Distance Learning Medium Review: Google Forms and Fluberoo

The medium I choose to review was Google Forms. I choose this medium because it is not only applicable to my classroom but many classrooms. It can also provide teachers with various opportunities to give pre-test and post-test which in most cases do not happen due to a lack of time. Below is my review on Google Forms.

Google Forms is a tool equip to help teachers design surveys, tests, quizzes, and even a simple sign up. Google Forms are easy to use and easy to share among your students and staff. One must hold a Google account in order to access, create and share the forms. Teachers should also have a basic knowledge on how to use technology.

Google Form is a great way to provide teachers the opportunity to develop pre and post tests. Unfortunately, limited amount of class time is the cause for most teachers forgoing a pre or post knowledge test. Google forms is an easy way to develop a quiz giving the teacher the valuable information needed while not taking up class time. Google forms can be created and given as a take home assignment or can be done in the classroom.  

Some other great uses for Google forms include surveys and a sign up sheet. Click on the link to view a tutorial on how to create your own Google Forms. Once the form is complete, Fluberoo is a great tool to use when grading the assignment.  Fluberoo provides the students and teachers with instant feedback as well as the correct answer if they happened to get the answer wrong.

     Google forms have various settings allowing the user to do the following:

• One login per user
• One login per user with teacher chosen limits to correct an answer
• Question shuffles
• Shuffle answer options in multiple choice questions
• Close the form at a set time provided by the teacher
• Instant grade sent to the student via email provided (Fluberoo)
• Choice eliminator (sign ups)
• Graphs of responses
• Change theme

     Google forms can be an essential tool in any classroom. Not only is it easy to use but a valuable tool for both the teacher and students because it provides instant feedback showcasing the progress of the students.

Week 12 Discussion Response

What do you think about iNACOL’s New Learning Models Vision? Are there limitations or disadvantages to such an approach? Is it feasible? Do you find that there are advantages for you as you create your own environments?

After reading the iNACOL's New Learning Models Vision article I believe this is the direction education is intending to go. The article states, " The student is at the center with each element supporting their individual learning." Most of my classroom lessons are geared towards a student centered learning approach. As a state requirement, teachers are being evaluated on the student centered classroom.  

The TPAC approach pairs student centered learning with blended learning. This provides students with an equal platform to learn. TPAC (Technology Platforms, People/Pedagogy, Assessment, and Online Content) aligns schools with a blended learning environment paired with the common core state standards. The model provides students with the following criteria:

• Personalized
• Student Centered
• Accessible to All
• Higher Achievement and Higher Standards
• Technology Enhanced
• Affordable and Sustainable
• Flexible Staffing

Although I see great value in this model, I also see some flaws. Although I believe blended learning is a beneficial component, I do believe it is not the only component. I believe relationships are extremely important to have in the classroom. Another flaw I see in the system is accessible to all. Not all schools and communities have the opportunity to provide the necessary resources to the schools. For example, teachers need to be educated on how to use certain programs as well as the students. Not only is there a lack of education, but the students may not have the resources at home. For example, my classroom consists of many different types of students. Some students are wealthy and some are not. Some of my students have access to more information and resources at home while my other students go to work and/or do not have access at home.

In theory I do believe this model is where education is heading and I do not think it is a bad thing. I do feel we need to be open minded when we look at models such as this one. There can and will be many hardships during the process. The important thing to remember is the ultimate goal, are my students led to learn? If the answer is yes, as a teacher I feel we are doing a good job.

Resources:

• iNACOL’s New Learning Models Vision
• NMC Horizon Project Review

Personal Online Case Study

What elements of your teaching practice would be effective in an online learning environment, and what would need to be adjusted, or modified to allow you to successfully work with students within an online learning environment?  

Looking back at where I started and where I am now, I see two different people. In June of last year, I left University of New Haven, talking to my friend questioning my decision to be a part of the #itdml program.  I felt as though technology was overwhelming and intimidating.

Today, I feel more confident with my technological skills but not as much as I feel I need to be to fully integrate it into my classroom. Some elements I could bring to my practice are evident now. I curate online test using Google Forms and have developed various digital based assignments. I have also tried to stretch my limits and create a flipped classroom lesson.  

