Summary of Learning from EDUC300

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.

 

 

Discussion Forums: The Extinction of Public Speaking

Module 3 Synthesis

EDUC300 by Ilicia Kelly

 

 

            This module, I learned many things about becoming an online teacher and the useful application of discussion forums. "Those researching collaborative forums argue that these opportunities increase negotiation, reflection, and knowledge building. Many argue that scientific research proceeds through a process of argumentation" (O'Donnell, Hmelo-Silver & Erkens, 2006). In chapter 4, we learn about discussion forums and helpful ideas in building productive discussion forum topics that illicit useful conversations that stimulate higher learning. One of these  ideas are called "anchored instruction" where you "can focus students' efforts on sense making and knowledge building within a compelling, complex context  where multiple explanations and ideas can be explored" (O'Donnell, Hmelo-Silver & Erkens, 2006). Anchored instructions can help guide the path of the discussion without limiting the responses, which can encourage higher order thinking without restricting the student's imagination. I like discussions like that because it's easy to let the flow of the writing begin and allows the student to incorporate the learning from that section in any way they choose, without being penalized.

            In the reading "Learning Presence", the concept "epistemic-engagement" is described as learner commitment to active group knowledge building. "In this view the potential for online learning reflects processes of participatory practice, with designs that gradually assist learners to develop the language and skills of a disciplinary discourse community" (Learning Presence). How can we create epistemic engagement in an online learning class? One of the ways we can do this is through discussion forums. To get the class actively involved in each other is through interactions in a discussion forum. 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.

            Adrianne Poucher states that 'the question itself must then stimulate critical thinking and ease the flow of the discussion' and 'personal experiences contribute greatly to facilitating discussion' (Poucher). I agree with Adrianne because I've always felt more of a connection to any material that I learn if I incorporate it into my life and apply it to create more critical thinking and higher order learning. 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.

            How will theory inform your facilitation of online discussions? According to the reading "A Model for Designing Instructional Narratives for Adult Learners: Connecting the Dots" by Debra Smith, "shared story telling was a useful vehicle for collective centering and for confirming a collective sense in an organizational setting". Creating a topic based on the topic for the week, coupled with each student integrating that information into their own personal experiences and then sharing it with the class is shown to create more active learning and helps students feel more invested in the information and in each other which will facilitate more discussions.

            Antonia feels that we are placing too much emphasis on technology and becoming too dependent which is limiting human interaction. Like Antonia, I find American's dependence on technology very unsettling. While it has made our society more advanced and allowed us to do amazing things, it also limits human interaction and isolates us at the same time. In an article, Technology Imposes Social Isolation, it discusses how technology and social media may have opened us up to access to infinite information and people across the globe, but it has impeded our ability to develop social skills that are needed in life. "The presence of media sites such as Facebook and Twitter has had a negative influence on children and teenagers because of society’s increased reliance on these services as central forums of social interaction. Instead of cultivating the ability to interact with others in person, the shift to social media has led to the underdevelopment of these skills which are essential to living a successful and prosperous lifestyle" (Puget Sound Trial). There is nothing more obnoxious than sitting out to lunch with a friend and they sit on their phone checking facebook. I can't stand watching families out to eat and they all sit on their own iPad and don't talk to each other. What is happening to us? What is happening to playing outside, and talking about our day at dinner? Are we losing our abilities to communicate organically?

            What are best practices in facilitating discussions? Using open ended questions in the discussion forum will help facilitate discussions. Critical thinking is encouraged in open ended questions and will allow the students to take the assignment in their own direction, which will also allow for more interesting involvement in the classmates when they reply to the assignments. In the reading "a guide to authentic e-learning", the use of authentic e-learning in higher education has the capacity to reinvigorate online courses through the use of new participatory learning technologies, not only for delivery, but as a powerful cognitive tool and publication platform. It has the potential to renew individual teacher's enthusiasm for their online teaching by challenging them to create innovative and complex tasks that are so carefully crafter, they have the ability to facilitate student learning across a whole semester or a large part of it."

            How can connectivity inform our practice in online discussions? In the video, 'what bad teachers do in distance education', one of the things bad teachers can do is not provide personalized feedback, or be unavailable. The speaker states how important it is for online students to feel connected to the instructor. In discussion forums, it's important for the students to have a structured response rubric, be aware of the need to be respectful in responses, and to support statements with research. All of these things will create connectivity to each other and facilitate healthy discussions and more active learning.

 

Self Assessment- 100- I completed the rubric and used appropriate citations.

 

References:

 

O'Donnell, A., Hmelo-Silver, C., Erkens, G. (2006). Collaborative Learning, Reasoning, and Technology. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. New Jersey.

 

 

 

ABOUT ME

About Me

My name is Ilicia and I'm a dental hygienist. I am enrolled in the bachelor's program at SUNY Canton and am taking a course called Pedagogy and Tech Online Learning and a course called Introduction to Learning Technologies. This blog is meant to incorporate all the information I am learning from these courses and synthesize it in a blog entry.A little bit about me; I'm a 32 year old mother of 2 young kids, wife of a state trooper, and dental hygienist. I'm a full time student, but am hoping to graduate in December. I live in NY and as I blog, a humongous snow storm is happening outside my window! Thankfully my children are happily watching a movie about dinosaurs so I can do a bit of homework.I hope to learn some helpful information about technology and how to apply it to a career in education in a dental hygiene program.