Weekly Discussions
Week 1: Pros/Advantages and Disadvantages/Challenges - As you explain online learning to friends and family, what two “pros” or advantages do you always mention and why? What disadvantages or challenges are also part of your conversation?
During a recent field trip, this was a topic my colleagues and I discussed. I, as one of the older teachers, was the only one that had taken an online course. While we were talking, I was curious as to why the other teachers had not completed an online course. Different things I or other people might see as a pro or advantage, one teacher felt was a challenge for them. We also discussed the course content would determine whether or not to enroll in a traditional face-to-face, blended, or online course.
For me two pros/advantages are to complete course work on my own schedule when convenient for me and ability to enroll in course/content not offered or available where I currently live. This was one of the primary advantages stated by Smith (2008), “convenience of accessing information on their own schedule” and “no class attendance requirement” (p. 5) When I was in college, I remember having to plan and schedule my courses plus make sure my work hours would fit. I recall checking and double checking my course schedule/plan to make sure I met all my graduation requirements. According to Johnson and Manning (2010), an advantage of an online education is the ability to take classes anywhere around the world (p. 30). Being able to enroll and complete a course from a university not accessible to me by location is an advantage. I currently live in Chicago, so driving to campus on a daily or weekly basis would not be conducive for me. Plus, I have had the opportunity to live and teach in three different states. Online learning allows me to continue a program at one college/university even if I move to another state.
Two disadvantages/challenges for some learners would be motivation and course content. According to Johnson and Manning (2010), “online education is more challenging tor those who struggle with time management and study skills” (p. 35). As with some students in traditional classrooms, students need motivation and encouragement to complete assignments/course work, especially if a student is not good budgeting time and completing tasks. As my colleagues and I were discussing, some classes are better suited for the traditional face-to-face class, for some learners. We all agreed some math courses should be traditional or a blended environment, but it depends on the learner.
The advantages and disadvantages for online learning are not the same for everyone. Everyone has different learning styles and may learn best in different environments. What might be an advantage for one person could be a disadvantage for another. The versatility is what makes the future for online learning so interesting.
References:
Johnson, K., & Manning, S. (2010). Online education for dummies. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley.
Smith, R. (2008). Conquering the content: A step-by-step guide to online course design. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
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Week 2: Do students really care about instructional objectives? How can you make them more appealing? At what point and in what form would you share objectives with your students?
As an educator for many years, taught in different states, and in very different educational settings, one requirement has been consistent. I was and am required to write the daily objective(s) on the front board. In my current position, I am required to include daily instructional and language objectives on the front board and in my weekly lesson plans.
I was curious to see whether or not my current students are aware of the objectives. I created an Edmodo poll as a Monday Bell Ringer. I asked seniors in high school the following two Yes or No questions:
As I was researching further about instructional objectives, I discovered three interesting resources. Joe Bower’s blog (2011), a teacher in Canada, addresses the topic “Stop Writing the Objective on the Board”. Joe’s blog discusses for some subjects posting the objective gives away the ending. Inquiry and discovery is part of the lesson. Joe’s blog includes a presentation by Alfie Kohn, an American author on education, parenting, and human behavior, presenting a workshop about discovery as part of the learning objective. Another informative resource I found is Mike Fishback “Objectively Speaking” (2011) posted on Critical Explorers blog. He also discusses why writing the objective(s) on the front board is not beneficial for the learners. Fishback’s blog includes the following samples of alternatives to the traditional learning objectives. “Students will think about…”, “Students will immerse themselves in…”, and “Students will play around with….” (2011). All of the resources were not saying teachers should not develop learning objectives, but the current format might not be beneficial for all ages of learners and every content area.
At the beginning of every course, I distribute and review a course syllabus to the students. I have done this at both the middle and high school level for years. For most educational settings, it is a state, district and/or school requirement. The syllabus includes the course objectives which enables the students to have a preview of the course. There are always students that really want to know and ask very good questions and other students’ eyes turn a little glossy during this time. I feel in my content area, technology, it is beneficial to share the objectives with the students to have a preview of the course.
For most educators, writing the objectives on the front board is a required element for formal and informal evaluations. Does a teacher writing the daily instructional objective on the front board make that person a better teacher? Do the students learn better and more in classroom with the objectives posted?