I teach at an inner city school but feel privileged because all of my students were given school issued tablets. With all the students acquiring tablets, I feel this has pushed me to use technology more in my classroom than most teachers. The environment is ideal to fully engulf myself in a digital classroom but I still feel there needs to be some changes to not only my teaching, but also my philosophy and learning environment.  

For example, I would change my environment by issuing the same tablet each student has to the teachers. There are many things I would like to do with my students; however, their tablet does not have the same capability as the computer in the classroom. I am unable to see what the students see and they see a different screen then what might be posted on the classroom computer. This not only causes confusion for me but also for my students especially those who are lower level learners.  

 

Some things I would change about my teaching style is confidence. I have a lack of confidence when it comes to technology. Fear is the main feeling I get when I try and integrate technology into my classroom. Fear of the information not saving and fear of monitoring the information when students share online. To ease some of my fears I have slowly started to integrate Google into my classroom. The students share information with me and I am able to make comments and share them back to the students. I am still dragging when it comes to requiring students to share their information online. Unfortunately, my fear is the responsibility of monitoring the online program. What if a student says or posts something inappropriate. Although this may be rare, it is still a fear I feel most teachers have but may not talk about.

     The #itdml program has equipped me with many resources I will be using in my classroom. Some of these resources include Google Classroom, Google Forms, Google Slides, Google Docs, Newsela, Popplet, storify and many more.  The program has also allowed me to entertain ideas of global competency through program such as #walkmyworld and iEarn

     Technology is an ever changing platform to integrate a vast amount of information to an extreme population.  Technology has proved to me, learning can happen anytime, anywhere and at any age.  I feel more comfortable with using digital tools in my classroom and hope to continue my learning with this field. Since starting the #itdml program, I have been placed on the blended learning committee and asked to take charge of the new mastery based learning health class we will provide to our students next year.  The class will include a mixture of MOOC's, digital text and classroom seat time. Overall I do believe technology provides our students with a "level playing field".  Not only can students access a wide variety of information but they can also be in contact with professionals in various subject areas. The most important thing about technology I have learned not only about myself but in general are:

• It will fail at least once
• Not all students know how to properly use technology
• Learning is fun for the students when they are curate online
• I can do this!
• Google classroom and Google+ are great places to share information

     Ultimately, I do feel I have grown as a learner and an educator.  I feel like I have more confidence with technology than when I started teaching.  I still feel there is a long way to go, but that is only one of the limitations of technology, it is always changing so you must be up to date with the information.

Week 10 Storify: Digital Badges

Here is my storify for the week 10 badges!

Digital Badges!!!

What are badges and why are they important? The second reading this week discussed digital badges.  Tech Learning define a badge as, “a digital recognition for accomplishing a skill or acquiring knowledge after completing an activity.”  How can digital badges be used in the educational field?

Badges can be used in many different forms in the educational field.  Most noticeable, the digital badge is similar to a “badge of honor” in the technological world.  It can showcase your skills through a visual resume.

Not only can digital badges be used as a display to showcase your accomplishments but it can also provide feedback during professional development days.  For example, what if the teachers were given a choice when it comes to professional development opportunities.  Teachers would be given an array of programs to choose from and they would be required to earn a badge to showcase their accomplishment of completing the course.  The teachers can then be held accountable for their learning and provide an opportunity for teachers to be involved in their professional development days.  Let’s face it, our teaching professional development days consist of sitting in an oversized room listening to a person for hours at a time talking about information we may or may not be interested in.  Two years ago, our school required all of our teachers to take part in a professional development day consisting of “speed reading”.  The majority of the faculty was became uninterested when the presenter said you need to skip words.  “As long as you get the general concept of what they are saying.” 

