DEVELOPING CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS VIDEO PROJECT

STATIC-DYNAMIC TECHNOLOGIES CONCEPT MAP

Dynamic tools are requiring that we take risks for the sake of creativity (Moller, 2008). At this point, I am participating in a lot of risk taking activities with the many different technologies that I must learn to use without the benefit of training. I am not at the Dynamic level yet, but I am moving in that direction. I have definitely moved to the middle of the scale with my use of such things as wikis, blogs, and chats. Based on my intended involvement in distance education, I am moving toward the discovery of more and more technological apparatus.

By the time of graduation for me, I will have mastered enough of the dynamic technologies to be effective in an online classroom. The teaching experience and the ability to create and design dynamic learning situations will provide the students with chances to build their own knowledge. With what I have learned so far in this class, I can apply the multimedia principles to a student-centered learning environment that is dynamic, that enhances technology, and that allows the students to each construct his/her own knowledge. C. Penny Penagraph

Moller, L. (2008). Static and dynamic technological tools.

McGreal, R. & Elliott, M. (2008). The Theory and Practice of Online Learning. Edmonton, AB: AU Press.

Fahy, P. (2008). The Theory and Practice of Online Learning. Edmonton, AB: AU Press.

ENGAGING LEARNERS WITH NEW STRATEGIES AND TOOLS

We can bring technological tools that learners are using outside of the classroom into the classroom and engage these tools as an integral part of the educational process. Some of the tools and strategies that would enhance education are cell phones, iPods, Web Cams, and emails. Cell phones are practically glued to the hands so we may as well use them to make learning more in tune with everyday activities. We can text out a group question or put the question on an Infocus. The learners will text an answer back to the instructor, and the first to answer can get a prize or extra points. The iPods can be utilized to allow students to view video or listen to audio from the instructor. Web Cams can be used for letting the students and instructor meet and discuss the learning. Safe emails can be set up by using Gaggle.net for students to communicate with each other and the instructor. These strategies create an excitement and familiarity for the learners in this digital age. They are continuing to engage in the learning objective and at the same time, they are keeping in touch with technology.~~C. Penny Penagraph

Anderson, T. (2008). The Theory and Practice of Online Learning. (2nd ed.). Edmonton, AB: Athabasca University Press.

Siemens, G. (2008, January). Learning and knowing in networks: Changing roles for educators and designers.

Wiley, D. (2007). Online self-organizing social systems. In Luppicini, R. Online learning communities: Communities in distance education (pp. 289–291). Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.

Assessing Collaborative Efforts

According to the Siemens video “Assessment of Collaborative Learning,” participation in a collaborative learning community can be assessed by the peers, by feedback from online communities, and from the educator. Additionally, Siemens stated that assessment by the educator is going to be fair and direct, based on the stated outcomes, and equitable. The assessment should be based on where the student started and what skills did the student has upon entering the collaboration. If a student enters the collaboration and has not been exposed to the subject matter before, the assessment should be based on the growth that the student makes from entry point to assessment point. The assessment should go beyond mark-based and should include some type input that helps the student know what was well done and what could be done to improve.

When a student does not want to network or collaborate in a learning community for an online course, the other members of the community should inform the instructor and highlight the importance of each individual piece for the success of the community. According to Hurst and Thomas, a common counterbalance to release pressure is a conference call between members where team members work through obstacles together. The instructor should play the role of facilitator and request documentation showing what each person contributed to the success of the assignment or project. According to Palloff and Pratt, the instructor should retain the determination about what to assess, how to assess and how to respond to any evaluation material gathered through material submitted by the collaborative group. Anderson's summary of a teacher's role was divided into three areas. In the first area, the teacher's role is to design and organize the learning experience and maintain the course contents by inputting expert opinions and personal experiences. Secondly, the teacher's role is to devise and implement various activities that encourage dialogue between the online students and the teacher. Finally, the teacher's role is to moderate the online learning experience and add subject-matter expertise. ~~C. Penny Penagraph