References:
Aflie Kohn Math. (n.d.). Retrieved January 10, 2016, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gkplk3uEW4
BLOG. (n.d.). Retrieved January 10, 2016, from http://www.criticalexplorers.org/2011/10/objectively-speaking/
BLOG. (n.d.). Retrieved January 10, 2016, from http://www.joebower.org/2011/10/stop-writing-objectives-on-board.html
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Week 3: Take a positive stance toward authentic assessment. What would be an example you’d build in your course? How would you evaluate it? Choose a side – pro or con – on the use of rubrics. Defend the position as best you can!
Even before this week’s readings, I was a supporter of authentic assessments. I am fortunate to teach subjects such as computers, business, and consumer education, which lend easily to creating and implementing authentic assessments. I like to introduce assignments/projects with, “You just arrived at work and your boss…” or “It is 4:55 p.m. on Friday afternoon and your boss wants you to….” I am always thinking and looking for new ideas and projects to incorporate into my courses. Many times I find an idea on the internet than modify it to fit my students and course. One thing great about the internet, there are many free resources at my fingertips.
An authentic assessment example for the blended high school computer applications course I am building is to use Access to design and create a user friendly database. I would evaluate the finished database using a rubric. As Susan Brookhart’s states “rubrics help students understand the qualities their work should have”. My assessment rubrics explain to the students the desired outcomes of the project and the different achievement levels. One of my previous college courses activities focused how to create rubrics. One beneficial suggestion was to not have a middle category for assigning points (2, 4, 6). Some teachers/instructors would have the tendency to mark the middle category more often than selecting the low or high.
I am on the pro side of using the “right” rubric as an assessment tool. The TeacherVision website includes an example of a rubric and advantages. As stated on the website, some advantages of rubrics are students develop or reach for a certain outcomes and rubrics increase quality of teacher instruction. I always share the rubric with the students when explaining the assignment/project. I will refer back to the rubric when giving one-on-one assistance and to help some students struggling to get back on track. I always like to see students looking at the rubric during class to check the requirements/expectations. Some students are checking what is needed to achieve to the maximum on the rubric and others are just making sure they meet the minimum expectation.
Resources:
Brookhart, S. (2013). How to create and use rubrics for formative assessment and grading. Alexandria: ASCD.
The Advantages of Rubrics. (n.d.). Retrieved January 18, 2016, from https://www.teachervision.com/teaching-methods-and-management/rubrics/4522.html
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Week 4 - How do you define engagement, and how does it differ depending on age?
I personally define engagement as a student actively participating in the learning process and environment. Not sitting in a classroom, listening, and taking notes. A visual that comes to mind is a teacher pouring words, numbers, facts, etc. into a student’s head/brain and expecting the student to learn. Sometimes I wish it was that easy, but for the traditional student usually it is not.
My first teaching assignment was middle school in an affluent suburb. High school graduation rate was about 98%. Student engagement was an expectation from administrators, teachers and parents. One of my first class periods, I remember asking a question and almost every student raised their hand to answer. My next teaching assignment was in another state in a high school. Graduation rate was about 85%; a very different environment. A few students would fall asleep in class, attendance was poor, and some students were taking the course for the third time. During that experience, my definition of student engagement was definitely modified. Now my current teaching assignment, a charter school in Chicago, is also affecting my expectations of student engagement. The changes are not bad just different.
Angela Maiers included “motivation” as one of her 26 Keys to Student Engagement. She explained students were responsible, but teacher’s also had an impact. As a teacher, I cannot force students to learn, but I can encourage them. I have joked with a few students throughout the years that their cheerleader (me) is getting tired. I feel the student also has to want to succeed. This week at my school student engagement and motivation is very high. First semester final exams are this week. Students that have not been engaged or motivated all semester are trying to pass courses in a couple weeks.
There are so many different factors that determine a student’s level of engagement, but I feel my idea is probably what has changed most since my middle school experience. I still expect students to be actively engaged, but I know there will be other distractions – cell phone, listening to music, etc. But, is student learning any less?
References:
26 Keys to Student Engagement - Angela Maiers. (2008). Retrieved January 24, 2016, from http://www.angelamaiers.com/2008/04/engagement-alph
Week 1: Pros/Advantages and Disadvantages/Challenges - As you explain online learning to friends and family, what two “pros” or advantages do you always mention and why? What disadvantages or challenges are also part of your conversation?
