Bridging Learning Theory, Instruction, and Technology Reflection

This will be my fourth year of teaching this next year and in this short time some of the ways that I do things have changed. In the three years that I have been teaching the students have had many different learning styles. So I think that as a teacher I need to examine where my students are and what learning theory best fits the learning styles of the students that I am teaching. My personal theory of learning is one in which I am able to understand all the differing views that are present in my students that helps to design an “instructional event to transfer knowledge and skills to (my) students” (Lever-Duffy & McDonald, 2008). I try to incorporate all of the multiple intelligences into my lessons so that I am able to reach more students. Be it kinesthetic, visual, or auditory. I cannot think of any modifications that I would make to my personal learning theory.

The adjustments that I would like to make to my instructional practice in regards to technology integration as a result of this class is immense. The first technology tool that I would like to incorporate more into my classroom is PowerPoint presentations. Dr. Orey talks about PowerPoint presentations and how they are rarely used and how they can be very useful to engage the students and create a student based learning environment (Orey, 2001). The other technology tool that I would like to use in my class would be a voice thread. I think that the voice thread would be able to be used when I am absent from school. The voice thread may be used if I have a sub or for more clarification for the students when they get home from school. It is important though to remember that the strategies are only effective when “students become proficient at using them” (Laureate Education Inc., 2008).

The long-term goals that I would like to make in my classroom are to incorporate more technology into my lessons that are more aligned with social constructivism in which “learning is considered a result of the collaboration of a group of learners in an effort to construct a common core of knowledge” (Lever-Duffy & McDonald, 2008). I would also like to implement more non-linguistic representation in my classroom. The use of non-linguistic representation allows for the students to get a visual image of what I am teaching so that later on the students will be able to use the connections that they made to remember what I had taught. This is a skill that is hard for many of the students but is very beneficial for them. I can have the students create visual images of some of the math words that we use on a daily basis. I also think that it will help the students with their math vocabulary. Another strategy that I would like to incorporate into my classroom is a web page for the team that I teach on. I think that having a place where the students can feel free to ask questions in a safe environment. There are so many possibilities out there to create and incorporate technology into my class that I am so excited for next year and all the things that I can do in my class. I want to talk to my principal to see if I can create a team or class web page so that the students will have access outside of school.

This course has taught me so much in the world of integrating technology into my class that the sky is the limit as to what I can do. I wish I knew about these things earlier, but as they say, better late than never. I am so happy that I had the opportunity to learn all the different types of technology that is out there. I think that the students would be really excited to use the new technology out there and they would become experts in the world of using technology. This little bit that I am doing will help them when they get out into the real world.


Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2008). Program eleven. Instructional Strategies, Part One [Motion picture]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Baltimore: Author.
Lever-Duffy, J. & McDonald, J. (2008). Theoretical Foundations (Laureate Education, Inc., custom ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Orey, M. (Ed.). (2001). Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/.

Cooperative Learning

I think that the social learning theory is a great way to learn and I think the majority of people not only students learn this way. It is hard for students to learn when they are not actively engaged. I know personally if I am not actively engaged in something that I do not really pay attention. I know that I have ADHD and it is hard for me to focus for more than five minutes. So there are a lot of students that have ADHD and I know that they need something that is engaging in order for them to remember what is being taught.

The resource that I think is very useful is web quests. In using technology with classroom instruction that works they talk about web quests and their uses (Pitter, Hubbell, Kuhn, Malenoksi, 2007). Web quests are able to be used by individual students in classes and they are able to be used by people from all over the country if not world. I think this is a great thing to do in teaching and this allows for lifelong skills of collaboration. Students will have to collaborate when they get into the real world in every profession whether it is to brain storm an idea or come up with a solution to a problem.

The communication software that I believe is useful in communication and collaboration is Skype. It is a great way to communicate through visual conferencing with someone else. There are a lot of business that use this technology so that they are able to communicate with people from all over the world.

I am so impressed with all the technology that is out there. The students that I teach today will never know the more simplistic things in life. I am already starting to see how a lot of things that I thought were so advanced when I was growing up become ancient. It is just so amazing how much the world of technology has changed. At the age of 28 I feel that I am really out of touch with technology and all the advances that are coming out each and every day. School just ended for me today and after doing the voice thread I am thinking about when I have a sub that I can leave the voice feed with the sub and the sub can teach what I want him/her to teach. I am taken back from all the technological advances.


Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Voice Thread URL

Hope you enjoy this short math lesson :-)

All you have to do to access my voice thread is click on the title.