Using the ARCS Plan

According to Driscoll (2005), John Keller’s strategies “build upon the sources of motivation (p.333)” such as self-efficacy proposed by Bandura. Keller’s ARCS model (1987) focused on four aspects of motivation: Attention, Relevance, Confidence, and Satisfaction. Keller's theories stemmed from his research of behaviorism, cognitivism, and humanism.
I found Keller’s ideas to be very interesting, especially to me, because it was right on target to be something that is missing in my educational situation. Thinking of the teachers at my elementary school, we have been given Senteos, which compliment the Smartboard, to provide a testing tool to automatically grade students for immediate feedback. I find this very motivational for students, but it has lacked the impact needed. Motivating teachers to add one more thing to their plate to do is very hard. The resistance comes from the need to add graphics or models to the “tests” to make them interesting and to have more validity. I think a motivation might be to have a motivational speaker (A) that was onboard with the technology. Teachers need to see how this would save time in the long run and help students to see results immediately (R) and then allow the teachers time to explore the software with help available (C). Then administrators need to give teachers incentives for the amount of product they produce and share, such as early release days or in-service days off (S).
Students in my third grade classroom are very distractible, due to many external forces of their daily lives that is more pressing to them than their school work. I have considered ways to apply the ARCS model. Since I am in charge of the Social Studies plans at our grade level, I decided to focus there. First, I need to gain the students’ attention (A) through intrinsic motivational strategies. I use a “set” as a part of my learning plan. This is a question or statement to arouse curiosity. I realize that I was missing an essential part of the set’s purpose and that is varying the “attention getter.” As I assess the need for this, according to the ARCS model, I plan on bringing in artifacts from a time period, finding relevant quotations of the historical figures of the time, and getting historical experts to make presentations. For relevance (R) I plan to allow the students to choose projects or if they want to partner or be by themselves. For confidence (C), I will give them rubrics of each piece of the project as it unfolds to insure success. Then finally for satisfaction (S), I will let them choose between making a vodcast to share their product and/or sending them to present their final product to other classrooms.

Keller, J. M. (1987). Development and use of the ARCS model of motivational design. Journal of Instructional Development, 10(3), 2-10
Driscoll, M. P. (2005). Psychology of learning for instruction (3rd ed.). Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.

Connectivism: A Part of Life and Learning

Connectivism asserts that learners construct new knowledge through the networks they construct. Using collaborative network, such as those stated as cloud networking by the Horizon Report (2009) allows me to utilize the views or expertise allowed by others across cultures and curriculums. According to Siemens [Vodcast], “Finding ways for learners to express ideas” is an essential part of learning.

According to Siemens (2008),
“To effectively educate learners, fundamental assertions need to be rethought: the design of schools and curriculum, the nature of knowledge in a connected world, the relationship between educator and learner, the means and methods of authenticating information and knowledge, and, perhaps most significantly, what it means “to know” in complex, rapidly developing, and chaotic environments.”

Cloud networking has helped me see the possibilities of its impact into a classroom setting to facilitate learning. I have explored the use of Google.docs. I liked Google.docs because there was no need for a video conference and that capability is not available to everyone. Google.docs allowed my collaborative group to communicate in colors, gave a history of participation, and was easy to maneuver. As for my students, I prefer ePals as a way for them to set up a network. It is a way for students to email students from other cultures and/or in other parts of the state. With budget cuts, connectivism has taken on a new importance for “authenticating information and knowledge.” Siemens [Vodcast] stated, “So, connectivist teaching would consist, and learning for that matter, would really consist fundamentally of finding ways to optimize the ability for learners to form networks.” Kop and Hill (2008) stated, “The learning process is cyclical, in that learners will connect to a network to share and find new information, will modify their beliefs on the basis of new learning…” This tells me that with the influx of technology and to keep up with its demands, we must include networking.

Reference

Horizon Report (2009). Retrieved Oct. 25, 2009 from http://wp.nmc.org/horizon2009/

Kop, R., & Hill, A. (2008). Connectivism: Learning theory of the future or vestige of the past? International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 9(3), 1–13.

Siemens, G. Connectivism learning theory. [Vodcast]. Retrieved Oct. 25, 2009 from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/

Siemens, G. (2008) Connectivism. [Podcast]. Retrieved Oct. 25, 2009 from http://www.educause.edu/blog/gbayne/ELIPodcastConnectivism/167445

Siemens, G. (2006). Knowing knowledge. Retrieved from http://www.Lulu.com

Howard Rheingold on Collaboration

Rheingold (2008) stated that collaboration spreads across disciplines. It requires cooperation, action, and interactivities. As agriculture advanced, cities were built, and leaders kept count of taxes by making marks in clay. The alphabet was created but the elite administrators were the only ones allowed to use it. Then, according to Rheingold (2008), the printing press caused spread of collaboration and the alphabet was no longer just for the elite. He went on to say that soon there will be people walking around with super-fast computers. The sheer fast progression of this across the decades show that what Rheingold said was right on point, people have a need for interaction. I also think this is part due to the want human beings have for a need to be recognized for some contribution to the world. I don’t feel that anyone wants to think that life for them is just what there is on earth between birth and death. Whether, as I do, you believe in God or not, there is still a need to know that you “carry on” after death. Even as a proclaimed atheist, Susan B. Anthony, made her mark on the world. Why? I think she wanted to “live on in history” after her death. According to Wikipedia, Susan B. Antony (2009) was once noted as saying in regards to a family about to have their seventh child, “What a dreadful creature their God must be to keep sending hungry mouths while he withholds the bread to fill them!” It is notable to say that Susan’s niece disputes the claim that her aunt was indeed an atheist. There is always going to be more collaboration on the ideas in Wikipedia for just that reason, people have an instinct, not only to interact, but to disagree as well as continue their life after death.
With the advancements in technology, collaboration among learners is at an all-time high. Technological advances will not stop; therefore, this collaboration will be better and greater daily. The constructionist principle of a community of learners through communication is at its highest peak ever and is reaching higher.

