Module 5 Blog Responses

This week I responded to two blog posts discussing Red Queens and Increasing Returns-

Jessica Green: http://jygreensblog.blogspot.com/2012/08/module-5-red-queens-and-increasing.html?showComment=1344550022027#c8119219849939538251

Tim Weaver: http://weave1-weave1.blogspot.com/2012/08/red-queens-or-increasing-returns.html?showComment=1344550666408#c8658732145789260809

Module 5 Blog Post- Red Queens

When I was assigned to watch a science fiction movie based on Phillip K. Dick’s books, my first thought was, “How am I supposed to find these old movies without Blockbuster?” Just a few years ago Blockbuster was where we went to rent movies, and they had a large variety of old and new movies. Since Netflix and Redbox has emerged, Blockbuster has recently closed its stores and has attempted to limit their business to vendor machines similar to Redbox. The only way that I figured I was going to find older titles was through my Netflix subscription or downloading one from the Internet because Redbox and the DirecTV On-Demand Cinema only seems to have new releases available for renting. The great aspect of Netflix is that there are several ways to access its services, such as on iPhones and iPads, XBOX, Blu-ray players, or through their website. I used Netflix through our XBOX 360 since it is connected to our family room television and easiest to view. I chose to watch the movie Paycheck, and fortunately it was one of the titles available.




I believe that the driving force behind the current competition of movie rental technology is due to the concept of ‘Red Queens’. Thornburg (2008) clarifies how “The name ‘Red Queen’ is attached to certain phenomena when competition between two forces results in the rapid development of them both”. There seems to be more than two emerging technologies in existence today for renting movies, but the two that are rapidly competing and emerging into society are Redbox and Netflix. These two companies continue to rapidly develop as they compete with low prices, Redbox costing $0.99 to $1.50 per rental and Netflix offering unlimited streaming of movies through for $7.99 per month. I use both services, as Redbox seems to offer newer releases faster and Netflix is great for when we are bored sitting at home and want to instantly find a movie to watch without leaving the house (or when I need to watch a movie for an assignment).



According to McLuhan’s tetrad, I believe that renting DVDs from Redbox retrieves the idea of going to Blockbuster or similar companies to rent a movie. Video-on-demand will continue to reverse the idea of movie renting by allowing people to find movies to watch without leaving their home. With the developments of the Internet and the abilities to download or stream movies, I believe that eventually videos-on-demand will obsolete Redbox and people will choose to download movies or access them through Netflix. Although we can predict what the future of such emerging technologies holds, we can only wait and see!



The following article takes a look into why Blockbuster has become obsolete and how the emergence of Netflix has made an impact on movie rentals.

http://www.newyorker.com/talk/financial/2010/10/18/101018ta_talk_surowiecki



References
Surowiecki, J. (2010). The next level. The New Yorker. Retrieved from http://www.newyorker.com/talk/financial/2010/10/18/101018ta_talk_surowiecki  

Thornburg, D. (2008). Red Queens, butterflies, and strange attractors: Imperfect lenses into emergent technologies. Lake Barrington, IL: Thornburg Center for Space Exploration.

Module 4 Blog Responses

During this module, I responded to the following blogs:

Anwar Mohammad- http://anwar-mohammad.blogspot.com/2012/07/disruptive-power-of-second-life.html?showComment=1343488977197#!/2012/07/disruptive-power-of-second-life.html

Tracy Snow- http://snowkween.blogspot.com/2012/07/mod4blogassign-disruptive-power-of.html?showComment=1343490334869#c4189978355750951856

EDUC 7108 Module 4 Blog Post: The Disruptive Power of Second Life

Dr. Thornburg (Laureate Education Inc., 2009) defines a disruptive technology as a “new technology with the same functionality of an existing technology, but it functions more efficiently, and then obsoletes that technology.” Second Life is a virtual reality online world that has made the technology behind chat rooms obsolete. The technology uses the same idea of allowing people to communicate and collaborate, but Second Life also allows the users to create their environment using graphics, the ability to personalize an avatar, and the ability to hear and participate in chats through microphones and speakers.




