Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Rebecca Patton
of more small group, collaborative models of learning. This has always made sense to me as
teacher, hailing back to my foundation as a Psychology major, studying about social learning
theories. Reinforced throughout my education was Bandura's Social Learning Theory, which is
based in the belief that people learn from one another, via observation, imitation, and
modeling. While I witness Banduras theory in teaching models, I believe that modern
instruction has shifted even closer to a social constructivist model. In contrast to Banduras
experience-based activities. These learning theories provide a basis for organization and
I have seen how social technologies and social media play a large role in the modern
students cognitive development. This supports the social constructivism theory, which focuses
on an individual's learning that takes place because of his or her interactions in a group. As a
teacher, I use this knowledge to enhance student learning through group discussion,
collaboration, and problem solving within the classroom orally and digitally. I encourage
students to interact both with classmates and virtual communities to help them learn in a way
believe that through modern communication with peers, students have become very casual
and sometimes coarse in their digital interaction with others. I provide opportunities to have
academic discussion, peer editing and evaluation, through which, I model and guide students to
learn proper interaction. Yes, there is a time and place for emojis and acronyms, however I
hope to teach students to elevate their academic discourse and digital etiquette.
Teaching in a very low SES community, I must take into account the lack of digital
availability for some students, which may affect their participation. Much of the digital access
students have in this area outside of school is a smartphone, and often it belongs to a parent.
Often, this is embarrassing to a student, and so I try to make sure that this disparity is not
highlighted in front of peers. Keeping this in mind, I must create greater accessibility during the
digital tools and how they will be used. Discriminating how a student can grow through the use
of the tool, I hope to also teach students to evaluate their digital use as worthy and purposeful.
I want to incorporate John Deweys belief that education is growth, rather than an end in
classroom in a way that students will be a community of learners, interacting and learning from
one another. I will ensure that students have access to, and learn discernment of appropriate
tools to meet their learning objectives. I want students to leave my class as effective and
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