(Blog Moderator: Stephanie W. and Charity O. )
Question 1:
We discussed in class e-learning and its frustrations. As future teachers we are and will be at the other end of the spectrum where we are doing the teaching as oppose to the learning. What comes to mind when you think of E-Teaching?
From reading 1__http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=GX94ws03o3o&feature=related__ and others.
Question 2:
What is JITT (just in time teaching) enumerate the advantage and disadvantages? Would you consider JITT for your classroom?
Reading 2b __http://serc.carleton.edu/ introgeo/justintime/__ and others.
Question 3:
We had a lengthy discussion regarding the ineffectiveness of online classes especially on the part of student/teachers engagement. We believe that e-learning will constantly need improvements and problems will arise it does not necessarily mean that we should give up on e-learning entirely. What are some of the ways you can think of to make online classes more engaging? Provide a concrete example or an activity.
Reading 2 a/c __http://www.ion.uillinois.edu/ resources/tutorials/overview/ nutshell.asp__
__http://edutechwiki.unige.ch/ en/Instructional_design_model__ and other readings.
(You can draw your answers from multiple readings not necessarily the one posted.)
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Just in time teaching is a strategy teachers can use to better prepare their student for their lessons in which they plan to teach. Most classes in college use JITT and it works because most students actually do their work! Teachers can post questions online the week before and then create their lessons for the follow week based on their students responses and what they feel may have been lacking.
ReplyDeleteThere are a lot of advantages to JITT teaching. First of all, it seems that there would be more time in class for different activities because the basis of learning would be taking place at home. Coming to class would then enhance what students have already learned or give teachers time to move on to another topic. Another advantage is it provides the teacher with a lot of insight as to how their class is processing the material. If a teacher sees that students struggled with something they are able to gear their lesson around these topics. In a way it is almost like having an assessment prior to the class.
The obvious and biggest disadvantage to JITT is that in order for it to work people have to do the work! Although questions were not posted online, I have tried JITT teaching and asked students to read for a class prior to attending and hand in questions. A lot of the time, less than half the class would actually read. In that case it is hard because during the lessons some students would be lost because they were not prepared.
Overall I do think JITT is a great idea. It seems like a very efficient way to teach and would greatly benefit the students as well.
In response the 3rd question. . .
ReplyDeleteThere are a lot of great ways to make online course engaging but I think most importantly is that there needs to be some variety. I really like how this courses “readings” take all different forms such as videos, articles, scholarly journals ect. But also having the blog, powerpoints and projects makes it so learning is taking place at different angles. I have taken courses where I had to go online twice a week to read a chapter out of a text book and it was so monotonous and ineffective. It really made the class less enjoyable therefore I feel I didn’t learn as much.
I think a significant problem with online courses is that there needs to be a forum for comfortable conversation during blogging and other discussions. I have found in hybrid classes (classes that are online and in person) even if they only met a few times, I felt more engaged in my blog. I liked that I knew who I was talking to and felt more invested in the discussion. Having the profile pages, like we have for this course, for online classes could help people feel not so detached from their classmates.
But, like I said before I think a good way is to mix up the activities and what is expected of the student. (Just as you would have to do in a regular classroom)
Question #2:
ReplyDeleteJiTT (Just in Time Teaching) is a method designed to assess students' prior knowledge of the subject of an upcoming class meeting. It is also intended to get students engaged before arriving at class.
In fact, this blog fits the description. We are asked open-ended questions requiring written response and are assessed on our participation. When we arrive at class on Tuesday, we have already considered the issues for that meeting.
The basic concept is not novel; I have seen this technique used when I was in high school (when dinos roamed), and when I first went to college (during the ascension of proto-mammals). Modern information technology, however, makes this a more practical and effective tool. The technology greatly eases the dissemination of questions and the collecting, review & assessment of responses. The ease & immediacy of the medium allow for a more timely response and review.
Question #2 (continued):
ReplyDeleteI forgot to mention that the old way required the teacher to do more thinking on his/her feet, as the responses were brought with the students to class. This eliminated the opportunity to plan that day's lesson around students' level of understanding or their misconceptions. This may be technology's greatest contribution in this area.
Responding to Bridget's concern about students' not completing their JiTT assignments:
ReplyDeleteI agree that high school students are less likely to motivated by grades, but I thought you might be interested in the following:
There is a link in the JiTT article to a discussion of assessment & grading [http://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/justintime/assess.html], which addresses grading as an incentive to responding to the questions.
Bridget,
ReplyDeleteI was thinking that maybe students can get incentives for actually doing the work. It could be part of the class's grade.
also, reading through your post made me realize that it is so much work on the part of teachers who are already overworked.
thank you Philip for the link.
