Here are some links to my Technology Learning Community
Ning
Google Groups
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
great resource for geography videos!
Resource: The Power of Place: Geography for the 21st Century
Resource: The Power of Place: Geography for the 21st Century
Resource: The Power of Place: Geography for the 21st Century
Monday, June 21, 2010
Tips for Effective Online Facilitation
By Harry Belch
The power point by Belch mentioned similar strategies a facilitator may use to help facilitate an online learning community as discussed by Palloff and Pratt. Palloff and Pratt discuss important roles both instructors and participants play when they partake in an online learning course. One of the main things Palloff and Pratt stress is the role of the online instructor, “his or her role is changed and no longer the central focus of instruction, rather a source of information and knowledge in a facilitative role that allows learners to work together to explore course content with one another” (Palloff and Pratt, 2007, pg. 105). In an online learning environment instructors move away from lecture based instruction towards one that is collaborative and learner instructed rather than “instructor-focused” (2007, pg. 105).
Belch agrees it is essential to establish social presence, create a “friendly, approachable atmosphere” and it is a good idea as a facilitator to send an “introductory email to everyone beforehand to create a warm environment” (Belch, 2006). Belch states it is ideal if one can create a relaxed atmosphere where people feel comfortable with one another. Palloff and Pratt suggest creating a “café” or a community space where participants can go to “let their hair down” (2007, pg. 113). Similar to Palloff and Pratt, Belch suggests the facilitator participates and provides feedback on the discussions but to “be the facilitator, not the ‘know it all, allow others to be the ‘expert’ and provide leading questions when appropriate” (2006). I really liked the examples Belch provides when communicating with participants, either for a job well done or as a means to check in on why someone isn’t participating. Palloff and Pratt mention the importance of this as well and the need it has to keep the online learning community flowing. I think Palloff and Pratt, along with Belch have created a great list of ideas for promoting a lasting online learning community and I know I would certainly include these in mine, if I created one!
By Harry Belch
The power point by Belch mentioned similar strategies a facilitator may use to help facilitate an online learning community as discussed by Palloff and Pratt. Palloff and Pratt discuss important roles both instructors and participants play when they partake in an online learning course. One of the main things Palloff and Pratt stress is the role of the online instructor, “his or her role is changed and no longer the central focus of instruction, rather a source of information and knowledge in a facilitative role that allows learners to work together to explore course content with one another” (Palloff and Pratt, 2007, pg. 105). In an online learning environment instructors move away from lecture based instruction towards one that is collaborative and learner instructed rather than “instructor-focused” (2007, pg. 105).
Belch agrees it is essential to establish social presence, create a “friendly, approachable atmosphere” and it is a good idea as a facilitator to send an “introductory email to everyone beforehand to create a warm environment” (Belch, 2006). Belch states it is ideal if one can create a relaxed atmosphere where people feel comfortable with one another. Palloff and Pratt suggest creating a “café” or a community space where participants can go to “let their hair down” (2007, pg. 113). Similar to Palloff and Pratt, Belch suggests the facilitator participates and provides feedback on the discussions but to “be the facilitator, not the ‘know it all, allow others to be the ‘expert’ and provide leading questions when appropriate” (2006). I really liked the examples Belch provides when communicating with participants, either for a job well done or as a means to check in on why someone isn’t participating. Palloff and Pratt mention the importance of this as well and the need it has to keep the online learning community flowing. I think Palloff and Pratt, along with Belch have created a great list of ideas for promoting a lasting online learning community and I know I would certainly include these in mine, if I created one!
Sunday, June 20, 2010
What Makes A Successful Online Facilitator?
By the University of Illinois
I found this article on the University of Illinois website under their Online Education Resources that discuss Pedagogy and Learning about what makes a successful online facilitator. This article correlates to our reading in Palloff and Pratt because the University discusses the need for online instructors to “possess a unique set of tools to perform effectively.” Palloff and Pratt discussed the need to have “practical considerations” such as, time, size, cost, software, and security, when creating an online community that will last.
