Online Learning Final Thoughts

I think the most important thing that I learned during this course work is that being an online teacher is just as difficult (if not more so) as being an online learner.  I remember the first online course I took I felt so out of place and lost and now it is like second nature to me.  I am hoping that it will be the same for me if I ever get the wonderful opportunity to be an online teacher.  The other thing that I learned is that my strengths as a classroom teacher (being organized, detail oriented, flexible, thorough, well prepared, and open to new technology) are all things that would make me a great online teacher.  More I learned the more I realized that this is not only something that I can see myself doing, but something that I see myself really enjoying.  If all else fails and I don't land an online gig right away I know that things that I have learned could most definitely apply to the brick and mortar classroom and make me a better teacher in general.   

I love the idea of using blogs or some sort of class discussion forums.  I truly believe that the blog will not only engage my math students in a different way, but also allow me to hear all the "voices" of my students.  In this way I am able to make a better connection with my "middle" students--the ones that so often get ignored.  I have already had the idea of doing my math journals as a blog post, but I have now put much consideration in how I am actually going to "manage" those blogs and what I am going to expect from my students.  This is huge for me because I feel having a plan and clear expectations will make it easier to implement (and easier for my students to adjust to it).  I know that I want to have some flexibility with when the blog can be completed, but like this course I liked the idea of having an original post deadline and then have a comment deadline.  This way it allows all people to have the posts up before students start commenting (and then they have to do the management of it by filling in the Google survey-genius!).  I will tweek it a little though--first I will try to make sure students read/comment on everyone's in the class at least once.  I also am brainstorming ways in which I can make sure students are reading the comments (and possibly respond back to the comments) that people put on their posts.  Otherwise, I am afraid that those comments may never get looked at and are just a waste of time.  The great thing about this is that students will start "talking" about what they are learning and I will also be promoting reading and writing which is a huge thing in our district.    

Other tools that I have fallen in love with would have to be Dropbox, Google Chrome, and Blackboard.  I can't believe how much simpler things are for me now that I have Chrome and Dropbox.  The question is how did I ever live without it?  I love that it doesn't matter whether I am at home on my laptop or at work on my desktop I have all that I need effortlessly!  Blackboard is another thing that I have fallen in love with and is what truly has "bridged" the gap for me between the virtual classroom and the face-to-face classroom.  This allows students to have that "real" time interaction with other students and the teacher and allows for those important tangents and questions and interactions--ones that you miss out on in the purely written discussions.  

The last thing that I have also learned is that it is super important to keep things simple.  It is very easy to be tempted to use all that is offered out there on the web.  There are really amazing tools out there but each one needs to be considered for its purpose and nicely matched with the outcomes/objectives I have in mind.  I think this is why I keep going back to using Google because it is the one thing out there that allows us to use a variety of great collaborative and communication tools all wrapped up in one amazing package.  (With the extra bonus that it is free and I only have to remember one username and password).   

Synchronous Versus Asynchronous Learning

Each of these types of tools has its benefits and its drawbacks.  Once again care needs to be taken that each tool is considered based on its intended purpose.  I love asynchronous tools because it allows for much more flexibility and allows students to think "at their own pace".  I do believe that deadlines for the asynchronous tools is key to keep students "united" and on track.  On the other hand, I like the idea (as a math teacher) to have a time when we are all together discussing and thinking about things at the same exact time.  It is those "real-time" questions, comments, and mistakes that really allow students to grasp some of the concepts I am teaching. 

As a full-time classroom teacher my favorite synchronous technology tool is by far the Smart Notebook software that comes with Smartboards.  There are so many amazing features and tools within that software that help me present material to my students, stay organized, allow students to interact with the concepts, and make incorporating multi-media a breeze.  (It also has a recording function which is great because students can access the recorded lessons if they were absent or need reteaching!) The downside to this software is that it is meant more for classroom based learning so its interactive features would not be best utilized in an online class. I would have to say that the Blackboard Collaborative tool would be my favorite if I were an online teacher.  I love that it has many of the functions as Smart Notebook, but has the added bonus of allowing students to participate (through audio, video, or drawing tools) with the lesson.  I love the polling features and raise your hand features also.   As for having students work together I LOVE Google Drive.  Students are able to work on the document at the exact same time at different computers.  (In fact, that is how Amber and I would type our group papers—we would set up a time and would work on the document together—typing notes to each other in different colored font!)   The only down side to all these is that student must have access to a computer with fairly fast internet connection speeds.  The unfortunate thing about my district is that I could not use something like this with them because many students do not have access to high speed internet (and many no access to computers at all) at home.  The only time that I could guarantee students could have access to this at the same exact time would be during my actual class period (which then defeats the purpose of using those tools). 

