In education circles, it is often said that teachers who are leaders wear many different hats. Over the last five weeks, I have been challenged to don several unique chapeaus, each with their own specific purpose for helping to create more significant learning environments. Week 1 of EDLD 5318 provided the opportunity to explore different learning theories before deciding which one best fit our teaching style. I tried on hats related to Behaviorism, Cognitivism, Constructivism and Connectivism before deciding that I looked exceptionally good in a Constructivism hard hat. So, with my hard hat, a great theory tool belt and neon orange vest, I set out to develop an online course using the learning management system Schoology. My online course is designed to assist teachers in creating significant learning environments through the use of Microsoft OneNote. Constructivist learning theory is based off of the concept that learning is an active process. Learners draw from their prior knowledge to build on new learning experiences. Constructive teaching methods include a wealth of opportunities for scholars to express themselves through Socratic open dialogue discussions that compel the learner to think about their thinking. It was here, very early in week 1, that I realized my favorite hat to wear and the one I wear most often is the definition of constructivist learning at its finest...my AVID hat! AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) is a college readiness elective that prides itself in preparing ALL students for success in a global society. AVID is the epitome of Constructivism, setting goals for student success, arming students with 21st century skills and above all knowing how to manage and apply all types of knowledge. AVID is by far my favorite hat to wear because I have the pleasure of teaching the AVID elective, supporting over 16 AVID campuses as an instructional coach and working for AVID in the summer as a nationally trained staff developer. When deciding on the best ways to implement constructivist learning theories into my online course, I had to look no further than AVID as it embodies all things active learning. Once, I discovered the multiple correlations among Constructivism and AVID, it was hard for me in the remaining four weeks to encompass other learning theories. Every week going forward, I found myself wanting to easily sum up all of the answers in one mic-drop acronym...AVID! I was completely okay with that realization because I firmly believe that AVID is how we do school right! For more information on how AVID can help your district do school right, check out www.avid.org In the weeks to follow, I began to build my course using the principles found in Constructivism, AVID and a familiar concept known as Understanding by Design. Introducing UbD to my online course allowed me to further develop the foundations of critical thinking, problem solving and real world connections firmly put in place by AVID. UbD helped me to scaffold the learning in a way that makes it easy for learners of all levels to comprehend. All lessons in my course were designed with the "why" and "how" in mind giving every module intent and purpose. Throughout this course, I discovered many enduring take-aways that I will most certainly incorporate into my teaching and instructional coaching. However, there is one constant that I want to make every educator who comes in contact with AVID aware. The AVID System does not add more to your plate. It simply takes all the good routines that are already there and makes them more intentional. When educators and scholars embrace these benefits the possibilities for success are endless. It is my sincere hope that through the use of UbD, scholars who complete my online course can and will transfer their new found knowledge to their peers who in turn continue the cycle of creating amazing learning opportunities for all. Click on the links below for more valuable info on the resources used in designing this course:www.avid.org - AVID website for ALL things college readiness and beyond
docs.com/avidforonenote - Download the Microsoft OneNote AVID eBinder Starter Kit www.onenoteforteachers.com - Microsoft website dedicated to meeting educator's technology needs summitps.org - Comprehensive online core curriculum designed around the Project Based Learning concept www.schoology.com - Learning Management System focused on collaboration as the heart of learning www.playposit.com - Helps educators and scholars transform ordinary videos into digital assessment tools todaysmeet.com - Backchannel used to enhance and manage engaging digital discussions that empower the learner www.teachable.com - Digital platform used to create and sell beautiful online courses
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When given the task in week 4 of turning traditional courses into online courses, I found it very difficult to only identify two existing school courses that could be redesigned. My research led me to conclude that with the right blend of technology, every traditional course could be tweaked and then easily transitioned to an online format.