Question 3:
ReplyDeleteWe had a lengthy discussion regarding the ineffectiveness of online classes especially on the part of student/teachers engagement. We believe that e-learning will constantly need improvements and problems will arise it does not necessarily mean that we should give up on e-learning entirely. What are some of the ways you can think of to make online classes more engaging? Provide a concrete example or an activity.
Reading 2 a/c __http://www.ion.uillinois.edu/ resources/tutorials/overview/ nutshell.asp__
__http://edutechwiki.unige.ch/ en/Instructional_design_model__ and other readings.
Online courses always seem to be emotional described like a windshield wiper. Some students like it and some students dislike it. I believe what needs to be done is first the pros and cons of online courses then what are your desired needs as well as what can you manage for the time being. For example answers the following questions:
1.) Do you learn better in a classroom environment?
2.) Is it too difficult for you to work independently?
3.) Are you responsible enough to complete the work independently on your own schedule?
4.) Do you need assistance or interaction face-to-face with other classmate’s including the professor?
5.) Do you have the time and effort to travel to class and spend a couple of hours daily or at night?
6.) Are you computer savvy?
7.) Have you taken an online course before?
8.) Are you more comfortable completing work in class or on-line delivery?
These are just a few questions that you will need to know the answers in order to decide whether or not on-line courses are sufficient for you or not. E-Learning will need improvements and in the mean time so do we. So I strongly believe that even though on-line courses may not be for you, try to explore and test your abilities because if you can gain strength into something you are uncomfortable with and practice it, over time things will become better and easier and you will be that more experienced in learning differently in styles. There are always going to be problems. It is how you deal with them. Do you rise to the occasion or complain and fall?
To make on-line courses more engaging, students should meet a couple of times even if it is outside a classroom to be acquainted with the other students taking the course and to meet the professor. Perhaps, personal email or telephone numbers can be handed out so students can interact outside of the course website. That way if there are questions or concerns students can work together.
Obviously, internet, virus free protection, adobe reader, Microsoft work are necessities that are needed for online courses. If you do not acquire these then it is very difficult to complete the course. Then, again if you have a friend taking the same course you could always work with them.
One concrete example or activity I experienced at Canisius College was in my Geography class. We met the first day with my other classmates and the professor. We exchanged numbers with our friends and even met at the computer lab together at times. One of my favorite parts about taking the online course was we had to complete exams online but we could work together on them. They were multiple-choice questions and through our readings and note taking, we independently had to complete the exam which was timed and once you logged in you could not stop. But it was nice because you could work with other people. Another project that was done that I enjoyed was we had to write a long research paper which I wrote about biomes and we could resources off the internet or library outside of the resources the professor gave us in the online course.
Overall, I am strong believer that online courses should be focused on more simply because technology is taking over our lives and we all need to practice and master e-Learning much more than we already know. Online courses is just another way of performing task and duties, receiving education, and preparing you for the future.
Question 1: What comes to mind when you think of E-Teaching?
ReplyDeleteI feel that teaching should always be current and use the most effective and innovative ways to accomplish learning tasks. This is why I feel that E-Teaching is not teaching that “involves using technology”, because we as teachers should be trying our best to do that anyway. E-Teaching to me involves letting students explore and teaching them how to use the major facets of certain technologies. If students already know how to use certain technologies they can be more easily integrated into lessons. I have been in several schools where one of the specials is a technology class, taught by a technology teacher, however, the classroom teacher is also in the classroom helping and learning themselves. This is why I feel that E-Teaching is teaching students how to use the educational technologies that are out there.
Question 1:
ReplyDeleteWe discussed in class e-learning and its frustrations. As future teachers we are and will be at the other end of the spectrum where we are doing the teaching as oppose to the learning. What comes to mind when you think of E-Teaching?
From reading 1__http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=GX94ws03o3o&feature=related__ and others.
E-Teaching provides an opportunity for students to practice e-Learning. From the YouTube example, there is a music course provided for students that don’t have an art or music teacher. E-Teaching provides an artistic experience. Teachers can incorporate news of technology. Using technology is second nature to students in their environment. It is incorporated into their world on a daily basis or their everyday routines. E-Teaching must start off kid orientated with developing tools. As a teacher you do not want to create a project that students are going to get overwhelmed so they are scared away from it. The simplicity of E-Teaching is crucial because it is the newest of education, therefore a lot of confusion and frustration may occur. Students are not used to it. E-Teaching has to start off easy with simple and concrete directions. Relevant news can be brought by the teacher so students are aware of everything and are aware of the latest news, objectives, and facts and information. E-Teaching can be incorporated into their learning experiences. I believe that it is the latest of new things that students will eventually master through time.
