EDUC300 Module 7 Synthesis
Summary of Learning
By Ilicia Kelly
This
semester has been an enlightening journey as I explored the world of pedagogy
and online learning technologies. There have been so many topics and mental
adventures that I want to create a short summary of each one!
I have
researched my digital footprint in the world of Google and was shocked at how
many internet sites have used my information! According to an article on netlingo.com,
"it is now widely accepted that
in this era of e-mail, texting, blogging, and social networking, trying to hide
one's digital footprint is practically futile. In fact, it's been reported that
the FBI can hear your conversation via your cell phone even when it is turned
off (the only thing to thwart this is take out the battery). Unlike paper
trails, which can ultimately be destroyed or eliminated, "digital paper
trails" are recorded and stored at remote locations that you may not even
be aware of, and to that degree, there is nothing you can do to erase these
records.
I have explored the meaning
of higher order thinking and techniques to in the classroom that will give me
great results. HOT
(higher order thinking) challenges students not to simply memorize information,
but to "understand, infer, connect, categorize, synthesize,
evaluate, and apply the information they know to find solutions to new and
existing problems", according to ReadWriteThink.org.
"Families and out-of-school educators can play a significant role in
encouraging higher order thinking with their kids and teens, even when having a
casual conversation. Asking open-ended questions that don’t have one
“right” answer gives children confidence to respond in creative ways without
being afraid of being “wrong.” After reading a book together, a parent
might ask their child a question such as: “If you were that character, how
would you have persuaded Timothy to turn himself in?” rather than something
like “What was the main character’s name in the book?”" (ReadWriteThink.org).
We've
researched and created web tools to use in the online learning forum, from
grading apps to blogs, and immersed ourselves in their application and
effectiveness in the online learning environment. A web 2.0 tool that I found
that would be helpful in the education field is Edmodo.com. This is a helpful tool where the
students can develop skills with technology as well as incorporate new methods
of synthesizing the information learned in class. I watched the video that
explained an overview of Edmodo and it sounds amazing. It even has a calendar
that looks a lot like the one Dr. Gusa uses in her module. In that vein, we had
to enroll in a TOOC classroom which gave us access to a new concept of online
learning and feedback from other instructors, while exploring more web tools
and creating blogs. We were asked to start a Twitter account (which I've never
used before) and tweet about our experiences.
While using
discussion forums in this course, we broke down the main principles of
discussion forums and how using the right questions and rubric, we can make
those discussion forums more conducive to authentic learning and guide our
students to creating comprehensive posts and responses. According to the
reading "Benefits
of Using Discussion Boards in Your Classes", discussion boards are
reflective in nature. "They force students to read other perspectives and
carefully consider a response." Discussion boards are a great learning
tool for students who have social anxiety. Discussion boards also force
students to use research from the class to support findings which creates more
active learning for the students.
Dr. Gusa
had us review our current rubric and create a new one that our class felt would
give better feedback to our fellow students. We explored barriers to online
learning and tips to overcome those barriers. Assessment was a huge topic
because it's so important in the learning process to have effective and
constructive assessments, both in the formative and summative assessments.
And
finally, we explored cultural barriers to the classroom and how those barriers,
if ignored, can inhibit learning. "Educational programs must be aligned
with learner needs, interests, values, student perceptions, communication
styles, and desired learning outcomes that apply within a particular cultural
context" (Culturally
Responsive).
My favorite
topic this course has been the assessment topic in module 5. While we explored
the meaning of assessments and the different forms, we were constantly
assessing ourselves and our fellow students. Our need to be liked and not cause
anyone more work created a false peer assessment review that wasn't productive
in the classroom. Dr. Gusa noticed the trend and asked us to revamp the
peer-assessment and explain our reasons for the difficulty in a true peer
assessment. The simple act of looking inside and identifying my barrier to
constructive criticism opened up my fear of creating more work for another
student in the face of an already overwhelming course load. I realized that I
was just shortchanging my classmates and was attempting not to rock the
proverbial boat. "In such cases, peer reviewing (a common task for small group
collaboration) is often superficial, unhelpful, and/or judgmental. It takes
time to establish community, and 12 weeks (the common length of a semester in a
paced program) is sometimes insufficient for those new to online learning to
develop both the requisite skills and confidence to fully participate in
collaborative learning" (IRRODL).
I have
learned a lot about myself, my learning style, and my future teaching style.
I'm not sure if teaching is in the cards for me in the future, seeing as there
is only one college in my area and there are no openings for staff in the near
future, but at least I'm prepared if the opportunity arises. In the meantime, I
plan on pursuing a career in public health and applying my techniques to staff
development. Breaking down the learning process into learning techniques,
assessments, barriers to learning, and creating a happy, collaborative, safe
learning environment, are all things I will take with me from this course. I
want to thank my fellow classmates for making this experience productive and I
will always remember your thoughtful and uplifting comments, and a bigger thank
you to Dr. Gusa for always listening to us and trying to make this experience
as enriching as possible!
CP1. You write an academic post
that ask essential questions that addresses key points of the module.
CP2. Your post is comprehensive with references
to multiple sources from the module.
SP3. You express your feelings, values or
beliefs about the topic or share a personal connection to topic.
TP1. You present your synthesis with clarity,
enriching it with links to researching articles, video talks, blogs on module
content.
TP2. You provide links when able or supply APA citations
and bibliography for resources that cannot be linked
My evaluation and
self-evaluation: CP 30 pts.; SP 20 pts.; TP 50 pts.
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