Module Six Responses

I responded to Adam Authier and April Carpenter this module. I found both of their blogs insightful and reflective.

Teaching: What is necessary?

As an instructor that has worked in both the online learning environment and the traditional classroom, I have experienced many different scenarios, age levels, and teaching methodologies. Constant professional development sessions for my school district, and now for my colleges, help to update me on the latest trends in instruction. However, trends come and go and sometimes we only learn the wrong ways to teach our students by trial and error. So what is necessary for me to provide my students with effective instruction? Does it differ by age and grade level? What philosophy do I hold to in order to provide the best possible learning environment?

My philosophy of teaching is something that I have thought about quite a bit. I cannot seem to fill out a job application without having to include my philosophy of teaching. While I want to look professional and make it all sound wonderful to my potential employer, for this blog post, I want to dig deep and really reflect on what I believe my students need and what is absolutely necessary for me as an educator. Not that I don't adhere to my philosophy of teaching that I include with potential job applications, but let's get "real" and break it down to the nuts and bolts.

I believe that in order to meet the needs of my students, at any age, I must provide differentiated instruction. Whether it is in teams, or individual, it needs to exist for all my students. We all learn differently and there is no mold that fits everyone. Accommodations for my students' learning needs are imperative. Second, I must engage my students. Whether that is standing on my head and giving my lecture via webcam, or dressing up like Raggedy Ann for my elementary students, they must be engaged. I must go the extra mile to make it happen. I cannot sit back and be a mediocre educator. I must find a connection and use it to engage my students. This will take time and effort outside of what is normally required in the classroom. This means thinking "outside" the box. This means using a variety of learning theories like: social constructivism, cognitive learning theory, and connectivism (a mixture of the other two, not yet recognized as a learning theory). I need to provide a learning environment that my students can absorb, that allows them to use critical thinking skills, and that builds on their prior knowledge.

Finally, I need to be present. Whether it is in the traditional classroom, or the online learning environment. My students need to know I am there and that I will support them and guide them along the journey. Distance education should not be "distant" in the classroom. Making it personal and getting to know my students will help me to build the trust and connections that will help them to feel comfortable and safe in the classroom. Only then can I teach them...or rather as a wise man once said: "I never teach my pupils, I simply provide the environment in which they learn." ~Albert Einstein

Cynthia

Module Five Responses:

For this module, I responded to Marc and to Arthur! They both had great ideas and improvements that could be made with the ARCS Model. Check out their blog links listed below:

http://mboese.blogspot.com/
http://mrauthier.blogspot.com/

Module Five-Dealing with Attitudes!

When Nobody Wants to Hear a New Idea...

As a library media specialist in an elementary school for several years, I tried my best to introduce new technology into the classroom. My students loved working on the computers and listening to books on CD. I used silent movies, interactive games, spent a fairly large amount of money on a Jeopardy game played via monitor and DVD, and worked to provide in-service for teachers that highlighted every available piece of technological equipment the school possessed.

I became very frustrated when the fruits of my labor gained me little to no innovative implementations in the classrooms. I did get appointed the new inventory person for all of the school's technology and audiovisual equipment (Oh, joy!) I was disappointed and discouraged, but I continued to implement technology within the library media setting and whenever I could find someone to listen, I worked to emphasize the importance of technology.

Eventually, I found out that it was not the lack of enthusiasm about the technology as much as it was the lack of training on how to use the technology and the fear of asking for help or instruction. Many of the teachers would come to me privately and explain to me they did not know how to check their email. This happened after the principal began to send weekly updates to teachers via email and required them to check their email on a daily basis. Some of the teachers did not even have valid sign on and password information for their accounts. So, I had to go back to the basics.

I worked to make sure everyone had access to the computers in their classrooms. I made sure they all had access to their email boxes. Then, I worked to provide access and instruction to them about Renaissance Place and the Accelerated Reading Program, so their students could take assessments in the classroom as well as in the computer lab. I created laminated signs for the computer lab with step-by-step instructions for logging in to take assessments in the program. I also created laminated signs for educational websites the students could log in to during their computer lab sessions. We did not have a computer instructor for these fifty minute lab times. This was not "in the budget" or important enough. For a while the computer lab was used for students who had misbehaved and were sent out of class.

Now, if you knew you were going to get to play on the computer, would you misbehave and get out of class? I am just saying...let's think about this "punishment".

