Say Yes to Virtual School

After reading the various scenarios and giving careful thought to the questions posed, I honestly don’t think that my particular district is prepared to move to an online learning platform.  They should be, but they are not.  I come to this conclusion with deep regret.  Being a large urban district, there are many politics that are involved when implementing change. Ultimately, changes that would move the district forward are slowly accepted, thus, hindering growth.  I have been with the district for over fourteen years and have experienced this first hand when attempting to present the advantages of career and technical classes receiving credit for math and English.  It didn’t matter that we were one of the few districts in the state that was not doing it.  The initiative never did move forward.

School districts who are forward thinking in the 21^st century should have an online plan already on the table.  It is very apparent that online classes are here to stay.  In order to embrace all students in all learning platforms online classes should be available.  For instance, in the scenario where the student wanted to take a calculus class but it wasn’t available in the school is a good example when an online class would be advantageous.  The student would be happy and the district could still maintain him in their enrollment for monetary purposes. 

One of the problems that school districts would face is setting parameters and regulations for taking online courses.  Throughout all of our readings it has been continuously emphasized that some type of orientation should be mandatory for students before they are eligible to enroll in online classes.  This is very important so that students will be successful.  Also, there should be a select group of classes that are available online, such as AP, lower level math, science, and English classes.  In other words, academic classes that can be used towards a high school diploma.  The scenarios involving the calculus and leukemia student would fall under this category.

Remedial, as well as, elective classes should be offered too. Remedial classes would not have credits attached, but some motivated at risk students may benefit from them.  Elective classes in particular areas such as business, foreign language, or even sign language would allow students to take classes to ensure that they have enough credits to graduate.  The scenarios involving the cyber schooled student whose enrollment is tied to the teacher’s performance evaluation is an example of online classes that would address this need.

The student, with the support of his parents, who did not want to take a particular teacher  could only do so if the class was available online through the district.  It is not odd that students dislike a teacher and want to take another teacher.  We are living in a world of choices.  Parents can now choose whether they want their child to go to charter, private, or public schools. For some, due to dissatisfaction, they may choose to home school.  Whatever the scenario, sometimes it is hard to please everybody all the time.  We do not live in a perfect world but parents want a perfect educational system.

Virtual Schooling (Part 2)

                As I mentioned in part one of my blog, I have learned a great deal of what the expectations are of a virtual instructor by seeking employment for an online teaching position. After reading the articles I found the article that detailed the various eschooling for the various states to be highly informative.   Michigan Virtual University is a state funded virtual school. When I interviewed with them, I was surprised that they had their own curriculum for instructors to follow.  After reading the article I can now see why that is a good thing, because then they can determine if state standards are being met. I also learned how funding works for many online schools.

                The reading suggested that some subjects, such as math, can be challenging when taught online.  However, after reading the articles I believe the success rates for this subject could also depend on the student.  Some students could watch videos of how to do a problem and learn from it.  Other students, just as in a traditional setting, may need to watch the video several times before they get it.  This is synonymous with asking a teacher in a classroom setting questions on how they got the correct answer.  Additionally, a trait of a successful online student is motivation.  An online student has to be motivated to complete assignments and ask questions via the appropriate medium in order to be successful in the online learning environment.

                Another factor regarding online learning is the teaching staff.  Online classes are not easy to set up.  The teacher has to have a solid plan on how to deliver a lesson so that learning takes place.  Online teachers cannot deliver a lesson as if they were in a traditional classroom.  I believe there is a lot of scaffolding that needs to take place in order for the student to not get lost in the online class. Barbour points out the differences between virtual school and cyber school with virtual school being district based, a consortium, or offered to all students in a state. Cyber school, on the other hand, is mostly offered through charter schools.  

                As all the articles mention virtual schooling has been around for a long time.  With the advent of digital natives, however, it is becoming more popular and is expected to grow.

Virtual Schooling in the 21st Century

Before getting into the Online Teacher Certification Program I realized that some level of online teaching existed, I just wasn't aware of the extent.  Recently, I have been seeking and applying for online positions to either tutor or teach.  What I have learned from the various job postings are the following:
1.  There is an elevated need for an online teacher to be ready to teach ESL students.
2.  Institutions would like for the instructor to have had some previous experience.
3.  In order to teach online, one has to have the proper equipment and internet speed.
4.  An online webpage or portfolio, so to speak, should be available for future employment.
5.  As already mentioned, virtual schooling is called many things besides virtual schooling.


