Reflections: Module 2, Week 1 - The Focus on Rethinking

The different time frames of the three pieces made for an interesting connection. Collins and Halverson's article is situated more so during the beginning of this current peak of new technologies in the classroom (as a side note, their book is one of the most influential books I've read regarding my career and interests).  It is fascinating to see how much things have changed since this article was published.  For instance, when they mention computer-based learning environments, there's no mention of MOOCs because these courses were nowhere near mainstream at this time. Also, technical certifications are described as a new phenomenon in this article, and now they are everywhere from certifications, to verified certificates, digital badges and more. 

The Horizon report is situated in our current time. A tie to Collins and Halverson's article is the need to consider the fundamental shift in the dynamics of teaching and learning - otherwise labeled as rethinking.  What's most interesting here is that 5 years have past between the two works, and an emphasis on rethinking is still present.  Where I'm going here is the thought: Because technology moves so quickly, will we always be in a state of "rethinking" teaching and learning? Will we ever (again?) be satisfied with the teaching and learning dynamics that are we are presented with?  Should we ever be?

There's an aspect to the emergence of technology - particularly the Internet - that I think is brilliantly addressed in the "Digital Life" article.  Paul Babbitt's assessment of how people will want a more structured and regulated internet down the road is very interesting.  Right now, we are in an era of open: open resources, open courses, and more.  This has been a benefit of the freedoms granted within the online space.  Personally, I enjoy the freedom to integrate digital media and such from around the world into my lessons in creative ways. 

However, if the openness of the Internet ever gets to a point where the general public really feels at risk of some sort, regulations may be welcome and actually demanded in some cases.  If this happens, I wonder what effect that would have on us rethinking teaching and learning at that time.  Would the pedagogical creativity that is currently being granted in some schools be looked down upon? Would we finally reach a point where we're satisfied with where we are in the realm of teaching and learning? Would rethinking turn into retreating? I guess we will see.

What I learned from Module 1

My biggest take away from Module 1 actually came from observing Justin Schwamm's lecture earlier this week. I'm glad I got a chance to see it since I have been unable to attend the previous lectures due to commitments. 

The way he handled all of the different elements of teaching a synchronous online session was fascinating to watch.  It was clear that he knew what he was doing and had great command of the method.  I especially liked how he integrated various documents, such as the Google Doc that we as a class interacted with.  

I would love to have such command in the online space in the future. The other day, when I finally recorded my intro video for the class, I realized that I felt strange at times looking straight at the camera. It was a little bit intimidating looking right in the camera and talking with full confidence, so I had to record at least 3 do-overs. I'm wondering if, in the transition to teaching online, there's a period where you just have to get used to the strange feeling of talking to a computer screen while being seen and heard by a number of people at the same time.   

What I realized from watching Justin's lecture is that it would probably be a good idea for me to see more examples of online instructors in action.  Not necessarily take their courses, but observe some sessions to see different styles and methods. Before seeing Justin's approach, I hadn't even imagined doing such things in online teaching.  So seeing different styles would help me see even more of the good things that are possible in this mode of teaching.

The Future Classroom

What will the future classroom look like?  I really don't think, in general, it will look much different than what it looks like today.  While I'm sure we'll see the integration of more technology on a widespread basis, the basic structure (room with seats and a general area for a head of instruction to stand) will still reign supreme.  Change takes time.  A lot of time.

For me personally, I think my face-to-face teaching in ten years will be similar to how it is today with one exception.  I think I will devote more of the class time to dissect the online activities I assign. I believe that the blended component of my teaching will increase, and the online component will be significantly more vital to the overall discussion in class.  This is because the digital space will continue to be increasingly integral to the identities of the younger generation.  As  such, the ideas, thoughts and mindsets that are spurred by online activity (but wouldn't necessarily be spurred in a face-to-face setting) will need to be critically examined during face-to-face time.  If not, the potential to create an even more powerful learning experience in the classroom may be lost.

In the limited teaching opportunities I had five years ago, I took on more of a mentor/coach approach.  These days a little bit of coach comes out every now and then ("You can do it!") but I'm much more systematic in trying to get my students to the learning goal.  I also did not use a blended approach, whereas now I'm not sure if I could imagine teaching without going in that direction.

