Teaching on the Web

Shyla Bruvall. Ed Student in Alberta, Canada. This blog is dedicated to my exploration of Web-Based Teaching. Join me as I explore and reflect on this major aspect of Education.

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Ed4767 - Web Based Teaching

Well I guess this is the end. Or close to anyway.

For the last 11 or so weeks I have been exploring elements of Web-Based Teaching through ED4767 and I have gained a few new perspectives, confirmed some old ones, and thought of a lot questions that don’t really have answers. Not to mention I got to expand my ever growing tool-belt of resources. 

I did learn a lot in this course about teaching students online, how to make these courses effective, and how to ensure that I am engaging my future students.

Some takeaways: 

Sense of humour is key! This is a great way to create those imperative connections with your students. 

Content is important, but presentation of content is more important (in my opinion). If you lose their attention, it doesn’t matter how great the information is. 

Technology is not just another means of conveying information to students but can be used to enhance their learning experience.

Not all tools out their are the most effective choice! So be selective in what you use.

Always be looking for new and more effective things to incorporate into your online classroom and always reflect on what is working and what is not. Professional Development!!!

Communication! Communicate with your students and be available to them as much as possible.

There were other smaller takeaways of course but these are the things that stuck out to me. The ones that will be in the front of my mind the next chance I get to teach students online. Not all of my questions were answered though...

My biggest question:

How do you ensure that your students are being challenged?

This remains my biggest question but I think that the answer to this will come with time and experience. Maybe this will always be something that I am striving for. Maybe there isn’t one definite answer.

Overall, I really enjoyed exploring web-based teaching and I’m glad that I can add this to the list of teaching methods that I would be comfortable using in the future.

SB

Resources:

Elias, M. J. (2015, March 30). Using Humor in the Classroom. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/using-humor-in-the-classroom-maurice-eliasKilgore, W. (2016, November 14).

Humanizing Online Teaching and Learning. Retrieved from https://humanmooc.pressbooks.com/chapter/lets-talk-effectively-communicating-with-your-online-students/

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Course Management Systems

This is just going to be a quick post on some thoughts I had while reading about Classroom Management Sits today and also my opinion on Google Classroom (which I have been working with for the past few weeks). I’ll be posting again later today because the course is coming to an end and I’d like to summarize some things here.

 CMS

Course Management Systems obviously have their benefits. They are a straightforward way of organizing and tracking a course from start to finish with assignments, tests, content, and grades. When teachers use them fully, they allow for easy access to all content and students don’t have to worry about keeping personal copies of all the material or learning several platforms in order to participate in the class. I also really love the power they have when it comes to assessment and the tracking of marks and grades. That being said, I find that they are limited in their scope and that (from personal experience) teachers are often not using them regularly or to their fullest extent

Sites like Moodle are beneficial to the students when being used regularly and properly. Same goes with sites like PowerSchool and Blackboard. All of these systems have their place, and I have had really good experiences with these sites as student and teacher. For a course that is taught entirely online though I would worry about the limitations that are present in these examples. For instance, the interface doesn’t allow for much personalization and is fairly non-descript. If you are working with younger students, it is important to present the information/material/content in a manner that is engaging. I know that there are smaller sites that pride themselves on their presentation and engaging interface.

Overall, I think it comes down to what the teacher is hoping to get out of the CMS and how fully they choose to integrate it. Knezek, Christensen, and Fluke highlight a model for integrating this type of technology into the classroom that I believe still holds true 16 years later (2003).

With regards to how beneficial these types of systems are:

Achievement is based on integration and integration is dependent on the WILL of the teacher, the SKILL of the teacher, and the TECHNOLOGY.  

The times when I have seen these systems succeed have been when the technology was well developed, and the teacher was confident with it and persistent in implementing it.

My questions about CMS in online courses:

What do these systems offer in terms of promoting engagement for students?

Most of these systems seem to have limited capacity in content creation/presentation and teachers would then need to rely on other sources for content creation. Are there CMS that have their own means of this?

 Google Classroom

Unfortunately, many of the concerns I stated above also apply to Google Classroom. BUT! I do have some things that I really like about Google Classroom after using it to create my online course for this online course (シ).

I really liked the easy format from a teacher’s perspective and a student’s perspective. From the teacher’s perspective it was very easy to create new material, assignments, tests, and polls. The fact that you can link a variety of different medias in a single post with a simple click was very appealing to me. Also creating forums for student discussion was straightforward and it allows for the teacher to easily navigate all threads of conversation. For the students, the layout of information is easy to follow. It is structured how the teacher wishes but the students have access to all past information, discussions, and polls unless the teacher actively removes their access. This means students can always go back to previous points in their learning, as well it allows them to view the entirety of their progress throughout the course.

One of my favourite things about Google Classroom is the interface. Not only is it easy to navigate as I already stated, but it is appealing to the eye and is presented in a way that (I believe) makes it easy for students to engage with. This is obviously just a personal preference, but I sincerely like the appearance of this platform over that of Moodle, Blackboard, or PowerSchool. Which may seem a small thing, but it ranks pretty high for me.

