This has been an interesting week. I think I have learn a bunch of stuff, but hear are a few ideas that stick out:
- The diversity of the class - as Professor Lowe said in her reflection, I am impressed by the geographical diversity and content area diversity that we have in our group. I am in the CCTE program and my classes are normally filled with CCTE students. Since I spend a lot of time working with teachers of other disciplines in my school, it will be great to hear the multiple perspectives here to help me work better with those teachers.
- Hijacking Worries - after reading the article Bracey article and a few news articles on how different groups are hijacking virtual schooling for profit or to circumvent reforms, I am a little worried. How can we help people (teachers, parents, admins) filter out the good from the bad? Also, how can we help teachers do more effective teaching that takes advantage of the capabilities of VS, rather than do stuff that was mediocre face to face in an online version.
- There is some good stuff out there and it is helping kids. I took a look at some of the Florida Virtual School stuff, mostly just articles about it, and I can see some promise there. I went to this Edtechcamp conference in Dec and met these guys from a school in Camden, NJ that is doing some incredible stuff through online schooling. I now have a reason to follow up with them.
The biggest question for me what is working in VS and how can I coop it into my work at my school?
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Saturday, January 22, 2011
About Me
I am a EdM student in instructional technology and design at TC and a 7-12th grade technology coordinator at a private school near Union Square. Before becoming a tech coordinator in 2000, I have worked as a software developer and a HS English teacher. My interests include research into STEM education, teaching teachers how to integrate tech, kids making stuff (robots, electronics, software), and online tools that support teachers and students.
What made me interested in this course?
This subject interests me for a few reasons. First, in my job I help teachers integrate technology. We have experimented with hybrid courses (part online, part face to face). I am interested in finding ways to support teachers in making good versions of these courses. Also, I teach a number of courses myself including a new HS programming class that is a hybrid course, so I want to know how online learning can help me teach kids and teachers. Lastly, this is a growing trend in education and I want to find out the best practices, techniques and where online course are going in the educational world.
What experience do I have in this area?
As a student, I have taken two courses at TC that were entirely online. They were a mixed bag. One course was very discussion based. We were divided into discussion groups, had good discussions on reading (which were mostly paper textbooks), and wrote a lot. I found the course challenging (you couldn't fade into the back of the room), but the course offered a coverage of the topic that I could get otherwise. It was intense. The other course focused on using an edtech tool. I found the course more of a series of links to self guided tutorials. I received some feedback from the teacher, but I felt like there was not much offered by the course that I could not get through a lot of online tutorials that were offered for free on the web.
As a teacher, I have had some experience with online hybrid courses and software. I have used and worked with many teachers on how to use Moodle over the last five years. I use Moodle as a companion to all of the courses I teach. I just starting to teach a hybrid class that meets twice a week and has the equivalent of two meeting online (async but I am going to try a couple of sync classes). Online support for face-to-face classes has been a great way for me and many of the teachers that I have worked with to extend the class into a richer experience outside of class. It reaches some kids better than other, but overall it has a positive effect.
Overall, I am on the fence with totally online classes, especially with younger kids. I teach at a private school and many parents would be difficult to convince that online courses are good for their kids. On the other hand, the number of specialized opportunities available for HS students that online classes can provide might change their minds. I think the key for online classes is that students must have a strong motivation to take one. Hybrid courses hold a lot of promise for my school. They offer more scheduling flexibility and allow students to individualize portions of the class with enough scaffolding. As I said, I am still on the fence about totally online classes, but I guess this class will give me time to contemplate on the issues..
What made me interested in this course?
This subject interests me for a few reasons. First, in my job I help teachers integrate technology. We have experimented with hybrid courses (part online, part face to face). I am interested in finding ways to support teachers in making good versions of these courses. Also, I teach a number of courses myself including a new HS programming class that is a hybrid course, so I want to know how online learning can help me teach kids and teachers. Lastly, this is a growing trend in education and I want to find out the best practices, techniques and where online course are going in the educational world.
What experience do I have in this area?
As a student, I have taken two courses at TC that were entirely online. They were a mixed bag. One course was very discussion based. We were divided into discussion groups, had good discussions on reading (which were mostly paper textbooks), and wrote a lot. I found the course challenging (you couldn't fade into the back of the room), but the course offered a coverage of the topic that I could get otherwise. It was intense. The other course focused on using an edtech tool. I found the course more of a series of links to self guided tutorials. I received some feedback from the teacher, but I felt like there was not much offered by the course that I could not get through a lot of online tutorials that were offered for free on the web.
As a teacher, I have had some experience with online hybrid courses and software. I have used and worked with many teachers on how to use Moodle over the last five years. I use Moodle as a companion to all of the courses I teach. I just starting to teach a hybrid class that meets twice a week and has the equivalent of two meeting online (async but I am going to try a couple of sync classes). Online support for face-to-face classes has been a great way for me and many of the teachers that I have worked with to extend the class into a richer experience outside of class. It reaches some kids better than other, but overall it has a positive effect.
Overall, I am on the fence with totally online classes, especially with younger kids. I teach at a private school and many parents would be difficult to convince that online courses are good for their kids. On the other hand, the number of specialized opportunities available for HS students that online classes can provide might change their minds. I think the key for online classes is that students must have a strong motivation to take one. Hybrid courses hold a lot of promise for my school. They offer more scheduling flexibility and allow students to individualize portions of the class with enough scaffolding. As I said, I am still on the fence about totally online classes, but I guess this class will give me time to contemplate on the issues..
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