I found that working with the teachers on an individual basis helped to build their confidence and maintain their privacy. Once I had conquered this hurdle, I began to work with each grade level in groups. Then, I worked with the lower grade levels together and the upper grade levels together. This worked well and it was paced so that everyone was comfortable and on the same level.

Keller's ARCS Model focuses on:

Attention
Relevance
Confidence
Satisfaction

I addressed these issues one at a time to help produce motivation to learn something new. This was the only way to approach the implementation of new technology in the classrooms and to help bridge the gap between the unknown and the 21st Century classroom. Now, this elementary school has at least three to five new computers in each classroom. All new computers and a SmartBoard are displayed in the library media center, and the first grade just received a grant for new audiovisual equipment and books on CD's to help with struggling readers.

I didn't do it all, but I threw a pebble into the water and it began to ripple!

Cynthia

Responses for Connectivism

For the connectivism module, I responded to the following blogs:

Soraya: http://rayaray.wordpress.com/2011/10/26/connectivism-soraya/#comment-71

Jan: http://jancutforth.wordpress.com/2011/10/27/connectivism/#comment-14

Connectivism! Visions of Networks Swimming in my Head!

The above Mind Map shows my crazy world of connectivity!
Now, I have not listed Facebook because I just deactivated my account (with the option of reactivating it at any time). This has caused a feeling of "disconnectedness" in me, but it has also allowed me to have a few extra minutes to devote to something else. The convenience of networking and the online environment has a great impact on my life on a daily basis. I work from home. I teach for several online colleges and generate an income greater or equal to that of working in the traditional classroom. Flexibility from networking has created more opportunities and allowed me to excel in my educational studies as well as my career and social life.

My network has changed the way that I learn by providing me with this flexibility. I worked my way through school and was unable to major in Education in my undergraduate studies because at that time, online courses for this major were not offered and I could not discontinue working and supporting myself to student teach. I found a program at an online college that would allow me to complete my bachelor's degree in English and continue to work. I worked toward this goal and then I was able to secure a teaching position through the alternate route method. I still had to complete my teacher licensure qualifications via the traditional on-ground college course and I did this at night. I continued to work toward my master's degree via traditional college night courses. I succeeded in this and proceeded to find an online program to complete my Ph.D. At first, there was nothing online that I wanted to specialize in, but Walden launched their Educational Technology specialization and I knew it was what I had been looking for. I have been working on my doctoral degree program as I transitioned from public school teaching to online college teaching. I guess you could say my network is very important because I found my first online college position from meeting a classmate in one of my first Walden Ed Tech courses. Things have progressed from that point until I was able to resign my traditional classroom and work from home.

The online learning environment has become a part of my daily world. There were many things that I did not understand and I found that I lost knowledge as the technology world progressed without me during my time in the traditional classroom. Even now, I believe I am still not able to stay on the cutting edge of technology because it changes so rapidly. I am just beginning to understand the terminology of "Jing" and "Presi" and many new ways to interact via technology. There is so much out there and I want to prepare myself to contribute to learning by bringing my classroom into the 21st Century. Networking and being connected to others through technology as a student and as an instructor helps me to learn the latest developments and resources for making instruction as effective as possible.

I have self-taught by accessing as much information as possible about applications I am not familiar with and I continuously attend webinars and explore tutorials to help me to master new technology. I am a visual and kinesthetic learner, so "playing" with the technology helps me to familiarize myself with it. Videos and anything visual help me to learn more quickly rather than reading text only. The more interactive the tutorial, the better for me.

Blogging is my new way of free writing and I type more quickly than I can write. While I still love classic literature and I have a library of hard copies, without technology, I would be lost!

Go networking!

Cynthia

Here is a description of my Mind Map:

Social:

Email
Skype
Blogs

Educational:

Email
Blogs
Skype
Walden Classroom
Wikispaces

Work:

Anthem College Online Networks
CCI Online Networks
Grand Canyon University Online Networks
Email

Blogs, Email, and Skype overlap from social to educational and some into work. I hope that in the future, it will be a crazy mass of overlapping as I connect all aspects of my world.

Collaboration-Module Three Responses Cynthia

During this module on collaboration and the constructivist theory of learning, I responded to the following blog posts:

http://april-carpenter.blogspot.com/
http://mrauthier.blogspot.com/2011/10/module-3-blog-constructivism.html

Cynthia