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alexandra m. pickett

Writing Student Performance-Based Objectives - 9 views

alexandra m. pickett

Instruction by Design - 5 views

  • I was a bit surprised
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      why surprised? It is no longer a question of whether is is as good as f2f instruction. There is a now a significant body of evidence that online instruction done well surpasses f2f instruction: http://slneducation.edublogs.org/2010/07/27/more-than-no-significant-difference/
  • I have been pushed to find out and learn about topics relevant to me!
  • I believe that using questions that allow my students to explore areas that are relevant to their unique situations will help them to be successful.
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  • After reading that statement, I felt as though many things clicked for me. The course design and teaching practices are closely linked. The social, cognitive, and teaching presence are related and depend on each other. What does this mean for my course? For me it translates to making sure my course design contains a careful balance to establish the community of inquiry, and that my teaching practices are supported by my course design.
  • First that instructors must give control over the learning to the students, and second that instructors must be skilled at guiding discussions in order to help students learn what is necessary through interactions with others. I especially liked an analogy that Luke used in one of his discussion posts, “Yoda (the teacher) guided Luke (the student) in the ways of the Force, he pointed him where he needed to go but had Luke do the work.” I think this is very relatable for those of us who are star wars fans. Yoda is this incredibly wise mentor, who says very little. The statements he makes are brief but have a lot of meaning. I do see how this relates to effective teaching online. I had to help facilitate a discussion in a past online class, and always felt hesitant to jump in. My sense was that you only want to add something when the thinking stops. You only want to ask enough questions, or statements to get the thinking going again.
  • When I think about my own learning in this course, I realize that even though I may not have direct contact with my classmates or the instructor, I am following those interaction patterns in this course.  I am working with the concepts and ideas introduced in each module, researching, relating, and making connections.  Then I bring my work back to the community to share.  My classmates or the instructor will absorb my contributions and perhaps push it further with suggesting alternate views, or things I have not considered.
  • Now we are discussing how we are using text based environments to create intimacy in learning environments.  Perhaps, it is not all that different
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      BRILLIANT!!!
  • I now believe that a teacher is someone who can create an environment where students are able to gain knowledge through interaction and experience.  This may be through reviewing materials or engaging in activities, but that seems less important to me now.  The crucial part is now designing the interactions. 
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      Eureaka!! it is NOT about content : ) brilliant!
  • my workshop is really about the journey rather than the destination
  • I realized that although you may think you are engaging students in your course, it may be trickier than you expect
  • I really appreciated that the course was able to allow me to reach these conclusions in my own way, rather than just telling me “the line between direct instruction and facilitation of discourse can be blurred”. 
  • I have been able to make the big connections, and form ideas in a way that previously has been difficult for me. 
  • I feel as though the reflection assignments have provided the context for my brain to think in a different way.  This not only gives me confidence for the future, but it also helps me to discover the connections I have made unconsciously!  It seems kind of strange to say that, but it is true!  I am hoping to continue to use blogging as a tool to document my insights and learning after the course ends.
  • I definitely was struggling with motivation when I felt the connection to my classmates and the instructor fading.
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      interesting...
  • Through ETAP640, I have really learned how important reflection is for deep learning. It is through my blog posts that I have been able to tie all the ideas together in my head and makes sense out of the information. The course manual suggests that you ask your students why they are taking the course within the ice breaker.
  • Now I understand that asking the students to articulate what they want to get out of the course is an important start to getting them to reflect on their learning and progress throughout the course.
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      brilliant!!
  • Maree (4)
alexandra m. pickett

Supporting the Spectrum - Building a Bridge between Families and Schools - 1 views

  • Reflections of Module 1  
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      BRILLIANT!! : )
  • The one thing that I did not realize before entering online courses is how it would impact my writing.
  • In addition we as instructors should continue our learning process.
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  • It is important to create an online community to shift the course from a teacher centered course to a student centered course. We want to facilitate our courses and guide content, but let the students dig deep to provide a rich and diverse experience that has meaning to the participants.
  • So what have I learned? I have learned who I am as a learner, and what I appreciate in a professor. I have learned that I need to let my voice and personality be known to my students because that is how we will connect and become emotionally connected to our course. I reflect on Professor Pickett’s introduction by her daughter. I immediately connected and realized that there was a human being behind the words, and she was relatable. This course is challenging and pushes my abilities, but the interaction with students and the professor helps me know that I am not a lone, and gives me space to evaluate my goals and reflect on what my presence is in our class and in developing the course.
    • Hedy Lowenheim
       
