I've spent the better part of the past two weeks developing my OLE for my Strategies for Online Teaching and Learning class. What has amazed me about preparing an OLE is the amount of work involved in developing instructions so that the learners can easily navigate through the site understanding the expectations placed on them. It makes me think of a discussion assignment I had last semester in my Instructional Design class where we were asked to choose a procedural analysis and explain how doing the task analysis impacted our instruction. I chose to imagine I was teaching one of my children how to wash a load of clothes. As I began to think about all of the steps involved and all of the things I needed to teach before they even put their first item of clothing in the washing machine, I was blown away.
I had the same feeling this week. Before the students can even be expected to learn about figurative language (which is the topic of my OLE), they need to know how the website is set up, what they are expected to know before and after completing each learning module, how to navigate through the website, how to locate the discussion board, how to log in to Glogster, how to use a Google Spreadsheet, how to open up an attachment, etc. So much of my work so far as been “prep work.”
It is important to complete this prep work well in order for an online class to run smoothly. I knew there was a lot involved, but I took a lot of it for granted. I have a new level of respect for online teachers.
I am probably 75% of the way done with my prep work and am looking forward to finally putting my metaphorical “load of clothes in the washing machine.” I am excited about the content I have found to include in my OLE. I only wish I had a group of students I could test it out on. Until that time comes, I will continue to admire and strive to emulate the effective online teachers I have been blessed with in the past year here at The University of Akron.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Is it possible for my head to explode?
In addition to reading the majority of the close to 300 posts from this week’s discussion board, I’ve also read another half dozen articles about online teaching while brainstorming and researching ways to develop an OLE of my own. I’ve learned so much this week that my head might explode! As much as I like the idea of completing a class in 5 weeks, I just don’t feel like I can possibly absorb as much as I would like in such a short amount of time. I’ve been giving it my best shot though. Since time seems to be so limited, the article entitled “Time Management Strategies for Online Teaching” stuck out to me. I referred to it several times as I began to draw out a plan for my OLE.
I’ve been amazed at how much time it takes to simply gather materials and come up with adequate assessments. I realize it would likely be easier if I had a classroom of my own. I would have more resources available to me and would be able to pick a concept that I had more experience teaching. Just gathering resources for 3 short modules has taken the better part of 10 hours. I can’t even imagine developing an OLE for an entire semester all at once. It seems like an insurmountable task for a first year teacher.
I decided to create a Google Site for my OLE. I’ve been wanting to learn more about Google Sites and believe that it will fit my needs and the needs of my learners for this particular project. I found some tutorials, webinars and PowerPoints to help me navigate my way through. One of the PowerPoints suggested that I layout the site using a flowchart before I begin to create. That is proving to be a very useful piece of advice.
I am currently in the process of deciding how I want to design my site. I’m doing a lot of brainstorming and concept mapping. I created a practice sandbox Google Site today so that I can experiment a little before I actually create my final site for my OLE. I will continue to absorb as much as I can from my readings, tutorials and discussion board postings so that I can incorporate the new ideas into my own OLE both for now and for the students I hope to one day teach.
I’ve been amazed at how much time it takes to simply gather materials and come up with adequate assessments. I realize it would likely be easier if I had a classroom of my own. I would have more resources available to me and would be able to pick a concept that I had more experience teaching. Just gathering resources for 3 short modules has taken the better part of 10 hours. I can’t even imagine developing an OLE for an entire semester all at once. It seems like an insurmountable task for a first year teacher.
I decided to create a Google Site for my OLE. I’ve been wanting to learn more about Google Sites and believe that it will fit my needs and the needs of my learners for this particular project. I found some tutorials, webinars and PowerPoints to help me navigate my way through. One of the PowerPoints suggested that I layout the site using a flowchart before I begin to create. That is proving to be a very useful piece of advice.
I am currently in the process of deciding how I want to design my site. I’m doing a lot of brainstorming and concept mapping. I created a practice sandbox Google Site today so that I can experiment a little before I actually create my final site for my OLE. I will continue to absorb as much as I can from my readings, tutorials and discussion board postings so that I can incorporate the new ideas into my own OLE both for now and for the students I hope to one day teach.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Learning Through Failure
This week, I began to brainstorm ideas for my Online Learning Environment (OLE) and and read chapter 8 of Theory and Practice of Online Learning entitled, “Developing Team Skills and Accomplishing Team Projects Online” by Hurst and Thomas. I also read “Learning Together in Community: Collaboration Online” by Palloff and Pratt.
The theme that seemed to stick out to me this week was that of learning through our failures. This theme hits home with me for two reasons: first because I am in the process of reinventing myself after a failed marriage and second because I’m a perfectionist and failure is a “bad” word to me.
Attempting new things can be very intimidating to a perfectionist because of our fear of failure. Hurst and Thomas emphasize the importance of failure as a learning tool while working through simulations in online learning environments. They point out that students can preserve their dignity when working online because their failures are not made public to others. I would like to create an OLE that allows students to feel comfortable making mistakes and learning from those mistakes.
However, the thought of even attempting to create such an environment is so intimidating to me because of my own fear of failure. It is almost debilitating. I don’t know where to begin. Palloff and Pratt helped me put things into perspective with this quote: “We should never be afraid to try new and innovative ways of creating collaboration. Even if we fail, we learn from that failure and that learning informs and enhances our teaching the next time around.”
I realize that this is easier said than done, however, I would like to commit to experimenting (and failing) more with different online tools in the next week so that I can learn from my mistakes. I cannot continue to be immobilized by my fear of failure.
I would also like to begin thinking of ways that I can eventually create an OLE that focuses on writing and allows my students to make mistakes that they can learn from. I envision a tool that sees patterns in the mistakes that an individual student makes. These patterns will then guide the technology in providing teachable moments and exercises for that student in order for him/her to master the concepts that he/she is struggling with (like ending sentences with a preposition:). See! I can make mistakes!
The theme that seemed to stick out to me this week was that of learning through our failures. This theme hits home with me for two reasons: first because I am in the process of reinventing myself after a failed marriage and second because I’m a perfectionist and failure is a “bad” word to me.
Attempting new things can be very intimidating to a perfectionist because of our fear of failure. Hurst and Thomas emphasize the importance of failure as a learning tool while working through simulations in online learning environments. They point out that students can preserve their dignity when working online because their failures are not made public to others. I would like to create an OLE that allows students to feel comfortable making mistakes and learning from those mistakes.
However, the thought of even attempting to create such an environment is so intimidating to me because of my own fear of failure. It is almost debilitating. I don’t know where to begin. Palloff and Pratt helped me put things into perspective with this quote: “We should never be afraid to try new and innovative ways of creating collaboration. Even if we fail, we learn from that failure and that learning informs and enhances our teaching the next time around.”
I realize that this is easier said than done, however, I would like to commit to experimenting (and failing) more with different online tools in the next week so that I can learn from my mistakes. I cannot continue to be immobilized by my fear of failure.
I would also like to begin thinking of ways that I can eventually create an OLE that focuses on writing and allows my students to make mistakes that they can learn from. I envision a tool that sees patterns in the mistakes that an individual student makes. These patterns will then guide the technology in providing teachable moments and exercises for that student in order for him/her to master the concepts that he/she is struggling with (like ending sentences with a preposition:). See! I can make mistakes!
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