During a recent field trip, this was a topic my colleagues and I discussed. I, as one of the older teachers, was the only one that had taken an online course. While we were talking, I was curious as to why the other teachers had not completed an online course. Different things I or other people might see as a pro or advantage, one teacher felt was a challenge for them. We also discussed the course content would determine whether or not to enroll in a traditional face-to-face, blended, or online course.
For me two pros/advantages are to complete course work on my own schedule when convenient for me and ability to enroll in course/content not offered or available where I currently live. This was one of the primary advantages stated by Smith (2008), “convenience of accessing information on their own schedule” and “no class attendance requirement” (p. 5) When I was in college, I remember having to plan and schedule my courses plus make sure my work hours would fit. I recall checking and double checking my course schedule/plan to make sure I met all my graduation requirements. According to Johnson and Manning (2010), an advantage of an online education is the ability to take classes anywhere around the world (p. 30). Being able to enroll and complete a course from a university not accessible to me by location is an advantage. I currently live in Chicago, so driving to campus on a daily or weekly basis would not be conducive for me. Plus, I have had the opportunity to live and teach in three different states. Online learning allows me to continue a program at one college/university even if I move to another state.
Two disadvantages/challenges for some learners would be motivation and course content. According to Johnson and Manning (2010), “online education is more challenging tor those who struggle with time management and study skills” (p. 35). As with some students in traditional classrooms, students need motivation and encouragement to complete assignments/course work, especially if a student is not good budgeting time and completing tasks. As my colleagues and I were discussing, some classes are better suited for the traditional face-to-face class, for some learners. We all agreed some math courses should be traditional or a blended environment, but it depends on the learner.
The advantages and disadvantages for online learning are not the same for everyone. Everyone has different learning styles and may learn best in different environments. What might be an advantage for one person could be a disadvantage for another. The versatility is what makes the future for online learning so interesting.
References:
Johnson, K., & Manning, S. (2010). Online education for dummies. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley.
Smith, R. (2008). Conquering the content: A step-by-step guide to online course design. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week 2: Do students really care about instructional objectives? How can you make them more appealing? At what point and in what form would you share objectives with your students?
As an educator for many years, taught in different states, and in very different educational settings, one requirement has been consistent. I was and am required to write the daily objective(s) on the front board. In my current position, I am required to include daily instructional and language objectives on the front board and in my weekly lesson plans.
I was curious to see whether or not my current students are aware of the objectives. I created an Edmodo poll as a Monday Bell Ringer. I asked seniors in high school the following two Yes or No questions:
- Did you know that the objectives were posted on the front board in all of your classes?
- Do you read the "Learning and Language Objectives" posted on the front board in all of your classes?
As I was researching further about instructional objectives, I discovered three interesting resources. Joe Bower’s blog (2011), a teacher in Canada, addresses the topic “Stop Writing the Objective on the Board”. Joe’s blog discusses for some subjects posting the objective gives away the ending. Inquiry and discovery is part of the lesson. Joe’s blog includes a presentation by Alfie Kohn, an American author on education, parenting, and human behavior, presenting a workshop about discovery as part of the learning objective. Another informative resource I found is Mike Fishback “Objectively Speaking” (2011) posted on Critical Explorers blog. He also discusses why writing the objective(s) on the front board is not beneficial for the learners. Fishback’s blog includes the following samples of alternatives to the traditional learning objectives. “Students will think about…”, “Students will immerse themselves in…”, and “Students will play around with….” (2011). All of the resources were not saying teachers should not develop learning objectives, but the current format might not be beneficial for all ages of learners and every content area.
At the beginning of every course, I distribute and review a course syllabus to the students. I have done this at both the middle and high school level for years. For most educational settings, it is a state, district and/or school requirement. The syllabus includes the course objectives which enables the students to have a preview of the course. There are always students that really want to know and ask very good questions and other students’ eyes turn a little glossy during this time. I feel in my content area, technology, it is beneficial to share the objectives with the students to have a preview of the course.
For most educators, writing the objectives on the front board is a required element for formal and informal evaluations. Does a teacher writing the daily instructional objective on the front board make that person a better teacher? Do the students learn better and more in classroom with the objectives posted?
