Boettcher, J. V., (2002). Designing for learning: The pursuit of well-structured content. Campus Technology, http://campustechnology.com/articles/39320
In Boettcher’s article, she discusses the need of educators to design content in a format that works best for the learner. She uses the metaphor of landscape to illustrate how learning is broken up into stages. At first, your mind is like the tundra, capable of sustaining life, but relatively barren. The next stages is where the tundra and more fertile land meet. Here students can build on concepts already hidden in their minds.
Boettcher’s metaphor work well to highlight how educators need to be more cognizant of how their students learn and strive to develop formats more conducive learning . In the growing arena of digital design and layout, educators have a large variety of tools to provide well designed lessons that are both visually appealing and productive to learning.
While I did not find this article to be extremely practical for my teaching, it did offer me a new understanding of digital design and the need for educational materials to be visually dynamic.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Science & Technology: It's a Perfect Match! - Unit 5
In this article, four different lesson plans are described with combine science and technology. Each lesson describes how teachers can incorporate technology into their science lessons in different ways. PowerPoint, digital cameras and digital microscopes are the examples of technology needed for these lessons.
While this article would be a good source for elementary teachers, there was not groundbreaking. I would have like to see more about why incorporating technology is beneficial for students, rather just suggestions for use.
Although I am not going to teach in an elementary school or in a science classroom, I will be incorporating technology into my classroom. This article gives me a couple of ideas on giving students the opportunity to go outside the classroom and find information using such things as digital cameras.
While this article would be a good source for elementary teachers, there was not groundbreaking. I would have like to see more about why incorporating technology is beneficial for students, rather just suggestions for use.
Although I am not going to teach in an elementary school or in a science classroom, I will be incorporating technology into my classroom. This article gives me a couple of ideas on giving students the opportunity to go outside the classroom and find information using such things as digital cameras.
Podcasting and VODcasting: A White Paper - Unit 3
Meng, P. (2005). Podcasting and VODcasting: A white paper. University of Missouri IAT Services, March.
Peter Meng provides an in-depth outline of Podcasting and VODcasting. Beginning with a definition of each of the methods of digital recording and distribution, Meng then moves on to describe the pros and cons, applications and future of both of these methods.
Meng also gives precise instructions on how to create and use both Podcasts and VODcasts. This is great information for those who will actually put these methods into practice, yet I would have been more interested in sources for bringing this into a secondary classroom, not so much at the university level.
While this is interesting information, at the current time this was written, these two methods of digital communication had only been around for about 6 months. I believe these technologies have become more widely used and understood in the general public, yet they still seem a bit difficult to use in secondary classrooms, except to simply experience.
I would love to be able to create these with my students, but given my current technological skills, it seems more likely that my students would be the ones showing me how to do this, than me teaching them.
Peter Meng provides an in-depth outline of Podcasting and VODcasting. Beginning with a definition of each of the methods of digital recording and distribution, Meng then moves on to describe the pros and cons, applications and future of both of these methods.
Meng also gives precise instructions on how to create and use both Podcasts and VODcasts. This is great information for those who will actually put these methods into practice, yet I would have been more interested in sources for bringing this into a secondary classroom, not so much at the university level.
While this is interesting information, at the current time this was written, these two methods of digital communication had only been around for about 6 months. I believe these technologies have become more widely used and understood in the general public, yet they still seem a bit difficult to use in secondary classrooms, except to simply experience.
I would love to be able to create these with my students, but given my current technological skills, it seems more likely that my students would be the ones showing me how to do this, than me teaching them.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
The Virtual Revolution – Unit 8
Greenway, R. & Vanourek, G. (2006). The virtual revolution. Education Next. vol. 6, no. 2.
Greenway & Vanourek’s article defines and discusses the phenomenon of virtual schools. Since the mid 90’s, more and more distance-education programs are going virtual. Some of these programs consist of single classes offered over the internet, while others are entire schools that exist solely in cyber space. The latter is the focus of this article.
It is obvious that the authors come from a stand point that is pro-virtual schools (Greenway is the head of school of the Arkansas Virtual School and Vanourek is a former executive of K12 Inc., an online curriculum company). They discuss several studies which suggest that virtual schools can be just as effective as traditional brick & mortar schools. Although this may be true for test scores, it seems unlikely that they offer the same social experience as traditional schools. This includes not only student-teacher interactions, but also student-student interactions as well.
Despite this concern, the authors offered several examples where it is undoubtedly advantageous to have this online option to offer students. One such example is when a student is very ill and cannot attend a traditional school. Another example is the student who needs to supplement their education such as a child who is home schooled or a child who lives in an area that doesn’t offer a wide variety of courses. It seems that virtual schools certainly do have their place in the world of education.
Greenway & Vanourek’s article defines and discusses the phenomenon of virtual schools. Since the mid 90’s, more and more distance-education programs are going virtual. Some of these programs consist of single classes offered over the internet, while others are entire schools that exist solely in cyber space. The latter is the focus of this article.
