Index of Manifesto Information
- Introduction
- Learning Technologies in an Online Learning Format
- Selecting a Learning Management System
- Evaluating and Reflecting on Online Teaching and Learning
- Challenges with Online Learning
- Creating Digital Wisdom
1. Introduction (Link to associated video)
Education buzz-words are all the rage. If we, as educators, can incorporate those popular buzz-words into our everyday talk, classroom setting, faculty meetings, and lesson plans, then surely we must be guiding our students towards higher levels of learning, understanding and achievement. Or are we? In my opinion, we aren’t because buzz-words aren’t the answer. As teachers, and especially teachers of CTE areas, we should be working everyday to create a student-centered environment, filled with rich technology and meaningful – yes, I said meaningful - 21st century learning. There they are again – more buzzwords. But what is really happening? Perhaps we ask students to watch and discuss a video clip, find information on the internet, or create a visual project. Some people might think such techniques alone count when referring to best practices in in the CTE classroom. However, I disagree and want to bring to light a concept that can actually make these elements matter to the classroom, teacher and student. I’m talking about distance learning, hybrid learning and blended course designs in the 9th to 12th grade setting for CTE areas.
I believe so-called online learning gets a bad rap among all parties involved, from teachers and administrators to students and families. Here’s why. Learning management systems are sometimes used as data storage locations, calendars and video viewing sites, especially within the high school setting. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard this scenario: A teacher tells their class they can find a handout, PowerPoint, form, or what have you - online in whatever learning management system they’re using. The students then groan because they have to take the time to log on, download the file, fill it out and print it. To me, that’s a lot of extra steps for a student just to “use technology.” Sure it’s a great way to make materials available to a class. However, in all reality, online learning and learning management systems are much more than just data storage. Online learning can also be easily used for credit recovery or to accommodate location needs of a student. But again, why end the uses there and limit our students? I believe more high schools should embrace distance learning, hybrid learning and blended course design as part of their regular programs of study.
So far, I’ve highlighted a lot of negatives, but education should be a positive experience. Online learning can help to promote all of those things that teachers wish for, such as social presence, interaction, discovery, flexibility, variation in learning methods, and ownership of learning. These are all affordances of LMS’s that enhance the use of online learning for 9-12 CTE students. As educators, we need to remember that we are teaching, guiding and influencing a generation of millennials. Our job is to prepare such students for a life beyond high school in a job arena that requires many diverse skill sets. According to the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, online learning allows a school district to offer courses that might not be affordable or even possible. Students can then explore a wide variety of interests that exist beyond schools' walls, and they dip into the real word of peers and professionals. ASCD also says this means students must take charge of their own learning, and they're more likely to work to solve their own problem than to seek immediate help. Imagine a class filled with problem-solvers instead of helpless hand-raisers. The best part, students are more likely to want to learn and build their knowledge bank. Imagine that - wanting to learning. So maybe this rant started with negatives that focus on what classrooms looks like, but the end and outcomes from online learning and properly used LMS's can't be ignored.
Shakespeare was one of the first prolific individuals to coin a phrase similar to "The world is your oyster," which I like to tell my students. The world really is theirs for the taking, and I believe online, in any form, can be the vehicle to help deliver its meaning.
So far, I’ve highlighted a lot of negatives, but education should be a positive experience. Online learning can help to promote all of those things that teachers wish for, such as social presence, interaction, discovery, flexibility, variation in learning methods, and ownership of learning. These are all affordances of LMS’s that enhance the use of online learning for 9-12 CTE students. As educators, we need to remember that we are teaching, guiding and influencing a generation of millennials. Our job is to prepare such students for a life beyond high school in a job arena that requires many diverse skill sets. According to the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, online learning allows a school district to offer courses that might not be affordable or even possible. Students can then explore a wide variety of interests that exist beyond schools' walls, and they dip into the real word of peers and professionals. ASCD also says this means students must take charge of their own learning, and they're more likely to work to solve their own problem than to seek immediate help. Imagine a class filled with problem-solvers instead of helpless hand-raisers. The best part, students are more likely to want to learn and build their knowledge bank. Imagine that - wanting to learning. So maybe this rant started with negatives that focus on what classrooms looks like, but the end and outcomes from online learning and properly used LMS's can't be ignored.
Shakespeare was one of the first prolific individuals to coin a phrase similar to "The world is your oyster," which I like to tell my students. The world really is theirs for the taking, and I believe online, in any form, can be the vehicle to help deliver its meaning.
Resource
http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/may08/vol65/num08/Bringing-Online-Learning-to-Life.aspx
2. Learning Technologies in an Online Learning Format (Link to associated video)
https://www.challengebasedlearning.org/public/toolkit_resource/cf/0a/0ac5_8c6c.pdf?c=137d
3. Selecting a Learning Management System (Link to associated video)
Welcome back! In my last video blog, I addressed different ways of using technology to deliver meaningful 21st century learning, and the word “social” came up a lot. Social presence is important in terms of a distance learning or hybrid learning course, especially among our socially connected 9-12 grade students who I’m targeting in this video blog. Furthermore, we need a system of delivering this 21st century learning based around social presence. Therefore, the learning management system that a teacher selects to use for a course will have a big impact on social presence in terms of the affordances it offers.
