Distance Education classes are growing in popularity in high schools now and are not just confined to college courses. This growth can cause many problems as well as encourage students to take more virtual classes.
One of the websites I visited was Insight Schools, the sight has a page called Our Focus in which they outline some of their goals and what their website could be used for. One of the advantages of virtual schools are that they are a good resource for home schooled kids. The sites provide a lot of different courses that home schooled students might not be able to get from traditional home schooling methods. Another advantage of virtual schools is that they provide students who can not handle large classrooms and large groups of people a means to educate themselves in the safety of their own home so they feel comfortable. The virtual schools also provide classes for students who are to busy with their athletics and other extra activities to complete their high school education while they pursue their other goals. Virtual schools can also be good for students who have injured themselves and can not attend regular classes because of their disability. Some students may also not have the means of transportation to get to their schools, and the district might not provide the student with public transportation, and these virtual schools can provide the students with the means to continue educating themselves.
The disadvantages of these virtual schools is that the teacher-student interface and relationship is through a computer screen, the teacher does not really get to know their students. Also, some students may not have access to computers to take the classes online and their schools may not be providing their students with computers or computer access during the school day. Another disadvantage of virtual schools is that technology fails, so you may miss a lesson or week because your computer or your teachers computer may be broken or the internet is not working. They may seem like technical disadvantages, but they are still present and are a problem. There is also a lot of student responsibility that students may not be willing to take on because they think they have it easy as online classes do not provide constant contact with their teacher. There is also no student-student interaction or sense of belonging within the school or the community, no personal involvement in the classroom or in the school as a whole.
The key skills teachers have to have in order to teach in virtual schools is extensive knowledge of how to use the technology needed to teach their subject. Teachers also need to have good time management skills as well as be flexible to make time to tutor individual students who struggle in their class. In 2-3 years I will not be using virtual schools in my career because I want to be in the classroom with my students so that I can build relationships with them and impact their life face to face, not through a computer. I think that if a student wants to try taking a virtual class and it works for them then they should continue with other classes, but I also think that it is very important for students to still take classes on the high school campus so students can learn good communication and social skills. Virtual schools can be great for some students but can also be damaging to the traditional way of teaching and to students who need the high school atmosphere to learn how to interact with other people and with the world.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Monday, October 13, 2008
Teacher Web Critique
Class websites can be great resources for the teachers as well as the students, inside and outside of the classroom. The teacherweb site that I created for my Teaching and Learning 466 class can be used to post assignments and handouts given in class for students that missed class or lost the handouts and assignments. I could also use the class website for project outlines, and also project examples. One of the downsides of keeping up a class website is that I don't think I will have the time to put into the website with six classes, and I also know that some of my students will not ahve access to computer out of the school setting, and it is not fair to post assignments on the class website when some students will not have access to it. I think the class website can be a good resource if all students have access to the technology to use the website. It can also make it easier on the teacher when it comes to handing out missing assignments and other classroom handouts. Overall, it is a good resource for teachers that have the time and computer access for it.
For students, the class website can be useful if the studetns has missed a fair amount of class, as they will have access to the assignments and class handouts on the website. Students will also have access to their grades and missing assignments, as well as the missing assignment itself that they can print out and bring to class to turn in. As a students though, when my classes had a class website, I did not have a computer at home until my senior year so it was hard for me to follow assignments handed out by the teacher that were put on the website. Having the class site actually made it more difficult for me and students like me, but in other classrooms it can be beneficial. Using webquest can help students further their knowledge of how to use the technology and it can also help students be more responsible for their work if things are just posted online.
The two stronest features of teacher web are the fact that a teacher can create and change the pages to suit the specific class. The other thing that is good about teacherweb is that a teacher can post grades on the site and these two are the most important because they can really help the students stay intouch with their work in and outside the classroom, as well as allow the teacher to create their own pages that are specific to the class.
For students, the class website can be useful if the studetns has missed a fair amount of class, as they will have access to the assignments and class handouts on the website. Students will also have access to their grades and missing assignments, as well as the missing assignment itself that they can print out and bring to class to turn in. As a students though, when my classes had a class website, I did not have a computer at home until my senior year so it was hard for me to follow assignments handed out by the teacher that were put on the website. Having the class site actually made it more difficult for me and students like me, but in other classrooms it can be beneficial. Using webquest can help students further their knowledge of how to use the technology and it can also help students be more responsible for their work if things are just posted online.
