Reaching Your Potential
Monday, October 8, 2012
Are Online Schools More Effective for Children with Health and Educational Needs?
Thompson,
L. A., Ferdig, R., & Black, E. (2012). Online Schools and Children With
Special Health and Educational Needs: Comparison With Performance in
Traditional Schools. Journal Of Medical Internet Research, 14(2), 15.
doi:10.2196/jmir.1947
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Online Blogging Log
These days Online Learning is consuming my life. At work I am busy facilitating for remedial
learners to our Fast Trac. During my
leisure I am mostly discussing online education possibilities with my
colleagues and the remainder of the day is spent reading and compiling information
for my own online classes which ultimately result in my blogging activity. Here is what I have blogged so far….
http://anet48.blogspot.com/2012/10/online-blogging-log.html
http://anet48.blogspot.com/2012/10/are-online-schools-more-effective-for.html
http://anet48.blogspot.com/2012/10/im-facilatator.html
http://anet48.blogspot.com/2012/10/online-blogging-log.html
http://anet48.blogspot.com/2012/10/are-online-schools-more-effective-for.html
http://anet48.blogspot.com/2012/10/im-facilatator.html
http://anet48.blogspot.com/2012/10/are-online-schools-more-effective-for.html
http://anet48.blogspot.com/2012/10/fast-trac.html
http://anet48.blogspot.com/2012/10/im-facilatator.html
http://anet48.blogspot.com/2012/09/create-your-own-digital-portfolio.html
http://anet48.blogspot.com/2012/09/inacol-promotes-asychronous-learning.html
http://anet48.blogspot.com/2012/09/online-learning-is-here-to-stay.html
http://anet48.blogspot.com/2012/09/interestingly-enough-i-had-never.html
http://anet48.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-flex-model-of-online-learning.html
http://anet48.blogspot.com/2012/09/totally-confused.html
http://anet48.blogspot.com/2012/10/fast-trac.html
http://anet48.blogspot.com/2012/10/im-facilatator.html
http://anet48.blogspot.com/2012/09/create-your-own-digital-portfolio.html
http://anet48.blogspot.com/2012/09/inacol-promotes-asychronous-learning.html
http://anet48.blogspot.com/2012/09/online-learning-is-here-to-stay.html
http://anet48.blogspot.com/2012/09/interestingly-enough-i-had-never.html
http://anet48.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-flex-model-of-online-learning.html
http://anet48.blogspot.com/2012/09/totally-confused.html
Friday, October 5, 2012
Fast Trac
Having a Slow Start
The success of My
Institution in the development of online learning programs is detrimental
to the improvement of our remedial education.
The College will participate in the Achieving the Dream initiative, with
a primary goal of improving student success. This initiative will focus efforts
on identifying under-performing groups/populations such as Learning Support
students and developing strategies to support their success ( this is called
the Learning Support redesign project). Cohorts
will be tracked over the three year period to determine where interventions are
most needed. My Institution needs to increase the number of degree earning
students and to improve upon the graduation and retention of successful
students.
Judging our program against the Blacsich Criteria, we have a
long way to go to insure success. Our program
is new and is in an experimental stage; however, the usability of the system
has impaired my objectivity for immediate success. This system was executed before he necessary alterations
to the infrastructure had been put I place.
No additional money was allocated for the project. Subsequently, our procedure is plagued with
technical issues; mainly connectivity. For successful connectivity there will
have to be improvement in the transport and content delivery networks—to make
this happen additional money will have to be spent.
These issues have been the largest obstacle to up starting
the online program. When server issues cause the programs to run slow, freeze
up and time out it can be very frustrating.
It is even more frustrating when individuals are not tech savvy and do
not understand what is happening. Users
sometimes unfamiliar with computer freeze repeatedly hit keys not knowing that
that increases the load that is meandering through limited bandwidth. An
initiated session plagued by such problems makes computer novices long for
traditional resources such as book, paper and pencil.
Additionally, our purveyor was chosen as the contractor to
provide these courses throughout the Technical College System to help improve
and redesign remedial courses. This
contractor accepted this indenture without sufficient or available data
communication resources to support so many programs simultaneously. Hence, their
server is also freezing.
But, on a much more positive note, our staff has embraced
this initiative and are knocking down barriers and overcoming challenges while
they maintain a confident composure to assure students that we “know” what we are doing. We have strong leadership in our Learning
Support Coordinator who is forward thinking and is eager to deliver success in
the program. Our Coordinator is empowered by a vision that
this program will create independent life–long learners and her positive
attitude has contagiously spread through our entire staff.
Finally, we have been convinced convinced us that our standards will be achieved and that there
is no failure is not an option. Our Student Success is Everyone's responsibility. We are 21st
Century Learners and will embrace the educational pathways to future learning
models.
