Here is my video and proposal. Sorry it is so late. With traveling and trying to get my classroom cleaned things have been crazy. I would still love feedback though.
2 Comments
Essential question: What specific policies will help your district prepare students for current and emerging technology use? How can you help lead your district in creating these policies?We have to remember “technology cannot and will not drive meaningful change by itself” (Hess, Hochleitner, & Saxberg, 2013). With this in mind we must thoughtfully implement technology. This is where policy comes in. If districts or schools come up with good policies “technology can make learning solutions more affordable, reliable, available, customizable, and data-rich” (Hess, Hochleitner, & Saxberg, 2013). Basically there are so many opportunities tech can provide as long as it is leveraged in the right way. A good reason for a good tech policy was set by the Mooresville School District. Mooresville School District was able to raise scores by implementing tech. “Between 2007—when the district began its digital conversion—and 2012, proficiency on core subject state exams in reading, math, and science rose from 68 to 89 percent, the graduation rate increased by 14 points to 91 percent, and the share of students attending a two- or four-year college rose from 75 to 88 percent” (Hess, Hochleitner, & Saxberg, 2013). This district was able to show some very positive results because the way they implemented their tech was well thought out. These gains are not just because tech was used but because educators, administrators, the community, and students were able to work together. I think the first thing to consider when creating a policy is the vision. What is the goal of implementing technology? O’Brien (2013) list some phrases that also be of help in the vision:
After you establish a vision is will be easier to come up with the policy. Marcinek (2014) suggests 2 titles for a policy: responsible digital use guidelines or empowered digital use policies. I like these names because they sound positive. He suggests these names because they provide a sense of purpose beyond just getting in trouble for using your device. Another suggestion is that the policy be something that students can understand. Make your policy simple and don’t create fear. Here are some things to consider when crafting your policy:
Keeping all of the aforementioned in mind here is an example of an Empowered Digital Use Policy: I understand that using digital devices (whether personal or school owned) and the GDRSD network is a privilege, and when I use them according to the Responsible Use Guidelines I will keep that privilege. I will:
Educators can help further tech policy by realizing that they need to let go of control. There is no way to know everything (Winske, 2014). Once educators realize this implementing new tech will be easier. However, this is a big feat and easier said than done. Another thing educators and administrators need to try to establish is trust (Marcinek, 2014). If we can trust students and empower them to use the tech that is provided student will be a lot more confident and willing to try. With all this in mind we also need to be upfront with parents about what is going on in the classroom. If parents can trust what we are doing we will see a lot more success (Marcinek, 2014). You have to get more than just students on board. The more people you involve the more likely you tech program will be successful. I think this is really the key in working to craft the district policy for tech use. Talking with others and sharing what students are doing may just be the push the district needs to work on a new tech policy or updating the old one. Sources
Andrews, K., Dach, E., & Lemke, C. (2013). 2013 Learning and Technology Policy Framework. Retrieved July 28, 2016, from https://education.alberta.ca/media/1046/learning-and-technology-policy-framework-web.pdf Hess, F. M., Hochleitner, T., & Saxberg, B. (2013, October 22). E-Rate, education technology, and school reform. Retrieved July 28, 2016, from https://www.aei.org/publication/e-rate-education-technology-and-school-reform/ Marcinek, A. (2014, October 22). Digital Citizenship: Developing a Culture of Trust and Transparency. Retrieved July 28, 2016, from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/digital-citizenship-culture-trust-transparency-andrew-marcinek OBrien, A. (2013, June 20). How to Build Support for Education Technology. Retrieved July 28, 2016, from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/building-support-education-technology-anne-obrien Whitby, T. (2015, October 30). Who Is Responsible for Tech Abuse? Retrieved July 28, 2016, from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/who-is-responsible-for-tech-abuse-tom-whitby Winske, C. (2014, February 