CEDO 550 - Final Post

Predicting the future of online learning is about impossible.  If you would have asked me 15 years ago to predict the future of education I wouldn't have said that a huge percentage of students would be learning online.  I do think that down the road most of our learning will be done online, but I don't think it will or should ever replace the traditional f2f learning.  I think in the future most of higher education and high schools will offer more classes online than a more traditional format.  I don't see that being the same for lower elementary students.  I am still not sure how an online class would work for younger students. 

I do think there are a lot of things that need to be considered before we go to online learning as our primary way of learning.  What set of standards will online schools follow?  Will it be dependent on the state the program originates out of or will there be a new set of standards for online schools?  How will the offer online classes for lower income students?  How will online schools promote social skills?  Will they provide access to extra curricular activities?

I do think online learning can fix a lot of problems that we see in education today, but it can't replace the traditional f2f education students also need to succeed.

CEDO 550 - Web 2.0 Tools

I agree with the article "Web 2.0 Use May Not Be Formative Assessment".  Using things like clickers should not be considered a tool for formative assessment.  Most survey tools or clickers just find out what students don't know.  They don't provide students with ways to monitor or diagnose their responses.  If Web 2.0 tools are going to be used as a formative assessment I think you would have to use a combination of tools.  Survey tools or clickers could help students figure out what they don't know.  Blogs or wikis can help them monitor their response by obtaining feedback from their peers or a teacher.  Things like Flikr or Twitter can help students better understand a concept.  Overall, I think there are a lot of great Web 2.0 tools available and they can be used to better enhance any lesson, but I am not sure there is one tool that is great to use for Formative Assessments.

CEDO 550 - Roles of the online teacher

This week we learned about the four roles of an online instructor. Becoming an online instructor is something I have been seriously considering, but am not sure I am qualified for. It was nice to see what the roles of an online instructor are and spent a lot of time conteplating if this is something that I am truly interested in. Below is a chart of the areas I would need to work on in order to be an effective online instructor.

Instructor 1. Stimulating discussion - I could work on this by using this strategy in my current classroom when discussing our novels. 2. Referring to outside resources - I don’t feel I have the knowledge to always relate/refer discussions to other sources. I could improve this by subscribing to more blogs and rss feeds in order to keep up to date on new ideas.	Social Director Due to this cohort, this is one area I feel rather confident in. I feel I could provide both synchronous and asynchronous activities as well as monitor students work/interactions.
Technician 1. Technical help - I am afraid I don’t know enough about computers to help students from a distance. In order to be better prepared for this aspect I would need to do a little more research as well as learn resources to rely on. This is an area that through time I could easily become proficient at.	Program Manager 1. Overseeing course structure - I am not sure I am ready to coordinate a whole online learning class. In order to become confident in structuring an online course I would review other online courses.

New Addition!

Here are a few pictures of our new baby girl. Vivian Loraine was born Tuesday, April 24th. She was 6lbs. 14 ozs. We are all doing well although it has been quite the adjustment to go from one kid to two!!

CEDO 550 - Compare and Contrast Learning Styles

There are many different learning opportunities for students these days.  Online learning is a great alternative for students who are motivated, need a flexible schedule, and like alternative learning opportunities.  It is also a great way to connect with how students learn now.  So many of them are use to using online tools and learning using new and innovative interfaces.  Online learning helps to connect to students unique learning styles.

Blended learning is a great way to combine online learning and face to face learning in order to reach all students.  This type of learning allows students to use online tools, but also gives them face time with their teacher and other students.  It is a great way to allow for collaboration and independence.

Finally, face to face or traditional learning, is great for students who need constant, instant feedback.  All three types of learning have their benefits and drawbacks depending on what type of learner the student is and the goals of the class.

Here is the link to my Venn diagram.