Facilitator and collaborative learning
As an online facilitator I really enjoyed putting together the power point presentation for the Wimba session. When I started preparing for the live wimba session there were a lot of uncertainties dwelling in my mind concerning preparing the right material. The first thing I did was to review the “pdf” Wimba resource guide online. Reviewing the guide helped me to understand some basic things about the Wimba tools. After reviewing the guide and logging into the practice Wimba session, I felt somewhat comfortable with using the Wimba tools. As the week progressed I felt the need to visit the Wimba practice room to review my power point presentation one last time, after that time it was do or die. Three things that were very successful for me was the reviewing the “pdf Wimba resource guide, taking time to practice or to become familiar with the Wimba tools and presetting the power point presentation for the live session.
My experience with working with the asynchronous activities or the discussion questions was somewhat surprising to me. I started out logging in three times a day, once in the morning, next at mid day and again in the evening to check for new posting. The surprise was that it did not take up as much time as I thought it would. I really think this worked out well for me even though I must say it did require me to be more conscious of my time management skills.
Overall the experience was rewarding and my perspective on the online facilitator has changed somewhat. The main reason for the slight change is because I now know from this one experience that to facilitate online is a two way street. If you have supportive classmates and your instructor is assessable you cannot go wrong. I mean you can consider the experience successful because everyone is learning together. The one important thing I will keep in mind is that collaboration is necessary for the online facilitation experience to be truly successful.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Monday, November 2, 2009
Part Two Summary
Part two in the second covered a number of things that will help me with my future goal of teaching online classes and in the traditional classroom environment. As I Reflect back on the fifth week of class when the information presented was focused on the pedagogy of a virtual course. There were a number of things that will be useful for me. First it will be the idea of presenting a lecture in a story like format as pages rather than as one file. The fact of just sitting at home conducting a lecture for students sounds great and in fact is a very good thing. However there are so many things to consider when putting together an online lecture.
Another very interesting concept that was discussed was the social role of building a community for the online environment. This is something that is very important for the online teaching and learning environment. There were many activities presented in the reading about how to build a social community to engage in ongoing educational activities. One suggestion given was to discover and contribute to the communication etiquette for the group. Another suggestion is to supportive relationships with others as individuals and as group members. The social role in building a community for the online environment is definitely necessary for the success of any course.
The managerial role gave insight on strategies to help organize a online course before the class starts and after the class begins. The material had some interesting elements in both units concerning knowing how to structure the class from the beginning phase. This was followed by a variety of ways of setting up the syllabus and placing other resources on the home page in an organized manner. I found this activity quite useful. Posturing as students, the material broke down the use of all the online tools including chat rooms, discussion boards and calendars. The online tools were instrumental from the student’s perspective as it enabled one to experience how this all comes together from an instructor’s point of view.
The last unit in this session denotes the technical skills and role for the instructor, which requires teaching as well as designs and/or development of courses. Hence, it is necessary for the instructor to have the appropriate technical skills in teaching online. For instance, an instructor must be knowledgeable of a variety of electronic techniques as training tools to reach an array of students that have different learning styles. Also, instructors must endeavor to stay abreast with contemporary information in this industry in order to maintain effectiveness in the class room environment.
Another very interesting concept that was discussed was the social role of building a community for the online environment. This is something that is very important for the online teaching and learning environment. There were many activities presented in the reading about how to build a social community to engage in ongoing educational activities. One suggestion given was to discover and contribute to the communication etiquette for the group. Another suggestion is to supportive relationships with others as individuals and as group members. The social role in building a community for the online environment is definitely necessary for the success of any course.
The managerial role gave insight on strategies to help organize a online course before the class starts and after the class begins. The material had some interesting elements in both units concerning knowing how to structure the class from the beginning phase. This was followed by a variety of ways of setting up the syllabus and placing other resources on the home page in an organized manner. I found this activity quite useful. Posturing as students, the material broke down the use of all the online tools including chat rooms, discussion boards and calendars. The online tools were instrumental from the student’s perspective as it enabled one to experience how this all comes together from an instructor’s point of view.
