Goal-Based Scenarios

My initial reactions to this model are that I think it would be a good way for students to research and learn a lot about something that they are interested in. Also, I think this model would take a lot of work from the teacher. I think it would be hard for the teacher to design several different scenarios to interest every student in the classroom. I think teachers would just have to create modules that would interest the majority of students and work to get every student motivated and engaged in the new learning experience. I find another barrier to be that some students may become frustrated if there is a lot of reading involved in the modules. For example, in the Space Mission and Moving scenarios provided on the lecture, there seemed to be a lot of reading, so I think it would be hard for some elementary school aged children to complete those. I think to overcome this barrier, teachers could somehow incorporate audio where they could have the option of having the text read aloud to them.

I would personally maybe attempt this a few times during a month in the classroom, but not on an every week basis. I think that some students would not be motivated to take the time to watch videos and read information on their own. I would probably share the "cover story" video to the whole class and have a discussion, and then have them break up into small groups and talk about what they could do in the scenario presented. I think they could even do a think pair share type thing where they think about consequences, discuss them with a group, and then share them when presenting what they would do in the certain scenario.

I think there are several simulations and webquests online that seem like they would fit under the "Goal-Based Scenario" theory. I think the more interactive the better. I think teachers could use Windows MovieMaker, or iMovie to make movies to add in their "simulations." Also, teachers can add in comic strips by using programs such as Bitstrip. I think anything to make the learning more interactive for the student would be beneficial.

Situated Learning & Cognitive Apprenticeship

My initial reactions to this model are that I could see it being a good method to use for students to understand the purpose of activities that they are completing. Also, it could be useful for students to help teach other students concepts and work together to understand various ideas. I could see there being barriers if no students wanted to speak up and help coach each other and support each other. I think this could be modeled and taught by the teacher at the beginning of the year to avoid this problem.

I would attempt to use this model with my future students. I really like the video presented in the lecture where the teacher first modeled how students should think about main idea, ask questions, and predict, and then having students do the same with just a little scaffolding from the teacher. I could see myself using this method to teach reading just like the example provided. Also, I think it would work for teachers to only meet with reading groups such as the one in the video once or twice a week.

As far as implementing this method as a web-based module, I think there are several multimedia tools that could be used. Teachers could coach students through Voicethreads, Screen casting software, Elluminate, Voki, etc. Students could even in turn coach their peers by creating their own Voicethreads, Voki, etc. to discuss a certain topic. Also, if students were asking the same questions about a certain topic, teachers could create videos that explained the answers to the questions.

Problem-Based Learning

My initial reactions to this model are that I think it would be best suited for the upper grades. I think if it were to be carried out with the younger grades, then the teacher would have to do a lot more modeling. I think if the teachers did model and give examples of ways to answer the questions, then younger students would be able to get the hang of Problem-Based Learning. I could definitely see this model being beneficial because students would be provided with authentic experiences and life long learning skills. They would also be exposed to 21^st century skills such as knowing how to research, communicate with others effectively, etc.

I would attempt to use this theory with my future students. I don’t think it would be a daily occurrence though. I would most likely give them 1 or 2 problems a week and have them solve them in small groups. I think that since I will be teaching younger individuals this would be a better strategy. I would not want the students to become frustrated with trying to solve the problems. Also, I would make sure to probe and prompt students while modeling how to find solutions to the problem presented.

I think if I created a web-based learning module using this model, I would include several different Web 2.0 tools that would allow students to collaborate online. I think Elluminate, Skype, and chat rooms would be good resources to use for this theory. Also, I think using websites such as Diigo would be good, because the groups would be able to share their websites and leave “post-it notes” on each others’ websites with comments. Also, a sight such as Gliffy would be a good way for groups to collaborate, share links, and create concept maps or diagrams of their solution ideas to problems presented in PBL.

Cooperative Learning

I really like this model at first glance. It seems as though students would learn a lot from teaching each other about different topics. Also, I think that through this model students would learn a lot from their peers. Some barriers to this model might be that some students work better independently, and don’t work very well with groups. Also, I could see it being a problem for some students that the groups are evaluated interdependently. This may be able to be prevented by having students each state what they contributed to the group work, and having students have different roles. Teachers could then evaluate each student based on what they contributed to the group and how the final project turned out. A lot of the models presented offer great strategies for having all group members participate equally such as the Jigsaw strategy. I also like the idea of assigning roles to different group members (leader, reporter, recorder, monitor).

I think I will definitely use this model in the future. This model seems to lead to increased critical thinking skills, and students seem to retain the information more since most strategies require them to teach their classmates about the topic being studied. Active learning is also a nice feature of this model. I think when I use cooperative learning in the classroom, I will use some of the strategies presented such as think-pair-share, jigsaw, affinity, find the fib, etc. I think these would be an effective way for students to learn the material.

I think several web-based tools would be beneficial when using this model online. I think that students could use digital cameras to record information to teach other groups. They could also create PowerPoint presentations, Vokis, Wordles, etc. to present different ideas to their classmates. Students could also learn cooperatively by talking about different topics in chat rooms or discussion threads with certain people in their group. Also, students could use programs such as Quizlet, or other flashcard applications to use the “Send a Problem” strategy online. Students could be sent a flashcard and try to figure out the answer to the math problem, for example, and then collaborate to solve the problems. Overall, I think students can take a lot from the cooperative learning model by listening to their peers’ various perspectives and by actively teaching others about different subjects.