The first example of distributed learning that popped into my head is http://www.pd360.com/. This web site contains online staff development for educators. A second example that I located is Michigan Virtual University and Michigan Virtual School. This would be an example of academic distributed learning. They offer courses for Middle School, High School, and College students through virtual institutions. The third example is the TLT (Teaching, Learning, and Technology) Group. They offer online, distance, and hybrid courses. They are a not-for-profit group that helps college and university educators take advantage of changing technology so they can improve teaching and learning. A fourth example is The University of Wisconsin. They offer hybrid classes where students meet for tradition face-to-face classes but the majority of the instruction is online. The fifth example of distributed learning is Fielding Graduate University. They offer a PhD, EdD, Master’s or just a certificate through their Distributed Learning division. They offer both hybrid and virtual classes.
Since my goal I am trying to achieve is to become a librarian, I have taken several courses on library topics. I would have to pick my cataloging class as the one with the least reusability. The course seemed like it was outdated when I took it and did not feature many of the cataloging aspects that are available online. The course can be redesigned by teaching the same concepts but pulling in more technology. The information taught definitely needs to be learned to succeed in a library but the cataloging was much more difficult because we used outdated methods of finding information.
I am combining the visual for rich media with the discussion on nanotechnology. The graphic could be used in a high school course to help describe nanotechnology. On the surface there are graphics and words. Functionally, the visual gives factual information comparing the size of different objects to nanometers. After reading and doing some research on nanotechnology, I realized that I already use it in my classroom today. I use an iPod for my reading center. The iPod is a very small device that holds a very large amount of information. In my reading center, I have an iPod touch that is loading with audio of stories and the books that go with them. The students can grab a book, find the matching one on the iPod, and they are ready to go.
When comparing the two points of view on the direction of the field, I would have to agree with the broad and inclusive road. Each student learns in their own way and I do not want to limit them to the straight and narrow road. Students need to use their critical thinking skills and what they have previously learned to work out problems. Technology is changing so quickly that I think you need to think broadly and incorporate ideas that may seem “out of the box”.
I went to http://www.jobtarget.com/ and searched for library jobs in Texas. The first job I found that I was interested in was a posting for a librarian in Round Rock ISD. The skills were not listed but the following were given as duties and responsibilities. Supervise and manage the school library media center. Provide services and resources that allow students to develop skills in locating, evaluating, synthesizing and using information to solve problems. Serve as teacher, materials expert, and curriculum adviser to involve the library media center in the instructional programs of the school. They are looking for someone with a Master of Library and Information Science degree and at least five years of teaching experience. When I graduate in May I will meet the requirements for the job. Corsicana ISD is also looking for a certified librarian. The skills listed for this position are a knowledge of library science, ability to instruct and manage student behavior, and strong organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills. They require two years of experience in a library/media center setting in a public school setting. This would be a good position but since I do not have experience in a library, there is no point in applying for it. The third position that I looked at was for a Library Assistant in Odessa. The skills required for this position are a proficiency with keyboarding and file maintenance, ability to file books following district cataloging system, effective communication and interpersonal skills, and an ability to work well with students. I would over qualified for this position but it would be a good starting point to get my foot in the door in a school system.
For my self-assessment I went to http://www.careeronestop.org/. The Ability Profiler that I found on that site had to be administered by another individual. I went to google and searched self-assessments and found the online version of the assessment at http://www.iseek.org/careers/skillsAssessment. According to this self-assessment, the best job match for me is vocational education teacher at the postsecondary level. That is a big difference from my current job of teaching first grade. At least I know the profession is correct, even though the grade level is way off. The other career that matched up with my profile was general and operations managers. My career goal is to become a public school librarian. In some ways, that falls under both teacher and management. I guess I am headed down the correct path, even if my aim is with children instead of postsecondary adults.