Next school year, at the seventh grade level, my district is moving ten intermediate campuses to the Summit Public Schools model. Summit Public Schools model is an entire core curriculum designed around project based learning. I am excited to work closely with the campuses to integrate the AVID system into their model. Teaming AVID with Summit Public Schools is a dynamic move that will certainly help to create highly significant learning environments district wide. Check out the following websites for more info on both the AVID System and Summit Public Schools model: www.avid.org and http://summitps.org/ Since the Summit Public Schools model has already transformed core curriculum into online learning, I decided to place my focus on two elective courses that are heavy on textual information. Texas History is a seventh grade elective required by most junior high schools in Texas. Being a history class, it relies heavily on printed content. Textbooks, worksheets, maps and journals seem to dominate the Texas History curriculum. In observing several Texas History classes, I found most teachers and students to be drowning in a sea of paper. This fact alone is a primary reason why Texas History could benefit from a course redesign. Just as Texas History is an elective loaded with printed content, so is the Health elective. In Texas, Health is offered to all freshmen and most eighth graders for high school credit. By moving Health to an online format, students are able to free up space in their schedules to take other campus housed courses. The digital possibilities are endless when you infuse technology into a text based curriculum. Textbooks can now be accessed online along with a variety of digital content alternatives. With the introduction of Microsoft OneNote, classrooms can become as paperless as they need to be relieving the need for copying stacks of worksheets. Journaling can be taken to the next level with the integration of digital discussion boards and Backchannel forums such as TodaysMeet. These collaborative discussion avenues empower students to discover and express their authentic learning voice. Perhaps the best tools used in online learning are videos. Through applications such as PlayPosit, most videos can be easily turned into digital assessments further engaging the learner and assuring course accountability. As a digital learner and leader, I am thrilled for the opportunity to tweak the process. In doing so, I have definitely gained the knowledge and confidence needed to transform traditional courses into technology rich super courses in my district and beyond. It is week 3 of EDLD 5318: Instructional Design and I find myself in unfamiliar surroundings. Where am I? How did I get here? Where am I going? Those are just a few of the questions I hope to answer in this post. Where am I? I am completely finished designing my online course. How did I get here? By quieting the noise and distractions in my life such as social media, I was able to focus a large amount of time on completing my assignment. Where am I going? I plan to use this next week tweaking the media in my course to include interactive video assessments. Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a dweller. For those of you who do not know me, allow me to introduce myself...Hi, I'm Brandi and I'm a dweller. Now don't get me wrong. I do not hang out in shady underground places. I am not that kind of dweller. Simply put, I tend to overthink and discuss things at length. In week 2, a question was raised regarding the purpose and necessity of lecture in the digital age. More specifically, when are lectures appropriate and how can they best be used? Being the dweller that I am, the answers to these questions have been looking for places to fit in my mind for over a week now. Our week 2 discussion began by viewing the video, "Amazing Method of Teaching". Amazing method of teaching - very creative teacher (2:57) Published by: DZ English Added: 10.03.2012 YouTube URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cn4RTbNE0M In watching the first video for discussion, "Amazing Method of Teaching", my mind immediately went here. Jurassic Park cloning video. (2010, October 13). Retrieved February 03, 2017, from https://youtu.be/iMsJe3TymqY As soon as the video started, I had the feeling I had seen this method of teaching somewhere before. Of course it was the 1993 version of video lecture and my how times have changed. Although, each video was and is highly effective for its time. When we think about lectures in the digital age, I would be remiss if I did not relate my own experiences with lecture happy college professors. I teach a college readiness elective called AVID. Often, I find myself discussing with my students the importance of note taking. I emphasize this importance by telling a story from my college days of when I sat in a full auditorium style lecture hall and the History professor walked in, set his coffee cup down and began lecturing for the longest hour of my life. Within the first five minutes, the room cleared out to almost ghost town status. I tell this story to my students in hopes that they will understand the value in good note taking but I realized I am telling a somewhat extinct version of the college lecture. Because of where we are with lectures in the digital age, most of my students will not have the same college lecture experience as I did. That makes me a little sad because I believe every college kid needs a small dose of the "Bueller....Bueller....style of college professor to help with applying their organization and problem solving skills to make it through the entire course. Even with the advances in technology, lectures are still the main form of educational delivery. I thought it was interesting that Dr. Tony Bates claims in his book, Teaching in the Digital Age, that one reason for the persistence in lectures is that some professors consider themselves to be experts in delivering the oral tradition of teaching and learning. The book even went so far as to claim that it is very satisfying for these experts to have the ear of a captive audience. So what is the future for lectures in the digital age? Dr. Bates claims that lectures are likely to dominate for ten more years. I was having a discussion with a colleague the other day about technology apathetic teachers. The question we raised is how long do we have to wait for them to retire so the new crop of teachers who are "digital natives" can take over learning and infuse it with technology? Do you think this time frame of 10 years until a new crop of tech savvy teachers emerge is realistic? or Will lectures steeped in oratory tradition always find a way? Jurassic Park 3D Movie CLIP - Life Finds A Way (1993) - Steven Spielberg Movie HD. (2013, March 22). Retrieved February 03, 2017, from https://youtu.be/ZnczJcY1Xe8 |
AuthorMadeline Brandi Collins is a Louisiana girl through and through. Raised by her beloved Maw Maw and namesake, she moved to Texas 13 years ago to pursue a career in education which proved to be one of the best decisions EVER!
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