Badges can help involve teachers in their education. So how can we start looking at bringing badges into our school systems?  The Tech Learning article discussed a couple points to keep in mind when looking for an opportunity to implement a badge

• ·       Explore existing badges
• ·       Find an objective
• ·       How will you earn the badge? 
• ·       Specific steps
• ·       Assessments
• ·       Further badge opportunities (series of badges)

Both article discussed various systems that already have badge systems.  Not only are these systems already credible, but they are running and allowing people opportunities to earn badges.  Some of these systems include:

• ·       OpenBadges
• ·       Achievery
• ·       P2PU
• ·       Credly
• ·       Mozilla

The articles touched upon a lack of motivation as a potential hardship for implementing badges to not only teachers but also students.  A lack of credibility as well as incentive is a concern.

My first experience with digital badges is through the course I took during the #itdml coursework. Not only did we curate during that course but we also created various tool and shared them with our peers.  I am very proud of the badges I earned but do not know where to take them from there.  I have heard of some school district using digital badges as a way to perform professional development opportunities for their teachers.  I believe teachers will be able to use digital badges more as technology is pushed into the school systems.  Currently, an interview consist of providing the prospective school with a paper resume, recommendations and other elements.  As schools move more towards the digital wave I feel more schools will find badges to be more credible and even expected.  Unfortunately, my school just isn’t there yet.

Week 9 Storify: Educating the Heart

Here is my week 9 storify on educating the heart.

Response 9: PLE and CMS

This week we had a reading and a video presentation.  Both resources were about personalizing education to meet each student’s individuality.  I found both the video and the reading useful and entertaining. 

While reading the article I focused on specifically the section on Course Management Systems and PLE’s.  The reason I decided to focus on these two areas is because our school is striving to incorporate both in our curriculum. The article explains Course Management System’s as a course where the “instructor manages online, face-to-face, or blended, by uploading and presenting course content”.  It is also defined as web based courses used for discussions, announcements, and posts of various kinds.  Our school is trying to incorporate Course Management Systems through Moodle. I have not had a tremendous amount of experience with Moodle but have heard from other teachers how successful it can be for their students.  It is a way to distribute materials, post assignments and reach students through a technological avenue.  In our school as well as the present generation of learners, many students are familiar with technology therefore making Moodle an accessible tool.  My question would be, what if a student does not have internet at their house?  What if a student doesn’t know how to use technology very well?  Can you hold students accountable for assignments solely posted on Moodle or another course management system?  I think this ties into my next topic discussed in the article, Personal Learning Experience (PLE’s).

PLE’s or otherwise known as Personalized Learning Experiences offer students an opportunity to be in charge of their education.  It takes an idea of what a student may want to do in the future, and provide credit in the high school curriculum.  By developing a PLE, the learner has control of his or her own learning at their own pace.  Our school is embracing the idea of PLE’s and have created teaching jobs around the opportunity.  Two years, our school ran a pilot PLE program with a list of 5 courses to choose from.  As the word got out, more and more students wanted to take part in a PLE program.  Not only were students researching current PLE programs, they were also developing their own based on their interest.  Currently, we have provided the students with two full time teachers to help oversee the PLE programs.  Students seem to enjoy the convenience as well as the interest. 

The second topic I would like to discuss is Sir Ken Robinson’s discussion.  The discussion was extremely entertaining and very intriguing.  He brought up many points that made me wonder about my current teaching.  Sir Ken Robinson started his discussion with a question, how many people have ever lived? He stated that almost 10% of total people ever lived are living now making our generation the biggest to inhibit the earth.  With that said “most people have no idea what they are capable of”.  Why you might ask?  Sir Ken Robinson poses my questions leading towards education as the main source.  Conforming.  He discussed how education should be education of the heart and not necessarily of the tests.  In his eyes, education is becoming like a fast food model.  An assembly line of the same products made the same way.  He challenges that every class should be built on diversity and not conformity.  For example, he states how most people today fear the plague of ADHD.  Today 900 students are falsely accused of ADHD solely because they cannot sit still through a lecture.  However, when asked if the same student can sit engulfed in their area of interest (guitar practice) most parents would say they can sit there for hours.  Ultimately, Sir Ken Robinson’s message is to provide personalize education for all and not standardize education.  Lastly, he ended his talk with a quote from Anais Nin, “The pain of remaining tight in a bud was greater than the pain it took to blossom“.  His speech made me look at my classroom deeper.  Do I require my students to confirm to a certain standard? In most cases I unfortunately have to say yes especially when it comes to behavior.  I believe there are correct ways a student should behave in public and in school. Sure our school has discussed getting a standing section in my classroom as well as bean bag chairs because “all students listen differently.”  Just recently our school purchased chairs with wheels on the bottom of them.  The idea was to make the students more comfortable and easier for each student to get into groups and move around.  Although the idea is a beneficial one, myself as well as many other teachers have seen a negative impact on our students.  Not only do students roll around in their seats but it is distracting to other students in the class.  When it comes to developing and creating various projects portraying the same idea I stress the importance of independence.  When it comes to behavior in the classroom I guess I am a little “old school”.