17). Tips for Creating Technology Policies for K-12. Retrieved July 28, 2016, from http://www.k-12techdecisions.com/article/creating_an_acceptable_use_policy_for_mobile_learning_initiatives# Essential question: Does every school need a “BYOD” policy?I do believe every school needs a policy about BYOD. Whether that means a school allows students to bring their devices to classes or not, should be a school decision. There are so many factors that I don't think I could comfortably say everyone needs to allow BYOD. The main draw for BYOD is that technology is expensive and "It is not sustainable to keep buying technology and giving it to the students" (Morrison, 2014). "The San Diego Unified School District in California has spent over $15,000,000 in purchasing over 26,000 iPads. That’s fifteen million dollars."(Heick, 2015). This is so much money and most schools just don't have a budget for tech or to update existing tech. This is a huge driving force in the move toward BYOD policies in schools according to Holeywell, 2016). I think every school should consider BYOD, and thoroughly lay out the pros and cons before making any decisions. Here is a simplified version of the pro/con list posted by Wainwright (n.d):
According to this list it is easy to be in favor of BYOD because there are more pros than cons. However some cons really need extra consideration. A big issue is the digital divide. "The digital divide may be a bigger issue for some schools, and there are also risks with students bringing expensive devices into school" (Morrison, 2014). This is a huge concern in bush Alaska. Many students have devices but due to poverty they don't take care of them. I frequently hear of students breaking their phones or someone else in their family taking it to use. In bush Alaska another concern is the network. "Forsyth County had to triple its network capacity to handle the surge in demand and make sure each school’s network operated with the most up-to-date protocols to ensure the newest tablets and smartphones could connect properly" (Holeywell, 2013). I'm not sure if this is even an option for our district. We just got 3G so I'm not sure how much more bandwidth we can get. Considering these cons brings of back to why go with BYOD. Some interesting things have happened when schools have adopted these policies. One school "found that students would – unprompted – pool devices to use the one that was most suitable for a particular task. So if they were videoing an experiment, they would use the one with the best film quality; if they were drawing up data tables, then graphics won out" (Morrison, 2014). Another cool benefit is not needing to teach tech skills. You still need to teach safety but you don't need to help in the operation of the device. According to Heick (2015), “As the teachers began to introduce BYOD* into their classrooms, some fundamental changes began to occur. They no longer had to teach their students about technology in order to integrate technology effectively in their classrooms because the students were already the experts with their own devices" Overall it improves "transparency and authenticity, while encouraging learners to work with apps, programs, and hardware they’re familiar with and have experience trouble-shooting through. It empowers learners to solve problems, access resources, and even create their own workflow patterns if given the flexibility at the unit or lesson-level. And maybe most usefully, it provides a window into the homes and habits and access and digital literacy of students” (Heick, 2015). My conclusion is that BYOD should be up to teacher discretion. I think every school needs a policy about student devices, because it is inevitable that students will bring devices to school. I think if teachers get to choose then it uses tech as a privilege and not something that is guaranteed. Students have to ask to use it and creates a clear divide about use. Sources
Heick, T. (2015, February 06). The Brutal Authenticity Of BYOD. Retrieved July 15, 2016, from http://www.teachthought.com/the-future-of-learning/byod-is-shortest-path-to-student-centered-learning/ Holeywell, R. (2013, September 3). BYOD Policies, Growing More Popular, Create Challenges for Schools. Retrieved July 15, 2016, from http://www.governing.com/blogs/view/gov-byod-policies-create-school-challenges.html Morrison, N. (2014, January 19). The Next Revolution In School Tech: Bring Your Own Device. Retrieved July 15, 2016, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/nickmorrison/2014/01/19/the-next-revolution-in-school-tech-bring-your-own-device/#3a4ca52a5b12 Wainwright, A. (n.d.). 