A number of LMS’s exist, each with their own characteristics and uses. As I discussed in my introduction, I think one use of the LMS that is far too common is for data storage. For example, I might tell my student I uploaded a PowerPoint or a document that they need to access. Or a student may submit an assignment on my LMS. I think that we need to open our eyes and see what our LMS’s can really do for students. Therefore, it’s important to fully evaluate their uses and purposes to determine what most appeals to students’ current and emerging social capabilities. Let’s analyze Schoology for example. It offers a robust app center to enhance social presence, they’re easy to locate and they’re easy to install. To me, simplicity is important so as to not overwhelm the user beyond the focus of the actual purpose of using the LMS. Authors Joanna Dunlap and Patrick Lowenthal wrote a publication called “Tweeting the Night Away: Using Twitter to Enhance Social Presence. ” They say “communication between and among students and faculty is scheduled based on when they have a moment to login to the LMS.” The Schoology mobile apps help to change this outlook, in that the class is available with mobility, making it similar to a shared Twitter experience. In a Business Wire article by Jennifer Harrison, she quotes Schoology’s CEO saying “‘Mobile apps like Schoology's are critical to building the learning environment best suited for today's social learners.” The key word in that sentence is social learners.
Many LMS’s, like Schoology, Edmodo, and Lore, offer Recent Activity feeds, which most often allow flexibility in its use. Author Kia Bentley suggests that teachers should use collaborative online learning activities, teacher welcome messages that encourage students to do the same, sharable content, instructors commenting on student information with “affective responses,” “open and interactive communication” and “cohesive responses.” The Recent Activity feed allows the teacher and students to do all of this to enhance social presence, and again, this affordance is simple to use and laid-out very well. Users can like and comment on the posts, as well as add attachments such as files, links, resources and polls. In otherwords, there are connections. Students and teachers are not islands. They are socially present, available and working together.
LMS’s also allow the teacher to create and join groups. After all, without groups and other individuals, collaboration and social interaction does not exist. Take Schoology again for example, the teacher can create, join or browse for groups. This includes personal groups, school groups and Schoology groups. Students also have the option to do the same in terms of choosing to join school and Schoology groups. These groups enhance social presence exponentially in that students are able to collaborate with individuals outside of the course or program who may be students, teachers or industry professionals. Schoology even allows the user to connect to Facebook and Twitter, the giants in the world of social interaction, right on the site. Harrison, in her Business Wire article, further quotes Schoology CEO Jeremy Friedman saying the mobile apps “provide the most robust course management and active, personalized learning that both educators and students care about…” The functionality of Schoology takes that one step further in that students and teachers, through their desktop computers, laptops, and mobile devices, can belong to groups they care about and want to interact with a strong social presence.
Finally, I also believe the blog options on LMS’s are important, since a blog is one of the biggest social presence components that are global digital world uses. On Schoology, it’s called Subscriptions. Teachers and students can access this feature, which connects users with individuals outside of the group to further interact, comment and share information. So while it may seem as though I’m a Schoology supporter, it’s just what I found to work best for me to promote social presence in my subject area in the online setting. If you are going to use an LMS, I suggest you evaluate the various affordances, consider the effectiveness of its social presence aspects and reflect on how you would best implement its uses in your 9-12 CTE classroom, or other classroom for that matter.
So an essential question to ask as an educator is - how do we know if a course or unit contained within a learning management system is successful with its learners? In my next video blog, I’ll talk about evaluations and reflections.
http://patricklowenthal.com/tweeting-the-night-away-using-twitter-to-enhance-social-presence/
http://www.4-traders.com/news/American-Association-of-School-Librarians-Pick-Schoology-as-Best-for- Managing-Classrooms--17194204/
4. Evaluating and Reflecting on Online Teaching and Learning (Link to associated video)
Welcome back. If you’ve gotten this far in my video blog, I’ve hopefully got you hooked! Perhaps you’ve even looked into some of the LMS’s that exist, as I talked about previously. It’s important to know that once you’ve selected an LMS and designed a course or unit, if it works or not. A 10 point rubric is an excellent tool to evaluate and reflect.
I’d like to point out that there are tons of resources out there to help develop rubrics, so take advantage of them! From several resources that I analyzed, I was able to cull 10 characteristics that I would use when evaluating an online CTE 9th through 12th grade subject area course – and I’d like to share those characteristics with you.
First is the course overview. Most online courses require that students take ownership of their own learning. Therefore, students must have a thorough understanding of what is expected and where tools, information and activities are located. The information can be communicated through a well-written course overview description and syllabus.
