Literature review
21st Century Students
It seems as though our rising generation of students eats, sleeps, and drinks technology. They use it to stay connected with friends, to teach themselves new things, and to make their lives more efficient. Yet when they enter the classroom, they are expected to stow away their devices, lest they should become distracted and get lost in the digital world. I often hear parents make comments about why they do not allow their child to participate in social media and or why they will not allow their child to have their own device. While their concerns are valid, they fail to acknowledge the implications on student learning in a digital world.
Devices can be distracting and can be used inappropriately and irresponsibly. As teachers, our rising generation of digital natives needs us to be there for them to model digital citizenship. They need teachers who can help them become "expert learners" equipped with 21st century skills (Richardson, 2012). And while our students are well versed in all the latest tech tools and apps, they also need to learn how to connect with and contribute to online communities, to share ideas, and to learn professionalism. As 21st-century students, they need to develop collaborative skills and become "learners connecting with learners" (Richardson, 2012).
Collaborative Learning (CL) and Student-centered Learning
How will allowing my students to use more technology for collaborative learning purposes affect student learning outcomes as well as my role as the teacher?
Studies show that the use of technology for collaborative learning purposes in a foreign language classroom has a positive effect on students’ linguistic development (Stepp-Greany, 2002). According to Beauvois, students who are allowed to connect and collaborate with other language learners via technology tend to use more complex sentence structures and display more fluidity in conversation (2002). Interestingly, studies show that a key factor in these improved language learning outcomes is the “elimination of strong teacher dominance”, which enables students to express themselves more freely, “resulting in a larger quantity and better quality of communication” (Stepp-Greany, 2002). Studies have also indicated that using technology to work collaboratively has enabled them to “learn faster and more independently and to write more creatively” (Stepp-Greany, 2002). These findings are very exciting to me as a foreign language teacher in that I am beginning to design my own lessons and activities in a way that is shifting away from a traditional style of teaching to a more collaborative, student-centered, and autonomous style of learning.
As I continued researching articles and journals regarding this shift in teaching and learning, I found that the most effective language instructors are departing from a traditional style of teaching and are adopting a more collaborative learning (CL) approach. According to studies, CL is a highly effective instructional approach in education in general and in second-language learning as well (Dornyei, 1997). CL is an instructional approach that uses small groups in order to achieve common learning goals via cooperation and allows students to be active participants in constructing their own knowledge. CL is therefore a learning style that is considered a “major shift” from traditional educational contexts where “instruction is still largely viewed as a delivery service” (Dornyei, 1997). According to Dornyei, this style of learning further opposes traditional learning in that it is closely aligned with principles of student-centered learning, which benefits students greatly through peer collaboration (1997).
The student-centered learning approach is another theme that I found and plan to integrate into my teacher research. This approach is in line with the CL approach and is one that I hope will positively affect student learning as per studies put forth by Krueger, it aims to enable students to be “independent learners who take charge of their own education" (Krueger, 2014). According to Weinstein, teachers can also allow students to develop higher-level thinking when they assume the role of a facilitator. In other words, the teacher steps aside as the traditional “sage on the stage” and transitions into the “guide on the side” (2007).
Both the CL and student-centered learning approaches encourage student autonomy and choice, which are principles that are in line with Deci and Ryan’s self-determination theory, which describes autonomy as the “innate human need” to be “self-initiating and self-regulating”. In this sense, both CL and student-centered learning promote a learning environment in which students engage in activities “with a full sense of wanting, choosing, and personal endorsement”, which is “prerequisite for any behavior to be intrinsically rewarding” (Dornyei, 1997). Furthermore, studies show that both the student-centered learning and cooperative learning approaches are considered a “highly effective classroom intervention, superior to most traditional forms of instruction” in terms of higher-order thinking, positive attitudes towards learning, increased motivation, better teacher-student and student-student relationships, and finally higher levels of self-esteem on the part of the students (Dornyei, 1997).
Technology, Collaboration, and Community
How will the use of technology and student collaboration affect my students’ sense of classroom community?
In reading a number of articles related to language-learning classrooms of the 21st century, I found that allowing language students to use technology and to work collaboratively have a positive effect on students’ sense of community in terms of the way they connect through the learning process. According to Warschauer, students who are allowed to use technology and work collaboratively feel more connected to their classmates as they “engage in real, as opposed to contrived, communicative acts” (Stepp-Greany, 2002). As I create my lessons moving forward, I plan to enhance classroom community by designing collaborative activities and real-life applications that enable my students to feel more deeply connected to each other as well as to the learning process. In this type of a language-learning environment, students have described that they have felt “empowered, less isolated” and “less afraid to contact others” (Stepp-Greany, 2002).
Community building is also one of the five goals in the national standards for Foreign Language Learning (White, 2010) and is in line with collaborative learning principles, which are “not so much dependent on the actual target of learning (i.e., mastery of Language 2) as on more basic components of the learning process, such as the relationships and interactions among learners” (Dornyei, 1997).
