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alexandra m. pickett

ETAP640 Summer 2011 Blog - 2 views

kbarss.edublogs.org

shared by alexandra m. pickett on 07 Jun 11 - No Cached
  • So far I am enjoying the experience
  • What are the most effective instructional technology tools available to me to help me meet my instructional objectives?
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 07 Jun 11
       
      brilliant!
  • challenge!
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 07 Jun 11
       
      self assess!
    • Kimberly Barss
      Kimberly Barss on 03 Jul 11
       
      check!
  • ...37 more annotations...
  • I have been much more aware of the idea that today’s younger generations (those who are 30 and younger) are much more technologically savvy. 
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 07 Jun 11
       
      I want to challange you, just like i challanged Ian (who is currently smitten with Prensky : ) to challenge the notion of natives vs. immigrants. Read this (http://steve-wheeler.blogspot.com/2011/05/natives-are-revolting.html), find other articles (and there are many) that unpack the problems with this notion, and come back and tell us all about it.
  • I have been spending quite a bit of time and energy learning the Moodle system,
    • Donna Angley
      Donna Angley on 02 Jul 11
       
      I think I spent the entire weekend last week playing around in Moodle, learning how things worked, and trying to set up my basic module outline. Once I got the hang of it, I kinda like it. I find with technology that it just takes time and patience (not my forte) to really grasp it. I don't think computer skills of any kind can be learned from a book alone; it needs to be hands on learning.
    • Kimberly Barss
      Kimberly Barss on 03 Jul 11
       
      I completely agree! I am a very hands on and visual person, I need to INTERACT with the material in real life or else it's just text on a page.
  • It is ENGAGING
    • Donna Angley
      Donna Angley on 02 Jul 11
       
      Very. I found myself not wanting to step away from the computer, even to eat. Eventually, I got hungry enough and forced a break.
    • Kimberly Barss
      Kimberly Barss on 03 Jul 11
       
      Yes! The faculty on the SLN website even said that online teaching is an addiction!
  • Blackboard
    • Donna Angley
      Donna Angley on 02 Jul 11
       
      The two other online courses that I took were both on Blackboard. I've never actually taken a course in Moodle. I have no idea what my course will look like when I'm done, but I'm very curious.
  • I’m really starting to get the hang of the expectations for posts
    • Donna Angley
      Donna Angley on 02 Jul 11
       
      Took me a while as well, but now I feel more comfortable with my posts. I wasn't doing enough research. Once I started doing that, I felt like I was contributing something to the whole class.
    • Diane Gusa
      Diane Gusa on 04 Jul 11
       
      I had the same thought. I only hope that the computer lab is open during my class time.
    • Donna Angley
      Donna Angley on 30 Jul 11
       
      Your sticky notes are usually "floating" so I never know what you're commenting on. Can you make them stationery?
    • Diane Gusa
      Diane Gusa on 31 Jul 11
       
      I wonder the same thing...this applies to several blogs ago. I guess we need to add a date or title.
  • This course has been the most difficult course that I have ever taken
  • I was teetering between dropping the class
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 04 Jul 11
       
      i am really glad you did NOT drop the course!!! : ) me
  • punishment
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 04 Jul 11
       
      : ) seriously teacher-centric...
  • I am still under the impression that the interactions required of us in the discussion space are too numerous. 
  • I LOVE LOVE LOVED that Bill Pelz commented on our posts!  I felt like a celebrity walked into the room and his comments could be equated to getting an autograph. 
  • I have learned a lot this module, especially: NEVER give up (this has been especially resonant with me) Passion for teaching and learning go hand in hand, and are a must-have for online educators The best training tool for an online teacher is to be an online learner BE ORGANIZED MANAGE YOUR TIME Support your students and your faculty (whatever your role is) And last, but not least (yes, this was intentional) don’t procrastinate.
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 04 Jul 11
       
      LOVE the new theme Kim! looks great!
  • half of the requirement for this class.
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 04 Jul 11
       
      please read the rubric. it is NOT required that you do 12 posts. this is your own self imposed choice if you do. The minimum is 6 - maximum 12. it is entirely up to you.
  • I was given this gift: show your students the importance of reflection. 
  • There was absolutely nothing about my course learning activities that was learner-centered, or, one could argue, learning-centered!  I was being extremely teacher-centered in my approach! 
  •   Because of that, I need to embrace these tools, explore new ideas, and for goodness sake- think about the STUDENT.
  • It took me almost two and a half hours just to set up a voicethread that didn’t crunch all of my text and pictures together!  Or get the right size and color font.  I realize that these are all things that cannot be explained to anyone, or if you did try and tell them, they wouldn’t understand how much work it is until they tried it themselves.
    • Donna Angley
      Donna Angley on 19 Jul 11
       
      I, like the others in this course, understand. It's a lot of work, but the finished product will be worth it, I'm sure.
  • I think that embedding a youtube video or loading a podcast are in my future and I can’t wait! 
    • Donna Angley
      Donna Angley on 19 Jul 11
       
      Two thumbs up!
  •   I made all of my assignments turned in to me, privately,
    • Donna Angley
      Donna Angley on 19 Jul 11
       
      I too had made this mistake with some short writing assignments that I was going to have my students write. It was Alex's suggestion to have them blog it that really made sense. This way they could read each others blog entries and leave comments as well.
  • This week, as we are supposed to have the course “done done” I am doubting myself.  Every time I log in to my course I change something, add wording, create new links to rubrics where there weren’t any, etc.  It just seems like I’m never satisfied.
    • Donna Angley
      Donna Angley on 30 Jul 11
       
      So glad I'm not alone. I keep logging in as well, looking to change something. Over the past 3-4 days I've definitely made changes, but I'm getting to the point now that I'm wondering if I should just leave it alone. I'm the same way about large writing project...always looking to edit. Thinking it might be time for me to step back from the computer.
    • Diane Gusa
      Diane Gusa on 31 Jul 11
       
      I thought done, done, done is at the end...aren't we going to have peer feedback next module?
  • I’ll have my master’s in December and I couldn’t be more proud. 
    • Donna Angley
      Donna Angley on 30 Jul 11
       
      CONGRATULATIONS! I'll finish in December as well. It's been a long journey, and as much as I've enjoyed it, I'm ready to have my weekends back :-)
    • Diane Gusa
      Diane Gusa on 31 Jul 11
       
      :)
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 05 Aug 11
       
      congratulations kim!!!!
  • I feel like a late bloomer (I’ll be 26 in November
  • #1- I’m scared of the idea of  real live students actually taking my course #2- I’m really disappointed that real live students will never take my course
    • Donna Angley
      Donna Angley on 30 Jul 11
       
      I'm glad you said this, because I've been thinking it for several weeks now. I really want a chance to teach it, but I'm afraid of getting a chance to teach it. I'm not a teacher by profession, so I think I have more fear than most that I won't be able to facilitate my course properly. For instance, how do I open modules, are grades recorded automatically or do I manually put them in, how do I get them to show for each individual student, etc. I've put so much time and effort into building this course, I want a chance to teach it, but having never taught at the college level, I don't know that I'll get the opportunity. I will still give it my best shot as soon as I graduate in December. If SUNY isn't interested, I'll try other avenues.
    • Diane Gusa
      Diane Gusa on 31 Jul 11
       
      "live students" when you do teach live students you will discover kinks you never saw...this semester I had a great activity that 18 of 19 students loved! The discussions were full of every presence. The I discovered that my student from China was so lost and overwhelmed. Now I am rethinking cultural sensitivity in my activities...how do I balance a activity that engages 99% of my students 110%, but looses one student because of a cultural difference...still thinking on this.
  • feedback
    • Donna Angley
      Donna Angley on 30 Jul 11
       
      I don't know if I should have done this, but I actually have 2 evaluation/feedback areas. One is the generic resource right in Moodle. I tried to write my own questions, but when I "viewed" the forum, my questions were replaced with the generic questions. So, I created a document with my own questions and I am having students download the document into a word processor, add their answers and then post to a forum.
  • o there will likely never be online courses at Mildred Elley.
    • Donna Angley
      Donna Angley on 30 Jul 11
       
      Can you teach it elsewhere? As we have learned in this class, online learning is up and coming. It might be worth looking into.
    • Diane Gusa
      Diane Gusa on 31 Jul 11
       
      Failures maybe because the facilitators did not "know" and "do" what "you" know...convince him to try your course as an experiment...because this is the future of education...This summer I taught one online course and had a student from China, several from the west coast, and only two within driving distance in a class of 20!
  • ETAP 680 (research seminar). 
    • Donna Angley
      Donna Angley on 30 Jul 11
       
      I'll be taking the course in September...how was it? I had hoped that it was just a very long research paper...any such luck? It's my last course for my degree.
  • quality with the traditional classroom in the public eye? 
    • Donna Angley
      Donna Angley on 30 Jul 11
       
      I think you're probably right, but I think it's turning a corner. At a time when institutions are scrambling for money, online learning costs them very little. They pay an instructor and that's about it. We don't need a classroom or any campus resources other than student access to the library for research if they need it.
  • prettying up
    • Donna Angley
      Donna Angley on 30 Jul 11
       
      Do you mean the background or theme of the course, because I'd love to know how to change that.
    • Diane Gusa
      Diane Gusa on 31 Jul 11
       
      I am almost three times that....almost :)
    • Diane Gusa
      Diane Gusa on 31 Jul 11
       
      My dissertation chair gave me wonderful advice...Enough is enough! If we recognize that we are always evolving, growing, expanding, deepening our understanding...then we understand that a "project" is just a snap shot of one time in our progress.
  • the more effort you put into it, the more successful you’ll be.
  • One thought I had, as I look forward to getting a PhD, is that theories come from practice which means that theories about online learning come from individuals creating courses, teaching courses, and collecting feedback from courses over and over and then after all of that work is finished, turning right around and working at analyzing the data, and attempting to answer research questions.  In order to have credible research, the questions must be relevant, the measures must be valid and thorough, and the analyses of results must be comprehensive. 
  • Reflective Writing: I have to admit, at the beginning of the course I thought the blogging activities were just busy work.  I viewed the assignments as busy work, and treated my entries as such.  As time ticked on, I started getting into the blogs and realizing that it was my personal space in which I could reflect on my work on my course and my learning throughout the week/module.  So much of life and learning in school is sort of thrown at you, and if you don’t take the time to intentionally deconstruct the events and make sense of them, then you’ll never grow and improve.  I’d rather grow.
  • If I don’t place intentional emphasis on something (like making it worth a portion of their grade) then I am sending a message that it’s not important. 
  • Nothing should be an accident or “just because” in the online teaching environment. 
  • Students don’t want their time wasted.
alexandra m. pickett

etap687 Joan Erickson - 3 views

joanerickson.edublogs.org

shared by alexandra m. pickett on 23 Jun 10 - Cached
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 23 Jun 10
       
      Brilliant! i love how you have made your thinking visible to me here!!!
  • 2) leaving my comfort zone and exploring methods I had little training in. 
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 05 Jul 10
       
      i am so glad you choose #2, joan!
  • ...23 more annotations...
  •  Synthesizing and formulating a mini-thesis is where learning becomes meaningful for me; this is where mere information becomes MY knowledge
    • Shoubang Jian
      Shoubang Jian on 18 Jul 10
       
      Well said. I couldn't agree with you more.
  • Then I think about the etap course now.  The teaching presence is so apparent.  I see it from the professor in the way shes asks questions and my classmates in their posts.  I listen to the exemplar courses interviews and think “wow, it must be interesting to be in that course!”
  • I don’t really care how students categorize me as a certain type or style of teacher.  I want to know if I am a good teacher in terms of challenging students to obtain knowledge. 
  • ” yeah, Joan Erickson is not easy but she can get you to do really good work.  And you know you are learning stuff in her class.”  
  • learning.
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 20 Jul 10
       
      don't forget to self assess : )
  • But does it make sense to a novice learner’s eye?
  • I love my subject, but I have failed to utilize the human nature to my advantage.  I forgot how powerful social interaction, motivation (how to engage), and the need to feel ownership can be in helping students learn. 
    • Sue Rappazzo
      Sue Rappazzo on 21 Jul 10
       
      This is very moving Joan. You must be a great teacher to think this way.
  • I don’t know yet if my online students will step up to the plate, actively and enthusiastically contribute what they know to the community.
    • Francisca Capponi
      Francisca Capponi on 21 Jul 10
       