The structure goes hand-in-hand with the course overview. With high expectations for student-driven learning, the students need a course that has a logical sequence so they know what is expected and when. Each activity and element should flow into the next to create connections with new knowledge. A clear description of the assignments, which will lead to better understanding and higher levels of learning, is therefore critical.
Technology know-how will likely vary among learners – in terms of being a digital native or a digital immigrant. So, learner support is important. Students may be working with a new LMS, as well as social media tools, that they may not have used before. The potential for technical and navigational questions may arise. It’s important that students not get hung up on difficulties that would impede their success in any unit. Easy to locate “Help” links are important to assist the student during online learning times. In addition, it’s important that the student know how to contact the teacher to ask for help during online learning times. The teacher’s contact information should be made clear to the student.
The content and assessments for any online learning course are critical and need evaluation. After all, it determines what the students will learn, how they will get there, and how they will be measured. Beyond that, since students will be using creativity, opinions and potentially subjective information in some of their assignments, it is important for the students to know what their goals are and how they will be assessed based on those goals.
My classes typically have a very wide range of learners with different abilities. Therefore, I strive to create differentiation as often as possible – with varying instructional strategies and activities. I want that to be reflected in my online learning unit as well. The course or unit should offer different activities and different ways of learning, evaluating and applying the knowledge for students to take part in authentic learning experiences.
Again, I believe online courses should include communication and interaction so the student doesn’t feel like an island. This is especially true in my unit that focuses on social media, a vehicle meant for interaction, so aspects of communication and interaction should be evaluated.
The student learner’s role in the course should be evaluated. My classes, and often times in most CTE classes, focus on challenged based learning, which puts the majority of learning responsibility in the students’ hands. I believe the student learner’s role must be made clear in my unit, so as to create many opportunities for students to take an active role in learning with digital content and resources that are provided.
To build off of the previous point, distance learning and hybrid learning units may offer diverse paths and many choices for students. Differentiation once again comes into play, which allows for the evaluation of individualization of instruction. Students should be able to use the digital content and resources to customize their instructional pathways to increase engagement and higher levels of learning based on the students’ interests and ability levels.
Whether the unit is all online or in a blended mode, students can feel alone when working in the online portion. Therefore, I want to be sure the unit displays my knowledge of the subject matter in a way that inspires students to learn and be engaged even when they’re on “their own.” I believe the Facilitation and Inspiration of Student Learning and Creativity should be evaluated. The information, resources and structure of the course, through facilitation of the teacher, should allow students to explore real-word issues and solve authentic problems.
Finally, in a digital world, the teacher should Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility, and the teacher should evaluate this aspect of the course. All courses that involve an online aspect should include promotion and modeling of digital etiquette and responsibility.
So far, with the amount of information I’ve given – a teacher considering the use of online or hybrid instruction may feel overwhelmed – but still hopefully encouraged by the incredible engagement it offers. I don’t think we can ignore the challenges though, which is the topic of my upcoming blog.
http://www.inacol.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/iNACOL_CourseStandards_2011.pdf
http://www.iste.org/docs/pdfs/nets-t-standards.pdf?sfvrsn=2
5. Challenges with Online Learning (Link to associated video)
Welcome back! In my last video blog, I discussed various factors to address in terms of evaluation and reflection in a distance learning or hybrid course, which work well in the form of a 10 point rubric. Some of those evaluations may reveal pitfalls in a unit, which of course can be discouraging.
I think it’s important to keep in mind that distance and hybrid learning can present challenges. Even though the benefits for students are clear, I don’t want to ignore the elephant in the corner. To put it simply, it takes work. In their publication, “Changing Course: Ten Years of Tracking Online Education in the United States,” Elaine Allen and Jeff Seaman talk about the rigorous demands and say it takes more time to teach an online course than it does the same course in a classroom setting. I believe a common misconception is that distance learning courses are simply uploaded to the web, students rarely come in contact with the teacher and the students simply submit written assignments. From personal experience and research, this is not the case. Distance learning is challenging, interactive and complex, just like face-to-face learning. Allen and Seaman also say that academic leaders and see their push for greater efficiency and cost-saving intentions disappearing - as schools push forward to meet the demands for high quality distance learning programs. There is a great need for distance learning teachers and course developers!
A second important point that I would like to highlight is the connection with a need for discipline with distance learning and the implementation of distance learning in a K-12 setting. I think anyone who’s take an online course would agree. Authors Picciano, Seaman, Shea and Swan say high school students now have more opportunities for online learning, but administrators are concerned that they might not have the maturity and skills needed to succeed in these courses.
I’m sure I’m not the only one who has read rumors that distance learning or hybrid learning degrees can be barriers in terms of education or job advancement. Maybe some of the degrees or courses can cause confusion. Or maybe, as author Devon Haynie writes about in her New York Times article, that some of the blame for such sentiments can be placed on what she calls “diploma mills” – which are online, unaccredited programs known for offering a degree to anyone with a full wallet. Our challenge then is to prove to post-secondary education institutions and employers that we can offer distance learning and hybrid courses to benefit students who will have an impact on our global society. I believe that as educators we need to fight back and embrace these potential challenges when it comes to distance and hybrid learning. After all, as educators it is our duty to provide learners, and particularly in terms of 9 – 12 CTE students, with an education that will propel them to succeed in the future. We can do this by fostering digital wisdom, which is the topic of my next video blog.
