Growth
I noticed substantial growth during CEP 811. Growth, not so much from learning new instructional strategies, but in using those strategies within the realm of classroom technology. I was actually relieved to see that good teaching is pretty much the same in a virtual classroom as it is in a traditional “bricks and mortar” classroom. Emily Stone’s discussion of online teaching was very encouraging and helped to alleviate some apprehensions I have about implementing a blended, or fully virtual, classroom.
Looking back, I believe my greatest growth came from actually experiencing Web 2.0 applications and seeing that they are within the reach of my generation of digital immigrants. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to set up blogs, wikis, websites, and collaborative documents. Linking these objects together was quite straightforward and allows for richer learning opportunities. Considerably more painful, but no less enlightening, was creating a WebQuest and a StAIR. The amount of planning, research, and design that goes into writing quality instructional objects is considerably more than goes into preparing a traditional lecture. In a traditional classroom setting, a teacher can adapt to changing situations and instructional needs on the fly. When developing an online object, the teacher has to think through many possible scenarios and anticipate anything the learner might need or mistakes they might make.
Goals
I would say that I have reached some of my goals. Learning Web 2.0 technology was the first step. The second step, a huge step, is to review my curriculum and determine how I want to incorporate these tools into the classroom in a way that is meaningful, and not just a “bells and whistles” replacement for old school pen and paper activities. The third step would be to start building a series of instructional objects that could be used within a traditional classroom, then adding them to a blended curriculum, and finally compiling them into a completely online learning experience. My district has made Moodle available to teachers and I need to start working with it in a more serious manner. There are several things that I can do to reach these goals. An obvious choice is to continue with MSU’s Educational Technology Program. Another option is to lobby for professional development time to work with instructional technology.
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Jeff,
ReplyDeleteAs things progress into the digital age with hybrid teaching occurring (online/traditional), two options arise as to how best to integrate them, as you noted. The Ed Tech Program I see as the basis for obtaining pertinent technological information and the professional development (PD) as the time necessary to implement these new found techniques/information. The past three years our district has given us massive amounts of PD time in all different forms and what I have found to be the most useful is the self directed PD. It allows you to develop and carry out what you see fit, instead of having to conform to someone's aim or lesson for a day of PD through an ISD or other sort. Best of luck in the future.
-Jeff V.