The first professional organization that I whose website I visited was AECT (Association for Educational Communications and Technology). I chose this organization because it was one that I had heard of before. The website is http://www.aect.org/. AECT defines itself as “an international professional association dedicated to providing leadership in educational communications and technology by linking professionals holding a common interest is the use of technology and its application to the learning process.” Membership costs range from $75.00 for a student to $400.00 for a corporate membership. AECT offers its members ETR&D (Educational Technology Research and Development) and TechTrends as journals. They also offer The International Journal of Designs for Learning and Journal of Applied Instructional Design as online journals. Many other publications are offered at a discount for AECT members. The 2011 AECT International Convention was held in Florida during November. They will be holding the 2012 Research Symposia during July in Kentucky. Their website is difficult to navigate and I was not able to determine what types of professional development was offered. The second professional organization that I checked out was ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education). This is another organization that I had heard of before but was not very familiar with. The website for this ISTE is http://iste.org/. In the United States, memberships range from $39.00 for a student to $291.00 for a premium membership. ISTE publishes Learning & Leading with Technology, Journal of Research on Technology in Education (JRTE), Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education (JDLTE), and Journal for Computing Teachers (JCT). Some of the professional development offered by ISTE is The NETS Leadership Academy, ISTE webinars, and a NETS aligned graduate-certificate. ISTE 2012 will be held in San Diego. The following video is for the convention.
Most of the journals that I have read during my term in graduated school have been related to the library science field or were just an article that was found using the ebsco databases. The first journal that I visited was T.H.E. Journal found at http://www.thejournal.com/. This was the first journal to cover educational technology. THE Journal is offered both online and in print. I did not find any evidence of it being peer reviewed. According to their website, “THE Journal is dedicated to informing and educating K-12 senior-level district and school administrators, technologists, and tech-savvy educators within districts, schools, and classrooms to improve and advance the learning process through the use of technology.” This website contains so much information that I was not able to find the submission guidelines. I did find a calendar and was able to determine that pitches for articles needed to be made approximately four months before the issue date. The second journal that I looked at was Learning and Instruction. This journal is peer reviewed and is available online. Learning and Instruction is an international, multi-disciplinary journal that provides a platform for the publication of the most advanced high-quality research in the areas of learning, development, instruction and teaching. I was not able to get to the submission information with being a member of Earli and signing into the submissions area of the site. I think that joining professional organizations and reading professional journals are very important in my career. Technology changes so quickly now and reading these journals is the best way to keep up with current technology and finding out what has been successfully used by others in the same field.
If I was responsible for identifying the domains, competencies, and performance statements for a performance technologist, I would include design, development, utilization, and management because a performance technologist must be able to design instructional systems, develop the system into a usable model, utilize it and train others on it, and then continue to manage the system while it is in use. The competencies would be to determine the project that is appropriate for the performance area, write statements about learner outcome, utilize media and technology in training, and monitor instructional development programs. The performance statement would be that the performance technologists must be able to determine the need, train and assist workers with the use of technology, stay current with research, and monitor projects that are currently in use.
Rapid prototyping can be used in education in many ways. As I read several different articles about rapid prototyping, I realized that the project that I mentioned in my last blog is a form of rapid prototyping. I am using their prototype in my classroom as I assess the needs and analyze the content provided by The Electric Company. I am supplying feedback to the creators of the prototype so they can continue to improve the final product. The rapid prototype that I am currently working with is a database. I found a slideshare presentation about rapid prototyping that uses an airplane as an example of a rapid prototype. It is very informative to watch.
When using the Full Spectrum of training products several things need to be considered. The rank/capability of the learners, the skill level of the learners, and the environment in which they are in all must be considered when planning the training. The training usually begins when the learners are in a classroom setting and there is plenty of technology available. As the learners transfer out of the classroom and onto the bases, technology is not as easily accessible. It only gets worse as the learners are deployed to different areas of the world. I would suggest the same alternatives as what are mentioned in the textbook. The Marine Corps is placing Deployable Learning Resource Centers so that the deployed soldiers and personnel can have access to the network so that can continue to be trained using the courseware provided by the Marine Corp.
Since I work in a school district where one of the campuses is in Stage 3 of school improvement, I think that we need a radical educational change. I think the best staff development activity that would introduce both methodologies to my colleagues would be a power point presentation introducing both the Step-Up-To-Excellence methodology and the GSTE. Slides would be created showing how the two are similar and how they are different, as well as the pros and cons of each one. Each phase will be presented and we would discuss if a radical change is what the district really needs. Before presenting the staff development to my colleagues, I would discuss it in great length with the administrators. Either of these plans would have to start at the top and work their way down. I like the way that with the SUTE method the Strategic Leadership Team is appointed by their peers, not the superintendent.
