Sunday, April 23, 2017
Sunday, April 16, 2017
Online Learning Benefits and Pitfalls
As I think about the increases made in online learning in education, I believe that there are countless benefits but also pitfalls and problems that can occur if not implemented correctly. Some benefits our students have enjoyed are more control of their learning by being able to learn at their own pace, being about to work ahead and more availability/flexibility in courses. But online learning also dictates that student rely on an substantial amount of self-efficacy and that school districts make sure they have sufficient support available to help student succeed. In most cases at-risk students may require additional support and guidance. Lewis, Whiteside and Dikkers recommend implementing scaffolds and structures in order to further support online learning for at-risk populations. The scenarios presented also indicate that there are many challenges for all school districts to examine and determine what works best for their students. As I do not feel my district has fully embraced online learning, most challenges are being faced on a individual level or case by case. Most of the curriculum changes have been made at individual school levels and not at the district level. I do believe that it should be an undertaking at the district level that includes input from all schools in the district but establishes an online learning policy using the state policies as a base, but also establishing a common pathway for the district's students to engage and be supported in online learning. Working in a large district, I see a lot of inconsistencies in how online learning is provided.
Of the scenarios listed, our district does see a number of students who transfer from cyber schools and have struggled while at these schools with low test scores. So the big question is how do we address these students and is it feasible that their test scores be tied to performance evaluation under new teacher evaluation guidelines. Just as with students who transfer in from other districts, I feel their should be a way to fairly adjust these numbers during teacher performance evaluations.
Also, in the scenario with the overbearing parent who wants to to pull their child out of Mr. Siko's chemistry class, you can't prevent them from doing this as long as their students fulfills the state's guidelines for the online course. Also, I feel as long as it is in the best interest of the student you should not prevent it... but if you truly believe (based on passed performance) that this student will not benefit from an online environment you should try to come up with alternative solutions.
Of the scenarios listed, our district does see a number of students who transfer from cyber schools and have struggled while at these schools with low test scores. So the big question is how do we address these students and is it feasible that their test scores be tied to performance evaluation under new teacher evaluation guidelines. Just as with students who transfer in from other districts, I feel their should be a way to fairly adjust these numbers during teacher performance evaluations.
Also, in the scenario with the overbearing parent who wants to to pull their child out of Mr. Siko's chemistry class, you can't prevent them from doing this as long as their students fulfills the state's guidelines for the online course. Also, I feel as long as it is in the best interest of the student you should not prevent it... but if you truly believe (based on passed performance) that this student will not benefit from an online environment you should try to come up with alternative solutions.
Sunday, April 2, 2017
One myth which I have not heard and was new to me was that "online students are isolated and therefore will be socially disadvantaged." I find this untrue as most online programs force you to interact with others similar to the interactions in a regular classroom. Another point mentioned was that "online courses represent an 'add on' to already burdened school systems and teachers. This is untrue in our district as most of this programs are ran and taken over by teachers who take the lead in finding new and innovative approaches to instruction. Also, I do not feel any teachers believe that online classes are easier, instead I believe this is what many bosses believe. Just as the reading mentioned, I also believe students who have never taken an online class... also belief it will be easier.
In my earlier post, I believe got it right by demonstrating how customizable online programs are and how they can work for different students. Also, as my district has purchase prepackaged online construction, I knew this option was available. In reading the myths that were listed, there were not many surprises.
In my earlier post, I believe got it right by demonstrating how customizable online programs are and how they can work for different students. Also, as my district has purchase prepackaged online construction, I knew this option was available. In reading the myths that were listed, there were not many surprises.
Thursday, March 30, 2017
Online Learning - Virtual Schooling - Cyber Schooling
Through my experience with online learning I have realized it comes in many different forms. It may be online learning within the classroom with complete learning online, blended learning where instruction is a collaboration between online and traditional learning, or complete online learning from a distance. Even within these options there are still many variations. The same can be said for the students who participate in online learning. Although most students who participate in this type of learning need some degree of self-motivation and self-guidance. They also require different degrees of intervention and teacher support. The type of courses offered also varies. In my current district, we use online learning as a tool to help high school student do credit recovery so many can graduate on time. The courses offered to them varies from regular academic courses (math, science, etc.) to electives (art, career tech, physical education, etc.). I believe the biggest thing to know about online learning, is that it is completely CUSTOMIZABLE and can be modified to fit your students needs.