The last unit in this session denotes the technical skills and role for the instructor, which requires teaching as well as designs and/or development of courses. Hence, it is necessary for the instructor to have the appropriate technical skills in teaching online. For instance, an instructor must be knowledgeable of a variety of electronic techniques as training tools to reach an array of students that have different learning styles. Also, instructors must endeavor to stay abreast with contemporary information in this industry in order to maintain effectiveness in the class room environment.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
End of part one course number ONTL651 Facilitating Online Learning
The first part of this class has ended and it seems like the time went by very fast. In a short amount of time we covered a lot of useful information. This blog entry is going to list a few of the things I felt was very useful. Also included will be some short reflections on reading assignments that enhanced my understanding through participating in online activities.
During the first week of class I learned how to communicate on a voice board. The voice board was a very good way to introduce new online technology to individuals. When I first read the assignment I thought it was going to be a difficult task. However I found out that there were great instructions given on how to use the voice board and it was not difficulty at all. The main thing is following the instructions step by step. After using the voice board I know it will be something that can be utilized by many facilitators.
The reading assignments during the first week assisted me in putting together a very good comparison between online verses fact to face instruction. The main objective of this was to get an understanding in knowing if there really is a difference. Many things are obviously different, like being at home teaching instead of in the classroom. However there are quite a few differences between the two settings. For example, online instruction will need to have strategies in place to assist student involvement in the online environment oppose to the f2f. Accordingly, there were seven principles given for effective learning for both online and f2f learning.
The second and third week reading assignments and resource materials covered topics such as facilitating a class online and the changing instructor and student roles. Some specific information that I found interesting and useful was the instructions on how to conduct a Wimba classroom discussion with a power point presentation. Now this particular assignment seemed like it would be fun to do. At least I wanted it to be fun because learning new technology can be fun. I also want it to be very informative and useful.
During this week everyone had to choose a week to facilitate a class. I am glad that everyone in the class will have the opportunity to facilitate a class in Wimba. However, I will need to start getting a lot of practice time scheduled. The key to be successful in many things for me is through practice.
During the third week there was a chart given out with at least 10 different roles listed about the student and the instructor’s role for the online environment. The chart along with the resource links that were given for supporting first time online instructors to help with getting started was excellent. It is good to know that there is such a host of support available for first time online instructors.
The final week of the first session gave even more information and resources on support for online students and instructors. This week gave some specific on resources for pedagogical, technical, social and managerial aspect of an online class. Again, there were so many resources available. I am now in search of how to organize my online files to keep all of these wonderful resources online. I also look forward to obtaining even more knowledge and online recourses in the remaining of this course.
During the first week of class I learned how to communicate on a voice board. The voice board was a very good way to introduce new online technology to individuals. When I first read the assignment I thought it was going to be a difficult task. However I found out that there were great instructions given on how to use the voice board and it was not difficulty at all. The main thing is following the instructions step by step. After using the voice board I know it will be something that can be utilized by many facilitators.
The reading assignments during the first week assisted me in putting together a very good comparison between online verses fact to face instruction. The main objective of this was to get an understanding in knowing if there really is a difference. Many things are obviously different, like being at home teaching instead of in the classroom. However there are quite a few differences between the two settings. For example, online instruction will need to have strategies in place to assist student involvement in the online environment oppose to the f2f. Accordingly, there were seven principles given for effective learning for both online and f2f learning.
The second and third week reading assignments and resource materials covered topics such as facilitating a class online and the changing instructor and student roles. Some specific information that I found interesting and useful was the instructions on how to conduct a Wimba classroom discussion with a power point presentation. Now this particular assignment seemed like it would be fun to do. At least I wanted it to be fun because learning new technology can be fun. I also want it to be very informative and useful.