The list the University of Illinois prepared discusses the importance of time that a facilitator should spend online; they mentioned a facilitator should be “online everyday and a minimum of 5 of 7 days.” Palloff and Pratt mentioned the importance of time and setting up boundaries for office time as well. Palloff and Pratt said the facilitator should log on just about every day and have one scheduled day off. Both the students and the facilitator need to be able to manage their time wisely in an online learning environment and be able to communicate with one another on a consistent basis. The list mentions 13 items participants of the online learning experience should expect from the facilitator, which range from timely feedback, a purpose to the learning environment, and little or no lecturing, which Palloff and Pratt mentioned as well because it does not work well online. Another tool a facilitator must possess is the ability to create social presence and demonstrate “openness, concern, flexibility, and sincerity, which is not an option but a requirement.” Other tools facilitators should possess are good communication skills, time management, appropriate credentials, experience teaching online, and the ability to introduce critical thinking into the learning process. The main point of the list the University created is to stress that an online learning environment is not the same as a traditional classroom for both the facilitator and the students; rather it is its own unique environment.
By the University of Illinois
I found this article on the University of Illinois website under their Online Education Resources that discuss Pedagogy and Learning about what makes a successful online facilitator. This article correlates to our reading in Palloff and Pratt because the University discusses the need for online instructors to “possess a unique set of tools to perform effectively.” Palloff and Pratt discussed the need to have “practical considerations” such as, time, size, cost, software, and security, when creating an online community that will last.
The list the University of Illinois prepared discusses the importance of time that a facilitator should spend online; they mentioned a facilitator should be “online everyday and a minimum of 5 of 7 days.” Palloff and Pratt mentioned the importance of time and setting up boundaries for office time as well. Palloff and Pratt said the facilitator should log on just about every day and have one scheduled day off. Both the students and the facilitator need to be able to manage their time wisely in an online learning environment and be able to communicate with one another on a consistent basis. The list mentions 13 items participants of the online learning experience should expect from the facilitator, which range from timely feedback, a purpose to the learning environment, and little or no lecturing, which Palloff and Pratt mentioned as well because it does not work well online. Another tool a facilitator must possess is the ability to create social presence and demonstrate “openness, concern, flexibility, and sincerity, which is not an option but a requirement.” Other tools facilitators should possess are good communication skills, time management, appropriate credentials, experience teaching online, and the ability to introduce critical thinking into the learning process. The main point of the list the University created is to stress that an online learning environment is not the same as a traditional classroom for both the facilitator and the students; rather it is its own unique environment.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Text Messaging to Improve Social Presence in Online Learning
By J.Barry DuVall, Matthew R. Powell, Elizabeth Hodge, and Maureen Ellis
This article is about creating social presence in an online community through another medium, text messaging. The authors ran a pilot study on the use of text messaging as a means of improving social presence in distance education courses at East Carolina University (ECU) (Duvall, Powell, Hodge, and Ellis, 2007). The authors discussed the importance of social presence and the impact it has on participants who are in online learning communities, much the same as discussed by Palloff and Pratt. I agree with DuVall et al. (2007) when they mentioned, “the key to success in online learning involves using strategies that facilitate communication and enhance social presence among online learners, not just applying the newest technologies.” Palloff and Pratt mentioned the same idea in their book when they gave the example of how a university bought expensive software for their online classes but it sat there unused for a year because no one knew how to use it or took the time to use it. Palloff and Pratt argue that the “key to the learning process are the interactions among students themselves, the interactions between faculty and students, and the collaboration in learning that results from these interactions” (Palloff and Pratt, 2007, p. 4). DuVall et al. (2007) agree with the same ideas of Palloff and Pratt and they go on to experiment with text messaging to see if this will help increase social presence in online communities.
To make sure participants were not feeling isolated in the courses, DuVall et al. (2007) came up with a list of four criteria they felt were important for the instructor to send out via text. They mainly focused on course updates, grade information, deadline information, and weekly "hot" topics to respond to so students were not bombarded with information. They had participants fill out a survey after the pilot program ended and many students found the text messaging to be “cutting edge, different, great ways to communicate, and others found it not necessary” (DuVall et al. 2007). Some students found text messaging to be more useful than others, but overall they concluded text messaging was useful and provided a sense of immediacy which helped foster a stronger sense of social presence since one no longer needed to be by a computer to check in with your instructor and fellow classmates.
