Here is  a link to my video.  Hope you enjoy, it was a struggle for me.  It was the first time I have created a video.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gorJ-b4Li1s&feature=youtube_gdata

References:

Baron, J. D., & McKay, M. M. (2001). Designing and Delivering an Online Course for K-12 Educators.          T.H.E. Journal, 28(9), 68,70-75. Retrieved from              http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/detail?vid=3&sid=46011407-87c2-     40ab-88a5-fa0cf62831c7%40sessionmgr115&hid=119&bdata=JnNjb3BlPXNpdGU%3d#db=eric&AN=EJ631233

Carmichael, Ernest and Farrell, Helen, Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Online Resources in Developing Student Critical Thinking: Review of Literature and Case Study of a Critical Thinking     Online Site, Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice, 9(1), 2012.                                         Retrieved from http://ro.uow.edu.au/jutlp/vol9/iss1/4

Lim, S., Cheung, W., & Hew, K. (2011). Critical Thinking in Asynchronous Online Discussion: An    Investigation of Student Facilitation Techniques. New Horizons In Education, 59(1), 52-65.                 http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/detail?vid=4&sid=e5a3fa94-93ca-47fe-9652-02ad3bd03975%40sessionmgr198&hid=119&bdata=JnNjb3BlPXNpdGU%3d#db=eric&AN=EJ955477

Ricci, F. A. (2013). Encouraging critical thinking in distance learning: Ensuring challenging intellectual          programs. Distance Learning, 10(1), 1-15. Retrieved from     http://search.proquest.com/docview/1372097094?accountid=14872

Saade, R. G., Morin, D., & Thomas, J. D. E. (2012). Critical thinking in e-learning environments.    Computers in Human Behavior, 28, 1608-1617. Retrieved from               http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2012.03.025

Schaber, Patricia,PhD., O.T.R./L., & Shanedling, J., PhD. (2012). Online course design for teaching critical thinking. Journal of Allied Health, 41(1), e9-14. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1347609320?accountid=14872

 Simpson, A. (2010). Integrating Technology with Literacy: Using Teacher-Guided Collaborative Online Learning to Encourage Critical Thinking. ALT-J: Research In Learning Technology, 18(2), 119-131.  http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/detail?vid=4&sid=e5a3fa94-93ca-      47fe-965202ad3bd03975%40sessionmgr198&hid=119&bdata=JnNjb3BlPXNpdGU%3d#db=eric&AN=EJ893352

The critical thinking community. (n.d.). Retrieved from www.criticalthinking.org

Static and Dynamic Technology

     When I consider the technology I use in my classroom, I would be considered to be on the static side of the continuum.  I would like to move toward the dynamic side as I learn more about how to incorporate these tools in the classroom.  We are beginning to use Edmodo and Illuminations this year, but only on occasion.  I can move toward the dynamic end by researching and finding more information on which programs work best for the situation and slowly begin to teach the students how to use the tools.  The dynamic side provides students with more critical thinking activities and allows them to explore.  "For the learner, without exploring, thinking, analyzing, creating, and experimenting, powerful, higher-level learning is not possible" (Moller, 2008).  Moving to the side that provides students with the opportunities to think on a higher level can only produce positive results.


References:

Moller, L. (2008). Static and dynamic technological tools. [Unpublished Paper].

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tools and Strategies in Distance Education

     Online learning can be very rich if the right tools and strategies are put into place.  The tools and strategies we use is important to develop skills in content, communication, and collaboration.  Tools that students are using outside of the classroom can be used in the classroom as teaching tools.  Social media can be used to enhance communication and collaboration.  Wiki sites, Edmodo, and blogs are good ways to increase the amount of communication and collaboration that is needed in an online learning community.  These tools provide students with familiar concepts and allow them to communicate and collaborate from a distance.  Discussion boards allow them to share thoughts, ideas, and questions with the learning community.  They can debate issues and build critical thinking skills.  Problem-based learning is a strategy that groups students to solve real world problems.  “Providing students with the opportunity to take part in a simple PBL scenario helps them develop strategies for supporting one another and sharing responsibilities for solving problems in future PBL scenarios” (Durrington, Berryhill, & Swafford, 2006, p.192). 

     The use of a syllabus demonstrates the instructor’s expectations of the students and allows the students to be able to understand what the course offers.  Mini-lessons provide straight to the point details and information about a topic.  It is a great starting point for students.  Course media are videos or clips of a professional on the topic that provides insight into a topic.  The use of the tools and strategies used in an online community can help students and instructors.  Moving from face to face to online education can be a difficult change.  The tools and strategies can relieve some of the stress and foster student learning.  The challenge, according to Siemens (2008), is finding the right technologies and tools that will be familiar for students to be able to foster learner engagement.

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.

