Starting Over

This blog was originally a requirement for an online class, but the class is over now and I’m starting over.

I’m going to attempt to keep up with this blog still and post entries a little bit more interesting than “learning styles” or “technology for the teacher”. I can do better than that.

Here’s to what is to come, salud!

Abby

Group 2 – Week 3 Update

We are finally finished with our group case study! This week basically just involved putting the final touches on everything. Most of our work was already finished from the last 2 weeks so all we had to do this week was finish up the website. After finally deciding on a host web site, we just worked out the technical details of everything. The only problems we ran into was the time factor. We all have very busy lives so it was impossible to try to get together face-to-face to we had to communicate and do everything via e-mail. That seemed like it would be a huge obstacle at first, but we communicated so well with one another that it ended up being no big deal at all. Working with Kara and Steve was incredibly easy and natural, so I am very pleased with the end result.

Here’s a link to our website www.hrd1100.webs.com

Overall I think our project was a success. Like I said, working with these two was incredibly easy and efficient. Enjoy!

 

Abby Davis

Group Project – Week 2 Update

Group project continued…

This week was pretty un-eventful for our group. Since we got all the simple stuff out of the way last week, this week was mostly brainstorming. We continued to look for a host site for our web page and continued to talk through and work on the layout we’re wanting for the web page.

Kara, Steve, and I communicated through e-mail and text messaging all week and discussed the different layouts we’re wanting for the webpage. Everything seems to be coming together; we all communicate very well with one another. The only issues we had was the time factor. We all seem to have very different schedules and priorities so it was kind-of hard to keep in touch with one another efficiently. But I’m very confident that we’ll get this all done in no time.

To be continued..

Group Project – Week 1 Update

This week Kara, Steve and myself decided to meet face to face once to make it the process of delegating tasks much much easier. When we met, we worked on the preliminary questions, worked on flow charts (current and new), discussed website layout, and possible improvements for Georgina’s class. We actually got a lot done. We were able to finish our preliminary questions, created both flow charts, and finished week one’s progress reports. Blackboard failed on us a couple of times, but we somehow managed to still get a lot done.

For now one, we’ll mostly be communicating via e-mail, twitter, and blackboard and keep each other up-to-date with the progress of the assignment.

Working with Kara and Steve was very easy. We communicate well with each other and always seemed to be on the same level with all the different problems and improvements needed in Georgina’s course.

More to come. Stay tuned..

I’m Listening..!

I listened to 2 different podcasts, both by Dr. Kathy King and Mark Gura in their series of “Teachers’ Podcasts”.  I listened to one about “distance learning” and another on “educational change and virtual opportunity”.  I’m going to be honest, I really dis-liked having to listen to these two people ramble about these topics. I would have MUCH rather read about these topics than to have listened to them. I tried to be open minded because I didn’t think I would like this, but it just didn’t work out in the end.

First, I didn’t like it because I felt like I was listening in on a conversation that I wasn’t involved in. One thing I really like about written text is the ability of the writer to engage ME into what he/she is saying (or writing). When I was listening to this Podcast, I felt like the conversation was just between these two people with random comments being said back and forth. I’ll be brutally honest, I found it really annoying. They kept interrupting each other and frantically trying to prove their point. They may have known what they were talking about, but it seemed unorganized and chaotic to me. I like to have things written clearly in front of me so I can interpret it in my own way to relate to my own life. Just give me the information needed, don’t ramble on about who knows what that has nothing to do with the topic at hand.

If a class or exam was given via podcast, I would have no idea where to begin to study for it. To be honest, I would probably try to find an article or paper WRITTEN about the podcast to refer to. I would listen to the podcast again and take down notes throughout it so I have something of my own to refer to as well. I would then compare the notes I took and what I got out of the podcast and compare/relate them to what I was able to find through my research on the particular podcast or something relating to the same topic. I need something written in front of me to best prepare for a class or an exam. I may be listening and understanding to the podcast, but I don’t fully retain something until I see it written in front me. THEN i can embed it into my mind.

