Addressing Important Parent Concerns

Entry #8

What would you say if a parent of one of your students complains to you about the following things?

• you allow their child to use too much technology in school
• their child is doing more socializing than learning in your classroom
• you are making the students do your job since they are teaching themselves

Based on what we have learned from the many blogs and articles we have read as well as from Wikinomics, we would probably give ourselves a pat on the back for doing a great job! But seriously, what will our response be? Are you prepared to answer these questions? This will most definitely be an issue for each and every one of us in the future, because each of you have posted in either your blog or our discussion area or brought up in class something about using technology more, allowing students to socialize (through collaboration, global learning, etc.) more, and the importance of student-centered learning. For example, in Lynelle’s post Technology for a Diverse Generation, she says the following: “These diverse groups of students learn best through peer-to-peer, hands on, visual and kinesthetic learning opportunities. They want to be a part of creating projects and solutions too.” In Pamela's post Wikis in the Math Classroom, she says the following: "Throughout this course I have learned that wiki's are a great way to get students collaborating and communicating for the betterment of the entire class". She goes on to describe a way in which she would use wikis in her math classroom. She talks about dividing her students into groups and having them create a group wiki on a particular math chapter. "...having one students provide meaningful examples of concepts,, one student in charge of illustrations, another in charge of vocabulary, etc. However, the whole group is responsible for the entire chapter, so they will be motivated to check over each others work and add to it as necessary."

We can inform these hesitant parents, that the learning which we promote in our classrooms has been around for a long time. It is called constructivism. We have merely added technology to the constructivist learning theory. Some may call us “techno-constructivists”. In the article, Constructivism and Technology: On the Road to Student-Centered Learning, constructivism is described as being “all about inquiry, exploration, autonomy, and personal expressions of knowledge and creativity.” There several components of constructivism and they are as follows:

• “Learners bring unique prior knowledge and beliefs to a learning situation.
• Knowledge is constructed uniquely and individually, in multiple ways, through a variety of tools, resources, and contexts.
• Learning is both an active and reflective process.
• Learning is developmental. We make sense of our world by assimilating, accommodating, or rejecting new information.
• Social interaction introduces multiple perspectives on learning.
• Learning is internally controlled and mediated by the learner.”

In constructivist classrooms students use technology “to collect, organize and analyze data; to enhance presentations; to conduct simulations and to solve complex problems…technology seems almost invisible; it is the learning that is apparent.” Each constructivist classroom will look different because “teaching practices based on constructivism are varied and flexible”. You may see some similarities however. These are as follows:

• “Students who are engaged, active, and responsible for their own learning. They work collaboratively to solve authentic problems that have real meaning for them.
• Students reflect on their ideas through peer and teacher questioning, discussion, or journals.
• They use technology and other tools for inquiry, exploration, research, expression, and assessment. In short, in a constructivist classroom, learning is something a student does—not something that is done to the student.
• The teacher moves around the room, coaching students, providing feedback on their ideas, and managing the structure of the class. Most important, the teacher is a learner too!”

In an article called Are You a Techno-Constructivist, techno-constructivists are described as “the teachers who integrate technology into the curriculum so that it not only complements instruction but redefines it.” They “have realized the full potential of technology to help children build on their own experiences, construct their own meanings, create products, and solve problems successfully.” Although there is no one way to describe what these teachers look like, because they are all individual and thus vary, below are some examples of activities they may incorporate into their student learning.

• “They create collaborative online projects that involve students in long-term problem-solving and product-generating tasks that utilize Internet resources and a variety of digital communications. (See Creating Internet Projects for ideas and examples.)
• They implement lesson formats that are conducive to the utilization of both technology and constructivist methodologies, such as the Webquest. (See The Webquest Page for endless materials.)
• They take students on virtual field trips-- all by simply using their Internet connection and a projector. (See The Virtual Field Trips Site to learn more.)
• They provide virtual simulations of real-life experiences that can be easily integrated across the curriculum. (See The Exploratorium for great examples of what is possible.)
• They promote information literacy through online activities that require research and evaluation of digital information. (See Assignments and Activities That Promote Information Literacy.)”

Apparently we are not the only ones who feel as though the constructivist learning theory combined with technology is a win-win combination. In this blog, Karl Fisch describes how one school has received grants in order to purchase technology and create a staff development plan in order to “improve teacher and student use of technology to achieve curricular goals, to help transform our school to a more student-centered, constructivist approach, and to prepare our students to succeed in the 21st century”. The teachers have begun their own blogs where they can reflect on the things they are learning and on what they are doing differently in their classrooms as a result. They can also get feedback from one another on the activities they are doing in their classrooms. Woudn’t that be awesome?

I hope this information that I have provided will enable you to give parents a clear idea of exactly why you are promoting the constructivist learning theory combined with technology. Most parents would probably be more accepting and more convinced knowing that the learning theory you are reinforcing in your classroom is not some “new fangled” idea! I know I feel much better knowing that I have specific answers to questions they may have about their child’s education. There are some parents who are very interested in knowing your theory and approach to student learning and will respect us more as educators if we sit down and share this with them. I think a lot of parent resistance comes as a result of parents thinking teachers do not respect them or care about their input. If we are able to share our approach to student learning with each and every one of them at the beginning of the school year (whether that be face-to-face, through a podcast or posting on our blog, through an email, through a letter sent home, through a video we have created for their viewing at back to school night that they can watch while waiting to meet their child’s teacher, etc.) I think we will receive much more support and respect as a result. Perhaps we can also share this video called Pay Attention with them.

Issue: Parent resistance to usage of technology, socialization, and student-centered learning in your classroom.

Solution: Explain to these parents the learning theory which you believe in and promote in your classroom and how technology plays an important role in supporting that theory.