It is obvious that the authors come from a stand point that is pro-virtual schools (Greenway is the head of school of the Arkansas Virtual School and Vanourek is a former executive of K12 Inc., an online curriculum company). They discuss several studies which suggest that virtual schools can be just as effective as traditional brick & mortar schools. Although this may be true for test scores, it seems unlikely that they offer the same social experience as traditional schools. This includes not only student-teacher interactions, but also student-student interactions as well.
Despite this concern, the authors offered several examples where it is undoubtedly advantageous to have this online option to offer students. One such example is when a student is very ill and cannot attend a traditional school. Another example is the student who needs to supplement their education such as a child who is home schooled or a child who lives in an area that doesn’t offer a wide variety of courses. It seems that virtual schools certainly do have their place in the world of education.
The Myth about Online Course Development. - Unit 1
Oblinger, D. & Hawkins, B. (2006). The Myth about online course development. Educause Review Jan/Feb.
The article, The Myth about Online Course Development, takes a look at the history of online course development in order to create a frame to see the future of developing online courses. The bulk of the article poses questions to the reader about what direction is best to take. They make four main points: (1) Educators used to developing traditional courses may benefit from teaming with a person trained in instructional design. (2) Institutions should have a specific and well thought out plan for which courses should be offered online. (3) Instructors need to be sure they are truly developing a learning environment online, instead of merely providing course content. (4) Institutions must also be realistic when analyzing the return they expect from investing in online course development.
Although this article seems to pose more questions then offer specific answers, the authors made one point that really stuck out for me. It is, of course, in the form of a question:
“If a course is simply the equivalent of its content, why are courses not defined by books rather than classrooms and faculty?”
The article, The Myth about Online Course Development, takes a look at the history of online course development in order to create a frame to see the future of developing online courses. The bulk of the article poses questions to the reader about what direction is best to take. They make four main points: (1) Educators used to developing traditional courses may benefit from teaming with a person trained in instructional design. (2) Institutions should have a specific and well thought out plan for which courses should be offered online. (3) Instructors need to be sure they are truly developing a learning environment online, instead of merely providing course content. (4) Institutions must also be realistic when analyzing the return they expect from investing in online course development.
Although this article seems to pose more questions then offer specific answers, the authors made one point that really stuck out for me. It is, of course, in the form of a question:
“If a course is simply the equivalent of its content, why are courses not defined by books rather than classrooms and faculty?”
Friday, March 7, 2008
Boomers & Gen-Xers Millennials: Understanding the New Students – Unit 5
Oblinger, D. (2003). " Boomers & Gen-Xers Millennials: Understanding the new students." Educause Review, July/August. 7-16.
Currently, colleges and universities are seeing a change in the type of students attending. These “new students” represent a population of learners that are more comfortable with technology Not only that, but for today’s new students, “customer service is an expectation, not an exception” (11). Given these two major changes in the student body, Oblinger offers many examples of how Colleges and Universities are changing to accommodate the new expectations of students.
According to the author, these new students expect more experiential learning as a result of their pervasive use of technology. To address this need, MIT, for example, has created an online microelectronics laboratory called WebLab. This lab not only offers students one type of learning they desire (experiential), but also is available 24x7. Another way Universities are addressing students’ new needs is by offering several “customer services” at their schools. One such service is DrexelOne Mobile at Drexel University. This service sends personalized information such as last-minute classroom changes and final grades to students’ cell phones or PDAs. That is certainly a service that I’d like to see here at WWU.
This article makes a very good argument for how schools need to change in order to address the needs of the student body. The “average” student is not the same as they were even 10 years ago. Every university should look at its infrastructure and access what changes must be made to meet the expectations and needs of the “new student”.
Currently, colleges and universities are seeing a change in the type of students attending. These “new students” represent a population of learners that are more comfortable with technology Not only that, but for today’s new students, “customer service is an expectation, not an exception” (11). Given these two major changes in the student body, Oblinger offers many examples of how Colleges and Universities are changing to accommodate the new expectations of students.
According to the author, these new students expect more experiential learning as a result of their pervasive use of technology. To address this need, MIT, for example, has created an online microelectronics laboratory called WebLab. This lab not only offers students one type of learning they desire (experiential), but also is available 24x7. Another way Universities are addressing students’ new needs is by offering several “customer services” at their schools. One such service is DrexelOne Mobile at Drexel University. This service sends personalized information such as last-minute classroom changes and final grades to students’ cell phones or PDAs. That is certainly a service that I’d like to see here at WWU.
This article makes a very good argument for how schools need to change in order to address the needs of the student body. The “average” student is not the same as they were even 10 years ago. Every university should look at its infrastructure and access what changes must be made to meet the expectations and needs of the “new student”.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
