Final Video

Click Here if video does not play.

Static vs Dynamic Technologies

As an art teacher I think I am somewhere in-between static and dynamic. Just a portion of my curriculum involves the use of technology. I have limited access to the technology in the school because of so many teachers trying to use it all at one time. I often use static technologies such as powerpoint for demonstrations. We also use interactive web tutorials. I do allow my students to integrate the use of technology in their artwork. It is great for many of my students who do not feel confident about their drawing skills because they may be able to discover new ways to create art on the computer.

For my advanced students, we are more on the dynamic end of the spectrum. They are able to take their drawings and paintings and alter them using software such as Photoshop to create a brand new piece of art. Next, I plan to set up a Wiki site for my advanced students to upload their artworks in order to critique each other.

Engaging Learners with New Strategies and Tools

click image to enlarge
The curatorial teacher sets the stage for learning to take place. Learners are now comfortable with using technology, but can download information faster that they can interpret and use it. The curatorial teacher must make sense of all of the tools that are readily available to learners and create an environment for authentic problem solving.

The teacher should be sure to introduce a detailed syllabus at the start of the class to guide instruction. He/she can also use online lectures, videos, research databases, and journal articles to build content knowledge.

Creating comfortable interactions between stdents and the instructor is one of the most important aspects of the online classroom This can be done through blogs, chat rooms, wikis, email, peer-based learning, a discussion area, and an FAQ area.

There are many tools available to nurture authentic, collaborative problem soving such as iPods, wikis, smartphones, and learning communities. These can promote interaction and effective group assignments.


Take this poll or post your comment on the question of whether or not online learning can be as effective as classroom learning.

View this article which discusses the importance of effective communication in online education. Data is taken from a study at Drexel University for this article.

References
Durrington, V. A., Berryhill, A., & Swafford, J. (2006). Strategies for enhancing student interactivity in an online environment. College Teaching, 54(1), 190−193

Siemens, G. (2008, January). Learning and knowing in networks: Changing roles for educators and designers. ITForum.

Assessing Collaborative Efforts

Assessment is always a difficult part of teaching. Students want and need validation of their work, and sometimes it is dependent on the work of others. In the assessment handbook developed by the Washington Center's Evaluation Committee, the suggestion is made to grade collaborative assignments in three parts; a group grade, a grade the student gives themselves, and a grade given by the other members of the group. Evaluation by other group members is important because it gives the instructor a clear idea of each member’s participation in a particular assignment.

Because everyone brings a different level of skill and knowledge, especially in an online course, using rubrics are the best way to fairly assess students. The criteria are clearly stated, and if the student meets the criteria, they should receive the maximum grade. It is not fair to judge students against each other because of the varying level of skills they bring to a course. Letting students have input in creating the rubrics is another way of ensuring student buy-in and success on a project.

Collaborative learning is an integral part of most online courses. If a student does not want to work collaboratively, then he/she may want to consider another type of course. Collaborative learning is good practice for the real world, because there are few careers where you are able to work completely alone. If a group member refuses to participate, the other members should divide the incomplete work to make sure the project gets finished. While this is not necessarily fair, in the real world when someone is paying you to do a job, they expect it to get done mo matter what the circumstances. It is up to the instructor to handle to assessment of this student. If it means a failing grade, that is because of the choice the student made not to participate. If the course was clearly outlines in the beginning, the instructor should not have to alter his/her assessment plan.

According to Lassiter & Orvis (2007), the role of the instructor is to regulate, monitor, and guide. They are to regulate interactions amongst the teacher, students and technology. They should monitor and maintain student discussions, and guide them to proper responses. If the student seems to be unclear on a topic, it is the instructor’s responsibility to understand the reason for the unclarity and guide the student to understanding.

References:
Lassiter, L.R. & Orvis, K.L. (2007) Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning: Best
Practices and Principles for Instructors. Hershey: Information Science
Publishing.

Siemens, G. (2008). Assessment of collaborative learning. Vodocast. Laureate
Education, Inc.

Siemens, G. (2008). Learning communities. Vodocast. Laureate Education, Inc.

Washington Center's Evaluation Committee (Eds.) Assessment in and of Collaborative
Learning. Retrieved from ://www.evergreen.edu/washcenter/resources/acl/index.
html.

View the following blog which gives a detailed plan for assessing online learning.

Video Storyboard Outline

Click on image to make larger.

Elements of Distance Education Diffusion

According to George Siemens (2009), distance education has evolved because the learner is now much more comfortable with communicating in an online environment. If the learner is comfortable, then he/she will naturally take to learning online. In order to attract this new type of learner, we can gear distance education to the people who naturally take to the online environment. The younger the learner, the more natural this environment is. If educators use distance learning from early on, by the time the learner gets to higher education he/she will be able to problem solve, work collaboratively, and create new knowledge using technology. Tools like skype video conferencing, chat rooms, email, social networking, and games/simulations are available to facilitate online learning.

Another advantage of distance education is that it allows diverse groups of people who may have never had the opportunity to interact to be able to work together in education and in the corporate world. In a F@F setting, if educators get together to problem solve, if they all come from similar situations, their viewpoints will be similar. With distance education, educators form cities, suburbs, public, and private institutions can work together to get a big picture of what changes are needed to educate the youth of today, and what is needed for 21^st century learning.

Most youngsters today are natural video gamers. The simulations and problem solving needed to play many of these games present teaching opportunities. If teachers could tap into this, students could apply knowledge to real life situations, instead of everything being on paper, and the student not being able to see the meaning or practicality.

Reference

Siemens, G. “The Future of Distance Education.” Walden University. 2009. Laureate Education, Inc.

Click here to see Xbox's new technology. Imagine what teachers could do with this type of technology in their classrooms, from physics lessons to game show style reviews!

It's never too early to start online learning. Check out this site for babies from Fisher-Price.

Evolution of Distance Education

I agree with the authors' point of view that distance education needs to evolved to the next level. In the video Simonson says that distance education is nearing the point of critical mass, where it no longer needs much promotion, but needs nurturing. In K-12 education, distance education is evolving in the forms of virtual or cyber schools, online credit recovery, and for use in areas of teacher shortage. In my experience in a large, urban school district online education is just beginning to be used as credit recovery in a limited amount of schools. Students in my district also have the option of cyber school if they do not succeed in a traditional school.

I agree with the article in that online education, especially in the K-12 setting needs to be developed so that it can be used effectively, and not become a "dumping ground" for credit recovery. From my personal observations, the cyber schools have not been effective for my students. They never complete the program and end up either dropping out or coming back to a traditional school. In contrast, my friend's daughter graduated from a nearby suburban high school where she took an online course in driver's education (the written part, of course). I think this is a great way to use online learning, as electives that may be too costly to run in a regular setting. I think we can with proper training and planning develop effective online learning in K-12 settings but these programs should not be implemented haphazardly.

Moller, L., Foshay, W. & Coleman, C., Huett, J.(September/October, 2008). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the web (Part 3:K12). TechTrends, 52 (5), 63-67.

Laureate Education, Inc. (2008). Distance Education: The Next Generation featuring Dr. Michael Simonson. Principles of Distance Education. Baltimore: Author.

view article
pros and cons of virtual charter schools This article discusses the advantages of online charter schools such as the individualized,personalized education, and disadvantages such as taking monet away from public schools, and lack of social interaction.
online high school electives This is a link to an online program and describes what courses are offered through the program.