References:
Aflie Kohn Math. (n.d.). Retrieved January 10, 2016, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gkplk3uEW4
BLOG. (n.d.). Retrieved January 10, 2016, from http://www.criticalexplorers.org/2011/10/objectively-speaking/
BLOG. (n.d.). Retrieved January 10, 2016, from http://www.joebower.org/2011/10/stop-writing-objectives-on-board.html
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week 3: Take a positive stance toward authentic assessment. What would be an example you’d build in your course? How would you evaluate it? Choose a side – pro or con – on the use of rubrics. Defend the position as best you can!
Even before this week’s readings, I was a supporter of authentic assessments. I am fortunate to teach subjects such as computers, business, and consumer education, which lend easily to creating and implementing authentic assessments. I like to introduce assignments/projects with, “You just arrived at work and your boss…” or “It is 4:55 p.m. on Friday afternoon and your boss wants you to….” I am always thinking and looking for new ideas and projects to incorporate into my courses. Many times I find an idea on the internet than modify it to fit my students and course. One thing great about the internet, there are many free resources at my fingertips.
An authentic assessment example for the blended high school computer applications course I am building is to use Access to design and create a user friendly database. I would evaluate the finished database using a rubric. As Susan Brookhart’s states “rubrics help students understand the qualities their work should have”. My assessment rubrics explain to the students the desired outcomes of the project and the different achievement levels. One of my previous college courses activities focused how to create rubrics. One beneficial suggestion was to not have a middle category for assigning points (2, 4, 6). Some teachers/instructors would have the tendency to mark the middle category more often than selecting the low or high.
I am on the pro side of using the “right” rubric as an assessment tool. The TeacherVision website includes an example of a rubric and advantages. As stated on the website, some advantages of rubrics are students develop or reach for a certain outcomes and rubrics increase quality of teacher instruction. I always share the rubric with the students when explaining the assignment/project. I will refer back to the rubric when giving one-on-one assistance and to help some students struggling to get back on track. I always like to see students looking at the rubric during class to check the requirements/expectations. Some students are checking what is needed to achieve to the maximum on the rubric and others are just making sure they meet the minimum expectation.
Resources:
Brookhart, S. (2013). How to create and use rubrics for formative assessment and grading. Alexandria: ASCD.
The Advantages of Rubrics. (n.d.). Retrieved January 18, 2016, from https://www.teachervision.com/teaching-methods-and-management/rubrics/4522.html
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week 4 - How do you define engagement, and how does it differ depending on age?
I personally define engagement as a student actively participating in the learning process and environment. Not sitting in a classroom, listening, and taking notes. A visual that comes to mind is a teacher pouring words, numbers, facts, etc. into a student’s head/brain and expecting the student to learn. Sometimes I wish it was that easy, but for the traditional student usually it is not.
My first teaching assignment was middle school in an affluent suburb. High school graduation rate was about 98%. Student engagement was an expectation from administrators, teachers and parents. One of my first class periods, I remember asking a question and almost every student raised their hand to answer. My next teaching assignment was in another state in a high school. Graduation rate was about 85%; a very different environment. A few students would fall asleep in class, attendance was poor, and some students were taking the course for the third time. During that experience, my definition of student engagement was definitely modified. Now my current teaching assignment, a charter school in Chicago, is also affecting my expectations of student engagement. The changes are not bad just different.
Angela Maiers included “motivation” as one of her 26 Keys to Student Engagement. She explained students were responsible, but teacher’s also had an impact. As a teacher, I cannot force students to learn, but I can encourage them. I have joked with a few students throughout the years that their cheerleader (me) is getting tired. I feel the student also has to want to succeed. This week at my school student engagement and motivation is very high. First semester final exams are this week. Students that have not been engaged or motivated all semester are trying to pass courses in a couple weeks.
There are so many different factors that determine a student’s level of engagement, but I feel my idea is probably what has changed most since my middle school experience. I still expect students to be actively engaged, but I know there will be other distractions – cell phone, listening to music, etc. But, is student learning any less?
References:
26 Keys to Student Engagement - Angela Maiers. (2008). Retrieved January 24, 2016, from http://www.angelamaiers.com/2008/04/engagement-alph