Photo Story - Our pet bird

Our assignment this week is to create a photo story.  For my subject I choose to look at the time my wife and I have had so far with our pet bird, Scoop.  He (or she... we don't know if the bird is a boy or girl yet, but I'll just refer to Scoop as a he for now...) is a cockatiel aged at about 8 months.  The bird is a true joy with lots of personality!

Here is Scoop soon after we got him in December.





Looking back at this picture, I can't believe how little he was!

Scoop is a pied-pearl cockatiel.  The crest on the top of his head indicates his mood.  Right now he is curious and excited.

In the beginning we had a lot of trial and error with Scoop in terms of how to arrange his cage.  We did our research before getting him and we knew that he had to have toys to play with!

He chewed through these toys within about a week!  Cockatiels love to chew, so replenishing the cage with toys is always on the to-do list. 

In the early days with us he was pretty clumsy in the cage.  The bird store that we bought him from allowed him to walk around an open space, so he had to get used to being in a cage.

We made sure (and make sure) to play with Scoop outside of the cage every day. He's been a really good bird from the start and very nice to us. There were some times he was a bit nippy at us, but as time goes by he's gotten very comfortable with us.  As a result we've been able to do more with him outside of the cage.

These days Scoop has gotten pretty big and can really navigate his cage well!

He jumps around, interacts with everything, and climbs all over the place in there.

But he still loves to be outside of the cage, so we make sure to give him that time.  We just got him a cool playgym that he loves.























He still chews almost anything!  









So it has been a wonderful experience watching Scoop grow.  Cockatiels can live for up to 20 years so hopefully we have many more years together with our little friend!

To close, the video below shows him "beak grinding," which is something cockatiels do when they are relaxed and in a good mood!

Participatory Culture

This week's blog prompt: Are you currently fostering a participative culture [in your teaching]?  Tell us how, or how you would like to.  What are the benefits?  What are the challenges?

The videos this week were extremely helpful as I move forward with teaching.  I'll talk about two experiences I'm currently involved in: as Faculty Supervisor for cooperative education at Holy Family University, and as Instructor of the 'Intro to Educational Entrepreneurship Seminar Series' that started yesterday for Penn GSE students and alumni.

The Cooperative Education role is primarily online.  I guide and advise several Communications majors as they complete their required internships.  This role is actually what made me realize that I needed a program like VOLT.  I am used to teaching within 4 walls and having an almost eerie command of every inch of the learning environment.  It's really an incredible zone that I fall into.  However, when the class is primarily online, that kind of command is not available or possible, and I have to gain in other ways.  

In the Intro to Education Seminar Series, which is 99% face-to-face, I feel like the learning environment is a big ball of clay that I can mold into something awesome.  This allows me to intentionally foster a participatory culture within the seminar.  For example, there were several times where I split the participants into groups and had them share their thoughts and brainstorm with each other.  This allowed plenty of space for the participants to learn from each other and even teach one another if applicable.  We do have one online component, a Google Doc where participants can list resources that would be helpful for everyone regarding the topic. This is easy to manage since it's only one online component, and I can clearly see how successful it is (or isn't).

However for the Cooperative Education role I sometimes get a bit anxious because I am not sure of the most efficient and effective way to foster that participatory dynamic. The students have been (and are) great but I would like to do the best job possible setting them up for a high level of success. We use Blackboard, the students are indeed blogging, and I have them working on their Linkedin pages. Still, I'm not sure of how to facilitate and foster a high-level, organic participatory culture within this online dynamic like I've been able to do in my face-to-face teaching.

Which is why, again, I'm really glad I'm in this VOLT program!

Online Teaching and Learning

The most important reason to understand online teaching and learning is because of the opportunities that the online space affords.  I believe we have only begun to scratch the surface of how we can construct dynamic learning experiences using online technology.

We can interact with people from different countries, cultures, and more.  We can learn at nearly any time, and almost any place.  But I don't think we've really figured this online "thing" out yet.  The phenomenon is too recent.  There are great things that can result from online teaching and learning, but we're not sure how to get there yet.  Thus, it is important that we keep analyzing and examining this space, so that we can develop a fuller understanding of what truly is possible when we shift from the physical classroom to the online realm.

The Return!

Marcus.edu returns!  I am now enrolled in the Penn GSE Virtual Online Teaching (VOLT) certificate program.  This is a great opportunity to learn more about online teaching and learning - which as you may know, I feel is very important for the future of education.  We will be regularly blogging for the course. Exciting!

Let's get started.