During this week everyone had to choose a week to facilitate a class. I am glad that everyone in the class will have the opportunity to facilitate a class in Wimba. However, I will need to start getting a lot of practice time scheduled. The key to be successful in many things for me is through practice.
During the third week there was a chart given out with at least 10 different roles listed about the student and the instructor’s role for the online environment. The chart along with the resource links that were given for supporting first time online instructors to help with getting started was excellent. It is good to know that there is such a host of support available for first time online instructors.
The final week of the first session gave even more information and resources on support for online students and instructors. This week gave some specific on resources for pedagogical, technical, social and managerial aspect of an online class. Again, there were so many resources available. I am now in search of how to organize my online files to keep all of these wonderful resources online. I also look forward to obtaining even more knowledge and online recourses in the remaining of this course.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Faciliting Online Teaching
My expectation and concerns as a facilitator
I have a limited amount of experience with the online environment which causes me to have the following concerns. First, I am wondering if I will be able to complete the assignment without any technology problems. I have no experience as a trouble shooter when it comes to resolving tech problems. Next, I want to be able to do a good job on the lesson. Doing a good job on the lesson means to be on the giving and receiving end concerning the assignment. I want to give as much time as necessary on the assignment and consequently would like to receive constructive criticism that will allow me to become a very effective and efficient online facilitator.
I have a limited amount of experience with the online environment which causes me to have the following concerns. First, I am wondering if I will be able to complete the assignment without any technology problems. I have no experience as a trouble shooter when it comes to resolving tech problems. Next, I want to be able to do a good job on the lesson. Doing a good job on the lesson means to be on the giving and receiving end concerning the assignment. I want to give as much time as necessary on the assignment and consequently would like to receive constructive criticism that will allow me to become a very effective and efficient online facilitator.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
End of Part 2
This is the final blog posting and it seems like the time has moved quickly. At this point I am thankful that we were required to create a blog and to develop summary sections on it. It is going to give me something to reflect back on as often as I need to. It really is a nice way to keep an electronic notebook on the first class. I cannot imagine it being designed for that purpose however it is something that could be done. I must admit that sometimes it seemed like I was not able to post enough information on mine however every little bit counts for something. And as time moves on I plan to post more on this blog. I plan to share it with others often as well. I really believe that this class is very necessary for many if not all teachers. Because this is my final posting for this class I plan to summarize the final weeks of the course, starting with unit six.
Unit 6: Synchronous Conferencing and Digital Portfolios
This unit focus was to get the class ready for an online Wimba session and to review some different kinds of portfolios online. I reviewed two portfolios both of which were very interesting. One was an e-portfolio that told stories in a digital format. This digital story format would be great for individuals because it can give students an expanded online experience. Expanded in the sense that the portfolio add data clips along with a personal voice and fascinating music. The second portfolio was created on a website using livetext and it was more on a standard format. Standard format meaning there were different links to click to view certain portion of it. There were no videos or audios on this portfolio. However my reasoning behind adding this portfolio to my posting was because it was a document that was very easy to navigate through.
Unit 7: Learning Theories
In this unit there was information given out concerning seven principles along with numerous strategies identified for addressing the principles. In this unit I had to think about how people learn in different ways. Not something new but applying this to the online environment for different kinds of learners is something different. Something I never thought about until I received this assignment. There were two exercises in this unit. The first exercise was to describe how I would go about deciding on which learning theory would work for a specific teaching or learning situation and the second one was to develop a mini case.
For the first exercise I felt that designing a course would encompass a global outlook of a subject. It would take more details and more research than creating a lesson plan. One reason would be because lesson plans create activities to teach certain key concepts within a syllabus. However, when designing a course a title would be the driving force from the beginning. Lesson plans are generally develop from objectives. “The design of the course determines the effectiveness of the learning” In designing a course you would need to determine things like what type of book or research will be need to support the course. One important thing brought out in our reading about learners is…”Learners should be motivated to learn”.
