Google Sites and Social Learning Theory

Welcome back! Hope you had an amazing summer! It was so awesome to have thirty fellow teachers from all academic areas interested in learning to build and develop a Google Site.  If you haven't heard this year I've headed back to grad school to learn more about learning and technology.  I have not been disappointed, there has been much to learn about Instructional Design and Learning Theories.  I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the Google Sites Professional Development that was provided in the context of Social Cognitive Learning Theory.

Social Cognitive Learning Theory, emerged due to the work of Albert Bandura. Social Cognitive Learning Theory emphasizes that learning occurs in a social context and that much of what is learned is gained through observing a model. There are five central concepts in Social Cognitive Learning Theory. 

1.    People learn by observing models

2.    People gain high self-efficacy by believing they can complete the learning successfully and by themselves.

3.    People learn to self-regulate by observing consequences of acceptable and unacceptable behavior.

4.     People learn to self-monitor consciously thinking about when one is engaged in a learning task.

5.    People also can change their behavior by self-reinforcement, getting a Twix bar once my blog post is written.

I began to wonder if video tutorials fit the Social Cognitive learning Theory and I think I am correct in thinking that video tutorials are a way to learn through social context, modeling, and observation.

  

1.    Teachers who came to the Professional Development for Google Sites watched the videos and created at least two pages for a Google Site.

2.    As I’ve checked in with the attendee’s through email, in the hallways and trolling the school website to see what has been created, all thirty attendees have a Google Site with more than two pages.

3.    The attendees demonstrated self-regulating behavior by diligently using the two hours to work on their school website, raising their hands for help or speaking to their peers around them.

4.    These were teachers on a mission, they wanted a viable Google Site when they walked out the door. So they easily self-regulated and watched the videos to build their Google Site.

5.    There were two attendees who find technology challenging and each time they completed a new Google Sites page they gave each other a high-five and hip bump. It was quite entertaining for the rest of us.

In reflection, I find that I learn well in a Social Cognitive Learning environment using videos. I've taught myself how to knit, new crochet stitches, and new cooking techniques. For me videos provide me with the ability to move towards self-efficacy because I can pause rewind and watch again.  I hope the attendees found the Google Tutorial videos helpful.

More modeling and observation needed to reach self-efficacy

Omrod,J.E. (2012) Human Learning: Sixth Edition. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.

Denler, H., WOlters, C., & Benzon, M. (2014, January 28). Social Cognitive Theory. Retrieved September 20, 2014, from http://www.education.com/reference/article/social-cognitive-theory/

Padlet: A Cool Way to Collaborate: Padlet

Do you like to collaborate to share ideas and information?  Brainstorm with others? Do you want your students to be able to collaborate with other classrooms in your school? Around the World? Padlet might be worthwhile. I've experienced Padlet usefulness first hand. First in my Two Summers Class at UConn and again at EdCampCT.

It can be used as a way to brainstorm ideas across classrooms, do collaborative K-W-L's, Faculty meeting back channels, your imagination can lead the way here.

Have you used Padlet?  Share your experience with other educators.

Coolest Google Update Feature

 

Something New For 

Google Users!

I've been waiting all summer for Google Classroom, I did get access to preview.  Can't wait to see if it lives up to the hype. In the mean time Docs added a new feature that most teachers will find valuable. Drum roll! New editing permissions.  When you share a Doc under the blue share "button" you will see a drop down menu labeled with a pencil icon and a pencil and the word "Editing" with a down arrow. Click the arrow and you will see the drop down menu show at the right of the page. So what does it mean?

Editing allows the document to be edited by shared users

Suggesting is new, but different than comments. It reminds me of review in MSWord. (See Screenshop below)

Viewing allows the document to be seen by others and they can only make comments.

The ability to leave comments is still available to Docs users.

Suggestions will be different colors for different users.

Read more about Docs updates:
PC World: Google Docs Updates
Free Technology for Teachers: Updated Google Features

Day 27: My Days as a Tech Integrator!

I've been tossed into the mix of the tech integration world.  

As a classroom teacher I leveraged all of the technology I could find on a daily basis.        I learned to new tools, understood curriculum, and combined those to support students with technology projects along with collaborating through the process. Once established we then shared those with our colleagues with processes already in place. I enjoy the mess, being part of team, struggling to find just the right way to teach something.  Most of all I enjoy the collaboration with my colleagues. The love for this type of teaching and leveraging of technology landed me out of the classroom.  There are so many days that I feel like a fish out of water, or even worse a tiger without stripes. 

