Here are the questions for this week. If you have any questions feel free to ask:
1. The “Illinois Online Network – Online Education Overview” lists many strengths and weaknesses about online learning. Keeping them in mind, how do you feel about online learning? If you have any experience with online learning, please explain the strengths and weaknesses you encountered.
2. In the “Illinois Online Network – Online Education Overview" find the link labeled Distance Learning Calculator. Complete the distant learning survey and calculate your results. Do you feel like you would have saved money if you completed classes online? Do you feel you would have benefited more from taking classes online or in the classroom bases on personal commitments?
3. Teachers are considered lifelong learners. If online classes were FREE, do you think you would enroll in classes to further your education and learn new ideas you could incorporate into your classroom. What features/elements would you expect from the course to assist you as a learner?
4. In the YouTube video titled "E-Teaching", how does the teacher connect with his students and allow them to express their ideas and thoughts using technology? He also states “the internet is used for a means to provide more opportunities for students”. Do you agree with this? Explain.
5. After watching the YouTube video titled “Voices from the New American Schoolhouse”, do you think this type of school would be for everyone? What did you like about it? What didn’t you like about it? Do you think they would benefit from more technology? How do you feel these students would do if the class was presented online?
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3. Teachers are considered lifelong learners. If online classes were FREE, do you think you would enroll in classes to further your education and learn new ideas you could incorporate into your classroom. What features/elements would you expect from the course to assist you as a learner?
WITHOUT A DOUBT- YES!!! I would definitely further my education and incorporate new ideas into my classroom by taking more classes. Time is definitely a constraint and therefore, if it were online that would ease many problems. So many of these "technological tool" based classes provide way too much information and way to less time to "trial and error." We've have already graduated various undergraduate studies programs where they "held our hand" while we encountered new ideas, but now we are partaking in graduate studies course where we should have the complete independence to learn the material, tools, programs, etc. and do with it what we wish.
Question #2: I just completed the distant learning survey and I found out that I am definitely not spending much money to drive to and from campus. Since I only live about 3 minutes away, my total commuting cost to attend one day of class was $2.89. But, I don't necessarily believe that. Heather and I carpool, so I'm hardly using ANY gas. Obviously everybody would be saving money if they completed classes online, but that isn't important to me since I don't live far from campus. Based on my personal commitments, I benefit more in class. My only commitments right now are subbing in a few local school districts, and I always am finished before my classes. I definitely learn more in class by being there, rather than trying to understand something over a computer. I am originally from Trumansburg, and was thinking about commuting to Cortland for classes. I definitely would have been spending much more money on gas and taking more time to drive out here. In that case, I would think about online classes.
In response to question 1, after reading the "Illinois Online Network--Online Education Overview," I feel online classes can be great for students depending on the type of learner a student happens to be. If a student is a visual learner, then on-line learning is beneficial. According to the article, "much of the information students acquire in the courses comes from the class textbook and other readings..." With online courses students will learn visually through a lot of assigned readings. Online courses don't offer lectures to listen to so auditory learners will not benefit as much as if they were in a traditional classroom environment. For students who learn best by doing, online learning may not be beneficial because students learn by reading selected material. Classroom activities, experiments, and labs are not available to online learners.
Online learning can be very beneficial to those students who would consider themselves as independent. Online learning is strictly learning on you own with minimal guidance from a professor. Online courses are flexible because you learn at your own pace and on your won time. Communication is also very minimal between professors and other students in the class. A person who would consider themselves as very "socialble" would not benefit from online learning because of the lack of communication.
I have had experiences with online learning and I found it to be very beneficial to my learning style. I really liked the flexibility of being able to work around my schedule. I personally didn't mind not communicating as much with others. E-mail worked fine for me if I n eeded to ask a question or if I needed more clarification on something. In some cases I was able to get ahead of the course schedule to finish the course early so I could actually enjoy my summer. The only problem I encountered was the internet being "down" or a problem with my computer at home that didn't allow me to access the internet for the course. Other than that I found online learning to be very beneficial and I would definitely take another online course again.
Question #3: I highly doubt I would enroll in online classes even if they were free. I have a difficult time learning over a computer. I have to be able to visually see the person teaching, or else I'm lost and have so many questions. If I WERE to take online courses, I would expect the course to be very detailed in its assignments/projects. But no matter how much information is put into the course, I would always think of a new question about it. I would like to gain new ideas for my classroom, so who knows... if the time ever came where online classes really were free, I would decide then. Otherwise, online classes are not a way I can learn comfortably.
In response to question 3, I agree with Jess in that I would definitely take momre classes to further my education on how to be a better teacher if the online courses were free. As we all know, there are always new ideas, innocations, and technology tools that we can incorporate into our classrooms to benefit our students. From my experience with subbing, teachers are always interested in learning about what I am learning in my graduate studies because they want to know about these new ideas. It's very important for teachers to learn these new ideas but it is very difficult to pay for. Online courses are perfect for teachers because they are flexible. Teachers are very busy and they barely have any time to do anything. Free online courses would be a blessing for teachers so they can incorporate what they learn into their classroom at no cost to them.