The second exercise had specific instructions on using three mini cases. The assignment was to choose a theory that we felt would be good to use in developing an online training manual for it. The three theories we had to choose from were behaviorism, constructivism and cognitivism. Each theory was associated with a different principle. For example behaviorism theory was associated with non complex design principle, the constructivisim principle is built on personal interpretations of the world on experiences and interactions, and the cognitivism theory principle states that it is complex and entails internal coding and structure. After completing this exercise I learned that some of the principles describe above can be inter changed with different scenarios or different cases. It just depends on what the subject, what the age group is and how you set up the instructions.
Part 2 of unit 7-Learning Theories
This unit was so detailed about the seven principles and the instructional strategies. There was a host of examples for different strategies to associate with each principle given in the unit. One thing for sure is that a lot of the information was very good for me to use immediately as an adjunct and some ideas will certainly be used at a later date. One assignment for this unit was to identify two best strategies for each of the principles to teach a unit. Another assignment was to give input on student centered learning verses teacher centered instructions.
Completing the two assignments for this unit was very time consuming for me. While going through each of the seven principles and choosing two strategies I found myself thinking about my current class. How could I incorporate some of these suggestions into the class? Here is one example of what I came up with for now. To develop reciprocity and cooperation among students for an online class I would have various group lessons within activities. In my current class I only had one group activity so I changed it to make it three group activities. The assignment gave me many ideas that I could use in the future.
The second assignment for this unit on student learning verses teacher centered instructions. This was another part of the course that gave out some great resourceful information to be used now and later. I believe that teachers and students share the responsibility to create an effective learning-centered environment. I believe that on one hand students should be made responsible being active in class and participating as much as possible. On the other hand teachers or instructors should be held accountable for developing activities that are effective for the learning objectives as well as all individual learning styles.
Unit 8: Instructional Strategies
This unit referred ten principles that were effective in the online environment. It was a different viewpoint than the seven principles described above. The required exercises for this unit were very helpful to me. Most of the ten principles were familiar to me however one of them that was most interest was, the self-directed learning strategy. It was an interesting one because it gives individuals the opportunity to learn independently and it directs the learner to initiate his or her pace in learning.
Unit 9: Online Technologies and Content Resources
This unit had three weeks of work compiled into one unit. It seems like a lot of work but not really. Because all of the assignments were spread out well and I did not really feel any pressure until the final week which is now. One thing I must state is that being organized for online courses is the only way to make it through. When you think you have a lot of time to complete assignments and if you do not plan or organize the work; it can cause you to fall behind on things. This is especially true if you are not an organized person from the beginning.
The one thing about this unit that was the most fun was creating the portfolio online. It is a lot of work but it is work that I enjoyed doing. Starting the portfolio required a lot of research however in the long run I believe it will be worth it. There are still three more classes for me to take however I am very glad one is almost completed. I am ready to move full speed ahead to finish what I have started concerning obtaining the online teaching certificate. I have three classes left to finish.
Unit 6: Synchronous Conferencing and Digital Portfolios
This unit focus was to get the class ready for an online Wimba session and to review some different kinds of portfolios online. I reviewed two portfolios both of which were very interesting. One was an e-portfolio that told stories in a digital format. This digital story format would be great for individuals because it can give students an expanded online experience. Expanded in the sense that the portfolio add data clips along with a personal voice and fascinating music. The second portfolio was created on a website using livetext and it was more on a standard format. Standard format meaning there were different links to click to view certain portion of it. There were no videos or audios on this portfolio. However my reasoning behind adding this portfolio to my posting was because it was a document that was very easy to navigate through.
Unit 7: Learning Theories
In this unit there was information given out concerning seven principles along with numerous strategies identified for addressing the principles. In this unit I had to think about how people learn in different ways. Not something new but applying this to the online environment for different kinds of learners is something different. Something I never thought about until I received this assignment. There were two exercises in this unit. The first exercise was to describe how I would go about deciding on which learning theory would work for a specific teaching or learning situation and the second one was to develop a mini case.