In regards to changing the way we evaluate students, I think you’re both right and wrong. For me, I don’t think there is anything wrong with the way students are evaluated today. It works for me, and it has clearly worked for others before me. BUT, I realize that this is a rapidly changing society therefore maybe evaluations should be changing along with it. I don’t think it’s so much about CHANGING the way we evaluate students, but to add to it. Information and the way information is transferred has been added to and updated a lot recently. We shouldn’t necessarily take away the way we were evaluating, but just to add to it. What I mean is, we should take advantage of ALL resources we have and evaluate accordingly. I think the more perspectives you have the better and we should have students who are well-rounded in every area.

Watching Content

Each of the three videos assigned to watch brought their own message and point-of-view in regards to education and, more specifically, education and the integration of technology. They ranged from entertaining and witty, to brief and intense but they all got their message across in the end. Education can be a really touchy subject, but these videos were overall successful in sharing the facts without getting too emotionally tied.

The first video was great. Sir Ken Robinson is not only intelligent, witty, and an overall good speaker but he really knows his stuff. His speech on “Do Schools Kill Creativity?” was passionate but yet still informative. His message was clear, the educational system and the act of “growing up” takes the artist out of all of us. Robinson claims that all children are born artists, but only a few manage to hold on to those abilities. He argues that the educational system tells the student what SHOULD be most important to learn (i.e., math and sciences, and language arts) and the rest is disregarded. Studying the “arts” isn’t considered to be anywhere near as important as the main subjects taught in schools. The educational system is set up in order to ready the students for their future, and apparently a career in the arts isn’t a “realistic” future. Robinson is bringing forth the idea that although the main subjects in school are in fact important, all the subjects (including the arts) should be treated equally. Creativity is a main component within the realm of the arts and is a beneficial and important characteristic to possess. Every subject has potential benefits for the learner, and none of them should be deprived. Robinson suggests that children should learn and practice the subjects in which the child’s strengths and attributes fits them best, regardless of how “realistic” it seems to be. You never know who the 8 year old boy version of Shakespeare or the next choreographer of a great broad-way show will be and they may just be in the same classroom as you. We shouldn’t deprive students of anything. Allow them to find themselves in any realm they see fit, and allow them to explore their possibilities.

The second video, “A Vision of Students Today” by Michael Wesch was also very informative. It shows the true nature of the typical college student in today’s society and the education that we’re paying thousands of dollars for. It shows how much money is wasted, how much time is wasted, and how little students are actively involved in class and on campus. It puts everything into perspective. The opening quote characterizes education (especially college education) and the designing instruction perfectly “where information is scarce but ordered and structured by fragmented, classified patterns, subjects and schedules.” This video characterizes the typical design of the instruction in the classroom as a lot of sitting, a lot of wasting time, a lot of wasting money, and not a lot of “doing”. Integrating technology with the instruction can be a good thing, but it can also be a major distraction. As you read the notes of the students, you really start to see how much the student is “learning” in the classroom when really they’re off-task by playing on their lap-tops or texting. Outside of the classroom, instead of reading their un-opened, hundred dollar books, they’re reading webpages and facebook profiles instead. Where there is good, there is also bad. Where do we draw the line?

The third video,”Web 2.0… The Machine is Using Us” was another very informative video. It makes the viewer see the web in a different way. I never would have thought of the web as something that we controlled or something that we teach. The video sums up the following: earlier websites used HTML, where HTML was designed to define the structure of a web document with various structural elements. Such elements defined how content would be formatted wherein form and content became inseparable in HTML. However, now with Web.20 we have XML instead where form and content can be separated. The various structural elements (such as title) does not define the form. It defines the content. This way, the data can be exported, free from formatting constraints. Web 2.0 has made the web easier to access, easier to link and share ideas, and has provided a more personal version of a web. Everywhere you look there is a personal edge on the webpage, link, comment, or source. Everything is creative and innovative in their own unique way. This is a huge advantage in designing instruction. Linking and sharing information will not only spread more knowledge and ideas, but will provide more sources to back up information or for students access for additional help. The more sources you have, the better. Integration of technology in instruction in regards to Web 2.0 has opened up a lot of doors. Design instructions are able to go where they’ve never been able to go before. Web 2.0 has helped make this possible.

