Learners today are using a variety of technological tools
that can be brought into educational settings to enhance learning. Blogs, Skype, email, and streaming video are
tools that many individuals use frequently for personal use. These same tools can be used in online
learning. Blogging is a phenomenon that is widely
used throughout society. From DIY
projects to instructional activities, society utilizes blogs to enhance their personal
knowledge on topics of their choice.
Blogs can be an effective tool in an online setting. Students can explore blogs of experts in the
field to increase knowledge. Ibraheem
Almuhanna states in his blog that blogs offer a place “where authors can
express themselves and reflect on their knowledge while getting feedback and
comments from readers”. Blogs can also
be an assessment medium. Students can
create their own blogs and write on assigned topics to portray knowledge. This gives students the opportunity to gather
feedback from individuals around the globe instead of just the course
instructor.
Wikis are widely used throughout multiple fields. Collaboration is getting a lot of press, and
schools and educators are being urged to incorporate collaboration within their
instruction. Implementing wikis in an
online setting provides students with tools to collaborate with peers from
across the world. Students can work
together to complete a final product.
In addition, since wikis track changes and page edits, it is easy for
instructors to identify individual contributions for assessment purposes. The benefits of this free tool should not be
overlooked.
Isolation is a major concern for many entering an online
setting. However, video conferences
tools such as Skype can help alleviate this problem. Skype has the capabilities of recreating the
face-to-face aspect that many feel is lost through online education. Synchronous discussions can occur in online
learning. Research has shown that using
a variety of tools that are appropriate for specific instructional tasks can
make distance, or online, learning just as effective as traditional learning
(Durrington, Berryhill, & Swafford, 2006).
Almuhanna, Ibraheem (2012).
Online learning tools and communication guidelines. Retrieved from: http://onlinelearningstrategies.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-world-wide-web-offers-many.html
Durrington, V. A., Berryhill, A., & Swafford, J. (2006).
Strategies for enhancing student interactivity in an online environment. College
Teaching,54(1), 190−193.
Comments posted to:
LeAnn Morris
http://leannmorris.blogspot.com/2013/01/module-4-graphic-organizer-engaging.html?showComment=1359305805732#c2650712318728670290
Martha Bless
http://marthabless.posterous.com/
Comments posted to:
LeAnn Morris
http://leannmorris.blogspot.com/2013/01/module-4-graphic-organizer-engaging.html?showComment=1359305805732#c2650712318728670290
Martha Bless
http://marthabless.posterous.com/
Posts
8 comments :
Hi Sarita,
First, I love the new design of your blog because I am an owl collector. Your graphic organizer is wonderful! It is extremely easy to understand and yet very professional looking, as well. Did you use Microsoft Word to create it? Thinking about the tools and strategies you included in your organizer, what are the three most important to online learners and teachers to ensure success in an online learning environment? What do you see as the benefit and advantages of the three tools and strategies you chose over the others you included in your organizer? Thank you, I look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
LeAnn
LeAnn,
I created it in PowerPoint, but the same tool could have been used in Word.
I really believe that wikis, Skype, and Blogs have the greatest advantages in an online learning environment. Besides email (which everyone should know how to use), I believe they will have the greatest impact in the workforce. Since we rolled out the CCSS, the GaDOE has been using wikis for everything! If our goal is to prepare our students to become productive citizens, then I think we should use the tools they will most likely use in the future.
Thanks,
Sarita
Comments posted to:
LeAnn Morris
http://leannmorris.blogspot.com/2013/01/module-4-graphic-organizer-engaging.html?showComment=1359305805732#c2650712318728670290
Martha Bless
http://marthabless.posterous.com/
I also used PowerPoint for my organizer. I love all the features offered in this program. Blogging and wikis are gret tools to use but if you assign the students to create blogs and wikis, how much of the blog or wiki do you feel the school should be responsible for the content posted? If it was done in distant education for grades K-12, is a school responsible? Would the teacher be responsible to monitor the pages?
Lori
Hi Ivey,
Your graphic is nicely done. I wonder, though, how you could show the overlap of the three concepts. I found it challenging to separate the content tools from the collaboration communication tools, primarily because I see little separation between them. Blogs and wikis, for example, are ways to deliver content, communicate, and collaborate. Course platforms like Blackboard and Moodle encompass many of these tools as well. Do you agree that they are so interconnected it is hard to draw boundary lines around each concept in online learning?
Hi Sarita,
Thank you for sharing how you made your graphic organizer in PowerPoint. I also appreciate your insight about wikis, and how you are using them to roll out the CCSS in Georgia. I certainly want to learn more about how that is working for all teachers.
Sincerely,
LeAnn
Sarita,
I love the way you showed the connection in the middle keeping the focus on the web learning. Great organizer! I also was interested in your video conferencing solution to the isolation of many students. I run into obstacles each time I offer video conferencing activities with my middles school students and find that they avoid this - preferring to get online with us and chat rather than using the audio or video. What do you think I could do to encourage more of this type of participation to help prevent the online isolation?
Sarita,
I love the way you showed the connection in the middle keeping the focus on the web learning. Great organizer! I also was interested in your video conferencing solution to the isolation of many students. I run into obstacles each time I offer video conferencing activities with my middles school students and find that they avoid this - preferring to get online with us and chat rather than using the audio or video. What do you think I could do to encourage more of this type of participation to help prevent the online isolation?
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