As for my favorite asynchronous tools--it would be have to be Google Sites (with Blogger coming in at a close second).  I actually prefer Google Sites over Moodle from a programming/management aspect.  I just find it to be much more user friendly for me and much more user friendly for students.  I love that I can organize my class into "tabs" and then students have an easy time getting from place to place.  Google Sites also tends to be more "pleasant" visually speaking.  The things Google Sites lacks that Moodle has is a place to hold a discussion forum (which I know I have mentioned in my other blogs).  This is why I would have to say Blogger would have to be the other asynchronous tool that I would utilize as a sort of virtual math journal where students can post an entry and then other students could post comments (like we do) but I think I would add the extra requirement of making students go back read the comments that were made (with maybe a simple thanks for commenting as a reply) just so that the making comments isn't for nothing.  I would also have my students subscribe (using Google Reader) to each of their classmates blogs so that they can easily access all the posts (and read short summaries for each post).  I could also imbed Google Forms for assessment purposes.  I just really like the idea of having as much as I can in one place so that students don't get lost in the virtual world!

Do I Fit as an On-line Instructor?

After reviewing the self-evaluations and competencies for online instructors I found that I am almost a perfect fit.  I am very detail-oriented and my lessons are extremely well organized and planned.  On top of that I have pretty high level technology skills (thanks to my master's) and am extremely good at diving into a digital tool and messing with it to figure it out.  My written communication is actually pretty nice considering I have a  math/science brain.  I am also a very motivated and self-disciplined person so I think I would be able to work from home and manage my time wisely.  I am actually one of the technology leaders in my school so helping students with using technology along with the subject matter should be pretty similar to what I am doing now.   I am also quite proficient at recording my direct instruction lessons for students to view and with the amazing capabilities of Blackboard Collaboration I think it could translate well into my need to directly instruct topics and get student participation/immediate feedback.  Quite honestly the only thing I am NOT comfortable with is trying to figure out how to assess learning of students in the math and physics realm.  I HATE multiple choice questions for computational problems because I miss out on the "meat" of the assessment.  I like seeing the process students go through to solve a problem and I like being able to point out mistakes so that students can go back and make corrections (which aides in their learning).  Not that all my assessments are computational because I do many investigations and performance assessments, however, there has to be a balance.  I just know how much of a pain it is to "type" in the math world and you miss so much from not seeing the students actual work.  So if anybody has suggestions on how to do that I am all "ears"!!!






Note:  If you are confused I had to change my post from yesterday because I missed the detail about writing about the online self-evaluations instead of the technology!

The Social Bookmarking Battle

Out of the several social bookmarking options I reviewed I would have to say Diigo and delicious are my favorites (just like the millions out there).  Both of these bookmarking tools help you easily organize and save different websites by using a tagging system. They also let you retrieve these bookmarked sites no matter which computer you are on, which works great for people like me that use multiple different computers a day. The way the tools organize, tag, and share seem to be about the same with both tools. One big difference that I have found, however, is that Diigo seems to have more cools tools besides just tagging. I love that Diigo has a highlighter, sticky note, and a capture tool and what makes it even cooler is that all the things you do actually stay on the site. I especially love that the text that I highlight goes to my Diigo home page and it acts as a type of a "notecard" saving and organizing all that important information I found.  I have the free educators upgrade in Diigo so I am not sure how it compares to the normal version. I haven’t fully investigated all its uses, but I think it would be a really great tool for students who are doing research on the web. Not only can they take their notes on the web page, but it can also be shared with you so you can actually monitor their progress and give them tips and ideas. As for delicious I really liked it when I was using it, but now that I have seen all the Diigo can do I will most likely use Diigo full-time (in- and outside of this class) . This tool would be great when you find a really cool website and have a tendency to forget where it was or what it was about.  There have been several times that I have been thinking of an activity and then I have to spend my prep period searching for the darn site that I got the activity or idea from.   With this tool at school I could tag it (for example Algebra II Graphing Quadratics worksheet generator) and then I could start compiling my resources and save myself a large amount of time.    

I still have not downloaded Diigo to my school computer yet but that is because my school computers are frozen so anytime I download something it disappears the when I shut down.  I really think that Diigo would be an amazing tool when students are doing a research project.  (I was also thinking of having my math students doing research on the use of mathematics in the real world or of a famous mathematician). They could bookmark their sites, tag them, and then take notes using just one tool. How cool is that? Diigo is like the modern day notecard method of doing research.

Learning About On-Line Teaching

I have spent many days (and long nights) being an on-line learner for my Master's program so I am well aware of what it takes to be an on-line learner; however I have no idea what it is like being on the other end of that learning.  Do I have what it takes to make it in the virtual world as a teacher?  I know that I am willing to give it all that I have!  I am hoping my strengths as a mathematics teacher in the classroom (and the fact that I am a technology junkie) can help me take the leap to the virtual classroom. 