      Hi Joan (4) I have the same fear, I think they will be more slow that we expect, so we have to be patient, and encourage them to participate at first, and wait till they feel comfortable participating, but I hope it will work after a while!
  • Kind of like a wedding planner who walks through the empty reception hall and can foresee the problems with lighting, photography, food, and traffic pattern…  I am the course designer, it is my job to minimize any possible glitches.  It is my job to provide students with a doable and engaging learning environment.
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 05 Aug 10
       
      exactly!!
  • I see more clear vision of myself as an educator.  During this summer course I was confronted with questions that challenged my teaching practices. I started asking myself why I wouldn’t try to trust my students more, let them develop the social presence in the f2f class?  What was the harm in that I wouldn’t even consider trying it?
  • I’ve finally made the connection between theory and application.  I witnessed firsthand the benefit of social constructivism.  It can be done.  Our etap687 course is a living proof.
  • I understand myself better as a learner.  This course pushed me to think honestly what I truly want to do. 
  • Taking education courses  is like a spring that feeds into my puddle, bringing fresh new perspectves and ideas.  I needed it.  It’s reshaped my outlook on teaching.
  • For weeks and weeks I was obsessed with making Jing videos, trying new communication tools. 
  • have 2 weeks left.  I want to make a difference.  I CAN make a difference.  I can use the web 2.0 applications as my allies.  There is enough time for me to plan and implement changes in the f2f courses before school starts.
  • My reflecting puddle may seem small, because there is so much to learn and I’ve just begun.  But my puddle is deeper and its water runs clearer now.  Taking education courses  is like a spring that feeds into my puddle, bringing fresh new perspectves and ideas.  I needed it.  It’s reshaped my outlook on teaching.
  • 2 weeks ago I wrote my tagline on this blog as my “reflecting puddle”.  I still think it’s a puddle; it is still small(but so much deeper!).  I can recount the discoveries on this etap687 journey when I stare into the puddle.  I see the following things:
  • ’t believe we are coming to the end of this course.  It wasn’t that long ago I was installing diigo toolbar, signing up for voice thread, and setting up this blog site.
  • Now the excitement of trying new tools has settled a bit.  I start to think how technology tools will impact my teaching. 
  • My self efficacy is low.  Does it matter in the end?  I only have two  options:  If I cant’ seem to do the work, I should leave the course.  Or, I try with my darnedest effort, and see where I land. Time to take a chance!  I think I will have a lot to gain!
  • So this is what I’m gonna do:  I will blog here periodically and document my journey in the Ed Psych course.  Let’s see if I can be honest with myself.  Learn because life in general is interesting and worth exploring, and I can’t capture all on my own.  So I go to the experts and learn knowledge from them.
  • For weeks and weeks I was obsessed with making Jing videos, trying new communication tools.  I thought WOW, these are the coolest things I’ve learned this summer!  Now the excitement of trying new tools has settled a bit.  I start to think how technology tools will impact my teaching.  What other tasks should be let go in order to make room for the new things in my practice?  What educational principles do I base on to justify the changes?  What kind of measured learning outcomes and students’ perceived learning do I anticipate after the changes are implemented?
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 29 Jun 11
       
      hi joan!
  • I added several communication tools.  I want the students to feel that I want to talk to them.  I want them to hear and see me.  (again, teaching presence and social presence.)
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 12 Jul 11
       
      good point
alexandra m. pickett

Authentic On-line Learning - 3 views

dangley.edublogs.org

shared by alexandra m. pickett on 07 Jun 11 - No Cached
Kristen Della liked it
  • I suppose one of the assumptions that I have about my own on-line course is that if a certain percentage of my students are of the Generation Y population, they may very well know more about the technology than I do.
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 07 Jun 11
       
      question your assumptions!!!!
  • 20 to 22
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 07 Jun 11
       
      it's 20-24 yrs old- that is 38% Fifty-one percent are over 25 yrs old.
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 07 Jun 11
       
      the larger percentage are OVER 25 years old!
  • so I guess that will most likely be my audience.
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 07 Jun 11
       
      check your assumptions!
    • Donna Angley
      Donna Angley on 23 Jun 11
       
      You're right; I don't really know who my audience will be. I also assume that the Generation Y population have the technology down pat; that's not necessary true.
  • ...36 more annotations...
  • While I think the technology has to be embedded in instruction whenever possible, it can’t be left to teachers alone to solve this problem.
    • Donna Angley
      Donna Angley on 23 Jun 11
       
      I feel teachers need much more support from administrators as well as the Education Department. I know that SED is currently addressing the problem of making technology accessible in our classrooms, but even as they are planning it, the technology is increasing exponentially. It's going to take major educational reform -- Our new commissioner has been personally involved with the Technology task force.
    • Diane Gusa
      Diane Gusa on 18 Jun 11
       
      This is a wonderful analogy, which I plan on using in my instructions for discussions!
    • Diane Gusa
      Diane Gusa on 18 Jun 11
       
      This is my struggle too. I am spending this weekend stopping in. I do like the post titles, it helps me to priortize what I want to read.
    • Donna Angley
      Donna Angley on 23 Jun 11
       
      I think a lot of my difficulty is that my only comparison for online learning are the 2 courses I've taken prior to this. One was okay, the other not so good. So, I'm only realizing now that the online environment and experience can be a lot more robust that I had thought.
    • Diane Gusa
      Diane Gusa on 18 Jun 11
       
      I work to 2AM every morning to keep up...as I teach an online course and take care of a 18 month old. However, I am enjoying the late night flow as I work! I have enjoyed your posts, and I can see your hard work.
    • Donna Angley
      Donna Angley on 23 Jun 11
       
      Thanks Diane, a lot of this is new to me as well, but I'm working through it.
  • I had to question what the objectives were first, and then create an assessment that tied into the objectives. 
    • Donna Angley
      Donna Angley on 23 Jun 11
       
      This is probably one area that still scares me. I think I'm going to have to come up with a rubric for the forum in my course, and I don't have any experience creating a rubric. I've Googled it and there are many rubrics out there, but I don't know if I can just "borrow" a rubric and tweak it or is this plagarism?
  • what I need to do is think of these posts as mini research papers.
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 22 Jun 11
       
      exactly!!! i actually say "Every post you make in this course is an exam. " in the interaction course info document for the course!! : )
    • Donna Angley
      Donna Angley on 23 Jun 11
       
      Now that I realize this, I'm finding the workload a little easier. I had to adjust my schedule. I'm used to doing most of my online work on weekends, but that's not enough for this course, so I made changes. Now I come home from work and put aside about 2 hours each night specificallly for addressing posts.
  • I don’t feel like I can get to it all.
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 22 Jun 11
       
      you can't. just really digg into stuff that interests/engages you.
    • Donna Angley
      Donna Angley on 23 Jun 11
       
      Whew! Thanks Alex. I'm feeling a little more comfortable this week as far as what I should be doing to stay on top of things.
  • I’m doing my best.
    • Donna Angley
      Donna Angley on 23 Jun 11
       
      I am making it work, and I don't feel as overwhelmed as I did just 2 weeks ago. Feeling more confident in the whole process of posting and working in the course shell.
  • I decided to give it a try.
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 22 Jun 11
       
      excellent!! give your students the gift of having high expectations : )
  • 1) Will it help you present content in a more effective or engaging manner, 2) will it facilitate collaboration or interaction between students in an more effective manner, and 3) will it help provide feedback or help assess students more effectively.  I feel the blog will get students interacting in a more casual setting regarding the stories, and the Wiki will definitely facilitate collaboration.
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 22 Jun 11
       
      brilliant!!
    • Diane Gusa
      Diane Gusa on 04 Jul 11
       
      Your assessment of the first 4 weeks is so correct, (in my opinion). I am into the end of the 4th week in an online course I am teaching now and my students are finally soaring, It is soooooo exciting for me to see the growth. The only problem is that my class is only 6 weeks summer....The course I am planning is a 4 week winter term course, so now how to I get my students to soar within one week? My dilemma.
    • Donna Angley
      Donna Angley on 17 Jul 11
       
      Wow, 4 weeks is not very long. What kind of class will you be teaching in the winter session? I'm not sure you can push the timeframe of when they begin to soar...that happens when it happens. I guess if you can somehow get them interacting with each other right away, that might help promote discussions that lead to those 'aha' moments.a little quicker.
    • Diane Gusa
      Diane Gusa on 30 Jul 11
       
      I decided not to do winter term...I will no less than 8 week courses...which as an adjunct is a $$$ decision that will hurt. However, I do not believe that 16 courses squeezed into 4 weeks is ethical.
  • My Avatar
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 18 Jul 11
       
      WOW!!! cool
  • I really hope I get the opportunity to teach this course
  • I really hope I get the opportunity to teach this course
  • the course unfolded slowly
  • the course unfolded slowly
  • the course unfolded slowly
  • the course unfolded slowly
  • the course unfolded slowly
  • the course unfolded slowly
  • the course unfolded slowly
  • the course unfolded slowly
  • the course unfolded slowly
  • off.  Luckily, the course unfolded slowly and in a very specific order, and I had time to reflect, prepare, and digest the information coming at me.  I’ve learned that I can take on a rather monumental assignment and with a lot of hard work and perseverance, I can complete
  • flect, prepare, and digest the information coming at me.  I’ve learned that I can take on a rather monumental assignment and with a lot of hard work and perseverance, I can complete it.  This was a BIG deal for me and it’s given me a sense of empowerment.   It’s also come at a good time, because I’ll be taking my last course in September in order to finish up my degr
  • flect, prepare, and digest the information coming at me.  I’ve learned that I can take on a rather monumental assignment and with a lot of hard work and perseverance, I can complete it.  This was a BIG deal for me and it’s given me a sense of empowerment.   It’s also come at a good time, because I’ll be taking my last course in September in order to finish up my degr
  • the course unfolded slowly
  • the course unfolded slowly
  • the course unfolded slowly
  • the course unfolded slowly
  • ’s also come at a g
  • prepare, and digest the information coming at me.  I’ve learned that I can take on a rather monumental assignment and with a lot of hard work and perseverance, I can complete it.  This was a BIG deal for me and it’s given me a sense of empowerment.   It’s also come at a g
  • Never in a million years did I ever think that I would go on to graduate school, but here I am on the cusp of that achievement.  I am the first out of 6 siblings to earn a master’s degree. 
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 05 Aug 11
       
      Congratulations Donna!!!
  • I didn’t realize that I was in charge of my own learning. 
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 05 Aug 11
       
      any kind of learning... online or f2f is ONLY student-centered if that is how it is designed and if that is how the instructor facilitates it... now that you know that you are in charge of your own learning, i need your help : ) You can help me change the world by sharing that insight with anyone you have the opportunity to teach in the future. I have very high expectations of you Donna!!! : )
  • I came to realize that I didn’t have to give them all my knowledge — that in fact, I had to let them learn some of these things on their own.
  • I think it’s a situation where I don’t know what I need until somebody tells me that I need it.  I’m certainly open to suggestions, but at this point I feel like I’ve done what I was supposed to do; however, I realize that this is VERY new to me and that I have probably made some mistakes that will be pointed out to me.  That’s fine, and as I said, I welcome comments and suggestions. 
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 27 Sep 11
       
      good point
Diane Gusa

Relational Context of Teaching - 3 views

relationalcontextofteaching.edublogs.org

shared by Diane Gusa on 07 Jun 11 - No Cached
Kristen Della liked it
  • He continues that we can face the future with confidence if we know how to teach ourselves, read between the subjective lines of media, process the vast amount of information that will be available, work collaboratively, and reaching for resources that will expand our capacities – for example a resource like this course!!
  • I believe that anyone can conquer fear by doing the things he fears to do, provided he keeps doing them until he gets a record of successful experience behind him.
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 07 Jun 11
       
      You can do this!!! You are doing this diane!!! Thank you for being brave and persisting. you just made my day!! : )
  • However, to be part of the social network and be actively involve citizens, each must become life-long learners. 
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 07 Jun 11
       
      ... and like it or not life is now technology mediated. No matter who you end up being "when you grow up" if you are not comfortable with technology, can't assess/evaluate information, can't find information when you need it, you will be at a disadvantage.
    • Diane Gusa
      Diane Gusa on 17 Jun 11
       
