Please share your responses to the readings here. What did you like about the article? How does it add to your learning? What ideas do you have from reading the article? How can you implement what you learned?
Be sure to tell me your first name so I can give you credit. Tell us which article you read as well.
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Today I read “Learning from a distance brings it Home”. This article discussed the main categories of distance learning which are, credited coursework, virtual field trips, interactive one time videoconferences, and collaborative on going projects. The article also discussed the issues associated with each categories and some specific the steps to follow during a implementation process.
For example the steps for setting up a credited coursework which can happen at the college teacher training or K-12 level include the following steps. The article also mentioned specific programs to help develop online courses.
-Course syllabus learning objectives
-Grading criteria with rubrics and checklists
-Links to reading assignments for each class
-Attached files that include templates and other documents
-Synchronous chats and videoconferencing activities
-Asynchronous discussion boards
-Collection of files and evidence of work as portfolios
The next category virtual field trips helps reduce the cost of field trips and allows a class explore remote environments that would otherwise be out of reach. Databases of field trip sites were discussed as well as specific sites such as NASA and the baseball Hall of Fame.
Another category mentioned was interactive one time videoconferences which can be time savers and cost effective. There are many possibilities with this formate, job interviews, meetings, talking with an author or an expert or authority on a specific topic.
The last category mentioned was collaboration on projects which has led to classroom exchanges worldwide. These types of exchanges connect people who would not get a chance to meet in any other way. The final issue discussed in the article was resources for making distance learning connections.
As a teacher in a Juvenile Detention setting initially I intend to utilize virtual field trips and one time interactive videoconferences to get my feet wet before moving on to collaborative on going projects. There is potential with this medium to develop social skills and cognitive problem solving abilities.
John Pickar
I read “Interactive Videoconferencing Planting the Seeds for Global Learning and Caring” by Jody H Kennedy and Susan Wiener. Videoconferencing opens up a new world for students all over the world. In the article they mentioned how students connect with a victim of the Tsunami, holocaust survivor in the U.S., and an HIV positive teenager. This would be an excellent experience for High School students. For my second graders, the two that we connected with this year, was like a mini-field trip. My students loved seeing the live bats, and the bear. Once again, I feel lucky to have Rachel as our media specialist to help us with our technical difficulties.
Article 5 Josephine
Article: “Yabbies On-line: East Meets West and Other Videoconferencing Adventures”
Wow! What an inspiring reading. For this reading reflection, I’m going to list the ah-has that connected with me. I related to the statement that ‘all individual team members in the conference act as change agents at their school level’. I see myself as a change agent for my school. I see myself collaborating with other teachers in my building to assist them in participating in a video conference. I like the statement how using video conferences can be easily aligned and integrated to the curriculum by utilizing action-based learning in the classroom. I think action-based learning or inquiry-based learning is really key to getting our students to take an active roll in their own learning and give it purpose.
I didn’t know about I * LEARN Network or that it has been well established in 40 countries since 1998. I would like to share this at a staff meeting in the fall.
Another Ah-ha was how it is important to have a website and email set-up to establish a place to post photos or supplemental teaching resource materials and a venue to do follow-up activities on activities initiated during the conference itself. I also like that by using a website connected to the video conference, a model for other schools planning work in the same field can be established.
The last Ah-ha for me was how a video conference can be used to do share science experiment ideas and have students do presentations with other sites. My district is really poor at getting students involved in completing their science experiments as it is written in the curriculum as a parental partnership component. Students are supposed to work on their projects at home. However, if students know that they will be sharing their projects with another site, then they may be more motivated to conduct and complete their science projects. In addition, teachers in our district are always looking for project examples to share with students.
