A Wrap Up: Where do we go from here?

One hour, twice a week, every other week.  That is the total amount of time our fifth grade students spend in the computer lab over the course of the year.  I’m reiterating this statement from the introduction so you can see if you have a different feeling reading it after all that has been discussed.  Is it enough?  Is it enough time to have students blog, to flip a classroom, to engage in challenge-based learning?  The list goes on, but the answer remains the same.  No, that is not enough time or exposure to technology for our students.

The benefits of flexibility and customization, the abundant resources, and higher parent involvement are all great reasons to implement more technology into the classroom.  With flipped classrooms, student blogs, challenge-based learning, microlectures, and online learning modules, the possibilities are endless.  Also, the online classroom is nothing to be afraid of.  Many teachers already employ the same strategies in a traditional classroom that can be carried into the virtual one.  With all of these great advantages of using technology in the classroom, what else can be said except, “Let’s get started!”

Best Practices: Assessment

I feel like a broken record, but much of the same ways we assess students in the traditional classroom can be applied to the virtual classroom.  First, virtual teachers must ensure that they are testing their students in multiple ways (DiPietro, et al, 2008).  For example, just like in the traditional classroom, the virtual classroom should not entirely consist of multiple-choice assessments.  Teachers in both settings must mix up the assessment styles to ensure student success.

Virtual teachers must also address multiple styles of learning in their assessments (DiPietro et al., 2008).  For example, a virtual teacher interviewed for “Best Practices in Teaching K-12 Online: Lessons Learned From Michigan School Teachers” stated “I really feel that the assessments are much better online ...In an online environment you have many ways to be able to assess a student, discussion boards. I am sure you are familiar with those, is really good for students who may not be good test takers but [sic]are able to talk about what they are learning, so having them do that in a discussion board environment is a fabulous way to assess students.”

Most importantly however, is that technology allows students to present their knowledge in so many different ways.  All a virtual teacher has to do is be flexible in their assessments.  A virtual teacher stated, “If I have a project and give students the outcomes, what I need them to understand [sic] Then I can ask them ... Now, how can you do that for me, what technology could you use? I would have kids come to me and say, well, I play with Flash, can I make a Flash movie? I didn’t even know what a Flash movie was, but said sure, go for it, surprise me.“ That to me, is the single most exciting thing about assessing online.  Students have so many different avenues to express themselves and showcase their learning; it can become fun for them as well.

As you can see, the online classroom is not something that teachers should shy away from because they are scared they wouldn’t know how to run it.  Of course you would, it’s not so different from a traditional classroom.  The advantages however, are abundant and can open up many doors for students that the traditional classroom can’t provide.

Up Next: A Wrap Up: Where do we go from here?

Resources:

DiPietro, M., Ferdig, R., Black, E., & Preston, M. (n.d.). Best Practices in Teaching K-12 Online: Lessons learned from Michigan Virtual Schools. Blackboard. Retrieved October 13, 2014, from https://blackboard.cmich.edu/webapps/blackboard/execute/content/file?cmd=view&content_id=_3050188_1&course_id=_86186_1

Best Practices: Classroom Management

Ah, classroom management…the one aspect of the classroom that terrifies most teaching undergrads (or at least this former undergrad). My experience in the traditional classroom makes me think of classroom management as “you better do this right or the kids will never let you live it down.”  Okay, maybe that was a tad dramatic but my point is that classroom management can be tricky for even the most seasoned of teachers in the traditional classroom.  So is it the same in the virtual classroom?  Hardly.

According to “Best Practices in Teaching K-12 Online: Lessons Learned From Michigan School Teachers,” there are two key parts of managing an online class.  Yes, two.  First, the teacher needs to quickly address any inappropriate, disrespectful, or offensive behavior to create a safe online environment for students. (DiPietro et al., 2008).  A traditional teacher would follow the necessary steps if something inappropriate happened in the classroom, and a virtual teacher needs to do the same.

Also, teachers need to pay particular attention to any student that shows signs of undergoing a personal crisis.  Because the virtual teacher can’t see their students everyday and learn their moods and mannerisms, it may be harder to pick up on signs of distress in an online course.  Teachers need to be vigilant in their communication with students and making sure they are safe and to ensure their well-being. (DiPietro et al., 2008).

While these two classroom management practices are of the utmost importance, they are not particularly difficult if a teacher establishes open communication with students and maintains a strong presence in the course forums.  In my opinion, classroom management of an online course can be as simple as that.

