The Zhang & Bonk (2008) article was so full of resources! The tables linking Gardner's Multiple Intelligences to Emerging Learning Technologies was so interesting that I found myself checking out various links for hours. It is amazing to see the resources we have at our fingertips on the internet. The problem? Identifying which resource fits any given need best. I've wrestled with whether a Wiki or a GoogleDoc is best for community efforts at writing and editing papers and test reviews and I've found at least 50 wonderful videos on read aloud techniques on You Tube to name a few of my successes turned frustrations. I know that after teaching online for a few semesters and trying out these technolgies, it will become more clear which resources work best with my classes, students, and online course platform.
The other mental tennis match I'm encountering is that I would like my class to be more of an Open Learning Environment (OLE) as described by Hannafin, Land, and Oliver (1999). Although I did not have a word to describe these communities previously, I was excited to read the chapter on Open Learning Environments: Foundations, Methods, and Models. This described the online instructional strategies I've encountered in a variety of VLCs; although they were interest based. From motherhood to knitting, cooking to gardening, I now realize that I've been a member of a wide variety of VLCs and learned a great deal from the content and interactions on these OLE websites. The struggle is how to replicate that type of self-directed, interest-based environment for a course that requires set objectives, assignments, and grades.
The key, I think, lies in the four basic components of OLEs as described in chapter 6: enabling contests, resources, tools, and scaffolding. Another main component that I see in OLEs is choice. The struggle is how to allow students choice while also achieving the goals of the course and covering essential course topics to prepare my students for their subsequent coursework. I don't think I'll get there by the end of this semester, but I will continue to strive toward the type of VLC that replicates OLEs...drawing students to participate because they enjoy spending time there and because they desire to be part of the interaction and the dynamic learning environment.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Week 10 Reflection
Week 10 Reflection
This week’s readings from Morrison, Ross, and Kemp (2007) were so helpful and packed with new insights and information. As I read, I focused on how the text related to our design project…my plans and conceptualization of this project and how it would look from the student perspective.
I was especially interested in the information presented in chapter five, featuring the various methods of determining objectives. I have continued to process how this fits into the way we incorporate objectives at Cameron, by correlating the appropriate standards from governing professional organizations along with our own goals for courses. This weekend I will be revisiting the chart I created for the online course I am developing to assess whether I can make improvements to the course objectives as they relate to the professional standards. Specifically, I would like to examine each piece and its relationship to Bloom’s Taxonomy.
As I read the task analysis information, I considered how specific course assignments will need to be to ensure the outcomes I desire. As I’ve seen in the past, sometimes I am surprised by the assignments students turn in and how they differ from my expectations, but after examining the assignment instructions, I find that they were not clear enough. Another piece that helps with the sometimes “fuzzy” nature of expectations vs. results is a grading rubric. When my students have access to a rubric prior to the assignment due date, it guides their work and results in a better match between expectations and results.
Finally, in chapter six, I was reminded of the importance of student-centered curricula with elements of controlled choice to allow students to pursue individual interests. Choice is a powerful motivator at all ages and is an essential component in online learning as it will keep students engaged in course content as it applies to their own interests and goals. Now, the challenge is how to offer student choice while also meeting my own objectives for the course…
This week’s readings from Morrison, Ross, and Kemp (2007) were so helpful and packed with new insights and information. As I read, I focused on how the text related to our design project…my plans and conceptualization of this project and how it would look from the student perspective.
I was especially interested in the information presented in chapter five, featuring the various methods of determining objectives. I have continued to process how this fits into the way we incorporate objectives at Cameron, by correlating the appropriate standards from governing professional organizations along with our own goals for courses. This weekend I will be revisiting the chart I created for the online course I am developing to assess whether I can make improvements to the course objectives as they relate to the professional standards. Specifically, I would like to examine each piece and its relationship to Bloom’s Taxonomy.
As I read the task analysis information, I considered how specific course assignments will need to be to ensure the outcomes I desire. As I’ve seen in the past, sometimes I am surprised by the assignments students turn in and how they differ from my expectations, but after examining the assignment instructions, I find that they were not clear enough. Another piece that helps with the sometimes “fuzzy” nature of expectations vs. results is a grading rubric. When my students have access to a rubric prior to the assignment due date, it guides their work and results in a better match between expectations and results.
Finally, in chapter six, I was reminded of the importance of student-centered curricula with elements of controlled choice to allow students to pursue individual interests. Choice is a powerful motivator at all ages and is an essential component in online learning as it will keep students engaged in course content as it applies to their own interests and goals. Now, the challenge is how to offer student choice while also meeting my own objectives for the course…
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
