Group items matching

in title, tags, annotations or url

In life, as taught in this course, we must: Reflect, Connect, Organize, Build, Refine, Implement, and Evolve. These are not only the titles of our modules this semester, but a guide to success. If we fail to use these seven principals, we will never be the best educators possible and will have mediocre learning environments, and non engaged students.  Stay one step (or several for that matter) ahead of your students. The best quote from this class that I will use until the day I die, “Assume Nothing, Anticipate Everything”. Remember to breathe! You can do this! -Professor Pickett

I failed to fail.

teaching online is not that much different from teaching F2F;

(answers on a postcard please.)*

(perhaps I should create one!)

“Can a drama class be taught online?” Yes, absolutely, yes.

(even caused me to consider dropping

I have however come to realize that I need to ask my own questions and pursue them, go on a QUEST to find answers, to locate research and ideas that relate to my own burning wonderings.  There is a QUEST in every QUESTion!

It’s really difficult to flesh out, and it’s kind of foreign to me to be sharing these behind the scenes thoughts….

I found it is the revisions and creation of the product that you learn, you learn in the doing… the applying and the creating.

I learned that you need to have a solid foundation to start by assessing skill levels and giving students the fundamentals is an essential process. You need to break learning up into manageable part but embed learning exercises to enhance knowledge. You have to know your audience and be aware of your assumptions. When designing a course you need to use best practices to enhance your course design. You will put a lot of time and effort in the design process… as a result expect a little blood sweat and tears (there is no guarantee you will look the same at the end :).  It is important to remember a students way of learning evolves, that means your teaching style will have to evolve too. Don’t be afraid to try new things…the more you learn the more you can offer your students.  Learn to be a self-reflective, dig deep into yourself but more importantly I learned there is a great thing to be gained in the perspective of others, value that and seek that out. This course is more than a process it is a journey!

I don’t accept laziness or haphazard work, but I usually reject it with a smile and a joke

At this point, I need stick notes to track down sticky notes

I resisted activities where the students “taught” each other for fear that they would leave something out

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

whether I’d catch the next episode of the “Backyardigans.”

 Synthesizing and formulating a mini-thesis is where learning becomes meaningful for me; this is where mere information becomes MY knowledge

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.

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.

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?

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?

On top of it is that it allows the Professor to reach to individual student in a personal tone. I am so used to read assignment and feedback in written format that I don’t remember when was the last time a professor went through my assignment in front of me. Almost always the case that the feedbacks were scribed down on the tiny margins of the papers, with often less then eligible handwritings. I did the same thing to my students when grading their papers and exams. So, using Podcast to give feedback is marvelous. It can easily create a strong sense of connection and trust between the instructor and the student. It helps out the most for those students who may be on the brink of feeling isolated from the learning community or fall behind in the middle of a long and demanding semester.

, I also assign a discussion forum dedicated to the topic: how does the online learning work? How to succeed

guess I am not the only one in the class who feels weird not be able to share thoughts and reflections as we’ve been doing for weeks. I miss it very much.

Larry was right

detach themselves

Peirce suggests that, since students come to class with loads of opinions about the topics (even more so moral issues, I’d say) whether they are well-informed or not, a way to generate interest in assigned readings is to take a survey of their opinions, or to pre-test their knowledge of the information. (p. 310) I find this suggestion interesting and it leads me back to my earlier reflections on quizzes. Quizzes may not be needed in taking attendance, nor reliable in assessing whether students come to class well-prepared or not, but quizzes may still be useful in inspiring curiosity among students.

Provoking discomfort (point 5) is very useful.

Creating cognitive dissonance is also a very useful triggering event that may eventually lead to the completion of the cognitive inquiry.

I’ve been trying to reflect on my learning process in a very personal way, and I will continue to do this even after the semester finished.

Given the opportunity, the learners are more likely to express their true selves on consistent basis.