EC&I 831: Introduction to Connected Learning

It was really interesting to see how this EC&I 831 class is very similar to our class here at USD!  I really like the idea of "Open Access Courses" and I really like the structure of how this Blackboard Collaborate works!  Bummer that it is expensive like Alec Courcos mentioned!

Anyways, here are some take-away points and ideas that I thought of during this video:

• How can something like this open education course be used in our classrooms in our schools?  Whether it be at USD or another college or in our schools that we work in?
• Can Blackboard Collaborate be part of the new M.Ed. in Math, Science, and Technology Education program that USD is re-vamping? (Who can I mention this to?  Because I think it is a great tool if USD wants to make the program a hybrid course!)
• San Dieguito Union High School District (where I work) currently offers online/distance ed. for their students.  This is completely online and does not require students to come to school.  There are no restrictions as to who can take these online classes and are geared towards helping those students who are behind in college credits "catch-up" to graduate on time.
• Now, my issue with this is that I personally have taken online classes in college and have found that distance ed. classes take A LOT of self-motivation.  With SDUHSD allowing any students to enroll in these classes, are they setting up these students, who are already behind, for failure?  If they already exhibit that they are "failing" classes, what makes the school district think that they will have the self-motivation to learn on their own?
• Maybe something like an open classroom with scheduled meetings may be more beneficial rather than just having an entirely online class where the student is basically learning on their own??

• The idea of an open course or open classroom.  I personally REALLY like this idea because I am a big believer in networking.  With having an open classroom, I think that the more people involved, the more ideas and collaboration we are able to work with, but I did have my doubts like many of my classmates about the credit versus non-credit participants.  In this video, I think I was given more of an understanding about how credit students are noticed by the professor and how he mentioned that he looks out for those students more than the non-credit participants, which I think is very important in that classroom environment.  I think that it is great that non-credit students can participate to improve their professional development in a formal classroom-type setting.

• The idea of network mentors.  I think this is great and I'd love to be a network mentor for this USD class next year!

• Blackboard vs. Adobe Connect: I have a friend who is in the credential and masters program in Los Angeles and she posted something on facebook today about how she doesn't like Adobe Connect because she can't pause, rewind, fastforward, etc. the recordings of her class.  I've asked her if I am able to see one of her classes and she sent me a link.  (I currently can't get past the "connecting" part, but hopefully I can update you all with my thoughts on Adobe Connect!)

To view the EC&I 831 Open classroom, check out their website at: http://eci831.ca/

EC&I 831: Social Media, Networked Learning & Digital Identity

After watching this video, it made me think again about my own digital identity and how "open" I've been in this digital world.  Personally, I think these past few weeks I've been a visitor rather than a resident in my own digital identity.  There are so many other "factors" that take part in my journey (classes coming to a quick end very soon, work becoming more hectic, Thanksgiving break, being on a "personal" vacation), but I feel that I really need to step it up and really make that effort to become part of this network of learning because it will be so valuable in the future when I do have my own classroom!

Now, looking at how I want to become an "open educator", I've been planning ahead in my educational and professional development on making sure I am a resident even after this class is over (in less than 3 weeks! YIKES!).  Personally, I think it is going to take a lot of self-motivation, especially with Christmas break coming up, to maintain my routine of checking up on TweetDeck, Blogging, Bookmarking on Diigo, etc. but I really do not want to lose my Digital Identity with the people I've connected with building our PLN's.  Some of my plans are to:

• Keep up with Twitter--I was VERY hesitant at the beginning of our journey, but have caught the Twitter bug!  After this class is over, I plan to keep up with the resources of #ipadchat, #ntchat, & #edchat, but I hope to find more "hashtag groups" to follow that are of personal interests like cooking!
• Maintain my personal blog--It's been hard to find the time, but I hope to update my blog and document my personal journey!

 Some points from the EC&I video that I found interesting:

• The Flicker idea of sharing a picture every day.  I LOVE to take pictures and hope that Santa brings me my Canon T3i that I am wishing for this year!!  One of my friends on facebook made a New Year's resolution to post a picture every week, so hopefully I can do something similar to the two ideas!
• Google: Our new business card-- I've googled myself in the past and have found it interesting to see what is shared on the internet!  I've seen my LinkedIN profile as well as my facebook and myspace on my google search.  I also found a few pictures of myself in the image section!  At first, it seems a little scary to know how easy it is to find someone on the Internet, but I see it as, as long as you don't share your entire life story on facebook, or other social networks, it is a part of the process of being a resident and putting yourself out there "professionally".
• What makes a PLN?  Not just the tools but more of the people behind it.  I hope that I don't lose that connection I've built within Twitter, blogging, EDUC 578, etc after this class is over!

"Open Education is the simple and powerful idea that the world's knowledge is a public good and that technology in general and the Worldwide Web in particular provide an extraordinary opportunity for everyone to share, use, and reuse knowledge" 

(William & Flora Hewlett Foundation)

To view the EC&I 831 Open classroom, check out their website at: http://eci831.ca/ 

Check out this blog post on PLN Resources!!

My Adventures in Educational Technology: Regina TLs Day of Learning: Anytime, Anywhere, Any...: Keynote Resources from: bit.ly/SaskTL Anytime,Anywhere, Anyone (Resources) - #SaskTL Dr. Alec Couros couros@gmail.com @courosa skype:...

I'm Thankful...

Student-Centric Learning: Disrupting Class by Clayton Christensen

**Whoops! I was just browsing through my blog and noticed that this post was in the "draft" mode and never published... so here it is!!!**
 
Disruption toward Student-Centric Learning  

What are some alternatives to the current model?  Thinking of this model, could you recommend an alternative for each of the steps in Figure 5.1.

