Week 10 - Online Learning

I really enjoyed the text readings this week, and the articles in the course documents area. It was very surprising to see the list of courses offered through the MO Virtual Instruction Program. Most surprising were the online lab courses such as chemistry and biology. I realize there are wonderful animation programs available that simulate the real experience, but I have never been convinced that they entirely take the place of hands-on. I wonder how they are accepted for transfer to universities in terms of meeting science requirements or would students need to take lab component again? But then, what if they are an online student at the university? Ah, the virtual world.

The description of the faculty development position in Chapter 22 sounds interesting. I like the idea of working with adults. I like my 'day job' with middle school students, but teaching adults, for credit or community service, or staff development, is really what I enjoy.

The article by Roper about the study of successful online student sand how they develop online learning skills was interesting in terms of the skills I have developed as an online student, and what my online students develop. Good pointers for beginning online students, or those who may not be beginners, but are not yet as successful as they would like to be with this method of learning.

Week 9 - After the fact and not about class

Week 9 was not what I was expecting in terms of personal life, work life, or school life. My husband ended up in the emergency room Sunday evening, and didn't come home until the following Saturday evening, after several days in intensive care. When he did get home it was with a pacemaker (surprise - his heart was NOT the reason he was in the emergency room!). My week was spent driving to and from the hospital, 45 minutes each way, and sitting by his bedside waiting for decisions from doctors who couldn't seem to make up their minds.

I had to make the decision early in the week that I just couldn't focus on anything else and keep my sanity, so work and school were put on hold. At least that decision was in my control and not anyone else! A good sign that I'm wising up in my older years - a younger me would have tried to keep everything going, juggled time, and ended up frazzled and no good at anything.

Story had a happy ending, he's home and recuperating fine, work was still there, I've just about caught up with reading missed postings in class. Sometimes things do work out.

Week 8 EPSS

Wonder if the clickers we began using this past week fall under EPSS for the faculty? They are supposed to eliminate grading for common assessments, give realtime responses, and in every way possible make life just rosey (salesman's pitch, not mine).

Say a brochure for the summer ISTE conference in San Antonio. Looks like a lot of good workshops, too bad I will be in California. Thinking about joining this group, not sure yet.

Spring Break - plan on getting ahead with the reading - yeah!

Week 7 - Leadership

At last, the readings in the text this week were at least on topics that I recognize the theories and vocabulary. I feel at a disadvantage in so many of the discussions because I don't teach full-time to K-12 students, and most of the class have long years in the teaching field for K-12. I really enjoyed the readings this week, including the articles in the Course Document area. Next week - start working on interview questions, and look for more information on reusable learning objects.

Week 6 - Theorist Papers ~ Sharing

Week ended great with two snow days (Thursday and Friday). That's the up side. The down side is that's seven so far this year; looks like it may take our school year beyond Memorial Day.

One of the things I really like about online classes is the sharing of information, knowledge, insight that takes place among the students. This week I feel like I have learned so much more from reading the theorist papers that I did from reading the text. It is always interesting to see other points of views on topics, and helps when evaluating my own point of view. I still have 2 or 3 left to read, but will finish that up this evening.

Don't know if anyone else feels the same way, but I really have a hard time with references. I bought the revised APA Manual, and I have a Little Brown Compact Handbook, and I downloaded sample APA format from the Online Writing Center (Owl). Feel pretty good about the final product, but can't count the amount of time I spent agonizing over the correct way to cite things. Guess that is what happens when you haven't written a paper for a few years.

The readings for next week are timely. Our administration is pushing to get sets of clickers for all language arts and math classrooms. The response at this time has not been overwhelming approval by the faculty. After glancing through Chapter 11, it looks like some of the issues we are dealing with are addressed in that chapter.

Week 5 - Ascending Bloom's Taxonomy

This week I feel like I'm at the Remembering/Understanding levels, and not doing so good at that. Whew - Constructivist vs. objectivist, design research, holistic theory, Gagne's theory, situated learning theory, cognitive information processing theory, schema theory, and cognitive load theory! I really feel like we covered some good background this week that will help down the road. I'm sure most of the class was already familiar with a lot of this, but having undergraduate classes in business instead of education, this was very good for me. I evidently made a major mistake in our group discussion when I wasn't clear enough in a comment about 'rote memorization'. Hey, that should be worth extra points for illiciting responses :-).

Week 4 - Thank goodness for technology

This week started off great, and then I was hit with flu/food poisoning on Friday and have been laid up in bed since and still. Thank goodness for technology; I have my laptop here with me and with wi-fi I can post my blog without being late, or sitting up! Apologies to my team members for not posting the past three days, but was a little busy :-(.

Our conversations about teacher vs. glitz have been very interesting. In a traditional classroom it is easy to project enthusiasm, not quite so easy in an online classroom. I try to focus on things that make the students comfortable - responding to posts in timely manner, clear instructions, examples, all the things that I appreciate as an online student. Have to consider the enthusiasm angle more - I thought I projected it, but I know I can improve and that is why I am taking these courses.

Started collecting reseach on Benjamin Bloom for my paper. I think I already have more than I need. There is so much information about him and the old and revised taxonomy. It's been awhile since I have written a formal paper, so I am trying to work on it diligently. Write, rewrite, rewrite, rewrite...