This article is about creating social presence in an online community through another medium, text messaging. The authors ran a pilot study on the use of text messaging as a means of improving social presence in distance education courses at East Carolina University (ECU) (Duvall, Powell, Hodge, and Ellis, 2007). The authors discussed the importance of social presence and the impact it has on participants who are in online learning communities, much the same as discussed by Palloff and Pratt. I agree with DuVall et al. (2007) when they mentioned, “the key to success in online learning involves using strategies that facilitate communication and enhance social presence among online learners, not just applying the newest technologies.” Palloff and Pratt mentioned the same idea in their book when they gave the example of how a university bought expensive software for their online classes but it sat there unused for a year because no one knew how to use it or took the time to use it. Palloff and Pratt argue that the “key to the learning process are the interactions among students themselves, the interactions between faculty and students, and the collaboration in learning that results from these interactions” (Palloff and Pratt, 2007, p. 4). DuVall et al. (2007) agree with the same ideas of Palloff and Pratt and they go on to experiment with text messaging to see if this will help increase social presence in online communities.
To make sure participants were not feeling isolated in the courses, DuVall et al. (2007) came up with a list of four criteria they felt were important for the instructor to send out via text. They mainly focused on course updates, grade information, deadline information, and weekly "hot" topics to respond to so students were not bombarded with information. They had participants fill out a survey after the pilot program ended and many students found the text messaging to be “cutting edge, different, great ways to communicate, and others found it not necessary” (DuVall et al. 2007). Some students found text messaging to be more useful than others, but overall they concluded text messaging was useful and provided a sense of immediacy which helped foster a stronger sense of social presence since one no longer needed to be by a computer to check in with your instructor and fellow classmates.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Reality Check: Clarify Your Current Reality with an Audit of PLC Practices
Reality Check: Clarify Your Current Reality with an Audit of PLC Practices
By Thomas Many and Sam Ritchie
The article by Thomas Many and Sam Ritchie followed the professional learning community (PLC) in the Allen Parish school district in Louisiana and used an audit to ensure that the learning communities were actually following through. The Allen Parish schools “committed to PLC concepts in all its schools as the key strategy to improve student achievement” (Many & Ritchie, 2007, p. 21). The faculty supported the PLC model used by the district but the schools were running into different roadblocks when trying to implement the PLC model. To fix the roadblocks and make the PLC successful, the school district used a reflective audit to help their educators address key questions such as how to build shared knowledge, clarify how well PLC concepts are in effect, and assess the effectiveness of promoting PLC practices (2007, p. 22).
The audit consisted of four different phases to help the Allen Parish leaders “identify and address common concerns that had emerged in their schools” (2007, p. 23). The first phase consisted of a survey to assess PLC participant’s knowledge of PLC concepts and vocabulary while the second phase had each school create a portfolio of artifacts for essential outcomes, goals, etc. (2007, p. 22-23). The third and fourth phases consisted of facilitators who conducted interviews with staff and wrote reports to help each school identify strengths and weaknesses in regards to PLC concepts within the school (2007, p. 22-23). The article also mentioned how teachers created an intervention system, known as SPEED Intervention Criteria, which was developed for struggling students and helped convey the message to students that “learning was not optional” (2007, p. 24-25).
This article relates to the readings from Martin- Kniep because they both focus on the importance of improving PLC models, evaluating the growth and expertise of the community members, and improving teaching, learning, and understanding (Martin-Kniep, 2008). Throughout all of our readings, Martin-Kniep discussed and gave examples of various methods for assessment for PLC participants and for the PLC model. In the Many and Ritchie article, we actually see some of Martin-Kniep assessment methods used in the audit process such as using artifacts to assess student learning, a Self-Assessment survey similar to the one we took, and written reports. Both readings discussed the positive outcomes PLCs can bring to a school district, the importance of teacher collaboration, and willingness to have honest and open discussions to make positive changes. The Allen Parish schools show what positive changes could happen when a PLC was implemented, well facilitated, and reviewed for progress after it was created in this district.
By Thomas Many and Sam Ritchie
The article by Thomas Many and Sam Ritchie followed the professional learning community (PLC) in the Allen Parish school district in Louisiana and used an audit to ensure that the learning communities were actually following through. The Allen Parish schools “committed to PLC concepts in all its schools as the key strategy to improve student achievement” (Many & Ritchie, 2007, p. 21). The faculty supported the PLC model used by the district but the schools were running into different roadblocks when trying to implement the PLC model. To fix the roadblocks and make the PLC successful, the school district used a reflective audit to help their educators address key questions such as how to build shared knowledge, clarify how well PLC concepts are in effect, and assess the effectiveness of promoting PLC practices (2007, p. 22).
