Friday, February 27, 2015

2.1.4 Lecture Capture



Lecture capture software systems allow teachers to digitally record lectures and make them available for students to watch via the Internet. This feature makes of lecture capture a perfect tool for flipped teaching and learning. However, in the online classroom, which is predominantly asynchronous, the only effective practice I could think this resource could facilitate was to deliver and review course content.

While doing some research to learn more about how the integration of lecture capture would function and modify teaching methods in the online classroom, I came across the article Flipping the Online Classroom – One Professor’s Unique Approach, by Kelly Walsh. In this article, Walsh tells the story of Dr. Marshall, a college professor that decided to flip her online classroom. It is quite a fascinating story about how she created a robust set of regular synchronous working sessions, which turned the class into a truly dynamic digital classroom. Here is an excerpt from the article:

Students were assigned lectures she had recorded as their out-of-class work, which is common in flipped on-campus classes. Marshall’s recorded lectures were often rather lengthy, in contrast with common recommendations, but it is important to remember that this is also a graduate course. In some cases, they were split into two parts and/or students chose to view them in two parts, as there was usually only one lecture per week.

During the synchronous meeting sessions, students would log in and complete a “sign in” activity, based on the material from the lecture, while also serving as a record of attendance. Within the Adobe Connect platform, students would break into groups, each working on activities in their own digital breakout rooms. Marshall can ‘roam’ for room to room and observe or participate. Each group also has its own online collaborative whiteboard, and its own chat functionality. Everyone returns to a main meeting room to work together afterwards.

This practice seems to indicate the direction that online teaching and learning might take in the future. According to Walsh, increased use of synchronous elements is going to become more common as online learning continues to evolve. Using a tool like lecture capture will not only help flip the online classroom but also, as Walsh suggests, it will help emulate elements of the on-campus classroom which can strengthen the engaging social aspect that is often challenging to replicate in distance learning formats reliant solely on course management systems.


References

Walsh, K. (2014) Flipping the Online Classroom – One Professor’s Unique Approach. Retrieved February 27, 2015, from

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

2.1.3 Commercial versus Open Virtual Classrooms


I created this double bubble map to compare the similarities and differences between commercial versus open source software in virtual classrooms.

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

2.1.2 Recorded Sesion

As I mentioned in my previous post, Blackboard Collaborate is the application I use to teach in my virtual classes. I always record all my synchronous sessions, which has proven to become an excellent way to support and enhance asynchronous learning. Students who were absent or struggling with the lesson can always refer back to concepts and skills explained or reviewed during synchronous sessions. Having this possibility is extremely important in online language learning, particularly when trying to get additional practice and fine tune pronunciation as well as intonation. 



2.1.1 Delivery Methods and the Synchronous Vendor Market


Synchronous learning is an important piece of the online learning environment. It enables invaluable, simultaneous instructor-learner interaction. From my virtual teaching experience, Blackboard Collaborate, although it is not free, is one of the best resources in the market for synchronous learning. Blackboard Collaborate offers a wide variety of tools such as a whiteboard to present and share data, desktop sharing, video sharing, VoIP audio, a chat tool for instant messaging, polling, and break-out rooms to group participants. It can also record sessions for later playback.

Open source software packages present a free option for synchronous learning. However, there seem to be IT costs involved in the usage of open source tools. BigBlueButton is an open source web conferencing system that offers basically the same features as Blackboard Collaborate. It also has the additional advantage of being available in Schoology. This is what the BigBlueButton interface looks like:


Sunday, February 22, 2015

1.3.1 Learning and Content Management Systems: LMS & CMS


Learning Management Systems (LMSs) and Content Management Systems (CMSs) have similar roles within online education. Their differences seem to be connected to the origins of both management systems. LMSs were initially created to address workplace training needs in order to build knowledge for immediate application. It is for this reason that LMSs can handle a large number of training events. On the other hand, CMSs were originally designed to support learning in academic settings. CMSs are ideal for managing academic courses that are taught asynchronously.

LMSs, generally with an elevated cost when compared to CMSs, seem to be a more appropriate choice for larger organizations with a significant projected growth that will require a more robust management system for their eventual learning needs.

