Changes in Roles of Instructors and Students -> The educator as a tutor -> Re: The educator as a tutor

Hi Janet,

I liked reading your post. I agree that a learner centered environment requires more from the learner. I teach in an IB school and the inquiry approach promotes just that. I also struggle with collaboration as it can be stressful to be relying on others yet essential to learn how to do that as our world requires us to develop collaborative skills. My students complain when having to work together and it can be hard to place difficult students as they can be ostracized by their own group.
I have a quote that I got from a recent film that I watched at the K12 Online Conference site. http://k12onlineconference.org/?p=150 check it out! It is worth watching Clarence Fisher's video about Classroom Web 2.0. This quote from Tom Carroll was mentioned in the video to illustrate how Fisher sees his classroom "Every classroom is a collective effort, not an individual accomplishment."
I am working on assignment 2. I struggled through the concept part as I found it quite a challenge to put those principles into my own words without repeating what others have said. I kept going around in circles - but it made me think so I am learning to make sense of it. I haven't come across much that only happens online. Most is the same as in offline learning.

I just wish that I had more time to work on this as it is little crazy at the moment at school with preparations for Student-Parent-Teacher Conferences with digital portfolios that are the 18 and 19th September. It makes me so tired which really only leaves the weekends to study.

Jane

PS I'll leave you with another quote from Alan November, "Every classroom should be a global communication centre." I believe that online learning is not just for older students who have developed independence in their learning but for all classrooms and for younger students such as mine - a blended approach is needed to bridge the gap. I am currently modeling online learning in class using Ning which I intend to later shift to at home for homework tasks.