Power of the Cognitive Learning Theory and Instructional Strategies

           Today, educators are positively bombarded with a lot of beneficial information that they can use to help their students be able to store new information in their long-term memories.  As teachers, we need to understand how the brain builds connections and how it processes information.  This information allows us to develop engaging and meaningful lessons, which then all of our students brains can take the multiple connections we provide and successfully store the information.

With that in mind, educators can take the practice approach to teaching students how to organize information and require students’ to make connections between concepts and ideas by the consistent use of multimedia, advance organizers, higher level questioning, cueing and summarizing.  In the text, Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works, educators can teach their students how to retrieve, use and organize information about a topic through use of questions, cues, and advanced organizers (Pitler et al, 2012).  That being said, students will develop a greater understanding of what they are about to learn and start to build connections to their prior knowledge through the use of cues and questions. 

Furthermore, the cognitive learning theory supports note taking and summarizing strategies.  Students learn how to synthesize information and present that information through the use of note taking and summarizing.  These strategies are providing students the opportunity to organize information in a meaningful way.  I prepare my students with notes that I created in my PowerPoint presentations and other visual formats as well.  By doing this, it provides my students with multiple visual representations.  In addition, Paivo’s Dual Coding hypothesis is about the use of visual aids in which it supports the idea that information is stored as images and text (Laureate Education, Inc., 20011).  Students are more apt to retrieve information based on an images that support connections. Technology, such as PowerPoint, is a resource that can appeal to several learning styles and serve as a visual aid.  Doctor Orey discusses that the images should be informational in a PowerPoint, so it is a powerful tool for students to process the information (Laureate Education, Inc., 20011).

Two instructional tools that I feel would “spark” my third to fifth grade students’ brains are concept maps and virtual field trips.  According to Novak and Cañas (2008) graphical tools for organizing and representing knowledge include concept maps that indicate the concepts and show the connections by linking the two concepts with a line. Learning requires connections to be made between background knowledge and new information.    As I read this week, I came to the realization that I attain a lot more information if there are images or events.  I feel concept mapping is a great tool for elementary ages.  Students have to think about how information connects to other information.  I even use drawings if they are relevant.  The Kidspiration software is another excellent technology tool for concept mapping.  I think virtual field trips are beneficial.  It is a great way to bring a boring topic to life.  Students get to go to places and see things that a lot of people do not get a chance to see.  Last year, I did a virtual field trip on the production of chocolate with my third graders.  This lesson allows third grade students to explore limited resources and the effects it has on the decisions producers make. The students watch a video about the history of chocolate and Hershey, PA. Students have a organizer called the Production of Chocolate Resources.  I provide students with a list of resources.  As students tour, students will pick five resources and tell if it is human, capital or natural on the chart. Upon the completion of the virtual trip, the students then locate and complete a BCR that is saved on the student drive.  Here is the link to the virtual tour: MMM...Production of Chocolate Tour

Finally, I feel that in order for learning to take place, every classroom should incorporate instructional strategies, such as concept maps and virtual field trips and other strategies that support cognitive learning theories. Incorporating the use of a graphic organizer should help my students in learning material and convert the information to long-term memory.

References:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011). Program Five. Cognitive Learning

Theories. [Video Webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology.

Baltimore: Author.  Retrieved from

http://laureate.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=6700267&CPURL+lau

reate.ecollege.com&survey=1&47=259577&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=0&bhc

p=1

Novak, J. D., & Cañas, A. J. (2008). The theory underlying concept maps and how to

construct and use them, Technical Report IHMC CmapTools 2006-01 Rev 01-2008.

Retrieved from the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition Web site:

http://cmap.ihmc.us/Publications/ResearchPapers/TheoryUnderlyingConceptMaps.pdf

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2012). Using technology with classroom

instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Hershey Company. (n.d.). Making our chocolate.  Hershey, PA.  Retrieved 13 November 2013 from

             http://www.thehersheycompany.com/about-hersey/our-story/making-our-chocolate.aspx