This article (here) highlights 10 benefits for using Google Classroom. Though some are a bit redundant and apply to all CMS it still gives a nice overview of why I liked working with it so much. 

SB

Resources:

Keengwe, J. & Agamba, J. (2012). Course Management Systems Integration into Course Instruction. International Journal of Information and Communication Technology Education, 8(2), 72-80. IGI Global.

Lynch, M. (2018, October 24). 10 Benefits of Google Classroom Integration. Retrieved from https://www.thetechedvocate.org/10-benefits-of-google-classroom-integration/

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Content Creation

One thing that I wanted to explore more over the last few weeks is student content creation applications. So far, I’ve had the chance to look at communication tools and content creation resources for teachers but have not added many student-based resources to my tool belt. That’s what this post is all about. It’s important to note that these resources are applicable to both teaching online as well as teaching in traditional classrooms.

 So, after researching a bunch of different resources here’s what I’m gonna do. I’m going to create a list of a bunch of potential resources that I would like to use with my students in my future classrooms, and then I’m gonna focus on a few in-depth.

 Resource List

Book Creator

“Create, Read, Publish.” This resource allows your students to write and produce their own stories. With the addition of images, video, and audio, the young authors can create a variety of engaging text-based content.

MySimpleShow

This is a new way for students to create their own lectures. PowerPoint used to be the only option available to students for presentations, but as educational technology expands, we are starting to see more and more apps like this one. Here students have a user-friendly means of putting the knowledge into a presentation.

Storybird

This is similar to Book Creator, with the twist of being able to purchase the student created book or use the fundraising option and open it up to family and friends. This is a create way to bring literacy into school campaigns and gives students autonomy of their work.

Padlet

This one is a bit more limited in the scope of capabilities, but it is still going in the toolbox. Padlet allows students and teacher to collaborate on virtual sticky-notes. Students can contribute both anonymously or not and is create for any sort of brainstorming activities.

Kidblog

Blogs are often reserved for our older students as a means of compiling all of their content or reflections in one space. This app allows us to monitor the blogs in its entirety so that we can start using blogs with younger students. An additional bonus is the simple interface that makes this site very user friendly.

Spreaker

Podcasts! I really like this one because of how unique it is. This application provides students a way of producing high quality podcasts. They could use this to record interviews, discussions, or debates, or just share their new-found knowledge.

Thinglink

This resource allows students to layer different media over top of on another to create their own learning tools. For instance, a student can take a video (found or self-made) and insert other media over top of it with notes and additional information.

Pages

This app allows students to create high quality pages with a variety of media in order to showcase their new knowledge on a subject or topic.

 In-Depth

Spreaker

At first glance the platform doesn’t look very kid friendly, I was certainly skeptical during my research. After all the program was not developed with students in mind necessarily but don’t discount it just yet. I will say now that this tool is definitely geared towards the older students you will be working with, though with the technology and the digital literacy we are seeing in the next generation this will most likely be right in their wheelhouse.

So what is it? Spreaker is essentially a platform that allows you to record, edit, upload, and share podcasts of high quality. It has everything that you could possible need built into their interface and its reach is wide. Some of their packages allow you to post on platforms like Amazon Alexa, Radioline, and Spotify.

The downside? Though there is a free package, some of the options are only available at a cost. Also the fact that it is not designed for students or classroom use means that navigating the shared account, posting abilities, and editing tools will be difficult and probably frustrating. And finally, your own comfort with audio recording and editing would need to be great in order to teach the students how to properly use the technology.

Though there are clearly some issues that are inherent in bring this into your classroom (web-based and traditional) I still believe that it should be considered, solely for the unique opportunity it would provide your students.

  Kidblog

“Safe Student Publishing.” This really gives it all away right there. The benefits of this platform are that students, at young ages, can safely publish content online.

Kidblog is dedicated to giving students an opportunity to post their work, their thoughts, and their writing all in one place. As a teacher you have the ability to see responses to given topics or prompt from all students, but you can also single in on a particular student and look at the entirety of their work. This allows for clear evidence of student progression.

This video (though a tad long) has a great overview of the platform if you’re interested!

The one reason that I am drawn to this resource is that it gives students autonomy over their growth as learners. The potential to use this as a portfolio of their learning is great, and with it the students can see their development. Often students can’t see their growth because it happens gradually over the course of a semester or a year. In this manner it would be evident that they had progress.

The downside? This platform also requires a subscription, and there is no free option this time. Schools must sign up to use the platform and their are limits to the number of students and classrooms able to use it at a time. Unfortunately, platforms likes this are designed to make money. Without experience with it, I don’t know if it is worth it. 

I think the biggest thing that I took away from the research this week is that while there is a wide variety of content creation platforms for children to use in the classroom, it is a matter of determining which applications are genuinely worth bringing in. Technology for the sake of technology is, in my opinion, redundant.