For the first exercise I felt that designing a course would encompass a global outlook of a subject. It would take more details and more research than creating a lesson plan. One reason would be because lesson plans create activities to teach certain key concepts within a syllabus. However, when designing a course a title would be the driving force from the beginning. Lesson plans are generally develop from objectives. “The design of the course determines the effectiveness of the learning” In designing a course you would need to determine things like what type of book or research will be need to support the course. One important thing brought out in our reading about learners is…”Learners should be motivated to learn”.
The second exercise had specific instructions on using three mini cases. The assignment was to choose a theory that we felt would be good to use in developing an online training manual for it. The three theories we had to choose from were behaviorism, constructivism and cognitivism. Each theory was associated with a different principle. For example behaviorism theory was associated with non complex design principle, the constructivisim principle is built on personal interpretations of the world on experiences and interactions, and the cognitivism theory principle states that it is complex and entails internal coding and structure. After completing this exercise I learned that some of the principles describe above can be inter changed with different scenarios or different cases. It just depends on what the subject, what the age group is and how you set up the instructions.
Part 2 of unit 7-Learning Theories
This unit was so detailed about the seven principles and the instructional strategies. There was a host of examples for different strategies to associate with each principle given in the unit. One thing for sure is that a lot of the information was very good for me to use immediately as an adjunct and some ideas will certainly be used at a later date. One assignment for this unit was to identify two best strategies for each of the principles to teach a unit. Another assignment was to give input on student centered learning verses teacher centered instructions.
Completing the two assignments for this unit was very time consuming for me. While going through each of the seven principles and choosing two strategies I found myself thinking about my current class. How could I incorporate some of these suggestions into the class? Here is one example of what I came up with for now. To develop reciprocity and cooperation among students for an online class I would have various group lessons within activities. In my current class I only had one group activity so I changed it to make it three group activities. The assignment gave me many ideas that I could use in the future.
The second assignment for this unit on student learning verses teacher centered instructions. This was another part of the course that gave out some great resourceful information to be used now and later. I believe that teachers and students share the responsibility to create an effective learning-centered environment. I believe that on one hand students should be made responsible being active in class and participating as much as possible. On the other hand teachers or instructors should be held accountable for developing activities that are effective for the learning objectives as well as all individual learning styles.
Unit 8: Instructional Strategies
This unit referred ten principles that were effective in the online environment. It was a different viewpoint than the seven principles described above. The required exercises for this unit were very helpful to me. Most of the ten principles were familiar to me however one of them that was most interest was, the self-directed learning strategy. It was an interesting one because it gives individuals the opportunity to learn independently and it directs the learner to initiate his or her pace in learning.
Unit 9: Online Technologies and Content Resources
This unit had three weeks of work compiled into one unit. It seems like a lot of work but not really. Because all of the assignments were spread out well and I did not really feel any pressure until the final week which is now. One thing I must state is that being organized for online courses is the only way to make it through. When you think you have a lot of time to complete assignments and if you do not plan or organize the work; it can cause you to fall behind on things. This is especially true if you are not an organized person from the beginning.
The one thing about this unit that was the most fun was creating the portfolio online. It is a lot of work but it is work that I enjoyed doing. Starting the portfolio required a lot of research however in the long run I believe it will be worth it. There are still three more classes for me to take however I am very glad one is almost completed. I am ready to move full speed ahead to finish what I have started concerning obtaining the online teaching certificate. I have three classes left to finish.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Teaching online classes
Teaching classes is more than what some may bargain for!
I would like to focus this blog on why learning about the online environment could be good for most teachers. One of the most important reasons is because teachers have a huge responsibility to develop lesson plans and activities for all types of learning styles and cultures. The more information you have the more sources you can use to create a host of learning activities.
