EDIT 760 Module 2 edition: Whatever it is, this is not Online Learning.

This post was originally written in Fall 2020 as most P12 schools remained closed during the pandemic.  Updates were made on August 26, 2022 to reflect the current situation in schools while reflecting on the past.

This week in EDIT 760, we tackle the question, "What is the Online Learning Movement?"  Never before has that question been so relevant and important than today as we continue to face the challenges of teaching and learning during a pandemic.  Our goal in EDIT 760 is to develop your understanding of online learning, but also, we need to make some sense out of what is currently happening in schools due to Covid-19. 

There was a lot of debate in the beginning months of school closure (March 2020) about what to call this Covid-19 learning.   Early news reports from here and around the world focused on online learning. While I wasn't sure what to call it, I knew from being an online designer and teacher, whatever was actually happening in school divisions was not, could not be, online learning.  

One of my favorite opinions on the topic came early on from two University of Georgia professors who stated, "What we're doing today is teaching and learning to be in Covid-19... . This is not business as usual and it is unethical to act as if it could be." Gosh, I wish I had written that! 

Five months later, there were still references and news reports describing the return to school in Fall 2020 as online learning. To designate those Fall openings amid Covid-19 as online learning, dilutes the practice and everything many educators and researchers have worked toward to elevate alternative environments and showcase affordances. 

The progress made to promote online learning as a viable learning option is at risk.  

If you look up the definition of online learning, you will get many possibilities (I know! This is how I spent much of 2008 as I was formulating my dissertation).  The definition that continues to be most complete to me came from my colleagues, Dabbagh and Bannan-Ritland (2005):

 

Online learning is an open and distributed learning environment that uses pedagogical tools, enabled by Internet and Web-based technologies, to facilitate learning and knowledge building through [*]meaningful action and interaction. (p. 15)

To me, this definition makes the complexities of online learning explicit and visible.  Moving content, pedagogy, technologies, and interactions from in-person learning to online learning requires reimagining content, pedagogy, technologies, and interactions.  Reimagining takes time and skill.  

No wonder educators have felt overwhelmed and stressed since March! There has not been time to reimagine.

You are in a unique position as teacher-learners in EDIT 760.  Module 2 focuses on The Online Learning Movement in K12 schools. Most K12 teachers started the 2020 school year in virtual environments as a result of this pandemic. The present situation is very instructive as you have the opportunity to compare what the literature says about online learning and what had happened 

in schools. As you read this week's resources on online learning in Module 2,  consider the following:

How do you characterize the type of teaching you did during the pandemic?  How would you characterize the type of learning your students did during the pandemic?  How does this compare to what you are reading in Module 2? 

(News articles or even research that supports your understanding would be great links and additions to your Module 2 Blog).

 

How did you feel about teaching and learning as you began the school year in Fall 2020 and Fall 2021? What are the message and expectations you are heard from school leaders and what are the message and expectations you wanted to hear?

 

You might even consider using the above questions to guide your Module 2 Blog Reflection (suggestion only).

*What is meaningful action? Hopefully you will figure this out in this course and other LTS courses (particularly EDIT 762). I'm happy to discuss further with you.

Reference:

Dabbagh, N., & Bannan-Ritland, B. (2005). Online learning: Concepts, strategies, and application. Pearson Education, Inc.

Back from Jeddah: A year later....

Okay, I actually was not in Saudi all this time but usually happens in life at the University, a few side trips have taken me away from blogging.  It is nearly the year anniversary of my trip to the Middle East and my experience continues to impact my thinking as well as my work. I suspected I would have some free time to write of my adventure last year.  However, nearly every minute of my time in Jeddah was filled either with preparation for the workshop and presentation or events planned by KAU faculty: a tour of al-Balad (old town Jeddah) and a late night (wee hours of the morning) feast with gracious woman from the KAU faculty (belly dancing optional).

While my workshop changed overnight from a technology infused experience for a handful of teachers to an interactive demonstration for 80 K12 and university educators (huge interest in the topic of Teachers as Designer!), I was glad I had adopted a "go-with-the-flow" attitude even before I left and came prepared with "give-aways."  So many surprises!  These are my impressions and only my impressions that stem from a life in the West, a life of opportunity, and a life of many freedoms.

