I think the biggest reason to use cognitive tools is for long-term memory. When the students use maps, charts, or other visuals it is helping them sculpt their brain to remember the information. It also helps the students make connections so that they can relate the information to something.
Pictures are huge when making connections. Look at the pictures of Haiti that we have seen since the earthquake. If reporters just described what was going their would not be as much as an impact on the devastation. It is with those pictures that we can make a connection. In the resources they talk about senses. The more senses you can get involved the more the students will remember. The only sense that we can not get from the earthquake is the smell. It has been described to us but unless you are their you will not be able to make that connection.
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You are absolutely right when you say that the cognitive tools will help improve long term memory. Yesterday I was at a wrestling tournament and when kids asked me where the locker rooms were, I told them that I did not know. One of our kids losing and getting upset reminded me of when he was upset last year and I followed him to the locker room. It turns out that I did know where the locker room was; I just wasn't making the connection.
ReplyDeletePeople make the comment when talking about an event that "you have to see it to believe it", but I think you must also see it to remember it. Most people will remember an event if they have some visual to make a connection.
ReplyDeleteI am a rather visual learner myself, so I am always showing video segments, using overheads, and yes...drawing on my chalkboard. After reading and working with the materials this week, I concentrated on how many visual pictures I use as cues for my students. I made it to 37 in one of my hours! I often use words to bring back memories of movies they have seen or things they can relate to in their real lives. It is fun to watch the room light up when they get the concept; much better then the dim glow of not understanding. Go cognitive!!
ReplyDeleteSocial constructivism asserts that students construct meaning primarily through their interactions with others and their environments. Coupled with social constructivism is cooperative learning which provides experiences for students in which they are working together in ways that will enhance and strengthen their learning. Cooperative learning and social constructivism work hand in hand when allowing group collaboration, communication, and problem solving.
ReplyDeleteOne of the many ways that social constructivism can be utilized in the classroom is by using multimedia and web resources. By nature social constructivism requires students to work together to create and construct meaning with material being discussed. When students are able to work collaboratively to create multimedia presentations, like mp3 files and movies, it requires student planning, problem-solving and creativity. These are all skills which require a deeper understanding of content and provide social interactions for students.
Web resources also promote social constructivism. Today, students can log onto the Internet and instantly be connected with students all over the world. This type of interaction allows for students to problem-solve and discuss topics with students hundreds of miles away. The Internet also provides students with a wealth of knowledgeable experts to pull information from. While studying the International Space Station students can email questions directly to experts to receive information via email about questions that the class or students may have.
Social constructivism does not have to be solely used in conjunction with educational technology, however. There are many approaches that can be taken to utilize cooperative learning within the classroom that does not require a computer. Students can be placed into groups to discuss and react to a book that is being read in class or cooperative groups can work together to solve a community problem such as pollution in a local pond. Cooperative grouping gets its strength in the knowledge that is discovered and constructed by the students working together.
When students have the opportunity of working together it allows for each student to share his or her unique talents with the rest of the class. Cooperative learning groups provide a safe and non-threatening way for students to communicate while applying knowledge to create or solve a problem. Social constructivism is one of many learning theories that should be utilized within the classroom.
A picture is worth a thousand words, but an artifact truly makes connections. I cannot imagine the difference between describing what the Berlin wall was compared to actually holding a piece in your hand. I mean the artifact is really represent of the Constructivist Theory. Here in St. Louis, there are seats from the old Busch Stadium in different local watering holes etc. It's really cool to sit in them and imagine what it was like to sit on a sunny day and watch the Cards beat the Cubs! Likewise, kids will, as you say through long term memory connections, easily recall learning that we associate with artifacts.
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