I felt waaaaaay behind on this activity before I had even begun(hmmmmmm... I am noticing a pattern here). At the Residential Schools in Rockhampton I met Sarah and we discovered we had a bit in common: both living in Gladstone (and doing FLEX study), both studying Primary part time and both trying to juggle education and a young family - no easy fete! When res school was all good and done we decided to exchange phone numbers and it was from here that we made contact in Week One and decided to pair up for this "Learning theories Wiki". This activity instructed us to pick a person who we felt compatible with and then do a PMI on one of the learning theories.
SO, the initial stage of "choosing a partner" was nothing like what we were instructed to do - the profile Wikis didn't come into the equation at all. Our compatibility was judged on good old face to face interaction... just how us digital immigrants like it:-)
The value of this activity to me as a learner?
Initially I found the activity offered little value to me as a learner. We organised to pair up through text which was I was happy with because I didn't know about the profile wikis yet and had no idea what was involved. When this was arranged Sarah had chosen the reading and posted her points. I totally applaud her for being so proactive (if only I could be that organised!) but I felt all my old "group work demons" rearing their ugly heads: Am I way behind? What if my opinions are similar and I have nothing else to add? What if they are different... is it rude to disagree? What if one person does more work than the other? If she finds this easy and I don't does that make me an idiot? If I don't address this activity straight away will she think I am a slacker? If only my mind had an off switch!
After I got past this I decided the best approach for me was to do the reading, write down my points and then read what Sarah had written to see if I had something different to contribute. Most of it was the same (said in one way or another) and so I googled a few more websites to see if I could find some info that might spark a few extra thoughts. In this sense I connected with the outside world, just not my peers. I found a few things and added my PMI to the Wiki and that was it. DONE.
What I did find really helpful was the PMI (Plus Minus Interesting)tool. I had never heard of a PMI before but after reading about it I thought it sounded like a very clear and simplistic way of grasping a theory. Finally something straight forward!
I found reading my peers PMIs and constructing my own helped my understanding of the learning theories and I now feel reasonably comfortable in distinguishing one from the next.
How could this strategy be used to support the learning of your students?
The concept of building knowledge in peers that have been self chosen is great as students can bounce ideas off each other, form connections with peers and still maintain a sense of creativity and freedom of choice. The PMI tool would be great in classroom as it provokes deep thinking in students as well as maintaining a sense of structure to focus their thoughts(aka "scaffolding"). The 'interesting' part helps the teacher become aware of any unresolved questions the students may have as well as offering more ideas for other students when shared. It's also "one of the most effective cooperative strategies for promoting responsibility within each of the students in the team." (http://www.cap.nsw.edu.au/qi/tools/jkl/jigsaw.htm)
Flaws - some students may not be picked to pair up which can generate discrimination. In a pair one may do all the work while the other sits back. If students are pairing with someone they are compatible with, that may lead to a lack or diverse ideas.
Any visible signs of learning theories?
Constructivism - Selecting a partner from Profile Wikis identifies each student as unique individual. Social interaction of group work helps construct meaning. Choosing partner, reading and PMI's = actively involved in learning process.
Behaviourism - Stimulus = select a partner. Response = found a compatible partner (if all goes to plan!)
Connectivism - Connecting with others via networking to find a partner. Different forms of communication with partner through text, email, conversation, etc to construct wiki. Ability to learn from different views and contribute and then contribution can help others learn more and so the cycle continues.
Does it support a diverse range of students?
The way in which partners can communicate supports diversity but the activity of reading an explanation of a theory and writing up answers using a PMI does not. Although I guess you could say that a PMI offers structure for logical, sequential learners as well as freedom for global and reflective learners.
E-Learning - connect students on a global scale.
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