T2P Blog Post 3: Transfer

Jean Ormrod describes transfer as occurring "when something you learn in one situation affects how you learn or perform in another situation" (389). This is when we draw on skills and knowledge that we have gained to deal with different situations. Ormrod accurately defines it as "an essential component of human functioning" (389). This makes perfect sense. If we could put our knowledge and skills to the test every day in the variety of situations we encounter, we would not be able to do anything at all.

As a teacher, this is a critical skill that I must help my students to acquire. In order to encourage transfer to occur, I must provide meaningful learning for my students over rote learning (Ormrod, 397). This also connects to the idea that students are more easily able to transfer principles and ideas over facts (Ormrod 397). This is why in my classroom, my top priority is always to find a way to make the project personally meaningful for the student. When they are able to make a personal connection to their work, they struggle in a way that pushes them to be their best. They have to take what they have learned on previous projects and apply it in a way that meets their vision for their piece. This is also why my content and projects do not typically focus on specific facts; for example, William Henry Fox Talbot made the first paper negative in 1835). It is more important to me that students have a general understanding of the information's importance in context with the time period; for example, prior to Talbot's invention, each photograph a one-time deal and could not be reproduced so being able to reproduce a single photograph was very exciting.

Another way I encourage transfer to occur in my classroom is by being sure that each lesson builds on the skills from the previous lessons. Ormrod also said "the probability of transfer increases when students know something well" (397). This highlights the importance of teaching certain skills again and again in new projects with increasing complexity. This allows the students to practice application of the skill into new situations. As they increase their understanding of how to apply certain techniques and elements/principles of art and design, their artwork improves and their understanding of how these things work together expands.

To prepare students for real-world applications of the concepts I teach, it is important to give assignments that they could be hired to do. Ormrod said that if two situations are similar, it is more likely that information learned in one will transfer to the other (397). After teaching students about advertising and target markets, studying the use of line, color and the feelings they can evoke, I assign a logo project. The students are given a fictitious company to design a logo for. I provide information to the students on the company's product and target market, and they must design a logo that fits the company's needs.

References

Ormrod, J.E. (2012). Human Learning: Sixth Edition. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.

T2P Blog Post 2: The Importance of Authentic Activities

Vygotsky laid the groundwork for sociocultural theory. His ideas about the importance of social and cultural interactions and their effects on learning helped to clarify the role of adults in the education of children. Vygotsky believed that with the help of an experienced adult, children could be pushed to the next cognitive level (Ormrod, 317). He said that there was a limit to the tasks that children could accomplish on their own, but could learn to do increasingly complex tasks with the help of an adult. Vygotsky also believed that "Every culture passes along physical and cognitive tools that make daily living more effective and efficient" (Ormrod, 315). This basis of sociocultural theory is something that resonated with me. The effects of social interactions and cultural beliefs on learning cannot be discounted. They have a tremendous effect on the students that walk into our classrooms.

I particularly connected with the idea of authentic activities. This, I believe, provides a strong foundation to work from that allows the teacher to reach all students. Ormrod wrote that "Children should have opportunities to engage in activities that closely resemble those they will encounter in the adult world" (332). This is of the utmost importance. If we as educators are to convince our students that what we teach is worth learning, the students have to see some value in it. The simplest way to demonstrate this is through authentic activities:  "tasks identical or similar to those that children will eventually encounter int he outside world" (Ormrod, 332). This is something that I strive to do in all of my classes. No matter the subject, I make real-world connections with the projects I teach. I try to have the students think of themselves as professionals who have been hired to shoot a sporting event, design a company logo or animate a PSA for a local organization. I find that when students can see the real-world application of a skill I am teaching them, they work harder to achieve the objectives.

One of the challenges is that it isn't possible to jump into authentic activities right away. The foundations of basic composition in photography, basic applications of the elements of art in design class, and program functions in animation must all be laid before a truly authentic activity can be given to the students. Getting the students to see the value in the projects that build up (scaffolding) to the real-world applications is the hardest part. This is where I as the teacher must model carefully to show each project's inherent value. I am the experienced adult that they have to help them on their digital art journey, and I cannot control what cognitive tools they come into my classroom with. This is why in addition to making my projects authentic activities, I must make them diverse. They must allow for student choice and various interpretations of the assignment specifics because each student will have a different understanding of the material being taught.

References

Ormrod, J.E. (2012). Human Learning: Sixth Edition. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.

T2P Blog Post 1: The Need for Affiliation

Motivation is influenced by a variety of factors, but the one that grabbed my attention the most was the need for affiliation. Jean Ormrod describes this as "the degree to which a person wants and needs friendly relationships with others" (442). As a high school teacher, this is particularly relevant for me. Teenagers have such a high desire to connect with their peers that it often overrides everything else. The desire for social belonging can be so strong that I have seen students drop my class because it caused them to be in a lunch period without their friends. They would rather give up photography class than eat lunch without their core social group. Ormrod wrote that high school students whose need for affiliation is high will choose a class schedule that enables them to be with their friends rather than one which fits their interests and ambitions (443). This is absolutely true as I have been witness to it more than once.

So the question is how do I combat this? As the teacher I certainly don't have any social standing in a student's life, and I have no control over scheduling. I cannot make them become friends with their classmates because I am aware that there is a strong social hierarchy in high school. My first defense against dropping for social reasons is to make the first day of class as engaging as possible. In previous years, I have taken the first day to go over the syllabus to get the rules set for the semester. I then used to spend several days going over basic art and computer terminology before ever giving students a camera. This year, already inspired by my Educational Technology program, I decided it was time to shake things up. I had my photography students take photos in groups on the first day of class. In animation, we watched early cartoons and discussed them. On the second day, I could see students were eager to view and discuss their photos, and I had a new student join my animation class. I feel my new approach was successful in engaging the students, but will not be able to determine the full degree of success until a full week of school has gone by. I try to create a sense of community in my classroom to encourage social belonging and identity. I allow students to bring in music to share with the class, because we always have something playing while we work. I have students partner up on projects, and write critiques of each other's finished artworks. This year as part of my practicum I plan to institute a strong focus on peer feedback where students depend on each other to learn techniques and produce meaningful work. I am hopeful that this will not only create a feeling of student ownership in the classroom but also the sense of affiliation that students desire.  

References

Ormrod, J.E. (2012). Human Learning: Sixth Edition. Boston:  Pearson Education, Inc.