Welcome back to my video blog that focuses on distance learning, hybrid learning and blended course designs in the 9th to 12th grade setting for CTE areas. The last time I talked about the importance of creating meaningful 21st century learning with rich technology in an online or hybrid setting for CTE areas. Now, an essential question to ask is, “how do we do this?” How do we deliver deep learning and understanding through online learning? Many new ways of thinking about teaching and learning in the online arena have emerged and continue to emerge. Educause cites some of these learning technologies in their “Seven Things” series including microlectures, badges, video communication, social content curation and challenge based learning. Each of these technologies has its benefits and challenges and are best served depending on the course, content and audience. In specific, I’d like to address and demonstrate how one can be used in my Media Technology Broadcast Journalism class to evaluate convergence with social media uses - specifically among teens. I believe one of the most promising learning technologies is challenge based learning, which could be used in nearly all CTE areas of study.
Challenge based learning is an interesting, collaborative, student centered, and student driven concept that uses a variety of technologies, many of which are applied through the online learning environment. According to the Educause article “7 Things You Should Know About Challenge Based Learning,” the learning technology concept suggests the teacher present the big idea for the unit. Students then host their own discussions, facilitated by the teacher, and conduct research on the discussion topcis. It’s then the students who determine the essential questions that should be answered and solved through projects. Educause suggests that this concept typically involves a problem or issue that affects their local or school community. Furthermore, in their projects, the students work towards solutions, resolutions or awareness and document the progress of problem solving through video and audio presentations. These such presentations can then be shared with a global society with the intent to cause an impact. This learning technology is very beneficial in that it asks students to engage in real world issues and scenarios. Similar to project based learning, students are solving problems. Challenge based learning takes it one step further and gives the students even greater ownership in their learning in that they are also asked to determine the issue they are solving by creating essential questions. Challenge based learning does have downsides in that it is time-consuming if done right. Both the students and the teachers must be willing to commit to the project, work beyond classroom time and be interactive with the community. However, research shows the benefits far outweigh the extra work this tactic may require. In a 2011 study on challenge based learning published by the New Media Consortium, 90% of teachers polled reported a significant improvement among their students in the following areas: leadership, creativity, media literacy, problem solving, collaboration, critical thinking, flexibility, communication, adaptability, innovation, responsibility and initiative. Imagine exposing our students to all of these skills and experiencing significant improvement in an online learning arena with collaborative learning technologies? I can, and imagine how a CTE teacher could create a similar unit with such tools.
Here is a specific example of an online unit using challenge based learning. For my unit - Social Media and Convergence – The Impact on Society - I would present the big idea through face-to-face class discussion. Students would continue the discussion in an online discussion forum after watching a video and completing reading. From this discussion, the entire class would develop three essential questions. Research would be conducted through social content curation in an online sharing environment. Student teams would then used the culled information to plan news stories to answer the essential questions and bring awareness to the topic by planning, interviewing, filming, writing and editing. The video news stories would then be shared globally through a social site of the students’ choice, as well as with the student body through our daily school newscast. The assignment has an impact that reaches beyond our classroom, takes place mostly in an online learning environment, uses technologies that are rich with 21st century skills, is extremely student-centered, and evaluates and raises awareness to real world issues.
You might be wondering how to deliver these technologies… Coming up next, I talk about selecting a delive-ry system that supports social presence goals.
Challenge based learning is an interesting, collaborative, student centered, and student driven concept that uses a variety of technologies, many of which are applied through the online learning environment. According to the Educause article “7 Things You Should Know About Challenge Based Learning,” the learning technology concept suggests the teacher present the big idea for the unit. Students then host their own discussions, facilitated by the teacher, and conduct research on the discussion topcis. It’s then the students who determine the essential questions that should be answered and solved through projects. Educause suggests that this concept typically involves a problem or issue that affects their local or school community. Furthermore, in their projects, the students work towards solutions, resolutions or awareness and document the progress of problem solving through video and audio presentations. These such presentations can then be shared with a global society with the intent to cause an impact. This learning technology is very beneficial in that it asks students to engage in real world issues and scenarios. Similar to project based learning, students are solving problems. Challenge based learning takes it one step further and gives the students even greater ownership in their learning in that they are also asked to determine the issue they are solving by creating essential questions. Challenge based learning does have downsides in that it is time-consuming if done right. Both the students and the teachers must be willing to commit to the project, work beyond classroom time and be interactive with the community. However, research shows the benefits far outweigh the extra work this tactic may require. In a 2011 study on challenge based learning published by the New Media Consortium, 90% of teachers polled reported a significant improvement among their students in the following areas: leadership, creativity, media literacy, problem solving, collaboration, critical thinking, flexibility, communication, adaptability, innovation, responsibility and initiative. Imagine exposing our students to all of these skills and experiencing significant improvement in an online learning arena with collaborative learning technologies? I can, and imagine how a CTE teacher could create a similar unit with such tools.