According to Rosedale (2008), Second Life is a rapidly expanding virtual world, with infinite possibilities of user-created products and data. Virtual worlds allow information to be presented using powerful iconic symbols versus text to organize and experience information. Due to the rapid expansion of Second Life, I think that it will be at least another 8 years before another emerging or disruptive technology replaces it. According to the Elon University/ Pew Internet Project (n.d.), immersive virtual reality worlds are predicted to emerge between 2016-2025. Second Life still has the power to grow in size, graphics, and abilities.



Another benefit to Second Life is that it creates a social experience to explore information, allowing for communication and collaboration. In my field of elementary education, virtual worlds such as Second Life are beneficial in motivating students to participate in expressing themselves and working with others. Yet, Rosedale (2008) addressed a concern of the social implications of Second Life, explaining how we may begin to like our virtual image more than our human selves. Students creating their own avatars allow them to express their individuality, but we do not want them to become so consumed in their virtual reality that they withdraw completely from face-to-face social interactions. With the future emergence of immersive virtual realities, students will become more likely to use virtual worlds such as Second Life for a majority of their social interactions and searches for information.



References

Elon University/Pew Internet Project. (n.d.). Imagining the Internet: A history and forecast: Forward 150 timeline. Retrieved April 7, 2011, from http://www.elon.edu/docs/e-web/predictions/forward150years.pdf



Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Emerging and future technology: Disruptive technologies. Baltimore, MD: Author.



Rosedale, P. (2008). Philip Rosedale on Second Life [Video]. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/the_inspiration_of_second_life.html.

EDUC 7108 Module 3 Blog Responses

I responded to the following blogs about "Rhymes of History" during this module:

Rashida Brown- http://rashidabrown.wordpress.com/2012/07/10/rhymes-of-history/#comment-57

Anetha Johnson- http://anethajaye7108.blogspot.com/2012/07/johnson-module-3-blog.html?showComment=1342191406596#c5541076832274136253

EDUC 7108 Module 3 Blog Post

Through history, the concept of communicating to gain information has been retrieved and evolved as the abilities of technology increases. Dr. Thornburg (Laureate Education Inc., 2009) explains how rhymes of history occur when, “the affect or impact of a new development rekindles something from the distant past”. Communication dates back to the idea of writing on walls using symbols to create a message or tell a story. Over time, technology has given people the ability to communicate anywhere, anytime using cell phones. The concept of cell phones has been rekindled as new developments changed its design and functions from a car phone in a bag, to smaller designed flip phones for personal use, and now even smaller smartphones to multitask daily forms of communicating. “In recent years, the purpose of the cell phone has shifted from a verbal communication tool to a multimedia tool, often adopting the name “mobile device” rather than being called a phone at all” (Ai InSite, 2011). Besides still being able to use cell phones for making calls between one or more people, these mobile devices have given the added abilities for surfing the web, taking pictures, sending e-mails and text messages, and communicating with people through social networking sites.

Kevin Kelly (2007) described three trends of rhymes in history which hold true to the rekindling of communication through cell phones: embodiment, restructuring, and codependency. Embodiment is the ability for cell phones to connect to the Web. As mobile devices allow for Internet connection, people can use this tool for gaining information from the web and sharing information themselves. Through restructuring, the purpose of cell phones has shifted to allow for linking to more pages and data using the web. Looking towards to future, Google has already begun to develop augmented reality technology to allow people to link to things in the world using a tool such as a cell phone. Going back to the idea of creating phones for communicating, cell phones have rekindled the idea of our codependency on each other. People’s contributions of information from the web and our ability to retrieve such information has developed a codependency for each other to be able to share and gain knowledge.

