Even though the title says final, I am far from finished with my e-portfolio! I have really enjoyed putting this together, and I am excited to document my growth during the journey of my Masters program. :)
I enjoyed putting together the grid. I like using different methods to demonstrate what I have learned. The grid was very simple to create and easy to add to. Our group used Google docs, which is great for collaboration. I do wish we could see who added what. Just like most group projects, a few of us did most of the heavy lifting. However, since I cannot specifically see who did what, I could be wrong! Either way, I did enjoy the assignment. Distance education is learning from a distance, where qualified instructors deliver curriculum and teach students who can be anywhere in the world. Technology is the backbone of distance education, where modern learners can use an LMS platform to "meet" with their instructors either asynchronously or synchronously, with the ultimate goal of student mastery of the course content. -My initial definition of DE Similar to my last post about my definition of DE, I still agree that it is limited to my perspective of working for an online school provider. This definition would fit more within the current wave of DE. I do like the piece about qualified instructors, because that is a common misconception about online education. Many people assume that online school is easier, and that the quality is lower. I wonder if this was the case in the previous waves. I do remember Otto Peters mentioning that it took his colleagues time to warm up to DE. (Peters, 2011) Distance education is learning from a distance, where qualified instructors deliver instruction and teach students who can be anywhere in the world. Technology is the backbone of distance education, although the technologies have greatly expanded throughout the waves of distance education. -My revised definition of DE After looking over the course objectives, I still agree with my statement in the Wave 2 post, all of them have been met in this course. Analyze the impact of technological changes on the nature of teaching and learning in distance education, is one objective that I have really learned a lot about. Of course, I understand which technologies we use today in DE, but I did not really think about those of the past prior to this course. An example of this is the printing press being a technology that aided DE in the initial waves. Another objective that stuck out to me is, Reflect on learning and articulate changes in thinking, feeling, behavior. I am really thankful for this course. It has really helped me to expand my thinking on DE. I know have a solid foundation of what it is. I am also fortunate that the material I am learning directly relates to my current profession! As far as our group project was concerned. There are a few ways that I think it could be improved. First, it would be nice to see if there was a way to track everyone's participation. What did they actually add to the assignment? (Not sure if this is possible.) Second, it would be very helpful to have more than one week to meet everyone, find a time to get together, create the assignment, review the assignment, and then turn it in. Even though I tend not to like group projects (I prefer turning in assignments early, and not waiting until the deadline) I did enjoy this assignment. It is nice to be "forced" out of your comfort zone. Also, I did make a connection with my group members and feel comfortable reaching out to them. Having that connection is so important, especially if I get frustrated or stuck on something. :) Overall, collaboration online is very important. Since we do not get to see everyone face to face, this is the next best thing! My hope is that some of my peers go at the same pace as I do through the course. Peters, O. (2011, December 2). Industrialization theory and distance education, Parts 1-4. [Video interviews.] Haag, Germany.
0 Comments
As we near the end of the course, we are looking at current trends in DE. It is fun to see how we have come full circle. I find this wave the easiest, because it is happening now. I can use my life experience with the readings / material to participate in the course and add to our group grid. When I first started the course, I was very focused on the internet. That, in my mind, was the only way to have DE. Well, let me tell you, I was wrong! I am so thankful for this journey to see the history of DE. It has really put a lot into perspective, and now I have a much firmer grasp on what DE truly is.