SB

Resources

1590356505. (n.d.). The student as content creator - 15 Content creation apps for in the classroom. Retrieved from https://www.bookwidgets.com/blog/2018/02/the-student-as-content-creator-15-content-creation-apps-for-in-the-classroom

Burns, M. (2015, June 26). 7 Apps for Student Creators. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/7-apps-for-student-creators-monica-burns

Safe Student Publishing. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://kidblog.org/home/

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Teacher’s Tool: Twitter

I was first introduced to the idea of using Twitter as a tool for professional development during a guest lecture in one of my ed classes. Before that point I had never thought much of the social media site. I have had a Twitter account for years but even as a personal tool I have not used it to its fullest extent, preferring to observe the dialogue rather than participate in it. The guest speaker we had showed us how she uses it to interact with other in-services teachers by following accounts that she finds helpful and interesting, and posting her own work in the classroom to facilitate ideas for other pre-services or in-service teachers. This gave her an opportunity to expand her repertoire (by pushing herself to try new ideas she came across) and inform others about success and failures in the classroom. The manner in which she presented Twitter made me think about it in a whole new way. I think I would be inclined to use this as a professional tool rather than a personal one.

I think, from what I have seen in exploring a variety of sites, the difference between Twitter as a PD tool and other sites like Pinterest, is that there is more genuine dialogue. Pinterest seems to present an idealized version of teaching, where all projects work flawlessly, and the children gain endless amounts of knowledge while having the best time of their lives. There is no acknowledgment of the ideas that didn’t work. I’ve come across several Twitter accounts that openly discuss the times that the teacher put themselves out there and tried a new activity or approach and it didn’t work at all. The take the failure as an opportunity to grow, and in sharing it, they let others learn from the ‘mistake’ as well. I really liked that about Twitter.

Knowing this I will certainly be using Twitter as a tool for Professional Development. I particularly like the idea that you can engage in this form of PD independently and on your own timeline. Additionally you can engage in PD from all areas and disciplines. There are accounts to follow that are for teacher development in general, and then there are discipline specific accounts. Using any and all of these accounts can help increase your versatility as a teacher. As Beaudin and Cowie point out in their article “Educators’ Perceptions of and Practices for Using Social Media for Professional Development”, Twitter can be used to “stay connected with… colleagues both near and far, to share and gain new ideas and resources for teaching and learning, and to learn new ways in which [teachers] might engage their student”

I would personally be wary of using Twitter with students. I think that it has great potential to get students engaged with the information if used correctly but I think there are a lot of drawbacks. For instance, as someone who grew up with Social Media I always found it off-putting when Teachers attempted to use it in the classroom. In my mind those two things weren’t supposed to go together. It felt like a blatant attempt at appearing ‘hip’. No, I can see from the other side, and I realize that there can be a place for Social Media in the classroom, if done correctly. One thing I really didn’t like about it as a student was that I was expected to use an account I already had. Meaning that the new content for education purposes would be right alongside the old (and current) content for personal purposes. The persona I had crafted online did not fit with the things I was being asked to tweet, comment, or like for class. This made me not want to “buy in”.

Then there is the other aspect that I am struggling with. Though I understand that Social Media can be a great tool to use, and that students are already engaged online, I find the idea of facilitating student’s online profiles problematic when Social Media has been linked with unhealthy habits and anxiety disorders in teenagers. You can find an interesting article that highlights these issues HERE. If Social Media is having negative impacts on our students’ health, then is there any argument to be made for encouraging its use? Regardless of its potential for educational learning.

 Overall, I would definitely use it as a tool for Professional Development but would be very reluctant to use it as an educational tool for my students.

 SB

 Resources

Beaudin, L., & Cowie, B. (2014). Educators' Perceptions of and Practices for Using Social Media for Professional Development. Society for Infromation Technology & Teacher Education.

Woods, H. C., & Scott, H. (2016). #Sleepyteens: Social media use in adolescence is associated with poor sleep quality, anxiety, depression and low self-esteem. Journal of Adolescence,51, 41-49. doi:10.1016/j.adolescence.2016.05.008

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Online Assessment

This is something that I had never consider in any substantial way when considering web-based teaching. My main concern was providing the content and structuring the course in a way to ensure that students were engaged with the material and learning what they needed to. Now that I have thought about assessment in online courses I am struck with the idea that it would be difficult to ensure authenticity. Of course formative assessment can be done easily enough through reflections, quizzes, blog posts, video conferences, and such but I still worry about how to administer effective summative assessments. In this I am referring to tests, Assessment Of Learning, since summative assessment in the form of projects and portfolios can be done easily enough as well. I wanted to know whether there was any applications that were readily available that could be used to asminister a final exam well maintaining validity. The problem that arises is of course you don’t know who is taking the exam or whether they are only using the approved material (i.e. not using a textbook or a web browser). In response to my questions/concerns I researched the topic using the material from my Ed4767 module as well as other’s I found online.  This is what I found.

