week 11 posting

Week 11 Blog Posting

            Of all the education principles in this chapter, I think the following would be important for education:

Active, Critical Learning Principle

All aspects of the learning environment (including the ways in which the domain is designed and presented) are set up to encourage active and critical, not passive, learning.

            In my opinion, when students are active in analyzing material, they are challenging themselves and raising the level of learning.

Discovery Principle

Overt telling is kept to a well-thought-out minimum, allowing ample opportunity for the learner to experiment and make discoveries.

            Anytime students are involved in hands-on experiments, they stay on task and engaged more, that can only result in a great learning experience.

Practice Principle

Learners get lots and lots of practice in a context where the practice is not boring (i.e., in a virtual world that is compelling to learners on their own terms and where the learners experience ongoing success). They spend lots of time on task.

            The old saying, “practice makes perfect” is right.  If you keep the practice interesting and engaging, students can’t help but learn when they continue to practice and spend lots of time on their work.

I can see how hard a simulation would be to create.  I plan on teaching physical fitness and I can think of things to simulate, but I am not really sure how I would go about it. I would like to simulate a situation where my students created a physical fitness plan for kids in very different physical condition and simulate how long it would take to get to their target fitness level. Students could test this people in different work out simulations, such as running, lifting weights and other activities.

            As I begin my education classes, I can see just how much there is to learn about teaching.  There are so many teaching methods, principles, tools and aids, technology, and differences in students learning styles to consider. Understanding these principles and learning ways to present and teach information with tools like simulations will be great tools to know.

 (David  Jonassen. Meaningful Learning with Technology, 3rd Edition. Allyn & Bacon/CourseSmart, 06/01/2007. 55).