Up Next: Assessment…

Resources:

DiPietro, M., Ferdig, R., Black, E., & Preston, M. (n.d.). Best Practices in Teaching K-12 Online: Lessons learned from Michigan Virtual Schools. Blackboard. Retrieved October 13, 2014, from https://blackboard.cmich.edu/webapps/blackboard/execute/content/file?cmd=view&content_id=_3050188_1&course_id=_86186_1

Best Practices: Flexibility and Organization

On Tuesday, Johnny was absent from class and needs to make up work during his and your lunch hour.  On Wednesday, Jenny had to leave early for a lacrosse game two towns over and missed a science test.  She can’t make it up until the following Monday during P.E.  Does this sound familiar?  We’ve all been there as teachers.  We’ve all had to be flexible.  And that is no different in the online classroom.

According to “Best Practices in Teaching K-12 Online: Lessons Learned From Michigan School Teachers” teachers in the virtual classroom need to be flexible too.  For example, in the online classroom teachers often schedule video or audio conferences with their students.  On one such occasion, three of the students can’t access the room because of server issues.  The teacher in this case needs to either reschedule the whole class or conduct a small group session with those students.  In other words, they need to be flexible

Organization is also a key part of the online teacher’s style, as it is in the traditional classroom.  Because you as the teacher are not there to direct students on what to do and what order to do it in, you need to have explicit instructions online and easy folder navigation.  The teacher also has to be organized in their implementation of the course. “One of the most important aspects of being a successful virtual school teacher is organization above all ... The teacher has to make sure they are logging in at certain times every day, they have to make sure they’re checking certain areas of the course, for example, the message area, organizing the discussion board, having grades set, and [sic] sending grades back to students” (DiPietro et al., 2008).  Again, much the same way that teachers are available to students in the traditional classroom, they have a responsibility to do so in the virtual school as well.

Up Next:  Classroom Management…

Resources:

DiPietro, M., Ferdig, R., Black, E., & Preston, M. (n.d.). Best Practices in Teaching K-12 Online: Lessons learned from Michigan Virtual Schools. Blackboard. Retrieved October 13, 2014, from https://blackboard.cmich.edu/webapps/blackboard/execute/content/file?cmd=view&content_id=_3050188_1&course_id=_86186_1

Best Practices: General

The world of online teaching can be a scary place for those individuals with little experience with technology.  Some questions that often arise revolve around how to conduct a successful online classroom when the traditional classroom may seem so much easier to operate.  In this part of the blog series, I will go over some best practices for conducting an online classroom.

In general, much of the practices that teachers abide by in the traditional classroom transfer over into the online classroom.  For example, according to “Best Practices in Teaching K-12 Online: Lessons Learned From Michigan School Teachers” the online teachers suggest “going the extra mile to support student learning.” Many of you already do this in the traditional classroom, but what does it look like in the online classroom? “The successful virtual teacher does all that he can to help all students succeed and this involves using the data that they have available to them, using the correct assessments, altering instruction, trying to address multiple intelligences, supporting the students, being available, again yet another challenge that is specific to the virtual world is just being there for the student.” (DiPietro et al., 2008).  All of those practices can be done online; in fact they may even be easier to do online.  There are tons of resources for online assessments, multiple intelligence learning, and data collection.  As far as being present, we can go back to the discussion on social presence in a previous blog, where we discussed how to make students feel as if they are interacting with “real” people.  All of this support is certainly possible in the virtual classroom.

Another practice that successfully supports the online classroom is having teachers that are not only capable of operating technologies, but are interested in exploring new technologies (DiPietro et al., 2008).  In the traditional classroom, most teachers are constantly rearranging lesson parts and updating plans to include new ideas and projects.  The same line of thinking applies to the virtual classroom.  You can’t just build a group of online lessons and assume that they will work for years to come.  You must adjust lessons with the times and update coursework with new and exciting technologies to enhance student learning.

Up Next: Flexibility and Organization…

Resources:

DiPietro, M., Ferdig, R., Black, E., & Preston, M. (n.d.). Best Practices in Teaching K-12 Online: Lessons learned from Michigan Virtual Schools. Blackboard. Retrieved October 13, 2014, from https://blackboard.cmich.edu/webapps/blackboard/execute/content/file?cmd=view&content_id=_3050188_1&course_id=_86186_1

Best Practices: Social Presence and Digital Wisdom

So now that I’ve provided some ideas for implementing more technology in the classroom, it’s time to talk about how to make sure that technology is effective.  Anyone can search for videos on YouTube and throw them up on a website for students to view, but it’s important to remember that we still need to teach at the same time.