Another specific reason is because all teachers should know how to work with some forms of technology in the classrooms. The online classroom is becoming more popular with our younger generations and as instructors we will need to learn how to incorporate high technology in the traditional classrooms. After all what would be wrong with requiring every instructor to know a little bit about the online teaching environment?
I would like to focus this blog on why learning about the online environment could be good for most teachers. One of the most important reasons is because teachers have a huge responsibility to develop lesson plans and activities for all types of learning styles and cultures. The more information you have the more sources you can use to create a host of learning activities.
Another specific reason is because all teachers should know how to work with some forms of technology in the classrooms. The online classroom is becoming more popular with our younger generations and as instructors we will need to learn how to incorporate high technology in the traditional classrooms. After all what would be wrong with requiring every instructor to know a little bit about the online teaching environment?
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Reflective Essay Part One Summary
The time has come for me to reflect on the past six weeks of this course. I must admit the first half of the course has went by pretty fast, however not without me obtaining a host of resourceful information. This posting will reflect on five out of six units covered thus far. It is my hope that as you read these postings, you will be inspired to consider being a part of the online learning environment.
UNIT TWO: Constructivism
This unit has informed me about the constructivism approach of learning. The constructivism approach can be described as one that will allow students to apply their personal experiences or real life problem techniques to master a concept. This can be done in many ways such as when completing homework classroom assignments or during classroom discussions.
In the past many of my classes were taught in the traditional approach, however the constructivism approach of learning was present as well. I can honestly think about how some of my previously taught classes had a constructivism aspect incorporated in the class assignments.
The courses were not necessarily taught from a constructivist perspective however many of the homework assignments were created because of a constructivist perspective. For an example as an under graduate student at Prairie State College I can remember developing a portfolio that required me to gather information on how children behavior from infancy through kindergarten. While working on the portfolio I had four small children, which all under the age of four. I remember being able to observe and identify certain characteristic within my own children as they related to the textbook chapter definition words. I have taken a number of online classes since attending Prairie State College and constructivist approach would be easy to implement with the online environment.
The theory would be easy to implement because the online environment allows for discussions that could be in a narrative format (discussion board posting) or through classroom chat rooms. This theory would be excellent for some students and challenging for others.
UNIT THREE: Case Studies
Included in this unit were case studies that were interesting. This unit reading material gave me insight on the proper language that is used as it is related to online/ internet courses and traditional classroom/on ground courses. Terms such as a web-enhanced, hybrid and fully online were described in details. Having a full understanding of such terms will assist with determining which courses or what kinds of curriculum would be a right fit for the online environment.
UNIT FOUR: Learning Style Surveys
The VARK questionnaire and the Index of Learning Style Questionnaire were taken in this unit. Both questionnaires produced results of what type of learner I am. Comparing the two results together was quite interesting. According to the results I am an auditory and kinesthetic type of learner. The auditory side of me learns best by listening to lectures opposed to reading text books. The Kinesthetic side of me learns materials by hands on experiences and applying outside field work or using real life experiences to help me with understand classroom assignments. Given those results in developing online teaching courses I would use many different strategies that would cover all learning styles. For example I would pictures and charts along with giving detailed instructions for many sensing learners. In classroom demonstrations would be included along with role playing activities that would cover in classroom topics.
UNIT FIVE: Learning Style Group Projects
Completing an online group project was not bad at all. However, I must admit starting was a bit rocky because we could not get a designed time set up to discuss the assignment. However once we had our first group meeting and we agreed on how to distribute the assignment things went pretty smooth. We did not have a designed leader from the start but everyone was willing to do his or her part of the work to get the project done on time.
Here are a few specific things that went well for my group project:
UNIT SIX: Online Teachers
Two of the Arizona State interviews were very interesting in this unit to me, Mr. Barnes and Mr. Mark Montesano. Mr. Mark Montesano, was once a full time counselor who changed his profession to online teaching. His interview was one that confirmed my first thoughts about need a lot of support when it comes to converting an f2f course to an online course. This professor had someone take the time out to lead him step by step with the process of transforming an f2f class to an online format. His interview kind of relates to learning the different learning styles and learning strategies in order to be effective in using online components for all students. Mr. Andrew Barnes interview stated he gets a lot of interaction from the students. Teaching certain classes online like history would benefit the students.