Where are the teachers who want to collaborate, who want to dream big, who want to engage students in work that stretches them.  I know you are out there!  Raise your hand, text me, call me, email me even smoke signals will work.  Pick me, I want to be part of the team, invite me to the table. Don't wait until you've done all the heavy lifting alone, I can help do the lifting!

Today was one of those days where I wasn't invited to the table.  Then asked to support a project just to make sure the computers work.  I get it, but I am not the best person for the job, a technician would be a better choice.

Day 26: This Might Be the First Step

Thank you Two Writing Teachers for the opportunity to WRITE!

                                     

I feel a bit like a "Survivor" participant who is asked to talked to the camera regarding my experience as a participant in "Slice of Life". No one has asked me to actually speak about my experience.  While I am on this little hiatus from the classroom, I am trying to find ways to hone my writing skills.  I have watched  (More like stalking) "The Slice of Life" since 2012 reading the posts and wanting to participate.  I didn't join while I was in the classroom, simply because, I didn't want to fail and not post nightly.  I felt that this year, my own children were older and I could take the risk.

So, I have always told my students that writing is difficult, hard work, sometimes you struggle, writing is heartfelt and honest.  Many of the things I wanted to write about were more about ways to work through problems.  Topics, that I really didn't want to share publicly. One of those "Fold over pages" I allow students to do in their writer's notebook when it's not something they want to share. 

I have discovered, that I do like to write and that I am probably a better technical writer, and professional writer than a creative writer.  I would like to become a more creative writer, which I think means, slow down, observe the world that is taking place around me.  Listen. Feel.Smell. Put it into words. I will find a way to tackle this challenge.  I often feel that their are stories, characters, dreamy settings, just waiting to make there way to the page.

I can dream....work towards making it a reality.  This might be the first step.

Home's Where You Are!

Dale Franklin Brooks
November 2007

My Dad left a lasting impression on me in many ways.  

I will never forget wanting to come home from college.  

I promised him anything to come home.  His words to me were, "Home's not where I'm at home's where you are and what you make of it!"  Then he told me to stay one more day and if I still wanted to come home, he would come and get me.  I did stay and never looked back.

I miss the sound of your voice

I wish I could speak with you one more time

I want you to see just how great a baseball player your grandson is

You would love how beautiful your grand daughter sings 

Waiting for the opportunity to sing in church

I miss your Tuesday night call

No one else likes NPR like you

No one cares that I heard an interesting story!

While I don't have mushy memories of you hugging and kissing me

I do have great memories of political debates 

How much you valued my opinion or just listened anyway.

Then offered your thoughts.

I miss your confidence in that I could succeed 

No matter what I wanted to try.  

You encouraged failure 

First one to teach me how to laugh at myself 

Not take myself seriously

I do have memories of walking behind the tractor

Throwing hay bales just like the boys

You even let us drive the truck, the mini-bikes, and the tractor.

The kids miss you too!

Especially Aaron, 

Who desperately wants to learn to ride 

Four Wheelers and drive the red Jeep!

Devin is learning to play the piano, 

I think she got your talent, 

I hope you can hear her in heaven.

I wish we could hear your voice 

            one

               more

                    time!

 

Day 24: Fire **Updated 3/25/2014

Thank you Two Writing Teachers for the opportunity to WRITE!

                                     

Sliding the lock open on my phone to open Facebook to see what had happened in my world.  Scrolling through the entries, I found one by my cousin Mel about being worried about her children's school bus being late.  Scrolling through the comments I discovered, the bus was late because of a fire on the hollow near my parent's home. I become very worried, refreshing often for any sign of what happened. I waited patiently knowing there was nothing I could do to help.

After a while, I began dialing phone numbers, mom's, mom's cell, grandma's phone, Alyson's house, Alyson's cell, my sister Steph's cell, and Steph's house.  No one answered! Trying not to let worry over take me, I could only remember the last time I had gotten cryptic information and found out later my dad had been life lighted to a hospital in Pennsylvania. I sit, I wait, hoping the phone will ring or someone will post a Facebook update!

***The fire did not damage any structures or take any lives.  Just some brush on a big hill.  So grateful for God's mercy!***