EDLD 5364 Teaching with Technology Week One

The first week EDLD 5364 has been very informative to me. Having been out of the classroom for many years, the new theories of instruction discussed this week are new to me. In Dr. Mason’s introductory videos, she discusses the three theories – constructivism, connectivism and cyborg theory. Each of these theories is introduced in the week one video segments.

Basically, constructivism is the belief that learners start out with personal experiences and knowledge to which new information gained is tied to in the brain, thus forming new knowledge. Authors Sprague and Dede (1999) state “constructivist theory posits that students make sense of the world by synthesizing new experiences into what they have previously understood“(p. 7). This theory makes sense to me as brain research shows that, “the complexity of the human body requires that we automate many behaviors. The more we automate, the less we are aware of them. Most of our behaviors have come from either ‘undisputed downloads’ from our environment or repeated behaviors that have become automatic. This suggests potential problems and opportunities in learning.” (Jensen, n.d.) We understand that the brain creates neural pathways to retrieve information and knowledge. When we are asked to recall previously learned information, we use these pathways to find the memory. Constructivists believe that new knowledge gained is stored near related memories so that the information has relevance to the student’s current understanding and memory. In the article, Learning as a Personal Event (Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, 1999), learning is viewed as a “process of accommodation, assimilation, or rejection to construct new conceptual structures, meaningful representation or new mental models” (para.5). This theory translates into a classroom that allows multiple forms of information attainment which may include videos, reading, listening tools, and collaboration with fellow students, internet searches and projects. Technology is well suited to meet the needs of a diversified constructivist classroom.

The connectivism theory, developed by George Siemens, believes learning occurs in a variety of ways and is done through connections in the brain that allow students to find the information stored. This theory is similar to constructivism but it more closely adheres to the belief that the neural pathways to the information stored are key to finding a place for a new memory to go. Connectivism builds on the idea that if a student has a previous path to a set of knowledge developed in their brain then new information will be more easily and quickly attained if the student stores similar information along that same pathway. Connectivism combined with constructivism leads to trends in education that propose that technology is changing the way we thinking and that learning is a life-time process as many students will change careers multiple times during their lifetimes. (Solomon & Schrum, 2007)

Cyborg theory is a “way-out-there” theory that believes that somehow humans will be perfected by computers and memory chips. I feel sorry for a guy who writes, “Perhaps society’s evolution is at a pre-adolescent state as evidenced by our inability to comes to terms with our identity; not certain of who we are or what we are becoming and all the while uncomfortable with not knowing” (McPheeters, 2009, para. 6) What hopelessness is expressed in not knowing the purpose of your existence and thinking that you have to come up with a new device to perfect yourself. It is very interesting to study the brain and how it functions, and I am sure that many brain injuries will be overcome through technological advancements in brain research, but I do not think you can perfect upon what a perfect God has already made and called “very good” (Genesis 1:31, New International Version Bible 2010).


Sprague, D., & Dede, C. (1999). If I teach this way, am I doing my job: Constructivism in the classroom. Leading and Learning, 27(1). Retrieved January 28, 2011 from the International Society for Technology in Education at http://imet.csus.edu/imet9/280/docs/dede_constructivisim.pdf

Jensen, E. (n.d.). Principles of Brain-Based Learning. Retrieved February 25, 2011, from http://www.jensenlearning.com/principles.php
Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, (1999). Learning as a personal event: A brief introduction to constructivism. http://www.sedl.org/pubs/tec26/intro2c.html

Solomon, G., & Schrum, L. (2007). Web 2.0: New tools, new schools. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education.

McPheeters, D. (2009, March). Social Networking Technologies in Education, Tech and Learning. Retrieved August 8, 2009 from http://www.techlearning.com/article/16250