Week 14 - Students & Online Learning

When I graduated highschool there was very little talk of online learning, so to have this option available to students now is a good idea. Although online learning is not for everyone, I believe that it needs to be an option for students in today's society. I say that this method of learning needs to be an option because alot of students are disciplined enough to stay focus and do what needs to be done to pass their online classes. For at-risk students, I believe that online learning would be ideal for them as well especially if there were more mentors/teachers avaiable to teach at risk students how to be successful in an online learning environment and assist them with any dilemmas that they maybe experiencing. Also I think these students would benefit more from a blended learning approach.

My thoughts regarding the scenarios:

Scenario 1 - If a student wanted to take a couse like calculus and the district didn't offer it I think it would be a good idea to allow the student to take a virtual learning course with an adult present or a distant learning class. Furthermore, if the student is a highschooler in Michigan this would satisfy their graduation requirement that involves all highschool students must take a online course prior to graduation.

Scenario 2 - No this can not be prevented, but I would ask the teacher if they foresee the student having problems in their class and I would ask the parents if their second son is having the same  problems as their first son. From their I would have a conference with the parents, teacher and student and discuss what the problem was and if there was any solution to the matter. After our conference if the parents still wanted to put their son in an online chemistry class I would explain to the parents that the online chemistry course must meet our standards and that their son could take distant learning courses or virtual courses.

Scenario 3 - In this situation I would assess the student to see where they were academically. From their I would provide the necessary assistance and supports to help the student in meeting their benchmarks and helping them to succeed. This help maybe in the form of one blended learning stituation because the student is coming from a cyberschool and may be more accustomed to learning online. The whole idea behind the blended learning is to help the student in becoming use to a daily face-to-face learning environment.

Scenario 4 - I have co-workers who facilitate after school online learning courses and its my understanding that they do not get extra time to plan for these students but are compensated financially for their time. I don't know, maybe the district feels like these teachers don't need a planning period for classes that are totally online. This scenario will have me asking my co-workers on Monday how does the process works for them and the students.

Scenario 5 - For students with documented illnessess online learning is ideal for them. This type of learning environment allows for the student to stay on track and continue their education, resulting in them being able to graduate on time.

What Did I Learn That Surprised Me About Virtual Learning

The information that I posted in part one was pretty much on point. After reading the recommended readings for the week and the top ten myths about virtul learning I realized that despite being online virtual classes do not lack interaction. Since I am use to face-to-face contact between students and teachers I just automatically assumed that there would be less interaction because classes were taught virtually. This assumption that I have is just the opposite because teachers and students have more one-on-one interaction because of the way in which the course is delivered. It has been reported that teachers get to know their students better and students who are shy or do not respond to questions as quickly as others contribute more to the virtual learning environment. Also, with the help of apps and/or social media such as: Bloggs, Google Hang Out, Skype and Twitter, teachers can connect with their students in group chats and/or bloggs where everyone has an opportunity to connect and/or see each other.

Another myth that before now I thought to be true was the fact that online students are isolated and risk being at a social disadvantage. What I failed to realize or remeber is that students have access to technology such as as Face Time and Skype to see one another while being in opposite cities, states, and countries, which dismisses the myth that students will be at a social disadvantage when learning virtuallly. Also, students in virtually courses participate in variuos group activities that require them to connect with other classmates wheather its via email, hang outs or Face Time.

An addional aspect of virtual learning that I did not consider until reading the assigned readings is that the whole construction of online learning is very complex and every detail must be thought out in its entirely. Although many online course already exist that meet state standards, its important to know who the suppliers are and who will be responsible for student records, assigning grade levels and the administering of state assessments.

What I know About K-12 Online Learning

What I currently know about K-12 Online Learning is that all learning takes place on the computer in cyber space. Students and teachers are no longer requirred to meet face-to-face for so many hours per week. Since face-to-face contact is not needed students can be taught by a teacher who may reside in another part of the country and/or world. Students of all ages (K-12) and educational background can participate in online learning, but it has been my experience that students who are placed on long-term suspension or are being home schooled for various reasons benefit tremendously from online learning. Online learning offer courses in English, Math, History, Foreign Language, Science and Art, just to name a few. This learning format is also a good way for students to learn a new hobby and/or skill, which may consist of cooking, scrapbooking, sewing and chess.

Judging the Quality of Wikis

Hi,

In my opinion Wikipedia and YouTube are not bad resources for students to use. When explaining an assignment that called for studens to use either of these tools I would stress the importance of checking their facts and possibly having another source available to obtain additional information about a particular topic. For me personally I will use Wikipedia as one of my resources when planning a lesson and possibly during instruction.