Article “Learning from a Distance Brings it Home” Janine, I know you said you thought you remember that I replied to this article, but I wanted to redo it anyway. I can make it short. What I got from this article was the information about credited coursework. Online courses through videoconferencing allow for flexibility and lower cost in taking graduate classes. This form of delivering credited coursework can allow for more programs being available to students also. I haven’t personally taken an online course, but know of friends that have and it has worked out well for them. I have looked into classes for SBCEU’s and probably will take an online course sometime in the future. Article 4 Tammy Artis
Jeanna Younger Article #5: “What the research says about video conferencing in teaching and learning”
This particular article gives a rundown of what a videoconference is and the ways of making the connections in order for a session to take place. For me, this information is somewhat foreign because I do not totally understand all of the lingo such as ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network), etc. quite yet. I am trying to learn it though!
Now, the second page of the article tickled my fancy because it gave general benefits, benefits for students, benefits for the teachers, benefits for initial teacher training, and benefits for students with special educational needs. The majority of these we have discussed in class but we have not touched on how this can benefit the special education students. I found out that it helps students who may have feelings of isolation and develop social skills by associating with other peers who have similar needs, physical or mental. I think it is also true with students that are in the general class with them that these skills are developed. This interaction would be wonderful because it would allow students to discover behavior etiquettes such as if they shout out or talk over one another then no one can understand them. It would encourage appropriate behaviors with one another, taking turns, and listening skills – all social skillls that special needs students usually lack. I had two special needs children this past year and normally they have a difficult time listening, focusing, and participating in group discussions and just sitting still. I was afraid during my videoconferences how they would behave so I sat them close to me. To my surprise, they did very well and did learn quickly about voice levels, behavior, and they stayed engaged during the whole conference. So, it does work well with my little ones and kept their interest the whole time. It also taught the others that anyone can participate in this type of learning, even the special needs children whom you would think would not do well.
My last comments are on the third page where it talks about “attitudes of students.” I always have viewed this as a positive experience for students and that they found it enjoyable. I know it to be possible, but have not experienced students reacting badly to the technology as the article states could be a possibilitly. I feel that the novelty of the technology and the interacting that occurs makes it a very fun and enjoyable experience for my students, even when we have glitches. What I love about it for my little ones is that they learn just as much about social skills as they do content… for my little ones this is a huge part of their learning each day as well!
Thank You!
My 5th article, published in March of 2003, “Interested in meeting authors using distance learning? Well, just ‘ASK’,” defines the ASK program discussed earlier this week in this class. It includes topic ideas, the technology required, how the program is funded, and finally, it briefly discusses how educators can become involved in this program.
I was most impressed with the ASK program. I would like to do this activity with my students, as I feel that this would not only serve as a way for my students to gain insight by interviewing an author or a subject area specialist, but would also serve as motivation for them to read an assigned book to completion.
I really like the journal component to this activity. This allows the students to reflect on what they have read and perhaps how the story may relate to their own lives or current life situations. The questions that are required by the students also serve to promote the students to think more deeply as to what they have read. This increases comprehension, as well as interest, in a chosen reading selection.
The ASK program is definitely something I plan to share with my colleague (there are two of us teaching in the treatment portion of the Juvenile Center) this fall. I think she will be as impressed by this as am I.
Mark Smith
The article I read was Interactive Videoconferencing Planting the Seeds for Global Learning and Caring. I love the idea of using technology as getting students to get back to basics – which is Communicating with eachother, face to face, on a personal level – it is great! I am definitely going to use this statement when I am teaching vc to my class, as well as discussing it with my colleagues. Another idea I took from this article is using interactive videoconferencing to help students learn , and speak a foreign language with a conference from a school of, for example, Mexico or in our district, France. We teach French in the elementary school, so this is definitely a program that I will pass along to our French / Art teacher. Another idea I just thought of from reading this article is the idea of adopting an orginization from around the world. Something that we could help with and kind of take on as our own as either a classroom or as a grade level. I really got some great ideas and thoughts to use and pass on to colleagues.
Barb Jewell Article #4 “Interactive Videoconferencing: Planting the Seeds for Global Learning and Caring”
The article talked about the availability of resources that videoconferencing provides for our students. I thought one of the most profound statements that the article made at the beginning was, “…people are becoming our students’ most valuable primary resource…”. These are people our students would not otherwise have the opportunity to meet, such as Holocaust survivors, AIDs victims in Africa, astronauts at NASA, etc.