The first university office for faculty development that I researched was the Office of Faculty and Organizational Development at Michigan State University (http://fod.msu.edu/). It is under the Office of the Provost. They are divided into two separate strands: Faculty and Instructional Development and Organizational and Leadership Development. They offer a wide variety of seminars and workshops for both strands. They also offer cohort programs, co-sponsored opportunities, consultation/services for instructors and for academic leaders, and several different orientations to fit the needs of all new faculty. They also offer on-demand online seminars for the faculty. At Harvard (http://www.faculty.harvard.edu/) they have Faculty Development and Diversity. It is led by the Office of the Senior Vice Provost. They offer a New Ladder Faculty Institute each year as an orientation for new faculty. They have an area on their website (Teaching and Advising) that contains resources for their faculty. The programs and services that they offer are not as easily located as on the MSI site. Fayetteville State University (http://www.uncfsu.edu/facultydevelopment/) features the Office of Faculty Development. They offer many services to its faculty including workshops, consulting services, classroom observation (by request), and a lecture series. They also help with curriculum and instructional development.
In the school setting, I feel that the main performance problem among teachers is getting their students to be successful on state tests. Our district is providing access to PD360 which is an online professional development site that offers on demand professional development 24 hours a day on a wide variety of topics. While that is an instructional solution to the problem, the district could tie some non instructional incentives in with it. By monitoring the use of the site, administration could reward employees for completing a certain amount of staff development programs.
Dictionary.com gives the following as their definition of EPSS: A system that provides electronic task guidance and support to the user at the moment of need. EPSS can provide application help, reference information, guided instructions and/or tutorials, subject matter expert advice and hints on how to perform a task more efficiently. An EPSS can combine various technologies to present the desired information. The information can be in the form of text, graphical displays, sound, and video presentations. I like this definition because it gives information about what it is, what it can do, and what form it can be in. I think that EPSS has not been widely used widely because it would be very time-consuming and costly to set one up for each individual business. I do not think that they will become more prevalent in the future because the internet is so easily accessible now by the majority of the people. With the major search engines available on the internet, a person can find solutions to almost any problem they run in to. Why would a company spend money to develop an EPSS when the information can be found on the internet for free? I found the following YouTube video that explains EPSS and is very informative.
As a teacher, one of the main problems that my co-workers have is using the online grade book. Right now, their solution to the problem is sending either the PEIMS clerk or myself an instant message and expecting us to drop what we are currently doing, for me it is usually teaching my class, and come help them solve their problem. By having a knowledge management system in place, the other teachers could access the information system on their computer and troubleshoot their problem. There would still be times when a more blended approach would be needed and a person would be needed to assist the other teachers. Initially the teachers would have to be trained on the use of the knowledge management system. Overall, I think that it would be very beneficial to the entire district to have a knowledge management system in place.
There are many examples of informal learning that I have been exposed to in my adult life. I have been on trips to London and Paris where I have visited famous landmarks and museums to satisfy my own curiosity. I have taken part in online professional development just because it was an area that I was interested in. I have read many books on topics such as behavior just to see if I can improve the everyday operations of my classroom. Friday I received a newsletter from TCEA and one of the sections in the newsletter said that PlayScience, is looking for help from first and second grade teachers with the development of an online database of literacy skills content from The Electric Company. I filled out the survey and was accepted into the program. I will spend the three weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas incorporating their content into my literacy lessons and allowing my students to engage in the activities using my interactive whiteboard. I will also spend time each week chatting online with others that were accepted into the program. What better way to learn informally than by getting to play with their content that is appropriate for the students in my classroom. I expect the experience to be very engaging. I have gone to the website and looked around and it is full of videos, songs, and worksheets that are geared for six to nine year olds. The role that I will be playing will be that of a user of the product to see if it something that other first grade teachers will want to use in their classroom. I do not expect there to be a teacher since this is being done by a company. There will probably be a facilitator to keep the discussions going. I think this will be a very interesting way to informally learn about the content database provided by PlayScience.