References
Ai InSite (2011). The history and evolution of cell phones. Retrieved from http://insite.artinstitutes.edu/the-history-and-evolution-of-cell-phones-57809.aspx


Kelly, K. (2007, December). Kevin Kelly on the next 5,000 days of the Web [Speech]. Speech delivered at the EG 2007 Conference, Los Angeles. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/kevin_kelly_on_the_next_5_000_days_of_the_web.html


Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Emerging and future technology: Rhymes of history. Baltimore, MD: Author.

EDUC 7108 Module 2 Blog Post

Progression of Computers in Reading Technology- iPad

Enhances Students’ ability to access multimedia applications for reading books and learning reading skills. Allows learner to hear text, along with having words highlighted to assist students in becoming fluent readers.	Obsoletes Students reading text-only hard and soft cover books, checked out from a library.
Retrieves The idea of storytelling and reading from printed books, as well as computer-based software for reading instruction.	Reverses May lead to the creation of new technologies that support more interactive text, such as 3D or holographic images aligned with stories.

As technologies such as the iPhone and iPad have emerged, students now have access to interactive reading applications that support them in learning to read. Rather than having to check out a paperback book from the library, there are technologies emerging into education that provide books on tablets such as eReader, Nook, and Kindle. The iPad also enhances the ability for additional book titles to be located and read from anywhere, at any time using one tool versus a stack of books. The idea of storytelling is retrieved through eBooks because students can follow along with stories as they are read to them by the tablet.

The iPad not only provides books through iBooks, but iTunes and the App Store allow for applications to be downloaded which feature activities and games to increase students’ reading skills, as well as their motivation to learn to read. In a recent study using the iPad to facilitate reading improvement with a fifth grade student, McClanahan, Williams, Kennedy, and Tate (2012) found success in using applications to address comprehension, sequencing, details, drawing inferences, and identifying cause and effect. As the student came across struggles, the teacher was able to instantly download and provide activities for the student to engage in immediate guided practice. This type of individualized computer-assisted instruction allowed the student to feel successful in a self-paced format. The idea of computer-based instruction where all students move through the same work has become obsolete. The iPad and similar technologies are proving to increase students’ motivation and success in learning, especially in reading and literacy skills. As more classrooms are becoming equipped with such tools, hopefully the future will lead to teachers being able to provide all students with more individualized educational plans.

Additional resources for information about the iPad taking the role of computers and books in the classroom:

Apple in Education- http://www.apple.com/education/ipad/

Interactive iPad Reading Experience- http://appsineducation.blogspot.com/2011/02/interactive-ipad-reading-experience.html

‘Reading Rainbow’ app aims to take kids to new learning heights- http://www.abcactionnews.com/dpp/news/science_tech/reading-rainbow-app-aims-to-take-kids-to-new-learning-heights-wcpo1340894862740

Reference

McClanahan, B., Williams, K., Kennedy, E., & Tate, S. (2012). A Breakthrough for Josh: How Use of an iPad Facilitated Reading Improvement. Techtrends: Linking Research And Practice To Improve Learning, 56(3), 20-28.

EDUC 7108 Module 1 Blog Post

Within the past few years, learning management systems (LMS) have emerged into K-12 and higher education. Rather than teachers having to manage gradebooks, assignments, and course information by paper and pencil or on different websites, LMS provide the capabilities to manage student assignments and grades, create class discussions, and provide resources and technology-focused instruction online. My Walden courses have just begun using the Blackboard LMS. I am already seeing how its format promotes communication and collaboration, as well as making it easier to navigate through the course modules and submit assignments. This new technology tool helps students to organize their work and have direct access to resources that will help them to learn the course content.

In a recent study of students’ perceptions using Blackboard as a LMS, Little-Wiles and Naimi (2011) expressed results in which students’ problems were with instructors not providing as much information as they could be in an online technology course. Although Blackboard provides the capabilities for mail, announcements, chats, discussions, and a calendar, a surprisingly small amount of instructors actually used each feature. The Blackboard (2012) website (http://www.blackboard.com/Markets/K-12/solutions/Teaching-and-Learning.aspx) provides information about each of its functional educational tools such as Blackboard Learn, Blackboard Collaborate, Blackboard Mobile Learn, and Edline for connecting and engaging diverse groups within the learning community.   

