My apologies for the delay of this post. Even though I am feeling better, I am still weak and tired from my rough week with the flu. The first article I read was Lori Beckstead’s article from 2006 called, “International, Online Communication,” and I have to say I got pretty excited when I read this. Why? The article details a perfect example of active learning and collaboration through technology.
In the article, Beckstead discussed a collaboration activity among university students located in Canada and Australia. Their activity, titled the “Bouncing Story” fittingly, was to create a radio drama. To do this, the students had to use tools such as podcasting and blogging, and the students had to learn how to work together to create weekly episodes and provide each other with useful feedback.
As noted in the article, the primary goal for this activity was to learn about radio production, but the complexity involved with just producing an episode turned out to be much more valuable to students. This activity appealed to students. When the activity is appealing, students are more engaged and motivated. Not only did these students learn to work with each other, but they also gained international experience working with students abroad. Plus, these students felt they were doing more than just a class assignment. The activity had a real-life feel to it, and with that authenticity, the students feel they are doing something that is worthwhile.
This article serves as a good model for teachers learning how technology can enhance the traditional classroom. Students can allow for their creativity to flow through tools like podcasting and blogging, and they can interact with other students from in their own classroom to the other side of the world.
The next article I read, titled, “Using Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games for Online Learning,” from Childress and Braswell (2006), discusses in detail one of the current tools that is being favored in online learning (in the title), also known as virtual worlds. The article discusses the background of massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) and its uses in education.
The value of MMORPGs, such as Second Life, according to the authors, was touched on above; that these games provide students with opportunities to collaborated with each other and provide settings that are rooted in real-life experiences. For the longest, the most popular ways for students to communicate with each other were through e-mail, chatting, and Blackboard™, but MMORPGs are starting to revolutionize online communication in education.
The environments that can be created through MMORPGs can contribute greatly to learning activities, and they allow not only for the teacher to be more acquainted with his or her students, but students can learn more about each other and work with each other.
The last article I read over, “Map Mashups and the Rise of Amateur Cartographers and Mapmakers,” by Pietroniro and Fichter (2007), explored a tool that is ever-growing in population. Like how blogging and podcasting and gave rise to anyone being able to publish their writing, this article explains that map mashups are doing the same for those interested in creating maps.
Mashups, the authors explained, are fairly easily to create and can range in complexity. They are fantastic resources for educators to incorporate in learning. Teachers can create their own mashups for students to use, mapping or non-mapping, providing them with educational resources, for a mashup does combine its content from other resources. Another option is that teachers could have students create their own mapping mashups, or use various mashups, mapping in particular, an idea of different locations—there are some even ideal for history classes that recreate historical sites.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Friday, March 20, 2009
Engagement Theory and the Flu…What a Combination
Okay, so all week I have been battling the dreaded flu. It would be just my luck that I get the flu this week and not last week during spring break. In spite of my less than feeling 100%, I’m going to try my best to break down the main ideas and concepts behind engagement theory.
According to Kearsley and Shneiderman (1999), in their article, Engagement Theory: A Framework for Technology-based Teaching and Learning, the main idea behind engagement theory is for students to be wholly engaged in the learning process through activities that are based on students interacting with others, and that what students learn from the tasks and activities they participate in can be applied outside the classroom. Engagement theory involves students learning to be collaborative, and there are three basic principles to follow to achieve engaged learning, known as Relate-Create-Donate.
The “relate” principle emphasizes communication, planning, management and social skills. When students learn to work together instead of on their own, they learn to enhance these skills. Through collaboration, students gain opportunities to learn about each other, learn how to problem-solve and learn how to motivate each other in learning.
The “create” principle allows for students to be creative while they are being engaged in their education. In allowing students to create their own projects and tasks, students become more active in their learning, and their education becomes much more interesting—something Kearsley and Shneiderman say cannot be accomplished in a traditional classroom setting (i.e. textbooks, taking notes).
The underlying idea for the last principle, “donate,” is that students are contributing while they are learning. The projects students work on should be authentic, something that can be created and used for the benefit of others. When students feel that they are working and creating on something that is worthwhile increases their interest, their motivation and their satisfaction—the project becomes more than just receiving a grade.
Collaborating is at the heart of engaged learning and can be used in any classroom setting and virtually any subject, especially with the use of technology. E-mail is one of the common ways for students to learn to collaborate with each other, but as far as using other technological tools, it is the teacher’s responsibility to decide what collaborative methods and online communication tools would be most effective for classroom use—from blogging to chatting, using Skype, Second Life, etc…
Kearsley and Shneiderman notes in the article that engagement theory has not be tested empirically, and provided examples of research questions, including the question, “How do we best prepare (retrain) instructors to apply engagement theory?” When in comes to incorporating technology in the classroom, the tools that are available are pretty much unknown to teachers, particularly those instructors who are rooted in traditional classroom settings. And for those who might be aware of the tools available, there’s an uncertainty involved in using them. Teachers need to be educated in what is available, via workshops, conferences; they need to be educated on anything that can enhance the student’s experience in the classroom. My favorite example is the use of blogging in an English class, with students reading each other’s work and providing feedback; through podcasting, students can create their own tutorials not only for themselves, but for their fellow classmates to use and learn from. It is, once again, all about getting the students to be involved in and participating in the learning process.
Reference
http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm
According to Kearsley and Shneiderman (1999), in their article, Engagement Theory: A Framework for Technology-based Teaching and Learning, the main idea behind engagement theory is for students to be wholly engaged in the learning process through activities that are based on students interacting with others, and that what students learn from the tasks and activities they participate in can be applied outside the classroom. Engagement theory involves students learning to be collaborative, and there are three basic principles to follow to achieve engaged learning, known as Relate-Create-Donate.