      I agree. I am concern for the students who are not exposed to this technology. In our district, the computer teacher was laid off, yet we kept all the coaches/sports. Adults, who are not on board with the technological needs of their students, are the ones making these decisions.
  • ...25 more annotations...
  • Eleanor Roosevelt
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 07 Jun 11
       
      don't forget to self-assess!
  • I am going to give this blog a 3.
  • Teacher presence
  • June 21st,
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 22 Jun 11
       
      diane: the blogging assignment for module 2 was due on june 19th.
  • What I would like is to have the option of posting and assessing it as NG (no grade)
    • Donna Angley
      Donna Angley on 23 Jun 11
       
      I too feel that the blog area should be a little more relaxed. I like your idea of a NG post. I'm wondering if you could create a separate "page" just for social commentary. Just a thought.
  • Finally, I carefully considers there are no place where Alex might say “can you tell me more”
    • Donna Angley
      Donna Angley on 23 Jun 11
       
      It's okay if Alex asks you to elaborate a little more, that's the role of the instructor if the students aren't providing enough feedback.
  • Since our blogs are shared work-spaces, we are suppose to engage in collaborative reflective discourses,  creating a shared understanding, leading to collaborative knowledge
    • Donna Angley
      Donna Angley on 23 Jun 11
       
      Yes, it has taken me a while to figure all this out as well. I never take the straight path from point A to point B. I always take the detour, but I do get there eventually :-)
  • Dewey states: “I assume that amid all uncertainties there is one permanent frame of reference: namely the organic connection between education and personal experience. (Dewey 1939:25).
    • Donna Angley
      Donna Angley on 23 Jun 11
       
      Dewey was a great believer in the connection between the educational system and the social community. "It was forgotten that to become integral parts of the child's conduct and chracter they must be assimilated; not as mere items of information, but as organic parts of his present needs and aims -- which in turn are social" (Dewey). In his book, The School and Society, he talks about the deep connection between home and school, between home and work, and the importance of the school as the connector.
  • pay attention
    • Donna Angley
      Donna Angley on 02 Jul 11
       
      I had a doctor describe ADD very aptly to me. He said think about your child's surroundings as radio waves. Your child is picking up every radio wave that is out there and he does not have the ability to ignore any of it. When my son was 11 he described his inability to understand things in school like this: it's like I'm looking through a window that is foggy. I can see, but it's not clear enough to make sense.
    • Diane Gusa
      Diane Gusa on 09 Jul 11
       
      This was a good explanation of ADD. Do you know that there is a college that is set up for ADD students? It is called Landmark College and it is a remarkable place!
  • then I go on an adventure and troll through the internet and my books to satisfy my desire to learn. I continue, immerse in my hyper-focus state of mind, until I feel that I have a deep understanding of whatever I am exploring.
    • Donna Angley
      Donna Angley on 02 Jul 11
       
      This is a good thing; it's what online learning is all about. I realize it's probably frustrating to you because you focus so intensely on what you're doing, but I definitely see your presence in this course, so I wouldn't worry that you're not interacting enough. Just for the record, 12 posts is difficult for me as well when you consider how much research goes into each one.
  • I will investigate and use group Wikis
    • Donna Angley
      Donna Angley on 02 Jul 11
       
      I've decided to have my students use Wiki as well for a group project. I think it will be a good learning activity and will give them the opportunity to collaborate outside of the forum. They will be writing their own short stories in small groups.
  • detailed rubric
    • Donna Angley
      Donna Angley on 02 Jul 11
       
      I need to create a rubric for my "Book Club" forum. Any suggestions for where to start? Do I reinvent the wheel, or are there sites that have pre-fabricated rubrics that can be tweaked to fit my needs?
    • Diane Gusa
      Diane Gusa on 04 Jul 11
       
      Hi Donna, Whenever youi can do not reinvent the wheel. I am going to post either today or tomorrow a post on building a rubric. First I need to see what Alex wants us to do
  • plan on using Alex’s rubric for my instructional design,
    • Donna Angley
      Donna Angley on 02 Jul 11
       
      Can we do this, just borrow a rubric from somebody else? That would be awesome, but I don't want to plagarize anything.
    • Diane Gusa
      Diane Gusa on 04 Jul 11
       
      I prefer to think I synthesize....I always search the internet for "ideas" for my rubrics and course syllabi.
    • ian august
      ian august on 17 Jul 11
       
      Hey diane, sometimes I never know when I am ready to write. I thought I had the pattern down. Read the material, take notes, reflect and research on what interests or inspres me, but this module I was not ready to blog and i started writing something, and some crazy stuff just came out. It might have been the two best blog posts of the semester. 
    • ian august
      ian august on 17 Jul 11
       
      Give this women a thousand points for quoting me :)!!
    • Diane Gusa
      Diane Gusa on 30 Jul 11
       
      Yes Ian I have learned much from you all. I also could use the 1,000 points! :)
    • ian august
      ian august on 17 Jul 11
       
      While i agree with you I think I would not push myself sometimes if I wasnt forced. I might have chosen to slack instead of worked when I was tired or busy with life.  Do you think you can use different models of teaching with different students in the same class?
    • Kimberly Barss
      Kimberly Barss on 29 Jul 11
       
      I agree with Ian...it reminds me of doing sports in high school. If my coach didn't push us harder and harder we wouldn't ever have been successful! Alex is our coach and we can either choose to step up to the plate and work our butts off or we can sit on the bench and let the game, or in this case the learning, pass us by!
    • Kimberly Barss
      Kimberly Barss on 29 Jul 11
       
      On a side note, I loved kung fu panda!!
  • I am saddened and concern for the positivist, behaviorist methods she employs and models. I
    • Donna Angley
      Donna Angley on 19 Jul 11
       
      I don't understand this comment.
    • Diane Gusa
      Diane Gusa on 17 Aug 11
       
      This was base on reading only half of the rubric...
  • poor grade.
    • Donna Angley
      Donna Angley on 19 Jul 11
       
      This is the second time you've brought up this issue. The way I see, Alex is the instructor, and she has designed a course with rubrics. I really don't see that the rubrics are that difficult to understand. I understand you wanting to get an "A" but if you want the "A" you have to work hard for it. If your life circumstances prevent you from doing what she considers the fair amount of work, that's not her problem. I don't feel an instructor should change the syllabus or rubrics for every student that complains about the work load, unless the instructor has received numerous complaints. I think that perhaps you have a lot on your plate right now, atleast that's the feeling I get from reading some of your posts. I can understand that, I've been through a lot myself this semester. However, it's unfair to expect Alex to change the point system just for you. May I suggest something: Clearly you are a hard working student, but circumstances are obviously preventing you from putting in the amount of work needed to earn an "A." Just accept that and work toward a "B" which is a perfectly acceptable grade. Take the pressure off of yourself. It's just a grade. A year or two from now it won't matter. All that will matter is that you learned about online teaching and came away with a robust course that you can teach. I think that's a good deal.
    • Diane Gusa
      Diane Gusa on 30 Jul 11
       
      Donna My comment is a pedagogical one and not an attack on Alex. The point I may not be making clearly, why the number 12? I am not the only student who has stated that a post takes several hours. Does Alex require this? No. Why I take this time is because of the quality I expect to bring to the discussion forum. I was not posting prior knowlege, but new understandings. Learning takes time and the #12 does not seem to recognize this time. I again do not see "choice" in this rubric. I agree the knowlege is the goal, and I have no problem with what I have learned and will continue to learn. However, with the exception of the last grading I have not gotten a "B" but failed every discussion forum except the last. Yes I was teaching a summer online course. I also have home responisblilites. These were stresses, but not obstacles. According to the expectations we were expected to do ~ 45 hours in class work and 100+ hours building our course. I don't know about you but the class work I have done over 150 hours just in class work. Finally, why do I bring this argument up for a second time. It is not for Alex to change; but for you all in this class to not simply copy and use Alex's rubric in your own courses. That is why I speak out.
    • Diane Gusa
      Diane Gusa on 17 Aug 11
       
      Again if I had scrolled down I would have seen that 12 posts were not required.
  • In the future I will build my course off line,
    • Donna Angley
      Donna Angley on 30 Jul 11
       
      Good idea!
  • when a student finally understands that their discussions need to encompass teaching, cognitive engagement, and social presence, then the discussion forum truly becomes a awesome learning tool!!!!!!  
    • Donna Angley
      Donna Angley on 30 Jul 11
       
      I guess that's what it's all about in the end. I'm not sure all online students understand this concept when they first delve into it. I've actually added a resource that explains the generalities of social learning theory and the students part in it.
  • Alex, my  Shifu, has diligently pushed me down the road of online pedagogy. There were many times when I landed hard and bounced a few times. However, just like the panda, I too will become capable in my bumbling ways. I too realize there is no secret ingredients in 21st century teaching….it still is best practices in education with technology embedded in it.
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 05 Aug 11
       
      i TOTALLY LOVE this image : ) thank you! : )
  • I have changed in many ways as a result of this class. I am now and will continue to be a blogger, and use blogs  as one way to facilitate learning for my students. I understand the Community of inquiry approach, and have now created a rubric for my discussion forums that reflect the elements of teacher, cognitive, and social presence. I was fortunate to be teaching online as I took this class, and I observed my discussion forums going from conversations to dialogue that exhibit depth of learning. I have observed the pedagogy of my professor and will incorporate similar ways of interacting with my students, using the tools that web 2.0 affords me. I have moved from having little enthusiasm for online learning to embracing it as an essential medium for learning.  
  • I will do this because I care about their learning.
  • I knew I needed this course to become the better online teacher, what I didn’t know was the transformative change  that I would experience this summer.
  • ulnerability, especially with the knowledge that their efforts will be evaluated by their instructor.
alexandra m. pickett

Instruction by Design - 5 views

mcm1199.edublogs.org

communityofinquirey etap640 via:packrati.us CoI onlinelearning

shared by alexandra m. pickett on 12 Jun 13 - No Cached
alexabliss liked it
  • I was a bit surprised
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 12 Jun 13
       
      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.
  • ...14 more annotations...
  • 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
      alexandra m. pickett on 27 Jul 13
       
      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
      alexandra m. pickett on 09 Aug 13
       
      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
      alexandra m. pickett on 19 Aug 13
       
      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
      alexandra m. pickett on 19 Aug 13
       
      brilliant!!
  • Maree (4)
alexandra m. pickett

Small Town Girl in the Big Cyber City - 1 views

efontaine.edublogs.org

shared by alexandra m. pickett on 25 Jun 12 - No Cached
  •  My original goal was to get an A in the class, and every other class until I reached my objective of  my Master’s w/ a 4.0. Now my goal is to become a teacher that is there for my students, who isn’t assuming any good or bad about them, who’s only goal is to help them grow and learn, (and hopefully to get at least a B in this class.)
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 25 Jun 12
       
      B R I L L I A N T ! ! !
  • Again, I find myself writing for a college professor rather than a middle school student. Even this past September, I handed out my “course syllabus” to each of my classes. Looking back now I wonder if they knew it was one of my course information documents or is they were trying to figure out how to clap out the syllables.
  • Why did I need to call it a syllabus? That wasn’t for them, it was for me. 
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 27 Jun 12
       
      i LOVE this observation!
  • ...14 more annotations...
  • I want them to know that I understand that some activities will suck and be difficult and that they’ll want to rip their hair out but that I also know which activities are the most fun and how rewarding and accomplished they will feel when it’s all said and done.
  • I really don’t know why I do things the way I do. Is it from years of routine as to this is how it needs to be done? Is it from no one stopping and helping me break these habits?
  • At first my fear was that I was a “dead-thinker”
  • I was predispositioned to not question, to memorize and regurgitate information. I was scared that I was passing this trait on to my students.
  • I’m losing that with all the hours it takes to create these.
  • I really began to question whether I am a teacher or a web designer.
  • After Alex asked me to think about how this may hold true in my daily life and routine I realized I really don’t speak up any where let alone in class.
  • I think this is not only my biggest challenge in this class but in my life as well
  • I think I’m just scared. 
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 26 Jul 12
       