Storify week 8: Blended Learning

Here is my storify for week 8 on blended learning!

Activity and Nutrition: Overall Health and Wellness

Stephanie Lavado and myself are creating an online module connecting health (specifically nutrition) and physical education through technology.  Here is our timeline of the unit.

Storify week 7

Here is my storify post for the week 7 readings.

Week 7: Pirate Teaching

What instructional and pedagogical opportunities are out there to build student voice, choice, and agency? How will you create learning experiences for your unique learners?

     This past week we watched two videos about how to "teach like a pirate".  I started with the question, what does it mean to teach like a pirate?  In the first video, the group discussion talked about being creative when teaching. Taking a step back from the traditional classroom setting and allowing the students to integrate their our creative juices. I started to think about how I allow my students to be creative.  Sure, all teachers have projects to allow their students to be creative but why can't we do more?  From this point on my goal as a teacher is to allow my students to start thinking outside of the box.  Be creative and embrace the ideas of leadership.  Simple activities such as the following picture can help students look at things a little differently.  At first my students looked at the picture and was very confused.  After a couple activities similar to this one my students started to think outside the box and develop their creative ideas.  Slowly, the creativity poured over into our curriculum projects.  It is a work in progress but one worth striving for.   The video also stated "it isn't about engaging your students in what you are talking about but bringing your material into things they are already engaged in."  I think it might be a challenge to incorporate this statement into my classroom each day but one that is feasible.  Right now my students are very engaged with social media and music.  I would like to integrate a song production project into my next unit. Having the students develop a song can also help them study the for the unit exam.  

     The second video concepts were similar to video one. The hangout discussed how the lessons we teach should be similar to games.  the aspect of fun should be evident in everything we teach.  The author of "Teach like a Pirate" also referenced  Malcum X, "attitude by any means necessary."  He also stated, "even though we know we know we have to be passionate, we aren't always passionate about everything we teach."  I agree with this statement.  Even as a teacher, it is sometimes difficult to be as engaged and enthusiastic with each subject we teach.  Portraying the passion is a difficult task.  As a physical education teacher I find myself struggling in certain units mainly because the units are stale.  I have been teaching the same information in the same way for a couple years.  Maybe this is why some teachers believe it is difficult to be as passionate about each subject we teach.  A way to change that is to challenge ourselves and other teachers to do more in their classroom.  Provide students opportunities to be creative and help guide them through the process.  Passing the "teaching" reins can be a rejuvenating idea.

Week 6 Storify-Distance Learning

Here is my Storify for week 6.

Week 6 Reflection on the Videos

There are many things to think about, talk about, and be worried about as we review this week’s materials. For example, can we empower students through the right infrastructure, the right culture, and/or the right processes? Should we start with outcomes first, or should that now change to meet new learners and the types of engagement/experience we want for them? How do we connect the real world to the other real world? Should we actually be worried about big brother and privacy as we try to engage 21st century learners in a connected environment? Is the cloud the right way to go as we begin to embrace ubiquitous learning? Are there ethical and legal implications of this new embrace to connectivity?