Sunday, February 26, 2017
Using Wikipedia / YouTube as a Resource
My thoughts on using Wikipedia and YouTube as a source is that they need to be vetted properly. Before using these tools they need to go through vetting against other, more reliable sources. Also, they cannot be your only source and other sources should support the information contained within these sources. In addition, Wikipedia and YouTube sources, tend to be more subjective depending on the background, gender, age, race and other factors of the author. As such, how we evaluate and use this content as a source has to be carefully examined.
Although, the content should be thoroughly examined prior to use, we can not rule out the impact and contributions both Wikipedia and YouTube has made to the learning process. Many of the younger generation tend to use these sources over more, traditional sources. As such, we should not rule out the use of these tools, but education people about how to properly examine the content for accuracy.
Although, the content should be thoroughly examined prior to use, we can not rule out the impact and contributions both Wikipedia and YouTube has made to the learning process. Many of the younger generation tend to use these sources over more, traditional sources. As such, we should not rule out the use of these tools, but education people about how to properly examine the content for accuracy.
Educational BLOGS
The EdTech Roundup - Home
http://www.edtechroundup.org
This blog page offers a lot of ideas for technology that is out there and being used in education. What I like most about it is that if also blogs about and reviews new technology and supplies helpful links to sample lesson plans.
MindShift | KQED News | KQED Public Media for Northern CA
http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/
This blog offers more educational content that promotes dialogue and more research. It brings up topics that are unique but engaging. The topics are wide-ranging and can be anything from how we discuss sex in school to helping student understand what "fake news" is sorting out fact from fiction.
Free Technology for Teachers
http://www.freetech4teachers.com
This blog is great because it gives you a lot of great, FREE, ideas for tools you can use in your classroom. So if you like to frequently try out new things, this is the blog for you. This blog also offers webinars with different tech tips "tip of the week".
On Twitter: @AndrewYNg
Great source for technology news. The author, Andrew Ng is the Chief Scientist of Baidu and Chairman and Co-Founder of Coursera (educational technology company).
On Twitter: @cagelessthink
Great sources educational technology news and ideas. The author, Adam Webster, is a Director of Innovation and Senior Teacher.
On Twitter: @NMHS_Principal
Great sources educational technology information. The author, Eric Sheninger, is a New Jersey High School Principal, Google certified teacher and Adobe education leader.
On Twitter: @stevekatz
Great sources educational technology information. The author, Steve Katz, is a technology integration specialist, teacher author and conference presenter.
On Twitter: @stevekatz
Great sharing source for educators. This twitter account is a collaboration of a variety of teachers offering ideas and information.
Honestly I have not had an opportunity to use these tools, but I do see the value in them. They both can be very useful in gathering and sharing information. I can definitely use the RSS feed to quickly follow different blogs and sites that I want to follow. This is also true of Twitter which will allow me to have instant information from whomever I follow. Truthfully, this can be a little overwhelming at times as we have so much access to incoming information from various sources.
http://www.edtechroundup.org
This blog page offers a lot of ideas for technology that is out there and being used in education. What I like most about it is that if also blogs about and reviews new technology and supplies helpful links to sample lesson plans.
MindShift | KQED News | KQED Public Media for Northern CA
http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/
This blog offers more educational content that promotes dialogue and more research. It brings up topics that are unique but engaging. The topics are wide-ranging and can be anything from how we discuss sex in school to helping student understand what "fake news" is sorting out fact from fiction.
Free Technology for Teachers
http://www.freetech4teachers.com
This blog is great because it gives you a lot of great, FREE, ideas for tools you can use in your classroom. So if you like to frequently try out new things, this is the blog for you. This blog also offers webinars with different tech tips "tip of the week".
On Twitter: @AndrewYNg
Great source for technology news. The author, Andrew Ng is the Chief Scientist of Baidu and Chairman and Co-Founder of Coursera (educational technology company).
On Twitter: @cagelessthink
Great sources educational technology news and ideas. The author, Adam Webster, is a Director of Innovation and Senior Teacher.