      Hey Heather Thanks for reminding me of this tool. It looks very cool! Lucky you to go on vacation, must have been tricky. I have been in the same predicament, being enrolled in a course and being on vaca. Definitely a challenge, you just have to be very, very disciplined. But all of us have that in common. Hedy
  • When I read the post prompt of “Where are you?” I know that Professor meant in the course, but I immediately had a flash of Carl Sagan’s Pale Blue Dot. “The significance of our lives and our fragile planet is then determined only by our own wisdom and courage (Sagan,2011) .”
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      so, you may think this course is about online teaching, but it is really about changing the world. : ) I need you to help me. Together we can do more than alone. "where are you?" is a multilayered question.
  • What I have realized in this course, is that teaching presence and social presence and cognitive presence come together to create meaningful learning environments for students and teachers. We want to facilitate this in our classrooms but also in our schools, buildings and districts. We want to create shared spaces where teachers are working together connecting, asking questions, working together to find solutions. When we look at the Seven Principles of Effective teaching, all of these principles are centered around communication and interaction. It is about forming relationships and understanding each other. It is about connecting, creating and understanding.
  • This course held a mirror up to the learner in me. Inside I want to connect with others. The social element in learning is vital. I want to connect, I want to be validated and I want to feel safe in my learning spaces. I want to learn from someone who is passionate about their subject and teaching. I want to be inspired and I want to feel like I am making a contribution. All of these elements have been present in our discussion forum. We have exchanged ideas, thoughts and we have been able to thoughtfully disagree.
  • April 2019 February 2017 July 2015 June 2015 January 2015 August 2014 February 2014 December 2013 November 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013
alexandra m. pickett