There are many different instructional design models that can be found on the internet. Besides the CIPP and Kirkpatrick models presented in the textbook, I chose to learn about the Dick and Carey model and the Knirk and Gustafson model. The Dick and Carey model of instructional design contains 9 stages. The first stage is Instructional Goals. In this stage, the instructional goals need to be established and a needs assessment needs to be completed. Stage 2 is Instructional Analysis. The purpose of this stage is to determine what skills will be involved in reaching a goal. A task analysis, information-processing analysis, and learning-task analysis need to be completed in this stage. Stage 3 is Entry Behaviors and Learner Characteristics. The purpose of this stage is to determine which of the required enabling skills the learners will bring to the learning task. This stage includes intellectual skills, abilities such as verbal comprehension and spatial orientation, and traits of personality. Stage 4 is Performance Objectives. The purpose of this stage is to translate the needs and goals into specific and detailed objectives. The functions of this stage are determining whether the instruction is related to its goals, focusing the lesson planning on appropriate conditions of learning, guiding the development of measures of learner performance, and assisting learners in their study efforts. Stage 5 is Criterion-Referenced Test Items. These test items are used to diagnose if an individual possesses the necessary prerequisites for learning new skills, to check the results of student learning during the process of a lesson, and to provide a document of students progress for parents or administrators. It is useful in evaluating the instructional system itself. Stage 6 is Instructional Strategy. The purpose of this stage is to outline how instructional activities will relate to the accomplishment of the objectives. The best lesson design at this stage will demonstrate knowledge about the learners, tasks reflected in the objectives, and the effectiveness of teaching strategies. Stage 7 is Instructional Materials. The purpose of this stage is to select printed or other media intended to convey events of instruction. This stage uses existing materials whenever possible and includes the need for development of new materials. Stage 8 is the Formative Evaluation. The purpose of this stage is to provide data for revising and improving instructional materials. Instruction is revised in this stage to make it as effective as possible for larger numbers of students. A formative evaluation is conducted one on one, in a small group, or as a field trial. The final stage is the Summative Evaluation. The purpose of this stage is to stud the effectiveness of the system as a whole. It is conducted after the system has passed through its formative stage and can be conducted on a small scale or large scale and over a short period or a long period. The following picture shows the Dick and Carey model.
The Knirk and Gustafson model is a three stage process which includes problem determination, design and development. The problem determination stage includes identification of the problem, definition of the pedagogical goals and identification of what the learners can do. The design stage includes developing objectives and specifying strategies, and the development stage includes development of materials, testing and revision.
If I was using one of these two methods to evaluate my teaching, I would use the Knirk and Gustafson model. As a teacher of first graders, I think the Dick and Carey model is a little too involved. In the problem determination phase, I would figure out why some of my students are not learning what is being taught. I would then develop objectives and specify some strategies that I have not previously used to see if a different approach brings different results. I would then develop the new materials, test them out to see if I saw improvement in my students and do any revision work necessary so that my teaching will bring about successful students.
Last year, the technology department at our school purchased some wireless Mimio devices. These devices turn any ordinary white board into an interactive whiteboard. The relative advantage of these devices is that they are cheaper than buying an actual interactive whiteboard and they are portable. They are compatible with the hardware that is already located in each teacher’s classroom. The devices are extremely easy to use and there is a website that gives users access to a large number of pre-made lessons. The device is so easy to use that even a kindergarten student can use it successfully. Even though the devices are wonderful, they were not widely adopted on my campus due to teachers unwilling to change their teaching styles to include technology.
If I was assigned to develop a series of professional development sessions focusing on technology use in the classroom I would begin by being directive, detailed, and supervisory without being overbearing (phase 1). I would give each member of my team specific instructions about what I need for them to accomplish and a timeline for when it needs to be completed. As my team becomes more confident in my abilities as their leader (phase 2), I will explain why we are doing the project and answer any questions that my team members may have. I will also reward them for their accomplishments on the project. As I enter into phase 3, I will make sure that the goals of our project are being accomplished as a team and will reward them for their hard work and effort. In the fourth phase, I will step back and supervise and let them work together and make their own decisions to complete the project without me watching over them and making them nervous.
This week the principal was in my first grade classroom for the evaluation that she does of me every two years. I did a lesson on verbs and then some sorting activities using verbs and nouns. I decided to base this week’s blog on the lesson I would have created for my evaluation if I was required to use learning theories. I had a very difficult time getting my table to post so there is a huge gap in my blog before my table shows up. Please keep scrolling so you can see the table.