Mr. Barnes transcript stated that in the beginning of the courses students send a lot of emails with questions that helps him in developing the course materials on blackboard. Not much different than a traditional classroom setup. Nothing stood out to me but all the interviews were very interesting to me. The interviews made me want to add some online teaching components to any class I may teach in the future.
We were required to interview an online instructor for this unit and the outcome of my interview was very interested. I would like to share her words of wisdom. Dr. Johnsons has been an online instructor for at least six years and she is fascinated and really enjoys interacting with students all over the world. Dr. Johnson words of wisdom are, “don’t be afraid of challenges when you first start teaching or developing online classes, because there will be some. Be assured that as time goes on they will lessen”.
The time has come for me to reflect on the past six weeks of this course. I must admit the first half of the course has went by pretty fast, however not without me obtaining a host of resourceful information. This posting will reflect on five out of six units covered thus far. It is my hope that as you read these postings, you will be inspired to consider being a part of the online learning environment.
UNIT TWO: Constructivism
This unit has informed me about the constructivism approach of learning. The constructivism approach can be described as one that will allow students to apply their personal experiences or real life problem techniques to master a concept. This can be done in many ways such as when completing homework classroom assignments or during classroom discussions.
In the past many of my classes were taught in the traditional approach, however the constructivism approach of learning was present as well. I can honestly think about how some of my previously taught classes had a constructivism aspect incorporated in the class assignments.
The courses were not necessarily taught from a constructivist perspective however many of the homework assignments were created because of a constructivist perspective. For an example as an under graduate student at Prairie State College I can remember developing a portfolio that required me to gather information on how children behavior from infancy through kindergarten. While working on the portfolio I had four small children, which all under the age of four. I remember being able to observe and identify certain characteristic within my own children as they related to the textbook chapter definition words. I have taken a number of online classes since attending Prairie State College and constructivist approach would be easy to implement with the online environment.
The theory would be easy to implement because the online environment allows for discussions that could be in a narrative format (discussion board posting) or through classroom chat rooms. This theory would be excellent for some students and challenging for others.
UNIT THREE: Case Studies
Included in this unit were case studies that were interesting. This unit reading material gave me insight on the proper language that is used as it is related to online/ internet courses and traditional classroom/on ground courses. Terms such as a web-enhanced, hybrid and fully online were described in details. Having a full understanding of such terms will assist with determining which courses or what kinds of curriculum would be a right fit for the online environment.
UNIT FOUR: Learning Style Surveys
The VARK questionnaire and the Index of Learning Style Questionnaire were taken in this unit. Both questionnaires produced results of what type of learner I am. Comparing the two results together was quite interesting. According to the results I am an auditory and kinesthetic type of learner. The auditory side of me learns best by listening to lectures opposed to reading text books. The Kinesthetic side of me learns materials by hands on experiences and applying outside field work or using real life experiences to help me with understand classroom assignments. Given those results in developing online teaching courses I would use many different strategies that would cover all learning styles. For example I would pictures and charts along with giving detailed instructions for many sensing learners. In classroom demonstrations would be included along with role playing activities that would cover in classroom topics.
UNIT FIVE: Learning Style Group Projects
Completing an online group project was not bad at all. However, I must admit starting was a bit rocky because we could not get a designed time set up to discuss the assignment. However once we had our first group meeting and we agreed on how to distribute the assignment things went pretty smooth. We did not have a designed leader from the start but everyone was willing to do his or her part of the work to get the project done on time.
Here are a few specific things that went well for my group project:
- Determining how to bread down the assignment
- Creating a timeline
- private group board discussion thread
Here are a few specific things that were challenges for the group:
- Opening up attachment on the discussion board
- Setting up the first planning meeting
Group projects will be used in classes that I teach because the group projects build team skills in individuals and many can benefit from the experience. Online group projects help individuals get experience with working with different learning styles in the online environment.