One of the advantages of videoconferencing has been that students are becoming more culturally aware. When students talk face to face with a tsunami survivor, the stories aren’t just something they read off of a page, but a face to face encounter with someone who has lived through the experience. Teachers respond that students “(evolve) from apathy to empathy”. The article gave examples of American school children who have realized how fortunate they are and have been moved not just to send money, but to take action and help those in other countries or other parts of their own country. One class raised money which they donated to Seeds for Africa, which in turn started three gardens in Africa, subsequently feeding several hundred people.
I’m sure there are many more stories out there that describe how students have been moved to help when they have talked face to face with those in need, rather than just reading about them in a book or magazine. When students can learn by doing, and make a personal connection with a situation, they learn lessons that will last a lifetime.
Barb Jewell Article #5 “Learning from a Distance Brings it Home”
The article detailed the availability and necessity of distance learning through online courses, virtual field trips, interactive videoconferences, and collaborative projects.
Due to the number of students who have their own personal computers, as well as the availability of computers through libraries and internet cafes, the possibility for taking an online course is high.
Students are also given the opportunity to take virtual field trips to places like NASA, through providers like TWICE, which we learned about, as well as CILC and ID solutions. I think it would be fun for my students to take a virtual field trip next school year. Again, it would be a wonderful learning opportunity for my student teacher as well.
Of course, videoconferencing has been the distance learning opportunity that we have been learning about this week. I am excited about the many possibilities that VC can hold for my students next year. I would love to have them meet an author through the ASK program, or participate in Read Around the Planet.
Collaborative projects was the last type of distance learning opportunity discussed in this article. Again, we have learned about a number of these, and I would love to do a poetry exchange or perhaps a literature circle with my class next year.
I remember when distance learning meant I received a packet in the mail and completed the work on paper and mailed it back. We have come a long way with our distance learning opportunities. It is exciting to see, and even more exciting to be a part of, and to bring these real-life experiences to my students.
My 5th article was, “The Pedagogical Value of Videoconference Technologies. In this article I found a description of what a videoconference is and how it can be used in the classroom. To me the most useful part of this article was the practical tips for implementation. First, the teacher needs to decide on the instructional goals for the experience. Once the goals are established then the type of program can be determined. From there the expectations from both sides need to be determined and explicitly stated. Students should practice with camera, sound, and visuals. Of course, a test call should take place to make sure all the equipment is working properly. These were all great tips and really made me think of our small group projects. These were really the things we discussed and had to agree upon in order to develop the lesson plan for our “Midwest Mystery” project. Hopefully because of all the great things we learned this week, our project will run fairly smoothly this fall!!!
Hilary Bell-Article 5
Planting the Seeds for Global Learning and Caring
This article talked about how students were interacting through VC by conversing with people from all walks of life, all over the world, face to face. This is what I love best about videoconferencing! There are so many positive learning experiences for students participating in the collaborations…it brings learning alive! It is amazing how powerful the discussions and reflections can be, so much so the students are moved to help others in need. The students are meeting with people who have lived through life altering experiences, learning from expertises on a variety of topics, even speaking a foreign language together! Thanks to VC incredible learning opportunities are taking place right inside classrooms everyday! I thought it was cool how the students felt comfortable interacting together and were even able to improvise when they encountered technical difficulities. Videoconferencing is a key component to helping prepare students for the 21st century and I plan to jump on board the wave of the future!
John G #5 article “Broadening the Vision and Eliminating the Barriers” This article talks about how schools really can’t afford to go fieldtrips so what better way to do fieldtrips is to bring them to your school or media center. Being in a school district that can not afford these trips it is a great way to see and hear and speak to people that you may never get a chance to in life. Video conferencing is the way to bring NASA to Horses to your room. Video conferencing helps the students gain knowledge see things that you could never get out of by reading your text books. The vision of what videoconferencing is real and things are happening fast so we all need to connect to this opportunity of broadening our minds.