Image CC from US magazine

My #itdml class had three videos we were required to watch.  Each of the videos discussed real-life problems I see in our school systems today.  For example, in the Connected Learning: Real World Engagement video discussed how schools are asking the wrong questions.  As a school system we are being defined by our test scores and therefore teachers have to cover a certain amount of curriculum.  Rather than engaging the students, teachers rush to get through the material so they do not fall behind.  By doing this, it seems as though we have lost sight of what school is.  Creativity sharing, developing, and analyzing are all a part of the Common Core State Standards yet do we provide our students opportunities to do these things?   As teachers and a school we quickly become defined by our outcomes.  Nothing seems to matter but reaching certain standards and materials.  The video suggests we should be asking, "What is the experience we want the student to have"?  This questions therefore harness engagement.  Students soon are not embarrassed by failures but rather feel comfortable enough to come back and correct it.  There is a necessary need to know.  Each student will then have a desire and a want to know.  So how do you create a need to know question?  How can you get your students excited to find out the answer and questions items they do not know so they can find the answer?  These are all emotional questions.  In order to be a need to know it must be an emotional connection first. The video questioned, how do you design a fracture problem to become a need to know lesson for a nine year old? The answer is by developing a meaningful connection so the nine year old wants to know the information rather than has to know. Like anything else we do in our lives, learning comes easier to things we find enjoyment out of.  I think about when my eight year old is required to read a Chapter book and reflect on it.  It is a struggle to get her to read sometimes; however, it is in contrast very difficult to pull her away from a gymnastic biography of Gabby Douglas.  Although the Gabby Douglas book is longer with a smaller text, she still loves to read it.  Her enjoyment adds to her learning.  Now she understands gymnastic terms and language which seems foreign to me!

The second video, Internships Offer Meaningful Real-World Learning is about a student who is involved in an internship program to check water quality in his hometown.  Internships provide students with new ways to not only meet new people but also do things they might not normally do in school.  Based on the student’s interest, the internship connects them with the community.  Students can then work in a real-life, hands on experience.  This video posed the question, what is school? In this "school", hands on programs with real-life professionals is a must do and not an option to read in a book.  Internships provide students with an individual learning plan. The students are usually in the community about two days a week to learn in the real world.  After all, what are real world academics when they aren't being used in the real world?  In this case, Noah was able to not only learn various different skills in the internship, it also provided him with a purposeful connection in the community. I believe internships allow students to take control of their own education.  It allows students to actively view problems that matter around the community and creativity collaborate with professional’s ways to enhance and change it.

The last video, RSA-Animate-Re-Imagining Work said 71% of people are disengaged at work.  To me, that number seems really high.  Why could this be?  The video suggests technology could be a problem as well as the environment we work in.  Technology allows information to become public and therefore could cause problems.  But the true question is how can we innovate our ideas and harness creativity?  A cubical provides a workplace isolation.  If they are taken away, more people will talk to each other.  But what happens with the "big brother" and the feeling of always be "watched".  People and even my students tend to comfort themselves and design their own workplace with headphones. Ultimately, the flexibility of the workplace is encouraged.  Although scary for most companies, flexibility and workers taking control of how they work is suggested as a necessary element in the workplace.  

Image CC by www.wikipedia.com

Being a teacher, this is a scary scene.  I fear many things when students are able to use the tools in front of them and use them with how they feel they need to.  I believe one major problem with this is many teachers, bosses, and "big brothers" feel without the proper guidance and training work might not be done.  I have been trying to relinquish some of the control in my classroom.  Some of my classes do better with this then other classes.  I do see a sense of fear in my students when I tell them to be creative.  Is this because I have told them all along what they will be doing?  Or is this the typical behavior of a student in the 21st century?  Does our school allow for creative thinking or are we too focused on curriculum, topics and deadlines?  Since I have first stepped back, my students do not flinch as much as they used to.  They still are struggling with being creative but I think it takes times.  I decided to ask my students one day what types of games they played as kids.  Were they out in the backyard developing games and if so what were the games.  Most of my students said they were never outside developing games.  Instead they were working.  Working to pay bills for their family.  If they weren't working they were playing video games.  This made me think of the video clip from "Grown Ups".  In the video, two children were confused when their dad asked them to play outside rather than sit inside and play video games. So how can we break this cycle? Where does it start?

Week 5 Readings: Pedagogy

Based on the readings, explain what you find to be the most potent concepts that can be transferred into your own teaching practices and why.