Response to question #3:
ReplyDeleteI have not taken an online course yet but registered for 3 of them over this summer so I will find out whether I like them or not. In one course that I’ve taken the professor set up a chat room and we met in it a couple of weeks instead of going to class and I liked it. I liked being able to really think about a question before answering it. It gave me time to critically analyze different responses. In one of the readings it stated that typing up a question makes someone reflect more on what they are saying, which I agree. I think to make online courses more engaging there should be a chat room where people can discuss back and forth with each other in a conversation about the readings or questions. Having a blog is important for everyone to be able to post an idea and respond, but I think there should also be a place for people to “chat” while they post. There were many times during this course that it would’ve helped if I could just talk back and forth with someone in the class right then rather then wait for a day or two to get their response. And sometimes I had a question about something but never posted it because I knew I wouldn’t get an answer for a while until someone got on to post their response to the blog. The chat room also allows for a more connected feeling amongst the students and teacher. Along with the chat room, I think it would also be helpful to have a help line for students to call anytime if they had a question or needed help. Maybe not a “help line” for say, but have a “call buddy” in the class that they can call if they need something.
In response to Bridget:
ReplyDeleteI agree with you in that this course was engaging because it had us use different types of resources for our weekly readings. I really enjoyed not reading the same type of article or text book week after week. Online courses will only be effective like you said, if they give different types of instruction, as well as assessment, for the different learning styles. Like you said, it’s the same for as in a classroom. Teachers have students read texts, watch videos, do projects, and have activities for each topic. Online course can still have students do different types of learning and activities. A course could require students to research a country and create a PowerPoint or some other means of presentation and post it online for everyone to see. It could also give the steps and directions to a science experiment for the students to do at home and they could post their findings and results online by posting pictures or creating a log online.
Marc,
ReplyDeleteYou brought up an exellent point regarding the fact that students need to evaluate themselves before embarking in an online classes. These points that you mentioned should be well considered by students.
Tam,
ReplyDeleteYou provided a solution that perhaps Dr. Shi can employ in a future technology class. I understand, believe me the waiting too see if someone answered can be annoying. Perhaps, Dr. Shi would be willing in the future to also provide another avenue that enables student to chat and blog as well.
Question 3:
ReplyDeleteWe had a lengthy discussion regarding the ineffectiveness of online classes especially on the part of student/teachers engagement. We believe that e-learning will constantly need improvements and problems will arise it does not necessarily mean that we should give up on e-learning entirely. What are some of the ways you can think of to make online classes more engaging? Provide a concrete example or an activity.
I think online classes offer a lot to someone who has very little time to travel to a campus and sit three hours in a class. I think they make getting an education more accessible for individuals. But I don’t think online classes are for everyone. I’ve only taken hybrid courses which I liked because you met in class one week and did online work another week. As a student, I think whatever you put into your online work is what you’ll get out it. Just like in life in general. But since we are different types of learners, I don’t think online classes are the way to go for everyone. More people have learning disabilities and never realize it until they are adults. I do think an online classes should meet a few times, so you have that personal interaction with your professor and classmates. I agree with Marcus about exchanging emails and/or phone numbers in a class. Therefore, students can work together to help each other solve problems or answer questions.
I think a concrete example for an online class might even be a universal web cam. Almost every computer has one. This would be a great way to make an online class more interactive. Even though technology is definitely making things easier, it’s changing very quickly also and if we don’t keep up as educators we will also be left in the dust and do much damage to our students.
I agree that what ever you put into the class you get out of it, that is true for every class you take whether online or not. A web cam is a great idea to get more personal with the class. It would save a lot of time and travel for many people. I have taken full online classes before and I personally liked them because I could do my work when I wanted to do it, but I also knew that my professor what located right up at the school and could be reached at anytime. Having that option makes a big difference when you run into a problem. Another idea that could work so that you know who you are talking to is have the students post pictures of themselves and maybe tell you a little bit about themselves kind of like most classes do the first day to get to know one another.
ReplyDeleteQuestion #2:
ReplyDeleteJITT is when a teacher interacts with their students prior to class using an online resource. They post questions to be answered to assess their knowledge and needs for the next class. The benefits to this type of teaching is that a teacher can better prepare for a class that is tailored to the needs of the students. Ideally I think students would respond and discuss on line prior to each class. A disadvantage would be if all of your students didn't respond. Depending on what age of the students this might be a common thing. If using this type of teaching in a public school you will run into the students that do not have internet access at home.
I would not personally use this in my classroom only because I teach pre-k. I think it would be a little above them! lol.
Question 3:
ReplyDeleteI haven't taken a course that is completely on line, but I am this summer and am interested to see how engaged I feel in it. I have taken two hybrid courses. The one was every other week and I felt that I was engaged in this class because we discussed on line during the week we didn't have class, then when we were in class we had a follow up. I think it worked well. My other course we only meet five times total. I feel totally disconnected. Many of the students in the class are not responding to the discussions and I feel that I'm not sure how well I am doing. I would like more feedback from the teacher.