The “relate” principle emphasizes communication, planning, management and social skills. When students learn to work together instead of on their own, they learn to enhance these skills. Through collaboration, students gain opportunities to learn about each other, learn how to problem-solve and learn how to motivate each other in learning.
The “create” principle allows for students to be creative while they are being engaged in their education. In allowing students to create their own projects and tasks, students become more active in their learning, and their education becomes much more interesting—something Kearsley and Shneiderman say cannot be accomplished in a traditional classroom setting (i.e. textbooks, taking notes).
The underlying idea for the last principle, “donate,” is that students are contributing while they are learning. The projects students work on should be authentic, something that can be created and used for the benefit of others. When students feel that they are working and creating on something that is worthwhile increases their interest, their motivation and their satisfaction—the project becomes more than just receiving a grade.
Collaborating is at the heart of engaged learning and can be used in any classroom setting and virtually any subject, especially with the use of technology. E-mail is one of the common ways for students to learn to collaborate with each other, but as far as using other technological tools, it is the teacher’s responsibility to decide what collaborative methods and online communication tools would be most effective for classroom use—from blogging to chatting, using Skype, Second Life, etc…
Kearsley and Shneiderman notes in the article that engagement theory has not be tested empirically, and provided examples of research questions, including the question, “How do we best prepare (retrain) instructors to apply engagement theory?” When in comes to incorporating technology in the classroom, the tools that are available are pretty much unknown to teachers, particularly those instructors who are rooted in traditional classroom settings. And for those who might be aware of the tools available, there’s an uncertainty involved in using them. Teachers need to be educated in what is available, via workshops, conferences; they need to be educated on anything that can enhance the student’s experience in the classroom. My favorite example is the use of blogging in an English class, with students reading each other’s work and providing feedback; through podcasting, students can create their own tutorials not only for themselves, but for their fellow classmates to use and learn from. It is, once again, all about getting the students to be involved in and participating in the learning process.
Reference
http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm
Friday, March 6, 2009
Problems in the Classroom
Okay, so, let’s say I am a K-12 teacher, and…let’s say everyone in my class has a personal computer connected to the Internet? What are some the problems I expect to run into? Hopefully, if I am doing my job correctly, nothing! But it can’t be that simple, can it? I am sure one of the obvious problems I expect to be faced with is students simply seeing the computer as a toy, or something to be used for leisure and entertainment. Younger and younger generations are brought into the world already learning how to use technologies, however, the problem is that students do not know how to analyze the information they access in an academic manner.
As an instructor, I have to solidly establish that the technology in the classroom is there for a reason. While the technology is there to engage students, as a teacher, I also have to establish the foundation that the technology is there to assist the students in their learning goals. For me, that means teaching the students that in addition to using the technology to communicate, to socialize, I have to teach them how to use technology academically…teaching them how to get the best out of it.
So, of course, guidelines and rules must in place to keep students focused academically. Students must be educated on learning how to be safe online, cyber ethics, plagiarism…anything that might lead to the misuse of technology. Some good sites that might come in handy for rules and guidelines for safety are Be Web Aware, Kidz Privacy, and Cyber Citizenship.
As an instructor, I have to solidly establish that the technology in the classroom is there for a reason. While the technology is there to engage students, as a teacher, I also have to establish the foundation that the technology is there to assist the students in their learning goals. For me, that means teaching the students that in addition to using the technology to communicate, to socialize, I have to teach them how to use technology academically…teaching them how to get the best out of it.
So, of course, guidelines and rules must in place to keep students focused academically. Students must be educated on learning how to be safe online, cyber ethics, plagiarism…anything that might lead to the misuse of technology. Some good sites that might come in handy for rules and guidelines for safety are Be Web Aware, Kidz Privacy, and Cyber Citizenship.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Thoughts on My Online Group Presentation
Okay, so yesterday my first presentation for my assigned online group for class was due. I have to say that it went pretty well. I was lucky enough to have some fantastic group members (Yay Mark and Jamie!) who were quick to get their work together. I guess that was my biggest worry. I had never been a huge fan of working with groups in class—oftentimes I had to work with group members who never cooperated fully. I think with the presentation being solely online, with the group members not being able to see each other physically probably added that extra pressure, that extra push to get things done. Communication was somewhat rocky in the beginning, but once we compared schedules and availability, we got things accomplished in a flash.
For the presentation, each one of us had to find different kinds of mashups that would be useful to educators, and the only stipulation was that we could not use mashups that included mapping. That was a bit of problem as well—it seems all the cool mashups include mapping. We were able to come up with some, though. I found one called TechVideoBytes, which is a collection of different online videos dealing with technology. Pretty decent site for those interested in learning more about technology.
Overall, I enjoyed chatting with my group members and working together online, probably more than working in a classroom—not that my group members I worked with online would not be just as awesome in the classroom. Collaboration seemed to be stronger online, which I appreciated, and it was a great learning experience for me.
For the presentation, each one of us had to find different kinds of mashups that would be useful to educators, and the only stipulation was that we could not use mashups that included mapping. That was a bit of problem as well—it seems all the cool mashups include mapping. We were able to come up with some, though. I found one called TechVideoBytes, which is a collection of different online videos dealing with technology. Pretty decent site for those interested in learning more about technology.
Overall, I enjoyed chatting with my group members and working together online, probably more than working in a classroom—not that my group members I worked with online would not be just as awesome in the classroom. Collaboration seemed to be stronger online, which I appreciated, and it was a great learning experience for me.
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