1. My goal is for my students to be able to decide if a given word is a verb or a noun with at least 80% mastery. The first learning theory that I would use in creating my lesson is the Cognitive Information Processing Theory. I am a very hands-on type of teacher and I like for my students to learn by doing. We will connect prior knowledge by looking at verbs and physically doing the action that is on the card. The students will use their personal memory banks to know what action goes with each word. They will learn that if the word on the card is something that they can physically do it is a verb. We will use the Schema Theory to do a sorting activity with verbs and nouns. The students will work as a group to sort word cards into the categories of verbs and nouns. This activity will help the students create schemata that they can store in their long-term memory.
2. I found a paper written about Gagne’s Nine Events of Instruction at http://de.ryerson.ca/portals/de/assets/resources/Gagne. The paper was written for The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education, Ryerson University. I used the information that was given in the paper to do my compare/contrast chart between Gagne and the “First Principles”.
Gagne’s Nine Events of Instruction
How they are the same as “First Principles”
How they are different from “First Principles”
1.Gain Attention
Gagne feels that it is important to arouse the attention of students with novelty or surprise.“First Principles” begins with stimulating recall of prior learning.
2.Inform Learner of Objectives
Gagne feels that it is important to inform learners of the expectations you have of them.
3.Stimulate Recall of Prior Learning
Both feel that students retain concepts and new information better if the concepts are related to something they already know. In this way, they can make the connection to their personal experiences and the learning will be more meaningful.“First Principles” refers to this as Activation.
4.Present Stimulus Material
Both feel that students need to be shown, rather than just told, what they need to be learning.“First Principles” refers to this as Demonstration
5.Provide Learner Guidance
Gagne feels that communication between the teacher and students is very important for guidance.Guidance also comes from visual materials.
6.Elicit Performance
Both feel that the practice should be consistent with the stated or implied objectives. “First Principles” refers to this as Application.
7.Provide Feedback
Both feel that practice should be followed by corrective feedback.
8.Assess Performance
Both feel that assessments should be consistent with the stated objectives.
9.Enhance Retention and Transfer
Both feel that what is learned should be carried over and applied to situations outside of the classroom.“First Principles” refers to this as Integration.
If I was using the first principles to create my lesson on verbs, I would Activate prior knowledge by having the students act out the words on the verb cards. I would Demonstrate the difference between a verb and a noun by showing the students that verbs are words that show actions whereas a noun just names something. We would work together to sort out word cards into the categories of verbs and nouns using a large mat on the floor. Students would continue to Apply what they learned by individually completing a foldable word sort on verbs and nouns. Students would Integrate what they learned about individual words in the future when writing sentences. Students know that a sentence must contain a noun and a verb so this activity will carry over into their sentence writing.
3. Since the whole-task approach is showing students how the lesson applies in everyday life, I would have the students create a list of all of the actions (verbs) that they do during a regular day of school. We would discuss how important those words are that describe their actions. I would also read them a book and leave out all of the verbs so they could see how the verbs are needed for sentences to make sense. With the scaffolding approach, I would ask the students questions about their every day actions that would require more critical thinking to come up with the answers. With the Mathemagenic Method, I would teach the students how every noun must have a verb to tell what it does so that they will be able to transfer that information into their writing and speaking.
4. Motivation Attention: Perceptual Arousal-Play a game of charades using verbs Inquiry Arousal-Create a list of verbs that students call out Variability-Teacher led/hands on activities/independent activity Relevance: Goal Orientation-My students need to see the written words and have some help reading the words. Motive Matching-Provide students with two choices (verbs or nouns) Familiarity-Discuss the actions that are done by the students every day at school. Confidence: Learning Requirements-State the objectives at the beginning of the lesson so students know what they are responsible for. Success Opportunities-Give students several opportunities to be successful and provide encouraging feedback when they are incorrect. Personal Control-Praise students for their good work and for trying hard. Satisfaction: Intrinsic Reinforcement-Provide practice opportunities over the next several weeks so students can continue to improve their knowledge of verbs. Extrinsic Rewards-Provide students with a small treat such as a sticker or pencil for work that is well done. Equity-I will continually praise my students to build their self esteem.