In response to question four and the youtube clip: e teaching the teacher connects with his students in a variety of ways. For one, the online class allows students to have access to his teachings when they may not necessarily be in his area. Therefore students/schools that do not have the resources to employ a teracher like this, they can stil benefit from his knowledge by goin online and accessing it that way. I just learned a bit about podacsting myself, and it was cool to see how another teacher is incorporating them into his classroom. Students recoding themselves and sharing with others is a great toll that can be used by studentas both in and outside the classroom. The quote that Andrew Mercer used: "give student the skills and the encouragement" is one that i agree with and i also feel that it could be applied to educators as well. if you teach a student how to use a program or do a particular skill, then they are more prone to use it in the future. Mastering the technology and the skills is one of the most important steps in the education process. Once a student feels comfprtable with a program, then they can use it on there own and possibly expand on its uses. Also, teachers are the same way. Often times they can be technologically illiterate, but if you teach them new and interesting teaching materials/ideas/programs, then they would be more likely to incoporate them into their teaching, which in turn would allow students more acces to the materials/programs.
Although i have never actually taken an all online course, i can definetely see even before reading the artivle the obvious benefits and setbacks. The fact that an online class can be taken by anyone, anywhere (for the most part)is an obvious benefit bc it allows people to have access to certain classes/instructors that they would not normally. however, when they list synergy and high level of dialogue as strengths, it gives me pause. Yes, students do have more time to think and reflect before making comments, but what happened to spur of the moment comments while in a classroom. I think that there can be just as much, maybe even more meaningful comments brought up in the classroom than would be over the computer. There is also something to be said for one on one interactions, not only between teacher and students, but between the student themselves.
#3 If onlince classes were free I would most definetely enroll in a few. (not while im still in grad school though lol) I have always wanted to further my education in areas like computers, and economics, so if they were free, why wouldnt you take them?? Like jlatta said, time is one of the general pubics biggest concerns when it comes to taking on new things 9such as a class or degree) so with online classes accomadating many more peoples lives, you would probably see a higher enrollment. (The Univ. of Phoenix is an online university and it is one of the fastest growing in the U.S.)
Question 4: I wish I had read Corey's post before I viewed the YouTube...ugh...the quote that Andrew Mercer uses, "give student the skills and the encouragement," sticks in my mind the most from that presentation. I think because it hits so close to home. Encouragement is the key to students accomplishing anything! If we as educators show our students that we know the skills well and we will teach them and they will be successful through our encouagement -then what do we have to lose?
This presentation was extrememly interesting because I have always found distance learning classes to be a challenge (when I have substituted for them in the past years), and to think of learning MUSIC this way- whoa! However, I must say, times have changed, there is so much out there with so many tools and resources- it's amazing!
Lauren made a good point that teachers have a busy schedule so for them to further their education, online classes would be perfect. I also sub and teachers frequently ask me things im learning as well. I think that if the classes were free, teachers would take advantage of them.
amyh said: in answering question#1 The Illinois on line article listed several pros and cons for learning on line. Some of the pros that i thought were good points were students that are handicapped. I have worked with the handicapped and I know the difficulties they have in the outside world. On line classes would help them greatly. Another suggestion of people hwo might benefit are the elderly. I have many retired friends who would love to take classes on line. People who work on the road could work on their degree without having to go to an on campus site. They will be able to work in airports or hotels while working. People who are working to support a family can do so and take classes. On line classes offer 24/7 This allows you to log and work anytime. Some of the cons about on line classes are techno glitches. A person's computer and computer skills could lack the technology needed to transfer information to and from class. Some professors seem to think that classes do not offer quality that a reg. classroom may have. Example of this may be a philosophy class. There is nothing better than hot debates. you can't really get that with on line classes. Many classes you can't take because the class does not transfer easily into technology. A good example of this would be art classes. You certainly can't go on line and draw a nude. You would probably get arrested for porn. I can hear it now but judge I was taking an on line art class. What do I think? I think that that depending on the person and depending on the class that online classes can work. And work well. But I wouldn't want to have my college experience be all on line.
amy h said about Free classes. I remember as a young adult that I told my mother that I wanted to marry a professor so that I could take free classes. Now being divorced I just want the free classes and forget the husband. Life would be good. I really like the idea of free classes however, I need to really look deep into my heart and say would I really take advantage of them. Unfortunatley the answer is no. Yes it all sounds good free classes, oh I would like to take this or that, but would I'd take advantage of them? Probably not. How many times has a free program come up like a free lecture do we go? No because one we may forget or two something else comes up. I would love the option of free classes. There are some classes I would love to take but I don't want to pay for them like archeology or glass making or bubble science. When I have a class that I have paid for I am more apt to go even when I am not feeling well. If I don't pay for it and I have a hang nail or NASCAR is on guess who isn't going to show up. I might enroll, would I put my heart into it, I doubt it. I am just being honest.