To increase the use of LMS such as Blackboard in classrooms and for online courses, instructors must have effective training and a clear understanding of how to use each feature and tool for instruction and providing course materials. Thornburg (2009) describes problems and challenges that arise as people collaborate in online courses stating, “the social dynamics of the group work will be more puzzling than the technology needed to provide these services” (p. 7). The technology is already available for students to be able to work and learn through LMS, but instructors must provide supportive and motivating guidance through the functions of the tool to help students learn successfully. This includes supporting conversations relating to the content through discussion boards, clearly expressing expectations through assignments and the syllabus, and providing grades in a timely manner with detailed feedback.             

References

Blackboard (2012). K-12 Solutions. Retrieved from http://www.blackboard.com/Markets/K-12/solutions/Teaching-and-Learning.aspx

Little-Wiles, J., & Naimi, L. L. (2011). Student Perceptions of and Experiences in Using The Blackboard 

Learning Management System. Global Education Journal, (4), 147-155.

Thornburg, D. D. (2009). Current trends in educational technology. Lake Barrington, IL: Thornburg Center for Space Exploration.

EDUC 7105 Module 6 Blog Reviews

Module 6 Blog Reviews


During the last module of my course, I read and responded to two of my peers’ blogs concerning the integration of technology in teaching and learning:

Yolanda Lyons- http://ylyonstechnology.blogspot.com/2012/05/module-6-blog-yolanda-lyons-when-it.html?showComment=1337797244889#c258423329988010583

Heather Rogers- http://learningtheoryeducationaltechnology.blogspot.com/2012/05/module-6-heather-rogers.html?showComment=1337797695330#c1306888455700896415

EDUC 7105 Module 6 Blog Post

Technology has broadened my ability to access a variety of resources for gaining information, as well as allowing me to communicate world-wide and collaborate on projects. In a face-to-face classroom, I often struggle to listen to lectures or constantly take notes as instructors are teaching. Online learning environments have made accessing resources and setting goals for my learning more realistic. I have found myself to be more successful when I can work asynchronously in my courses, communicate with my peers through discussion boards to expand my thinking, and collaborate in learning communities through a variety of technology resources.


I believe that every child should be given the opportunity to learn. In order to help all students learn, educators must address individual needs and provide a variety of opportunities for learning. With the increasing integration of technology into classrooms, all educators should embrace the opportunity to learn how to use emerging tools and apply 21st century skills to teach students how to use technology effectively to understand content. Before students can use technology for their own research and learning, effective practices should be taught and modeled for students through instruction. Once students are motivated and have a foundation of 21st century skills and knowledge of Web 2.0 tools, instructors should serve as a guide for them in directing students towards appropriate resources and support their use of new technology tools.

The following research examines blending online learning environments and face to face classrooms.
http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=ED509636

Reference

Watson, J., & North American Council for Online, L. (2008). Blended Learning: The Convergence of Online and Face-to-Face Education. Promising Practices in Online Learning. North American Council For Online Learning. Retrieved from http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=ED509636

EDUC 7105 Module 5 Blog Reviews

This week in my course we discussed the hesitations that educators face when implementing new technology. I read and responded to the blog posts of two of my peers:

Michelle Martens-Dragalin: http://michellenotes.blogspot.com/2012/05/module-5-affective-learning-theory-blog.html?showComment=1336694547579#c5491957299898008875

Shirley Brady: http://sbrady7105.blogspot.com/2012/05/blog-post-module-5-it-is-my-belief.html?showComment=1336694809859#c6154902471445763326

EDUC 7105 Module 5 Blog Post

As I have learned more about educational technology, I have taken a deeper interest in encouraging other educators to use new technology in their classrooms. In a previous course, I surveyed the teachers in my school on their use of the existing technology we have in our school and their feelings towards applying them with students. As technology has become an integral part of our curriculum, more teachers seem to want to use it with students but do not have the confidence or proper training and knowledge to use it effectively.