Quality, Benchmarking
and Success Factors for Virtual Colleges and Schools
by
Paul Bacsich
by
Paul Bacsich
Code
|
Factor name
|
Critical Success
Factor
(level 5 statement) |
Relevance
(1-5) |
Score
(1-5) |
Reasons
|
R4
|
Usability
|
All systems usable, with internal evidence to back this up.
|
5
|
1
|
Usability is of low quality; Proper infrastructure not in
place.
|
R6
|
e-Learning Strategy
|
Regularly updated e-Learning Strategy, integrated with
Learning and Teaching Strategy and all related strategies
|
5
|
N/A
|
Our program is new and I expect we will update in the
future as our program identifies problems and better ways to accommodate
students.
|
R7
|
Decisions on Projects
|
Effective decision-making for e-learning projects across
the whole school, including variations when justified.
|
5
|
1
|
Proper individuals not in place for effective decision
making
|
R10
|
Training
|
All staff trained in virtual school system use, appropriate
to job type - and retrained when needed.
|
5
|
1
|
Staff are not properly trained professionals. Responsibility fell upon available
individuals
|
R12
|
Costs
|
A fit for purpose costing system is used in all departments
for costs of schooling both face to face and virtual.
|
5
|
1
|
Cost has been passed on to students who are primarily of
low income.
|
R13
|
Planning Annually
|
Integrated annual planning process for the virtual school
department integrated with overall school and course planning.
|
N/A
|
2
|
Program is new.
Planning remains to be seen
|
R16
|
Technical Support to Staff
|
All staff engaged in the virtual school process have
"nearby" fast-response technical support.
|
5
|
1
|
No technical support experts are available. Program relies upon online support from the
contractor
|
R19
|
Decisions on Programmes
|
There is effective decision-making for new virtual school
courses across the whole school.
|
5
|
5
|
Program choices are excellent.
|
R22
|
Leadership in e-Learning
|
The capability of leaders to make decisions regarding
virtual schooling is fully developed at departmental and school level.
|
5
|
1
|
Administration blindly makes decisions with no virtual
knowledge.
|
R29
|
Management Style
|
The overall school management style is appropriate to
manage its mix of educational and business activities
|
5
|
1
|
School is run with doctorial style where all employees are
afraid to challenge administration.
|
R35
|
Relationship Management Upwards
|
The school has effective processes designed to achieve high
formal and informal credibility with relevant government and public agencies
overseeing it.
|
5
|
1
|
The governing body lends a blind eye to what is happening
at this institution.
|
R53
|
Reliability
|
The virtual school e-learning system is as reliable as the
main systems students and staff are used to from their wider experience as
students and citizens,
|
5
|
2
|
We will have to wait and see
|
R58
|
Market Research
|
Market research (to assess demand for virtual schooling)
done centrally and in or on behalf of all departments, and aware of
e-learning aspects; updated annually or prior to major programme planning.
|
5
|
3
|
Since I don’t know how this decision was made I cannot
comment on what research went into this decision
|
R60
|
Security
|
A virtual school system where security breaches are known
not to occur yet which allows staff and students to carry out their
authorised duties easily and efficiently.
|
5
|
5
|
|
R91
|
Pupil Understanding of System
|
School pupils have good understanding of the rules
governing assignment submission, feedback, plagiarism, costs, attendance,
etc. and always act on them.
|
5
|
5
|
Students are given an Orientation before they participate
in the program.
|
R92
|
Pupil Help Desk
|
Help Desk is deemed as best practice.
|
5
|
1
|
The proper criteria for help desk are not in place. Students rely on tutors and random persons
to assist with challenges.
|
R94
|
Pupil Satisfaction
|
Frequent (ideally annual) Pupil Satisfaction survey which
explicitly addresses the main e-learning issues of relevance to pupils and
their parents.
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
Monday, October 1, 2012
I'm a Facilatator
Currently I am in the position of a facilitator. The Learning Support Center at the Technical School
where I work recently implemented a Fast Trac Program. This program is designed to assist those
students who failed the entrance exam within 3-5 point margins, in English and
Math respectively. Taking part in Fast
Track could help these students to eliminate having to take remedial
courses. The Fast Trac program begins
with a pre-diagnostic test that will identify the areas of weakness that the
student has displayed. From that, a set
of customized study modules will create a learning path for that student. Within those modules are online lectures, tutorials
and videos.
The program facilitators, me and six other individuals, are
available after the diagnostic test to assist students. We assist students in program registration
and technical adaptations. Depending
upon the subject matter, we are there to answer questions, give examples as
well as assist with computer technical quirks.
As the lead Facilitator, I administer a short orientation to explain the
program to students and allow them to ask questions. I then have them sign documentation
acknowledging that the program has been thoroughly explained and to approve a new
test date (which is within a 3-week period).
Our program has gotten off to a rocky start. Originally we suffered load problems with our
institution not having enough bandwidth to support the various programs that
had been put into effect. At the same time, the contractor was having server
problems because of the numerous programs they rolled out for fall semester and
the number of registrants logging on simultaneously. When we overcame the bandwidth issue, we
realized that the math module (the most prominent of the required subjects) did
not work. Throughout this process, our
facilitators have maintained a straight face and kept students assured that
these were just minor complications that come along with any new program.