The Scottish Qualification Authority’s document on Online Assessment was helpful in its discussion of requirements, concerns, and solutions for assessing summatively. Its information regarding computer programs designed to invigilate final exams brought up many points of concern that I had not considered. For instance, when using a program such as this, you don’t know the quality of the technology the students have access to. If you use a program that requires a lot of processing power from the system and the students hard drive is full or they have older technology they may encounter difficulties and the student may be at a disadvantage, particularly if the exam is timed. They counter this with other options available to those students – online programs designed for easy use. Though their scope is often smaller, it is a readily available option. The concern that comes from this is then about bandwidth. Many of these programs work to cut of any other communication while the program is running so that students cannot access any other server or browser.

I took a lot away from this paper regarding the issues of implanting summative assessment online, including the fact that, though difficult, it is still entire possible to do so. And as Jamison describes in the article A New Pedagogy is Emerging, it is important that assessment is done but it must be done correctly (validity and reliability). So regardless of the difficulties it poses, it is important to be done proberly.

 One final though. The video below was a resource I came across - Brightspace - that is all encompassing in its online assessment. It allows for different formats, open communication, and instant feedback. Though I (obviously) haven’t had an opportunity to put the tool into practice it is something I would consider using in the future.

SB

Resources

Brightspace for Instructors - Effective assessments | Online Learning, Teaching and Training Video. (n.d.). Retrieved March 9, 2019, from https://www.d2l.com/resources/videos/brightspace-instructors-effective-assessments/Jamison. (n.d.).

A New Pedagogy is Emerging...And Online Learning is a Key Contributing Factor. Retrieved from https://www.mycota.ca/pro-d-blog/2013/11/16/a-new-pedagogy-is-emerging...and-online-learning-is-a-key-contributing-factor/

Scottish Qualifications Authority. (2003). SQA Guidelines on Online Assessment for Further Education. Retrieved March 9, 2019, from http://www.sqa.org.uk/files_ccc/GuidelinesForOnlineAssessment(Web).pdf

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Badges.pdf

Online Activity 3.5

The badges above are designed for Art 7-9 in the exploration of the Elements of Art. Specifically, they are designed for an online course in which students track their progress through the collection of badges. The badges themselves either explicitly say what they are for, or are representations of the knowledge they will have acquired by the time they receive it. I think badges are an interesting (but slightly flawed) tool to use in the classroom (online or traditional). To read my thoughts on both the benefits and the potential concerns look to my last post. 

SB

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Digital Badges

I have only one experience with digital badges in an academic setting. In a Education course we used the system Rezzly in which students complete activities online and when they have met all requirements they are given a badge. This badge indicates that the user has sufficiently learned the knowledge required to move on from a topic. It was an interesting concept, one that I had never seen before. I liked aspects of it.

I enjoyed the newness of it. Something to break the monotony of classes. It also allowed me to explore topics at my own rate and delve deeper into those topics that caught my eye. Unfortunately, it was not all a good thing. Though it doesn’t paint the best picture of me, I will admit that there were instances that I did the absolute bare minimum to receive a badge, either because I was short on time, or the topic didn’t interest me. If I were to use this with students, I would seriously consider how to minimize the potential for students to ‘scrape by’ while still receive full points.

I like the concept of digital badges having the ability to contain actual data that conveys what the badge encompasses and a potential expiry date. The reason our first aid certificates and such have expiration dates are because knowledge fades over time and information and understandings change! You don’t want a badge (or a certificate) to indicate that a person has a deep understanding of the pertinent information when in reality their knowledge is outdated and not fresh in their mind to begin with. Now this is something that would be less of a concern in primary and secondary education, but it needs to be considered none the less.

I do really like the idea of using these as Professional Development opportunities. It offers an interesting perspective of allowing teachers to explore new avenues on their own time and it has the potential to enable more authentic development, rather than development that is condensed and often results in widely varied experiences (i.e. one teacher is more invested and gets more out of a PD session, the other is less interested and got less out of it but both carry the ‘credential’ of having done that particular PD.

 Motivation

Abramovich et al discuss student motivation and badges having the ability to motivate learners by turning their education into a quest/game/journey. They look at the Achievement Goal Theory and its implication with digital badges in young students. Though in particular I liked that they considered the potential negative impacts of badges when students who are less skilled in the specific areas are asked to complete these activities. They also consider some possible solutions though, unfortunately, nothing concrete. With the idea of motivation, my immediate thought was the competition aspect of badges. Is there an innate level of competition when students are ‘awarded’ for their success?

It raised the question, do badges (digital or otherwise) remove the element of self-actualization and replace it with, in a classroom, learning for the sake of ‘winning’? Do we run the risk of prioritizing recognition over self-fulfillment? If that is the case, it is a dangerous path to lead our students down. How quickly will their self-esteem become attached to their accomplishments? I don’t know. I also know that I am being hypocritical here. I believe in competition. I believe in being proud of your accomplishments. I really do. I hold my awards, certificates, and medals close to my chest because I worked hard for them and they are proof that my hard work has payed off. So I don’t disagree with recognizing success and yet I am torn. In our Education classes we were told to be wary of insinuating a hierarchy with the grading system. Rightfully so. Yet how do we then recognize our students who succeed academically? I believe we have to, so then how do we do so without discouraging the students who (through no fault of their own) are not capable of reaching that level.