Susan B. Anthony. In Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved October 7, 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_B._Anthony

Rheingold, H. (2008). Talks Howard Rheingold on collaboration [Video podcast]. Retrieved from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/

Response about Bill Kerr's blog:

Bill Kerr (2007) in his blog had some valid points. Cognitivism as responded to by Karl Karp (2007) in his blog referred to more of the aspects that I was thinking after reading Bill Kerr’s blog. Karl Karp (2007) stated, “What we need to is take the best from each philosophy and use it wisely to create solid educational experiences for our learners.” I concur.

Reference:

Karp, K. Out and about: Discussion on educational schools of thought. Retrieved September 26, 2009, from http://karlkapp.blogspot.com/2007/01/out-and-about-discussion-on-educational.html

Kerr, B. Isms as filter, not blinker. Retrieved September 26, 2009, from
http://billkerr2.blogspot.com/2007/01/isms-as-filter-not-blinker.html

The difference between humans and machines, such as computer, is that humans are sentient beings. Computers can never replace that aspect. Feelings, background experiences, and genetics are important to what makes us individuals, so it is urgent for us to differentiate, not only between our students, but also in our –isms. Students need individual interaction. All –isms have their place. They are the starting point where we as educators can evaluate ourselves to improve on or teaching. We do “cherry-pick” our ideas; sometimes without even knowing they were ever a part of an –ism, until we study them. We do a combination of them daily. To disregard something, such as suggested by Stephen Downes, because it was disregarded by an era of thinkers in the evolution of education is ludicrous. I don’t think the Lancasterian Monitorial Method (Saettler, 2004) of the classroom is best for all because of the extremely huge class size, but there have been individuals for which it worked. Getting so many students in one area in which the Lancasterian Monitorial Method would be appropriate way to teach, would be nearly impossible. So why do some teachers continue to teach in lecture style? It is the same as saying that any group of students would connect to one –ism. Sure computers have taken over some jobs that require little more than the binary system, such as those ran by computers in a nuclear power plant, but that also is not the only way to do something. I partially agree with Bill Kerr (2007) when on his blog he stated, “_isms are important but use them as a filter, not as a blinker,” but instead of “blinker” I’d put “blinder.” With this I mean: the leather flaps that keep us (horses) from seeing the “whole picture.” It was said that we, even teachers, are all individuals. I wonder why it is not just as controversial that our “teaching preferences” has as much to do with an individual child’s performance as does the “cherry-picked” -isms in the classroom. If a teacher doesn’t like the subject matter, the students usually will not either.

Reference:

Kerr, B. Isms as filter, not blinker. Retrieved September 26, 2009, from
http://billkerr2.blogspot.com/2007/01/isms-as-filter-not-blinker.html
Saettler, P. (2004). The evolution of American educational technology. Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishing.

Educators as Botanists

Plants have developed different varieties with many hybrids in existence. Botanists identify specific needs of the various young flowers. Some needing shade, while others need direct sunlight. Botanists must give them the right stimulus to keep them reaching for the sun. Covered with soil, they must be planted with them all the theories at her disposal. Botanists must prune away all the dead leaves and keep the temperature at a comfortable level. Botanists continue to cultivate them with just the right nutrients. Visitors learn about them with the posts to the web. Their growth is seen in their blossoms. The botanists continue to use the communication at through the internet to find other theories about how to better reach the needs of her “Blooming” little flowers. Debra L. Hanks

Varieties refer to the various cultures that we teach.
Hybrids refer to those coming from drug or alcohol abuse families.
Specific needs identifying gives way to individualized teaching.
Covered with soil symbolizes the impoverished.
Prune away means uncovering bad experiences exposing the fresh new learning.
Temperature refers to holding your temper in face of resistance.
Blooming children refers to those reaching different levels of Bloom’s taxonomy.
Theories refer to those of the behaviorism, cognitive learning, and social learning etc...
Cultivate refers to teach.
Nutrients represent the strategies that we use to teach them.


Botanists were not the parents of the young flowers. They take what nature gives them. They expose children to various strategies and methods taught to them through on-the-job training and learned experiences. However, they can’t stay at the agricultural age; they are now moving into an age of communication for them and their little flowers. They use research-proven theories. Just as Siemens (2008, January 27) stated about curators, “they balance the freedom of the individual learner.” However, I felt that there was a lack of the “nature vs nurture” aspect in Siemens’ metaphor.


References

Siemens, G. (2008, January 27). Learning and knowing in networks: Changing roles for educators and designers.

Newbee

Hi! I'm new to this. Maybe we'll get to know more about one another. Deb :)