20 Pros and Cons of implementing BYOD in schools. Retrieved July 15, 2016, from http://www.securedgenetworks.com/blog/20-Pros-and-Cons-of-implementing-BYOD-in-schools Essential question: What Minecraft game could you create that would help students learn?Unfortunately I could not interview a kid. I am visiting my family for the summer and there are not really any young kids in the family or near where I live. Fortunately I have played minecraft a bit. I have only played the pocket edition, though, and I am still learning a lot about it. I really had a tough time getting into the assignment this week. When I started researching on my own, ideas started going off with what I was finding. There is so much minecraft could be used for that I didn't even think about! The issue is I only have ipads in my class at the moment and a couple of computers. I have focused on learning Minecraft pocket edition because of this. This game is limited in that is does not have quite as many features as the computer version. This is where I have to be careful of the articles I read because some of the assigned reading includes things I could never do with the pocket edition. What is minecraft and how can it be used in education? "The world of Minecraft exists for you to build it and transform it into anything and everything imaginable. It operates on a 20 minute day/night cycle, with 10 minutes of daytime, 1.5 minutes at sunset and sunrise, and 7 minutes of nighttime" ("How To Play Minecraft", n.d.). Because of the freeform nature of minecraft you can create anything you can imagine. I think this is the hard part for educators, is that until you see it used it is hard to imagine what you could use it for. "Learning in Minecraft can be faster than traditional methods of education, as children are often far more motivated, get more practice, and feel that what they are learning is useful" ("Tutorials/Minecraft in education", 2016). If kids like using Minecraft outside of school, just think about how excited they would be to use it in school. Using what kids already love to do can only enhance their learning. McKenzie (2014) gives great suggestions about how he used the pocket edition of Minecraft in his classroom. First he says Minecraft should not be used to do everything because their are so many other digital tools that students should also learn to use. He also says that instead of saying we are "playing" Minecraft you should use other verbs like "using." Lastly he says never use Minecraft as a time filler activity because otherwise it will not be seen as a purposeful activity. McKenzie also shares a couple of posters he has in his room about using Minecraft. I think these would be very helpful in instilling how students should be using Minecraft so they know what is not allowed. A Few Example Projects in Science
Sources
Dikkers, S. (2015). Teachercraft: How Teachers Learn to Use Minecraft in their Classrooms. Retrieved July 9, 2016, from http://press.etc.cmu.edu/files/Teacher-Craft_Dikkers-etal-web.pdf How To Play Minecraft. (n.d.). Retrieved July 9, 2016, from http://www.minecraftopia.com/how_to_play_minecraft Landisman, A. (2013, October 21). Exploring Science with Minecraft. Retrieved July 09, 2016, from http://amylandisman.com/2013/10/exploring-science-with-minecraft/ McKenzie, S. (2014, November 16). How to get Started with Minecraft Pocket Edition in the Classroom. Retrieved July 09, 2016, from http://technorookie.blogspot.com/2014/11/how-to-get-started-with-minecraft.html Tutorials/Minecraft in education. (2016, June 5). Retrieved July 09, 2016, from http://minecraft.gamepedia.com/Tutorials/Minecraft_in_education Essential question: How can 3D printing change the way we think about education? What is 3D printing and how does it work? I will first start out with what is 3D printing? I never know what I can do with something until I understand it. According to Barnatt (2016) 3D printing "turns digital 3D models into solid objects by building them up in layers." There are some different models but they all go through a similar process. "All start with a computer aided design (CAD) model or a digital scan. This is then processed by 'slicing software' that divides the object into thin cross sections that are printed out one on top of the other." The video below does a great job explaining the process of 3D printing and what it can be used for. What types of objects can 3D printing produce and is this a good thing? Some common items that could be produce "include medical implants, jewelry, football boots designed for individual feet, lampshades, racing-car parts, solid-state batteries and customized mobile phones" ("The Printed World", 2011). According to Federico-O'Murchu (2014) in the future we may see more bio-printed organs, more manufacturing domestically, and maybe even producing food just to name a few of the things 3D printing can offer. This could help save on shipping costs since items could be made wherever a 3D pinter is available. 