This blog post highlights some of the questions that came to mind when I was exploring the topic of Digital Badges, though he speaks mostly of concrete awards in his entry.  

 I’ve gotten off topic a bit. Please excuse the above ramblings. I’ve always struggled with how to healthily introduce competition in classrooms.

But back to badges specifically.

I would use them in Web-Based Teaching I believe. Though I am still weary. The lack of physical interaction between students would limit the competition aspect of them. There is little opportunity to compete against classmates when you never actually see them face to face. I imagine that students would show more deference to their classmates over an educational platform in which their teacher is always able to see their interactions.

 Another article that explores the history of digital badges and their “affordances for online education activities and experience” is ‘Digital Badges in Education’  by Gibson et al. This was an interesting read and served to offer up some things to take into consideration. Highly recommend if you are interested in looking into using Digital Badges in an online class.

SB

References

Abramovich, S., Schunn, C., & Mitsuo Higashi, R. (2013). Are badges useful in education?: It depends upon the type of badge and expertise of learner. Educational Technology Research Development,61(2), 217-232. doi:10.1007/s11423-013-9289-2

George. (2017, January 16). The Impact of Awards. Retrieved March 4, 2019, from https://georgecouros.ca/blog/archives/1079

Gibson, D., Ostashewski, N., Flintoff, K., Grant, S., & Knight, E. (2013). Digital Badges in Education. Education and Information Technologies,20(2), 403-410. doi:10.1007/s10639-013-9291-7 

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Online Activity 3.4

The above video was an exercise in creating specific content for educational purposes. The video explains the Cold War and is from the hit series Crash Course, hosted by John Green. The video, which is public domain, was originally found on YouTube. I used Edpuzzle to edit and add questions. 

Alterations:

The alterations I chose to make were very straightforward. I clipped the beginning and end, removing some of the unnecessary dialogue that is important to the Crash Course series but not the specific video. I did this to expedite the process and delivery of the content. I found this aspect to be extremely useful and something that I will certainly use in future (online and physical) classrooms in an effort to minimize the time spent on the ‘lecture’ portion of a class. Though thorough discussion and analysis of a topic is needed for students understanding, there is an element of efficiency in delivery to be considered. Students often lead very busy lives and as such we should ensure that the content we are asking them to consume is effective in delivering the knowledge efficiently.

I also added questions throughout the video which is a very useful tool of Edpuzzle and allows teachers to assess understanding of the video’s content. Beyond that it requires students to be fully engaged in the content they are consuming.

For these reasons I would enthusiastically use this app (and others like it) in future classrooms to ensure that I am cognizant of maximizing my students educational time while ensuring they are engaged and comprehending the appropriate information. Specifically I might use this in an online classroom to present module information. For instance, in an online Art Course, using this tool to create several short, poignant videos with questions about the use of Form in different cultures paintings. This could help target that week’s learning objectives very directly.

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Gen Z and Digital Literacy

The production of digital content is something that our students, I believe, are already well-versed in. In particular if you are considering junior high and high school students, but even elementary students are experienced in creating content using technology. I believe the struggle will come from teaching students to create quality education content. As Sanfilippo suggests in his article, there are considerations you must make when teaching your students about content creation. I would argue that his first point, distinguish between digital content consumption and digital content creation, is redundant. It is important for the teacher to make sure he or she understands the difference, and that the students understand the terminology (creation vs. consumption), yet that actual act of digital creation is something that in the last decade has become common place.

Actually, I would argue that the majority of what Sanfilippo has expressed appears to be dated. In my limited experience in the classroom I have worked with a variety of socio-economic and cultural backgrounds, grades, and community styles. The only thing that they all had in common was relative ease of access to technology. Even in the small-town schools, technology was always in close range (their pocket). From the young babies in kindergarten to the near adults in Grade 12, they all had experience creating digital content. I had students in kindergarten tell me about the movie of themselves that they and a friend had made the night before. In the high school I had students who had created their own websites and computer programs. My point is, I believe that, while Sanfilippo makes good points regarding the understanding of student ownership and digital citizenships, he underestimates the fact that these students are beyond the capabilities of the average teacher.

There is an ongoing conversation in literature right now that debates whether our students are tech-savvy or whether we are assuming they are more capable than they are. There are resources to back up both sides of the argument:

1. https://theblog.adobe.com/we-need-to-rethink-education-for-digital-natives/ http://www.ngenperformance.com/blog/gen-z-2/how-gen-z-uses-technology

These articles look at Gen Z (our current students) and their status as “digital natives”. This refers to the fact that these kids were born in a time when technology advancements were rampant and social media was becoming a constant in everyday life.

2. https://www.edsurge.com/news/2017-06-20-students-say-they-are-not-as-tech-savvy-as-educators-assume

This editorial argues that students, by their own admissions, are not as technology proficient as adults seem to consider. Though this is geared towards young secondary education students, it does mark a significant perspective of the tech argument.

I believe our focus needs to be directed towards ensure already technology proficient students are successful in making meaningful and educational content, and less on exposing them to digital content creation in general.