Online Course Design - 0 views

    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      Joy! thank you for making your learning visible to me! I am awed and inspired by the depth of your insights!
  • So establishing teaching presence is what all the designers, Alex, and even I, am doing when we make decisions about the content of the course, the types of activities we want to include, the tools we would like to use, how we want to assess, how we provide channels for providing and managing feedback, how we want to induct students into the course, how we want to wrap up the course….Basically – everything!
  • From planning, to execution, to assessment, to revision. So this is why developing a course is an “iterative process”.
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    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      eureka!!! brilliant!!!
  • And nothing happens by chance. Everything happens by deliberate design. And I am seeing how this is happening.
  • People are important, so… (make decisions, plan activities, evaluate, discard, adapt, iterate, etc.) Thinking is important, so ….(make decisions, plan activities, evaluate, discard, adapt, iterate, etc.) Learning is important, so….. Content knowledge is important, so… Skills are important, so…
  • From this, I have learnt that it is perfectly fine to change your mind, as long as you have solid justification. This was also a useful reminder abot the importance of accurately matching the number of objectives with activities. A designer needs to avoid creating an objective that has no activity, and an activity with no objective, as can sometimes happen through oversight.
  • “You need to rethink lots of things, to be open to possibilities, opportunities to options, then you’re more likely to be successful,” says Alex. This kind of openness does not happen as a matter of course. It has to begin with an awareness. This attitude of being open to possibilities, opportunities and options has to be actively worked upon. I failed to understand this at first. So I found it perplexing that Alex would pursue what I thought was a trivial line of discussion. What do you think is not possible to teach and learn online? I volunteered several bright contributions. I was still unaware of the purpose of this apparently innocuous discussion. Of course now I know better. That discussion was supposed to challenge a closed mind. Because with a closed mind, we render ourselves unable to be open to possibilities, opportunities to options. A closed mind works against innovation, progress, improvement, expansion. This is a new frontier, and therefore the stance which can reap untold benefits and leanings should be “Let’s explore!” So the question we should be asking isn’t “What cannot be done?” but rather “How do I make this possible?”
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      thank you for this observation, joy! thank you for taking the bait and giving us all the opportunity to question our assumptions and to arrive at creativity, innovation and possibilities!! : )
  • I need to be open to possibilities, opportunities, to options. I must put aside my prejudices and temporarily suspend “logical thinking” in favor of creative thinking.
  • But we should never give up on the unwilling ones.
  • The best way to spark change is to let them attend an effective online course.
  • I am beginning to see how “developing a course is a transformative experience”.
  • I don’t think I can return to the classroom and teach anything the same way before.
  • Designing an online course has been, for me, a truly transformative experience. It has allowed me not only to reexamine, reformulate and reassess, but to also move forward to innovate and in some ways, to reinvent myself as a teacher.
  • I was therefore quite relieved Alex confirmed what I had feared. I was packing in too much. Even before even before Alex provided her completely justified feedback that my course was too packed (“for you Joy, less is more!”)
  • An online environment is different from a f2f setting. Being able to state it in a theoretical way is not the same as understanding it and translating it into practice. Of course I knew the theory. But when the time came for application in the design of the online course, my knowledge did not transfer well into practical application. This is one of the main problems when there is a failure of the student to  successfully transfer learning, which is basically one of great challenges of teaching.  So basically, what I did initially did was to replicate my f2f activities directly into my online classroom.
  • As I feared, and Alex confirmed, this large amount of group work puts a strain on the students and also poses too many logistic difficulties. Perhaps one or two group work activities might work, but not several in each module. It is unrealistic. So I have learnt, in a very concrete and hands-on way, that designing for my online classroom in this instance is different from designing for my face-to face classroom.
  • Once again, I am reminded that theory and practice need mutual reinforcement. Understanding the theory is one thing. Transferring the theoretical knowledge into action requires experience, reflection, and feedback from others.
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      thank you for making your thinking and learning visible to me!
  • Having experienced a wonderful sense of community, and seeing how it is done, I do feel that I have a fair idea of the basic ingredients that go into creating a sense of community. However, Alex has set a high, high standard, and I don’t know I have the energy to sustain the community building effort, even if I knew how to do it!
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      i have great expectations of you joy! i know you can do it : )
  • this is a process
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      Yes!!! the value to me and to the others in the class is to be able to watch your process. we see how you think and refine and how your ideas change and evolve and that adds to our understanding of you and our own learning.
  • My present ideas never look like version 1! The result is that the ideas I handed up in the proposed learning activities resemble very little of what I actually have now
    • Joan Erickson
       
      Oh Joy, I can relate! By the time Alex reads my submitted writing assignment, my actual course design has already morphed a few times. I've visited your course, it looks great! the activities you set up indicatethat you have high expectations for the participants!
  • Confucius
    • Joan Erickson
       
      wow, Confucious said that? I didn't even know, and I'm Chinese!
  • In short – let the students do the work. This is the best way to learn. This principle, I think, has been demonstrated in this course. And I intend to pursue it in my own course. I see the value of giving the students both structure and space.
  • One of the insights has to do with letting go as a teacher.
  • Reading Sue’s
  • I agree with Sue.
alexandra m. pickett

Transformation via Online Learning - 4 views

  • original target audience,
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      who is your target?
    • Alicia Fernandez
       
      Nontraditional, commuter, reentry are terms assigned to my target student population, which I refer to as adult learners. Adult learners are difficult to categorize, as the determinants are often arbitrary. Their demographic variables cut across a wide swath of the population.  Ross Gordon (2011) refers to a set of shared characteristics which include: delayed entry or reentry to college, employment, and family and community responsibilities. They are also primarily part-time students. The group is typically described to be between the ages of 25-64.  Reference  Ross-Gordon, J. (2011). Research on adult learners: supporting the needs of a student population that longer nontraditional. Association of American Colleges and Universities.  (Previously bookmarked in Diigo)
  • adult online students
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      what assumptions are you making about this population?
    • Alicia Fernandez
       
