Social Learning Theories

According to Dr. Orey, social learning theories state that students will retain information better if they are required to understand and re-teach the information. They also learn better if they are collaborating in groups and learning from one another (Laureate Education, 2009). We researched some activities and strategies to put this theory to use this week. Voice thread in particular is the technology based strategy for social learning. Voice thread is an interesting program to learn but I am unsure how useful it will be in my classroom. I teach art in an elementary school, which means I see the students for 50 minutes, once a week. Perhaps if I taught at the highschool level and had 90 minute blocks every day, this would be a more practical tool. It is a shame that time prevents me from fully exploring some of the resources that are available. However, this does not mean that social learning will never occur in my room. In fact, I have a lesson plan where students use a claymation process to make a short video online. It is a project that lends itself very well to social learning while still having the students use and think about art processes. A quote that really stands out in my mind this week is, "Cooperative learning is not so much learning to cooperate as it is cooperating to learn" (Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., Malenoski, K., 2007, p. 143)

Resources:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). Social Learning Theories. [Motion picture]. Bridging learning theory, instruction, and technology. Baltimore, MD: Orey.

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.