Social Learning Theory in the Classroom

When I think of the word "social", I think about lots of talking and sharing amongst a group of individuals. I am a social bird myself and did not realize the "social learning theory" was being implemented in my classroom. Dr. Orey stated, "the bottom line to social learning is students collaboratively working together" (Orey, 2010). This statement is true and can be proven with the strategies mentioned in this week's theory. For example, collaborative learning involves students sharing ideas and teaching one another different skills within a group. The students are able to openly share their ideas with their peers and help out those who do not understand. I love this strategy because so many students love to feel confident in what they know. The students enjoy taking on the role as the teacher and "feeling great about helping their classmate" (Orey, 2010). The students feel more comfortable around smaller groups when going through the learning process because there is room for error and mistake. Where as in a whole group setting, students feel pressured to have to know the correct answer and the correct way of finding the answer. There are so many types of personalities and learning styles in the classroom, so one type of instruction does not work for everyone. This brings out another plus for collaborative learning because of the different styles coming together to meet one goal.

The next strategy Dr. Orey mentioned that also goes along with collaborative learning is the "jigsaw". The "jigsaw" strategy involves each student researching a specific subtopic in their group and bringing back information to share with their group members. Again, this allows for the students to take on the role as the instructor and teach their group members. The teacher acts as a support for the groups and not the primary source. This gives the students more confidence in what they are learning and have learned from researching. Students whom get accustomed to working together in groups and taking on leadership roles prepares the students for the 21st century. In small group settings, the students are able conduct critical thinking and problem solving which are skills needed in order to survive in the corporate world.

I will continue to use the "social learning theory" in my classroom and implement the technology resources available. The partnerships in our school's community do not permit for many hands on, collaborative experiences for the students. I think if there were ways to incorporate the curriculum into what the students see around their neighborhood will give them a more meaningful experience and opportunity to learn. This ties in with the connectivism theory and how students connect their learning to real life experiences.

Resources:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010). Program Number 7: Social Learning Theory [Webcast]. Bridging Learning Theory, Instruction, and Technology. Baltimore,MD: Author.