Session 11 - MOST Model

As I read the information on the MOST Model, it had some similarities to online e-books, where the story is read to the student, along with still shot illustrations, and stories made into movies that have subtitles. The use of web 2.0 tools to help with understanding sequencing and other literacy concepts can be very helpful. These tools can also be helpful in reinforcing learned concepts. I do wonder how well at-risk students using the MOST model; understand different literacy concepts like author’s purpose, inferring meaning of vocabulary words, and inference of meaning buried in between the lines, by the author.  I can see the MOST model, helping at-risk students learn some of these concepts in a visual format. The question I have, does this translate into the same skills being applied when they take a book home to read. Even if at-risk student use MOST models to help learn reading skills, they still need to read text to help improve their reading skills. Most standardized reading EOG assessment tests are not going to be of the MOST model. Reading is the key that opens the door to all other content areas.

                                               

As you can tell, I “wonder” a lot. How does this model work with different learning styles? Is this model more effective with students that are visual learners? How effective is this model with at-risk students that have a strong verbal or auditory learning style? Are there any at-risk student that have strong verbal learning style? I would find it interesting to know, if most at-risk students have a certain type of learning style.

As I read about the MOST model, I was unsure also, if there are any requirements as to the length of the stories that can be used. If the students are in high school, can chapter books be used that contain lots of detail and a longer story line, like “Stone Fox” or “The Black Pearl, which most students find very exciting and interesting?

I feel that creating interesting and effective MOST modules can take a lot of time for the teachers to create. I can see that the MOST model can be beneficial to at-risk students. I also feel implementing them in an elementary school setting, may be easier, than in a high school setting, due to story complexity. I still have questions about how teachers would put together a MOST model on a book like “Stone Fox”. Where would the teacher get the video segments, and other aspects of the story to make it into a MOST model? I think using video story telling is better at holding student interest, than still action shots. Would teachers cut sections out of the movie? How does that play into intellectual property rights?

Session 10 - STAR Model

What are your initial reactions to this theory/model?

• As I read the information on the STAR Legacy Model, it sounded very similar to the Goal-Based and Anchored models. I like how the STAR model evaluates the student’s prior knowledge in a subject area. It is like wetting the soil, before it rains. It helps the speed and efficiency of the soil’s absorption of the rain. I feel this idea also applies to the human mind. I also, like how the model uses a “wrap up” near the end, to have students reflect on what was learned and how a student’s thoughts and beliefs may have changed over the lesson.

What are barriers to its use?

• I feel that creating interesting and effective STAR model challenges are very important in capturing and holding a student’s attention and interest. I feel the challenge should be in a video format, instead of just a text description. I find personally that I am more engaged with a video challenge, then by just reading something to see what the challenge is. The challenge presenter’s passionate voice and body language can be a great way to engage and motivate students. I think the “Perspectives & Resources” part can be very time consuming to build. This part is also important in holding a students interest and helping to motivate them to learn. This section should not be just a list of web links for the students to use.

Since we are taking learning theories/models that were not necessarily created with the Web in mind and turning them into Web modules, what Web-based tools or resources could be leveraged to carry out this learning theory/model online?

• I believe the STAR model can be implemented in a web-based environment. I also believe that this model can be used across many different subject areas other than just math and science applications, which the researchers mostly discussed. For example, in language arts, students could receive a challenge that involves converting a secret letter from first person to third person, where the pronouns and verb tense are part of an encryption code. I feel the STAR model can be used to support individual and group learning. This is a great plus in a diverse learning style classroom, since there are many different ways students receive knowledge. 

Session 9 - Anchored Instruction

What are your initial reactions to this theory/model?

• As I read the articles on anchored learning (AL), it sounded very similar to the problem-based learning and goal-based learning approaches. They all advise using real-world problem learning situations.  I find it really challenging to distinguish between PBL, GBL, and AL. It almost seems like researchers just tweaked the approach a little, and then they slap their name on a slightly different way of looking at things, and call it a new approach.
• I feel that the majority of the students in a class would like to receive there real world problem scenario in a video format, since this is the most familiar method to them. The video would seem to connect the problem to more of the student’s senses, which could make it seem more real to the students.

What are barriers to its use?

• I feel that creating interesting and effective AL modules can take a lot of time for the teachers to create. One big challenge I can see is the commitment needed to create different web modules. I know teachers that have been moved around by there administrations to teacher 4 different grade levels, in a five-year period. Why would a teacher want to make any web modules, when they are not certain what grade level they are teaching each year? I can see this being a real deterrent to creating web module.
• Since our students come from a very diverse background, teachers would need to create many different AL scenarios, so that students can choose what would be of interest to them.
• I have heard from many people that you get more out of reading the book, than just watching the movie made on a book. I wonder if the concept also applies to the current standardized curriculum, we currently teach in school.   Students get exposed to many different terms in a standardized curriculum movie, but do they really get the whole picture by not working with real world detailed situations that are like the story in a book?
• I noticed that AL research seems to focus mostly on science and math learning situations. I wonder how well AL works on reading and writing language arts skills, which are taught heavily in elementary school.