The two stronest features of teacher web are the fact that a teacher can create and change the pages to suit the specific class. The other thing that is good about teacherweb is that a teacher can post grades on the site and these two are the most important because they can really help the students stay intouch with their work in and outside the classroom, as well as allow the teacher to create their own pages that are specific to the class.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Blogs and Wikis in Education
This week, my blog will be about how to use blogs and wikis in an educational setting, like in your classroom or as a way for students to communicate their opinions about a classroom topic online. When I searched "Educational Blogs" on Google, Yahoo, and MSN I was predented with a multitude of options and different choices I could make. One website I clicked on gave great examples of how to start a blog, where to go to start a blog, what should be included in the blog depending on your content area and grade level, and also a group of "Pioneer EdBloggers". Each slink I clicked on went to the teacher's blog site, each different and interesting in content while providing a common layout for other teachers to use. Another interesting site I was provided with was called TeachAde, which prides itself on going beyond simple education blogs. If you want something more in depth, this si the site to look for links that will teach you how to go more in depth with blogs. when I searched "Educational Wikis", I was provided was once again provided with a multitude of different choices. I found one link that led me to examples of educational wikis, with lists of different schools that have wikis and links to those schools. That was very interesting because the wikis were on a school wide level, not just a classroom level. Another site that I clicked on led me to a page called Wikiversity. It is a Wikipedia style search engine with examples and links to a Wikieducator, Wikihowto,Wikihow, Ask Dr. Wiki site and more. I thought that this site was an interesting way to teach people how to use Wikis and it had a helpful problem solving site link.
Upon looking through some of the examples my search came up with I decided that the three most useful ways a blog can be used in a k-12 classroom are for class discussion and posting on issues discussed in class, a class website/school website that parents can also access to see their children's grades and assignment as well as a meaningful way to communicate with parent, students and the teacher. Blogs can also be used for assignment postings and for teacher to teacher communication, not only in one school but in other districts.
When it comes to educational wikis, they seem like they are a little hard for new teachers to get the hang of because there is an Ask Dr Wiki page. That is not to say that, when gotten the hang of, it can't be very useful in a classroom. The wikis I found had links to other schools wiki pages, and this could be useful because it could be a tool for teachers and students at different schools to do the same project, then share their work on the wiki page with each other. Another way a wiki site could be useful in a k-12 classroom is for informational uses and links to other wiki pages that may have helpful information for students and parents. It could also be used in the classroom to teach students how to create their own wiki that they can share with the class and use in the class. A teacher could also use a wiki website to provide her students with database links for a project she had given out in class.
When I did a search for RSS readers, I was given a list of news feeds that all accumulate into one file and are put in the format that your computer needs to read the files so you don't have to mess with the program formating. A reader is when an article is put into a certain RSS reader format and it is put there through an aggregate news feed that collects all articles pertaining to the subject you have in the original reader. These could be used in the classroom when you are doing a project pertaining to one specific subject, and the computer will gather all articles relating to that subject. This would make it easy for the students to find certain articles and then explore the topic further on there own, like a starting point. Or you could use it for multiple ubjects at one and follow each simultaneously too see how many articles are written about each subject over the course of one school year.
Two pros of using blogs and wikis in your classroom is that if a student misses class, they can find their assignments on the class blog. Also, I could post grades online so that students can track their progress throughout the class, know what assignments are due, when they are due, and if they are not in the grade book yet or missing. One of the biggest cons of using blogs and wikis is that some of my students will not have computers at home because they can not afford a computer. By using blogs and wikis as a form of communication, I am losing face time with my students, which is very valuable to me. Though blogs and wikis are very innovative and can be used in so many different ways, we assume that all students will have access to the online information and that is simply wrong as some students are less privileged than others. We need to be able to accommodate all our students not matter their socio-economic status and not assume anything about our students as a collective whole.
Upon looking through some of the examples my search came up with I decided that the three most useful ways a blog can be used in a k-12 classroom are for class discussion and posting on issues discussed in class, a class website/school website that parents can also access to see their children's grades and assignment as well as a meaningful way to communicate with parent, students and the teacher. Blogs can also be used for assignment postings and for teacher to teacher communication, not only in one school but in other districts.
When it comes to educational wikis, they seem like they are a little hard for new teachers to get the hang of because there is an Ask Dr Wiki page. That is not to say that, when gotten the hang of, it can't be very useful in a classroom. The wikis I found had links to other schools wiki pages, and this could be useful because it could be a tool for teachers and students at different schools to do the same project, then share their work on the wiki page with each other. Another way a wiki site could be useful in a k-12 classroom is for informational uses and links to other wiki pages that may have helpful information for students and parents. It could also be used in the classroom to teach students how to create their own wiki that they can share with the class and use in the class. A teacher could also use a wiki website to provide her students with database links for a project she had given out in class.
When I did a search for RSS readers, I was given a list of news feeds that all accumulate into one file and are put in the format that your computer needs to read the files so you don't have to mess with the program formating. A reader is when an article is put into a certain RSS reader format and it is put there through an aggregate news feed that collects all articles pertaining to the subject you have in the original reader. These could be used in the classroom when you are doing a project pertaining to one specific subject, and the computer will gather all articles relating to that subject. This would make it easy for the students to find certain articles and then explore the topic further on there own, like a starting point. Or you could use it for multiple ubjects at one and follow each simultaneously too see how many articles are written about each subject over the course of one school year.