Looking at the public education's current "commercial system" that looks at:

• Subject-matter experts (left-brained learners) to create textbooks that are part of a "scale-intensive value-chain business,
• Curriculum experts at the state and local levels to make decisions about what textbooks to use, and
• Teachers using a method of teaching that they are products of,

we (students at USD in the credential and Master's programs) are  taught to look outside of the box and change the current teaching styles to truly help our students learn.  Now the big question is... how can this be done?  In my Methods & Psychology of Mathematics (which as a Science-focused student is REALLY difficult for me to change my way of thinking "math", but is really allowing me to grow as an educator), we have been given methods of teaching mathematics that are working in other countries like Lesson Study.  Lesson study is a professional development process that Japanese teachers engage in to examine their teaching practice, with the goal of becoming more effective. Teachers collaboratively plan, observe, and analyze actual classroom lessons then draw out implications for the design of the specific lesson, then share their findings with their colleagues.  To provide focus and direction to lesson study, the teachers select an overarching goal or theme that then serves to guide their work on all the lesson studies in their “cycle”.  Currently, Japan is excelling in math scores compared to the United States.  Lesson study includes teacher collaboration and inquiry-based learning, which is lacking in the classrooms in the United States.  On top of this, Japanese lesson study includes an open-classroom environment where observers reflect on classroom lessons as a group to help the teacher improve their practice.

If I had the opportunity to move away from a value-chain business to a facilitated user network, some things that I would change are:

• Textbooks being used as a supplement for learning, not to guide how a teacher teaches lessons;
• Collaboration between teachers across all disciplines;
• Inquiry-based that allows for students to really think and less teacher lecture;
• No standardized testing so that teachers are able to teach to their students needs rather than having to cover every little bit that is on a test;
• Continued teacher professional development;
• Individualized instruction that focuses on the needs of the students;
• More technology in the classroom.

Pinterest: Social Media Icons & Online Student vs. Traditional Student

I thought these images were cool!  I saw the images posted on Pinterest and thought I'd share!!

Lasagna Night!! Sneak Peak...

Comfort Food: Meat Lasagna & Lasagna Florentine: Florentine Lasagna 15 min Prep Time 40 min Cook Time Serves 6 Ingredients: 8oz (1/2 package) Lasagna noodles (cooked) 1 container (15...

Theory of Disruption

Disruptive innovation was coined by Clayton Christensen and describes a new product that replaces an older product because of factors like efficiency, effectiveness, easily accessible, affordable, etc.  Christensen states that “an innovation that is disruptive allows a whole new population of consumers access to a product or service that was historically only accessible to consumers with a lot of money or a lot of skill”. 

The examples given include:

·      The “disruptee” being four-year colleges that may be too expensive and not as convenient for people to access, but the “disruptor” or the disruptive innovation being community colleges that are fairly inexpensive compared to a four-year college.

·      The “disruptee” being fixed line telephones that can only be used at home, where the “disruptor” or disruptive innovation being cellular phones that can be used pretty much anywhere and are a lot more convenient.

“Characteristics of disruptive businesses, at least in their initial stages, can include:  lower gross margins, smaller target markets, and simpler products and services that may not appear as attractive as existing solutions when compared against traditional performance metrics”.  

Some disruptive innovations that we see today include the innovation of Netflix or Redbox.  The “disruptee” being Blockbuster or Hollywood Video, where these companies were more expensive and not very accessible.  The “disruptor” being Netflix, that is easily accessible over the internet and through the U.S. mail system, or Redbox that is easily accessible at grocery stores, 7-11’s, and common places that you would travel during your daily routine.  Not to mention these “disruptors” were much cheaper than Blockbuster or Hollywood Video.

One situation that I see in the school systems are the newly innovations of tablet computers, like the iPad or products like the Kindle that are giving schools a new and possibly more efficient way to replace textbooks.  Currently, it is often times cheaper to buy a digital version of textbooks for college classes, versus buying the actual book itself.

Just thought I'd share!

So, as I am here waiting for WebCT to come back to life (USD's WebCT/Blackboard is currently down and I have homework due!), hopefully it will be sooner than later... I thought I'd share a few pictures of our Zipline Excursion in Puerto Vallarta!  Enjoy!

Right before we start our adventure
(after the speed boat ride and
BUMPY trek in the Jungle Jeep)

My Donkey... La Guitarra
I think she ate some bad grass before
we left because she was tooting up
a storm!!

Coolest experience ever! (Before they dropped me straight down
down into the water!)

One of the many ziplines!

#ntchat

So, I'm currently participating in #ntchat at the moment, well, I'm being more of an observer because we are chatting about how to build a new teacher and principal relationship.  Since I'm not quite in my own classroom yet, I think the advice that is being given will help me in the future.  More info to come!

On a side note, I'm using TweetChat for the first time, and I REALLY like the pause button feature since I find myself doing 10 other tasks at the same time!!!  So cool!

(Update):  So I basically observed #nt chat for a little more than an hour.  I saw our classmate, Marissa, on there as well!  Since I couldn't really give my feedback on the discussion of building a new teacher and principal relationship, I figured this information would be beneficial to me in the future!  Anyways, I really like how involved veteran teachers and administrators are in participating in the #ntchat.  Its great to see the collaboration and support to pretty much strangers!  I'm glad to have this extra support in my M.Ed. & Credential journey!

On my 2nd side note, I had a harder time trying to figure out TweetChat other than pausing!  I was trying to figure out how to follow people, and didn't want to miss out on the chat, so I was going back and forth from TweetChat to TweetDeck (which I feel I have mastered!)