UNIT SIX: Online Teachers
Two of the Arizona State interviews were very interesting in this unit to me, Mr. Barnes and Mr. Mark Montesano. Mr. Mark Montesano, was once a full time counselor who changed his profession to online teaching. His interview was one that confirmed my first thoughts about need a lot of support when it comes to converting an f2f course to an online course. This professor had someone take the time out to lead him step by step with the process of transforming an f2f class to an online format. His interview kind of relates to learning the different learning styles and learning strategies in order to be effective in using online components for all students. Mr. Andrew Barnes interview stated he gets a lot of interaction from the students. Teaching certain classes online like history would benefit the students.
Mr. Barnes transcript stated that in the beginning of the courses students send a lot of emails with questions that helps him in developing the course materials on blackboard. Not much different than a traditional classroom setup. Nothing stood out to me but all the interviews were very interesting to me. The interviews made me want to add some online teaching components to any class I may teach in the future.
We were required to interview an online instructor for this unit and the outcome of my interview was very interested. I would like to share her words of wisdom. Dr. Johnsons has been an online instructor for at least six years and she is fascinated and really enjoys interacting with students all over the world. Dr. Johnson words of wisdom are, “don’t be afraid of challenges when you first start teaching or developing online classes, because there will be some. Be assured that as time goes on they will lessen”.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Self Reflective Essay
Two topics that were very interesting to me in the first six weeks of this course dealt with different learning strategies and teaching styles. The two reading assignments and the learning style questionnaire along with the teacher inventory survey were two things that will help me in many ways. This self selected essay will touch a little on both of these items.
The strategies given about the different learning styles will help me as an instructor and student. I consider the specific activities associated to individuals learning style a great tool to use right now. Being exposed to this information and applying it to different learning environments is something that needs to be done. I realize this course material was designed for the online environment however the traditional classroom environment can benefit from the materials as well. It was truly amazing to read about the host of activities that can help different people learn in different ways.
The inventory surveys were interesting. After taking the inventory surveys my results were quite surprising to me. However the final results were pretty accurate. Being able to identify what type of learning style I have is something that will help me in many ways. One specific way will be when developing lesson plans or activities for future courses. I will make certain that all activities address all learning styles. The inventory surveys are something that I will use often.I must say that being enrolled in this course has really opened my eyes up to a host of information about online teaching and learning. It has added a different level of understanding and appreciation for the online environment.
The strategies given about the different learning styles will help me as an instructor and student. I consider the specific activities associated to individuals learning style a great tool to use right now. Being exposed to this information and applying it to different learning environments is something that needs to be done. I realize this course material was designed for the online environment however the traditional classroom environment can benefit from the materials as well. It was truly amazing to read about the host of activities that can help different people learn in different ways.
The inventory surveys were interesting. After taking the inventory surveys my results were quite surprising to me. However the final results were pretty accurate. Being able to identify what type of learning style I have is something that will help me in many ways. One specific way will be when developing lesson plans or activities for future courses. I will make certain that all activities address all learning styles. The inventory surveys are something that I will use often.I must say that being enrolled in this course has really opened my eyes up to a host of information about online teaching and learning. It has added a different level of understanding and appreciation for the online environment.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Why consider getting a online teaching certificate
There are three main reasons as to why I have chosen to take the Introduction to online teaching course. First and far most it is because online learning is a wave of the future many individuals, young and old are utilizing it. My desire is to always stay in touch with the wave of the future.
The second reason is because I love learning and enjoy interacting with people in all kinds of ways. Being enrolled in this class will help me learn new ways to communicate with others.
The third reason is because I would love to teach online courses in the future. In obtaining an online certificate, I will be able to move in the direction to teach online courses at some point. I am really looking forward to leaning new and exciting things in this class!
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