      This is a brilliant self-reflection. Now what are you going to do about it? There is NOTHING wrong with being shy, or an introvert ( http://www.diigo.com/user/alexandrapickett/introvert ) WATCH this NOW! http://www.ted.com/talks/susan_cain_the_power_of_introverts.html You need to get MAD and use that anger to get over the fear that is preventing you from doing/being/experiencing. Anger is a powerful force that can help you stop focusing on yourself -when you flip it to use it to advocate for those less powerful than you - your students!
    • Erin Fontaine
      Erin Fontaine on 26 Jul 12
       
      Oh, I'd love to get angry and actually stand up for myself and others. Unfortunately that only seems to happen with a few glasses of wine in me. Not too feasible in the classroom, lol. That should be my next goal, find strength without liquid courage!
  • Ya know Alex, I love you and all and this class has been amazing but I honestly think you are killing my laptop!!
  • Well no more soul searching I have a course to design. Best of wishes to all my fellow classmates as we begin to wrap up this amazing journey!
  • Lisa, I can’t believe how amazing your course is! I want to take it!!
    • Lisa Martin
      Lisa Martin on 05 Aug 12
       
      Thank you, thank you, thank you...I'm finally now starting to spend a good amount of time looking through other people's courses. Looking forward to seeing yours!
  • Less than 24 hours later this article appeared in my inbox. At first I was really aggravated by this article because it seemed like it was ripping to shreds everything I have been working at this summer and I felt like he was sitting at home with an “I told you so” smirk. This quote just floored me “In terms of learning on the college level, the Department of Education looked at thousands of research studies from 1996 to 2008 and found that in higher education, students rarely learned as much from online courses as they did in traditional classes.” Really, what study? Everything that we have read seems to be in the complete opposite direction of this statement! I agree that for some there will be a financial obstacles and internet issues like we’ve all had but that’s where as a teacher we come into play and offer solutions and options. Upon reading it for a second time I feel that this article and any other article discrediting online teaching should be looked at as a challenge! I am strong and passionate about this endeavor of mine and no article or fuddy duddy teacher is going to come in the way of that. Well I hope you all have an amazing weekend. I will be attempting to cool my boiling blood as I sit by the calming cool waters of the Kinzua Dam with a delicious glass of Riesling.
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 06 Aug 12
       
      That article prompted response from the online learning community. Here is a particularly excellent articulate and respectful response: http://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/technology-and-learning/open-letter-professor-edmundson
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 06 Aug 12
  • As this class come to an end and I look back at where I was in May, I can only say I wish I knew then what I know now. This class has given me so much academically, personally and technologicially, lol. In only a short time I feel like I have grown so much as person and as a teacher.
alexandra m. pickett

Western Music History - 0 views

www.merlot.org/...viewMaterial.htm

module 4 assignment

shared by alexandra m. pickett on 22 Jul 13 - No Cached
  • Location
  • free, online wikibook
  • We then have expansions of range and complexity as we move into the Baroque era. The Classical era gives us the emotional power associated with such composers as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Romanticism then transforms the rigid styles and forms of the Classical era into more individualistic stylizations. Tonality was at its peak during this period, then Impressionist music paved the way to the use of extreme dissonances in the music of the Modern era.
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 05 Aug 13
       
      did you know you can attach a sticky directly to highlighted text : )
  • ...1 more annotation...
    • Daniel Hacker
      Daniel Hacker on 05 Aug 13
       
      Great resource that my students could use as a suppliment to course material as a study guide. This online resource highlights not only composers, but classical works and terms specific to music of the time periods.
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 05 Aug 13
       
      ok. you will use this as a suppliment. how likely is it that students will use supplimental course materials?
  • Daniel Hacker on 22 Jul 13
     
    This is an online wikibook that may serve as a good resource for the students that will be enrolled into my class. My current course, which is part 2 of 2, covers music from the Baroque to 20th Centuries. Students in my class can use this resource for both part 1, and part 2 of my class as it covers music from Medieval times to the present. It covers terms, vocabulary, compositions and composers. I believe that my students and I could use this as a reference point to an overview of each musical period.
  • alexandra m. pickett on 05 Aug 13
     
    This is an online wikibook that may serve as a good resource for the students that will be enrolled into my class. My current course, which is part 2 of 2, covers music from the Baroque to 20th Centuries. Students in my class can use this resource for both part 1, and part 2 of my class as it covers music from Medieval times to the present. It covers terms, vocabulary, compositions and composers. I believe that my students and I could use this as a reference point to an overview of each musical period.
alexandra m. pickett

Social Studies Another Way - 0 views

melissapietricola.edublogs.org

shared by alexandra m. pickett on 09 Jun 10 - Cached
  • don’t use it as a source in research
    • Joan Erickson
      Joan Erickson on 09 Jun 10
       
      Look at what we do in etap, we pull research sources off of the web left and right. Does it make it OK for us to do?
  • . I’m thinking that by creating a mission video that emphasizes their own creativity as the goal that they will see that this is self-directed and endless in its possibilitie
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 20 Jul 10
       
      fantastic idea!!
  • I notice that I don’t read everything on each direction page, so I’m sure my students won’t either.
  • ...15 more annotations...
  • Having to support my ideas is cumbersome, and it requires work
    • Joan Erickson
      Joan Erickson on 20 Jul 10
       
      Shoubang left a message on my blog saying the same thing: it is WORK. But we learn a lot from one another!
  • I was always annoyed in grad classes when people would just shoot off their mouths about random things, totally wasting class time on their own rants (usually at 9pm). This definitely alleviates that situation!
  • I don’t accept laziness or haphazard work, but I usually reject it with a smile and a joke
    • Joan Erickson
      Joan Erickson on 20 Jul 10
       
      Melissa, I want my son to have a teacher like you! I want to have a teacher who knows how to gracefully reject silly work !
  • At this point, I need stick notes to track down sticky notes
    • Joan Erickson
      Joan Erickson on 31 Jul 10
       
      melissa you are too funny!
  • I resisted activities where the students “taught” each other for fear that they would leave something out
    • Joan Erickson
      Joan Erickson on 31 Jul 10
       
      of course you would have that fear. I think every teacher has that concern when they use peer-learning activities. state exams put so much pressure on the teachers and the kids.
    • Melissa Pietricola
      Melissa Pietricola on 31 Jul 10
       
      They do, it is truly counterproductive!
  • I will be extremely busy
  • I am eliminating much of the homework requirements so students can work on the online course
  • It will be an enormous challenge for me to let students take the lead and not dominate the airspace. If I want my students to make it to that “performance” or “resolution” stage I see this stepping back as being essential. I want them to “Perform” in the sense that they build their learning into webpages. If I dominate their peer critiques, for example, they might as well become my webpages. The intent is for them to run wild with their creativity, and to step away from me as the direct instructor. He also discusses the steps groups take to make decisions, “forming, norming, storming, and performing.” Garrison emphasizes that groups not only need time, but also clearly stated goals to function productively. I am very familiar with his claim that, “groups do not naturally coalesce and move to integration and resolution phases.” I loathe group work for this very reason! I have avoided it much of my teaching career, afraid of losing control of the classroom and the content, and often seeing little progression in student learning when I do venture to use it. He goes on to argue that, “direction and facilitation is required to establish cohesion and ensure messages are developed.” I guess I assumed this, that you need to give clear directions, state your goals for the activity, and facilitate its progression. I’m concerned with how this will go online.
  • This reminds  me of Kelly as a “thread killer.”
  • time consuming
    • Joan Erickson
      Joan Erickson on 08 Aug 10
       
      me too. you mentioned about this in your earlier blog. Compposing a post felt like writing a mini-essay for me, I just couldn't produce a coherent, educated, and educational post in a matter of minutes. It is time-consuming to produce intelligent work.
    • Melissa Pietricola
      Melissa Pietricola on 09 Aug 10
       
      It is! I felt like I would wander through the Internet in a thousand directions, getting irritated with myself for being so scatterbrained. It took me forever!
    • Joy Quah Yien-ling
      Joy Quah Yien-ling on 13 Aug 10
       
      I agree! Takes forever - days and days to write. Blogging is agonizing!! But ultimately satisfying :-) We survived.
    • Joan Erickson
      Joan Erickson on 16 Aug 10
       
      wheeew! Now I feel better. For the longest time I thought it was due to my inadequacy that it took me days to pull research together and write up a coherent reply. If you two felt this way, who am I to complain?! Thanks!
  • By that I mean it keeps me thinking. I wake up in the middle of the night and wonder on it, it makes me uncomfortable, and it appears on my to-do list in the strangest way. One thing I think of is the idea of student-centered learning. Its not that this is new to me entirely, but it has been a bit of a shocker to learn how to do it effectively and how to readjust my thinking and teaching to make the student at the middle. The idea that my activities should be engaging has always been moderately important, but I’ve thought about it in the past as “entertaining.” I always came back to the thought that I wasn’t here to entertain my students, they get entertainment everywhere else.
  • But, as a student, I completely understand and empathize with the idea that they should be engaged and want to be a part of what they are learning. This is a new thought to me. That I should make the activities engaging (by using technology, by encouraging connections, and by making purposeful learning) not simply so students have fun, but so that they learn more!
  • whether I’d catch the next episode of the “Backyardigans.”
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 17 Aug 10
       
      i love backyardigans!! : )
  • It stimulated a different part of my brain and gave me an adult purpose to my day. Very important for my sanity and helpful for me as a mother, as well. I truly agree that being an educated woman makes us better caretakers for our children (especially our girls!)
  • The truth is, though, that it did help me to learn and it was a challenge I could meet.
Hedy Lowenheim

How Do I Invest? | Beginning Investing - 4 views

www.fool.com/...how-do-i-invest.aspx

Module 4 assignment

shared by Hedy Lowenheim on 31 Jul 13 - Cached
  • What is investing?Any time you invest, you're devoting your own time, resources, or effort to achieve a greater goal. You can invest your weekends in a good cause, invest your intelligence in your job, or invest your time in a relationship. Just as you undertake each of these expecting good results, you invest your money in a stock, bond, or mutual fund because you think its value will appreciate over time.
    • Hedy Lowenheim
      Hedy Lowenheim on 31 Jul 13
       
      Very useful site for my course in personal finance. The site explains personal finance in very simple terms. Most anyone should be able to relate to how the information on investing is presented. Great information on topics such as investing, goal setting, active and passive management, etc., that correspond to many of my course's learning objectives.
  • Planning and setting goalsInvesting is like a long car trip: A lot of planning goes into it. Before you start, you've got to ask yourself: Where are you going? (What are your financial goals?) How long is the trip? (What is your investing "time horizon"?) What should you pack? (What type of investments will you make?) How much gas will you need? (How much money will you need to reach your goals? How much can you devote to a regular investing plan?) Will you need to stop along the way? (Do you have short-term financial needs?) How long do you plan on staying? (Will you need to live off the investment in later years?
    • Hedy Lowenheim
      Hedy Lowenheim on 31 Jul 13
       
      The car trip analogy that the authors use in this article for planning & setting personal financial goals, is something everyone can relate to. This gave me some excellent ideas that will definitely be of use to me in my course since financial goal planning is another one of my learning objectives. I felt that the car trip analogy used on the site will assist with understanding the planning that goes into creating medium and short term goals was brilliant, and something everyone should be able to relate to. Creating medium and short term goals are also learning objectives in my course, (module 3). It should be an excellent way to engage students, since most everyone travels and has to put energy into planning out their trips, for example what to bring on the trip, how long it will take, how many stops there will be along the way, etc.
    • Hedy Lowenheim
      Hedy Lowenheim on 31 Jul 13
       
      Another one of my learning objectives is understanding cash management and cash flow and having the students understand how important it is to save, and put that money to work. Site has some very useful examples on how to save and put away money automatically in a disciplined fashion.
  • Active and passive strategiesThe two main methods of investing in stocks are called active and passive management, and the difference between them has nothing to do with how much time you spend on the couch (or the exercise bike). Active investors (or their brokers or fund managers) pick their own stocks, bonds, and other investments. Passive investors let their holdings follow an index created by some third party.
  • ...1 more annotation...
    • Hedy Lowenheim
      Hedy Lowenheim on 31 Jul 13
       
      Another one of my learning objectives is understanding the difference between active and passive management. This site will definitely be helpful in refining some of the learning objectives in my course. It might also be a good site to post a link to for more information on specific person investing topics.
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 31 Jul 13
       
      how will you use this resource in your course, Hedy?
    • Hedy Lowenheim
      Hedy Lowenheim on 31 Jul 13
       
