Flight path update
Looking back at the flight path that I set for myself, it strikes me how far I have come mentally through just one course. Let’s take a look at my general goals:
- to become a more effective classroom teacher.
- to become an instructional leader in the area of technology and an effective manager of technological resources.
- I hope to research and become more familiar with resources pertaining particularly to managing tech in elementary school settings.
There are a lot of things that can be applied to becoming “a more effective classroom teacher”, and I think that was too broad a description. That said, progress in the second and third goals has definitely been made, especially through learning about theories and frameworks for managing and selection technology, as well as through the experience of learning about how LMS’s work in general. Through understanding the frameworks (especially SECTIONS, and the Seven Principles)
In my flight plan, I wrote that one of my specific goals was:
- Learning Management Systems (LMS): I have never worked with an LMS, and so I look forward to learning the fundamentals in this area.
This was certainly accomplished through the process of working through the Moodle projects. I learned about Moodle, some LMS principles in general, and also about my specific preferences when it comes to designing courses.
Learning about Bates and Poole’s (2003) SECTIONS framework was foundational for me, as it gave me one to look back on for this goal:
- Social software: Having used these both free resources in haphazard ways as an individual, and also in a more systematic and intentional way within an organization, I hope to use established frameworks to set policies with regard to safety and effective use.
In an indirect way – through the use of video and social media, I worked toward my third goal, but I think that compared to the other two, this is the one that was the least impacted by my learning in this course.
- Multimedia: Due to resources that I know have access to, I am delving into this sphere and look forward to using it increasingly with my students and learning more about its’ effective use.
elearning toolkit experience
I found the e-learning toolkit to be valuable resource. I found using WordPress manageable as I have had some experience with the Blogger platform, but I would not have been able to accomplish anything in Moodle had I not had the resources of the toolkit as well as various other resources on the web in general. The toolkit provided a start, and a jumping off point from which I could search and try other venues. I would have appreciated even more Moodle resources, in fact – perhaps addressing GUI and splash page set-up, as it seems that this is where several of us stumbled.
OVERALL ETEC 565A experience
This was a “big” course for me, and one that I definitely won’t forget. It was my very first course in my MET degree and the learning curve was steep – or as a fellow student put it, a “drop-off” where I did indeed fall off the cliff a few times. I am ultimately pleased with the fact that I managed to crawl and climb up again, but not without some scars. I won’t forget this experience because of the hard-fought lessons that I will carry through the rest of my degree to be sure.
Having returned to being a student after so many years, I was rustier than expected, and I certainly had a steep learning curve with respect to being comfortable in and succeeding in an online environment. I had not anticipated how different it would be from a traditional classroom environment. I think that I also made some classic “rookie” errors that I will advise others to avoid, and ensure that I don’t make again. The lack of in-person accountability in the online environment requires a regularity and self-discipline that is hard to understand until you suffer the perils of not doing so. Due to a few circumstances, I was thrown off my routine, and found it extremely difficult – almost impossibly so, to return to the routine and the flow of the course. It made a challenging (for me) course doubly difficult. However, I would most definitely take this course again as the theoretical and practical lessons I learned both about being a better online student, as well as being a better technology teacher, are invaluable.
I have found myself wishing at several points that I had taken this course near the end of my program vs. as my first course. I believe that I would have gotten more out of the course and would also have been able to contribute more fully to the discussions and assignments. (Due to a mix-up of my acceptance letter at the Registrar’s office, course registration was only open to me when this was the only option remaining). I think that it would have been a richer experience for me, and I think that I would have been a better on-line student, which would have given me a better base to tackle the tough Moodle assignment. I think that it is overall an excellent course.
Readings
The National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers (2008) is now the profile that I use to measure myself against. Futhermore, I think that it should be given to every teacher in teachers college, and in the workplace. Reading it led me to further explore the standards for students as well as for administrators. I will definitely be using this to inform my decisions for technology use in my classes. In addition, the theoretical frameworks, of both Anderson readings as well as Bates & Poole’s SECTION framework are now permanently in my “handbook” of teaching with technology.
The short Wesch (2008) A Vision of Students Today (& What Teachers Must Do) was my favourite of the entire course. It reinforced exactly where I am in my teaching career and inspired me to work harder to create a learning environment for my students that is engaging. The school where I am currently teaching is dedicated to addressing 21st century learners, and also highly committed to providing relevant technological tools for students. My current work environment and the MET program, and specifically this course are intersecting in a way that is very satisfying. The vision that Wesch puts forward is a compelling one that I can see as being at the same time attainable in a sense, and a moving goal where teachers will always be challenged to meet the classrooms that are now “fundamentally changed”.