Since we are taking learning theories/models that were not necessarily created with the Web in mind and turning them into Web modules, what Web-based tools or resources could be leveraged to carry out this learning theory/model online?

• I believe AL can be implemented in a web-based environment. The challenge is coming up with interesting real-world situations for students to work with. I wonder how much time teachers can or are willing to spend helping their students understand the real world problem solving steps in the different approaches. When teachers have AYP goals and EOGs breathing down their necks, how do they assess if their students learned/gained all the EOG tested content knowledge, from the different real world learning approaches. I like the AL approach and I can see using it in my elementary classroom on a limited basis. With all the standardized testing taking place these days, I feel teachers may be reluctant to spend many months trying to teach their students how to critically think, and possibly miss their AYP and EOG goals, and then be out on the street, trying to find another job.

Session 8 - Goal Based Learning

What are your initial reactions to this theory/model?

• As I read the articles on goal-based learning (GBL), it sounded similar to the problem-based learning approach. They both recommend using real-world learning situations.  I find it interesting in the types of artificial goals that young students have. I feel teachers can help foster goals for the students. The challenge is that the students are usually only with a teacher for one year. Parents are in a very powerful and unique position, where they have life-long influence on students’ goals. This brings up the age-old question of how can parents instill goals in their children, if they have no goals themselves. I feel children are not born with natural goal setting abilities, thus parents and teachers need to model how achievable goals are created. I feel students need to understand the meaning and purpose of goals, before they can be effective in GBL.

What are barriers to its use?

• I feel that creating interesting and effective GBL modules can take a lot of time to create. The examples that I have seen have different paths for students to select based on their interests. Creating these would require more time and effort on the teacher’s part. Having choices is a good thing, but require a lot of up front planning and development time.
• Another challenge is there are many teachers that are not very tech savvy, in creating web modules that are visually, auditorily, and interactively engaging to the students. If they are just created like web pages, with a bunch of web resource links, students are not going to be very excited and interested in the lesson activity.
• Since students have many varied interests, a teacher should have a variety of different GBL lessons for student to select. When students have choice, they are more likely to be interested in the activity.

Since we are taking learning theories/models that were not necessarily created with the Web in mind and turning them into Web modules, what Web-based tools or resources could be leveraged to carry out this learning theory/model online?

• I believe GBL can be implemented in a web-based environment. The challenge for teachers is to come up with realistic goals. Extrinsic goals like stickers, food, etc are not always that motivating for students. Intrinsic goals like figuring out how much fence is needed to create a pen to save abused horses can be more motivating for a student. That assumes they like horses. I feel it is important for teachers to have several different goals to allow for a variety for diverse student interests. 

Session 7 - Situated / Apprenticeship Learning

What are your initial reactions to this theory/model?

• As I read the article on situated learning, it sounded very similar to the problem-based learning approach.  In situated learning and problem-based learning, both approaches are tied to learning in a context environment.  Both are dealing with real world contextual situations that the students use to learn. The cognitive apprenticeship learning approach is a little different from the previous ones. The apprentice approach is built around the three facets of modeling, coaching, and fading scaffold support. This approach does have its rich master and apprentice history. The concept does sound good, and can work well in specific education situation. It does raise some issues when you try to apply it to large general education system.

What are barriers to its use?

• Most apprenticeships I have heard of are based on a lot of one-on-one instruction. A computer is not always a good replacement for the complex apprentice one-on-one learning interactions between a highly skilled master teacher and the student. How do you apply this individualized apprenticeship approach in a large classroom that is teaching general education material like in an elementary school?
• In the past, after an apprenticeship was completed, the student was ready to go to work in that trade or skill area. There was a job waiting at the end, which was a definite motivation for the apprentice to complete the apprenticeship. What motivation is there for middle school students to be an apprentice in a social studies class for example?
• In the past, a craft person would select an apprentice to take on to teach their trade. They did not select anyone. How do you handle the cases where an apprentice finds out that this trade/education was not for them?
• I think most apprenticeship master-teachers, where skilled in a couple areas at the most. How do we get general education teacher to be highly skilled and passionate about all the content areas they teach? I can see this being especially challenging in the elementary grades, where teachers are generalists, not specialist like middle school teachers and up.
• The apprenticeship was something that the student selected/chose to go into. For example, how do you get students to select a Language Arts/English apprenticeship, if that content area is not of real interest to them? We have to be careful that an apprenticeship does not turn into a general education indentured servant program.

Since we are taking learning theories/models that were not necessarily created with the Web in mind and turning them into Web modules, what Web-based tools or resources could be leveraged to carry out this learning theory/model online?