      Alex I plan on using this Motley Fools web site which focuses on investment basics since the personal investing terms and strategies are presented very clearly, simply and with humor and relate directly to learning objectives in my modules; such as active and passive strategies in relation to investing (module 6), cash management/cash flow (module 2), and short and medium goal planning (module 3). The site will be an excellent resource for the students. This will also introduce them to the Motley Fool web site which should be helpful to them throughout the course and afterward. I felt that the car trip analogy used on the site to help understand the planning that goes into creating medium and short term goals was brilliant and something everyone should be able to relate to. Creating medium and short term goals are also learning objectives in my course, (module 3). It should be an excellent way to engage students, since most everyone travels and has to put energy into planning out their trips, for example things like what to take on the trip, how long it will take, how many stops there will be along the way, etc. I added some comments under the highlighted areas in Diigo with sticky notes (you should also be able to view them on the site) that reference a few of my learning objectives. By the way, I did find some useful sites on Merlot & OER, but many of linked to PDF files. A link on Merlot led me to the Motley Fools web site. I hope this helps! Hedy
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 31 Jul 13
       
      this looks great Hedy! thanks! not sure what you meant by the comment about pdfs. you should be able bookmark pdfs... : )
    • Hedy Lowenheim
      Hedy Lowenheim on 01 Aug 13
       
      I am under the impression that you cannot highlight text & create sticky notes in PDFs (just tested again), that was why I was having a hard time finding an acceptable site for the assignment in Merlot, most were PDF files. I guess I could have bookmarked them in Diigo and entered my comments write on the Diigo site instead of on the actual URL. I was thrilled once the Merlot site linked to the Motley Fool site!
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 01 Aug 13
       
      ahhh. yes, that is true, put you can bookmark the resource, and annotate it on the diigo site - exactly as you describe! just wanted to be sure you knew that : )
    • Hedy Lowenheim
      Hedy Lowenheim on 01 Aug 13
       
      I thought you might have wanted us to do highlighting and sticky notes for the assignment and right from the actual URL site. I must say that in the past 24 hours I have became much more familiar with Diigo, sink or swim, but I still need to work with it. Love the tool! Will we have access to Diigo after the course? Thanks and get some rest!!
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 01 Aug 13
       
      yes. i want to be sure you can use this tool, so i am glad you persisted!! and i am really glad you love the tool. me too! yes you will have access to this group and this tool beyond the end of the term. that is one of the reasons i use the tool!
    • Hedy Lowenheim
      Hedy Lowenheim on 01 Aug 13
       
      Excellent!! Be great if students continue to use it. Looks like these messages b/t us are not for public viewing. Is that a setting you turned on? I know there is public/pvt setting for sticky notes when you first create one (that's what was giving a bunch of students issues), but I do not see that setting on these notes. Hope this makes sense. Thanks& hope swimming is going well! Hedy
alexandra m. pickett

If I'm talking, you should be taking notes. - 0 views

nvanhoose.edublogs.org

shared by alexandra m. pickett on 07 Jun 11 - No Cached
  • , mad
  • However, I also have learned that we cannot assume that everyone of a certain age is a digital native. Working at a community college, I have students with a large variety of academic and technological experiences. Some students have very limited access to technology.
    • Diane Gusa
      Diane Gusa on 21 Jun 11
       
      Hi Nicole, I worry about the same thing. I guess the more we make them work, the less likely we are to do too much leading.
  • ...16 more annotations...
  • June 20th,
  • it is concrete, born before me with a structure and a real plan
    • Donna Angley
      Donna Angley on 02 Jul 11
       
      Thank you Alex! I would never have been able to create this course without Alex laying out the modules as she did. Like you, I am starting to feel the course coming together in a very organic way.
  • I am fully committed to the idea of self-discovery and peer-teaching within my online course, but I also feel that I have a lot to add and I can’t keep all of this information to myself
    • Donna Angley
      Donna Angley on 02 Jul 11
       
      You don't have to choose one; you can facilitate from afar, yet still be a presence in your course. In fact, your students will need feedback from you in order to know that they are on track. Self-discovery, peer teaching, and instructor presence are not mutually exclusive, thank goodness.
  • h-ha moments are coming regularly now. The challenge is now enjoyable.
  • The a
    • Donna Angley
      Donna Angley on 02 Jul 11
       
      Yay! All the time and effort becomes worthwhile.
  • not necessarily because it meets a learning objective
    • Donna Angley
      Donna Angley on 02 Jul 11
       
      There have been times when I have had to stop and ask myself, "why am I looking to this particular technology?" If I can't attach it to a learning objective, I let it go.
  • . The first time I implement something I cannot always anticipate all of the issues, but after a run through I can plan for those problems and be proactive in preventing them.
    • Donna Angley
      Donna Angley on 02 Jul 11
       
      I think this process is not only natural in teaching, but expected - especially in the online environment. We ask for student feeback so that we can improve the course. In this way, it is constantly evolving.
  • . Students will need to find a community setting for 15 hours of either observation of a child, or volunteering in working directly with children
    • Donna Angley
      Donna Angley on 02 Jul 11
       
      Great idea, and as a former supervisor of both a before-school and after-school program, you can observe a lot at one of these programs. Kids play, study, socialize, etc. Lots to learn through observation and probably with permission, your students might be able to interact with the kids as well.
  • July 4th,
  • I am going to give up more control and expect more self-directed learning from my students, not only online, but in my f2f courses too! I am going to put more emphasis on discussion boards than I had previously anticipated.
  • I am thinking about what I feel is working for me as a student and what is not, so I can include or not include those things in my course.
    • Donna Angley
      Donna Angley on 30 Jul 11
       
      I think this is difficult for us because no matter how much we include in order to get students interacting, in the end it is out of our hands. Well, not completely -- we can always facilitate the discussion from behind the scenes if we need to, but you see what I mean.
  • Now my perspective had drastically changed—I am instead asking myself how do I get the students to the information? How will I devise learning activities that will assist them in their search for knowledge and understanding? It is not my responsibility to spoon feed them, but to teach them how to spoon feed themselves.
  • conceptualizing some of the activities for my course
    • Donna Angley
      Donna Angley on 30 Jul 11
       
      I struggled with this as well. Still not sure if I have enough substantial learning activities for my course. It wasn't until I actually started creating the learning activities that I realized I was rather naive about the entire process. Like you, I had this vague idea. I finally had to sit down and figure out what I wanted my students to be doing and then creating activities that met those objectives.
  • despite the extensive conversations that we have had.
  • Giving up control and trusting students to learn. I don’t need to give them the information, just provide the opportunity for them to discover it for themselves, and trust that they will do it. Everyone says this works, I can’t wait to see it happen!
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 05 Aug 11
       
      brilliant!! : ) just made my day !!
  • Not only has my expectation for online teaching changed, but I also am trying to apply some of these ideas to my f2f courses.  I want students to take more responsibility for their learning. I want them to learn from each other, and to discover knowledge instead of waiting for it to be fed to them. I want to build more community into my courses, so students feel that they can share and learn from others and take risks in class. I also want students to learn what they are interested in learning, or what they need to learn depending on where they are in their understanding of the content.
alexandra m. pickett

one small step for blogging…one giant leap for me - 4 views

lisamartin371.edublogs.org

lrnchat via:packrati.us edchat

shared by alexandra m. pickett on 28 May 12 - No Cached
  • Someone please explain to me the whole “hashtag” thing. PLEASE!  I feel so out of the loop!
  • I guess I just assumed that she was the exception,
  • I realize now that I was taking this, as well as all of my other skills, for granted.
  • ...16 more annotations...
  • Twitter
  • not getting feedback on my course profile or course information documents. 
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 25 Jun 12
       
      I am still trying to figure out how to not be overwhelmed with the volume of interaction in this course. : )
    • Lisa Martin
      Lisa Martin on 25 Jun 12
       
      I realized since I wrote that how much more you have to do than usual...I can't imagine!
  • I also realized that my ideas come from a desire to incorporate social networking more into online courses. 
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 25 Jun 12
       
      take a look at this http://www.masternewmedia.org/ning-alternatives-guide-to-the-best-social-networking-platforms-and-online-group-services/ - i think you are thinking about a social networking site. In the future you may want to consider this as a companion to your course.
    • Lisa Martin
      Lisa Martin on 25 Jun 12
       
      Thanks Alex!
  • ~I continue to be astonished every week with how much I am growing and learning in this course.  Not only am I learning how to be an effective online instructor and everything that it entails, but I am also learning a lot about myself.~
  • I lose track of time and hours have gone by without me even realizing it. 
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 22 Jul 12
       
      that is the definition of "engagment"
  • “What young children perceive that their teachers do plays a more significant role in their socio-emotional outcomes than what teachers report they do” (p. 30).  We have an EVEN bigger impact than we thought!
  • “Am I providing a bridge for my students from their prior knowledge to where I want them to be and where THEY want to be?” “What am I doing to facilitate their growth not only in building a positive self-image, but also as learners in general?” “Am I REALLY taking into consideration their interests, passions and motivations?” And finally, “What Would Alex Do?”
  • “I really like how you tell them you are there for them.  A lot of my teachers give us confusing assignments and I never feel like I can ask them questions.” 
  • When she was done going through everything she said, “Are you actually going to teach this class? Can I take it when you do?” 
  •   I was spending so much time figuring out the tools that I felt like I wasn’t spending time on content.  I realize now that I needed to spend that time and those tools were part of the content of this course. 
  • I LOVE learning in general!  I liked learning before…well I never disliked it anyway…well unless it was math…or science…I had no idea what it was like to truly LOVE learning.  Its sad to me that it took me 30 years to experience this.  Did I work A LOT in this course?  Did I give up much of my social life?  Did I stay up too late?  YES, YES and YES.  Was it worth it? Absolutely!  Did I mind? NOT ONE BIT…Reflecting on the fact that I worked so hard and so much on something and not only wasn’t bothered by it, but enjoyed every moment was a HUGE wake up call to me. 
  • You just have to have passion and a belief in yourself.
  • This was the only course I have EVER taken in which I will walk away having truly internalized knowledge.  I know that I internalized what I have learned because when I was reviewing my classmate’s courses I didn’t have to refer to a book or a checklist, it was all in my head.  When I look back at my undergrad education, I have always said that I didn’t feel like I actually “learned” anything until I student taught and learned by DOING.  That’s exactly what happened in this course, I learned by doing.  This is only course that has ever provided me with this type of experience and it has shown me what quality education should be, not only online but in a face-to-face situation as well.
  • We(myself, my classmates AND Alex) worked together in this course to contribute to the construction of our knowledge. 
  • It wasn’t until this summer when I turned 31 that I finally experienced being a student in a student-centered, constructivist environment that actually got me to THINK.  Not just think, but think critically…It took 31 years for me to experience a true community of learners!  I don’t want other students to have to wait 31 years to experience what its like to REALLY LEARN!
  • I want to CHANGE someone the way that Alex, ETAP 640 and all of you have CHANGED me.
  • Lisa Martin on 28 May 12
     
    I'm posting the link to my blog so that I can practice adding bookmarks to diingo
alexandra m. pickett

Reflections Blog - Just another Edublogs.org site - 1 views

wamered.edublogs.org

shared by alexandra m. pickett on 11 Jun 12 - No Cached
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 11 Jun 12
       
      Hey Bill: i completely get the "technologically connected" fatigue. i am very plugged in... but, i remind myself that i am in control. I have boundaries. Also fyi - i don't have a cell phone. I know i know... hard to believe, right?! I just don't want to be that connected. me : )
    • William Meredith
      William Meredith on 25 Jul 12
       
      I envy you for not having a cell phone!  I took mine to France but told people not to call me.  One of the best parts of being away!
  • it helps remove the filter.
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 12 Jun 12
       
      interesting. really? say more about that. : )
  • Alex mentioned her desire not to allow students to unsubscribe from the posts.
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 12 Jun 12
       