This video was interesting to me because I come from a background where Outcome Based Education (OBE) was priority. My teachers only cared about test scores, and really didn’t care what we were really learning or not. The video is a little intense, but I think it’s pretty informative. Videos like this  motivate me to be more creative and to prove the system wrong. Students aren’t just mere statistics or a test-score. We’re human beings who need to be readying ourselves for the future. Test scores aren’t going to mean anything in the end. What really matters is the day-to-day experiences and challenges that we’re learning everyday. Let the teachers teach and the students learn and throw the “outcomes” out the window. Education would probably be so much better if it was tampered with less.

Mind Mapping

The process of “mind mapping” was quite interesting for me. Naturally, I’m just a bit scatter-brain so this was a bit of a challenge. It’s usually hard for me to organize my thoughts, get them on to paper, and somehow do it in a neat and orderly fashion. Somehow, I pulled it off and ended up making a decent mind map with just using pen and paper. I had to color code in order to stay more organized. This really is a great way to get organized and to keep your thoughts flowing. I decided to make a mind map of my budget. As a college student, my entire life is centered around a budget. I had a good idea of where all my money was going, but by making a mind map I was able to clearly see where I spend my money and where my financial priorities are. You can use a mind map for practically anything.

Using a software mind mapping tool was much easier for me. I tried out several of the different tools recommended but I settled for Mindomo. I liked this software the best because it seemed the most useful. It was really easy to type in all the topics you wanted, add subtopics, and then delete or edit as you go. It forced me to stay organized because everything was clearly laid out. This way was not only easier but it ended up looking much more professional, organized, and was much less time consuming.

My mind map I created with Mindomo:

http://www.mindomo.com/view.htm?m=79db42ebf2444e81b6470c4277646717

5 potential benefits of using this visual technique in instructional design:

1.) It keeps your thoughts clearly organized when developing a new lesson plan or designing/laying out a curriculum. Being organized helps you stay on task and on subject.

2.) It helps your creative thinking. This can help the designer be more innovative and help them brainstorm new ideas. When thoughts are clearly written out, it’s much easier to bounce news ideas back and forth and see if they fit.

3.) It helps the overall idea. When everything is laid out like it is in a mind map, it’s really easy to see the big theme or idea. This can help students follow-along or relate the sub-topics back to the main topic.

4.) It can help time management. If the mind map is used for a lesson-plan or curriculum, dividing it up into sub-topics and topics can help the teacher stay on schedule. The teacher can dedicate a certain amount of weeks or days per topic or  sub-topic and will know when to move on to the next topic.

5.) Mind mapping also helps develop relationships between ideas. A more complex mind map can have inter-working relationships between subtopics and this can help the overall lesson. Sub-topics and topics from different parts of the map can have relationships (indicated by lines) so the student can always refer back to previous sub-topics that have already been discussed. It helps the student relate current ideas with ideas previously learned.

“Blogging” + “Tweeting” = Learning..?

The use of blogs and “tweeting” on Twitter can definitely be used to accomplish learning objectives based on Bloom’s Taxonomy. I think the revised version made up by Lorin Anderson is more fitting to clear up this point. According to Lorin, the sub categories of Bloom’s revised Taxonomy include (in order from LOW order thinking skills to HIGHER order thinking skills) 1.) remembering, 2.) understanding, 3.) applying, 4.) analysing, 5.) evaluating, and 6.) creating. Both blogging and tweeting can be placed into each category in one form or another as yet another form of learning.

