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Week 2, Part 2 (September 2, 2010)

In reflecting on how to incorporate, one of these new theories in the reading when I teach computer basics (Intro class) to adult students and students who are learning disabled I would probably use Heutagogy. Heutagogy has roots in the literature on self-directed learning and renounces the teacher dependency associated with both pedagogy (child learning) and andragogy (adult learning). Heutagogy extends control to the learner and sees the learner as the major development and control agent in his or her own learning (Hase & Kenyon and Anderson, (33) 2007). These adult students that want to learn computers will be probably self directed and want to learn at their own pace. The learning disabled students that I teach would self directed but would need my help as guide so that they understand what is going on with the way a computer works and functions. As the reading said I have to look at the problems, they are having with their computers and to and guide as students use a very wide set of resources (both online and traditional) to resolve problems and to gain personal understanding and capacity (Anderson 33). This is especially true of the adult students who are learning disabled and use assistive/adaptive technology. They have to be comfortable with not only with the computer basics I have to teach them but with their specially designed software. Heutagogy is a theory to my understanding that makes the learner try to be as independent as possible when it comes to learning a new skill. This is extremely important and fits with the scope of teaching computers in that the learning-disabled students would feel much pride in learning and doing computer skills on their own.

Week 2 (September 2, 2010)

The learning style(s) that I mostly associated with, as a 21st, century learner are a mixture of all three of them: Behaviorism, Cognitivism, and Constructivism. If I had to choose one of the learning styles that I use the most, it would probably be Behaviorism. I like doing things on the computer that guides me through the lesson, which is a behavioral trait. I like the type of learning that I can see what I am doing because I am a visual person when it comes to learning new things. Another trait of the behavioral theory is reinforcement which something I need so I know when I am doing online learning I can be on the right track for completing the assignment. The next most used by me would be cognitive because it is all about what you see to get the task at hand done. It also provided with examples and demonstrations so I can get idea of what is to be the finished product and connecting new information with prior knowledge. I think working this week asynchronously went fine. It is still different for me to work online because I like having the face-to-face meetings with my professors. I know I can email them but to me it is just not the same as speaking to them about an assignment in their office hours. It also takes a lot of motivation to do online work because sometimes you can forget when things are due.

Week 1 (August 26 2010)

I am Michael and I am in my 3rd semester in the ITEC program at SFSU. In looking at last Thursday’s class, I thought that it went very well for the first day. I still have to get a grasp of what exactly is emerging technologies is. I thought that the video with the way we use the internet and technology was very insightful. I want to look at more in detail the emerging technologies for the learning disabled in a classroom setting. I really like the use of the Web 2.0 widgets and looking forward to using them more often. I have to try to use new Web 2.0 to get more familiar with how to use them for different things. The problem is that when I was seeing all these different applications and I was thinking when too many apps are is enough. I mean if we keep getting all new technologies I wonder if society is going to get sick of using them. It is a fun time to be a student currently where computers are really going to take over the learning community that we live in.