 On a separate but related note:

Number 6: “Preparing students for the 21st century workplace.” raises some questions and concerns for me. At different points in time, both before and after my entrance into the education department, I held a variety of beliefs regarding the purpose of education and what our role as educators was. Once it was my belief that it was teachers’ responsibility to ensure that their students grow into productive members of society, then it was my belief that students were the key to social change (though the teacher’s role was limited in specifics), then I believed that teachers were guides for students to develop a curiosity for knowledge. Essentially my opinion has shifted, changed, flipped, reverted, and shattered over the last few years. The point being that I still don’t have a concrete answer to the question “What are we doing as teachers?” Number 6 suggests that we are preparing them for the world in which they will take part. I don’t disagree with this but in playing devil’s advocate, I would suggest that this implies schools are merely a tool to churn out productive workers. Something that was long held belief in early school systems. If this is the case than I have some serious problems with the institute I am getting myself involved with. On the other hand, I do agree that we should prepare our students for the world they will enter. To not do so seems to be a great disservice to them. I don’t have an answer. I don’t agree with #6 or disagree with it. I just have uncertainties. In this specific example I can say that it makes sense. Students must be digitally literate (particularly with content creation) in order to be successful in future endeavours. Internet is not a passing trend. It is not flash in the pan. It is something that will continue to grow and expand, and all members of our society should be well versed in it. As with the need for numeracy and literacy, students must have digital literacy as well.

The following link is an interesting look at the pedagogical conciderations I’ve ranted about above. What is the purpose of teaching?

https://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/the-purpose-school-is-not-to-get-a-job/

SB

Resources:

Abamu, J. (2018, December 27). Students Say They Are Not as Tech Savvy as Educators Assume - EdSurge News. Retrieved from https://www.edsurge.com/news/2017-06-20-students-say-they-are-not-as-tech-savvy-as-educators-assume

How Gen Z Uses Technology. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ngenperformance.com/blog/gen-z-2/how-gen-z-uses-technology 

We Need to Rethink Education for Digital Natives. (2018, September 05). Retrieved from https://theblog.adobe.com/we-need-to-rethink-education-for-digital-natives/

What Is The Purpose Of School? (2018, September 18). Retrieved from https://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/the-purpose-school-is-not-to-get-a-job/

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Review: SeeSaw

Seesaw. (n.d.). Retrieved February 9, 2019, from https://web.seesaw.me/

Seesaw is an application that is specifically designed for classroom use and allows students to be active participants in their education. Essentially, teachers design specific activities for which their students access the app, complete the activity, and upload their response. These can take the form of pictures of physical work, videos or voice recordings of their answers, or typed responses to prompts. The possibilities are truly numerous and varied. Beyond the interaction between teacher and students, Seesaw also allows parents to be involved in the portfolio process by giving them access to their child’s portfolio and allowing them to leave comments, both written and voice recorded.

The Roles of Teacher, Student, and Family. (n.d.). Retrieved February 9, 2019, from https://web.seesaw.me/

My Response:

I really like the implications of an app like this. The creation of a portfolio for students is not a new concept but the control that these young students have over what goes into the portfolio is, I believe, something to be commended. Often portfolios are designed by teachers to showcase students’ growth but allowing students to be a part of the creation process also encourage them to be aware and cognizant of their own growth as a student. For instance, if a teacher tells a student which bit of writing to include in their portfolio the student will just follow the teachers lead without further thought, but if teacher asks a student to consider which pieces of writing shows their growth, then all of a sudden, the student has to analysis their own development. This is skill that is not normally taught to such young students.

Beyond that I really like the potential for family involvement. Provided that the socioeconomic background of the school and the student population allows for access to such technology this is a fantastic means of involving parents/guardians in the everyday learnings of their children. As this is being used with such young classes, this also combats the learned behaviour of students to limit the information being relayed to parents outside of the school. I’ve linked a quick video from their website below that explores the potential of involving parents. My favourite aspect of this is the genuine excitement of the students to be sharing their work with their parents. 

[missnicholasauroa]. (2015, Nov 10). Using the App Seesaw at Auroa School[Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=jKYLGnyY7uM

As well, involving parents in their child’s education is to the benefit of all, specifically the child in question. Andrea Peck highlights the importance of involving parents in early childhood education in her article found here.

Overall, I am really intrigued at the possibility of using this application in a classroom and developing these skills in students from a young age.

SB

Resources:

[missnicholasauroa]. (2015, Nov 10). Using the App Seesaw at Auroa School [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=jKYLGnyY7uM

The Roles of Teacher, Student, and Family. (n.d.). Retrieved February 9, 2019, from https://web.seesaw.me/

Seesaw. (n.d.). Retrieved February 9, 2019, from https://web.seesaw.me/

The Importance of Parent Involvement in Early Childhood Education. (n.d.). Retrieved February 9, 2019, from https://www.livestrong.com/article/155828-importance-of-parent-involvement-in-early-childhood/

[teaching-on-the-web-blog]

Blended Classrooms

Initial reaction to Blended Learning:

Love it! I genuinely love the idea of students having their time in the classroom devoted to working on the application of the knowledge they gain from the online (outside) portion of their learning. It seems like such an obvious step in the progression of the digital world and it affords teachers the opportunity to be on-hand when questions arise during assignments or project work. The fact that there are so many different types of blended learning also means that you can craft your classroom to your teaching style and to meet the needs of your students.