Remembering refers to the retrieval of material and the growth in knowledge and information. This can be described in both blogs and Twitter with social networking (remembering people and creating links with people, things, or topics). Understanding refers to interpreting or inferring. Both can be used for this when users “write” about what they are doing or thinking, showing a basic understanding of the activity being reported on. This can also lead to collaboration and a stimulus for further discussion. Applying refers to implementing or sharing. Both can be used in this aspect when users upload or share material with one another whether it’s through a discussion or linking blogs to one another. Also, both twitter and blogs require some form of editing; Twitter forces the user to edit information down to 140 characters or less. Analysing refers to comparing or linking. Both can be used as tools to integrate different sources into a single source or by tagging webpages or other sources to a blog. Evaluating refers to checking or critiquing. Posting comments to blogs, discussion boards, Twitter, or threaded discussions are common ways users can evaluate, comment on, or critique a topic or concept. Lastly, creating refers to designing or constructing which is basically what blogging is all about. Creating and publishing your own blog or “tweets” on Twitter enables users to create, add to, and modify any content.

Our daily on-line tasks that we barely think twice about may actually be yet ANOTHER source of learning that will help us grow. Who knew??

Designing for Learners

Aside from learning and preferences, we should specifically take into account effective communication into designing instruction when regarding learners. Nothing is more important than communicating, or relaying information, clearly and effectively.

When designing an instruction, one should look closely at how the information is layed out and how it is passed from the instructor to the students, or the “learners”. Everyone takes in information differently, so it’s important for the lecture to be clearly articulated, concise, and relevant. When lecturing, or using “verbal communication”, one should speak clearly, have a well-organized lecture, not get off topic or ramble, and give the students reference points throughout the lecture so they can see the big picture. When communicating through written means, usually through power-point lecture notes or other handouts, make sure the information isn’t overwhelming. Stay on point, be concise, and give information that is only relevant to the topic on-hand. Students will be sure to get the right message when it’s been clearly communicated to them.

It’s also important to remember that every student learns differently and, therefore, interprets things differently. This is why clear communication is so important. In order to make sure that every student is understanding and benefiting from the instruction, be sure to use several different means of communication and teaching. For example, some days do a strictly verbal-only lecture in which a discussion is held and questions are asked. Other days one should bring in visual aids, use a short video-clip, or use pictures to back up your lecture. Some students will clearly see the message when they have visual stimulation to back up the lecture. You could also do class interactions where students are assigned group work or maybe even take a field trip.

The secret is to MIX IT UP so that you have a better chance of the majority of the students seeing what you want them to see. The lecture, or instruction, is no good when message is lost in translation. Communicate effectively so that the “learners” can learn effectively.

Myths about online learning

Ok – there are a lot of myths out there regarding online learning. I always knew there were a lot of misconceptions and assumptions out there but after I did all that research to write that last paper I realized just how many there really are. But really, what’s so scary about an online class? Are we that afraid of something that doesn’t appear to be the “normal way” to do something? Sometimes I worry about how ignorant people can really be. However, moment of truth, I did have some myths of my own regarding online courses. I have to admit that I was quick to assume that some of these misconceptions were true…at first.

When I first think “online course” the first thing that comes in to my mind is “easy course”. It just seems like it would be less time-consuming and overall just an easier work load to deal with. I was rudely awakened when I realized that THAT was a misconception. Online courses are just like a normal class; the same amount of workload.

Another misconception that I had was that it would be really repetitive. I guess in my mind I figured, how much can you really do to mix it up with an online class? I mean, everything is online so all assignments must be a “read-me” and “answer these questions and submit before midnight” type thing. I figured I would get bored quickly with all of it. However, I was pleasantly surprised with the variety of work that is given. Yes, there is a lot of reading and submitting assignments but there is also discussions, group work, and even blogging and “tweeting”. Who knew? I definitely didn’t.

An online course was definitely not quite what I expected it to be, but I knew that I was up for the challenge. I like trying new things and I loved the idea of flexible hours when it came to a class. I just hope that some of the common misconceptions about online learning is cleared up soon. Ignorance just doesn’t look pretty on anyone.