Reflections on VOLT

As I wrap up the VOLT program, it's time to ask the question: Do I think differently about online and blended learning?

In some ways I do. I feel that I have a much better repertoire and toolkit for engaging in these two forms of learning. The VOLT program has provided a lot - a lot! - of information on best practices, case examples, and methods that will hopefully lead to further teaching success for all of us in the program.

In some ways, I feel the same as before the program.  This is not a bad thing. I know there are endless possibilities for learning when technology is involved. And by endless, I mean a level of dynamic learning that is hard to comprehend at the moment. I still feel this way even after the VOLT program. This is a good thing because it will keep me pursuing that "next level" as I move forward as an educator and researcher.

I am excited about this upcoming academic year and the opportunity to infuse a few things I learned from VOLT into my teaching. I don't want to overdo it, however, because that may be too big of a shift to handle at once. 

One very underrated thing VOLT helped me with is being more comfortable with video recording myself speaking!  I think this is a key piece to the online and blended learning puzzle; providing that face to face interaction through online video. I always found it kind of awkward to record myself through a laptop! But we had to do it a couple of times for this program, and then had to participate in the online synchronous sessions. This actually helped me feel more comfortable with being "on-air" through video recordings and live sessions. So I'm looking forward to doing a bit more of this for the upcoming year. 

All in all, the program was definitely worth it. I said in one of my Google Plus posts that it is the perfect complement to the Master's program I recently completed (Learning Science & Technologies). I feel like I have more applicable knowledge to tie into the theoretical background I developed in graduate school.

Why I Probably Won't Use Personalized Learning

This may not be a popular statement, but I don't know how much - if any - I'm going to try to personalize the learning for my students this upcoming semester. I know of the benefits we've read about and heard about in the videos.  But personalized learning goes against my approach to teaching.  I like what comes from the camaraderie and collectivity of the classroom setting, and believe that learning is strengthened as we try to learn as a group (I'm included in the group, by the way). Some people want to move ahead, so they will help others who lag behind a bit (and as we know, we also learn when we teach!). Although I usually try to keep in mind what career goals or even course goals my students have, I usually don't personalize the curriculum based on those goals (I just keep those goals in mind as I have individual discussions with them through the semester).  

I am fully on board with blending the learning more this semester, but I can't quite buy into the personalization of the learning.  That is because there are certain things I think are absolutely important each students gets  even if they don't quite get the material. Some of those things include gains in critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, self-confidence, writing, and presentation skills. The best way for me to facilitate this is to look at my class as a team (that I coach and guide) rather than as a collection of individuals. 

Again, this may not be the most popular way to go.  But I believe in it because I think there's power in the collectivity enabled by a classroom setting. I just can't subscribe to dismembering that collectivity in favor of personalized learning - at least not at this time.

Between Pedagogical Approach and Teacher Ability - Learning Environment Design

I very much appreciate the work of the Clayton Christensen Institute on blended learning.  Christensen's book, "Disrupting Class" is one of the books that sparked my interest in educational and learning technologies.

This past week's resources in VOLT were very helpful in figuring out the phenomenon of blended learning, especially the models that the Institute have put in place (Station, Rotation, and Flex).

What's most important is that these models give teachers some kind of guidance of what it looks like to integrate this emerging pedagogy into their own practice.  It is important that more straightforward models such as these are designed and distributed.  This always goes back to my view that learning environment design is one of the most - if not the most - important educational tools in this age of technology.  

Station, Rotation and Flex are blended learning models that dictate the design of the learning environment.  The videos this week give us a few samples of how these models could look in practice; but showing all of the possibilities would take forever! In professional development opportunities in K12 and higher education, how often do we stay at that point - the point where we have a pedagogical approach, and need to meticulously consider the structure and organization of our space to translate that approach into student engagement and learning? From what I've been a part of and what I've seen and heard,  normally that part is skipped and the focus is on the pedagogical approach and then the teacher's ability to leverage the approach. 

Pedagogical Approach -----------> (      ) --------------> Teacher Ability

That gap in between is where we need to spend more time! It should look more like:

Pedagogical Approach -----------> Learning Environment Design to integrate approach -----------> Teacher Ability

The biggest thing for K12 education in the next few years is teacher education in higher education programs. Will we spend the necessary time with them dissecting what it means to configure a classroom a certain way, so that using models such as Station, Rotation, Flex, or anything else with any pedagogical method will be leveraged in the most efficient and effective matter? 

Integrating Blackboard versus Blending it!

I enjoyed Jen Jonson's video on technology integration versus blended learning. The framework is one that I will revisit frequently as I return to teaching this Fall.

In particular, I'd like to do a better job of blending Blackboard into the learning experience.  Although Blackboard is an online component, which falls in line with what blended learning encompasses,  I have some work to do to make it feel more blended into the overall learning experience of my courses.

Right now, I would say that I've mainly integrated Blackboard into the experience of my courses.  As Jonson says, this is not a bad thing.  It has been great as a tool for sending announcements to the class, depositing course material, and even prompting responses to questions.  But I will use more careful planning to dynamically blend what happens on Blackboard better to the flow of what happens in the classroom.  Figuring out ways to replicate some of the activities in the classroom would be good,  along with making sure that these online activities stem from, and feed into, those classroom activities.