One of the best ways to ensure meaningful communication and learning between teachers and students online is establishing social presence.  This can be done in a variety of ways including video introductions, profile pictures, group projects, meaningful discussion responses, etc. (Bentley).  The point of social presence is that the students feel as if they are interacting with “real” people, not just names on a screen.  Sometimes, online learning can come off cold and impersonal, but by establishing a good social presence among all involved, students can feel the same sense of community that they get in the traditional classroom.

Another idea to keep in mind when implementing technology into the classroom is that most if not all students have some experience with technology.  Sometimes, the students may even have more experience than the teacher.  Marc Prensky calls these students “digital natives,” a term used to describe students that have grown up with technology and are quite capable of operating successfully in the technology filled future.  However, the teachers that instruct these students can sometimes be “digital immigrants” or individuals that did not grow up with technology and may have a harder time navigating the digital world.  Whether your students or you as the teacher, are a Native or an Immigrant, any technology that we implement into the classroom must enhance the students' digital wisdom.  Prensky advises teachers to listen to their students and for administrators and other education figures to inspire teachers to want to change their classrooms, to want to include technology that speaks to their digital native students. (Prensky, 2011).  These ideas and more will be discussed in the next few blog posts to ensure our teachers not only include technology, but use it to its fullest potential and to the greatest benefit of our students.

Check out Marc Prensky talking about how students today understand the world through technology:

Up Next: General Best Practices...

Resources:

Prensky, M. (2012). Introduction. From digital natives to digital wisdom: hopeful essays for 21st century learning (pp. 1-9). Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Corwin.

Bentley, K. (n.d.). The Centrality of Social Presence in Online Teaching and Learning. Understanding Change: Making the Transition to Online Teaching. Retrieved October 5, 2014, from https://blackboard.cmich.edu/webapps/blackboard/execute/content/file?cmd=view&content_id=_3050175_1&course_id=_86186_1

Ways to Improve: The Flipped Classroom

The flipped classroom is another way to incorporate technology in the classroom, or rather outside of the classroom.  The flipped classroom involves students watching videos and lectures at home and communicating with other students and the instructor in online discussion boards.  In the classroom, the students then spend their time on exercises and activities. (7 Things You Should Know About Flipped Classrooms).  The key strength of the flipped classroom is that the in class time is used more effectively, for applying and manipulating knowledge, not just lecture. “The value of a flipped class is in the repurposing of class time into a workshop where students can inquire about lecture content, test their skills in applying knowledge, and interact with one another in hands-on activities.”  (7 Things You Should Know About Flipped Classrooms).

The beauty of the flipped classroom is that there is no one right way to do it.  Teachers can manipulate the model to work for their individual classes and students.  For example, a teacher can put assessments online to free up even more time for hands on activities in the classroom.  In the flipped classroom model, teachers are more like guides, helping the students through inquiry style lessons in the classroom while providing the necessary content knowledge through an online forum.  For students, flipped classrooms also help to allow each student to work at their own pace, viewing lecture videos as many times as necessary or utilizing the discussion boards for questions they may not have asked about in class.  This could be a beneficial switch in our classrooms; provided the teachers are willing to produce the videos and the students have adequate access to technology at home.   

Here is a helpful infographic on flipped classrooms:

Here is a helpful video about the flipped classroom:

Up next: Best Practices...

Resources:

7 Things You Should Know About Flipped Classrooms. (n.d.). EDUCAUSE Homepage. Retrieved October 5, 2014, from https://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7081.pdf

The Flipped Classroom: Turning the Traditional Classroom on its Head. (n.d.). Flipped Classroom Comments. Retrieved October 3, 2014, from http://www.knewton.com/flipped-classroom/

Ways to Improve: Blogging

Ughhhhhh.  That’s the audible groan that most students can be heard making when a teacher mentions a writing assignment.  “My hand hurts.” “I don’t know what to write.” “This is so boring.”  These statements and more tend to come out at one point or another during the school year involving the writing process.  So the question begs, how do we get students to like writing?  Enter blogging.  Blogging is everywhere on the Internet these days, it seems only fitting that students try their hand at it as well.