Ref:
Anderson, Terry (2008). The theory and practice of online learning. Edmonton, AB: Au Press.
Hurst, D. & Thomas, J. (2008). The theory and practice of online learning. Edmonton, AB: AU Press.
Palloff, R.M. & Pratt, K. (2005). Collaborating online: Learning together in community. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Palloff, R.M. & Pratt, K. (2007). Building online learning communities: Effective strategies for the virtual classroom. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Siemens, G. (2010). “Assessment of Collaborative Learning” & “Learning Communities.”

Storyboard Introducing Keynote Speaker

Elements of Distance Education Diffusion

I agree with the views of George Siemens in the video when he spoke about distance education creating an identity of its own when it comes to collaborative interaction. Mr. Siemens talked about the meaningful relationships that are formed in spite of the distance involved. Further, I agree that participants will develop a certain comfort with online discourse and a general adherence to global diversity will become routine. With the increase of flexibility and with the far-reaching abilities of distance collaboration, Mr. Siemens summed up the interactions as it being a Triple Helix. The universities, government, and businesses form a collaborative interaction that makes for valuable the contributions of experts from all sectors and from all over the world.
Not only do we need to realize the Triple Helix that Mr. Siemens talked about, but we also need to look at another type of collaboration that Dr. Sanjaya Mishra talked about in his blog at http://teachknowlogist.blogspot.com/2008/03/six-gowns-of-distance-educators.html. Dr. Mishra spoke about how the collaborative element has evolved to the point where it is now necessary for a distance educator to wear the six gowns (a teacher, a technologist, a counselor, an evaluator, a researcher, and overall a manager) necessary for an effective online class setting. In order to carry out the requirements of all of these positions, the online educator has to do an extensive amount of collaboration with those gurus in those particular positions. This adds to the connections and also adds to the networking and adds to the knowledge base for the educator and is passed on to the online learner.
Additionally, pertaining to the element of collaboration in distance education, Dave Cormier stated that in distance education, the key to creative knowledge comes from recognizing that the key is the ability to facilitate access to collaboration and collaborative skills. With our previous classes, we discovered that collaboration enables us to absorb some of our information from others with whom we collaborate. It involves connections (connectivism) and cognition (cognitivism). ~~C. Penny Penagraph
References:
“The Future of Distance Education” by George Siemens

http://teachknowlogist.blogspot.com/2008/03/six-gowns-of-distance-educators.html.
http://davecormier.com/edblog/

The Next Generation of Distance Education by Penny

The Next Generation of Distance Education

After reading the articles and viewing the video, I do agree that the unlimited potential of instructional design for the Web is increasingly a necessary factor to the next generation. Right now instructional design is at a crossroad and needs to be put into practice (with al its methodologies) in our present school systems. The growth and impact of the introduction of Web-based technology into our K-12 educational years extends this exploration and prepares the next generation of digital natives for the future that is to come. All of the web-based tools that are available need to be integrated into the curriculum and used to enhance the learning situations. It was stated that instructional designs need to be used to promote electronic learning to its utmost degree.

Our articles hit upon the fact that the new generation of learners will need our web-based tools, and therefore, the important thing for those of us on the instructional side is to recognize and demand that these tools be customized and geared toward the process of learning. It is almost archaic to believe that education will stand still as the rest of the world evolves into a more technological based existence. For this and many other reasons, I agree with the positions of Moller, Huett, Foshay, Coleman and Simonson.

New Technologies and ARCS

One situation in which I encouraged people to use a new technology and met with resistance was after we read an article on electronic portfolios (e-portfolios). The principal appointed me to train the staff on how to create these so that our students could become more marketable in the work-seeking world. I tried presenting the information three different times, and to this date, there is only one student on target with the collection of their work documents. The attitudes that these teachers exhibited was that they had no time for including anymore new things to their schedule or to the students’ work load. The behaviors demonstrated that these teachers were set in their ways and saw no need to venture into anything new and challenging.