I did not expect a high level of interactivity from the crowd.  I did not expect that the notion of authentic problem would be so widely embraced.  One of the professors from the women's medical college vowed to try to change curriculum to be more authentic.  A High School physics teacher beamed as she mentioned  she had always asked her students to use their knowledge to build roller coaster, but she had no idea that this teaching strategy supported by a body of literature.  I did not expect to hear a male voice boom, "Dropbox!" over the PA system in the auditorium when I asked for examples of technology that afforded speaking, listening, reading, and writing learning goals. Men were separated from the women and only appeared to us via a large screen when they presented. They were relegated to appear as a potted plant during the women's presentations.  I had completely forgotten that men might have been "attending" my workshop, er...demonstration. When I asked for clarification as to how Dropbox afforded speaking, listening, reading, and writing, this voice disappeared so I continued my intimate conversation with this group of 80 enthusiastic female educators.
Needless to say, these educators were very impressive. 

Less impressive however was the final presentation of the conference.  An educator from Finland shared the Finnish education experience.  There is no question that Finland has accomplished great things in their system.  However, upon reading the last slide--paraphrased, "Finland brings their success to Saudi Arabia," I found myself a bit annoyed.  How does tiny Finland see Saudi education conforming to their ways? There is more to this story than I am willing to write about here. It's safe to say that I had to voice the fact that around 145,000 Saudi students study abroad with 80,000 Saudi students in the US, most if not all returning to Saudi with new knowledge to impact their fields including education.  What is important here is that these students also have a deep understanding of how to situate this knowledge in Saudi culture.  Their perspectives need to be valued  and they need opportunities to apply their knowledge.

I reflected on my own workshop and presentation.  Did I leave any impression that there was only the US way to develop teachers as designers?  In my opinion, I don't think so.  I provided a framework tested and improved upon through experience working with my own Saudi graduate students. I wouldn't even say it was my perspective but rather that adopted from other professional fields.  It was an idea at the teacher level where local change (classroom) is possible.  What I did learn was it probably was not a good idea to question the motives of the Finns or the intentions of the KAU faculty to gather International Perspectives.

Saturday in Jeddah

Here I am!  On the Red Sea!  Definitely not a place I would have thought to ever visit. The planning part to get here was probably more difficult, especially since I had to pull 2 all-nighters to finish my presentation and workshop, but from the minute I walked up to the Saudi Arabian Air check-in at  Dulles to the time I got to my beautiful room in the Jeddah Intercontinental Hotel, it has been a breeze.  And literally too.  While it is 80 degrees or 26 C, it is very comfortable, truly a treat from our local weather on Thursday.

While this is an educational blog, I have not had time to turn my attention to academics.  However, I have learned some things.  I read a lot about Saudi Arabia in preparation for my trip. I visited blogs, e-bulletin boards, and many websites.  I was actually very anxious to leave because what I was reading on the Internet was related to 'warnings' and 'cautions for women.'  I respectfully donned my abaya before landing in Jeddah--I was the only American female in my section. I chose to cover my head, although my Saudi students told me it was unnecessary for Americans to do so in Jeddah.  The wind was so strong and I had that 'bed head' kind of look, it was a welcome accessories. Fingerprinting and photography session in customs was only held up because of the technology--I must have broken two cameras because of my overnight flight beauty.  The people here couldn't be nicer.  My driver was there (he also was at the airport yesterday waiting for me, causing me quite a scare as to whether or not I was supposed to skip Thursday ITS to get on an earlier flight). 

I heard stories of my technology being confiscated (a Saudi student told me that is a myth). I heard that I would be stared at.  I heard that males would not speak to me.  None are true, so far.  There was a woman in the airport who was not in her abaya, there were many Saudi women not covered or only partially covered.  To tell you the truth, with the blasting air conditioning in the buildings, I am quite happy to wear my dress---besides, there is no worry as to having ironed clothes underneath or even if I wear something that matches.  (Oh! A big thank you to my Coldwater Creek saleslady!  The orchid color she chose and that I wore into town seems to be the favorite of many ladies.)