When I think about pedagogy there are many things that enter my mind; curriculum, units, education, and concepts to name a few.  So what is “pedagogy” and how is it changing our educational world?  Tony Bates looks at that question in the article, New Pedagogy Emerging. The article addresses areas of education, more simply, what drives the development of a new pedagogy?  How pedagogy changes in society and student expectations through technology.

There are many hurdles to overcome when talking about pedagogy.  The main challenge is stated by  Tony Bates, “how to find, analyze, evaluate, and apply knowledge as it constantly shifts and grows”.  Students now are required to critically think on their own independent level.  Not only that, but they also have correlate the relevant information through technology and other software across disciplines!  The text states, "pedagogy means developing students with the skills to manage their own learning throughout life, so they can continue to learn after graduation”.  The "new student expectations" are set high and we as teachers need to prepare them the best we can.  So how can we do that?  The readings and videos gave some great examples of how we can prepare our students.  Some examples include:

1. Actively engage students in a fun and creative way
2. Allow a connection so the students can see the relevance of their learning to the real world
3. Use new technology such as blogs, wikis and social media, and mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets
4. Empower learners
5. Innovation

As a teacher I looked deeper into my classroom.  Do I prepare my students enough and if not what can I take from the readings to help my students become more competent?  The following are areas I believe can be improved through my teaching:

1. Blended learning: I am a part of a blended learning committee and therefore have an expectation to continue the learning home with the students as a ‘flipped’ classroom. When I think about this concepts it scares me.  Mainly because student grades are not based as heavily on homework as it used to be.  With that said, will more students be willing to involve themselves in a flipped classroom when technology is introduced?  Could I be using the wrong information to portray to my students? These are all questions I do not have the answers to other than to continue to try new ideas and concepts.

2. Use of multimedia and open education resources: Our school uses many YouTube clips as well as TED talks. The students can now access the information with their school issued tablets or smartphones through our new BYOD policy.  It is a concept I would like to use more in my classroom.  I would like to have my students develop YouTube video clips of various exercises.  The exercises can be in the weight room, pool, or even the gymnasium.  I believe if my students are capable of producing these video clips, they can be used for future reference.  I also believe my current students would like to view/share the videos if they were of their peers.

3. Increased learner control, choice, and independence: Unfortunately, this is a concept I would like to become better at. Exploration and independence is a hard thing for teachers to let go of.  However, when given control, the students appear to "step up to the plate" and prove they are capable of the task at hand.  I have tried to take a step back and become a facilitator in a couple of my classes.  I do believe this does not work with all classes.  Due to simple maturity, some of my classes would not do well with independent learning.  I believe this has a direct connection with a lack of creativity and exploration as a child. 

4. Anywhere, anytime, any size learning: Anytime learning can be a great experience.  Our school provides students with an online program called Odyssey Ware. This online class provides students with the ability to work from anywhere at their own pace.  It allows learners a great opportunity to "catch up" or even get ahead in the classroom setting.  

5. New forms of assessment: Our school, as well as many others are starting to adopt the idea of e-portfolios and peer assessments.  As a school, we have talked about requiring our students to develop a portfolio for a graduation requirement.  Personally I think it is a great concept.  I believe this is a good concept because once the students leave high school they are able to not only collect information they have used throughout high school but also reflect on their learning.  

Resources:

1. A New Pedagogy is Emerging... and Online Learning is a Key Contributing Factor. (n.d.). Retrieved February 1, 2015.
2. Grant wiggins-Understanding by Design 1& 2 (Videos)

MOOC Storify

Here is my storify to demonstrate my understanding of a MOOC and how it is beneficial in the school systems today.

MOOC's Response

What is a "MOOC", and how does it intersect with the online, or hybrid learning environments that we've been studying?

What is a MOOC? Another word for MOOC is a massive open online course. The benefit of MOOC's are they are available in a variety of topics and capable of being research from virtually anywhere! At your fingertips you can be connected with experts, peers, and others with the goals as you. The article mentioned a couple different MOOC's available to people such as Coursera, edX, FutureSense, or Udacity. I unfortunately do not have a great deal of experience with any of these courses.