3D printing definitely offers a lot of options but the impacts are unknown. The question is will all of this be good, and what are the impacts down the line? There is no research for the food aspect as to what impacts 3D printed food would have on the body down the line. Also with 3D printing guns could be produced. This opens a whole new set of problems especially with all of the violence taking place today. Enough about the bad news, why is this a good thing? According to "The Printed World" (2011) "engineers and designers have been using 3D printers for more than a decade, but mostly to make prototypes quickly and cheaply before they embark on the expensive business of tooling up a factory to produce the real thing." This helps in the design process as new products can be made a refined more quickly. How can 3D printing be of benefit to education? According to the Leapfrog 3D printing website "3D Printing For Education" (n.d.), 3D printers help prepare students for the future and the careers that might have. There are 4 main benefits of teaching 3D printing in school listed on their page:
What do I see as the benefit of 3D printing in education? For me, I see 3D printing really adding to the maker movement and philosophy. Students can start to connect by hands on investigation. We could use 3D printing to try to solve real world problems. One of the main benefits is the rapid prototyping of 3D printers as mentioned by Barnatt (2016). With this rapid prototyping students can come up with and idea and make their idea come to life. Students can see this object and troubleshoot and redesign, all within a relatively short period of time. This really reinforces the growth mindset, in the mistakes are okay and that getting better is what is important. Not necessarily getting the right answer. I think we will see students willing to take risks and try harder than they would've with current teaching methods, of a more passive learner. I think students will take a more active role in their education which means they will learn more than we as teachers could ever teach them on our own. Sources
3D Printing For Education. (n.d.). Retrieved June 30, 2016, from http://www.lpfrg.com/en/professionals/education/ Barnatt, C. (2016, April 22). ExplainingTheFuture.com : 3D Printing. Retrieved June 30, 2016, from http://explainingthefuture.com/3dprinting.html Federico-O'Murchu, L. (2014, May 11). How 3-D printing will radically change the world. Retrieved June 30, 2016, from http://www.cnbc.com/2014/05/09/will-3-d-technology-radically-change-the-world.html The Printed World. (2011, February 12). Retrieved June 30, 2016, from http://www.economist.com/node/18114221 Essential question: What are the compelling arguments both for and against computer coding in schools?
In reading this week, it was hard to find much of an argument against coding. The main issue I came across was how much coding should be required in schools and how it should be taught? For this second part of how it should be taught I did find an argument by Harel (2015) about the "pop computing" that is popping up everywhere. These are more tutorials and not computer science. Things can be done in hours with some clicks, drops, and drags. This is not the way computer science works and requires little coding if any at all. This may be a good place to start if students have no experience, but we still need to teach more than this. "By promoting “pop computing” apps to kids in schools, we aren’t doing the hard thinking that defines what the subject of computing is today, and most importantly, what it can be in the future...We are doing a disservice to kids by assuming that they can’t grasp industry-standard languages, complex computer science topics, and applications. By limiting them, we undermine their capabilities and stifle their creative and inventive potential."
So why is it so important to teach coding? Here are the reasons according to "3 Reasons Coding Should be a Core Subject" (2015): 1. Programming can be used in many disciplines.
I really like the argument for coding that NPR gave in this post above. They argue for a basic coding literacy for everyone, but argue that we shouldn't require people to delve deeper into something they aren't interested in. In the NPR post Jeff Atwood relates the coding hype to an obsession with becoming and auto mechanic. "There are tons of cars, there's tons of driving ... but I think it's a little crazy to go around saying everyone should really learn to be an auto mechanic because cars are so essential to the functioning of our society. Should you know how to change oil? Absolutely. There are [also] basic things you should know when you use a computer. But this whole 'become an auto mechanic' thing? It's just really not for everyone." So yes coding is good but not everyone in the world needs to be a computer programmer. There are plenty of other jobs.
