Module 4 Blog Posting : Engaging Learners Reflection
Some tools learners are using outside the classroom that could be brought into the classroom are the cell phone, educational games, chat-rooms, Skype, email, discussion boards, wikis, blogs and virtual venues created especially for particular classes. The cell phone is a tool available to every student. The features embedded in the phone lend themselves to collaboration and research. Since text-messaging is a popular way to communicate, that could be used to keep groups of students connected in their problem-based learning projects. Educational games either played or created by students would engage them in problem-solving, creativity, and learning. While chat rooms are considered social venues, students could use them for real-time collaboration for projects, bouncing ideas around and trying new ways of doing things. They could experiment without fear of “being wrong”. The application Skype with its features of voice and video could allow students of distant learning to feel more connected. Email with its traceable conversations would allow students to refer back to previous posts to clarify and improve points of interests for their classes. Discussion boards with their many threads would allow the entire class to participate in many conversations deepening their understanding of a given topic. Wikis, blogs and virtual venues allow students to create, collaborate and comment on each other’s work.
While instructors provide direction and presence, students will certainly be engaged using tools that they are familiar with using.(Anderson,2008) The original purposes of these tools being primary, learning as a secondary experience can certainly be welcomed. The peer-to-peer interactions allowed by the tools will lead to innovative learning strategies clearing the way to a deeper understanding of the subject matter. In using these tools and strategies, the role of the instructor as the curator of resources and the director of learning sequences will make the design of teaching and learning more engaging.(Siemens,2008)
References:
Anderson, T. (Ed.). (2008). The theory and practice of online learning (2nd ed.). Edmonton, AB: Athabasca University Press.
Siemens, G. (2008, January). Learning and knowing in networks: Changing roles for educators and designers. ITForum.
Link to my graphic organizer:http://springsong.wikispaces.com
I could not make my link work. My graphic organizer is on my wiki on a page entitled Principals of Distance Learning. Sorry about the inconvenience.
ReplyDeleteI think we had a lot of the same ideas of how to engage students online. However, I never thought of the cell phone, especially text messaging, that's a good idea since basically everyone has one.
ReplyDeleteLaVerne, you might try using Jing to capture graphics and save them as jpegs. It is easier to post them. In regards students will use tools they are familiar with, but the tough part is getting them to do the task. The social tools are available, but it is tough to get them to use them in the learning process. Universities have been using podcasts for years, and they have become so popular that itunes has set up iTunesU where students can access a number of educational podcasts.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the Jing suggestion. I will try it. You are right about getting students to do the academic tasks with familiar tools. These are their "toys" and they always want to play.
ReplyDeleteLaVerne,
ReplyDeleteI also like your idea of texting via cell phones. Texting is a great way to send immediate information to someone. For instance, it would be easy for us to text each other when our posts went on our blog sites. Great job.
Sarah