The third wave of DE is very exciting, because this is where the company I work for enters the space, K12 / FuelEducation. It has been fun to learn about the history of DE before my company came along, and now I get to see who we fit into the larger DE picture. I remember when I was younger, people were doubtful of the University of Phoenix. They did not think it was a "real" university, or that it held the same "weight" as a traditional university. This makes me laugh now, because they are huge, and are viewed as valid. I remember Otto Peters mentioning in his earlier writings that it takes some time for people to wrap their minds around big changes in education. (Peters, 2011)
Distance education is learning from a distance, where qualified instructors deliver curriculum and teach students who can be anywhere in the world. Technology is the backbone of distance education, where modern learners can use an LMS platform to "meet" with their instructors either asynchronously or synchronously, with the ultimate goal of student mastery of the course content. -My initial definition of DE Looking at my original definition of DE, I can see that my mindset was rather limited! First, the definition of a qualified teacher has changed over time, and is even changing at this moment. ("Every Student Succeeds", n.d.) The next item that I would change in my original definition, is the mention of an LMS. Now, they are very popular, but only in the later waves. It is really fun to look back on my original definition, and to see how much I have learned about DE. I know understand that this is not a new thing, but has been evolving for quite a while! (Peters, 2004) There are a couple of things I have learned in this third wave of DE that directly relates to my current profession. As I mentioned above, I work for an online school provider. We use a combination of synchronous and asynchronous teaching methods to reach our students. Most of the time, we focus on asynchronous, the students work on their own and at their own pace. In addition to that, we offer live weekly sessions for most courses. This is a great way for students to meet with a live teacher if they are struggling with a specific part of their course. This combination is really powerful, and helps us to support our students. Second, is the idea of empathy in DE. (Holmberg, 2004) Right now, I do not have any students, but work with several teachers. Since, I work completely from home, I never get to have face to face interactions with the teachers I work with. I have been reflecting on Holmberg's idea of using an empathetic approach. My goal is to make the teachers feel like we have a strong team, and that we are not simply on an island by ourselves! I have tried to create this community by asking teachers about their personal lives, highlighting one teacher a week, and finding time to connect with the teachers one on one via phone calls. Creating a team environment with trust and empathy is a challenge in a virtual world, but I feel that I am making progress! Lastly, I really try to incorporate humor as mentioned by Garrison, Anderson, and Archer, 2000. Laughter breaks down walls and creates an environment that people actually want to work in! Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). (n.d.). Retrieved March 30, 2017, from https://www.ed.gov/essa Garrison, D. R., Anderson, T., & Archer, W. (2000). Critical inquiry in a text-based environment: Computer conferencing in higher education. The Internet and Higher Education, 2(2-3), 87-105. Retrieved from https://app.box.com/s/67om2ndxj5zgk2wii99z Holmberg, B. (2004, September). The empathy approach to distance education. [Lecture video]. Available from http://youtu.be/mXRMKkHe9yE. Peters, O. (2004). Growing importance of distance education in the world. In O. Peters, Distance education in transition: New trends and challenges (4th edition) (pp. 13-24). Oldenburg, Germany: BIS-Verlag der Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg. Retrieved from http://www.box.com/shared/5x3tpynqqf Peters, O. (2011, December 2). Industrialization theory and distance education, Parts 1-4. [Video interviews.] Haag, Germany. Retrieved from: Part 1: http://vimeo.com/33107755 (Transcript: http://www.box.com/s/76m3lv2baa3n63vm0bjn) I recently went on a work trip to Washington D.C., and it was absolutely amazing! During that trip, we focused on the Myers-Briggs personality tests. Not only did we figure out our type (ESTJ), but we studied what that means in our work environment. Now to bring this to our course. Distance education provides a space where introverts can contribute in method that is comfortable for them, discussion boards. Extroverts, like myself, can raise our hand and spout off random things without a care. But, introverts tend to like to think about what they are going to say. In a traditional classroom, the discussion can move quickly, and not allow enough time for introverts to think about their comment and then actually say it.
The Myers & Briggs Foundation - The 16 MBTI® Types". Myersbriggs.org. N.p., 2015. Web. 29 Nov. 2014. Our group earned our first grade together, an 87%. Not too bad for our first go-round together. The comments in our grade made me think about how we can improve next time. My goal is to really go back in and make sure we are editing our grid. We made a few simple mistakes that hurt our grade. Our group as a whole did a great job of coming together and contributing. I earned a 95% in that area. I am going to post in our discussion area and ask how we can get 100% for our participation. What could have I done more of to help my group out? Overall, I am excited that I have conquered my first group project. It is a bit scary, because in a group you give up some control. But, it is healthy to work in groups, and often times you learn from your classmates.
Wave 2 of DE is very interesting and exciting. It is fun to learn how DE went from correspondence education to where we are today. Wave 2 fills in several of those gaps. Technology began to really impact DE, and many open universities used public broadcasting such as the BBC! (Bates, 2011) The DE philosophy also began to become more formalized. I love the quote, ”We are open ‘as to people’ ‘as to places’, ‘as to methods’, and finally as to ‘ideas’” - Lord Crowler 1969 Inaugural Address. It really paints a picture of what DE is supposed to be. This is the foundation of the Open University of the United Kingdom.