      Bill: i am actually really torn about this. I myself don't use the email subscription AT ALL. I find it confusing and disconnecting from the context and flow of the discussion. I have mine set to subjects only as a daily digest and i mostly just delete them... before even opeining them. I use the cousre interface to interact and view the interactions. I wish i could give students the option. But i can't. I have tried it both ways and talked about it with students from past courses. I even tried it once where i initially forced but then gave students the option to opt out... And i have come to the very reluctant decision that i have to force. I force the subscription, becuase frankly students don't login to the cousre. They disappear for days, and then claim they didn't know or couldn't find...and then claim they are overwhelmed. You also just can't "catch up" once a discussion has ended. The flow has moved on. There are also students that for some reason just prefer to get the posts via email. I've had several students tell me that they liked to view posts from their cell phones... So, i force subscription to all/only the essential forums in the course. The reality is that I can't force students to login to the course and click on the discussion and other areas of the cousre to see all that is happening. And i need a way to make sure that they are aware of the level of activity in the course and what is happening. me
  • ...28 more annotations...
  • I feel as though students must be subscribed to forums, but be forewarned that they need to develop a system for themselves to allow for tracking of the dialogue and how they want to participate in that dialogue.
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 12 Jun 12
       
      i don't remember this being a problem in past semesters and i wonder if a default was changed at the system level. I thought everyone got a daily digest of subject lines and that highlighted new forum post tracking was automatically enabled by default... based you your feedback here, i have added "forewarning" : ) to 2 of the course information documents (contact and evaluation). : ) me
  • my presence could be demonstrated in other ways than just logging in daily or talking to students.
  • I came to realize that
  • in this course I feel as though everything I learn is huge.
  • it feels as though I am letting the students go without my assistance.
  • This is were the “earth-shattering” part comes in.  I am learning that I am not letting the students go.  I am going to be there.
  • I can fully see the difference between f2f and online teaching and WHY those differences exist.
  • In the beginning of this course my intention was to translate my f2f assignments and activities to an online format.  This made me feel comfortable as I knew that these activities worked for me and for most of my students.  Yet, as I began to learn about presence and community it became apparent that these f2f activities did not embody presence or community building.  They represented ease for me, and that cannot be the focus in online learning.
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 26 Jul 12
       
      this is a brilliant observation bill!
  • Yet, I know I will always want to be tweaking my activities!
  • My two issues with online education before the start of this class dealt with the actual education being offered as well as the connections being formed.
  • But the theory in this course has allowed me to see that in practice, online education can allow for a sound education and a classroom community that can match that of most f2f classrooms.
  • Online learning allows an instructor the opportunity to put everything into place before the course starts so that students come in being able to see all that they need to be successful.  This may not always be the case with f2f courses.  Additionally, to make sure that such theories as presence and community are present in online courses online instructors often have to do more to ensure success in their classes.  For these reasons I am starting to believe that online education, when combined with effective theories can eventually surpass f2f learning.
  • I am not decisive as I would like to be.
  • While it probably should not be surprising that I feel prepared to teach online at the end of a course in online teaching, for me, I feel as though it is quite a surprising development and one I hope to pursue.
  • The article  written by Mark Edmundson, a professor at UVA, questions the validity of online learning. 
  • I have discovered that my thoughts are completely different on online education as a result of this class.  While this is probably not a huge development it has been interesting to watch my opinions change so much.  So, for the moment that is where I am.
  • I discovered that just inserting technology does not suddenly make things better. 
  • I leave this course knowing that presence is more than just responding to students. 
  • Being truly present requires that the students feel your presence as they are completing assignments and learning – knowing what is expected of them and what they expect of the instructor.
  • if a student knows what to do and how to do it (presence) he/she might feel more comfortable branching out in discussions and discussing points with a majority of students instead of just discussing with the same people at the same time.  But community depends heavily on presence and the two really work in tandem.
  • Yet, the blame lies solely with me for just assuming that my students know how to do something.
  • Instead, instructors, both f2f and online, need to assume that their students do not know how to do something.  Taking the time to explain something may seem tedious but it will provide for greater clarification, greater learning, and more meaningful assessments.  Taking the time to just let students know what to do and how to do it has the potential of increasing the enjoyment of learning for all involved!
  •   I truly struggled with this course and I walk away feeling fantastic about it.
  • Coming into this course I figured we would read a few articles about online education and create a course shell for an online course.  Additionally, I came into this course assuming online education failed to meet the standards of f2f education. Now, my thoughts are completely changed. 
  • Leaving this course I feel as though I could write an effective rebuttal of that argument and I believe that illustrates a great amount of growth for a person who entered this class questioning the merits of online education.
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 19 Aug 12
       
      what would you say? i would like to read that rebuttal.  : ) 
  • Yet, I feel as this is one of the first courses that will let me leave with having a profound change in thinking. 
  • Online education is the way of the future and more important, it needs to be done correctly.
  • o in my new “educated” role, I would like to try and be an advocate for online education.  I will try to discuss the field more often and when I hear someone mention online education I will ask them what they know about it and what they think about it.  Striking up conversations allow for the spread of ideas and maybe eventually online education will gain the same prominence that many f2f courses currently possess. (4)
Sue Rappazzo

Teaching versus training - 0 views

www.ibm.com/...3810.html

training teaching

shared by Sue Rappazzo on 26 Jun 10 - Cached
  • Last term I asked my students to provide feedback on the software engineering course I teach. One student reported that, although he liked the course and appreciated that I'd spent most of my career in the "real world," many times he felt that I was doing corporate training rather than teaching.
  • For many years of my business career, it was my responsibility to train clients on the best ways to use the products and services my company sold them. My student's remarks led me to ask myself many questions. Was I really still behaving like a trainer? What assumptions was I making about teaching and my primary responsibility to my students? And fundamentally, what is the difference between teaching and training? In this column I'd like to share my thoughts on these issues and examine how teaching and training are viewed differently in the halls of academia from in corporate boardrooms. Perhaps this will help you think constructively about what your organization values in its employees and what it does to further their professional development.
  • each has many alternate definitions, including: To cause to know something To guide the studies of To impart the knowledge of To instruct by precept, example, or experience Definitions for train are: To form by instruction, discipline, or drill To make prepared for a test of skill
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • Everything we do in our lives requires a balance between two things or more - a compromise. This column talks about the balance between theory and practice, so it is appropriate to consider that balance with respect to training and teaching. In my January 2004 column, I explained how I am seeking the right blend of theory and practice in my software development courses. My primary job is to prepare students for the rest of their working lives and help them succeed in their careers. So I first have to ensure that they learn fundamental principles and then teach them to use specific tools and techniques as time allows.
Amy Varano

TechTiger's Weblog - 0 views

techtiger.tripod.com/blog

shared by Amy Varano on 21 Jul 08 - Cached
  • Amy Varano on 21 Jul 08
     
    "Uncanny" may be a feeling that most of the parents of students in my online course may be feeling as they support their child in taking an online class.
  • ...5 more comments...
  • Amy Varano on 21 Jul 08
     
    Some of the students in my online course may identify with the character TechTiger. Being part of the millennial generation, they may feel misunderstood by their parents and teachers.
  • Amy Varano on 21 Jul 08
     
    According to Michael Wesch, 112.8 million blogs have been created over the last five years. Anyone could be a published writer!
  • Amy Varano on 21 Jul 08
     
    Click on Kanying's name. We are familiar with blogs and journaling, however it is amazing to see a blog that is written in a different language. It is even more amazing to think about the 112.8 million blogs that are created and how many of them are in foreign languages. If we were cultural anthropologists, what could we learn from viewing these diverse digital journals?
  • Amy Varano on 21 Jul 08
     
    This is a common misconception for parents. They think that because their child is working on a computer it is unconstructive. In some ways their theory is true, especially if their child is not taught how to constructively use the computer as a learning tool. How do we instill in our children and students that the computer is a powerful learning tool?
  • Amy Varano on 21 Jul 08
     
    These are just a few things students could do using a web blog. What if they were instructed on how to use this technology based environment in an educational setting? The child's learning possibilities would soar.
  • Amy Varano on 21 Jul 08
     
    Parents, teachers, and administrators need to be instructed on how to create meaningful learning activities using new technology such as the computer. Students are longing for this kind of authentic and meaningful learning. What is the purpose of school if students are not presented with critical thinking and problem solving activities that bring them to a higher level of thinking and learning?
  • Amy Varano on 21 Jul 08
     
    The resource I would like to add for the MERLOT project is actually a resource that I submitted to MERLOT back in April. The resource is a blog/power point presentation that is designed to be a resource for parents. The information in this power point presentation comes from Victoria Carrington's article "The Uncanny: Digital Texts and Literacy". The power point presentation is designed in an easy to read story book format which tells of a modern day child named "TechTiger" who changes the perspective of his parents, teachers, and other in the older "uncanny" generation due to his media literacy and experiences with contemporary culture. I will incorporate this resource into my online course by adding it to my parent corner. Since my Life Cycle course is intended for a third grade audience, I have designed an area for parents so that they are aware of what their child is learning in this course as well as ways they could enrich their child outside of my course on topics they are learning. Some parents who have their child enrolled in my online course may be "uncanny" to media literacy and have some of the concerns that are addressed in the resource TechTiger's Space. The resource TechTiger's Space may put into perspective some parent's fears with technology as well as the added benefits to put their minds at ease and support their child's online learning experience.
alexandra m. pickett

Mike's reflection blog on on-line learning within 2.0. - 1 views

mikefort1.edublogs.org

shared by alexandra m. pickett on 20 Jul 10 - Cached
rileybo liked it
  • I have 222 discussion questions. 
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 20 Jul 10
       
      if you do all the work, who does all the learning? 222 question?! now wouldn't it be cool if your students came up with even half of those questions themselves?
  • It’s forced me to get out of my comfort area of relating to other music teachers and challenged me to consider music and my teaching of it as it related to other disciplines transposed to the on-line learning environment.
  • I’ve included the student need for teaching presence in my discussion rubric but need to further create ways to be part of their learning.  This might be just sitting on the sidelines and observing until I feel the need to re-set the climate for learning if it’s off track.
  • ...8 more annotations...
  • By doing these activities I have become even more challenged and feel even more uncomfortable.  Now I am dipping my other foot in to the online course world.  I am inserting my knowledge to this new forum.  It’s as if I’m putting my quarter in and watching the wheels turn until they stop on something. What will that something be?  I must have felt that I was in some kind of comfort zone. Then I was understanding and proving myself valuable to the other student’s learning.
  • I am going to have to think very deeply about. That suggestion is to give more freedom to my students. The students in my course can better express their creativity by having to create their own activities!  Wow!  This is going to be hard…
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 20 Jul 10
       
      sometimes you can only achieve what you are trying to achieve by letting go... trust yourself and trust your students.
    • Mike Fortune
      Mike Fortune on 09 Aug 10
       
      Thanks for the advice Professor!
  • Creating PDFs takes lot of time
    • Joan Erickson
      Joan Erickson on 03 Aug 10
       
      I have been following your posts, I know you finally got it to work and were able to link pdfs successfully!
    • Mike Fortune
      Mike Fortune on 09 Aug 10
       
      Yes thankfully!
  • 222
  • If discussions wane then I can take one of these questions out and use them to stimulate new discussions
    • Joan Erickson
      Joan Erickson on 03 Aug 10
       
      hey that's great and smart idea!
    • Mike Fortune
      Mike Fortune on 09 Aug 10
       
      Thanks. They are not going to be introduced all together. That would be too much.
  • seeismic did not register me properly
    • Joan Erickson
      Joan Erickson on 03 Aug 10
       
      can you try again with a junk email account? I'd love to hear your input
  • Being taught what is effective, seeing it being applied to me and then being involved in reflection of its relation to my instruction is the sequence of events that [helped my learning].  This might seem as a surprising statement considering my own blog entry requirements were so open-ended and free-form, a sincere effort to provide scaffolding, that looking back such an attempt could not result in effective metacognitive resolution.
  • Therefore I will continue exploring what I have learned in this course and consider the possibility that there may have been things going on in this course that I did not learn because I did not internalize them.  (3)
alexandra m. pickett

Ian August etap 640 SuMmEr 2011 - 1 views

ianaugustetap640.blogspot.com

shared by alexandra m. pickett on 07 Jun 11 - No Cached
  • Student centered learning
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 07 Jun 11
       
      question your assumptions! why do you assume that "student-centered" means "teacher-less"?
  • why do I need to pay for this if I am on my own. 
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 07 Jun 11
       
      well... if this were true, you could walk into a library and "BAM" - you would know it all! digg into your assumptions here... it is about role and expectations and where the focus is. Is it on the student or on the teacher? see my blog post "if i do all the work, who does all the learning?" : )
    • Kimberly Barss
      Kimberly Barss on 11 Jul 11
       