• I believe the idea of situated learning can be implemented in a classroom very easily. I feel when student learn in context, they are able to relate and see how it is applied and used in the real world. I feel content that is taught in isolation is not retained as well as when taught in context.
• I can see the apprentice learning approach being successfully applied at high school and the college level. I see issues with trying to use the approach in the elementary school level.  

Session 6 - Problem Based Learning

What are your initial reactions to this theory/model?

• When I read these articles on problem-based learning (PBL), it sounded similar to guided learning, in that you use real world situations/problems for instruction.  I like the idea of students working in groups to learn. Groups allow the students to work through problem resolution stages like, what information is known, what information is need to be researched, where do we find this information, and what is our going forward strategy to solve the problem.

What are barriers to its use?

• Most of problem-based learning research seems to focus on mid to higher education, and not much on elementary school students. I can see some younger students struggling with this approach, since they do not have as many life experiences to draw on.  As stated in (Ryan, 1994), the PBL group is made up of 5 – 6 members, of which, is a narrator, scribe, and tutor/coach. I can see these roles being challenging in the elementary school grades.
• When students learn through the PBL approach, they tend to sacrifice breadth for depth of knowledge in an area. One of the challenges is that it takes time to dig and research into a PBL topic, thus you are not able to cover a broad curriculum area in depth.
• It seems somewhat ironic that you would use problems to teach students, since some people try to avoid problems, while others like to solve them. As (Hung, 2003) has stated, “Research shows that the initial transition from a traditional to a PBL curriculum may be a difficult adjustment for students.”
• There are also concerns that PBI does not prepare students for the standardized tests that will test there breadth of knowledge, vs. depth of knowledge in a subject area.

Would you attempt to use this theory/model with the students you are currently teaching or hope to teach in the future? Why or why not? Could elements of the theory/model be modified so that it would work with your current/future students?

• Being an elementary teacher, I wonder how many of these PBL problem-solving stages are achievable with young students. Since younger students are still learning how to get along socially, there may be more effort required by the teacher to help the students learn good team dynamics, along with how to work through the PBL stages. I can see the teacher providing much more scaffold support, to help students learn the PBL problem solving process. Using guiding questions can help students figure-out/discover the next stage. Additional assistance will be needed to help young students learn research techniques.

Since we are taking learning theories/models that were not necessarily created with the Web in mind and turning them into Web modules, what Web-based tools or resources could be leveraged to carry out this learning theory/model online?

• I believe the idea of problem-based learning can be implemented in web modules. Having real world problems for the groups to select/choose, can help foster more team motivation and interest. For elementary students, PBL activities could incorporate a problem that is tied to a story, which the students have read. For example, the students have read a book as part of a unit on the plant life cycle. The problem-solving challenge for the students is to find out why Ms. Wiffle’s inside houseplant is not producing seeds. 

Session 5 - Cooperative Learning

What are your initial reactions to this theory/model?

• When I read these articles on cooperative learning, it sounded similar to guided learning.  I like the idea of students working as a team to learn. As stated in Haller’s research article “A key assumption of cooperative learning is that students working in groups will learn from and teach one another.” The idea of groups of people learning together is very common in the corporate world. The group’s grades /evaluations of success are based on all the members’ participation. In the software and engineering fields there are many groups that are working on coming up with competitive designs for specific products.

What are barriers to its use?

• The barriers in cooperative learning seem to be very similar to guided group learning. They basically, revolve around team dynamics. One barrier that I can think of is students with an intrapersonal learning style. They are not as likely to be as successful with cooperative learning, since it is an interpersonal learning style.
• Another issue that has to be considered is the dynamics that each team member brings. A team with too many strong personalities may cause the team to flounder, due to personal achievement goals, group disagreements, and infighting.

Would you attempt to use this theory/model with the students you are currently teaching or hope to teach in the future? Why or why not? Could elements of the theory/model be modified so that it would work with your current/future students?

• The research article Johnson stated “five basic elements have emerged as critical to cooperative work in classrooms: positive interdependence, individual accountability, face-to-face promotive interaction, social skills, and group processing.” I noticed that many of the articles are based on research in a university setting. Being an elementary teacher, I wonder how many of these five basic elements are achievable with young students. Since younger students are still learning how to get along socially, there may be more effort required by the teacher to help the students learn good team dynamics.  

Since we are taking learning theories/models that were not necessarily created with the Web in mind and turning them into Web modules, what Web-based tools or resources could be leveraged to carry out this learning theory/model online?

• I believe the idea of cooperative learning can be implemented in web modules. By using logs and blogs, students are able to interact and reflect on learned materials, while away from the classroom. Blogs can also help intrapersonal learners in the group to feel more in their learning zone. Having real world projects for the teams to select (giving choice) can help foster more team motivation and interest.