Two pros of using blogs and wikis in your classroom is that if a student misses class, they can find their assignments on the class blog. Also, I could post grades online so that students can track their progress throughout the class, know what assignments are due, when they are due, and if they are not in the grade book yet or missing. One of the biggest cons of using blogs and wikis is that some of my students will not have computers at home because they can not afford a computer. By using blogs and wikis as a form of communication, I am losing face time with my students, which is very valuable to me. Though blogs and wikis are very innovative and can be used in so many different ways, we assume that all students will have access to the online information and that is simply wrong as some students are less privileged than others. We need to be able to accommodate all our students not matter their socio-economic status and not assume anything about our students as a collective whole.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Multiple Intelligences in the classroom
After answering the given questions I discovered that my strengths within multiple intelligence are naturalistic and existential. The few key points within the naturalist category that describe me the best are that I tend to be empathetic towards nature, I enjoy making collections of certain materials, and I usually impose a new meaning and sense of order to newly acquired information. When it comes to the existential aspect of my intelligence, the key points that describe me best are that I always seek meaningful learning, I have a very strong connection with my friends and family, I am very concerned with my health and well-being, and that I enjoy reading, literature and customs from other cultures.
The types of students that are naturalistic and existential like me learn best by being shown an outline for the lecture before a new lesson begins, they relate topics to global issues, themes and concepts, enjoy use of visual organization tools to help with classroom assignments, and enjoy building portfolios that contain their work in and out of the classroom.
The way that I intend on supporting these types of intelligences in my classroom are by giving the students a very specific syllabus pertaining to what assignments I will be giving out, when they are due and exactly what I want from the students when they turn their work in. I plan on outlining all their assignments for them, if I have the time, to make it easier for them to understand what is wanted from them. I also plan on holding classroom discussions about certain topics I have lectured on. I want to hear what the students think about a certain subject or concept they are learning. Students with these two intelligences would enjoy an activity where they can put all their work from the semester into a portfolio of some sort, not only to keep track of it throughout the year, but also to see what they have accomplished in the class.
The types of technologies that might stimulate these types of students in a history class environment might be using videos to get a point across and using interactive power points tied in with a lecture so that the students are not just sitting in class staring at a board full of words. It might also be helpful for students if I only lecture three days out of five with a power point of somesort so they can see the notes they will need to have for their tests and quizes. And on the other two days, lecture using more pictures than normal or using a video or audio recording to get a point across. I also plan on having discussion time in class for the students to reflect on what they have learned or discuss a subject given to them by me. It would be helpful for naturalistic and existential students to have discussion time because they can hear others opinions about something, share theirs, and may have an easier time relating the topic to a world issue that they know about and their classmates don't. Discussion, not guided discussion, is a great way to get students to interact and come up with conclusions about an event or anything else on their own, share their ideas then relate the ideas to each others.
As a teacher, it is very important foe me to understand each type of intelligence because each of my students will have different learning styles. By understanding each intelligence, I will be able to help my students succeed in the classroom and retain information better. By knowing how each student learns and how to accommodate the learning styles, my students will be able to achieve more than they thought they could in a classroom.
The types of students that are naturalistic and existential like me learn best by being shown an outline for the lecture before a new lesson begins, they relate topics to global issues, themes and concepts, enjoy use of visual organization tools to help with classroom assignments, and enjoy building portfolios that contain their work in and out of the classroom.
The way that I intend on supporting these types of intelligences in my classroom are by giving the students a very specific syllabus pertaining to what assignments I will be giving out, when they are due and exactly what I want from the students when they turn their work in. I plan on outlining all their assignments for them, if I have the time, to make it easier for them to understand what is wanted from them. I also plan on holding classroom discussions about certain topics I have lectured on. I want to hear what the students think about a certain subject or concept they are learning. Students with these two intelligences would enjoy an activity where they can put all their work from the semester into a portfolio of some sort, not only to keep track of it throughout the year, but also to see what they have accomplished in the class.
The types of technologies that might stimulate these types of students in a history class environment might be using videos to get a point across and using interactive power points tied in with a lecture so that the students are not just sitting in class staring at a board full of words. It might also be helpful for students if I only lecture three days out of five with a power point of somesort so they can see the notes they will need to have for their tests and quizes. And on the other two days, lecture using more pictures than normal or using a video or audio recording to get a point across. I also plan on having discussion time in class for the students to reflect on what they have learned or discuss a subject given to them by me. It would be helpful for naturalistic and existential students to have discussion time because they can hear others opinions about something, share theirs, and may have an easier time relating the topic to a world issue that they know about and their classmates don't. Discussion, not guided discussion, is a great way to get students to interact and come up with conclusions about an event or anything else on their own, share their ideas then relate the ideas to each others.
As a teacher, it is very important foe me to understand each type of intelligence because each of my students will have different learning styles. By understanding each intelligence, I will be able to help my students succeed in the classroom and retain information better. By knowing how each student learns and how to accommodate the learning styles, my students will be able to achieve more than they thought they could in a classroom.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Welcome
Welcome to my blog, it is a project for my Teaching and Learning 466, Tech. Education, class. I am a student at Washington State Universtiy and enjoy it very much.
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