on what's happening in the field of education, I have done a lot of research and studying on learning styles and because I have spent a couple of years begging for technology for my classroom, I have also researched constructivism and connectiveism so I was already very familiar with both of these ideas. What I found most interesting was the article on social networking technologies(McPheeters, 2009) and his discussion of what he calls "cyborg learning". I was particularly intrigued by his statement that "the new paradigm would allow education to focus on preparing a generation to adapt to the unavoidable rapidity of changes they will face. Learning how to learn will become the new curriculum because what we know will become decreasingly useful as obsolescence becomes as familiar as exhaling." I've given a lot of thought into where the field of education as I have known it is headed and I think McPheeters 'hit the nail on the head' as far as where the field of education is heading. I have been a proponent of the importance of teaching critical thinking skills and to start teaching these skills in the early grades. After reading this article, I am more convinced that critical thinking skills are even more important to the next generation of students.

References

Abbot, J.(nd). //Building Knowledge: Constructivism in Learning//. youtube.com.retrieved on Oct. 5, 2009 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F00R3oxzak

Bransford, J. D., Brown, A. L., & Cocking, R.R. (2000). //How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School// (Expanded edition). Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press. Online at http://books.nap.edu/openbook. php?record_jd=6160&page=194.

McPheeters, D. (2009, March). Social Networking Technologies in Education, Tech and Learning. Retrieved February 22, 2011 from http://www.techlearning.com/article/16250.

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K.(2007). //Using technology with classroom instruction that work//s. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Siemen, G.(nd). //The changing Nature of Knowledge//.Youtube.com. retrieved on Feb. 23, 2011 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMcTHndpzYg

Solomon, G., & Schrum, L. (2007). Web 2.0: //New tools, new schools//. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education.

Southwest Educational Development Loboratory, (1999). //Learning as a personal event: A brief introduction to constructivism//. http://www.sedl.org/pubs/tec26/intro2c.html

Sprague, D, & Dede, C. (1999). I//f I teach this way, am I doing my job: Constructivism in the classroom//. Leading and Learning. 27(1). Retrieved Feb. 23, 2011 from the International Scoiety for Technology in Education at http://imet.csus.edu/imet9/280/docs/dede constructivism.pdf

Warkirk, K. (nd). //Cyborg Life//. youtube.com.retrieved on Feb. 24, 2011 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RB_17SY_ngI