I definately think the way to keep students engaged is constant discussion. The discussion needs to be between the students and the teacher as well. I do like the way the discussions in this class progress, I only wish we had more time to respond to each other's posts.
Q # 2- Online course
ReplyDeleteOnline courses are growing in popularity and variety. I know a person who is going to attempt to get her entire degree on line. I would have some serious concerns over a degree program similar to this. Although some course would lend themselves to online study others would be very difficult. How would it possible to listen to a lecture in a history class or engage in group discussion. Yes it can be done, but we should ask if it should be done. We all know we have differnt learning styles, how is it possible to engage students with only one medium. Even a medium as vast as the internet, there are still limitations. In my view the best online course would be a hybrid course where you can do some online instruction but reinforced with face to face interaction with the teacher and other students. Even video confrencing and blog discussions have limitations. To me, it comes down to the fundemental fact that we are human and seek human interaction, and while online instruction is a great tool for learning it remains only one tool to be used and sould never be relied on soley.
just in time teaching assigns online activites inside and outside of the classroom. Students complete assignments prior to the days lesson. The classroom teacher can quickly assess students allowing him or her to differentiate the lesson for each student. This is something that my district has spent a lot of time trying to do, training teachers to differentiate thier lessons. Jitt is a perfect mix of E-learning with the classroom component.
ReplyDeletetleotta- you make a great case for those of us who prefer online classes, TIME. I spend 2 hours on the road for a 3 hour class. I probably spend around $10 on gas for every class (i drive a truck). But that aside, I do like what an online class offers, freedom and independence. I took an online class, it was a History course. I loved it. We read on our own schedual, and posted our papers online. We had plenty of time for discussions by posting comments on a discussion board.
ReplyDeleteIn responce to Dan (validating online programs), I have acouple of friends who earned thier masters from online universities. The state certified them just fine. In our jobs, that is all that matters.
I have taken two courses that were fully online. In both, students were scattered throughout the country. One professor was located somewhere in the midwest, the other somewhere equally remote to me (I don't now remember the specifics). One class I wound up dropping, the other I maintained and did well in.
ReplyDeleteThe difference was primarily the quality & ease of communication with the instructors. The professor whose course I stayed with responded promptly to queries & submissions of work. He also was an excellent writer with a sense of "voice". His writing not only communicated his meaning clearly and succinctly, it also conveyed his personality. I felt as though I knew him, and that helped me feel engaged.
The instructor in my dropped course was not bad, but wasn't quite as timely in responding and wasn't nearly as good at conveying either meaning or a sense of self through e-mail. I never felt as sure about expectations. And I never felt engaged in the class.
In addition to what I said above about promptness and writing clearly with a sense of voice, I have been considering other factors that could help an online courses be more successful. Most have been mentioned by others above, but allow me to bring them together.
ReplyDeleteDan mentioned that "...we are human and seek human interaction..." I agree. I believe that argument is true to some degree whether you are a digital alien or native, and that purely online courses should be limited to situations where it is not possible to meet face to face. None-the-less, there are times when it is that or nothing [e.g. Andrew Mercer's Internet music course in the wilds of Canada's Maritimes].
When that is the case, you must make your course as human as possible. As Shufang said in class, technology works best when it is invisible, which I think dovetails well with Marcus' wanting to "keep it simple."
Being able to see each other really helps to personalize the experience. In that light, I like the ideas of posting pictures of the students [& instructor] as suggested by Charity and the use of webcams (Tina).
Although employing a chat room (Tammy) requires the setting of specific, dedicated time slots, thereby losing some of the flexibility of the online course, the immediacy of responses comes much closer to a real time conversation than does, say, blogging, which brings us full circle to my statement about promptness being important.
In response to question #1
ReplyDeleteWhen thinking about E-Teaching, immediately I think of up-to-date facts and sources that are used to bring the most current and relevant information to students around the world. I believe that E-Teaching does use new forms to technology because students need to be learning from the latest technology in order to be the most up-to-date. Like Brandon said, E-Teaching is allowing and enabling students in learning how to use technologies out there that are beneficial in the educational world, broadening their horizons and helping them to help themselves.
Obviously this is a hard subject for teachers that are already in the field because there are not many technology classes offered in order to stay and keep up-to-date. That is why it is important for teachers to be life long learners and be willing to learn from the students about new technologies out there (which many teachers’ egos get in the way of student to teacher learning).
I agree that it is very important for teachers to be life long learners, and whether they like it or not technology is part of that. Todays kids more than ever before will be dealing with technology and all teachers not just some need to keep up with technology and how it is changing. Learning from students is a great idea because then you have that bonding time with them and it also makes them feel good because they taught the teacher something and not the other way around. All things are changing and all teachers need to adapt to that.
ReplyDelete