Here is a specific example of an online unit using challenge based learning. For my unit - Social Media and Convergence – The Impact on Society - I would present the big idea through face-to-face class discussion. Students would continue the discussion in an online discussion forum after watching a video and completing reading. From this discussion, the entire class would develop three essential questions. Research would be conducted through social content curation in an online sharing environment. Student teams would then used the culled information to plan news stories to answer the essential questions and bring awareness to the topic by planning, interviewing, filming, writing and editing. The video news stories would then be shared globally through a social site of the students’ choice, as well as with the student body through our daily school newscast. The assignment has an impact that reaches beyond our classroom, takes place mostly in an online learning environment, uses technologies that are rich with 21st century skills, is extremely student-centered, and evaluates and raises awareness to real world issues.
You might be wondering how to deliver these technologies… Coming up next, I talk about selecting a delive-ry system that supports social presence goals.
Resources
http://www.educause.edu/research-and-publications/7-things-you-should-know-abouthttps://www.challengebasedlearning.org/public/toolkit_resource/cf/0a/0ac5_8c6c.pdf?c=137d
3. Selecting a Learning Management System (Link to associated video)
Welcome back! In my last video blog, I addressed different ways of using technology to deliver meaningful 21st century learning, and the word “social” came up a lot. Social presence is important in terms of a distance learning or hybrid learning course, especially among our socially connected 9-12 grade students who I’m targeting in this video blog. Furthermore, we need a system of delivering this 21st century learning based around social presence. Therefore, the learning management system that a teacher selects to use for a course will have a big impact on social presence in terms of the affordances it offers.
A number of LMS’s exist, each with their own characteristics and uses. As I discussed in my introduction, I think one use of the LMS that is far too common is for data storage. For example, I might tell my student I uploaded a PowerPoint or a document that they need to access. Or a student may submit an assignment on my LMS. I think that we need to open our eyes and see what our LMS’s can really do for students. Therefore, it’s important to fully evaluate their uses and purposes to determine what most appeals to students’ current and emerging social capabilities. Let’s analyze Schoology for example. It offers a robust app center to enhance social presence, they’re easy to locate and they’re easy to install. To me, simplicity is important so as to not overwhelm the user beyond the focus of the actual purpose of using the LMS. Authors Joanna Dunlap and Patrick Lowenthal wrote a publication called “Tweeting the Night Away: Using Twitter to Enhance Social Presence. ” They say “communication between and among students and faculty is scheduled based on when they have a moment to login to the LMS.” The Schoology mobile apps help to change this outlook, in that the class is available with mobility, making it similar to a shared Twitter experience. In a Business Wire article by Jennifer Harrison, she quotes Schoology’s CEO saying “‘Mobile apps like Schoology's are critical to building the learning environment best suited for today's social learners.” The key word in that sentence is social learners.
Many LMS’s, like Schoology, Edmodo, and Lore, offer Recent Activity feeds, which most often allow flexibility in its use. Author Kia Bentley suggests that teachers should use collaborative online learning activities, teacher welcome messages that encourage students to do the same, sharable content, instructors commenting on student information with “affective responses,” “open and interactive communication” and “cohesive responses.” The Recent Activity feed allows the teacher and students to do all of this to enhance social presence, and again, this affordance is simple to use and laid-out very well. Users can like and comment on the posts, as well as add attachments such as files, links, resources and polls. In otherwords, there are connections. Students and teachers are not islands. They are socially present, available and working together.
LMS’s also allow the teacher to create and join groups. After all, without groups and other individuals, collaboration and social interaction does not exist. Take Schoology again for example, the teacher can create, join or browse for groups. This includes personal groups, school groups and Schoology groups. Students also have the option to do the same in terms of choosing to join school and Schoology groups. These groups enhance social presence exponentially in that students are able to collaborate with individuals outside of the course or program who may be students, teachers or industry professionals. Schoology even allows the user to connect to Facebook and Twitter, the giants in the world of social interaction, right on the site. Harrison, in her Business Wire article, further quotes Schoology CEO Jeremy Friedman saying the mobile apps “provide the most robust course management and active, personalized learning that both educators and students care about…” The functionality of Schoology takes that one step further in that students and teachers, through their desktop computers, laptops, and mobile devices, can belong to groups they care about and want to interact with a strong social presence.
Finally, I also believe the blog options on LMS’s are important, since a blog is one of the biggest social presence components that are global digital world uses. On Schoology, it’s called Subscriptions. Teachers and students can access this feature, which connects users with individuals outside of the group to further interact, comment and share information. So while it may seem as though I’m a Schoology supporter, it’s just what I found to work best for me to promote social presence in my subject area in the online setting. If you are going to use an LMS, I suggest you evaluate the various affordances, consider the effectiveness of its social presence aspects and reflect on how you would best implement its uses in your 9-12 CTE classroom, or other classroom for that matter.
