Group items tagged

Her example was “what does it mean to be human?”  The reason this struck a chord with me is that many students are either uninterested in research or they think that they are already expert researchers.  Unfortunately, very few of them have the research skills required at the college level.  This interview served as an important reminder to me that it’s my job to make the course both relevant and engaging.  I want to do my best at writing engaging and thought provoking discussion questions.

Pickett discusses the importance of establishing trust in the online classroom.  One thing that has been surprising to me but upon reflection makes sense is that this is about both design and instruction.  The icebreaker module takes on a new significance in this light – as it’s not only the launch of the course but also the launch of the community.

Learning systems are needed that encourage divergent reasoning, problem solving, and critical thinking

With the emergence of technology, many barriers to implementing innovative alternatives may be overcom

Student-centered learning environments have been touted as a means to support such processes.

Students appear to be benefiting from online learning programs. While evidence about the effectiveness of K-12 online learning programs is limited, there is reason to believe that students can learn effectively online. In 2009, the U.S. Department of Education published a meta-analysis of evidence-based studies of K-12 and postsecondary online learning programs.[3] The study reported that "students who took all or part of their class online performed better, on average, than those taking the same course through traditional face-to-face instruction."[4] In addition, online learning has the potential to improve productivity and lower the cost of education, reducing the burden on taxpayers

Whether students have access to online learning options will largely be determined by policymakers' willingness to reform education funding to facilitate greater parental choice. This factor largely explains why the Florida Virtual School enrolls 154,000 students while the Maryland Virtual School enrolls only 710 students. If policymakers want to open the possibilities of online learning to all students, they must reform school funding mechanisms to allow the money to follow the students to their providers of choice.

Federal policymakers should consider using online or virtual learning to improve effectiveness and efficiency of these programs. For example, the Department of Defense Education Activity (DODEA) currently educates approximately 85,000 children of military personnel[22] and is developing plans to create an online virtual high school for the 2010-2011 school year.[23] A virtual school for the children of military personnel would likely expand their educational opportunities and minimize disruptions caused by transferring to new schools when their parents are transferred to new assignments.

“You are interacting with one single individual at all times.  There is no ‘class’ …”

“Design a course with the student perspective, one who has never taken an online course before” (Pickett, What Works?).

I must find a balance, however, in order to complete the necessary tasks well so I can savor the doing of those that have salience.

Procedural knowledge is knowing how to do something; it involves making discriminations, understanding concepts, and applying rules that govern relationships and often includes motor skills and cognitive strategies

Declarative knowledge is knowing that something is the case

Problem solving may involve domain-specific strategies, suggesting that different strategies are employed when solving problems in different content a

But there is very BIG difference between being ‘lured’ (false pretenses) and being requested specifically for the purpose of learning – defined and clarified on educational/professional terms.

There is no reason why these tools cannot be used ethically, responsibly and productively if we are mindful and self reflexive in our pedagogies.

This taxonomy of learning behaviors can be thought of as “the goals of the learning process.” That is, after a learning episode, the learner should have acquired new skills, knowledge, and/or attitudes.

Analysis: Separates material or concepts into component parts so that its organizational structure may be understood. Distinguishes between facts and inferences. Examples: Troubleshoot a piece of equipment by using logical deduction. Recognize logical fallacies in reasoning. Gathers information from a department and selects the required tasks for training. Key Words: analyzes, breaks down, compares, contrasts, diagrams, deconstructs, differentiates, discriminates, distinguishes, identifies, illustrates, infers, outlines, relates, selects, separates. Synthesis: Builds a structure or pattern from diverse elements. Put parts together to form a whole, with emphasis on creating a new meaning or structure. Examples: Write a company operations or process manual. Design a machine to perform a specific task. Integrates training from several sources to solve a problem. Revises and process to improve the outcome. Key Words: categorizes, combines, compiles, composes, creates, devises, designs, explains, generates, modifies, organizes, plans, rearranges, reconstructs, relates, reorganizes, revises, rewrites, summarizes, tells, writes. Evaluation: Make judgments about the value of ideas or materials. Examples: Select the most effective solution. Hire the most qualified candidate. Explain and justify a new budget. Key Words: appraises, compares, concludes, contrasts, criticizes, critiques, defends, describes, discriminates, evaluates, explains, interprets, justifies, relates, summarizes, supports.

For all these reasons, the United States of 2050 will look different from that of today: whites will no longer be in the majority. The U.S. minority population, currently 30 percent, is expected to exceed 50 percent before 2050. No other advanced, populous country will see such diversity.

most of America’s net population growth will be among its minorities, as well as in a growing mixed-race population. Latino and Asian populations are expected to nearly triple, and the children of immigrants will become more prominent. Today in the United States, 25 percent of children under age 5 are Hispanic; by 2050, that percentage will be almost 40 percent.

Half a million American children take classes online, with a significant group, like the Weldies, getting all their schooling from virtual public schools.

Florida Virtual School, the largest Internet public school in the country, more than 50,000 students are taking courses this year

About 90,000 children get their education from one of 185 such schools nationwide.

Seventy-nine percent of teachers surveyed by Education Week said they spent "a great deal" or "somewhat" of their time instructing students in test-taking skills, and 53 percent said they used state practice tests a great deal or somewhat

The first half of my course is more familiar to me as I have taught this material in a face to face setting (albeit differently than I will be teaching it online).  I can anticipate the questions, confusion, and challenges that students will face.  The second half of my course contains material I have never formally taught anyone.  Maybe this is why I am stalled?

“Why we are doing this?” piece for each of my discussion and reflection assignments.  I want my students to understand that these activities have a true purpose.