      I am assuming that adult online learners meet the six assumptions of Knowles' Andragogy learning theory. Traditional college students are often still formulating self-concepts and are involved in much more socialization on campus. Adult students are usually not seeking the social component and are driven by the immediate application of acquired skills and knowledge to life outside of the classroom.  The University of Central Florida (UCF) drilled down into the age demographics of their adult student population and extrapolated generational data. Hartmann et al. (2005) reported results of a survey of nearly 1,500 online learners at UCF that shed light on generational differences in attitudes and expectations among students born during 1946- 1964 (the cohort authors nicknamed 'Baby Boomers'), students born during 1965-1980('Generation X') and others born during 1981-1994 (the so-called 'NetGen' students). The results noted that there were substantial differences between the cohorts as far as learning engagement, interaction value, and whether they changed their approach to learning as a result of their online experience.  Hartmann, J., Patsy, M. & Chuck, D. (2005). Preparing the academy of today for the learner of tomorrow. In D. G. Oblinger & J. L. Oblinger (Eds.), Educating the Net Generation, pp. 6.1-6.15. Washington, DC: EDUCAUSE. Retrieved from http://www.educause.edu/research-and-publications/books/educating-net-generation/preparing-academy-today-learner-tomorrow  (Bookmarked in Diigo)
  • students who attend fully online
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      not sure what you mean. these numbers are fully online students.
    • Alicia Fernandez
       
      Are these students that solely attend online classes?  Do they attend classes on campus as well?
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  • traditional and non-traditional students i
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      This perspective/distinction is very interesting/curious to me. I don't distinguish. I guess you mean traditional age college students vs. older "adult" students. In my mind they are all adults and they are all online students. Just an observation of my own perspective. : )
    • Alicia Fernandez
       
      The literature I have reviewed indicates that younger age college students may not like the lack of social interaction and find the online classroom's demands of extensive writing too laborious.  I have also found a distance difference between the two groups in my own experience. Of course this is a broad generalization and there are exceptions.  
  • If undergrads enroll in online courses and do not actively participate, this will impact the development of critical thinking skills and meaningful learning outcomes for all students
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      in my experience this "undergrad" or age variable is not significant. : )
    • Alicia Fernandez
       
      I think the maturity of the student matters greatly as far as motivation and level of participation. This would impact lower level undergrad courses much more. However, your experience proves that andragogy is not always defined by age. 
  • Jun 12th, 2014
  • Aug17
  • Satisfied. I am thrilled that I persevered and was able to complete the course. My Moodle course is far from stellar but I am pretty happy with the results of my maiden voyage.
  • I know that I have learned that social presence and teaching presences are as important as cognitive presence. More to the point, I learned that as an online student my reluctance to focus on the social aspects of the online classroom may have inhibited community building.
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      Hi Alicia! Nice blog! don't forget to self assess each post!
  • Morrison, D. (2014, February 28). Best methods and tools for online educators to give students helpful and meaningful feedback. Online Learning Insights. Retrieved from http://onlinelearninginsights.wordpress.com/2014/02/28/best-methods-and-tools-for-online-educators-to-give-students-helpful-and-meaningful-feedback/
alexandra m. pickett

25 incredibly useful Google Docs tips and tricks - 3 views

    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      you should read this!
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      Once you have, what did you learn?
  • When you’re working in a word processor, every second you save matters. And while Google Docs may seem simple on the surface, it’s practically overflowing with out-of-sight options that can help you get more done with less effort.
alexandra m. pickett

Feedback on ETAP 640 Blogs II - YouTube - 1 views

    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      example sticky note.
  • Feedback on ETAP 640 Blogs II
  • #etap640 2013 Blog feedback for Ryan, Matt, Mary and Luke - also examples of diigo highlighting and sticky notes
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  • Feedback on ETAP 640 Blogs II
  • notes
  • 2013 Blog feedback for Ryan, Matt, Mary and Luke - also examples of diigo highlighting and sticky notes
  • 2013 Blog feedback for Ryan, Matt, Mary and Luke - also examples of diigo highlighting and sticky notes
  • Feedback on ETAP 640 Blogs II
  • Feedback on ETAP 640 Blogs II
  • back for Ryan, Matt, Mary and Luke - also examples of diigo highlighting and sticky notes
  • This is a comment.
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      Example of a comment using the sticky notes feature and a highlight.
  • 1This is a comment.
alexandra m. pickett