So an essential question to ask as an educator is - how do we know if a course or unit contained within a learning management system is successful with its learners? In my next video blog, I’ll talk about evaluations and reflections.
Resources
https://www.schoology.com/homehttp://patricklowenthal.com/tweeting-the-night-away-using-twitter-to-enhance-social-presence/
http://www.4-traders.com/news/American-Association-of-School-Librarians-Pick-Schoology-as-Best-for- Managing-Classrooms--17194204/
4. Evaluating and Reflecting on Online Teaching and Learning (Link to associated video)
Welcome back. If you’ve gotten this far in my video blog, I’ve hopefully got you hooked! Perhaps you’ve even looked into some of the LMS’s that exist, as I talked about previously. It’s important to know that once you’ve selected an LMS and designed a course or unit, if it works or not. A 10 point rubric is an excellent tool to evaluate and reflect.
I’d like to point out that there are tons of resources out there to help develop rubrics, so take advantage of them! From several resources that I analyzed, I was able to cull 10 characteristics that I would use when evaluating an online CTE 9th through 12th grade subject area course – and I’d like to share those characteristics with you.
First is the course overview. Most online courses require that students take ownership of their own learning. Therefore, students must have a thorough understanding of what is expected and where tools, information and activities are located. The information can be communicated through a well-written course overview description and syllabus.
The structure goes hand-in-hand with the course overview. With high expectations for student-driven learning, the students need a course that has a logical sequence so they know what is expected and when. Each activity and element should flow into the next to create connections with new knowledge. A clear description of the assignments, which will lead to better understanding and higher levels of learning, is therefore critical.
Technology know-how will likely vary among learners – in terms of being a digital native or a digital immigrant. So, learner support is important. Students may be working with a new LMS, as well as social media tools, that they may not have used before. The potential for technical and navigational questions may arise. It’s important that students not get hung up on difficulties that would impede their success in any unit. Easy to locate “Help” links are important to assist the student during online learning times. In addition, it’s important that the student know how to contact the teacher to ask for help during online learning times. The teacher’s contact information should be made clear to the student.
The content and assessments for any online learning course are critical and need evaluation. After all, it determines what the students will learn, how they will get there, and how they will be measured. Beyond that, since students will be using creativity, opinions and potentially subjective information in some of their assignments, it is important for the students to know what their goals are and how they will be assessed based on those goals.
My classes typically have a very wide range of learners with different abilities. Therefore, I strive to create differentiation as often as possible – with varying instructional strategies and activities. I want that to be reflected in my online learning unit as well. The course or unit should offer different activities and different ways of learning, evaluating and applying the knowledge for students to take part in authentic learning experiences.
Again, I believe online courses should include communication and interaction so the student doesn’t feel like an island. This is especially true in my unit that focuses on social media, a vehicle meant for interaction, so aspects of communication and interaction should be evaluated.
The student learner’s role in the course should be evaluated. My classes, and often times in most CTE classes, focus on challenged based learning, which puts the majority of learning responsibility in the students’ hands. I believe the student learner’s role must be made clear in my unit, so as to create many opportunities for students to take an active role in learning with digital content and resources that are provided.
To build off of the previous point, distance learning and hybrid learning units may offer diverse paths and many choices for students. Differentiation once again comes into play, which allows for the evaluation of individualization of instruction. Students should be able to use the digital content and resources to customize their instructional pathways to increase engagement and higher levels of learning based on the students’ interests and ability levels.
Whether the unit is all online or in a blended mode, students can feel alone when working in the online portion. Therefore, I want to be sure the unit displays my knowledge of the subject matter in a way that inspires students to learn and be engaged even when they’re on “their own.” I believe the Facilitation and Inspiration of Student Learning and Creativity should be evaluated. The information, resources and structure of the course, through facilitation of the teacher, should allow students to explore real-word issues and solve authentic problems.
Finally, in a digital world, the teacher should Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility, and the teacher should evaluate this aspect of the course. All courses that involve an online aspect should include promotion and modeling of digital etiquette and responsibility.
So far, with the amount of information I’ve given – a teacher considering the use of online or hybrid instruction may feel overwhelmed – but still hopefully encouraged by the incredible engagement it offers. I don’t think we can ignore the challenges though, which is the topic of my upcoming blog.
Resources
http://www.tacoma.uw.edu/sites/default/files/global/documents/academic-affairs/qmrubric.pdfhttp://www.inacol.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/iNACOL_CourseStandards_2011.pdf
http://www.iste.org/docs/pdfs/nets-t-standards.pdf?sfvrsn=2
5. Challenges with Online Learning (Link to associated video)
Welcome back! In my last video blog, I discussed various factors to address in terms of evaluation and reflection in a distance learning or hybrid course, which work well in the form of a 10 point rubric. Some of those evaluations may reveal pitfalls in a unit, which of course can be discouraging.
