Module 4
The Graphic Organizer
Thoughts
The
student learner has a number of needs and wants in the learning
experience. Shifting these desires to
the online or distance learning models, consideration needs to follow with
application of the technical tools. From
the academic standpoint, the goal is to communicate information that will be
grist for knowledge.
Students
need to know they will be respected in the online environment. Rules for interaction need to be clear and
forthright in conveying this. Positive
interaction does not mean there will not be disagreement, but does denote the
tenor of the discussion need remain civil (Durrington, Berryhill, & Swafford,
2006). We can always agree
to disagree, but the ability to contribute must be encouraged and developed to
foster discussion and interactivity in projects and the like.
The
difficulty here lies with adapting the instructional style for the
teacher. If face to face is the only
background, this new environment can be daunting. The instructor needs to establish the rules
clearly and loosen the reigns a bit to let the students interact in activities
like problem based learning and discussions.
In asynchronous environments the instructor should set the foundation
and step back. If the foundation is
supported by positive comments and private email instruction if major errors
are present the benefit will be higher participation and students learning from
each other (Durrington et al., 2006; Siemens, 2008)
References:
Durrington, V. A., Berryhill, A., &
Swafford, J. (2006). Strategies for
enhancing student interactivity in an
online environment.
College Teaching, 54(1), 190-193. doi:Article
Curatorial
Teaching. (2008). 10
minute lectures. Retrieved from
http://www.archive.org/details/10MinuteLectures-
GeorgeSiemens-CuratorialTeaching
Looking forward to your input!
ReplyDeleteJeff,
ReplyDeleteYour post was really interesting! I think the point you made that struck me the most was that about being able to "agree to disagree" and "loosen the reigns". With my middle schoolers, this is quite challenging for both students and teachers. Being able to accept that others may have different opinions and that is ok, is a difficult concept for kids. The loosening of the reigns and encouraging different opinions is one way the teacher can teach this. Of course, loosening the reigns is not something most teachers do easily. Educators tend to be control freaks to a certain extent in the classroom!! This was the hardest thing for me to learn to do when I first attempted it several years ago. I admit it still can be a struggle - especially when I see the potential mishaps about to occur - but I am getting better! I think they are learning more as a result - not only about the content, but about how to brush themselves off if they fail and how it feels to gain success through their own hard work!
Christine
Exactly! Not easy to do, but sometimes we must allow students to fail forward. They must be able to learn from mistakes so they can bounce back from adversity. This is hard for a teacher to let happen, but sometimes they must experience it themselves! Don't touch that Bunsen burner...
ReplyDeleteJeff