One of the newest technologies we have integrated into our classrooms are student SMART response clickers. These can be used for assessing student knowledge with instant results, which allows for immediate feedback and whole group review. The students seem very motivated to learn and participate using the clickers, but the teachers have expressed that they would like more training on how to use them and create assessments. With the overwhelming amount of work already required from the teachers, they are having trouble finding the time to create meaningful assessments and get students’ full cooperation in learning how to properly use them. This has resulted in only a few teachers using the SMART response clickers on a daily basis, some using them on a weekly basis, but a good majority not using them at all.

According to Keller’s ARCS Model, in order to motivate learners the instructor must focus on attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction (Driscoll, 2005). In my school’s current integration of our new technology, we can gain and sustain teachers’ attention towards their daily use by varying training and instructional presentations of the clicker functions. Each grade level could receive specific training on how to apply their curriculum content towards assessments using the clickers. Their use is already relevant to the teachers because of the ease of getting results of student assessment and having the ability to do an immediate review with students of the concepts that they do not seem to grasp. To build teachers’ confidence in using the SMART response clickers with students, they can create their own goals and guidelines for instructing students on what is expected from their use. As teachers practice creating assessments and using their results, they will become more confident in using them as an instructional tool. Student learning will continue to improve and teachers will see results from the assessments that they create, becoming satisfied and more likely to continue using them.  

Reference

Driscoll, M. P. (2005). Psychology of learning for instruction (3rd ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education.

   

EDUC 7105 Module 4 Blog Reviews

This week I reviewed the blog posts and mindmaps of my peers' connections made through connectivism principles.

Yolanda Lyons: http://ylyonstechnology.blogspot.com/2012/04/module-4-connectivism-yolanda-lyons.html?showComment=1335630297342#c6096099526505935986

Heather Rogers: http://learningtheoryeducationaltechnology.blogspot.com/2012/04/module-4-heather-rogers.html

EDUC 7105 Module 4 Blog Post

Throughout my experiences in attending Walden University online courses, my network connections to people and technology have greatly expanded. Learning through distance education has helped me to realize the importance of networking and gaining knowledge through such sources. Siemens (2004) states that, “a network can simply be defined as connections between entities”. My network is made up of social, personal, professional, and educational connections. With the popularity of social networking rising, I have been able to stay connected and learn from people I know and continue to meet in my personal and professional life. I have created a personal wiki and blog to track my educational experiences and receive feedback from peers and professionals about my work. My professional network helps me to learn about changes in my field of work, and connect with other professionals in my field to stay updated on new ideas and technologies that I can implement with my students. Through my educational connections I have gained as I attend Walden University, I now mainly learn through discussion boards, Skype, wikis, blogs, and Google Docs to communicate my knowledge and collaborate with other students and instructors.

The digital tools which have best facilitated my access to information and learning are web 2.0 tools such as wikis, blogs, and discussion boards. As explained by Siemens (2004), “connectivism provides insight into learning skills and tasks need for learners to flourish in a digital era”. Using these tools gives me the ability to connect and communicate with other professionals in my field and gain an insight into their views about what I am learning. Wikis and blogs give me the opportunity to gather information about the opinions and knowledge others are sharing on the internet. As I have read the blogs and wikis of my peers in my courses, my learning is facilitated as I conduct deeper research into the topics I read about or find interesting and applicable to my professional work.

 When I have questions and want to learn new knowledge, the first resource I turn to for locating information is Google. This search engine provides access to the most direct and valuable information available on the web. While evaluating the sources I come upon for validity, I gain knowledge by reading articles, websites, blogs, and wikis. Being a part of the Walden community, I also confide in my peers and instructors to answer any questions I have about my research in educational technology.

