Wow! I believe that interjection sums up all of the amazing resources I have gained from this course. I have been in education for 15 years and for the past 5 years I have attempted to immerse myself in anything technology. During my own exploration, I merely scratched the surface of an ever-changing and dynamic tool.
The weekly explorations during this class gave me clarity on what online learning should look like and what it entails from the teacher stand-point and the learner stand-point. Exploring Google apps allowed me to put the aim of my district and many other districts into perspective. There are so many ways to use technology in the classroom that will engage and inspire students to think deeply and more creatively. Online learning must foster an environment of discovery, critical thinking, collaboration, interactive learning, and provide rich resources just like a traditional classroom. It is even more important to provide opportunities for students to share and provide feedback through discussion boards, forums, blogs, and/or wikispaces so that they are engaging one another. During this class I also learned that online learning can vary from course to course, teacher to teacher.
Reviewing the designs created by fellow students in the class gave me ideas I had not considered. I was and am still amazed at all the talent and expertise within our class. It proves that there is tremendous power in collaboration and sharing of ideas and products. I want to ensure that I can pass on my experiences with online learning to my future students, as well as provide them with the rich knowledge base that I have been afforded through fellow students and professors such as Dr. Mary Jo Dondlinger.
Graduate work has been a challenge due to juggling between a full-time job, family, and church obligations; but it has been well worth it. I have been challenged to stretch my thinking and creativity and am the better for it.
Thursday, July 7, 2016
Sunday, July 3, 2016
Design Experiment 4: PBWorks
This week's experiment led me on a journey to discover wikis. I was able to use PBWorks in one of my previous courses and found it to be very similar to using a blog. The term "wiki" was coined by Ward Cunningham and comes from a Hawaiian work meaning quick. Wikis are collaborative web pages that allow users to view, create and edit its content.
Wikis can incorporate sounds, movies, and pictures. Users can use a wiki for sharing meeting notes, collaborating on projects, sharing and editing lesson plans, creating and sharing lists, creating a syllabus, posting reflections or review- which is how we used PBWorks in my previous course. I also read that some institutions are beginning to use wikis as an e-portfolio, or as a presentation tool. Because wikis are internet-based they can be access anywhere and anytime as long as their is internet access. One of the problems of a wiki is in its collaborative nature. Since the information in a wiki can be easily edited or deleted they may need to be set so that only specific people can access the wiki. There are options within "Settings" that give users the option to share with anyone or specific people.
The Social Learning theory (Albert Bandura) and Constructivism (Jean Piaget) are two theories that support the use of wikis because students are learning based on observations they are making from others in their environment and the connections they make in the process. Another theory that supports the use of wikis is the Engagement theory (Kearsley & Schneiderman, 1999) which stresses the importance of learner interaction with others, the environment and worthwhile tasks. Kolb's theory of experiential learning is also one that would support the use of wikis, especially if they are used for reflections on learning activities.
Project-Based Learning activities could be presented using a wiki to allow for collaboration and reflection. For example, students could use the wiki to discuss/plan a service learning project to assist the elderly in a community nursing home during the Christmas holidays. Students can share their ideas within the wiki and how they would involve the school and community. Let's say that students decide they want to gift Christmas stockings filled with commonly used items for each elderly person in the nursing home. The wiki can be used to collaborate on a list of items to place in the stockings, create a flyer for the school and community, write a proposal letter to the nursing home asking permission to conduct the PBL/SLP, etc. Students could also use the wiki to reflect on the importance of the PBL/SLP and how they felt being a participant; why is it important to help others; what they feel the impact of the project was on the elderly in the nursing home; etc.
As with many technologies, the benefits are far-reaching. The affordances of easy creation, sharing, collaborating, editing, reflecting and accessibility continue to open more doors for technology in business, educational, and personal settings. With the proper guidelines and security measures, the possibilities are limitless.
Wikis can incorporate sounds, movies, and pictures. Users can use a wiki for sharing meeting notes, collaborating on projects, sharing and editing lesson plans, creating and sharing lists, creating a syllabus, posting reflections or review- which is how we used PBWorks in my previous course. I also read that some institutions are beginning to use wikis as an e-portfolio, or as a presentation tool. Because wikis are internet-based they can be access anywhere and anytime as long as their is internet access. One of the problems of a wiki is in its collaborative nature. Since the information in a wiki can be easily edited or deleted they may need to be set so that only specific people can access the wiki. There are options within "Settings" that give users the option to share with anyone or specific people.
The Social Learning theory (Albert Bandura) and Constructivism (Jean Piaget) are two theories that support the use of wikis because students are learning based on observations they are making from others in their environment and the connections they make in the process. Another theory that supports the use of wikis is the Engagement theory (Kearsley & Schneiderman, 1999) which stresses the importance of learner interaction with others, the environment and worthwhile tasks. Kolb's theory of experiential learning is also one that would support the use of wikis, especially if they are used for reflections on learning activities.
Project-Based Learning activities could be presented using a wiki to allow for collaboration and reflection. For example, students could use the wiki to discuss/plan a service learning project to assist the elderly in a community nursing home during the Christmas holidays. Students can share their ideas within the wiki and how they would involve the school and community. Let's say that students decide they want to gift Christmas stockings filled with commonly used items for each elderly person in the nursing home. The wiki can be used to collaborate on a list of items to place in the stockings, create a flyer for the school and community, write a proposal letter to the nursing home asking permission to conduct the PBL/SLP, etc. Students could also use the wiki to reflect on the importance of the PBL/SLP and how they felt being a participant; why is it important to help others; what they feel the impact of the project was on the elderly in the nursing home; etc.
As with many technologies, the benefits are far-reaching. The affordances of easy creation, sharing, collaborating, editing, reflecting and accessibility continue to open more doors for technology in business, educational, and personal settings. With the proper guidelines and security measures, the possibilities are limitless.
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