In the instances that I received a reply back, most employers assumed that I had the following:
1.  An online lesson that could be taught as part of the interview process.
2.  Good communication skills.
3.  The technology necessary to teach online.


I have learned that virtual schooling is very popular and is being facilitated at all levels, from elementary through graduate school.  Additionally, I know that good communication is key because the instructor must be able to communicate the objectives online to each type of student.  The instructor must also be able to differentiate the instruction so that all types of learners will be able to be engaged in learning.  So, in order to accomplish that, an online class could consist of discussion questions, requiring online students to do research and write about it, online quizzes, and group projects.  The strongest disadvantage of virtual schooling is not to make the students feel like they are alone and alienated. 


The virtual teacher must be prepared to communicate regularly with students.  There are various ways this can be accomplished (e.g., email, google hangout).  Also when the class is asynchronous, the teacher should be prepared to provide timely feedback so that students feel that they are not alone.
So virtual schooling is here to stay. As more and more students learn of the convenience of enrolling in such classes, the idea of this way of learning will certainly increase.

Wikipedia Use

Part 1
As a teacher of high school students, I do not let them use Wikipedia as a reliable source when writing a paper.  Why?  Because I was taught not to use Wikipedia as a source of information because any one can add to it, thus, the reader doesn’t know how valid the information is. Granted, most of the information seems to be valid but it could be just one word that could twist the information.  Additionally, I believe that high school students should be taught to do their research correctly, so that if and when they do attend a postsecondary institution they will know what resources are considered valid and which ones require further research. 

            In regard to youtube, I personally use it a lot.  I use it in the classroom for instruction in the areas of social studies, marketing, or for the purpose of delivering ELA standards. However, I do have the ability to discern the validity of information posted.  I currently allow my special education students to use youtube for certain sites and with adult supervision. In regard to regular education students, I would advise them both verbally and through written instruction, that they should practice using careful judgement as to what is considered a factual information.

            The challenges of using both forms of media is based on who is using it.  High schoolers and incoming college students grew up with the internet.  They are accustomed to having information instantly.  Unfortunately, many of them have not had to or even lived long enough to use their intuitiveness to decipher what information may be true and what may be hearsay.  I believe as an educator it is my responsibility to point out this fallacy and guide them in the correct way to conduct research and collect information or data. As they get older and have more life experiences they will learn that everything that is posted on the internet is not true. If the subject matter is important to them, it would be in their best interest to research it further when making decisions that affect their livelihood.

            Again, the validity of information presented in a wiki can be questionable. The podcast was interesting because it challenged the information of Wikipedia because of the instance of men making increased contributions to Wikis opposed to women.  Being a woman, that solidifies my stance even further…don’t trust everything you read.  The podcast reinforced my belief that everything on the internet is not necessarily true and it is best to conduct extensive research on subjects that require factual information. My students must thus use academic journals when submitting a research paper and will not be allowed to use wikipedia as a credible source.  Again, students must be constantly reminded that though the internet is a wonderful tool for obtaining information, there are pros and cons and they have to use discretion when repeating what they have read or viewed in regard to its validity. Too, I may look at Wikipedia in a different light because I grew up with an ENCYCLOPEDIA. I realize some viewers of my blog may be scratching their head and wondering, “what is that?” We will save that for another post!

Part 2

BLOGS

www.kirstenwinkler.com

Kirsten Winkler has been blogging since 2009 on trends and innovations in the field of educational technology.  Over the years she has recorded over 200 video interviews with startup founders for EDUKWEST and Today’s Campus, a leading magazine in the higher education space.  I chose this blog because she has a post on using youtube in the classroom.

www.dangerouslyirrelevant.org

Scott McLeod is an Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at the University of Colorado.  He is considered to be a leading expert in integrating technology in schools through the eyes of school leaders.  Dr. McLeod’s work background earned him the 2016 Award for Outstanding Leadership from the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). Dr. McLeod blogs regularly about technology leadership issues at Dangerously Irrelevant and is a frequent keynote speaker and workshop facilitator at regional, state, national, and international conferences.

http://studentswithlearningdifficulties.blogspot.com/

A blog for teachers, lecturers and support staff working with students with learning difficulties over the age of sixteen. It has posts ranging from writing an effective IEP to how to introduce and teach daily living skills.  The posts are from teachers and staff who work first hand with children with special needs. I liked this particular blog because it had posts on teaching daily living skills such as washing and ironing.  Many times strategies to address this skills are minimal.