Once the MOOC is complete, the student receives a certificate in the form most likely of badges. I like to call the badges "medals of honor". They provide a way to showcase you and build a digital portfolio. In some cases, badges can also be used for a professional development credit. Thinking about that concept, would it be beneficial for a teacher to be required to earn a certain number of badges rather than attend a professional development day? Would it be worth it? Would it be more beneficial or would more teachers take advantage of it?

The article discussed the differences between cMOOCs and xMOOCs. The C” in front of the word MOOC refers to a course based on connectivism where as the "X" is more directly related to University and "often meant delivery of content in a traditional academic manner". "Connectivism is related to how people use digital tools and environments to form networks and connections."

The article discusses many suggestions made by McAuley, Stewart, Siemens, & Cormier such as:

• The extent to which it can support deep enquiry and the creation of sophisticated knowledge
• The breadth versus the depth of participation
• Whether and under what conditions successful participation can extend beyond those with broadband access and sophisticated social networking skills
• Identifying the processes and practices that might encourage lurkers, or “legitimate peripheral participants”, to take on more active and central roles
• The impact or value of even peripheral participation, specifically the extent to which it might contribute to participation in the digital economy in extra-MOOC practices
• Specific strategies to maximize the effective contribution of facilitators in particular and more advanced participants in general
• The role for accreditation, if any, and how it might be implemented.

Above, I highlighted the phrase, "breadth versus depth". This can be a very powerful statement. One I believe the #itdml have proved this statement true. Although the content we produce is not of "typical" 6th year length, the depth of the conversations are far more meaningful and deeper than any program I have been a part of thus far. The #itdml classes closely relate to the MOOC's discussed in the article. During the 2014 summer courses we were a part of many different modules. For each module we completed we received a badge. I really enjoyed the idea from +Stephanie Lavado. She did a great job integrating technology into her physical education classroom. She discussed using pedometers and tracking each student’s steps. As a whole their goal was to "walk to Disney". This is just one example of many provided by the students in the class demonstrating the positives stemming from MOOC's. The Meriden Public School's are now trying implementing more MOOC's into our district. In a matter of minutes, one can be connected to experts, professionals and other peers with the same interests.

Resources:

• Ferdig, R. E. (2013). What massive open online courses have to offer K–12 teachers and students. Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute. About Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute

 

Week 3 Storify: LMS

Here is my storify for the distance learning class on week 3 learning management systems.

Week 3: LMS Response

How well does this LMS (Learning Management Systems) support you and your learning style? How could it be improved?




     LMS is a new term for me.  In July 2014, I started an adventure in technology.  Within that time period I have learned many things to help enhance my classroom setting. In my Distance Learning class we read the article, "What are Learning Management Systems, What are They Not, and What Should They Become?". The title alone frightened me because it was terms I was not extremely familiar with like others may be.  In the readings this week our program has not fit the mold of what was define as a LMS.  As stated in the reading this week, "An LMS is the and manages instructional content, identifies and assesses individual and organizational learning or training goals, tracks the progress towards meeting those goals, and collects and presents data for supervising the learning process of an organization as a whole".  Although the instructional content and management is evident in the program I do feel there are some areas that are lacking. 


     For example, one area I feel I am lacking with Google+ and the use of communities is the low amount of specific feedback on my work. But then again, is this the way we are heading when it comes to technology?  Our program is based around "playing" with tools and guided instruction.  To me, the word student is someone who submits their work and the teacher provides specific feedback on rubrics.  I would not be telling the truth if I said I wasn't nervous about my grade in some of the classes. Was I supposed to integrate more technology? Should I have went into more detail? Am I even in the right ballpark?  Again, is this the way society wants education to evolve into.  A student directed and student paced curriculum? I still feel when I receive a reminder on my phone stating someone else posted to the community my anxiety starts to fly.  Another area I feel uneasy with is the amount of information scattered on the G+ community.  Although I feel comfortable with the explanations of each assignment it does get slightly cluttered when looking at the community posts.


     I do feel the program has helped ease my fears about technology in the classroom more than it has created them.  I am a very hands on person and also like to try new things.  The ability to be able to look at different forms of LMS such as G+, Google forms and communities has helped me understand how to facilitate a digital classroom environment better.

Image CC from www.absorblms.com