 

 

Participation in a Collaborative Learning Environment

Participation in a collaborative learning community plays a key role in making the community work.  Assessment should be carefully considered according to the situation.  George Siemens (2013) discussed the models of assessment in a collaborative environment which included students assessing their peers, students receiving feedback from online environments, and educator assessment through collaborative involvement.  They type of activity provided by the instructor should determine the appropriate assessment.  Rubrics are an effective way to ensure that everyone understands what is expected of them.  Palloff and Pratt (2005) discuss the use of portfolios as a great way to assess individual and collaborative participation. 

“Student assessment of any kind requires that the teacher be explicit, fair, consistent, and as objective as possible” (Anderson, 2008, p.353).  Instructors must be open-minded and have an understanding of the online community.  Palloff and Pratt (2005) mention the aspect of instructors not assuming that all students understand the importance of collaboration.  One example is of myself verses many of the other students in my class.  I am a first time technology major.  All of my other degrees are in early childhood education and mathematics.  I decided to do my EdS in Educational Technology when I was asked to oversee an online program we are currently using.  I am unaware of much of the prior knowledge that many of my classmates are quite fluent in.  The same is true for those who are new to the online community.  It is difficult to transition from what we are used to as discussed by George Siemens. 

Students that sign up for an online class should be mentally prepared to collaborate.   I have taken several online classes and they all require some sort of collaboration.  Students who are not willing to work with this sort of environment should be leery of taking an online course.  Members of the community could try to ensure confidence about what can be learned from this type of environment.  “If students are clear from the beginning of the course “we are all in this together,” then  incorporating collaborative activity into the course happens much more easily” (Palloff & Pratt, 2007, p.159).  If the instructor ensures that this is stressed during the first week of the course it may encourage someone to become part of the learning community or change to a more individualized class setting. 

 

References:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2010). Assessment of Collaborative Learning [Video webcast]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_3462449_1%26url%3D

Palloff, R. M., & Pratt, K. (2007). Building online learning communities: Effective strategies for the virtual classroom. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Palloff, R. M., & Pratt, K. (2005). Collaborating online: Learning together in community. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

 

Elements of Distance Education Diffusion- Collaborative Interaction

Collaborative interaction has evolved tremendously in terms of distance education.  "Online courses offer the opportunity to create a highly social learning environment, characterized by participation and interactivity for both students and instructors" (Walti & Blaschke, 2009).  Distance education allows people from all over the world collaborate using technology.  It can be through a blog, e-mail, Skype, Google Chat, or from many other social media sites.  As technology advances, it allows for more and better opportunities to collaborate with anyone from anywhere.  Collaboration at a distance through e-mail and phone conversations has evolved into face time and social media type collaboration.  Doering, Miller, and Veletsianos (2008) discusses adventure learning as a part of a collaborative curriculum.  They see this as an opportunity to work with other students, teachers, and content experts.  It allows for discovery through virtual visits and interaction with various sites according to the content learned.   I agree that collaborative learning has evolved through distance education.  With the use of technology and distance education programs, we can learn about anything using more that reading skills.


References:
Brindley, J., Blaschke, L., & Walti, C. (2009). Creating Effective Collaborative Learning Groups in an Online Environment.The International Review Of Research In Open And Distance Learning, 10(3). Retrieved from http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/675/1271

Doering, A., Miller, C., & Veletsianos, G. (2008). ADVENTURE LEARNING: Educational, social, and technological affordances for collaborative hybrid distance education. Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 9(3), 249-265,347-348. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/231182838?accountid=14872

Need to evolve distance education to the next generation!

The next generation of distance education is a hot topic in the field of education and business.  Distance education is being used for many reasons.  Teacher shoratges, class varitey, convinence, home-school, credit recovery, and alternative school to name a few.  Simonson (2013) discussed the main use in higher education for convience of adult learners.  K-12 schools and now getting on the bandwagon and using it as tools in the classroom and for high school creidts.  My school is using it for alternative school.  Huett, Moller, Foshay, and Coleman (2008) express that teacher, parents, and students can benefit for the use of distance education in that parents can view student progress and students that are not communiative are more open for a discussion post.  I agree with both positions.  Distance education opens many doors to solve problems that exsist in edcuation.  It can increase high school graduation rates and collaboration with students with various learning styles.  Distance education needs to evolve into the next generation for all the reasons above.  Our society could be more educated given better opportunities for diversity.

References:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2013). Distance education: The next generation[Video webcast]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_3462449_1%26url%3D

Moller, L., Forshay, W. R., & Huett, J. (2008). The Evolution of Distance Education: Implications for Instructional Design on the Potential of the Web. Techtrends: Linking Research & Practice To Improve Learning, 52(3), 70-75. doi:10.1007/s11528-008-0158-5. http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=5&sid=6407b0ab-eca4-465f-b900-f7424f7ac93a%40sessionmgr110&hid=117