Sources
3 Reasons Coding Should Be a Core Subject. (2015, September 29). Retrieved June 24, 2016, from http://gettingsmart.com/2015/09/3-reasons-coding-should-be-a-core-subject/ Computers Are The Future, But Does Everyone Need To Code? (2014, January 25). Retrieved June 24, 2016, from http://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2014/01/25/266162832/computers-are-the-future-but-does-everyone-need-to-code Harel, I. (2016, May 25). American Schools are Teaching Our Kids How To Code All Wrong. Retrieved June 24, 2016, from http://qz.com/691614/american-schools-are-teaching-our-kids-how-to-code-all-wrong/?utm_content=buffer6e30c Sehringer, G. (n.d.). Should We Really Try to Teach Everyone to Code? Retrieved June 24, 2016, from http://www.wired.com/insights/2015/02/should-we-really-try-to-teach-everyone-to-code/ Essential Question: Design an object that could be classified as belonging to “The Internet of Things” and describe how it could contribute to your classroom.I had never heard of the "Internet of Things (IoT)." "IoT is simple: it’s about connecting devices over the internet, letting them talk to us, applications, and each other" (Kobie, 2015). According to Morgan (2014), it could be just about anything with an on or off switch. "This includes everything from cellphones, coffee makers, washing machines, headphones, lamps, wearable devices and almost anything else you can think of. This also applies to components of machines, for example a jet engine of an airplane or the drill of an oil rig." There are many issues concerning IoT. Security, privacy and data sharing, and how to use all of this data top the list (Morgan, 2014). The question is should this stop us from using it? We already use computers so another new device doesn't really add much more of a threat according to Kobie. Also all of this new realm of connection adds new experience. For example, "Bell’s telephone eventually took off not only because it offered faster communication, but because it created a more enriching – more human – experience" (Meyers, 2014). The Apple Watch has haptic feedback, biometric sensing, and integrated notifications that connect people to where they are. Most of the hype has come from efficiency, but as demonstrated above social experience could be largely affected as well (Meyers, 2014). My IoT Object I always wish that music could be matched to my mood. I can never decide what to listen to, and no matter how many times I arrange my playlist it is never right the next time. I know we are getting closer to this with choosing what you like and dislike. The problem is our likes and dislikes change so often. In the classroom, I let my students listen to music in class. I don't always let them pick. I would be much more open to music if music was chosen for them so they didn't waste so much time search for the right song. Then after that song is over the trend repeats. So much time is wasted. To make this device I would imagine many sensors to take various body vitals. Then these vitals would have to be matched to music you like to listen to with a particular set of vitals. I'm not really sure if this would work or not, but it would be really cool if it did. Sources
Kobie, N. (2015, May 06). What is the internet of things? Retrieved June 13, 2016, from https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/may/06/what-is-the-internet-of-things-google Meyers, M. (2014, December 03). Can the Internet of Things make education more student-focused? - Government 2020. Retrieved June 13, 2016, from http://government-2020.dupress.com/can-internet-things-make-education-student-focused/ Morgan, J. (2014, May 13). A Simple Explanation Of 'The Internet Of Things' Retrieved June 13, 2016, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacobmorgan/2014/05/13/simple-explanation-internet-things-that-anyone-can-understand/#292f436f6828 Essential question: What is the pedagogy behind a Maker Space? What are the benefits of this pedagogy to students?What is a makerspace? "A makerspace is a physical location where people gather to share resources and knowledge, work on projects, network, and build. Makerspaces provide tools and space in a community environment" (7 Things You Should Know About … Makerspaces, 2013). According to Miller (2015) these spaces can use high tech to no tech tools . High tech includes things such as "3D printers, laser cutters, cnc machines, soldering irons and even sewing machines." Low tech includes things such as "cardboard, legos and art supplies." Some other names for a makerspace include FabLab, Techshop, or hackerspace. Yes these are a little different but at the core they are similar: they are a place for people to come and create either or alone or collaborating with others. What are the benefits of a makerspace? "It offers the potential to make classrooms more child-centered: relevant and more sensitive to each child's remarkable capacity for intensity" (Stager, 2014). Students take control of their own learning making a classroom student-centered not teacher-centered. According to Stager making also allows cross curricular design. Subject distinction becomes almost non existent, as you need all skills when making. Problem solving in a makerspace becomes more authentic. Instead of solving a