Unit 1 Blog

Online Learning and Theory

I will start with the challenges that educators faced during the Pandemic because it will set the context on which how I interpret and view the learning theories that I feel contradict the perceived benefits of online learning. 

Share your personal experiences as well as what you learned from this challenging time.

Transitioning as quickly as we had to transition from face-to-face teaching to staring at a screen, we had no time to even imagine what that would be like, let alone plan or research how to teach completely online.  Of course may of us first tried teaching like we teach in the classroom.  That failed for many reasons.  The first is that not only do teachers have to have experience with online teaching, so do the students.  Students treated online learning like they do a sub when the teacher is absent, like an excuse to not do anything.  I had more data on students' ceiling fans than I did on their learning (for those that don't get that joke - students would login to Zoom and then turn their cameras up to face the ceiling so I knew who they were by the type of ceiling fan or if they had even had one).  They would then take a nap (I heard snoring a few times and had to manually turn off their mic) or they would just go somewhere and not even bother to come back at the end of class to log off.  That is how I knew they weren't even there.  Unlike teaching in the classroom, my presence had no authority on Zoom.  Just a look from me would get students back on track.  That did not work on line.  None of the engagement strategies that we used in class worked. Our admin had no idea how to help us. It was a very depressing time.  

Discuss your perspective on how the use of virtual schooling in a time of crisis may have permanently impacted the future of K-12 education. 

Since the pandemic lasted way longer than anyone hoped, the majority of the teachers, those who felt that it was job to figure out what we needed to do engage students, began to research and share what they found.  We learned to lean on each other more.  We sought out apps and engagement strategies that would get students back into learning mode.  LIttle things like taking song requests for the waiting room and in the Zoom room as students signed on.  A challenge question like who wrote this song? When was this song released? etc.  

And just when I was gaining ground, the kids came back into the classroom.  However, all that I learned was not put aside.  My classroom routine changed and now I teach partly online and in the classroom.  I realized that if we do not give students the experience of having to learn online is a disservice to them.  Many will go on to have the option to learn on line.  They must have an idea of how to navigate.  It is also how incorporate and encourage independence but with a little bit of a safety net. If they really get lost, I am there to get them back on track.

Are there any specific learning theories that you feel contradict the perceived benefits of online learning?

As I mentioned before, I started with my experience with the pandemic because I am a proponent and firm believer in constructivism.  Not that I do not see the value in other learning theories, as I incorporate elements from other theories.  Nevertheless, at the heart of my decisions as to what I do for the online learning component of my lessons, is Vygotsky. I have a picture of him on my desk. Ok, I exaggerate, but it gives you an idea how I strongly I feel about constructivism and Social-cultural Learning Theory.  

Let me critique the love of my life when it comes to online learning. When it social-cultural learning is used in the classroom, you can gage how much social is too much for certain students and how much is not enough (Brieger et al., 2020).  Online learning for Hispanic students (I am sure they are not the only socially inclined learners, but they are who I extensively work with), is alien. They need social interaction in order to learn. So how do you create a social means of learning online? Difficult to do, but I am sure that there are some very creative and talented teachers/instructors out there that have found a way.

If learning is completely online, how do you gage their zone of proximal development? This requires the ability to work with students one-on-one in order to know what can they do with help, and what they can do without so that you can tailor their learning (Brieger et al., 2020).  That takes time, the willingness of the student, and the available time the student has. As an adult, family and work can get in the way of having a matching available time. 

Can't wait to read your comments!

References

Brieger, E., Arghode, V., & McLean, G. (2020). Connecting theory and practice: reviewing six learning theories to inform online instruction. European Journal of Training and Development, 44(4/5). https://doi.org/10.1108/ejtd-07-2019-0116