http://assistivetek.blogspot.com/

This blog is about how to use assistive technology to help students with special needs learn. After reading through several posts, educators appear to be posting their experiences with various websites or software that can be used in the classroom with children who have special needs.  This post was of interest to me because I have several students who cannot use their hands but are highly functional so I am always searching for simple ways to assist them with the keyboard.

http://bartosworld.blogspot.com/

This blog’s focus is on educating students with severe dyslexia and learning disabilities. It also has posts related to the latest in legislation to support children with special needs.  The posts range from educational law to various strategies that can be used in the classroom. This blog was interesting because it had posts about severe dyslexia.  I am still seeking various strategies to teach this type of student.

http://shutdownlearner.com/blogs/

A blog about how to teach students with severe cognitive impairments, attention deficit disorder, and dyslexia.  The posts range from how to keep the learner engaged to various strategies to assist students in the learning process despite their challenges. This blog is unique because it addresses how to keep the learner engaged in the learning process.

TWITTER

https://twitter.com/ColinSilkwood

Video Editor

This twitter account had an ad named walkme.com which focuses on online tutoring, a field I am currently researching.

https://twitter.com/theraVnetwork

Conducting research on using online technology for behavior, special education, and physical therapy.

I chose this twitter account because I have been looking for part time work in online teaching and jobs such as this for online behavioral specialist has been appearing.  Keeping that in mind I thought I might learn more about this area in case I have an interview.

https://twitter.com/paigehanks

This twitter account was interesting because it celebrates teachers.  Education is one of those fields where your hard work is not immediately recognized so it’s always nice to discover resources that revere your hard work.  I also searched for using podcasts in special education and this account appeared.

            One of the teacher specialist is currently attending Wayne State for the Doctorates program in instructional technology.  We have had several conversations on using technology in my classroom.  In fact, he was the one who informed me that the district was real lax on purchasing technology that would assist special needs students.  So he and I are currently seeking out grants so that I can get more technology in my classroom.  Reading these blogs and twitter accounts will keep me up to date on what is new and available so that as grants arise I can apply for them and request the latest innovations in this field.

Classroom Tools from the Web

As mentioned in a previous post, I am currently teaching moderately cognitively impaired students who have various levels of computer literacy.  Keeping this in mind I chose an assignment that I would have my career and technical education students use to demonstrate their understanding of the 4 p’s of marketing or the marketing mix (product, price, place, and promotion)

The R.A.T. model is a tool that would work well for many assignments in my marketing class.

For the REPLACEMENT piece, I would target the overused powerpoint presentation and instead instruct them to use linoit.  This web tool allows them to present their understanding in the form of sticky notes.  It also allows them to use videos and photos.  So their assignment would be to identify specific qualities about each P in the marketing mix and provide a picture and video to further explain each P of the marketing mix.

Next, for the AMPLIFICATION piece I would assign them to develop their own POWTOON that integrates each P of the marketing mix.  A thorough understanding of the marketing mix is very important because it provides the groundwork for those interested in a career in marketing. As a teacher, it gets kind of boring just reading papers to measure student understanding. I, as well, as the students would really enjoy the creation of a POWTOON to demonstrate their understanding.  One of the top levels on the scale of understanding is “student will be able to synthesize”.  Assigning a POWTOON will assist students on reaching this level.

When teaching Marketing, in order to integrate writing I would have the students write a 100 word essay describing how they experienced a facet of marketing during the week.  It could be any one of the 4 p’s of marketing or a topic that was discussed in class, (e.g. customer service, logistics, sales presentation).  It was due every Monday.  In most cases I would allow them to type their papers in class.  For this assignment I would TRANSFORM the delivery of this assignment and have each of them start their own blog.  In fact, I would set it up similar to this class.  I would have a class blog, they will have to enter their blog by a specific time on Mondays and comment on two of their classmates blogs on Tuesdays.  At the beginning of the semester, I will let them complete the commenting portion in class so I could monitor them.  After 10 weeks, they will have to complete their comments independently.

11^th and 12^th graders get bored pretty quick, so I most likely would tweak this last assignment to keep them interested.  By the school year being set up for 42 weeks since Michigan added extra hours that ultimately extended the school year, I would try other tools such as Twitter, Google Classroom, or even Facebook every 10 weeks so that the students will be exposed to various ways this same assignment can be completed using different tools.