Tonight is dinner with the vice dean and faulty in the College of Education at King Adulaziz University.  My Mason colleague, Dr. Behrmann, received word there are separate arrangements for men and women but I am free to forego the invite for separate dining and I may join the group...so far Jeddah lives up to its reputation for being more progressive.

More tomorrow from the 1st International Forum: A Professional Teacher in the 3rd Millennium...

Early Days of Wikipedia

In 2006 when we began to design blogs, wikis, and podcasts into the ITS program and started to research and write about these tools, we observed some very interesting situations---
1. a leader of our College gave a presentation to the faculty citing Wikipedia as the primary information source;
2. leaders from a small school division participating in one of our workshops could not access Wikipedia, one of the resource links we asked them to use, because it was filtered out;
3. an ITSer implemented her podcast lesson plan with her 1st graders and shared the final products by uploading them to a wiki. Her school webmaster refused to do it so she found another way: Wikis.  However, part of her lesson involved 1st graders recording the reading books from their library---a big no-no (any ideas why?) This situation put the use of podcasts, blogs, and wikis on hold for the whole  school division until policy was developed.
4. A High School student performs an experiment.
We know a lot more about these tools now as they have been introduced and adopted by many educators.  Take one of these situations and analyze the issue or use of Wikis.  What can you learn from the situation to inform your own use of wikis in your practice? What do we need to know about Wikis to make them a valuable educational tool?

Professional Practice, Professional Development and Wikis

For the past several years I have had the most amazing experiences working with zoo and aquarium professionals as they completed their Master's Master's of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in Zoo and Aquarium Leadership (ZAL) at George Mason. Our program's courses in the Integration of Technology in Schools Online Certificate program were offered to these professionals as electives because many of them were responsible for education efforts at their institution. My goal was to help them understand how technology could be used either to support their education goals, use technology to facilitate community events, design technology-rich activities for school visits or education programs at the institution, to connect with colleagues across institutions, and/or to initiate professional development opportunities.

When EDIT 564: Teaching with Web 2.0 tools became available as an elective around 2007/2008, the  ZAL students were very excited.  As part of their Master's experience, each ZAL student was required to do a project or write a thesis.  Many chose project work as this fit into their practice (parallels the ITS experience, huh?).  I had the honor to chair several of these projects and was even more honored that many chose to incorporate what they learned in the Web 2.0 course to frame their project. 

While all of these projects were implemented with great success and continue to have impact on the zoo and aquarium community, one in particular had success in an area that meant the most to me: changing attitudes about the use of collaborative wikis at the organizational level....that organization being the Association for Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
My student wanted to use a Wiki as a collaborative tool for all program animal managers to share information about program animals (see PARIS). In other words, it would be a great environment for the sharing of knowledge among professionals and for the development of these professionals. I thought it was a brilliant idea.  However, to be successful it needed to be approved by AZA.  And that's where the battle began. Apparently there is an internal battle related to program animals and exhibit animals (the program animals being those used in education efforts and not just for exhibits).  There seemed to be controversy about what information could be shared about program animals and the fear that a Wiki was too public.  

What arguments would you use or how would you go about convincing a large organization such as AZA that this was a really beneficial tool to support the project? 
Does this example have any relevance to a school division's use of Wikis?  For educating students? For Professional Development? 
Remember in the summer you graciously participated in a survey we administered about the value of online learning for Professional Development.  Would wikis be a good tool for this?  Why or why not? Would you feel confident to design online professional development using a wiki?  What sort of professional development could be done and what benefits could be gainded by the use of Wikis as an online tool for educating teachers? 

Snow Day, Virtual Class, and Wikis

The biggest snow storm of the 2013-2014 winter season is upon us! Since my husband is a 'prepper,' I have been prepared for days...actually months...for this storm.  No need for a grocery run  or a stop at Home Depot for de-icers or generators (we have four).  Rather, I spent my Tuesday wondering what to do about face to face ITS class on Wednesday.  Reports indicated snow would most likely start around 7 or 8pm in our area so it was possible to still have class for a few hours. I knew that a decision for Mason to cancel classes was probably not likely or would happen after ITSers had left to come to Mason in Loudoun.  And I had been down this road before (or actually NOT down the road, but stuck in my car) in 2011 Carmaggedon.  Forecasting weather is difficult in this area as is any predication about the traffic. Is it worth the worry about storms and traffic when this entire 5th semester is dedicated to the study of Web 2.0 tools?  Why not put these tools to the test?  