      I wish I could walk into a library and know it all! I sometimes (jokingly) tell my students to put their textbooks under their pillow at night in hopes that learning-by-diffusion may come true!
  • leaders. 
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 07 Jun 11
       
      self-assessment?!
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 07 Jun 11
       
      missing from every post! check the rubric!
    • ian august
      ian august on 09 Aug 11
       
      i did not even realize, :O
  • ...26 more annotations...
  • could not locate a link for diigo but I contacted Mimi for more info
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 07 Jun 11
       
      excellent! : )
  • But the last article I read after the, yawn, diffusion one, yawn, was about digital natives. WOW .
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 07 Jun 11
       
      I am glad that Prensky "engaged" you, but in the long run the other article would help you to better understand and serve the fauclty you work with. Theories help us frame and understand probelms systematically. I need you to think about this and to think about what "engages" you and why. So here is something to engage you. Prensky is WRONG!!! I was hoping you would find find this on your own: http://steve-wheeler.blogspot.com/2011/05/natives-are-revolting.html - Steve is a friend of mine and a well-known and respected blogger. Digg into this controversy! And then come back and tell me what you think!
    • Diane Gusa
      Diane Gusa on 18 Jun 11
       
      I so agree. I use the polling option in my online course and was told I was the first to ever try. I believe that part of the problem is that online learning is coming from the top down, with little support.
    • ian august
      ian august on 17 Jul 11
       
      how do you use the polling option diane, for what type of assignments? Prof. Pickett has been telling me to let the student decide on many things, like Bill Pelz course, where the students approve each others final essays. when you say top down do you mean the teacher ruling the classing room? Because that seems to be the norm, how f2f classes run as well.
  • They use the basics like read this article and write this paper or take this quiz.
    • Diane Gusa
      Diane Gusa on 18 Jun 11
       
      I am a visual person and find that I don't still have a mental map of this class. I wander around quite a bit. I have developed a few shortcuts, but it is definitely a work in progress.
    • ian august
      ian august on 17 Jul 11
       
      The map of the class has definitley gotten better since the start, I dont know if you used angel, but we use it at our college, I dont think I can send pics through here but I will send them to you another way.
  • t took me a minute to figure out the moodle system.
    • Diane Gusa
      Diane Gusa on 18 Jun 11
       
      Do you like moodle better than Angel? I am disappointed in Angel's blog, so I will need to send my students to edublogs.
  • These ideas are the modern theories in action,  of the students new role in the classroom, whether online or f2f. Professor's have said in the past "this is our class", but these ideas I have mentioned are really creating an "our class" type of atmosphere where the teacher and students are more equal participants in the learning process than the traditional model of the teacher being the boss, and the student being the subordinate.
    • Kimberly Barss
      Kimberly Barss on 20 Jun 11
       
      I agree. This is certainly a benefit of online learning. You don't have to worry, as an instructor, about who's paying attention or talking in the back or being the "disciplinarian" you can all just focus on coming together and learning as a community.
  • Randy Pausch
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 22 Jun 11
       
      love him. saw his last lecture a few years ago on youtube.
  • wikis's
    • Donna Angley
      Donna Angley on 23 Jun 11
       
      I'm going to include a student project that also has them create and work within a Wiki. It looks to be the perfect environment for collaboration on a single document (a short story).
  • This also shows the teacher asking the student to be an active participant in their own learning,
    • Donna Angley
      Donna Angley on 23 Jun 11
       
      Yes, that's what the online environment is all about...student centered social learning.
  • Every one of the teachers in Exempler courses for observation talked about they way analzye their course, sometimes when its over sometimes during, to see what worked and what did not work
    • Donna Angley
      Donna Angley on 23 Jun 11
       
      We are already learning this through our use of "self assessment." I would imagine it takes a few runs through the course to work out all the kinks, and if it's a subject like science or technology where the information changes constantly, it's ever-evolving.
  • That was the role of student.
    • Donna Angley
      Donna Angley on 23 Jun 11
       
      In the wake of new technology, the role of the student is changing very quickly to one of self-directed learning.
    • Diane Gusa
      Diane Gusa on 11 Jul 11
       
      Ah this is a philosophical stand. Many times we teach by the way we learn; however, this may not be the best for our students.
  • The Angel LMS that I am familiar with even gives he teacher the option to shut off news posts in a discussion forum so the student has only one option and that is to reply to a previous post.
    • Donna Angley
      Donna Angley on 19 Jul 11
       
      That's an interesting idea, especially when there are too many discussions going on.
  • build a wiki together
    • Donna Angley
      Donna Angley on 19 Jul 11
       
      I was going to have my students do the same, however, I just noticed that the course shell has an option for a Wiki...did anybody else see that? Anybody know how it works? I have since decided to give my students a choice other than to "write" a short story in small groups within a Wikispace. I'm going to allow them to recreate or interpret a short story in a multi-media fashion. Howard Gardner influenced. :-)
  • don’t show them how you do it, let them find out how it is done on their own
  • leave it up to the student to choose,
    • Donna Angley
      Donna Angley on 19 Jul 11
       
      I think they will surprise you!
  • I guess I can guide, so when the students get off course I can say hey you should check this guy out, or this writer out.
    • Kimberly Barss
      Kimberly Barss on 29 Jul 11
       
      I had an instructor last semester (Jason Vickers, if you get a chance to take a class with him, he's great! Also, he's a PhD student) who would do this exactly. He would scarcely add to our discussions as he said that oftentimes that can shut them down, but when he did it usually was to suggest that we check certain authors/theories/articles out that might help put us back on the right track.
    • Donna Angley
      Donna Angley on 30 Jul 11
       
      I remember Alex suggesting something to me during the first week or two when I was a little lost. She pointed me in the right direction and that was good because I was able to focus my energies.
  • Case Study
    • Donna Angley
      Donna Angley on 30 Jul 11
       
      Very good idea, because you're right...it seems like a very large amount of information that you're trying to cover. Case studies might work better.
  • Hopefully they will read the author I provide them with and than on their own they will read more articles by that author because they like him.
    • Donna Angley
      Donna Angley on 30 Jul 11
       
      Perhaps you can assign one particular article, and then actually provide them with the links to 1-3 other article they might find of interest.
  • Another issue I am having is questioning if I have too much for the student to do. I really wanted them to do a group project but it seems like too much work.
    • Donna Angley
      Donna Angley on 30 Jul 11
       
      Have you gone through the learning activities for each module and guesstimated how long it would take them to do? That might give you a better idea of whether it's too much. Just a suggestion.
  • letting the student do the heavy lifitng. Professor Pickett told me that it is a hard concept to implement as a teacher and I am seeing that.
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 05 Aug 11
       
      letting go of control of someone else's learning is a constant struggle. just keep telling yourself that it is NOT about you and what you know. It is about your students and catalyzing the passion for the topic of your course in them... they are the only ones that can do that... remember... if you do all the work, who does the learning? you have to let go and trust them to learn. That does NOT mean you are not there or that you have chaos.... you have to design it and facilitate it so that it works that way. It is a LOT of work : )
  • I am so glad I took this class. I learned so much, I feel so much more confident in my job as an instructional designer, and I feel more confident to take my skills to a new job envirnment. ANYONE HIRING OUT THERE?
  • I learned about some really important concepts for teaching online, like; -supply the students with a lot of information, module overviews, due dates, contact info, detailed explanation of how to complete assignments, rubric describing what type of work constitutes a Grade of A, B, C etc, -show your teacher presence in the course, by answering questions fairly quickly, posting in the discussion to guide, engage, provoke the student to do more research, asking for student input and using it, -Let the students do as much as possible instead of giving them everything ona silver platter. -Let students play the role of teacher in some of their assignments
  • After the first two weeks of this course, the first module, I learned so much, and grew so much more confident in my ability to work with faculty developing online courses.
alexandra m. pickett

Online Course Design - 0 views

joyquah.edublogs.org

shared by alexandra m. pickett on 23 Jun 10 - Cached
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 23 Jun 10
       
      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”.
  • ...23 more annotations...
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 23 Jun 10
       
      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
      alexandra m. pickett on 05 Jul 10
       
      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
      alexandra m. pickett on 20 Jul 10
       
      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
      alexandra m. pickett on 20 Jul 10
       
      i have great expectations of you joy! i know you can do it : )
  • this is a process
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 20 Jul 10
       
      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
      Joan Erickson on 20 Jul 10
       
      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
      Joan Erickson on 16 Aug 10
       
      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

Notes to Self - 1 views

tjbianchi.edublogs.org

shared by alexandra m. pickett on 12 Jun 12 - No Cached
  • I think if I could focus on a few people’s posts, I could make more quality contributions. 
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 12 Jun 12
       
      i am kinda torn about the small group thing. i hate taking choice away - it seems to me that you can self select your own small groups. why don't you just do that? scan all the posts and then decide who you want to engage and then just pick them to interact with. Read all interact with a select few. In the discussion for this module (2) i have it split into several discussions. i am wondering if splitting it by topic like that will feel different to you. Let me know. ok? I have toyed with the idea of reducing the number of posts required... and just doubling your score on them. what would you think about that? i have never had so many people in the course. It is designed for a more intimate number of students. I am trying to come up with ways make my work more efficient yet still intimate, personal and effective. Work in progress. i am learnking too. : )
    • Lisa Martin
      Lisa Martin on 12 Jun 12
       
      Alex - Seeing that module 2 was split into several discussions was a HUGE relief to me! It seems much less overwhelming and easier to be organized :-)
    • Tina Bianchi
      Tina Bianchi on 13 Jun 12
       
      Now that some more time has passed, I actually have done what you're suggesting here...reaking all and interacting with a select few. With this approach, it became more manageable. I haven't done my first post for module 2 yet (just finished the readings) but I do think the split into several discussions will make a huge difference. I can only imagine the work you have cut out by having read/rate ALL THESE POSTS! It seems overwhelming, and I am considering the implications of it as I think about designing my course. Thanks for the feedback!
  • We could still have been required to complete the same number of posts, but perhaps had fewer count toward our grade on this first run.  I
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 12 Jun 12
       
      hmmm. i don't count them all. the first couple with my feedback are the grace period... "if i were to rate this it would be a ..."
    • Tina Bianchi
      Tina Bianchi on 13 Jun 12
       
      I understand what you're saying here...I don't know what I missed and where I missed it, but I "assumed" (there's that pesky word again!) that all posts, beginning with the initial introduction, would be rated. I did fewer posts than I should have considering this. There were a few (though admittedly not of high quality as they were early in the Module and I hadn't yet gotten the hang of things) that weren't scored, so what I thought my score would be for discussion in the first module was not even close to my actual score. Live and learn...
  • BOY, WAS I WRONG!
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 25 Jun 12
       
      : ) welcome to social learning!
  • ...10 more annotations...
  • As we continue to interact with content and then share that learning with each other, we construct our own meanings and apply what we’re learning in a variety of contexts.
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 25 Jun 12
       
      E U R E A K A !!! brilliant!! : )
  • is imperative that I stop thinking about how to transform my F2F materials to suit the online environment.
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 25 Jun 12
       
      it is impossible to duplicate the f2f environment online. to try to do so is folly. you must reconceptualize. you have to leverage the options and mitigate the limitations of any environment in which you teach.
  • I hit “Publish” only to find half of my post showed up and no way to retrieve what was lost.  Therefore:
  • I am very interested in the hyper-content design. I like the idea that with this model, students determine the order of their own learning activities. In this model, there may be a few things that could be tricky; for example, setting up group activities might be left to the students to manage since they wouldn’t all be completing the same activities at the same time.
    • Lisa Martin
      Lisa Martin on 22 Jul 12
       
      I've been thinking the same things about this model. I think it's so hard for me to envision because of my lack of experience with it. I also have a hard time applying some of the things we've learned in this course to that design.
  • Whatever it takes.
  • Yet, as I continued reading I realized that my grasp of the content was continuing to evolve.  I feel that I have a deeper awareness of what teaching presence looks like, not only in an online course but also in a traditional classroom, as well.
  • Perhaps it’s time I move from measuring in coffee spoons to taking in the big picture.
    • Maria Guadron
      Maria Guadron on 27 Jul 12
       