Generational Differences

Before this assignment, I was pretty confident that I had a thorough understanding of Millenials.  After all, I birthed two of them and felt it was my duty to NOT be that parent who is constantly shaking their head. However, after reading about Generation Edge and taking a closer look at who was raising who (e.g, baby boomers raising millennials, Gen X raising Gen Edge) I have a different perspective on the outcomes of each generation.  The articles discussed substantial findings on how future generations will use technology to shape their ideologies and skills sets to satisfy their needs.

            As a Baby Boomer I strongly agree with Jamie McKenzie when she quotes, “high-tech childhood is inadequate preparation for the real challenges of civic engagement in a high-tech democracy.” However, as educators we cannot change, in a short period of time, the challenges that are present when this group enters the classroom.  Their expectation of the delivery of education is different because the environment they grew up and live in is precipitated by technology and that is all that they know.  So as a professional, I must revert to the adage of “meeting the student where they are” and if infusing technology into the curriculum accomplishes this task, then that is my responsibility.

Although Prensky’s article is dated, he is precise in regard to describing the digital natives and immigrants.  The analogies he uses regarding the delivery of information by a digital immigrant and how it can be met with confusion and blank stares is not the fault of the digital native. As a teacher, I have experienced the transition from teaching a lesson using a set of tattered overheads to teaching the same lesson by allowing the students to be responsible for their own learning by providing a rubric and allowing them to create a Webquest. 

Additionally, although I am no neurologist, I support Prensky in the belief that the brains of younger generations are wired differently.  This is further supported in the article, Generation Edge: An Early Look at America’s Youngest Generation as the author describes the characteristics of multitasking.  Such behaviors are perplexing to the one-task-at-a-time baby boomer who has personally witnessed young people multitask (e.g., text, drive, and download music on their tablet simultaneously) and not miss a beat.  They may run a couple of lights while driving, but the technology is on track!

Lastly, according to the articles, the ability to connect with people who are not in one’s immediate presence is a factor the Millenials and Generation Edge are comfortable with.  Years ago, this would have been considered a deficit in regard to the rules of effective communication.  However, it is becoming part of the norm.  Surprisingly, it appears to be a supported fact that GenEdge will be more private than their predecessors as they will have seen the consequences, good and bad, of streaming their dirty laundry live on the internet. This is an example of how technology can and will be used differently by each generation.

One caveat that the articles did not address was the student that isn’t technology savvy at all. I believe that they fall into two categories.  The first category is the student who doesn’t have the cognitive ability to even use technology.  My cognitive impaired students fall into this category.  I once was teaching a lesson on acronyms and as warm up I asked what does ‘OMG” mean when texting?  90% of the students did not know.  The other category of students are those that want to learn but do not have access to technology.  No internet, no computer, no cell phone.  I know, I know, but yes, there are students who fall into this category.  So, are these the students who will fall through the cracks and just become the scum of the earth because they don’t have access to a cell phone? Who knows!

As mentioned previously, I realize that as an educator I have to be flexible enough to deliver teachable lessons in the form that students can learn. Although I am currently teaching in a center based setting for the cognitive impaired, according to my technology advocate there is technology and manipulatives available that I could be using to teach this population.  The sad part is that the district is not willing to supply it.  A SMART board is, thus, the only technology I am currently using.  On the other hand, if I were to teach in a regular education setting I would most definitely infuse technology into the curriculum and not resort to old fashioned overheads. I was most impressed with the digital immigrant engineers’ dilemma of being proactive in getting the digital natives to understand their new program.  It was ingenious that they rolled it out as a game which provided a pedagogy for the digital natives to understand.  I will keep that example in mind when I develop lessons that I know will be received by GenEdgers.  It is not the content that is subject to change, it’s the delivery.

Tech Star

Hello everyone! As we go through life we habitually add and delete goals that will assist us in succeeding in life.  My newest venture is to become a TECH STAR which basically entails becoming efficient in the world of Instructional Technology.  I am currently teaching at a center based school in the Detroit Public School system.  My students are moderately cognitively impaired with a sprinkle of autism. 
Besides attending school, I enjoy reading, crocheting, and am currently very active in writing a fictional book for adults.  Writing a book has been one of my lifetime dreams so now that the children are grown I have more time to pursue this personal goal.
I look forward to collaborating with you guys and wish all the best of luck as we complete this course.