amy h responding to htbennett First let me say that for teachers who make nothing and have to pay for their education there is something wrong with that. We spend how much for a Master's degree and does the salary reflect it? Free classes are good for teachers. My question to you to think about is Should anyone be able to take the free Educational classes or should it be closed to teacher's only. What would happen to our profession if everyone was allowed to take free Teacher classes? Who should we include ? My niece decided after receiving a Master's degree she wanted to go back and get her Master's in education. What if she really sucked as a teacher. When I was getting my degree in Art Education, those of us who were serious about teaching would scoff at the people who had their degree in paint and print making. they couldn't make a living with a paint and print making degree so they "decided" they would become an art teacher. Did they suck as a teacher for the most part yes, because they didn't have a clue or care about teaching, they needed to make a living. I even had a professor say that they reason why he became an art teacher was so that he could have the summers off to paint. I guess I am off track but I think before you offer free classes you need to think who might be taking them and what will happen to the quality of teachers.
In response to question 5 let me just start off by saying "Wow!" I was a little surprised when I first viewed the video. My first thought was I better find a new career if this is what schools are going to look like in the future. My second thought was how are these children learning anything if they are playing video games? Granted I know some are educational but you still need more information to really understand something.
I definitely see this type of school to only work for certain types of students. From my subbing experience I have seen students who would definitely not benefit from this type of school. Some students need schedules and a consistant environment in order to be successful. For instance, I have been in some classrooms where students can't even handle "center time" where they get to choose which center to go to for individual learning. This school would definitely not work for them, I can just see them spending most of their wandering around not knowing what to do with themselves.
I can also see, however, where some students would benefit because they are able to learn at their own pace on their own time (similar to an online course). That one girl was learning algebra at an age where students are still trying to memorize their math facts. I also wonder about what happens when these graduating students reach the workforce. I know there are definitely very few jobs that require this much flexibility and it almost seems like they will get a rude awakening when they are told by their boss what they need to do.
I think overall, it would take a mature, high achieving student to be able to handle this type of school.
Oh, and I was very surprised by their democratic style of handling problems with a panel (jury). I am not sure how I feel about that though. On the one hand things are handled by their peers which I guess is good. But on the other hand is the consequence really going to be fair to the person who did the "crime?"
3. If there were courses offered to me online and free of charge I would definetly take the course to further my education. I would take courses that would benefit me as a teacher- like classroom managment courses, etc. I would even pay for more courses to be online... as jlatta said there is a big time constraint already on teachers and it would be more more convenient and useful to be able to work through courses online.
5. -I really was shocked as I was watching this video!
Do you think this type of school would be for everyone? No, I really don't think this type of school would be for everyone. Honestly if I was given this option of going to "school" and making my own decisions like if I want to chat or read a book... I would absolutley just talk to my friends? How would someone like me ever learn if it was up to me completley.
What did you like about it? I like the idea that the children have choice in what they do. They enjoy what they are doing daily and that is a wonderful thing.
What didn’t you like about it? I really don't know what I didn't like... What I would like to see is how much these children really KNOW when it really comes down to it. Yes they have choice, and yes they are enjoying themselves... but are they all learning?
Do you think they would benefit from more technology? Um, I'm not sure what type of technology they have currently... but I think we can all benefit from technology. They could definetly new learn new things from the technology.
How do you feel these students would do if the class was presented online? For these students it seems that they enjoy the fact that they get to come to school and learn together. I don't think in this situation online classes would benefit them.
Good point Allison. I dont think these students would benefit from online learning as well.
Response to #1: I personally have never taken an online course. The closest I have come to online course is this course where our classroom discussions are blogged. The Illinois Online Network pointed out that having to type out a response to a question forces more reflection before posting it then does having to raise your hand and respond in a typical classroom. I personally believe that online discussion is much more engaging for me because I tend to participate more in online discussion and think about my responses much more than I do in the typical classroom. I feel that many student will be much more inclined to respond and participate in discussion if they are able to do so without the pressure of having to respond immidiatly in the traditional classroom setting. I ultimately believe the statement made by the Illinois Online Network that discussions among those who may never meet face to face is what makes web based courses so exciting and so powerful an educational formath for higher education.
Response to #2: For me personally I live right around the corner from campus so it does not cost me much to commute. However, if I was able to complete my entire degree online I would save a tremendous amount of money because I would have been able to live at home and not pay for gas of commuting back and forth for family events and I would not have to pay rent to live out here. However, I am not sure if I would want to do an entire degree online, becuase I would miss the person to person interaction and the personal networking that occurs in the college setting. However, I definitely think that online courses will be an option that I will consider for continuing my education to stay current and be a life long learner because this would allow me to work at my own pace while juggling family life and my career without having to actually attend a university.