The audit consisted of four different phases to help the Allen Parish leaders “identify and address common concerns that had emerged in their schools” (2007, p. 23). The first phase consisted of a survey to assess PLC participant’s knowledge of PLC concepts and vocabulary while the second phase had each school create a portfolio of artifacts for essential outcomes, goals, etc. (2007, p. 22-23). The third and fourth phases consisted of facilitators who conducted interviews with staff and wrote reports to help each school identify strengths and weaknesses in regards to PLC concepts within the school (2007, p. 22-23). The article also mentioned how teachers created an intervention system, known as SPEED Intervention Criteria, which was developed for struggling students and helped convey the message to students that “learning was not optional” (2007, p. 24-25).
This article relates to the readings from Martin- Kniep because they both focus on the importance of improving PLC models, evaluating the growth and expertise of the community members, and improving teaching, learning, and understanding (Martin-Kniep, 2008). Throughout all of our readings, Martin-Kniep discussed and gave examples of various methods for assessment for PLC participants and for the PLC model. In the Many and Ritchie article, we actually see some of Martin-Kniep assessment methods used in the audit process such as using artifacts to assess student learning, a Self-Assessment survey similar to the one we took, and written reports. Both readings discussed the positive outcomes PLCs can bring to a school district, the importance of teacher collaboration, and willingness to have honest and open discussions to make positive changes. The Allen Parish schools show what positive changes could happen when a PLC was implemented, well facilitated, and reviewed for progress after it was created in this district.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Article: Leading in Professional Learning Communities
http://www.allthingsplc.info/pdf/articles/LeadingInProfessionalLearningCommunitiesEakerGonzalez.pdf
Leading in the Professional Learning Communities
By Robert Eaker and Deborah Gonzalez
The article by Eaker and Gonzalez, state it is necessary to have strong and confident leadership in place in order to maintain a stable ongoing professional learning community (PLC). Both the readings and this article argue that having strong leadership running the PLC is essential to its sustainability. All of these readings mention a need for having collaboration amongst the staff, an accurate and common method for assessments of both the students and the members in the learning communities. In order to maintain a PLC you need a means to facilitate and garner members from within the education system and the community. They also discuss the importance of honest discussion and receiving proper feedback from the participants and the leader or facilitator.
The Kniep and McReal readings go into depth about the importance of having a shared sense of responsibility for student learning and for decision making within the community. These authors tend to argue that leadership should be shared and carried out by all participants. They stated that a true test of sustainability for any PLC is its “ability to survive and preserve the processes that keep it alive even with changes in membership or leadership”(2008, p. 108-9). However, Eaker and Gonzalez state it is important to “create and monitor systemic processes” in place but they also argue it is essential to have a strong and confident facilitator in charge of the PLC in order for it to succeed(2007, p. 6-7). Eaker and Gonzalez argue that behind any successful school is an effective leader. They state having a facilitator with confidence and the “can-do” attitude helps keep participants motivated and interested while the PLC changes from beginning to developing to established phases, until it reaches the systemic or final phase(2007, p.10-11).
Leading in the Professional Learning Communities
By Robert Eaker and Deborah Gonzalez
The article by Eaker and Gonzalez, state it is necessary to have strong and confident leadership in place in order to maintain a stable ongoing professional learning community (PLC). Both the readings and this article argue that having strong leadership running the PLC is essential to its sustainability. All of these readings mention a need for having collaboration amongst the staff, an accurate and common method for assessments of both the students and the members in the learning communities. In order to maintain a PLC you need a means to facilitate and garner members from within the education system and the community. They also discuss the importance of honest discussion and receiving proper feedback from the participants and the leader or facilitator.
The Kniep and McReal readings go into depth about the importance of having a shared sense of responsibility for student learning and for decision making within the community. These authors tend to argue that leadership should be shared and carried out by all participants. They stated that a true test of sustainability for any PLC is its “ability to survive and preserve the processes that keep it alive even with changes in membership or leadership”(2008, p. 108-9). However, Eaker and Gonzalez state it is important to “create and monitor systemic processes” in place but they also argue it is essential to have a strong and confident facilitator in charge of the PLC in order for it to succeed(2007, p. 6-7). Eaker and Gonzalez argue that behind any successful school is an effective leader. They state having a facilitator with confidence and the “can-do” attitude helps keep participants motivated and interested while the PLC changes from beginning to developing to established phases, until it reaches the systemic or final phase(2007, p.10-11).
Friday, May 21, 2010
Mission Statement
Want to know what a professional online learning community is all about? Check out my mission statement to find out how it will help improve your teaching.
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