Behaviorist Learning Theory, Instructional Strategies, and Technology Tools

The relationship between behaviorism, instructional strategies and technology tools is the reinforcement of positive behavior and the encouragement of effort. Pitler, Hubbell, & Kuhn state, “The instructional strategy of reinforcing effort enhances student understanding of the relationship between effort and achievement by addressing their attitudes and beliefs about learning” (Pitler, Hubbell, & Kuhn, 2015. p. 57). Behaviorist emphasis changes in behavior that results from an action, good or bad, and a consequence, positive or negative (Standridge, 2017). By reinforcing appropriate behavior through praise and practice students learn and achieve more. The use of technology is very helpful and helps to support student learning in several ways. Examples of these include; 

• Data collection to monitor effort (Pitler, Hubbell, & Kuhn, 2015. p.58-62) through such apps as ClassDojo (Mims, 2013). 
• Providing recognition to a wider audience then just the classroom utilizing blogs and such websites as Flickr (Pitler, Hubbell, & Kuhn, 2015. p.68)
• Utilizing communication and Collaboration software such as podcasts, texting, and emails (Pitler, Hubbell, & Kuhn, 2015. p.70)
• Instructional Interactive's such as Kahoot and other educational games. 
• Through homework which allows for practice by students at their own time and pace as well as collaboration with other students. Some of these include internet-based lectures and exercises as homework, with an example of this being the Khan Academy, these environment of the classroom also creates attributes of a flipped classroom (Johnson, 2015)

These tools should provide appropriate praise and encouragement, be flexible, an understanding that educational goals are the starting point and that technology is there to help with those goals, authentic feedback and open-ended (Moorehead, 2014). 

Another great example of using technology to support student learning comes from Mr Ekuban, a lead teacher who manages freshman orientation. My Ekuban uses data collection tools, in this case a rubric, to collect anonymous effort data and stories from successful upper classmen from his school’s National Honor Society. He than shares this data with the freshman during the orientation to show them ways that they too can succeed and overcome difficulties with a good attitude and effort (Pitler, Hubbell, & Kuhn, 2015. p.62).

As a teacher I believe that it is important to reinforce positive behavior and encourage effort. I try to recognize student’s actions and effort through positive and sincere praise, praise that promotes self-determination and can actually influence intrinsic motivation ((Pitler, Hubbell, & Kuhn, 2015. p.63). In my art classroom, I praise students based on their work, how they may have solved a problem that they encountered, and even how well they took care of their materials. Some technology tools that I do and plan to use would include Nearpod, which I use to check for understanding and allows for me to give real-time and authentic feedback to a student. ClassDojo is another app that I have chosen to utilize to check for effort and keep track of the students to make sure they are on task (Mims, 2013). These tools support the ISTE Standards for Teachers, more specially standard 2.) Designing and development of digital age learning experiences and assessment by collecting data to show student’s effort (ISTE, 2008). Utilizing Nearpod, the ISTE Standards for students are being supported. These include standard 2.) communication and collaboration and standard 4.) critical thinking, problem solving and decision making. (ISTE, 2016).

I feel that I gained a better understanding of behaviorism and how teaching strategies can bring out the best of students if it is appropriate and authentic praise and encouragement of positive behavior and effort. I see the importance of collecting data so see and share students good deeds and efforts to share not only with them but to a wider audience. Ways that I feel that I can integrate aspects of this research into my Genius Hour activity would include to importance of effort. The Genius Hour is a big undertaking and students must understand that they must stay the course and that their effort, if true, will allow them to be successful. I see that I can utilize ClassDojo to track and encourage appropriate behavior and effort with the students as they undertake the GH application. We would work together to establish what is appropriate behavior and what good effort should look like. I will use NearPod to communicate with the students to gage how they are doing. These tools provide real-time communication and collaboration between students and the teacher (ISTE, 2016). 

Resources:

International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). (2016). Standards for students. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/standards/for-students-2016

International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). (2008). Standards for students. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/standards/standards-for-teachers

Johnson, K. (2015). Behavioral Education in the 21st Century. Journal Of Organizational    Behavior Management, 35(1/2), 135-150. doi:10.1080/01608061.2015.1036152

Laureate Education (Producer). (2015a). Behaviorist learning theory [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Mims, L. (2013). Classroom Behavior? There’s an App for That. Retrieved from: https://www.edutopia.org/blog/classroom-behavior-classdojo-app-lisa-mims

Moorhead, L. (2014, September 3). There’s no app for good teaching. Retrieved from http://ideas.ted.com/theres-no-app-for-good-teaching/

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E. R., & Kuhn, M. (2012). Using technology with classroom instruction that works (2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Standridge, M. Behaviorism. Department of Educational Psychology and Instructional Technology, University of Georgia. (2017). Retrieved from: http://epltt.coe.uga.edu/index.php?title=Behaviorism