5. The benefits of engaging in design research is that you can study your students and decide which type of learning theory will work best for each student. Each student learns a little bit differently and it takes many different approaches to get everyone in the class to learn the same content.
If I was using the first principles to create my lesson on verbs, I would Activate prior knowledge by having the students act out the words on the verb cards. I would Demonstrate the difference between a verb and a noun by showing the students that verbs are words that show actions whereas a noun just names something. We would work together to sort out word cards into the categories of verbs and nouns using a large mat on the floor. Students would continue to Apply what they learned by individually completing a foldable word sort on verbs and nouns. Students would Integrate what they learned about individual words in the future when writing sentences. Students know that a sentence must contain a noun and a verb so this activity will carry over into their sentence writing.
1. As I reflect upon the definition that the textbook gives for Instructional Technology, I have to be honest and say that I am one of the people who equated the term instructional technology with instructional media. As a first grade teacher, I use technology on a daily basis with my students but what I use would probably only be considered media. We use computers, smart boards, iPods, wireless keyboards, tablets, etc., in my classroom every day. We use the internet to access lessons from our curriculum and we use games from different web sites to practice our spelling words and math facts. Teachers use the computer to take attendance, keep up with our grades, and allow the students to take Accelerated Reader tests. The district “IT” guys are the guys who work on the computers and networks. I have a feeling that by the time I am finished with this course, I will see things in a new light. For my work environment I would define Instructional Technology as the use of technology by teachers to enhance and enrich the learning environment for all students.
2. The six characteristics of instructional design are that it is learner centered and goal oriented, focuses on meaningful performance, assumes outcomes can be measured in a reliable and a valid way, is empirical, iterative, and self-correcting, and it is typically a team effort. When looking at the model presented by Dick, Carey, and Carey, I would keep it basically the same except I would split up the very last step of designing and conducting summative evaluation. I think that the evaluation needs to be designed at the same time that the performance objectives are written. The evaluation cannot be conducted until the end but I feel that it needs to be designed at an earlier stage. I would have to say that in my work environment, we are not very good at instructional design. We rely on the design that the curriculum writers present to us. As a teacher, I analyze the information that the textbook developers provide us and use their suggestions to develop my plans for the week. I spend the week implementing the curriculum with my students and then my students are evaluated at the end of the week on what they were taught. I am adding a slideshare of The Addie Model. This helps explain what it is.
3. As I read this chapter, I could see myself sitting in a third grade classroom watching a filmstrip using a film projector. I remember how the filmstrip would break and start flapping around and have to be taped back together. Wow! Technology has come a long way since then-and I am only in my thirties. Today, technology is used on a daily basis. With the use of a projector connected to a computer, a television is no longer needed in the classroom to show visual instruction. Almost anything can be streamed via the internet and shown to the class. My district subscribes to Discovery Education so we have instant access to educational programming for our students. As teachers, we have access to PD360 which is an online site that offers staff development at all times. We have gotten accustomed to having everything needed at our fingertips, thanks to the world wide web. Our Junior High has recently received a grant which will provide all of the seventh and eighth grade students with a tablet computer to use at school and at home. This is the direction that technology is headed is education for all levels. There are so many degrees offered online now that I see the number of adults enrolled in continuing education to grow by leaps and bounds. Adults can now take classes online and not have to worry about finding time to sit in a classroom for hours while holding down a full time job and raising a family. The same is true with Higher Education. The only reason I was able to go back to school to earn my Masters Degree is because the entire program is online. The use of technology in the K12 classrooms will continue to grow as well. I have watched music in the classrooms transform from cassette tapes to cd’s to iPods. My students can grab the iPod and read along as they listen to stories on it. The days of the heavy tape players that ate the cassettes and the monster headphones are over. I feel that the use of interactive white boards will continue to grow and in a few years will be a staple item in every classroom. The use of cloud computing is making group projects easier because the students can work together from their own houses instead of having to find a time when everyone can meet to work on it. I can see the use of a blog like this one to be a very handy tool in K12 reading classrooms. What a great way to report on books that have been read and a new and fun way to do a book report. Students as young as kindergarten could make blog entries about books that they read or listened too. I have a son in first grade this year and I cannot wait to see what types of media will be available to him by the time he graduates high school.