In Week 4, we focus on Wikis: Can wikis support robust collaborations and project work with virtual groups?  We know it works over the week between classes.  But what happens when a 5 hour f2f is moved online and students are expected to be available to work on a group project and expected to turn in a number of deliverables by the end of class?  How does an instructor judge participation? What can a student do to ensure they are seen? What issues or concerns are associated with using a wiki in a virtual class?
Share your 'snow day with Wikis' experience by commenting.

Back Again

It was inevitable.  My return to blogging....the start of semester 5 in ITS and now a class required posting for EDIT 413.  The students in EDIT 413 are reading Daniel Pink's A Whole New Mind as part of their study of Technology and the Culture of Learning.  I wondered what insights the 5th semester ITSers might have to offer if I used that as a topic for this posting?  Good time to practice remembering the concepts of that book for your professional portfolio and Exit Experience! But I'm also a week behind the blog topic for EDIT 719-- Blogs in education.
Always the believer in making something count twice.... I think the use of blogs in education directly supports the metaphor of a whole new mind.

Design: Pink quotes John Heskett, "Design...can be defined as the human nature to shape and make our environment...to serve our needs and give meaning to our lives (p. 69)."  Using blogs at the highest level of connective writing (as described by Will Richardson) certainly has the power to shape the thinking space of our environment as a blog can be far reaching and foster social negotiation of meaning.

Symphony: Complex blogging (extended analysis and synthesis over a long period of time) (Richardson, 2010, p. 31) offers the opportunity for a writer to bring together comments, links, analysis, previous posts to see a bigger picture.

Empathy: To blog at Richardson's highest level of blogging, requires the use of higher order thinking skills such as analysis and synthesis of thinking beyond the author's own perspectives. This requires the author to seek out multiple perspectives but also to write in such a way that others want to connect with you. Can you do this with imparting information only?  It takes more than that. As Maya Angelou shared, "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." How you make others feel through blog writing is what keeps them coming back. Blogging requires the author to understand the audience. Rather than walking in their shoes, Thinking in their minds.

Play: Blogs provide the author a chance to experiment and test out thinking, to test out material.  There is value in self-reflection and private journaling.  But to really play with an idea and move that idea beyond the idea stage, it just might take playing around with it in a wider audience.  Research and publishing used to scare, intimidate me.  But then I thought of it as an adventure, a chance to 'play' with ideas in the field of educational technology and receive feedback and sometimes, validation for my ideas. Really embracing the Vygotskian notion that play is learning/ work is the application of learning,  gives me permission to do so, to justify that all of this play is for the sake of learning. Great ideas just don't happen or appear.  Artist Chuck Close reminisced, "Inspiration is for amateurs. the rest of us just show up and get to work.  Every great idea I've ever had grew out of work itself."  Work=Learning, Learning=Play.  We need play to learn.  We need to learn to work.  We need to work to spark ideas.

Story: As we face an age where we must put ourselves on an Information Diet we must do more than be good at developing an argument. The age of Abundance requires us to differentiate our arguments, to become more compelling in our presentation.  With students we can spend all of our teaching time scrolling through powerpoint slides loaded with text and information.  Is this an effective way to teach?  What would happen if content was delivered as a story, a narrative, through lessons in life, through relevant examples, through image? Blogging to share that story, those lessons is invaluable. After all, a number of published books began as blogs and you too can turn your blog into a book for a fee, of course :)

Meaning: E.M. Forster said, "How can I know what I think till I see what I say?"  Writing has always been an author's companion.  But Blogging takes it to a whole new level with the ability to publish thoughts and negotiate meaning with a wider audience. Blogging gives purpose to our thoughts.

So if you are looking for justification as to why blogs are important in educational practice, here are six to start you off. And if you need a reminder of the metaphor describing a whole new mind as a means to survive a world impacted by the 3 A's....here are the six dimensions.