I think it’s important to keep in mind that distance and hybrid learning can present challenges. Even though the benefits for students are clear, I don’t want to ignore the elephant in the corner. To put it simply, it takes work. In their publication, “Changing Course: Ten Years of Tracking Online Education in the United States,” Elaine Allen and Jeff Seaman talk about the rigorous demands and say it takes more time to teach an online course than it does the same course in a classroom setting. I believe a common misconception is that distance learning courses are simply uploaded to the web, students rarely come in contact with the teacher and the students simply submit written assignments. From personal experience and research, this is not the case. Distance learning is challenging, interactive and complex, just like face-to-face learning. Allen and Seaman also say that academic leaders and see their push for greater efficiency and cost-saving intentions disappearing - as schools push forward to meet the demands for high quality distance learning programs. There is a great need for distance learning teachers and course developers!
A second important point that I would like to highlight is the connection with a need for discipline with distance learning and the implementation of distance learning in a K-12 setting. I think anyone who’s take an online course would agree. Authors Picciano, Seaman, Shea and Swan say high school students now have more opportunities for online learning, but administrators are concerned that they might not have the maturity and skills needed to succeed in these courses.
I’m sure I’m not the only one who has read rumors that distance learning or hybrid learning degrees can be barriers in terms of education or job advancement. Maybe some of the degrees or courses can cause confusion. Or maybe, as author Devon Haynie writes about in her New York Times article, that some of the blame for such sentiments can be placed on what she calls “diploma mills” – which are online, unaccredited programs known for offering a degree to anyone with a full wallet. Our challenge then is to prove to post-secondary education institutions and employers that we can offer distance learning and hybrid courses to benefit students who will have an impact on our global society. I believe that as educators we need to fight back and embrace these potential challenges when it comes to distance and hybrid learning. After all, as educators it is our duty to provide learners, and particularly in terms of 9 – 12 CTE students, with an education that will propel them to succeed in the future. We can do this by fostering digital wisdom, which is the topic of my next video blog.
Resource
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/employers-online-degrees-article-1.1372092
6. Creating Digital Wisdom (Link to associated video)
So, we’ve talked about why online and hybrid learning is beneficial, the tools to enhance meaningful 21st century learning, systems of delivery, ways to evaluate distance learning, and challenges that may exist. Now is the time where I offer encouragement and inspiration to educators who are ready to make that step and give it a try. I think the key is to foster digital wisdom among administrators, educators and students.
First, I think we need to understand that our online or in-class students may consist of digital natives and digital immigrants, which are terms that author Mark Prensky explores at length. Prensky says our k-12 students today are digital natives. In other words, they were born into a digital world and it’s a first language. Everyone else is a digital immigrant. We weren’t born in the digital age, but we’re learning about it and adapting to it. It’s a foreign language for us, whether we speak it fluently or not.
Therefore, as we work towards creating this digital wisdom some course or unit modifications may need to be made – such as including clear explanations of where to locate course materials, directions for navigating the course, help links, video/audio tutorials, examples of student work, and teacher availability for assistance. I also believe that an online instructor needs to instill the belief in all of his or her digital students the need to continuously experiment and apply new knowledge and skills to alleviate any digital fears. This includes not only using technology, but thinking in a 21st century way – something that we, as teachers, need to embrace as well. In his article, “Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants,” Marc Prensky says, “’Future content is to a large extent, not surprisingly, digital and technological. But while it includes software, hardware, robotics, nanotechnology, genomics, etc. it also includes the ethics, politics, sociology, languages and other things that go with them.” Online course scaffolding, essential questions and discussions should encourage and challenge digital immigrants to think in such a way to collaborate with their peers who are digital natives.
In a second article, Prensky suggests to facilitate digital wisdom by finding ways to create 21st century citizens who think more instead of just sticking information into our students’ heads. A teacher, in class or online, needs to create challenge based learning, project based learning, and authentic learning scenarios that use meaningful technology to instill digital wisdom in students. An online instructor can mark the X on the map, and students can decide how they will get there. By allowing students to create their own terms of exploration, a teacher imparts tools of digital wisdom on students. This can be done through many collaborative tools such as Wikis, discussion boards, Google Hangouts, Google Docs, and Skype – really just to name a few. By arming students, both digital natives and digital immigrants with such empowering tools and knowledge, and acting as a facilitator not a lecturer, the students are driven to succeed through wisdom.
