Finishing First Assignment

I felt so relieved to have done the first assignment. Things are so flat out at school so I really had to stay up late to get this done. I got my results back and they weren't that great. I misinterpreted some of the requirements. This has never happened before. I feel that this course is rather disconnected compared with the others that I have done. I tried really hard to give an example of a critical incident that had affected me recently in this course. I was rather dismayed to find that I struck out with this one.

Flexible Learning -> Making flexible delivery learning and learner centred -> Re: Making flexible delivery learning and learner centred

Thank you all for this interesting thread. I have a mixed approach to online learning. Sometimes I am a big participator and other times a quiet observer. In most courses I like to try to gauge the tone of the forum before contributing. I prefer informal because then I feel that I can write with more spontaneity. I am very quiet when it comes to using tools such as Skype as I prefer to type and quickly reread before posting rather than using audio or video!. Perhaps this shows my lack of confidence? I too like to combine reading the forums through my email as well as logging in. I guess that's why we can call this flexible as it is up to the individual to follow their personal preferences.

Questioning Online Learning -> Technology creates its own context -> Re: Technology creates its own context

This is quite an interesting discussion that I would like to join if I may. I am discovering directly how technology creates its own context right now in my Grade 5 classroom. I have just started the academic year with (for the first time) a one to one laptop facility. I am now finding myself challenged to find directions as to how can the technology enhance the learning. For the first couple of weeks I did the usual desktop publishing that we all know so well. So what next ...
Well multimedia is the next obvious choice. Slowly I'm finding my way. It helps that there is a big LCD screen in the school cafes on which we can run student work. So now I'm trying to develop my students skills in sharing. I'm about to have a go at helping my students to turn their narrative stories about the digestion of a virtual sandwich into a Magic Schoolbus kind of animation using Keynote. It's like the learning, has turned into students teaching others by using technology.

School has never been so cool!

Traditional-Online-Traditional-Online -> Paradigm Shifts in Indonesia

I read the two articles and felt that the Harasim article made more sense to me in my current setting. In Indonesia technology gallops along at an alarming rate. Technology advances in chunks here rather than in stages. Broadband is still quite illusive but suddenly this year people are able to buy modems to plug into their laptops giving them access wherever there is mobile phone coverage. Yet schools are still functioning in the 19th Century paradigm. I will try to explain further:

Schools in Indonesia
Define “traditional models” of teaching and learning in your context. The traditional models of teaching and learning in Indonesian schools are:
Methods: rote learning
Space: rectangle shaped classroom with desks in rows and the blackboard and teacher’s table at the front of the room
Resources: Government textbooks. The students copy the lesson into their own notebooks. Libraries are few and far between. Book rentals are available for reading. These are sometimes mobile (on a bicycle)
Assessment: quarterly government issued exams for Gr 1 – 12
National exams at the end of Gr 6, Gr 9 and Gr 12 and Tertiary Entrance exams
Time: School is divided into 2 sessions to allow more students to use the building. Morning 7am – 12.00 and 1.00 – 6.00pm, Monday to Saturday.
Groups: Kindergarten (not compulsory) Gr 1 – 6 Primary (compulsory but not enforced), Gr 7 – 9 Middle School (compulsory but not enforced) and Gr 10 – 12 High School. There are also technical High schools and then College or University

Did the introduction of distance education challenge these models? If so, how? If not, why not?
Not aware of any distance education happening in Indonesia. Universities are starting to have an online presence but only in a hybrid approach. This is at the National level. Broadband is still hard to access.

International education it is quite different:
I am currently teaching in a National Plus school. That means that we offer the National Curriculum plus overseas curriculum. My school is a candidate for the IBO. It is a new school (we have been running 3 weeks now) and the first ever to be Technology based because all students from Gr 5 up are given a Macbook with their tuition fees. All teachers are given a Macbook and lower grades share sets of Macbooks of 20 across 4 classes. There are Smartboards in every building and LCD projectors with speakers in every classroom.

What do you value in teaching and learning?
I value the way the IB program encourages students to take charge of their learning. The Inquiry approach.
What key principles do you employ when you teach?
We have the Learners Profiles which are:
Inquirers, Communicators, Risk-Takers, Balanced, Caring, Principled, Open-Minded, Knowledgeable, Thinkers and Reflective. I must focus on developing this profiles in all of my students by modeling them myself. I also value that classes at my new school are highly encouraged to be technology based. It’s awesome!