Technology, Collaboration, and Engagement
How will using technology to collaborate affect my students’ levels of engagement?
In reading a number of articles and journals related to the effects of using technology and collaboration in a language-learning classroom, I found that the shift away from a traditional style of teaching to a more student-centered style of learning "increases student motivation by engaging them more deeply in the learning process" (Stepp-Greany, 2002).
On the other hand, when language instruction takes place in a traditional school setting in which students passively learn and teachers actively point out mistakes, studies show that student anxiety tends to permeate the classroom. In such an environment, students "become highly motivated to avoid engaging during classroom activity" (Horwitz et. al, 1986). According to Krashen’s Affective Filter Hypothesis, student engagement increases and students acquire language faster and more efficiently when they do not feel threatened or humiliated (Sparks et. al, 1996). Furthermore, studies show that low anxiety students tend to attain much higher levels of communicative proficiency than high anxiety students (Richard Sparks et. al, 1996). Communicative proficiency is yet another goal area of the national standards for Foreign Language Learning, which encourages teachers to create safe environments in which language-learning students can develop interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational skills (ACTFL, 2012).
Attitudes Towards Learning
How will student collaboration affect my students’ attitudes towards learning a foreign language?
In addition to the lack of interaction among students, increased levels of anxiety, and an emphasis on lower-level thinking, traditional and direct instruction methods also tend to have an impact on students’ attitudes towards a given subject (PISA, 2005). Studies show that students who negatively perceive a given subject have little or no chance of attaining proficiency in that subject. On the other hand, when students have positive attitudes and perceptions towards a subject, they have "a mental climate that is conducive to learning" (Marzano, 2014). According to a project at one of California’s Model Technology Schools, language learners “appear to gain confidence” and have reported a positive change in attitude when granted more opportunities to direct their own learning in a non-traditional, collaborative learning environment (Stepp-Greany, 2002). And according to Beauvois, many students have expressed “an increased confidence in speaking” due to a learning environment where learners are allowed to connect and collaborate with their language-learning peers (Stepp-Greany, 2002).
Further studies show that the collaborative learning approach (in opposition to the traditional style approach) is an “important strategy for promoting positive attitudes towards learning a foreign language”, and that students who perceive their foreign language instruction in a positive light tend to continue taking foreign language classes throughout their time as a student (Dornyei, 1997).
As I design my Action Plan, I hope to do so in such a way that enables my students to explore language acquisition in a student-centered and collaborative learning environment, build a stronger sense of classroom community, integrate technology, and help my students experience a change of attitude towards Spanish.
It seems as though our rising generation of students eats, sleeps, and drinks technology. They use it to stay connected with friends, to teach themselves new things, and to make their lives more efficient. Yet when they enter the classroom, they are expected to stow away their devices, lest they should become distracted and get lost in the digital world. I often hear parents make comments about why they do not allow their child to participate in social media and or why they will not allow their child to have their own device. While their concerns are valid, they fail to acknowledge the implications on student learning in a digital world.
Devices can be distracting and can be used inappropriately and irresponsibly. As teachers, our rising generation of digital natives needs us to be there for them to model digital citizenship. They need teachers who can help them become "expert learners" equipped with 21st century skills (Richardson, 2012). And while our students are well versed in all the latest tech tools and apps, they also need to learn how to connect with and contribute to online communities, to share ideas, and to learn professionalism. As 21st-century students, they need to develop collaborative skills and become "learners connecting with learners" (Richardson, 2012).
Collaborative Learning (CL) and Student-centered Learning
How will allowing my students to use more technology for collaborative learning purposes affect student learning outcomes as well as my role as the teacher?
Studies show that the use of technology for collaborative learning purposes in a foreign language classroom has a positive effect on students’ linguistic development (Stepp-Greany, 2002). According to Beauvois, students who are allowed to connect and collaborate with other language learners via technology tend to use more complex sentence structures and display more fluidity in conversation (2002). Interestingly, studies show that a key factor in these improved language learning outcomes is the “elimination of strong teacher dominance”, which enables students to express themselves more freely, “resulting in a larger quantity and better quality of communication” (Stepp-Greany, 2002). Studies have also indicated that using technology to work collaboratively has enabled them to “learn faster and more independently and to write more creatively” (Stepp-Greany, 2002). These findings are very exciting to me as a foreign language teacher in that I am beginning to design my own lessons and activities in a way that is shifting away from a traditional style of teaching to a more collaborative, student-centered, and autonomous style of learning.
As I continued researching articles and journals regarding this shift in teaching and learning, I found that the most effective language instructors are departing from a traditional style of teaching and are adopting a more collaborative learning (CL) approach. According to studies, CL is a highly effective instructional approach in education in general and in second-language learning as well (Dornyei, 1997). CL is an instructional approach that uses small groups in order to achieve common learning goals via cooperation and allows students to be active participants in constructing their own knowledge. CL is therefore a learning style that is considered a “major shift” from traditional educational contexts where “instruction is still largely viewed as a delivery service” (Dornyei, 1997). According to Dornyei, this style of learning further opposes traditional learning in that it is closely aligned with principles of student-centered learning, which benefits students greatly through peer collaboration (1997).