Favoured approach:

Hypothetically, my favourite approach would be Project-Based Blended Learning. I say hypothetically because I have not had the opportunity to implement any of these strategies and as such I am not aware of the unforeseen logistical concerns that may arise to change my opinion.

What I like most about this type of approach is that there is still considerable face-to-face interaction and coaching from the teacher. This is a very important aspect in my opinion. In my implementation of this I would ensure that the projects themselves are open and engaging but link concretely to learning objectives for assessment purposes.

Concerns:

With significant independence in their research of information comes the danger of gathering misinformation. As I already expounded on in a previous post, I feel the danger of accepting information at face value is great. Students would need to be instructed on the practices of checking for reputable sources and evaluating the authenticity of information.

SB

Resources - APA

12 Different Types of Blended Learning (Top Models). (2018, February 05). Retrieved February 04, 2019, from https://www.teachthought.com/learning/12-types-of-blended-learning/

Critical Evaluation. (n.d.). Retrieved February 04, 2019, from http://www.schrockguide.net/critical-evaluation.html

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Shyla Bruvall - Elements of Online Teaching ! ,

This diagram is an exploration of the elements of effective online teaching created by my classmates and myself.

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Thoughts on McGoughlin and Lee

When first reading The Three P’s of Pedagogy for the Networked Society: Personalization, Participation, and Productivity by McGoughlin and Lee I was struck by the clear distinction between the ‘versions’ of the Web. Web 2.0 seems a logical progression of the World Wide Web, but that is coming from someone who grew alongside it and so of course it seems natural. The idea that Pedagogy would need to grow and adapt along with it just logical, though I’m glad to see it explained and explored because often what seems to be common sense is overlooked.  

 I found their breakdown of Potential Pedagogical Applications to be an extremely useful way of expressing directly how to fit these two worlds together in meaningful and enriching ways. In particular I enjoyed how they move beyond the arguably more obvious applications to more creative and unusual ones and directly connected learner tasks to real world application in their Manifestation of Pedagogy 2.0 section.

While there are many aspects of the article that I agree with I found it to be repetitive and lacking in depth. Its call for connectivity and networking in education was only reinforced through repetition and lacked an impassioned argument. And I would go so far as to say that there are considerations that need to be made that are not taken into account in this 2008 article. For instance, the article only briefly touches on the users’ propensity to accept information at face value. In today’s world, nearly ten years past the publication of this article, this has had serious ramifications in our social and political worlds. Looking back to the 2016 US election, we see that the wide spread sharing of false information and news stories potentially had a significant impact on the outcome. In part this is a result of people’s inclination to accept information at face value. Allcott and Gentzkow at Standford University published the article Social media and Fake News in the 2016 Election in which they explore the potential impact that these things had on voter decisions. 

Overall I agree with the majority of McGoughlin and Lee’s points and when I did disagree it was a matter of semantics. There is a growing need to incorporate Web 2.0 in education. Our students today (in Western Society) have never existed in a world without instant communication, free and (mostly) unrestricted access to information, and endless education and entertaining content. To expect them to learn in an environment or a system that lacks these things is to do them a disservice. In my opinion. Beyond that, there is also a need to use the Web 2.0 to its fullest extent and allow our students to benefit from its capabilities to their fullest extent.

SB

Resources - APA

Allcott, H., & Gentzkow, M. (2017). Social Media and Fake News in the 2016 Election. Journal of Economic Perspectives. doi:10.3386/w23089

McLoughlin, C., & Lee, M. J. (2008). The Three P’s of Pedagogy for the Networked Society: Personalization, Participation, and Productivity. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education,20. Retrieved January 26, 2019.

[teaching-on-the-web-blog]

Elements of Effective Online Courses

As a student I often found online courses to be more challenging then their traditional counterparts. I grappled with teaching myself content that was not fully explained, understanding how much weight to lend each topic, and self-regulating arbitrary deadlines. In short, I was a mess during my first online course. But as with most trials, I learned from those experiences and in my future online courses I had already developed those necessary skills (somewhat). Looking back, I question whether those skills should have been so paramount.

If I am under the instruction of my teacher/professor, then why does my ability to teach myself determine my success in the course? Why did I not understand the breakdown of the course I was taking? And why was I not comfortable in reaching out to my professor to address any questions or concerns I had? I also wonder whether a lack of deadlines on the assignments is the best way to ensure student success?