There are many benefits of student blogging in the classroom.  Blogging encourages dialogue between students, creates a sense of ownership and enthusiasm about their personal work, teaches responsibility, connects students, and oftentimes creates experts according to the subject matter the student blogs on. (Adams).  In an article for Edutopia, high school teacher Michelle Lampinen, incorporated blogs into her classroom with great success.  She noticed the students’ writing improve by “leaps and bounds.”  Lampinen noticed fewer errors and more quotations from stories and sources that even translated into formal writing in the classroom.  Lampinen also points out the added benefit of increased class participation for her more introverted students. Some of Lampinen’s students were even quoted as saying that blogging “is a good way to have us write without it being formal or full of pressure. I also like the fact that I have control over what I write about, and that definitely makes the assignment easier." As you can see, blogging can have a great impact on student learning and would be a great way to incorporate technology into the writing curriculum.

Up Next:  The Flipped Classroom…

Resources:

Adams, M. (n.d.). The Benefits of Student Blogging – Marisa Adams | Lumos Learning. The Benefits of Student Blogging – Marisa Adams | Lumos Learning. Retrieved October 2, 2014, from http://lumoslearning.com/llwp/teachers-speak/the-benefits-of-student-blogging-marisa-adams.html

Lampinen, M. (2014, April 13). Blogging in the 21st-Century Classroom. Edutopia. Retrieved October 2, 2014, from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/blogging-in-21st-century-classroom-michelle-lampinen

Ways to Improve: Microlectures and Screencasting

Microlectures and Screencasts, a type of microlecture, are an integral part of online education.  While you can include technology in the classroom without these aspects, the benefits of each would hopefully persuade you otherwise.  Microlectures are “short, recorded, audio or video presentations on a single, tightly defined topic.”  (7 Things You Should Know About Microlectures).  These presentations are concise in nature. Rather than a full lesson or lecture in the classroom, these short videos “chunk” the information, making it easier for students to learn.  The microlectures could be uploaded onto a learning management system for students to view. 

“Microlectures provide a self-help resource for students, either at the time of the lesson or later for review, explaining key concepts or demonstrating techniques that might be di­fficult to master.” (7 Things You Should Know About Microlectures).  I think one of the best benefits of using microlectures in the classroom, is that the students can watch them outside the classroom.  If I were to make a video on multiplying fractions, my students could view it as many times as necessary in class and at home, even showing their parents if they need assistance with their homework. “These short lectures encourage a self-directed model of learning, allowing students to select lessons to watch and to move through them at their own pace, stopping and replaying a recording as needed to ensure understanding of the content.” 7 Things You Should Know About Microlectures). 

Here is an example of a microlecture, a screencast, which I created about Lattice Multiplication:

You can see that I go through each step of the process with the students carefully, making sure to explain exactly how to draw the lattice, multiply, and add the numbers.  Students can watch the video as many times as they need to in order to understand the process.  Microlectures can help to assist struggling students when the teacher is not available, or just as a supplement or review tool to enhance learning.  They would be a very useful and practical way of incorporating technology into the classroom.

Up Next:  Blogging…

Resources:

7 Things You Should Know About Microlectures. (n.d.). EDUCAUSE Homepage. Retrieved October 1, 2014, from http://www.educause.edu/library/resources/7-things-you-should-know-about-microlectures

Ways to Improve: Challenge Based Learning

Another way to incorporate technology into the classroom is to use challenge-based learning.  Challenged based learning involves students looking closely at information or concepts and figuring out obstacles they can tackle from that information.  For example, a student studying a unit on natural resources may study the information and realize there is a strong need for community involvement in stopping local deforestation.  After finding this problem, the student then goes on to research solutions and connect with local people.  When conducting this research and these interviews, the student uses various technologies to document the process. 

Challenge Based Learning provides benefits on two fronts: gains in skills relating to technology (i.e. creating podcasts, using LMS, etc.) and increased motivation and satisfaction from working with a project that the students can relate to.  “Students have the satisfaction that comes from figuring out both the issue to be tackled and the solution they develop.” (7 Things You Should Know About Challenge Based Learning).  Investment in the outcome of the project is also high for students.  “In Apple’s 2008 study of CBL, findings showed student engagement among participating ninth and tenth graders was rated at 97% or higher and that student involvement peaked where they perceived the solutions they worked on to be of real value.” (7 Things You Should Know About Challenge Based Learning).  Challenge Based Learning can make a big difference for our students and is another great way to include online learning in the classroom.

Up Next: Microlectures and Screencasting

Resources:

7 Things You Should Know About Challenge-Based Learning. (n.d.). EDUCAUSE Homepage. Retrieved September 26, 2014, from http://www.educause.edu/library/resources/7-things-you-should-know-about-challenge-based-learning