The student-centered learning approach is another theme that I found and plan to integrate into my teacher research. This approach is in line with the CL approach and is one that I hope will positively affect student learning as per studies put forth by Krueger, it aims to enable students to be “independent learners who take charge of their own education" (Krueger, 2014). According to Weinstein, teachers can also allow students to develop higher-level thinking when they assume the role of a facilitator. In other words, the teacher steps aside as the traditional “sage on the stage” and transitions into the “guide on the side” (2007).
Both the CL and student-centered learning approaches encourage student autonomy and choice, which are principles that are in line with Deci and Ryan’s self-determination theory, which describes autonomy as the “innate human need” to be “self-initiating and self-regulating”. In this sense, both CL and student-centered learning promote a learning environment in which students engage in activities “with a full sense of wanting, choosing, and personal endorsement”, which is “prerequisite for any behavior to be intrinsically rewarding” (Dornyei, 1997). Furthermore, studies show that both the student-centered learning and cooperative learning approaches are considered a “highly effective classroom intervention, superior to most traditional forms of instruction” in terms of higher-order thinking, positive attitudes towards learning, increased motivation, better teacher-student and student-student relationships, and finally higher levels of self-esteem on the part of the students (Dornyei, 1997).
Technology, Collaboration, and Community
How will the use of technology and student collaboration affect my students’ sense of classroom community?
In reading a number of articles related to language-learning classrooms of the 21st century, I found that allowing language students to use technology and to work collaboratively have a positive effect on students’ sense of community in terms of the way they connect through the learning process. According to Warschauer, students who are allowed to use technology and work collaboratively feel more connected to their classmates as they “engage in real, as opposed to contrived, communicative acts” (Stepp-Greany, 2002). As I create my lessons moving forward, I plan to enhance classroom community by designing collaborative activities and real-life applications that enable my students to feel more deeply connected to each other as well as to the learning process. In this type of a language-learning environment, students have described that they have felt “empowered, less isolated” and “less afraid to contact others” (Stepp-Greany, 2002).
Community building is also one of the five goals in the national standards for Foreign Language Learning (White, 2010) and is in line with collaborative learning principles, which are “not so much dependent on the actual target of learning (i.e., mastery of Language 2) as on more basic components of the learning process, such as the relationships and interactions among learners” (Dornyei, 1997).
Technology, Collaboration, and Engagement
How will using technology to collaborate affect my students’ levels of engagement?
In reading a number of articles and journals related to the effects of using technology and collaboration in a language-learning classroom, I found that the shift away from a traditional style of teaching to a more student-centered style of learning "increases student motivation by engaging them more deeply in the learning process" (Stepp-Greany, 2002).
On the other hand, when language instruction takes place in a traditional school setting in which students passively learn and teachers actively point out mistakes, studies show that student anxiety tends to permeate the classroom. In such an environment, students "become highly motivated to avoid engaging during classroom activity" (Horwitz et. al, 1986). According to Krashen’s Affective Filter Hypothesis, student engagement increases and students acquire language faster and more efficiently when they do not feel threatened or humiliated (Sparks et. al, 1996). Furthermore, studies show that low anxiety students tend to attain much higher levels of communicative proficiency than high anxiety students (Richard Sparks et. al, 1996). Communicative proficiency is yet another goal area of the national standards for Foreign Language Learning, which encourages teachers to create safe environments in which language-learning students can develop interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational skills (ACTFL, 2012).
Attitudes Towards Learning
How will student collaboration affect my students’ attitudes towards learning a foreign language?
In addition to the lack of interaction among students, increased levels of anxiety, and an emphasis on lower-level thinking, traditional and direct instruction methods also tend to have an impact on students’ attitudes towards a given subject (PISA, 2005). Studies show that students who negatively perceive a given subject have little or no chance of attaining proficiency in that subject. On the other hand, when students have positive attitudes and perceptions towards a subject, they have "a mental climate that is conducive to learning" (Marzano, 2014). According to a project at one of California’s Model Technology Schools, language learners “appear to gain confidence” and have reported a positive change in attitude when granted more opportunities to direct their own learning in a non-traditional, collaborative learning environment (Stepp-Greany, 2002). And according to Beauvois, many students have expressed “an increased confidence in speaking” due to a learning environment where learners are allowed to connect and collaborate with their language-learning peers (Stepp-Greany, 2002).
Further studies show that the collaborative learning approach (in opposition to the traditional style approach) is an “important strategy for promoting positive attitudes towards learning a foreign language”, and that students who perceive their foreign language instruction in a positive light tend to continue taking foreign language classes throughout their time as a student (Dornyei, 1997).
As I design my Action Plan, I hope to do so in such a way that enables my students to explore language acquisition in a student-centered and collaborative learning environment, build a stronger sense of classroom community, integrate technology, and help my students experience a change of attitude towards Spanish.