As for what I am hoping to learn--I really would love to learn about the more social features of Google that I have not explored such as Groups (which I tried messing around with but never really went anywhere with)and Hangouts (which I didn't even know existed).  I have been investigating and searching for ways to incorporate a blog into my google sites for my classrooms but have not found a way in which I could post a topic and have my students all reply to that post--so that would be really amazing if I found a way to do that.  I am also really excited to explore Blackboard because this has that "face-to-face" aspect that other on-line course management systems seem to be missing (like Moodle).  I love the idea of blending Blackboard with Google applications which creates the best of both worlds.  What is funny is when I was watching the recorded session of blackboard (since I joined that class late) I was imagining how I would be using it and could really see myself making it work for me).  (Not that I think it would be an easy task to manage a large group of people at one time, but I really can see the value of getting together as a class in "real" time and actually being given the opportunity to talk with each other.)  This is just something that I really struggled with as an on-line learner myself--I just really missed having actual conversations and seeing the person not just their words.  I have to be honest, I have used Moodle and really do not like it from a management stand point.  I found it tedious and quite cumbersome to upload things, organize units, and navigate.  So anything better than that would make me extremely happy.

I am easy to please when it comes to technology and it is usually fairly easy for me to find creative ways to apply it to my subject area or other areas (which is why I think I have become one of the technology "leaders" in my school).    When I first started my Master's program I was just trying to find ways to integrate technology beyond just calculators and a SmartBoard.  The more I learned, the more I realized that this is how I connect with my learners and "think" and "do" as they do.  These communication and collaboration web tools are way I can get my students to start "talking" about the mathematics they are learning in class, but "talking" in a way that makes sense to them and the world they live in.

The Journey Begins Yet Again

It has been quite some time since I have made a post but everything came back to me very easily.  When I was first required to create posts for my other course I took (about Web 2.0 tools) I remember dreading making the posts then as time went on it seemed almost therapeutic.  I also love that I can go back and read what I posted in the past.  (All things still near and dear to my heart!)  So why did I ever stop--mainly because I always feel uneasy putting my feelings out there for the "world" to see--maybe it is because I am more afraid that no one really wants to "hear" what I have to say!  So my technology journey begins again...

Making the Argument

I did this same post in the D2L discussion posts, but in the grades it showed up as a blog so I thought to be safe I better post it in both places.


Baby-steps are the key!  Start with a small, well thought out plan that is easily controllable and work to bigger and better things.


I do feel that my school is getting to be more open with web 2.0 tools.  I know that our newly hired IT person has made a Facebook page for the school.  Although, it is blocked while at school—which I sometimes feel like that is not so bad.  I understand the point that blocking students does nothing for teaching them the right uses, however, I just think that there are other avenues that can do the same thing in the classroom that are more safe and manageable.  I hate being so negative, but shouldn’t the majority of this responsibility be the parents?  Why does everything seem to be pushed off on the educators?  There really should be parenting classes for the 21^st century child!


On that note our Google accounts have access to the same type of things and just seem to be more private and more convenient because they are all in one place.  There will always be students who try to abuse the system (like one of my co-workers has quickly discovered with students using GoogleDocs as a way to “text” back in forth in class).  This seems to me the same as passing notes back and forth just in a digital format.  Good classroom management is the key to avoid these types of things.  Kids will be kids and will always try to find ways around doing what they are supposed to be doing unless they are engaged  in what they are doing or have clear expectations and consequences. 


I love the idea of using blogs, class discussion forums, collaborative document/presentation/survey builders, web design in the classroom and quite frankly these are very easy to get the administrators on board with.  First of all, I have a plan (really that should always come first when wanting to use a tool).  When you have a purpose for the tool and standards you are accomplishing it makes it really easy to get their understanding.  Second of all, using ones that are “private” or more manageable make it easier for administration and technology staff to give the ok.  This is why Google for the school is such a great thing—we can control how private or public we want to make things.  I plan to start being very private just to see how things go and then as we find more and more uses we can start letting them be more public when appropriate or “safe”.   


I am a math teacher and this is a use that I am actually considering doing for next year.  I have already had the idea of doing my math journals as a blog post, but the following site gives a great way to incorporate communication and individual responsibility for discussions/blogs. 


http://apps.mrhiggins.net/how-we-blog-math


This teacher has one student in charge of summarizing the concept learned that day while incorporating other math tools.   They then are in charge of choosing who will be the next “scribe”.  The great thing about this is that it makes the student talk about what they learned.  The element I would like to add is having other students comment or ask questions—this way they can get a dialogue going.


I also like the idea Prof. Schroeder gave me about having students be responisble for explaining one of the homework problems to the rest of the class and then students can comment back and forth.  I would not do this with the whole assignment, but I do like the idea of picking one or two problems and having students responsible for those problems.  I also like the idea that this will motivate students to actually look at the discussion (it gives them help on a problem) and then if things are not clear they can comment back and forth.  This is a great way to get them talking about the process of solving the problem and communicating about the things that they are learning!  Great idea--thanks Prof. Schroeder!