      Love your "How To" section! Can't wait to see your screencasts.
  • Even though the course won’t start until January, I know it’ll be here before I know it.
  • has led to me a realization–the course I’ve created will never (and should never) be finished!  It makes sense.  I never teach the same lesson twice in exactly the same way, so it should go without saying that every time I look at this course and eventually start using it, I will continue to add, remove, and change what’s there.
alexandra m. pickett

My Reflections (Gary) - 0 views

bedenharn.edublogs.org

shared by alexandra m. pickett on 12 Jun 12 - No Cached
  • This becomes a problem in education if you have a policy, as my school, of no electronic devices on during school hours. I think this subject can be a huge debate among educators, but encourage for an online course.  
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 12 Jun 12
       
      i would love to have you bring some of that debate into your blog or into the class discussions.
  • it just can’t be reading and discussions, so there needs to be virtual activities and videos to help them visualize the concept that we are learning about.
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 12 Jun 12
       
      YES!!!! but who says it can only be limited to virtual activities, videos, an online stuff? Think outside the "box" :
  • I kept falling off the second floor of the  building and running into walls,
    • alexandra m. pickett
      alexandra m. pickett on 12 Jun 12
       
      here is a little video i made of my first year in SL. http://etap640.edublogs.org/secondlife-if-my-avatar-could-talk/ : ) me
  • ...6 more annotations...
  • I believe my list of assumptions can get very long, knowing how unpredictable this age group can be.  Now that I am not assuming anything, I can move on to the next step at planning this awesome astronomy course.
  • design.
  • module 1
  •   In this class, i had to wrap my head that I have to design a course that the student is responsible for their learning with me as a facilitator. 
  •  I have so many ideas that I have learned from this course that I want to implement them all into my class.  But, I really need to stand back and reflect.  The most I got from this class is all the information that everybody shared on diigo.com and in their discussions.  I am very proud of everybody’s  contribution to my education and their own.  I loved how everybody had a share in the teaching presence and how Alex facilitated the learning.  This was an an excellent example of an effective student-centered learning environment.
  • . Apply strategies for identifying and solving routine hardware and software problems that occur during everyday use. 2. Demonstrate knowledge of current changes in information technologies and the effect those changes have on the workplace and society. 3. Exhibit legal and ethical behaviors when using information and technology, and discuss consequences of misuses. 4. Use content-specific tools, software, and simulations to support learning and research. 5. Apply productivity/multimedia tools and peripherals to support personal productivity, group collaboration, and learning throughout the curriculum. 6. Design, develop, publish, and present products using technology resources that demonstrate and communicate curriculum concepts to audiences inside and outside of the classroom. 7. Collaborate with peers, experts, and others using telecommunications and collaborative tools to investigate curriculum-related problems, issues, and information, and to develop solutions or products for audiences inside and outside of the classroom. 8. Select and use appropriate tools and technology resources to accomplish a variety of task and solve problems. 9. Demonstrate an understanding of concepts underlying hardware, software, and connectivity, and of practical applications to learning and problem solving. 10. Research and evaluate the accuracy, relevance, appropriateness, comprehensiveness, and bias of electronic information sources concerning real-world problems. I do believe that these standards should assist the students in either online or face-to-face class to succeed with learning.  I am actually going to observe and take notes of my 8th graders to see how many standards that they can achieve. I had a great summer learning and being challenged to do my best at learning.
dkiesel

The Technology Source Archives - Ten Ways Online Education Matches, or Surpasses, Face-... - 6 views

technologysource.org/..._surpasses_facetoface_learning

shared by dkiesel on 01 Jun 12 - No Cached
  • Students are empowered to learn on their own and even to teach one another.
    • Erin Fontaine
      Erin Fontaine on 01 Jun 12
       
      Students are made accountable for their own education and are able to reflect on what they are learning.
    • Heather Kurto
      Heather Kurto on 30 May 13
       
      Students work together with professors to create a learning style that meets their needs. The students guide information that is important to them making the experience meaningful.
  • Students served as instructors to their classmates, and together they worked toward learning goals more effectively than if they had been provided with the answer by the instructor.
    • Erin Fontaine
      Erin Fontaine on 01 Jun 12
       
      I have seen my own students achieve better comprehension when they are able to see the information through the eyes of their peers rather than my perspective.
    • Irene Watts-Politza
      Irene Watts-Politza on 01 Jun 12
       
      This also supports Shift 4 in ELA Common Core which calls for students to have "rich" conversations centering on a text.
  • When an instructor posts a question on the asynchronous discussion board, every student in the class is expected to respond, respond intelligently, and respond several times.
    • Irene Watts-Politza
      Irene Watts-Politza on 01 Jun 12
       
      This expectation is supported by the online instructor's facilitation of discourse and intellectual leadership, identified by Jones et al. as two aspects of teaching presence.
  • ...27 more annotations...
  • On a more formal note, online tests and quizzes can be constructed with an automatic grading capability that provides immediate feedback and references to text and class notes that explain the correct answers. Assignments, including grades and editorial comments, can be returned to students more promptly and usually with more detail than in the F2F environment.
    • Irene Watts-Politza
      Irene Watts-Politza on 01 Jun 12
       
      This is something to consider with respect to formative assessment, RtI evidence/data, and computer-based grade books. Wondering how it would work in an open source learning platform for collecting data on teacher effectiveness at the university level?
    • Teresa Dobler
      Teresa Dobler on 29 May 14
       
      I have used online homework systems with my middle school students, and it works wonderfully. Many students use the immediate feedback to their advantage, reviewing the questions they got wrong. I know they use it well because whenever I happen to make an error in marking the correct answer, I will receive a flood of emails from students quoting resources stating why they believe their answer to be correct.
  • They say that it is common for participants in online courses to develop a strong sense of community that enhances the learning process.
    • Irene Watts-Politza
      Irene Watts-Politza on 01 Jun 12
       
      Bodes well for gobalization of education, especially when supported by language conversion apps.
    • Teresa Dobler
      Teresa Dobler on 29 May 14
       
      Reminds me of a community of inquiry model. See Garrison, Anderson, and Archer, 2000.
  • thrilled
    • Irene Watts-Politza
      Irene Watts-Politza on 01 Jun 12
       
      This is indeed the perfect verb for this experience!
  • The thinking, planning, research, learning, and effort that goes into constructing and teaching an online course has rejuvenated many faculty members who were frankly going through the motions after numerous years of teaching the same courses, semester after semester, in the same classroom environment.
    • Irene Watts-Politza
      Irene Watts-Politza on 01 Jun 12
       
      As online learning increases at the secondary level, is it possible that responsibility for curriculum development will become an APPR bargaining issue under the Regents Reform Agenda?
  • the best way to teach students how to write more effectively is to have them write more often.
    • Erin Fontaine
      Erin Fontaine on 02 Jun 12
       
      One of my main concerns about creating and online class for a junior high (7th/8th) grade is about how technology is affecting their writing abilities. I was afraid of how all the short hand phrases we all use are affecting students and their abiliity to write. Yes, online courses are writing intensive and a great means of keeping students writing but as the teacher I feel like I have to make sure that the work I recieve is of quality. As I continue to research this fear I am seeing both sides of the argument. Text talk may be both positive and negative. Still looking into this... Here is just one of many articles I have found on this topic: http://www.nst.com.my/nation/extras/zero-to-12-is-technology-deteriorating-language-skills-1.89256
    • Teresa Dobler
      Teresa Dobler on 29 May 14
       
      Thanks for the link. I know with my students, I emphasize the need for using conventional English in typed school work no matter what device they are using. Most of my middle school students are adept at transitioning from the language they would use while texting to the language I expect in their lab report, even if they are typing the lab on their phone.
  • Students with family or work responsibilities are often unable to commit to a traditional course because they cannot be in the same place at the same time for 15 consecutive weeks.
    • Amy M
      Amy M on 04 Jun 12
       
      This is a huge factor is accessibility for adult-learners.
  • Although some instructors may discover more than they wanted to know about their students, my online teaching experience disproves the notion that online courses are impersonal and do not foster relationships, either between students and instructors or among students themselves.
    • Amy M
      Amy M on 04 Jun 12
       
      I wonder what the limit on class size is for an online course to feel "intimate."
  • In the traditional F2F classroom, the instructor asks a question, and the same four or five extroverted students inevitably raise their hands. They offer spontaneous, often unresearched responses in the limited time allotted for discussion. In the online environment, discussions enter a new dimension.
    • Heather Kurto
      Heather Kurto on 30 May 13
       
      This is huge for online learning. Students are able to thoughtfully respond which deepens discussions.
  • . Online education is neither right for all students nor right for all faculty, but it frequently meets the needs of both for an exciting, high-quality educational experience.
    • Teresa Dobler
      Teresa Dobler on 29 May 14
       
      How do we make the jump and empower students to actually take on the role as a teacher?
  • explain, share, comment upon, critique
  • explain, share, comment upon, critique
  • unresearched responses in the limited time
  • unresearched responses
    • Teresa Dobler
      Teresa Dobler on 29 May 14
       
      I personally have seen a big difference in my thought and contributions when given time to think, research, and craft a response to an argument.
    • sherrilattimer
      sherrilattimer on 02 Jun 14
       
      There is also something to be said abou the "delete" button. Once you say something, you cannot undo it.
  • can refer to their course materials and think through their answers
    • efleonhardt
      efleonhardt on 31 May 14
       
      I think this is a very important piece of online learning I hadn't thought about t before. When students are online they are able to actually process the information and not be afraid if they're processing skills are slower than other students.
    • Teresa Dobler
      Teresa Dobler on 29 May 14
       
      The goal is for the student to continue learning throughout life, not just for the course. This links back to the Minds on Fire reading: http://www.educause.edu/ero/article/minds-fire-open-education-long-tail-and-learning-20
  • However, I have heard from very few faculty members who are not energized by the creative process of achieving the same instructional goals in an entirely new format.
  • On average, online courses are far more writing-intensive than traditional classes have ever been.
  • he first response that comes to mind rather than the best possible response
    • George Dale
      George Dale on 02 Jun 14
       
      and you don't have the, "Doh! I should have said ..." as you're walking out of the classroom.
  • Many online students have indicated that this is the first time they have ever "spoken up" in class and that they enjoy the opportunity
  • Geared to lifelong learning
    • George Dale
      George Dale on 02 Jun 14
       
      While I'm not a LMS hater, I do see this as a problem in the way LMSs keep a death grip on the content and learning. I'd like to develop a plugin for Balckboard that allows a student to easily "pack up" and take their work with them as they complete a course.
  • as a result of the relative anonymity
    • George Dale
      George Dale on 03 Jun 14
       
      It's almost ironic that the initial anonimity can lead to deeper connections relative to F2F interactions.
  • online education can be done well,
    • George Dale
      George Dale on 03 Jun 14
       
      It seems that some examples that are used to demonstrate a poor online course are often as good as a "normal" (i.e. F2F) class. Being as good as a traditional lecture class is a low bar to set.
    • Arnaldo Robles
      Arnaldo Robles on 04 Jun 14
       
      I can see this serving as a useful tool for writing activities!
  • In their everyday lives, individuals do not have a teacher at their side to direct them in their acquisition of new information. One of the roles that we need to perform as educators, then, is to teach students to find and learn information on their own or in concert with their colleagues. The online environment fosters self-motivated education. Students direct their own use of Internet links, search engines, discussion boards, chat, e-mail, and other media. While such resources cannot guarantee student initiative, they establish a framework that gives precedence to the autonomy of the learner.
    • Arnaldo Robles
      Arnaldo Robles on 15 Jun 14
       
      I like this!
  • develop course materials among themselves in a manner rarely seen in the F2F classroom.
    • dkiesel
      dkiesel on 17 Jun 14
       
      In f2f classes at masters public health program, we do extensive group projects. I think that k--12 classes may not have had many project-based classes of which hopefully will be more as we are seeing the influence of online teaching and how for practical learning the online environment can greatly compliment a practical session.  But I don't agree that all the practical project based work I have done for my profession with other students and teachers is not as well integrated compared to all the practical group work I have done in my profession with students and teachers. Also the quality of spoken live discussion in group work is very challenging when it is live. Maybe online is helping by giving us more time to think before we say something. 
  • Erin Fontaine on 01 Jun 12
     
    Sorry I didn't want these to go public. These were just my notes to myself so that I could further do some research. Is there a way to remove these or make these private again. Guess I'm still testing the water.
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