 Reference

Siemens, G. (2004). Connectivism: A learning theory for the digital age. Retrieved from http://elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm

Additonal Resources

Digital Tools for Students- This blog gives great examples of new and emerging digital tools available online for student learning. It has a collection of resources that students will find useful for researching and collaborating.

http://studentdigitaltools.wordpress.com/

Stephen Downes’ Connectivism Blog- The following blog was created by Stephen Downes, as he expresses his views of connectivism. Here he also responds to the views of George Siemens.

http://www.downes.ca/cgi-bin/page.cgi?journal=3174

EDUC 7105 Module 3 Blog Reviews

In discussing collaboration this week, I responded to the following two blogs of my classmates:

Heather Rogers http://learningtheoryeducationaltechnology.blogspot.com/2012/04/module-3-post-heather-rogers.html

Valenta Wade http://raivynsmom.wordpress.com/2012/04/12/module-3/

EDUC 7105 Module 3 Blog Post

This week I viewed a video by Howard Rheingold, where he discussed how people form groups and collaborate. Online collaboration tools such as Wikipedia have provided the opportunity for people to share their ideas from different locations and at different times. Rheingold (2008) discusses how the emergence of technology for collaboration over time has been, “enabled by the collective action that emerges from literacy”. As people have worked together throughout the centuries, more companies and programs have taken advantage of the collaboration of people to solve problems and make improvements towards efficiency. Rheingold (2008) continued to explain how the online program BitTorrent, which I have actively collaborated in, has users download and upload files to make the system more efficient as it is used by more people.


I agree with Rheingold’s (2008) view that people instinctively interact and work in groups, as it has been demonstrated in the development of Wikipedia. No one has been required to add information to the millions of articles in Wikipedia, but thousands of volunteers have actively participated in such collaboration. Technology developing today is increasingly facilitating collaboration among learners, as students are beginning to learn under constructivist principles with the guidance of instructors. In doing so, learners are working synchronously and asynchronously to share their ideas and gain deeper understanding of content from communication with their peers.

The following link is to a research study that was conducted by Allsop (2011) to discover whether collaboration actually occurs when children are learning with the support of a wiki. The study found that students used collaboration for learning the content, about technology, and random help skills.

http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=1519f9b7-db6c-4f5b-a5bd-fcd8966560ff%40sessionmgr15&vid=5&hid=19

References

Allsop, Y. (2011, October). Does collaboration occur when children are learning with the support of a wiki? The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=1519f9b7-db6c-4f5b-a5bd-fcd8966560ff%40sessionmgr15&vid=5&hid=19

Rheingold, H. (2008, February). Howard Rheingold on collaboration [Video file]. Retrieved from
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/howard_rheingold_on_collaboration.html

EDUC 7105 Module 2 Blog Reviews

This week I read and responded to the blog responses of my course peers on their reflection on learning theories and cognitivism.

Jennifer Joseph's blog is located at http://jenanp.blogspot.com/2012/03/8845-module-2-assignment-cognitivism.html?showComment=1333255425484#!/2012/03/8845-module-2-assignment-cognitivism.html.

Rashida Brown's blog is located at http://rashidabrown.wordpress.com/2012/03/29/educational-theories-in-teaching-and-learning/.

EDUC 7105 Module 2 Blog Post

This week I read two blog posts, both relating to the same conversation. Bill Kerr and Karl Kapp discussed learning theories, particularly cognitivism, and their influence on students’ learning. Kerr (2007) explained his beliefs about teachers choosing specific ‘-isms’ to use for instruction, rather than picking from various theories. I agree with this opinion based on the fact that –isms evolve with criticism and continue. This seems to be true in schools as teachers use strategies, evaluate students’ learning, and continue or modify instruction based on their success. In Kerr’s (2007) blog, he quoted Stephen Downes’ blog explaining that the cognitivism view believes, “learning occurs internally and through social interactions with others”. I do agree with this view, but I do not believe that this is how all learners acquire knowledge. On the other hand, I agree with Kerr (2007) that, “each _ism is offering something useful without any of them being complete or stand alone in their own right”. All –isms should be presented at some point of instruction, to be sure to meet the needs of all learners.