1.2.1 Roles and Functions in Online Learning Environments

In every Learning Management System (LMS), there are two distinct views of the online learning environment: the administrative side and the viewer side. Individuals play very specific roles and have also well-defined responsibilities aligned with their roles.


Server administrators, enrollment associates, LMS administrators, instructional designers, and instructional technologists ensure that all major areas and roles of a LMS, including the Student Information System (SIS) functionality, are addressed and functioning efficiently.

The role of the student support services as well as the role of the instructor act as the bridge that connects learners to the course content, being the instructor in charge of facilitating the delivery of the digital learning materials. It is for this reason that instructors' management and organizational skills are crucial in order to maximize students' learning experience. Instructors should always write concisely and clearly and organize information in an easy-to-follow order, chunking materials into weekly sessions. Instructors should also manage asynchronous discussions effectively, increasing the interactivity of the online learning environment.

Saturday, February 21, 2015

1.1.1 Delineating Between Synchronous and Asynchronous Content



 The main difference between synchronous and asynchronous learning is that synchronous learning implies a real-time, instructor-led, online learning event in which all of the participants are logged on at the same time and have the ability to communicate with each other. Some synchronous tools that are commonly used are telephone and Skype conversations, instant or chat messaging, virtual classrooms, and video conferencing.

On the other hand, in an asynchronous learning environment the instructor provides the materials and assignments for the online class and students complete them during a time frame. The online learning resources used to support asynchronous learning include email, electronic mailing lists, threaded conferencing systems, online discussion boards, wikis, and blogs.

4.1.3 Digital Health

Learning how to efficiently manage time becomes crucial when trying to ensure the most balanced blend of technology and well-being. From my experience, after almost five years being involved in online teaching and learning, time management and organizational skills are inherently tied together in order to get the most from technology while simultaneously safeguarding good health. It is essential to develop strong organizational skills both in the professional field and in the personal domain so that time is used efficiently.

I am currently completing a professional development online course, and there are a couple of strategies that I try to use consistently when managing my time. The first strategy, and the most difficult one for me, is prioritizing. Although it can be very hard to say no to some of the things I enjoy the most, it does pay off when I realize how much I have been able to accomplish during a certain period of time. The second strategy that works very well for me is establishing mini-deadlines. This allows me to complete my work a couple of days ahead of the “real” deadline, which helps make things a lot less stressful. Living ahead of schedule is certainly very rewarding when unexpected things occur.






Wednesday, February 18, 2015

4.1.2 Digital Safety and Security

Due to the fact that nowadays technology is a big part of our students' lives, I believe that digital safety and security needs to be taught explicitly. As Mike Ribble suggests in Passport to Digital Citizenship, students should have the opportunity to analyze and explore why they should use technologies in a certain way. Using the explicit direct instruction model, I provide guidance to my students about what constitutes safe and responsible Internet use, and how to recognize dangerous and inappropriate situations.

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

4.1.1 Digital Rights and Responsibilities


Every Digital Learning Community (DLC) must ensure that citizens within the community have access to an environment where Acceptable Use Policies protect members as well as the community itself and where individuals uphold laws. An effective way to establish and maintain a DLC where citizens observe, support, and ultimately benefit from Digital Rights and Responsibilities would imply explicitly addressing and discussing that with digital rights come responsibilities. 

From my experience, in an online learning environment, copyright laws tends to become an issue that requires particular attention. Common Sense Media offers a fantastic Digital Literacy and Citizenship Classroom Curriculum with many great ready-to-use lesson plans on several digital citizenship topics including copyright. I plan to use one of the lessons in which students learn to follow five simple tips to ensure that they respect copyright laws when they want to use someone else's creative work:
  1. Check who owns it.

  2. Get permission to use it, if necessary.

  3. Give credit to the creator.

  4. Buy it, if necessary.

  5. Use it responsibly.

Monday, February 16, 2015

3.1.2 Digital Resources and Netiquette

Respectful attitudes and behaviors are not only appreciated, but also necessary for civility in a digital learning community. I think it is essential that students understand the parallel between a physical classroom environment and a virtual classroom environment. In fact, the core rules of netiquette from the book Netiquette by Virginia Shea can be interpreted as classroom expectations or classroom rules. There are certain behaviors that are expected and other behaviors that are not acceptable in an academic environment, physical or virtual. It is for this reason that establishing clear netiquette expectations is essential in a digital learning community.