problem on paper, students solve problems by designing and redesigning to make things better. Makerspaces offere a "highly collaborative learning dynamic that is excellent for team efforts and for peer support, advice, and assistance" (7 Things You Should Know About … Makerspaces, 2013). Instead of the teacher having to solve all problems students start to work with one another. In a makerspace a teacher cannot know everything and other students start to become the experts and the teacher is just there for support. On my search for more about makerspaces I watched many TEDx videos. Many were from the adult perspective but this 13 year old kid named Logan LaPlante nailed the importance of a makerspace. He was pulled from public school and coined his type of schooling as "hackschooling." He says, "I’m not tied to one particular curriculum, and I’m not dedicated to one particular approach. I hack my education. I take advantages of opportunities in my community and through a network of my friends and family. I take advantage of opportunities to experience what I’m learning, and I’m not afraid to look for shortcuts or hacks to get a better, faster result. It’s like a remix or a mashup of learning." I believe this is exactly what we are talking about with making. Choosing our own path and following our interests. The main reason Logan discusses his education is to talk about happiness. School is not a place where many students are happy. A big problem may be that information is being thrown at students and they aren't allowed to discover it on their own. Some of the greatest minds in history did not learn by being given information. They learned by doing. Doing can happen in a makerspace. According to Krcmar (2014) Logan's talk has come at a time when many people are on the hype of finding happiness in their lives. This idea is starting to transfer to education as well. Many are looking for ways to increase happiness in the classroom. Makerspaces may offer the opportunity to provide education and happiness together which is exactly what Logan is advocating for. Sources
7 Things You Should Know About … Makerspaces. (2013, April). Retrieved June 10, 2016, from https://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/eli7095.pdf Krcmar, S. (2014, October 07). The Hackschooler Goes Back to School. Sort Of. Retrieved June 10, 2016, from http://www.outsideonline.com/1926276/hackschooler-goes-back-school-sort Miller, A. (2015). What is a Makerspace? Is it a Hackerspace or a Makerspace? Retrieved June 10, 2016, from https://www.makerspaces.com/what-is-a-makerspace/ Stager, G. (2014). What's the Maker Movement and Why Should I Care? Retrieved June 10, 2016, from http://www.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3758336 Essential Question: Which emerging pedagogy appeals most to you, and might be most useful for your classroom and students? Why?
This is a tough question. I have been most interested in MOOC's and flipping my classroom. Genius hour would be hard to do in a secondary situation where I have course material that needs to be covered. This week I decided to read about both MOOC's and the flipped classroom. I saw many similarities between the flipped classroom and MOOC's. If I can only pick one I would say flipping my classroom appeals most because it has been on my radar the longest. I also believe I have been more interested in MOOC's for my own benefit rather than the direct impact of my students. In a flipped classroom I can see both a benefit for myself and the students.
What is a MOOC? I was having a little trouble distinguishing what was so different about a MOOC and the flipped classroom. This video really helped. "A massive open online course (MOOC) is a model for delivering learning content online to any person who wants to take a course, with no limit on attendance" ("Massive Open Online Course (MOOC)", n.d.). MOOC's are open to anyone not just your class. To me this a huge distinguishing factor. This confirmed my idea that a MOOC would be more helpful to me than my students. According to Thompson (2013), MOOC's could help me to supplement with material from experts or help me as teacher to learn from some of the best teachers. I can see this as the biggest benefit.
What is the Flipped Classroom?
According to the Flipped Learning Network, “Flipped Learning is a pedagogical approach in which direct instruction moves from the group learning space to the individual learning space, and the resulting group space is transformed into a dynamic, interactive learning environment where the educator guides students as they apply concepts and engage creatively in the subject matter" ("The Teacher’s Guide To Flipped Classrooms", n.d.). This to me means that classroom time can be used to engage students in something other than the class content. However, in my situation I think some class time would need to be used to allow students to interact with the class content as many students do not have internet access at home. One of the main benefits is that students work at their own pace. In a lecture a student may hear something only one time, but with a video they can hear it as many times as they would like. I really liked this simplistic picture of how a traditional classroom differs from a flipped classroom.