On of my big ah-ha moments during this was the term andragogy. (Bullen, 1995) I even wrote a separate post about this term! Not only was it exciting to learn an new term that fits within our DE wave, it is exciting to begin to feel more confident in learning the material. Sometimes it is easy to get stuck on a big word and let it intimidate you. This is exactly how I felt with this term. Then I Googled it, and it simply means adult education. After seeing that, I had a new found confidence in myself that I can learn and understand the material. In addition, creating our group grid really helped me to see how the pieces of the puzzle come together. I also felt confident while filling it out, I had a lot of material to add! Sometimes it takes a simple grid to help you understand how much you truly are learning! I have realized that my original definition of DE focused on current practices. It has an emphasis on technology, including synchronous and asynchronous sessions. This, of course, is a newer practice. When I put technology in the definition, I did not even consider technologies from the first wave of DE! (The printing press did not even enter my mind!) I really enjoyed watching Holmberg's video on empathy. (Holmberg, 2004) It really made me think about empathy and DE. Since the teacher and the student are separated by time and space, how does one still come across as empathetic? This is a huge challenge, and the DE community still faces this today. In our discussion post, I said that it was more important to be empathetic in DE, rather than face to face learning. One of my colleagues argued that they were equally important. After some reflection, I realized that is true. It might be harder to be empathetic in DE, but students need empathy, no matter what their learning situation looks like. Since my background is in education, I really enjoyed hearing how the Open University of the United Kingdom began, specifically when Bates referred to curriculum development in his video. (Bates, 2011) He mentions that they had a lot of freedom with their course designs. I would love to know if he appreciated that, or if he would have preferred more of a structure to work with. Also, I am curious how the rapid expansion of the university affected their curriculum design in the broad sense. My big takeaway from this video is that, just like with anything, there seemed to be some growing pains with DE. It is great that it has become so popular, but it is imperative that institutions such as the Open University of UK stay up to date and current. By the sounds of it, they have done just that. Not only have they maintained their relevancy. They have also set the standard for Open Universities. As I look over the learning objectives for this course, I am so excited to say that they are all being met. Of course, we are not through, and I will continue to grow over the next few weeks that we still have together. I see that one objective is to "learn collaboratively", which fits directly in with our group grid project that we are halfway done with. It is easy to want to learn all on your own, but I am glad that we were voluntold (ha!) to join a group. It was a great way for me to make connections with my colleagues, and I feel comfortable reaching out to them with any questions that I have. The most challenging objective for me has been the "Master and apply research and writing skills...". Like I have mentioned in earlier posts, I am still getting the hang of writing academically. However, I am excited to see how I can grow in this area, and be ready for my next course in the program! Overall, I am just to thankful and excited to be here. I am learning a lot about DE, and I am excited that I get to apply this to my current profession. :) Bates, A. W. (2011, November). The second wave of distance education and history of the Open University United Kingdom [Online video]. Available from http://vimeo.com/32292234 (Transcript: http://www.box.com/s/cvygk4334sub0i6atrn8) Bullen, M. (1995, June). Andragogy and university distance education. Paper presented to the 17th conference on the International Council for Open and Distance Education, Birmingham, UK. Available from http://www.box.com/s/ap4nq2zf1jujkyo65pz0 Holmberg, B. (2004, September). The empathy approach to distance education. [Lecture video]. Available from http://youtu.be/mXRMKkHe9yE. Transcript: Holmberg-transcript.pdf Our second class essay is upon us, and I am feeling a bit nervous! For some reason it is a taking me longer than I expected to get back into the groove of being in school. This is pretty funny, considering that I am a teacher, ha! It feels like I was just in my undergraduate program, and I could write great essays efficiently. Now, it seems to be taking much longer. I am also trying to get the hang of APA formatting. In my last essay, my professor suggested that I use a writing tutor. I just signed myself up, and I am so excited to see how this can help my writing get back on track.
I just created my ScoopIt page! Before this course, I had no idea this was even out there. What a great way to keep all of my resources in the same place. I am excited to look around and see what other people are posting. I would love to hear any feedback on how to use this resource more effectively.
http://www.scoop.it/u/kristin-nauta-trostel I am in week 5 of my first official grad school course! It is so fun to get back into the swing of things. I am still finding that I am learning about the LMS. For example; it took me half of this week to find where our group discussion board is. My hope is that most of my LMS learning curve is in this first course. I fear that it is affecting my grade, but I will do my best to push on and not let it stress me out. This is all a part of the adventure when trying something new!
This morning I was catching up on our course discussion posts, and I saw that one of my fellow classmates posted their research topic concerning andragogy. I must admit that it just took me about a minute to figure out how to spell and say andragogy for that first sentence! Anyway, wow, I was very humbled, because I had no idea what this even means!! I am so thankful for one of our reading tips in the course, it basically said to not get overwhelmed with fancy words in grad school. Man, is that right! I Googled andragogy, and it is pretty simple. It is learning for adults, or the teaching and learning methods for them. How simple is that? Well, at least the definition. This, like most things in education, is a bit controversial. Or, at least some people do not agree that it fits all adults. (Well, duh. Have you seen how some adults act? They would need teacher and learning that better suites a 6 year old!) Anyway, I am so proud of myself for figuring this out, and now I have a new fancy word to say at the dinner table, with my one and a half year old!
|