Netiquette Poster

Saturday, February 14, 2015

3.1.1 Access to the Digital Community

Broadband access is, undoubtedly, a primary factor when analyzing access to a digital learning community. Researching this factor in my area corroborated my prediction that both availability and speed connection were above average. 

However, what it seems to be a barrier that could impede my students' opportunities to access digital learning is income disparity. I teach in a school district in which a high percentage of students qualify to receive free or reduced lunch. Often times, they share with me that the only way they can connect to and use the Internet at home is their smart phones. This, obviously, represents a huge limitation when they try to complete assignments and projects after school. In order to mitigate this barrier, I always try to find digital platforms, tools, and resources that will work on their phones. Additionally, three days a week, I am available after school at the computer lab for those students that have transportation and wish to take advantage of our school's resources. 

44.6% do not have broadband access because of cost (we can assume that not having a computer or an inadequate one is also because of its cost) 

 

 

Friday, February 13, 2015

1.1.3 Ideal Digital Learning Community


In order to create an ideal Digital Learning Community (DLC), a variety of digital tools and resources should be integrated so that teachers and students can have meaningful opportunities to communicate and collaborate. The key to make a DLC attractive and welcoming is to take into consideration the needs and interests of the targeted audience. These needs and interests should be approached as dynamic variables, always subject to change as DLCs members' knowledge grows and expands to different fields of study as well as digital means of communication and collaboration. It's precisely for this reason that DLCs are ideal to provide rich instructional and learning experiences.


My Vision of the Ideal DLC

Thursday, February 12, 2015

1.1.2 Joining a Digital Learning Community


After exploring many different Digital Learning Communities (DLCs), I focused my attention on those that had the potential to offer a wider variety of language and cultural instructional resources. I created a DLC tag bundle in Delicious to have easy access to them. 

The DLC that I've decided to join is Connexions. Connexions is an open space that integrates a myriad of cross-curricular materials that students can use independently. I found it particularly interesting because, from the Spanish language and culture learning perspective, students can find all the resources that they need to revisit and enrich the concepts and skills taught in the classroom.

Making a DLC like Connexions more appealing to students can be achieved by showing and modeling its effectiveness as well as its endless possibilities in other subject areas. It is important that we teach our students how to efficiently connect different sources of information, so that they can construct their own learning and become self-directed learners.

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

2.1.1 Collecting Reputable Digital Resources

Social bookmarking tools are a great way to access bookmarks anywhere and at anytime. I have used Delicious for several years. I like the way Delicious allows me to tag the bookmarks and group them by tags. Social bookmarking is a great tool for networking and sharing bookmarks with anyone especially other teachers and even students.
My Delicious Tag Bundles

In the same way that social bookmarking is a great tool for teachers to keep track of resources and share them, students can also take advantage of this tool. Students can use social bookmarking to collaborate on projects with other students in their school or in other schools. For each thematic unit that we study, I like to see my students compiling a list of resources using Delicious. They bookmark the sites that they find more useful and interesting, and organize them by tags (vocabulary, grammar, irregular verbs, culture, etc). Students also network and benefit from seeing their peers' bookmarks and using their tags. Students can expand their research by adding new and relevant resources that their peers have found.

As I just mentioned, when we begin the study of a new thematic unit and students start their research, I have them bookmark and tag resources that are key to the achievement of the learning goals. These sites must meet certain criteria such as accuracy, objectivity, currency, and reliability. I explicitly teach my students that it is imperative that they follow these criteria in order for them to maximize their learning and benefit from using social bookmarking. They do understand that using social bookmarking and sharing their bookmarks allow them to use their time more efficiently, and that's an advantage that they don't want to lose. Active teacher monitoring is key to make sure that there are not inappropriate or irrelevant sites added to their bookmarks, and that all students are making significant contributions.