These questions resurfaced as I read the numerous articles and resources surrounding this topic. Though I don’t have all the answers yet, I am starting to form an overall image of what effective online teaching looks like. It all comes down to making online classes effective for the students. Here’s what I found:

 The Interface is Imperative

It seems to be there is a consensus on this point. Regardless of what medium you are using to present the course (website, Moodle, Portal, Google Classroom, etc.) the interface that your students will interact with must be engaging, easy to navigate, and CLEAR. The last thing you want is students being confused or frustrated not by the content of the course, but by the layout of your interface. ____

 Kalpana Kambam in particular stresses the aspect of clear communication in the course through clarity of presented content. Her other insights into teaching online are worth a look as well. The link below will take you to her article.

https://blog.commlabindia.com/elearning-design/good-design-aspects-in-elearning-courses

 Humour Makes a Difference

One of the biggest challenges I was met with during my first online course was a lack of connection to the instructor. I did not feel confident reaching out for additional help and because of that my understanding of the content suffered. Going forward, I will endeavour to make those connections with my future students in these types of courses, to avoid repeating the cycle. One of the ways that is found to be the most effective in connecting with students is the use of humour.

“Humor in the classroom is something that research has shown to increase attention and focus while also helping to bridge the gap in distance learning and build important relationships between instructors and students.” (McCabe, Sprute, & Underdown, 2007, p. 6)

The above quote is from an article that appeared in the Journal of Instructional Research discussing humour’s use in building relationships and increasing learning in online classrooms. I would highly recommend this article. The link is below:

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1152964.pdf

 Solitude is Dangerous

Of course solitude is inevitable on this hedonistic, bloodstained, demoniac hunk of rock we call home, but the feeling of solitude is not conducive to students’ learning. (Question to ponder later: Dark humour... excessive?) Henry and Meadows point out the dangers of solitude in their article “An absolutely riveting online course: Nine principles for excellence in web-based teaching”. They go on to caution against students being left alone to process large amounts of course material and suggest that a sense of community must be developed to support these students in their learning endeavours (Henry & Meadows, 2008). The article presents some intriguing elements to consider when tackling on an online course.

  Overall, there must be an understanding that online teaching is not a hands-off process. It is not a matter of posting content and then checking back in at the end of the semester to mark the assignments. Rather it is a challenging undertaking that requires conscious thought of how to engage students, how to present material clearly and concisely, and how to help students build relationships with yourself and with each other. The three elements above are extremely important in this process but they are by no means the only requirements. There are an endless number of things to considering, such as the actual delivery and explanation of the content. There is an inherent difficulty in delivering the content by way of it not being in real time. Unless the students are required to sign on at a particular block of time, there is no instant feedback or response to questions that arise. These challenges are not to be brushed aside, but for every difficulty that may arise there are also positive outcomes of online courses.

 As I said, there are many things to take into consideration when developing an online course, but the three elements above are, I believe, a fantastic starting point in making sure your course is effective.

SB

Resources:

Henry, J., & Meadows, J. (2008). An absolutely riveting online course: Nine principles for excellence in web-based teaching. Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology / La Revue Canadienne De L’apprentissage Et De La Technologie,34(1). doi:10.21432/t20c7f

Kambam, K. (2015, June 03). Important Aspects of a Good Design in E-learning courses. Retrieved January 19, 2019, from https://blog.commlabindia.com/elearning-design/good-design-aspects-in-elearning-courses

Mccabe, C., Sprute, K., & Underdown, K. (2017). Laughter to learning: How humor can build relationships and increase learning in the online classroom. Journal of Instructional Research,6(1). doi:10.9743/jir.2017.9

[teaching-on-the-web-blog]

Introducing Myself

My name is Shyla Bruvall.

I am 22 years old.

I am Canadian

I am four months away from graduating from the University of Lethbridge with my Education Degree.

One of those facts tells you a lot about me....

It’s not the Canadian one! Although I do apologize an truly absurd amount, including to inanimate objects. Though I maintain that it has to be my fault because the wall can’t very well get out of my way now can it?

No, it’s the last one. I will be graduating with an Education Degree in four months. That means I am going to become a teacher. I don’t say that to clarify anything to you (you already know what that means), I say it because I can’t quiet believe it yet. That last bullet point probably tells you quiet a bit about me. It could tell you that I like apples. It could tell you that I adore small children. It could tell you that I have endless patience. It could tell you any number of things about me that may or may not be true.

What is true is that I enjoyed school growing up.  Of course I had rough years, incompatible teachers, and mean classmates but they were not enough to cloud my love of learning. I think, in part, that is why I chose the profession. I love learning and I hope that I can give students a positive opinion of learning too. 

During my years in Elementary, Junior High, and Senior High I got to experience this rapid growth of technology in the classroom. In my first years of elementary the technology was limited to one computer in the Library and a TV on wheels with a VHS.

By Grade 6 we had a computer lab and computer classes and by Senior High every student had a laptop and every classroom a SMARTBoard.

Watching this rapid growth gave me an insight into the possibilities of technology in the classroom. I’ve always believed that technology has its place in student learning. If they are growing up in a world where technology reigns, then they should be taught in an environment where it contributes. 

Though I’ve seen technology be used successfully in the classroom, I have very little experience of technology as the classroom. That is Web-Based Teaching. Essentially this is when the classroom exists online rather than in physical form. That is why I chose to take this course in my last semester. I want to challenge my understanding of what a classroom is and how learning must be structured.

SB