Discussions & Blogging
Despite my initial discomfort with the on-line discussion format, I really enjoyed the discussions of the course. I found it very interesting to hear perspectives from those who are from very different work environments than mine. I learned so much from other professionals, particularly those who have been working in a technology-rich environment for longer than me. I had hoped to encounter more elementary teachers, but perhaps the ratios are reflective of technology specialists in the marketplace.
The blogging and reflection aspects of the course were also highly enjoyable and useful. We often speak in education circles of being “reflective practitioners”, but in real-life practice, we are often too busy “doing” vs. “reflecting”.
On-line community
Despite my initial scepticism of how much community can be formed on-line, I am a believer now that this is possible. From the initial voice greeting and introduction, the weekly discussions, Natasha’s responses, and the one group assignment to seeing others’ blogs develop over time, I did feel that the community truly developed. I also noticed that there was community and relationships built between those who have been in the program for several semesters, and the dialog between them was both interesting and encouraging as I hope to get to know my fellow students better.
It was also appealing to me that I simultaneously participated hands-on in an on-line learning environment for the first time while also learning about the theories and frameworks that underscored the creation of that environment.
Challenges
My journey through this course has very much been a journey through learning how to take an online course. I have learned that it is not simply a matter of transferring a classroom course onto the internet. This seems so obvious now, but I frankly, I did not realize this.
Since this is the only MET course that I have taken so far, I don’t have a frame of reference, but being an elementary school teacher, I felt that overall the course seemed to be geared toward high school and higher education: the articles, discussion items, and finally the Moodle course. One of the challenges that I faced early on was that Moodle didn’t seem conducive to creating an elementary course, especially with my novice experience level with Moodle. Despite my general aversion to Moodle, I am proud of what I have created – lacking as it is of some of the sophistication and elements that I would have like to have added, and I will be showing it to the person who is in charge of the in-person course as a possibility to draw more people into taking the volunteer course. Ultimately, I am a pragmatist, and am always looking for real-life application to any courses/workshops that I take, and so I am really satisfied that my Moodle experience has potential as I continue to teach the volunteer course.
The lessons that I will take away from this experience is having gained a behind-the-scenes machinery of an LMS, and I appreciate learning about the possibilities and structures of LMS’s in general – from both BlackBoard and creating a course in Moodle. I also discovered my priorities in relating to LMS’s – that I value ease in terms of the LMS itself, so that I can devote my finite time and energy resources to course content, and also on face to face interaction, as this will always be an important part of elementary education.
NEXT STEPS
I greatly look forward to the next term of courses, including Technology in the Arts and Humanities Classroom for challenge and ideas that I can implement in my classroom, and Constructivist Strategies for E-Learning, as I have general knowledge of constructivism, but not specific enough for application to e-learning. Many of the students seem to refer to knowledge acquired in this course.
Professionally, I am fortunate to have a wonderful community of learners including leaders at work with whom I can engage in fruitful dialog about the frameworks, theories, and issues that I have learned in this class. Ultimately, I hope to return to administration and I know that my experience through this class, degree, as well as the practical application of my learning as a classroom teacher will guide and inform my decisions as a leader.
References
Anderson, T. (2008a). Towards a theory of online learning. In T. Anderson & F. Elloumi (Eds.), Theory and practice of online learning. Edmonton AB: Athabasca University. Retrieved from http://www.aupress.ca/books/120146/ebook/02_Anderson_2008-Theory_and_Practice_of_Online_Learning.pdf
Anderson, T. (2008b). Teaching in an online learning context. In Anderson, T. & Elloumi, F.Theory and practice of online learning. Athabasca University. Retrieved from http://www.aupress.ca/books/120146/ebook/14_Anderson_2008-Theory_and_Practice_of_Online_Learning.pdf
Bates, A.W. and Poole, G. (2003) Effective Teaching with Technology in Higher Education: Foundations for Success. New York: Wiley, John & Sons, Incorporated.
Chickering, A. W., & Gamson, Z. F. (1987). Seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education. American Association for Higher Education Bulletin, 39(7), 3-7. Retrieved from http://www.aahea.org/articles/sevenprinciples1987.htm
Chickering, A. W., & Ehrmann, S., C. (1996). Implementing the seven principles: Technology as lever. American Association for Higher Education Bulletin, 49(2), 3-6. Retrieved from http://www.aahea.org/articles/sevenprinciples.htm
National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_for_Teachers_2008.htm
Wesch, M. (2007). A vision of students today (& What teachers must do). Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/blogs/2008/10/a-vision-of-students-today-what-teachers-must-do/