Now, it’s important to remember that our digital students, both native and immigrant, are humans – and so are we. Educators can offer things that our online or hybrid courses cannot – and that involves empathy and passion – another topic explored by Prensky. Even in a digital environment, we need to remember that wisdom comes from cultivating excitement in our students and students need to feel and witness our personal empathy and passion for a topic. In my previous blogs, we’ve talked about ways to do this with social presences, meaningful discussions, sharing of stories and information, immediate and effective responses – all of which can be done through courses in successful learning management system that has been evaluated and reflected upon. Author Aimee Whiteside of the Sloan Consortium writes the needs of empathy and passion in her publication, “Integrating the Social Presence Model to Maximize Blended and Online Learning Experiences.” In a study of distance learning courses, instructors quote: “indicated that ‘learning stems from relationships’ and if students ‘don’t have a relationship with somebody’ or a connection to them, then students are not invested in each and they do not have ‘the incentive to interact.’” So just as we more than a teacher in the classroom – we are a therapist, counselor, mentor, role-model and all of those other roles – we need to be able to do the same in a digital environment – and show passion for it as well!
In her Edutopia blog, Ainissa Ramirez uses a term called “passion-based learning” as an education 3.0 tool and demonstrates the thought in a well-thought out diagram. Ramirez says there are two ways to develop passion in a student: “1. Find out what each child is innately passionate about. And 2. Be an instructor that exudes passion for the topic, and infect your students with that excitement.” We can do that! We do it in the classroom – and we can do it in an digital environment too for distance or hybrid learning.
6. Creating Digital Wisdom (Link to associated video)
So, we’ve talked about why online and hybrid learning is beneficial, the tools to enhance meaningful 21st century learning, systems of delivery, ways to evaluate distance learning, and challenges that may exist. Now is the time where I offer encouragement and inspiration to educators who are ready to make that step and give it a try. I think the key is to foster digital wisdom among administrators, educators and students.
First, I think we need to understand that our online or in-class students may consist of digital natives and digital immigrants, which are terms that author Mark Prensky explores at length. Prensky says our k-12 students today are digital natives. In other words, they were born into a digital world and it’s a first language. Everyone else is a digital immigrant. We weren’t born in the digital age, but we’re learning about it and adapting to it. It’s a foreign language for us, whether we speak it fluently or not.
Therefore, as we work towards creating this digital wisdom some course or unit modifications may need to be made – such as including clear explanations of where to locate course materials, directions for navigating the course, help links, video/audio tutorials, examples of student work, and teacher availability for assistance. I also believe that an online instructor needs to instill the belief in all of his or her digital students the need to continuously experiment and apply new knowledge and skills to alleviate any digital fears. This includes not only using technology, but thinking in a 21st century way – something that we, as teachers, need to embrace as well. In his article, “Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants,” Marc Prensky says, “’Future content is to a large extent, not surprisingly, digital and technological. But while it includes software, hardware, robotics, nanotechnology, genomics, etc. it also includes the ethics, politics, sociology, languages and other things that go with them.” Online course scaffolding, essential questions and discussions should encourage and challenge digital immigrants to think in such a way to collaborate with their peers who are digital natives.
In a second article, Prensky suggests to facilitate digital wisdom by finding ways to create 21st century citizens who think more instead of just sticking information into our students’ heads. A teacher, in class or online, needs to create challenge based learning, project based learning, and authentic learning scenarios that use meaningful technology to instill digital wisdom in students. An online instructor can mark the X on the map, and students can decide how they will get there. By allowing students to create their own terms of exploration, a teacher imparts tools of digital wisdom on students. This can be done through many collaborative tools such as Wikis, discussion boards, Google Hangouts, Google Docs, and Skype – really just to name a few. By arming students, both digital natives and digital immigrants with such empowering tools and knowledge, and acting as a facilitator not a lecturer, the students are driven to succeed through wisdom.
Now, it’s important to remember that our digital students, both native and immigrant, are humans – and so are we. Educators can offer things that our online or hybrid courses cannot – and that involves empathy and passion – another topic explored by Prensky. Even in a digital environment, we need to remember that wisdom comes from cultivating excitement in our students and students need to feel and witness our personal empathy and passion for a topic. In my previous blogs, we’ve talked about ways to do this with social presences, meaningful discussions, sharing of stories and information, immediate and effective responses – all of which can be done through courses in successful learning management system that has been evaluated and reflected upon. Author Aimee Whiteside of the Sloan Consortium writes the needs of empathy and passion in her publication, “Integrating the Social Presence Model to Maximize Blended and Online Learning Experiences.” In a study of distance learning courses, instructors quote: “indicated that ‘learning stems from relationships’ and if students ‘don’t have a relationship with somebody’ or a connection to them, then students are not invested in each and they do not have ‘the incentive to interact.’” So just as we more than a teacher in the classroom – we are a therapist, counselor, mentor, role-model and all of those other roles – we need to be able to do the same in a digital environment – and show passion for it as well!
In her Edutopia blog, Ainissa Ramirez uses a term called “passion-based learning” as an education 3.0 tool and demonstrates the thought in a well-thought out diagram. Ramirez says there are two ways to develop passion in a student: “1. Find out what each child is innately passionate about. And 2. Be an instructor that exudes passion for the topic, and infect your students with that excitement.” We can do that! We do it in the classroom – and we can do it in an digital environment too for distance or hybrid learning.
Resources
http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf 
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