I believe most of us are objective about the changes of the
Learning Support Format and will do what is best to assure that the program is successful. A lot of the program success depends on our
attitudes and the assistance and encouragement we give our students. We rolled this program out on September 10 of
this year. I will keep you informed as
the program progresses.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Create Your Own Digital Portfolio
This semester I began instructing the students in our Early
Childhood Education Program in the creation of Digital Portfolios. This module
will teach the students how to build a portfolio or wiki using Google Sites.
Google Sites is a free and easy method of creating webpages and wikis which is
especially beneficial to those students in programs such as Culinary Arts,
Early Childhood Education, Barbering and Cosmetology. For students of those
programs, it is crucial they can maintain a running manifesto of their
accomplishment as well as a visual record of their successes. Google Sites are
an easy way for those individuals to share current information about their
skills and experiences. Not only is the electronic portfolio portable but it
parallels the professional growth of the creator. We used Google Sites for this task. Click here to find instructions to create your own
Digital Portfolio.
iNACOL Promotes Asychronous Learning
Asynchronous Learning is Applied Using iNACOL Standards
The
iNACOL standards for virtual education are designed as a guideline for online
schools to follow as they meet the needs of the learners in their
community. They are designed as a guide
and not as rules that should be followed indiscriminately. This document begins
by explaining its mission. It boasts a
set of quality guidelines for online course content and goes on to define the
dimensions of blended learning models. Asynchronous learning is a
student-centered teaching method that uses online learning resources to
facilitate information sharing outside the constraints of time and place among
a network of people.
The
Standards of iNACOL are:
A: Content-The course provides
online learners with multiple ways of engaging with learning experiences that
promote their mastery of content and are aligned with state or national content
standards. Asynchronous course content
should be a student-centered teaching method that uses online learning
resources to facilitate information sharing outside. It has been developed with specific goals in
mind based upon the intended audience.
B:
Instructional Design-The course uses
learning activities that engage students in active learning; provides students
with multiple learning paths to master; the content is based on student needs;
and provides ample opportunities for interaction and communication — student to
student, student to instructor and instructor to student. Built upon the constructivist theory, asynchronous
course design is that which users will access at leisure but still remain a
part of a learning community.
C: Student Assessment-The
course uses multiple strategies and activities to assess student readiness for
and progress in course content and provides students with feedback on their
progress. Asynchronous interactions promote learning, and can be used
to facilitate learning in traditional on-campus education, distance education,
and continuing education
D: Technology-The course takes
full advantage of a variety of technology tools, has a user-friendly interface
and meets accessibility standards for interoperability and access for learners
with special needs. The online learning
resources used to support asynchronous learning include email, electronic
mailing lists, threaded conferencing systems, online discussion boards, wikis,
and blogs. Course management systems such as Campus Cruiser LMS, Blackboard,
WebCT, Moodle, and Sakai, have been developed to support online interaction,
allowing users to organize discussions, post and reply to messages, and upload
and access multimedia.
E: Course Evaluation and Support-The
course is evaluated regularly for effectiveness, using a variety of assessment strategies,
and the findings are used as a basis for improvement. The course is kept up to
date, both in content and in the application of new research on course design
and technologies. Online instructors and their students are prepared to teach
and learn in an online environment and are provided support during the course.
Reference
iNACOL Offers New Standards for Online Learning. (2011). Electronic Education Report
iNACOL Offers New Standards for Online Learning. (2011). Electronic Education Report
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Online Learning is Here to Stay
The
reason online learning is such an important subject is because these courses
are been introduced the entire educational spectrum at a rapid and intense rate. In this era of recession and consistent
budget cutting, school systems are using technology as a more efficient way to
deliver instruction. These courses are
being integrated into learning at every level of instruction and are providing individualized
programming that diagnoses’ the weaknesses of the learner while it customizes learning
modules that are appropriate for that learner. Hence, the learner can work at
his own pace in lessons that will assist him in building the skills that he
lacks while it allows other classmates to work in their target specific areas synchronously. Students are not conscious and insecure about
the abilities of others.
In
determining which is best, I believe that would depend upon the student and the
subject. More ambitious individuals with
high intellect and little need for social interaction would probably excel in
this type of an environment. A student
who is having difficulty in certain areas and need additional practice in order
to grasp a stronger foundation of the subject would also benefit from this type
of learning environment. But there are
others who excel in an environment where there is competition as well as those
who depend upon their peers to answer questions they may feel insecure about
asking the teacher
.
I
am of the opinion that these programs can improve upon student outcomes and no
further justification is needed for the expansion of these programs into
education. I just do not believe, however,
that they should be thrust upon all learners because we have finally come to a
realization that learning and learners develop differently and there are many
styles of learning that are pertinent to educating our society. Although these programs are individually
customized for the learners, they can be tedious and boring. There is no replacement for a lively class discussion
or having an understanding teacher take time out to make simple a problem a
student has been trying to figure out for hours.
References
Ferdig, R.E.
(2010). Continuous quality improvement through professional development for
online K-12 instructors. Lansing, MI: Michigan Virtual University.
Davis, M. R. (2012). New
Laws, Programs Expand K-12 Online-Learning Options. Education Week, 32(2),
S3-S5.
Arora, R. (2009). The K-12
Online Evolution. Multimedia & Internet@Schools, 16(6), 16-19.
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