Adult 640 #11: Online Learning Activities

Online Learning Activities for Career and College Readiness Adult Education 

Online Learning Activities-how do make all of the puzzle pieces fit correctly?

Professional development for adult educators in the CCR program through an online learning module may be a new concept for participants.  In a discussion with specialists, it is understood that adult educators come from a variety of backgrounds, with most retired from the K-12 sector.  With this fact in mind, the modules will use a limited number of activities to provide for greater success for all. Conversation, Icebreakers, Google Docs, Role-Playing, Social Bookmarking and YouTube are the activities that are being considered for this series of modules.

 

Conversation: interactive communication between the instructor and participants will occur through a Google+ page established for each module.  Instructor support: The creation of a screen cast, describing how to engage with the discussion page, guidelines for the quality and frequency of posts as well as a conclusion date provide organizational structure allows the participant to review the material at an individual pace.

for example: the instructor culls through previous comments or dialogue in a conversation setting such as Google+ or from Sound Cloud and isolates a statement from an outside source and asks for participants to complete the thought, provide clarification or to consider the flip side of an argument or supposition. 

Icebreakers-Developing a sense of community is necessary for an organization of individuals who may have relatively little or no previous interaction. A prior knowledge assessment, in the form of an Anticipatory Set of Questions, engages learners in the first module with thinking about adult learning. Icebreakers can be quite successful in establishing a friendly rapport with members of a learning group. Participation in this series of learning modules allows individuals to support the overarching goals of the organization.  Success in this module is inclusive of all as opposed to competitive in nature. Cohesion as a group supports all. Icebreakers should support the learning.  When one isn’t readily available or applicable, then it becomes counterproductive.

for example:  posting a comic, a short video clip or a current event that relates to the learning in the module should engage the participants in thinking and problem-solving.  Hooking the learner allows one to refocus attention from outside stimulus. 

Google Doc: K-12 educators are familiar with Google Classroom. To engage those who are not, a screen cast is a suitable way in which to provide more individual instruction regarding how to use the site for the purpose of learning in the module.

for example:  the Lifespan Issues module engages CCR educators with ways in which to differentiate for the adult learners with an IEP/504 as a student. 508 compliance ensures adaptive and quality services for adult learners.  Collaborative writing and the planning of lessons allow participants to use the materials learned in the module to create lessons for classroom use. The instructor is able to access learning through lesson creation and commenting on the part of the student. 

Problem Solving: engaging the learners in real-world situations experienced by the students in the CCR setting allows multiple voices to share in the learning.  Presenting a situation in short video format with a directive to discuss in the conversation setting or in a larger setting, if the module is used for professional group development, allows CCR educators to engage in authentic experiences.

for example: as a facilitator, the instructor can interact in a synchronous manner through video conferencing.  Recording a learning event allows for multiple learning experiences.  As an instructor, I am able to review the material and use reflections for the conversation board.  It also allows me to model skills presented in future modules, such as feedback. 

Role Playing:  a component of the instructional modules engages learners with Cultural Literacy.  The students within the CCR community comprise a wide range of ethnicities and cultural backgrounds.  Culturally responsive teaching allows individuals to understand the role of culture in diversity. The ability to exhibit competencies in working with others is a component of the CCR standards.

for example: watching cultural diverse roles digitally allows participants to hear the voices of those in their program. Conversation occurs through the Google+ page. 

Social Bookmarking: I have used Diigo as a graduate student and find it a useful way to share materials with others.  The sharing of resources helps to build community and trust among members.

for example:  creating a common, free site to share materials allows students to bond socially through collaboration and contribution. 

YouTube:  while YouTube was not technically identified in the site provided, creating a free and easily accessible channel for teaching learning is certainly useful.

for example:  the time frame allotted for these modules, 5-10 hours, may limit the number of digital resources suitable for a single module.  Generating a channel allows learners to activate the sources for further learning. 

Something to chew on…

Making a screencast takes a long time in the beginning.  I think that creating a video and publishing it on my YouTube channel would be a way in which I could grow as an instructor.  I think that providing students with a way in which to build skills is a way to provide scaffolding. We certainly use YouTube in my family to learn how to do all kinds of things.

 

 

Adlt 641: 9-“Bye, bye birdie!”