I think a big part of the success is that students can be more engaged in the class material. Instead of teachers doing all of the instructing, students are working with each other and the teacher. According to Tucker (2015) it allows time for students to think critically about the information they are presented with. Tucker specifically talks about using EDpuzzle. This is a great tool that allows a teacher to either make or find a video and ask the students questions during the video. I have used this tool to present classroom material in the past. I really like the way the information is presented and they are working on a gradebook so that teachers can see the bigger picture rather than just a lesson. It is amazing how silent students are while reviewing class material!
According to Bedrina (2016), "results show that in some cases flipping the classroom helped to improve the class failure rate by as high as 30%, and 94% of students pointed out that they liked this approach to learning." Many articles say this approach might not be for everyone, but with these results it would be worth a try.
Sources
Bedrina, O. (2016, May 27). The Flipped Classroom: Does it Actually Work? Retrieved June 02, 2016, from https://blog.animatron.com/2016/05/27/the-flipped-classroom-does-it-actually-work/ Massive Open Online Course (MOOC). (n.d.). Retrieved June 02, 2016, from https://library.educause.edu/topics/teaching-and-learning/massive-open-online-course-mooc The Teacher’s Guide To Flipped Classrooms. (n.d.). Retrieved June 02, 2016, from http://www.edudemic.com/guides/flipped-classrooms-guide/ Thompson, G. (2013, September 5). Get Ready: MOOCs Are Coming to K-12 -- THE Journal. Retrieved June 02, 2016, from https://thejournal.com/articles/2013/09/02/get-ready-moocs-are-coming-to-k-12.aspx Tucker, C. (2015, June 29). Flipped Classroom: Engaging Students with EdPuzzle. Retrieved June 02, 2016, from http://catlintucker.com/2015/06/flipped-classroom-engaging-students-with-edpuzzle/ Essential question: What do you see as the promise of Open Learning as an emerging technology/pedagogy/philosophy?First lets start with what open learning is. "Open learning is described as learning that occurs in a shared and transparent manner in which others can reuse, revise, remix, and/or redistribute the evidence of learning with others. Open learning encourages collaboration, connections, networked learning, and interdependence between educators and learners" (Graham, LaBonte, Roberts, O'Byrne, 2014). So a huge benefit in open learning is the flexibility it provides. There a not many barriers with this type of learning. This means that students have access to anything they or the teacher can find. It really opens up a whole realm of possibility as far a learning goes. With this flexibility learning becomes more open to everyone. There is such diversity in a population it is hard to meet the needs of all learners. Higher education is starting to see a greater diversity of students than in the past and they must accommodate all. As Fraser & Deane (1997) state, "Institutes of higher education are also facing the challenges of large numbers of learners, each with differing educational, ethnic and cultural backgrounds and hence, foundations upon which the learning experience can be based." Even though this is an older article, I believe this is still true. Open learning allows for more differentiated learning as learners take charge of the learning they encounter. The video below shows a school designed around the open concept. I like how the teacher explains that it forces her to differentiate. Another huge benefit to the surge in open learning is Open Education Resources (OER). OER's "are teaching, learning, and research resources that reside in the public domain or have been released under an intellectual property license permitting their free use or re-purposing by others" (Graham, LaBonte, Roberts, O'Byrne, 2014). According to the article titled Open Educational Resources (OER): Resource Roundup (2015), "High-quality OER can save teachers significant time and effort on resource development and advance student learning inside and outside the classroom. Further, open sharing of resources has the potential to fuel collaboration, encourage the improvement of available materials, and aid in the dissemination of best practices." So really this is a win for everyone. These resources save time and can be changed many times for the better. I just couldn't resist posting this video, so enjoy! It was in a playlist on the Edutopia article I read.
Graham, L., LaBonte, R., Roberts, V., & O'Byrne, I. (2014). Open Learning in K-12 Online and Blended Learning Environments. Retrieved May 25, 2016, from http://www.academia.edu/10311797
Open Educational Resources (OER): Resource Roundup. (2015, December 4). Retrieved May 26, 2016, from http://www.edutopia.org/open-educational-resources-guide |
Emerging TechnologiesCategories |