On Twitter: @NMHS_Principal
Great sources educational technology information. The author, Eric Sheninger, is a New Jersey High School Principal, Google certified teacher and Adobe education leader.
On Twitter: @stevekatz
Great sources educational technology information. The author, Steve Katz, is a technology integration specialist, teacher author and conference presenter.
On Twitter: @stevekatz
Great sharing source for educators. This twitter account is a collaboration of a variety of teachers offering ideas and information.
Honestly I have not had an opportunity to use these tools, but I do see the value in them. They both can be very useful in gathering and sharing information. I can definitely use the RSS feed to quickly follow different blogs and sites that I want to follow. This is also true of Twitter which will allow me to have instant information from whomever I follow. Truthfully, this can be a little overwhelming at times as we have so much access to incoming information from various sources.
Sunday, February 5, 2017
Web 2.0 Tools
As I am no longer in the classroom, Web 2.0 are still very useful in the workplace. I still work in education but at the Central Office level. Using the RAT model which stands for Replacement, Amplification and Transformation there are many Web 2.0 tools you can use in the workplace to enhance what we do and how we do it. Many of this tools help to increase efficiency and productivity.
Replacement
The first Web 2.0 tool I would use is Jing. Jing is a tool that allows you to do quick and easy screen captures. In my current position, we handle a lot of different responsibilities which include marketing for over 90 schools. This normally includes a large use of Adobe Creative Cloud in my department to create or make quick changes to artwork. Although everyone has access to the software, many do not have experience using it. So the results are usually 1-2 people doing all the needed work or having the experience people dropping whatever they are working on to hold someone's hand and showing them how to do certain things. Using Jinx to pre-record short video lessons will help other teammates do things on their own.
Amplification
Using Google Docs is also helpful as it allows realtime collaboration. This is an important tool I would use multiple times to do things more efficiently in my workplace. For instance, while working on many of our marketing campaigns under extreme deadline, it is very helpful for each member of the team to proof and give their opinions about marketing information used in each project. Using Google Docs while each member updates the same files in realtime can be very efficient as opposed to taking one document and emailing it back and forth, which is very time consuming.
Transformation
Using GoToMeeting, which is a webinar tool allows collaboration and instruction over distances, and in the workplace this can be a powerful tool in changing how things are done. Instead of spending time trying to match everyone schedule so everyone can attend meetings, GoToMeeting can be used to provide flexible options for people to participate. This is important in my workplace as we have countless meeting throughout the week which include people from outside my school district. Using GoToMeeting changes how meetings are held. Now it is no longer necessary for participants to even be in the same state or country in order to take part in meetings. This changes how things are communicated.
Replacement
The first Web 2.0 tool I would use is Jing. Jing is a tool that allows you to do quick and easy screen captures. In my current position, we handle a lot of different responsibilities which include marketing for over 90 schools. This normally includes a large use of Adobe Creative Cloud in my department to create or make quick changes to artwork. Although everyone has access to the software, many do not have experience using it. So the results are usually 1-2 people doing all the needed work or having the experience people dropping whatever they are working on to hold someone's hand and showing them how to do certain things. Using Jinx to pre-record short video lessons will help other teammates do things on their own.
Amplification
Using Google Docs is also helpful as it allows realtime collaboration. This is an important tool I would use multiple times to do things more efficiently in my workplace. For instance, while working on many of our marketing campaigns under extreme deadline, it is very helpful for each member of the team to proof and give their opinions about marketing information used in each project. Using Google Docs while each member updates the same files in realtime can be very efficient as opposed to taking one document and emailing it back and forth, which is very time consuming.
Transformation
Using GoToMeeting, which is a webinar tool allows collaboration and instruction over distances, and in the workplace this can be a powerful tool in changing how things are done. Instead of spending time trying to match everyone schedule so everyone can attend meetings, GoToMeeting can be used to provide flexible options for people to participate. This is important in my workplace as we have countless meeting throughout the week which include people from outside my school district. Using GoToMeeting changes how meetings are held. Now it is no longer necessary for participants to even be in the same state or country in order to take part in meetings. This changes how things are communicated.
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