So this year perhaps I will add video content to extend instruction of what is discussed in the classroom.  Instead of just giving a question where students answer within a discussion thread (that ends up having very little interaction between the students) I will think of better ways to facilitate small-group interaction on Blackboard (perhaps split the students into small cohorts or teams that have to interact more substantively). Also, it would be helpful to set the tone the first class by stressing that the interaction on Blackboard is integral to the continuing learning experience of the class.

I think I'll be able to engage in this approach at least adequately due to what I've learned in the VOLT program. It will be exciting to see how things work out.

On Personal Learning Networks

I could probably do a better job of solidifying a personal learning network for myself.  This could work for me in two ways - on the teaching side as an adjunct professor, and on the administrative side for my communications position at Penn.  Luckily I have engaged in professional development (trainings, VOLT) to help me with both.  But I seem to struggle with engaging in a learning network beyond designated professional development arrangements.

I have been getting more involved on Twitter so I believe this will be the tool I use the most once VOLT is done.  There is so much rich information on there.  I have been focused on exploring hashtags, but over time I hope to connect with other adjunct professors and higher ed administrators to share knowledge and development.

The chats on Twitter are very intriguing.  As mentioned in the Whitby article (referencing the story of an educator who went from unconnected to connected) there are all sorts of small anxieties that keep me from getting immersed in the activity, such as, "Will people pay attention to what I say?" I think the VOLT program is helping me to put those anxieties to the side and engage.

I think it's wonderful that technology has opened the door for educators of all types to learn from each other.  I look forward to putting this into more practice as I continue my professional career.

The Drawback of Adaptivity; The Speed of Edtech

I have mixed feelings about adaptive learning.  The software I've checked out have nice, game-like feeling to them. I especially liked Dreambox. I can imagine that these applications are, at the very least, enticing to youth due to the interactivity and such.

Yet I take pause when considering the concept of adaptivity. Of course it sounds rosy- the software adapts to your skill level as you go along.  If you're not doing so well in a certain area, it will focus on that so you can get better.  Yet I can imagine that this could actually limit learning for some.  There were many times when I did not get a concept in school, but only when I went ahead to the next concept or the one after did I gain further understanding of the previous concept.  I use this thinking when I teach; I usually have a strong belief of the level I can get each student to, and try to push them toward that level. I consistently make links between current lessons and prior lessons to try to fill any blanks and solidify understanding. I do not necessarily base this on any previous work they've done.  I put more of the pressure on myself to get them where I think they should go, with solid understanding, by keeping them moving while stressing the ongoing connections between everything we learn.

If adaptive learning personalizes the learning according to what your students have done before and how they've performed in the past, I'm not sure if such a thought process could be used.  It seems you could get students to be really solid at everything, but maybe not truly exceptional at certain things, if you use adaptive learning.  Am I off with this?

The NYT and Audrey Watters articles reaffirmed something I've been thinking a lot about lately.  While the data issues themselves are big, what's more troubling is how technology is moving too fast for education.  I don't think this is education's fault; at the end of the day, I think it all comes down to money.  Everyone seems to have the answer to solve all of education's "problems."  And then they create a tool to try to address this. And through that tool, they push forward their platform and agenda.  So all of the adaptive learning platforms are pouncing on the notion that adaptive learning is the way to go.  It could be, but we don't really know!  But companies are flourishing because of the speed at which edtech is moving, which creates a competitive marketplace. Education tries to catch up, creating more problems and more people with their idea of the solution. 

After my years in GSE, and now in VOLT, I almost think we need to just go back to just teacher, students, paper and pencil, and good books (not textbooks haha).

The Online Learning Environment is a Monster

Great posts this week from my cohort colleagues Alli and Michael.  To sum it up: Good teaching is good teaching.  From our readings we are given some recommendations for online teaching and many, if not all, can be applied to the face-to-face classroom.

I think the biggest challenge with online teaching comes from the monster that the online learning environment is.  It's too unpredictable.  Too many factors can affect the quality of the class:

• What kind of computer is everyone using? What is the processor speed?
• What kind of internet connection is everyone on? Are there other computers on their network (which slows the bandwidth)?
• What internet browser is everyone using? Does it need a plug-in?
• What settings on these browsers specifically support the online learning platform that is being used?
• What tools need to be shared, and how does each specific learning platform support the sharing of these tools?
• Is my laptop charged?
• Is there enough light in the room so people can see me on video?
• Is my microphone off?
• Is my microphone on??
• There are technical difficulties. What do we do?

All of this is just a sample of the challenges that the online learning environment brings to the table, and this is even before we talk about the teaching and learning!

So my question is, is it possible for all of these challenges to intersect with our good teaching to provide even better teaching experiences? If we have a student online, and their laptop dies, and then they come back to the course - is there a way to overcome that as a teacher so that the student feels like they haven't missed a beat in regards to the learning experience? We can plan for all of the unpredictability of the online learning environment, but is there a higher level of flexibility and adaptability we should be pursuing so that the "monster" brings out the best in all of us?