This response is also supported by Kapp (2007), as he explains that, “we need to take pieces from each school of thought and apply it effectively”. Many teachers try strategies with students and are not successful, so they toss them aside and try something else new. In my opinion, applying different learning theories to instruction is the only way to reach all learners, if it is done effectively. Kapp (2007) continues in his blog post explaining how each level of learning requires a different theory of learning for success. I do agree with his view that lower level learners would benefit from a behaviorist approach, rule-based learning requires more of a cognitivist view, and collaboration and problem-solving requires a constructivist view. With as many levels as students are at in today’s classrooms, it is impossible for one model of learning to be successful with all students.

The following blog is in the process of examining 50 blogs over 50 days, based on learning theorists. The author, Donald Clark, discusses the evolution of learning theories over time, as Kerr (2007) had discussed in his blog. http://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/2012/03/blog-marathon-50-blogs-on-learning.html


References

Clark, D. (2012). Blog marathon: 50 blogs on learning theorists over the next 50 days. Retrieved from http://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/2012/03/blog-marathon-50-blogs-on-learning.html

Kerr, B. (2007, January 1). _isms as filter, not blinker [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://billkerr2.blogspot.com/2007/01/isms-as-filter-not-blinker.html

Kapp, K. (2007, January 2). Out and about: Discussion on educational schools of thought [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://www.kaplaneduneering.com/kappnotes/index.php/2007/01/out-and-about-discussion-on-educational/

EDUC 7105 Module 1 Blog Reviews

This week I reviewed and commented on the blogs of my fellow classmates.

Joyce Parks' blog can be read at http://marieparks22.blogspot.com/2012/03/edu7105-module-1-a1parksj.html?showComment=1332111533187#c4914991611994748569 .

Jessica Green's blog can be read at http://jygreensblog.blogspot.com/2012/03/educ-7105-2-module-1-blog.html?showComment=1332112185242#c7806387979787907311 .

Tiffany Harrell

EDUC 7105 Module 1 Blog Post

In an article by George Siemens (2008), he defines the metaphors of educators as a master artist, network administrator, concierge, and curator. As a master artist, educators lead students through online tools such as blogs to provide them with information and offer a shift of perspectives, as well as allowing students to learn from each other. Educators as network administrators guide students in forming connections and learning networks to meet learning objectives and critically evaluate sources. As a curator, educators should serve dual roles by having advanced knowledge to provide to students, along with guiding and encouraging learner exploration.
The most important role I believe an educator should play in a digital classroom or the workplace is as a concierge. In this role, educators should provide quick access to resources and serve as tour guides to students. Siemens (2008) explains how learning is shifting “towards more learner designed programs of study,” (p. 16) which will require students to learn more on their own with only guidance from teachers. It is important in a digital classroom for students to have more access to more resources and communication with teachers as they are guided through the learning process.

In the following video, Dr. Ashley Casey (2011) describes his role as a teacher as a facilitator of learning, and shows an example of how he applies this concept in secondary school physical education. He emphasizes the importance of students communicating with each other, and facilitates learning through guidance. The students are asked questions based on what they think, rather than the teacher always telling the problem. He facilitates their learning by allowing the students to solve their own problems and learn from their mistakes. I find this role to be ultimately important for instructors so that students begin to guide their own learning and gain critical thinking and problem solving skills.

The following website (http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED407408.pdf ) I located gives five metaphors for educators different than those explained by Siemens (2008). Clarken (1997) explains how teachers are parents, gardeners, prophets, pearl oysters, and physicians. I often feel like a little bit of all of these roles.

References

Casey, A. (2011). Cooperative learning: teacher as facilitator. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZud6u8U6Uc&feature=related  

Clarken, R.H. (1997). Five metaphors for educators. Retrieved from http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED407408.pdf

Siemens, G. (2008, January 27). Learning and knowing in networks: Changing roles for educators and designers. Paper presented to ITFORUM. Retrieved from http://it.coe.uga.edu/itforum/Paper105/Siemens.pdf