I could have used Keller’s ARCS model to build the confidence of the teachers. It was quite obvious from the questions asked that they feared the new technology or feared failure. Better training on using flash drives, using flip cameras, using scanners, setting up folders, and creating hyperlinks could have helped to build up confidence. Individual training could have also helped to build confidence. The teachers need more training so they can feel confident and not fear inability to perform in front of the digital natives.

The teachers understood the relevance of the e-portfolios for the students’ progress. We read the statistics in the article. Additionally, I am sure that I had the attention of the staff and faculty each time that I presented the information. The last time that I presented during teachers in-service, I used a workshop format with videos illustrating how to perform some of the actions. The only way to generate satisfaction is to see the e-portfolios play a big part in a student being selected for an outstanding job or position. C. Penny Penagraph

Connectivism

Each of my networks has changed the way that I learned to some degree. My educational networking sites have helped me to place technology in its special place when it comes to learning. My focus is no longer exclusively on the technology equipment but more on how to use the technology to assist in the learning experience. The people in my educational network have added an abundance of information to my overall network. There was so much that I did not know about, and basically, I took networking software such as Blogs, emails, YouTube, and Face book to be exclusively for socializing. Now, I understand how these sites can be used to aid in collaboration and transference of educational information.
My Learning Community members have enlightened me immensely about the procedures and various kinds of equipment and software that I wasn’t aware of but that they have been exposed to in their part of America. Talking with them and bouncing ideas around has changed the way that I learned because I generally look for things that I can do alone and not have to bother someone else to help me with. The connection that I have made with them and having these members around to brainstorm with has changed the way that I learn and has helped me to understand that I can learn more if I collaborate with a group rather than by myself.
A computer with Internet access is the digital tool that best facilitates learning for me. When something is confusing to me, I research it on the Internet in ask.com or google.com. These two sites take me to several links that I can use to assist with my understanding and build learning.
When I have questions or confusions about a new learning, it helps me if I create graphic organizers or mind maps. By constructing graphic organizers or mind maps, I am forced to put related information into an understandable format that aids in clarification.

Connectivism

Using Technology To Facilitate Collaborative Constructivist Principles

I feel that humans intrinsically will and can work together. Based on what I saw in Rheingold’s video, I think about the rule of supply and demand. Because of this, there is always going to be those who need something from someone else, and there will always be that group who has that supply of something ready to deliver in return for something else. The only way to get this cycle going and keep it going is by collaborating.

We may not like each other and we may not get along, but at certain times and in certain instances, we need each other. Right now, there exist the most unlikely human beings that you could ever imagine being and working together for the sake of education. Their politically, personal, and religious views could not be more different. Yet they have come together in a collaborative effort to find out what works and what needs to change in schools so as to move education forward. They are Newt Gingrich, Rev. Al Sharpton, and Arne Duncan, Public Education Secretary. To see the odd collaboration click the links below (it was posted as a 3-part series but I saw it in its entirety).

We can use technology to facilitate collaboration among learners based on constructivist principles by using the Internet. Use of Google.docs for students to collaboratively create a report is one example. We can use pod cast to give instructions to students to perform a learning task together and have it be a rule that this pod cast is the only help that they will be given. Then they will rely upon the members of the group to complete the assignment together. We could use SKYPE to visit and view students in other countries, and as the students are doing so, they could work together to construct biomes if the students are in one of the settings with sand, forests, or oceans. With the SKYPE, the students on each end of the camera will be able to construct models of the biomes.

A great example of real-life collaboration from which we all may benefit:
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORWWXARcqX8
Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXwqYnBqJBI
Part 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yANobP-60yo

Reference
Howard Rheingold: Way-New Collaboration http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/howare_rheingold_on_collaboration.html
posted by Carrie "Penny" Penagraph