My twelve year old son admonished me the other day by stating ,”Mom, you just don’t understand the 21st century!”  In essence, I was out of touch with the demands and expectations of the real world.  I did my best not to burst out laughing, but rather bit my lip as I listened to him ramble about the intricacies of life in the new century.  The last time that I looked, the new century began over 1o years ago.  I sure hope that I had “a clue” about what had occurred.  What I do understand about this new century is that the world has become more sophisticated and that parents, and teachers, are often left in the dark when contemplating how to ride the technology train of parenting.

Over the last several years, I found that parent-teacher conference time often became more parent focused rather than student centered.  With each adoption of technology purchased by my school district, I discovered that what was purchased to be a tool for parents soon became an agent for widening the divide between us and them.Conversations with parents asked me to consider how to reduce this digital divide.  I am an ardent believer in the idea that the parent is the first and most important teacher in the life of a child.  In my experience, most parents truly want to help their child to be successful, which leads me to ask what could be done to encourage parents to use digital resources?

Ten minute conferences would extend to become 15 and 25 minute conferences as I showed parents how to use the parent portal system, my class website and the on-line bookmarking system for practice, called portaportal.   Eyes widen with interest as I explained these on-line systems, yet puzzled expressions revealed that one opportunity to explore a piece of software or social bookmarking system was not enough time for adults to feel comfortable using them. Parents who appeared appreciative of the time that I took to demonstrate these learning management systems, didn’t use them  with more regularity after the explanation. Parents were unaware that teachers could notice how many times grades had been viewed. The bookmarking system that I used does not allow the owner to keep track of the viewers and number of times a resource has been used. This lack of participation could cause one to draw the wrong conclusion about parental concern and involvement.

I began to voice these observations to anyone and everyone who would listen.  Shouldn’t we do something to help parents understand how to use these tools?  Wouldn’t it be advantageous for us to provide some sort of pre-school or mid-year training for anyone who was interested?  My concerns fell on deaf ears.  Something needed to be done, but what and by whom? * My class load involved the planning and presentation of two intense courses for over 125 students.  I didn’t have the time or resources to meet their needs, yet the compulsion to do something did not subside with time. Screecasts that explained how to use the tools the system purchased or the social bookmarking system that I used would have made a wonderful tool for parents and student, IF I had known what they were and IF I knew how to create them.

Screencasts could become a wonderful resource tool for classroom teachers and school systems.  As a true believer in the new punctuation, the hyperlink, I explored a trail that  led me to discover “The Shamblesguru.” Shamblesguru, the alter ego of Chris Smith, refers to himself as a digital nomad evangelist. The Prezi that he created about Screencasting provides a wealth of resources to help me to further understand how to create a screencast as well as examples of where they are used.  He showcases, Mathcasts as part of the “Video in Teaching and Learning” section of this prezi. What an invaluable tool for parents who struggle to help students with mathematics from fourth grade concepts to examples of vector calculus.! (Remember the “new” math of the 1960’s?  How cool would it have been to have a screencast to help my parents through the treacherous method of solving algorithms!) The software to create these programs could provide students with the tools that they need to show mastery of the subject as well as to build a school library of resources for other students to use.  (I quickly jot an email to my son’s algebra teacher!  I am excited and on a roll.  Never mind that it’s nearly midnight.  I found something innovative, as a result of ‘uberhyperlinking’ for the kids to use!)

Jon Udell, the father of screencasting, considers Tim Fahlberg an innovator. His podcast explores how their shared interest in screencasting/mathcasting is transforming the effectiveness of learning technology. This form of technology  is making teaching more effective!  It has the power to transform individuals  from passive viewers on the sideline to active players in the field of parenting!

So here is my first attempt to create a screencast-“How to Access the Portaportal.” I’m really pleased with it as a first attempt to create a screencast. In the past, I have used screen prints pasted to word documents, coupled with arrows and directions, to help students to understand how to use a site. The possibilities for using this tool are limitless.  This method is more efficient and would help students and parents to feel empowered to manage their own learning. Bye, bye baby bird syndrome!

* In all fairness to the system, the state and federal governments evaluate schools on how well students perform on standardized tests.  I am unaware of any documentation that is required to show how parents are included in the educational system.  This burden that I feel led me to consider how I might transition from that of classroom teacher to one of adult educator.  Teachable moments are often serendipitous, yes?