In the past I have had several teachers who were totally against their students using Wikipedia as a resource because they believed the information was invalid. After listening to the podcast and thinking back on the gender of my teachers who were against the use of Wikipedia as a resource, I realize now that a majority of them were women. It's sad to think that these teachers choose not to take a small risk and have their students learn/use Wikipedia as a source for information for an assignment. In the end I believe if my past teachers would have invested a little more time to learn about Wikipedia they would have learned that it's not as bad as it seems. Furthermore, when discussing the assignments my teachers could have stressed the importance of using a secondary source in addition to Wikipedia if they were uncertain of its validity.

Refining My PLN

Hi,

The three Blogs that I have added to my PLN are as follows:

Mystery Science: Lessons for elementary teachers - https://mysteryscience.com
Mystery Science offers hands on lessons that inspire students to learn and love science.

Reading Centers for Upper Elementary - www.teachingtoinspire.com/2016/
This Blog offers pratical, real-world teaching resources to inspire teachers and help motivate students to learn. Additionally, this Blog would help me tremendously in the future because it offers techniques and information that can be used immediately.

Social Studies for Kids Grades K-5 - www.kids.usa.gov/social-studies/index
This Blog allows students to stay up to date with events that are happening in the world around them. Furthermore, this blog provides students with added resources and/or activities to help them learn about geography and the countries and cultures of the world.

Experts in my content area to follow on Twitter are:

Scott Baldridge- @ScottBaldridge

Scott Baldridge is the author of Eureka/EngageNY math, a math curriculum used by 57% of elementary teachers and 47% of secondary teachers in the United States.

Getting Smart - @Getting_Smart 

Getting Smart supports innovations in learning, education & technology. 

EdSurge- @EdSurgeVerified account

EdSurge helps educators to find & use the right tools to support all learning styles. 

Mary Ann Diel - @Locrianzone

Mary Ann Diel is a music educator with experinece in music technology curriculum and development and early childhood music.

Doris Korda - @DorisKorda

Doris Korda is an Educator who created Hawken School's Entrepreneurial Studies Program & Wildfire Education. 

So far this semester I haven't used many of the tools that we have learned about. The one tool that I do used often is my RSS reader. I really like this tool because all my Blogs are sent to one email and I can read from that one email throughout the day. Since there are so many technological tools that can be used to gather information, my goal is to at least be more comfortable using two additional tools prior to the end of the semester. 

  

The RAT Model

I must admit I had some diffculty at first understanding the model and if it was used to help Pre-service teachers increase the use of  technology in the classroom or if it was intended for the students to learn. Well after reading many articles I realized that the RAT Model is mainly for teachers to utilized as a way for them to ensure that when teaching they are using technology/Web 2.0 tools at the appropriate times while teaching.

My example is as follows:
My 5th grade class is studying the early history of the United States starting with the American Indians.

R - Students will post to a weekly blog, which will serve as a journal, about the American Indians life prior to and after the arrival of the European explorers.  

A - Students will search various websites for resources/information pertaining to the early history of the United States.

T - At the end of the unit students will be placed in groups and each group will be required to construct a Prezi and present it to the class. The presentation will be based on a particular aspect of the unit that was studied.

Week 2

I believe that the articles were on point when describing the various generations and that most of my students are digital natives or generation Z children. I say this because most are computer/internet savvy and do not have a problem in letting you know it. I find this to be both good and bad. It’s good because technology appeals to my student’s senses and sparks their curiosity, which results in them having a positive attitude about technology and learning. Yet the downside is that technology causes students to lack effective communication skills and conflict resolution techniques when it comes to face-to-face interaction.  

As teachers we must remember that the educational system of yesterday was not really designed to include the utilization of technology. Therefore, teachers must be open-minded about utilizing technology and know when to use it and when not to. In addition to using technology in the classroom, it’s important for teachers to be aware that the basics still need to be incorporated into everyday lessons. When I say the basics I’m referring to communication skills, problem solving techniques, reliability of information, legacy content and participation in physical activities.

Students today enjoy multi-tasking and need a great deal of stimuli to stay connected to what the teacher is teaching, so teachers must be prepared to teach both the legacy and future content in a way that will allow generation Z students to understand and grasps the concepts needed to transfer to everyday life.  Techniques that can be used in teaching both legacy and future content include computer games, and incorporating film, digital images and PowerPoint presentations during lectures.