Virtual Schooling Part II

Would you have appreciated the opportunity to take online courses when you were in school? If the opportunity were available I would have appreciated the chance to take the online course. I was a shy student and did not like to talk or take part in the discussions at school.  I think an online course might have been helpful to allow me to write my comments.

 

What/How is online learning utilized in your current situation?

In my current situation online learning is used to train instructors and facilitators in face-to-face learning. I think that it is a strange combination.  Why not just offer students the opportunity to learn online. 

The types of learners come from across different types of generations. The generation learners align with the research regarding generational learners.

Home What I Know about Online Learning - Part II

After reading the resources I believe that online learning is evolving at a very rapid pace.

The article Top Ten Myths about Virtual Schools is really very relevant to the how people view virtual schooling and online learning. I think it will take a lot of effort and marketing to overcome the myths.  

In relationship to my original post I don’t believe I leaned lean toward any of the myths, now anyway, as I have in the past. My understanding of online learning has changed through my experience and education. I have heard students and parents repeat some of the myths.  I think myth number seven is probably the one that I have heard students and parents agree with the most.  From my experience I have found that online courses are just as rigorous, if not more so than face-to-face courses. 

It think Clark’s (2007) article in this week’s reading provides a great foundation of the history of virtual courses. Sometimes, I wonder why the history or timeline of online learning is not included as part of the introduction of online learning.  Perhaps it would give students some insight that technology of today has evolved and this is not something new just for today, but it has been around and been successful. 

I did at one time think myth nine was true in the fact that the virtual or online courses needed to be connected via the use and integration of technology. Because the technology was the center focus and took away from the course content. I can understand the misgiving as the technology seemed to be taking the forefront rather than the content of the course if students had a hard time getting connections or accessing the course. What makes the difference is the teacher and how well the course is designed. Teachers are the directors, designers and delivers of the material the technology is the resource tool.   

While watching Dr. Siko’s presentation on You-Tube, I was surprised to hear Michigan was the first state to initiate a requirement for all students to have an online experience. In addition, that online courses would be outsourced by school districts.  How are teachers and educators going to overcome these myths about virtual schools? Will these myths fade as virtual schools become more successful?

Clark

What I Know about Online Learning

I am a lifelong learner and am open to learning online.  What I know about online learning has changed through my educational experiences. To me, today, online learning looks like or is a collaborative environment where learners come together across miles and cultures to learn.  Online learning is completed through the Internet connecting through a computer or phone. Online learning takes place around the globe and connects students of all ages, from many cultures and ethnicities. Online learning breaks down the barriers of brick and mortar allowing learners to immerse in every imaginable learning environment from cooking to complex science courses.

Online learning is evolving to meet the needs and desires of learners. How online learning looks today will change as learners and technology advances.

Evaluating the Quality of a Wiki

Yes, I believe it is possible to sort bad, good, really good information within Wikipedia.  I think that one entry could more trustworthy over another if the resources were accurate.

If I gave the assignment to make a wiki the assignment would need to be clarified with the expectations explained.  Allowing students to review samples of some bad, good and really good wikis first and ask them to provide reasons they evaluated the wiki to be bad, good or really good.
Discussions in groups would also allow students to begin feel comfortable in discussing their findings. I think following Deters et al, 2010, study in which they provided students with guidelines and a rubric for the assignment would be a great place to start the assignment.

I think students would get confused if you gave them an assignment and then said, "We're going to make a wiki, but Wikipedia is BAD." The constructivist learning style allows students to make discoveries on their own and by saying that Wikipedia is BAD it may taint some students' opinion of a wiki.  Providing students with the opportunity to learn and construct knowledge on their own would give them the opportunity to decide for themselves.  Who knows, perhaps one of the students could come up with a new design for a wiki that would make it better. 

Post #2 - Judging the Quality of Wikis and Non-vetted Sites

I have not used a Wiki before so I did not have my student's use them when I was in the classroom. However, I think it would be good resource.  I think students need to utilize the technology that allows them to be more collaborative.  Teachers will need to provide detailed examples so students will use the resource correctly. I think demonstrating the use of a Wiki to the class would be my first step. 

Post #1 - Building and Refining your PLN

I've added the following three sites to my blog.  I found them interesting and believe they will be  great resources. I am very interested in the site about Teaching with Technology Wikispaces.  I've never created a Wiki before so it will be helpful to see how some teachers are using the technology.

Freakonomics Radio http://www.wnyc.org/articles/freakonomics-podcast/	Public	Settings
Google Drive Blog http://googledrive.blogspot.com/	Public	Settings
Wikispaces : Teaching-with-Technology - all cha... http://teaching-with-technology.wikispaces.com/...