Adlt 641-7: “Send in the Clouds”

Years ago I remember my education professor talking about the “tools” that I would need to carry with me as a student teacher.  The curriculum lab at my college was the source for all the materials and supplies that I would need to prepare to become an  elementary teacher.  I spent hours pouring through files, exploring the cabinets for objects to complete a learning center and for BOOKS  to generate interest in the new unit that I had created.  Information about this new experience, student teaching, was found in her office in the lab. This incredible center of information was available to students during school hours and periodically during the weekend. Grades were kept in a secret compartment in the professor’s office, which was certainly off limits and unknown to me until the end of the semester.  The Blackboard was a place to project sheets from the overhead or to scribble notes to copy!  The toolbox that I would use with my new third grade class closely mirrored that which my professor used with me.  Welcome to the 1980’s!

Over the course of the last thirty years, I have embraced staff development in many different forms.  The 180 points necessary for teachers in Virginia to maintain a state teaching license requires me to take a three credit course every five years.  While many teachers lament over both the cost and the time involved in taking a course, I have enjoyed the experience of returning to the classroom. It’s refreshing to be on the other side where I am not in charge of  planning and implementing the class.  Most of these classes supported me as an educator.  While content reflected contemporary thought and movement in the world of education, implementation and assessment did not.

Eleven courses and five universities later, I am introduced to the concept of a learning management system! In fairness to the first two courses and universities of my graduate experience, a management system did not exist. Imagine my surprise when learning that one did during the last several years! Hey, this doesn’t sound too bad, I think!  No longer am I a prisoner of the ditto system of paper management.  I have one location to open to find everything that I will need for the course, providing that  the professor knows how to use the system and does so routinely.  I like to work during the weekend and into the evening, which is perfect when the LMS is functioning correctly. I am a big picture person.  It’s important for me to be able to see where I will go during the semester, where I have been and how to plan my work accordingly. This is perfect when the professor is willing to post materials ahead of time and when materials remain after the class is over. All of this sounds perfect for the student who enjoys the professor who is the sage on the stage, the fountain head for all knowledge, and for students who resemble baby birds waiting for regular feedings. In the year 2012, I  am not interested in a culture of dependency, but rather wish to maintain a sense of autonomy. My learning, when controlled by a traditional management system, resembles the graph of learning “ups and downs” vs. one of exponential growth.

Blackboard could easily become the “mother ship” where students dock  on a regular basis. According to Jon Mott,the learning management system employed by many universities does little to encourage students to become independent learners who take responsibility for their learning. As both a 21st Century educator and a life long learner I continuously ask, “What does it mean to learn?”  Not only do I question what I give and expect of my students, but also what I am allowed to use as a learner.  The ability to connect with people in a variety of different ways means that I need tools, such as Twitter to back channel with classmates or to form relationships with new people through a hashtag.  The opportunity to engage in dialog allows me to create and publish ideas in the form blogs and wiki-spaces.  The creation of a social bookmarking system and social readers allow me to leverage the network in a way that greatly impacts my research.  These tools are powerful to me as a learner and signify that I am taking ownership of my education.  Unfortunately, they are not found within the learning management system that is available to me, but is rather a part of the personal learning network that my professors invite me to create!

Mott suggests  in order for learning to persist over time that students must have access to people, content and ideas.  His talk, The Genius of “And,” explores the idea that Learning Management Systems and Social Network Sites do not necessarily need to be viewed as an either/or situation.  I understand the legal and ethical reasons for controlling the flow of information from the university to the outside world. Universities and learners do not need to align themselves as in political parties.  Educators do not need to fall into the “this or that” path of thinking.

As a young child, I was fond of daydreaming.  It was not uncommon for me to hear an adult tell me to pull my head out of the clouds and to return to earth. Mott suggests that we consider integrating an Open Learning Network, which couples a secure, traditional system with an open “cloud-like” system. The “cloud-like” system would  allow me to create my own content. I am intrigued by the “middle ground” which employs the best aspects of both systems. This short interview presents  BYU’s Loosely Coupled Gradebook System.  I think that the subtle way in which the interviewer counters Mott is rather hilarious and found it both entertaining and to the point.  I was raised during The Free To Be, You and Me educational philosophy of the 1960’s and 1970’s. (Hey, a few of my teachers were hippies!  I loved them!) Unfortunately, that movement has long been replaced by stringent standards for learning in both the public school setting and institutions of higher learning. While I understand that academic institutions have standards to uphold, I know that I am thriving in an atmosphere that couples the best of both the LMS and The Clouds!  (My apologies to Judy Collins.)  Send in the clouds…don’t bother they’re here…