Module 1: Reflect - N2OL: New to Online Learning (... - 5 views

  • First read the instructions on "How to participate in a Discussion..." Then enter the first discussion. When you are ready to respond, use the “Reply to This” link to create your response. (Discussion Hint: What are some issues about the online teaching and learning environment that are of concern to you at this stage? What asp
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      do they need these instructions here? or this hint here? or should it appear on the actual assignment in the ning?
diane hamilton

Teaching As Learning - 3 views

  •  
    article by Rogoff explaining the three planes of cognitive apprenticeship: apprenticeship, guided participation, and participatory appropriation
lkryder

ISTE Standards Essential Conditions - 0 views

  • oactive leadership in developing a shared vision for educational technology among all education stakeholders, including teachers and support staff, school and district administrators, teacher educators, students, parents, and the community Empowered Leaders  Stakeholders at every level empowered to be leaders in effecting change Implementation Planning A systemic plan aligned with a shared vision for school effectiveness and student learning through the infusion of information and communication technology (ICT) and digital learning resources   Consistent and Adequate Funding Ongoing funding to support technology infrastructure, personnel, digital resources, and staff development Equitable Access Robust and reliable access to current and emerging technologies and digital resources, with connectivity for all students, teachers, staff, and school leaders Skilled Personnel Educators, support staff, and other leaders skilled in the selection and effective use of appropriate ICT resources Ongoing Professional Learning Technology-related professional learning plans and opportunities with dedicated time to practice and share ideas Technical Support  Consistent and reliable assistance for maintaining,  renewing, and using ICT and digital learning resources  Curriculum Framework Content standards and related digital curriculum  resources that are aligned with and support digital age  learning and work  Student-Centered Learning  Planning, teaching, and assessment centered around  the needs and abilities of students  Assessment and Evaluation  Continuous assessment of teaching, learning, and  leadership, and evaluation of the use of ICT and digital  resources  Engaged Communities  Partnerships and collaboration within communities to  support and fund the use of ICT and digital learning  resources  Support Policies  Policies, financial plans, accountability measures,  and incentive structures to support the use of ICT  and other digital resources for learning and in district  school operations  Supportive External Context  Policies and initiatives at the national, regional, and  local levels to support schools and teacher preparation  programs in the effective implementation of technology  for achieving curriculum and learning technology (ICT)  standards
  • Proactive leadership in developing a shared vision for educational technology among all education stakeholders, including teachers and support staff, school and district administrators, teacher educators, students, parents, and the community
  • Shared Vision
lkryder

Socratic Smackdown pdf - 2 views

  •  
    Game plan for student discussion
alexandra m. pickett

Dobler's Online Learning | One teacher's adventures into online teaching - 3 views

  • I hope that this is the correct approach to the assignment.
  • The research certainly says it will! According to Ice, Swan, Kupczynski, and Richardson, research has shown that other students find audio feedback more effective than written feedback.
  • At first, I wondered why the checklist was not given while I was developing the course.
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      interesting. I always think of the checklists as formative. You have access to them in the manual. hmmm. need to think about this more. becuase in my mind you do have access to them as you design your cousre. But i also like your reflection. need to think.
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  • I plan to continue blogging as I work to incorporate what I have learned into my class this year.
  • “If instructors gave as much thought to the construction of their on-campus courses as they do their online courses, all education would be better”.
  • I hope that my learning about online teaching really does have positive impacts on my face-to-face teaching.
alexandra m. pickett

My Learning Reflections - 2 views

  • What I have found is teaching presence not only occurs in a face to face classroom but also online, if you look at it, they kind of are the SAME thing. The online platform is the classroom; we shouldn’t change it to make it suitable for online, we should do just as we would if it was face to face.
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      Brilliant!
  • I feel accomplished that I gained so much from this course.
  • as an educator my job is to keep pushing and asking those questions
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  • What I learned from that is to push myself continuously to learn more, to teach my classmates more, because in the end I learned THAT MUCH MORE!
  • I know I learned a lot, mainly because I was and am able to produce what has been asked of me and will remember how to do it.
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      BRILLIANT!!!!!
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