Response to #3: Teachers totally need to be life long learners! If online courses were free I would most certainly take advantage of them to further my professional development inorder to learn more ideas that I could incorporate into my classrooms to engage my students in their own learning. I would even take courses just to further explore my personal interests outside of the classroom. I would expect that many courses of the 21st century would involve in some way showing teachers how to integrate technology into their curriculum and how it would serve a pedagogical purpose.
Response to #4: The teacher basically introduces his students to technology and programs that allow them to be creative and to essentially control and create their own learning.He does not ask them to do anything really difficult, he just gives them outlets for their creativity. He essentially makes use of videos to teach them important skills that will allow them to create and demonstrate their learning and then apply this in the real world. I believe that the internet does offere many opportunities to students that they might otherwise never had the opportunitity to experience. For example ,there are programs that make it essentially free to record and format a student performing a song and publish it for others to see. Also, the internet makes it extremely easy to communicate with people around the world, which is becoming more and more important in the 21st century. Finally, the internet provides many opportunities for students who are isolated due to geography for example to learn via online courses which would otherwise never have been available to them.
In response to question 1...
I have taken two strictly online courses and I loved them. The courses were laid out really well and were easy to follow because of the professors syllabus. At the beginning of the course, everything was laid out and we knew what we had to do and when we had to do it by. The independence was really awesome and the freedom to do the work when it best worked for us. It was fabulous. I also like the program that we had to use was very user friendly and easy to learn.
What I disliked was that sometimes there are concepts thatw ould be easier to understand if the professor were right there, person-to-person, explaining. Other than that, the only other problem was that you have to rely on the internet to be working at all times, which became and issue only once or twice.
In response to Jess, I would also take online courses if they were free. I love learning about new things and I would enjoy being able to take them without the committment of time traveling. Traveling takes a lot of time out ones life and being able to do the same work online, at home, would be very beneficial.
Response to #5: WOW is all I can say to the NEW AMERICAN SCHOOL HOUSE! I feel that while the premise of a school being run democratically is great, I think that this specific example is too decentralized and lacks order. I think that age mixing and choices of classes are a definite positive. However, giving all students the freedom that these students had such as stopping and starting a class whenever they want to or choosing to not take a class at all for a week or more is insane. Given this opportunity many students would never complete a class. So this definity is not for everyone. I actually think there is a very limited number of students that this would work for. All throughout the video I saw a great lack of organization and I think that student learning would definitly suffer because of this. However, this were some positives such as students having some control over what classes they take based on their interests and skill level and having the opportunity to work with students of diverse ages. However, my opinion is that there is no a great lack of structure in this model and there is NO WAY that this would work for many students! HOWEVER, I do feel that these students would benefit from online courses because they would have the necessary structure and at the same time would still be able to learn at their own pace and essentially choose what they want to learn about and how.
In response to others who have posted on number 1...
Learning online is a great way for people to get and education IF they are self motivated, independent, and are resourceful. So many people think that they can take an online course but forget to do the work or don't work as hard because there is no push or encouragement to do the work. Online courses are for individuals who can plan and organize and get the work done without being reminded.
Good point Lori. Not everyone benefits from online learning. It does take a special person to be self motivated to do the work. Some people responded to this question that they learn better in the classroom with hands on experiences.
5. This school is definitely not for everyone. I like the concept that they can take classes if they are ready for it at any age. I also like the Judicial Committee. However it sounds like the students might have too much power in a J.C. meeting. What I don't like is the free and openness of the school. I mean that I didn't see any curriculum, the organization was not there. This video did not go into a daily life of what school is like there. I needed more information. I think they would definitely benefit from more technology, however it must be organized in such a way that students will be able to succeed academically.
#4. The teacher connect with his students by having a website catered to his class. I agree that the internet is a means of providing more opportunities for students because, like he said, some district have cut their music program or the next school to offer music is too far away. He is providing an online music class that is accessible anywhere that the internet can be found.
#3. I as a teacher would be open to take (Free) online courses. Taking online courses does give you the advantage of continuous learning while not having to drive miles and miles. As a history teacher I definitely will be open to take online courses outside of my specialty to give me the opportunity to explore other subject matter than history/social studies. In the near future I am thinking of taking online curses from an accredited college in Education Administration. Although half the classes are online, the way of the future in education is online. The role of Online courses and traditional college courses will be reverse.
4. I agree that the internet can be used to show students things that they would normally never have been able to do or see. The video shows how the music instructor can provide these students with experiences they would normally never have been able to experience. The video states that technology is the new era and that children are using it everyday-- which is completley true!
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