Could all students be taught successfully using distance education/open learning approaches?
I love integrating the use of Web 2.0 tools in my classroom. All students require motivation and the younger the students, the more direct and immediate that motivation needs to be. My son uses http://www.mathletics.com.au to help him with his Maths. That is entirely online, open ended and flexible. However, he does need my pushing him to do it from time to time as he can lose focus and get bored. I am also in the middle of creating an online learning portal for Indonesian children. It is here at http://www.anak-online.com
This will be to teach Indonesian children (Gr 4 – Gr 10) how to use the Internet by teaching them to keep a blog. The mentors will be able to award tokens for good posts will check the blogs weekly. It will be supported by a Children’s newspaper called “Koran Berani” in which I will have a weekly IT column. I think that it will be possible to have online learning for children however I will demand that all members sign an AUP along with a guardian.
I don’t agree that distance learning or online learning is only for those in isolation. I think that given the right set up with motivation and some support from print media it can be for a younger audience. I am excited to be trying this soon.

What are the main issues involved for you in adopting online approaches in your context? I am about to launch into all kinds of online activities here at my new school. We will use StudyWiz and PowerSchool. StudyWiz is to support academic and PowerSchool is to support other services such as parents being able to go online to check what their child has eaten at the school café. This is done by everyone having a Smartcard that records all money transactions and library books. I will be holding weekly IT classes for parents to support the use of these tools and to further their knowledge of online environments.

I am very grateful to USQ for enabling me to take on this new job. This Masters in Education Technology has given me a whole new direction. Thanks USQ!

Moodie Mutterings

Is Moodie talking about online education, flexible learning, distance education or all three?

●What does he mean by “online education”?

Learning that is available online and that is web-based.

●Why does he suggest it is inappropriate for some learners? Who are they? Do you agree?

Moodie suggests that learners that are most suited for web-based online learning who have well-developed learning skills.

●Is Moodie arguing from a position which acknowledges a post- industrial position or is he anchored in the past?

I believe that Moodie has a point that entirely online, flexible learning is only for independent learners who have developed their learning skills.

Moodie (1998) considers flexible learning as “guided independent learning” and as such assumes that learners placed in such environments need to be equipped with fairly well advanced learning skills and be able to demonstrate some level of independence and autonomy over their own learning.

Observational learning is therefore very time-consuming.

Directed Learning - The essential elements of directed learning seem to be a highly structured presentation of the material to be learned, a continuous monitoring of learners’ attention and ideally a continuous monitoring of their comprehension.

Guided Independent Leaning - students are provided with structured study materials that they work through at their own pace, with varying levels but relatively limited interaction with the teacher and other students, and then present for assessment. Responsibility is more placed on the learner.

Autonomous learning - Just to complete this typology, we may add autonomous learning for the learning that may require an educational environment and resources but not a formal structure presented by a teacher.

Since online education is but one form of guided independent learning, I conclude that online education is not suitable for learners who have not reasonably well-developed learning skills. But online education is ideal for more autonomous learners. It extends learners’ learning skills so that they may become increasingly independent learners, which is surely one of the ultimate goals of education.
Reflections

Why is it that the emergence of “fourth generation” technologies represents a watershed in open and distance learning?
I believe that it requires teachers to be more open about their practices in the classroom.

●What are the features of using totally online education (as we know it) that might make it difficult for young learners to participate?

I agree with Moodie (1998) that online education requires learners to be self directed when used in a stand-alone mode. In my context the web allows us to extend the classroom walls and invite in the world. I couldn’t imagine online education replacing school unless used in connection with a tutor like in a home schooling situation.

●What factors might make it eminently suitable for students in higher education?

Learners need to be able to cope with learning independently as there is no teacher directly present to observe. Learners need to be able to cope with meeting deadlines and directing their learning themselves.

Listen to the Natives - the Digital Ones!

Hi All,
I have been studying online for about 1.5 years now and I have changed my habits a lot since I first started.

My advice is to try to become more Digital Native in your approach to your study.

When I first began online study I used to print out all the readings. I soon ended up with piles of paper the thickness of telephone books. After learning about Prensky's "Digital Natives", I began to question my practice of printing out everything to read.

I bought myself a laptop - a Macbook Pro. My life changed! I was a PC girl for 17 faithful years but now that I've gone Mac - well all I can say is "What took me so long!".

So, what has changed?

The screen on my Mac is really soft on my eyes so I am able to read off the screen. Now I just download the files and create sticky notes that I can attach to the PDF files. I can organize all my reading into folders for the different modules. I think that because its a laptop, I am able to read more easily as I can sit on the sofa or take my Macbook to the hair salon or cafe to read my notes. There are free programs that you can use to highlight PDFs so It's just like using a pen on paper. I like to use different colours.

I can also backup to my portable hard drive and keep all the readings without creating piles of paper.

I like the flexibility of being able to study anywhere. Jakarta has more WiFi available but now that I have a dongle I can literally study anywhere.

I do agree with logging in often. I have also found that it takes a few weeks to get into the habit. I will find this harder this semester as I am starting a new job which makes me very busy. I am trying but the most I can manage at the moment is Sat, Sun and maybe one other weekday.

Anyway, that's my advice for what it's worth.